21. Fresh Starts

For a few seconds, Jowan and I just stare at the weaving drunk. I'm hoping he'll pass out and forget this conversation ever happened. Jowan, on the other hand, is white as a sheet. And we've been standing here long enough people are starting to stare, so I clear my throat.

"Maybe we should step outside for a moment?" I suggest. "Continue this conversation with less of an audience."

Brady blinks at the observers. "Go back t' yer drinksh," he scolds. "Thish ain't none a' yers business."

Only about half of them listen. So he drags his fingers through his hair and gives a resigned sigh. "Fine, fine. Outside we go... But not fer too long, or Dev'll think I'm runnin' out on m' tab."

"Does he look familiar?" I whisper to Jowan as we step out into daylight.

Jowan gives a helpless shrug. "Maybe? Vaguely? I helped enough people while I was going by Levyn I can't remember all of them."

I have to smile to myself at that; even when being actively hunted by the Chantry, this man took serious risks helping people who needed it. Even though I know of at least two occasions it came back to bite him-once it almost got him killed.

But now Brady's looking at me pointedly, so I drag my attention back to the present and squeeze Jowan's hand reassuringly. "So, you know him from somewhere?"

"Not just somewhere," Brady corrects, looking a tad more sober. "The refugee caravan from the Hinterlands up ta Denerim. He kept us safe a buncha times." A bitter snort. "'Course, then the archdemon showed up tryna undo all your hard work. We barely made it out alive." He smiles then. "Jasen still talks 'bout wantin' ta be like you."

Jowan gives a small, dry laugh. "I'm flattered, but tell him to pick a better hero. Someone like her." He nudges my shoulder.

I roll my eyes and nudge back. "I think you work just fine as a hero, sweetheart." I glance back up at Brady. "So do you have anything in particular you wanted to talk to him about, or was this just an alcohol induced 'Hey how ya doin'?"

Brady chuckles, looking at Jowan. "Mighty protective lady y' have there."

"Comes with being what I am," he explains, flames briefly flickering across his palm. "And we've both lost enough in life we don't want to lose each other, too. But we are here on rather urgent Warden business, so she's right to question. Was there something important?"

A sheepish grin from the drunk. "More a' the latter, I s'ppose," he admits. "I just wanted t' let you know that my family, at least, still remembers the help you gave us an' we're grateful for the fresh start. If there's ever anything I can do fer ya while yer here just let me know. I work right up at th' mill; real easy ta find."

"We'll be sure to let you know if we need your help," Jowan promises.

Brady smiles almost boyishly before shuffling back toward the tavern door, muttering something about not wanting Devlin to think he's skipping out on paying for his drink.

"How 'bout that," I murmur, squeezing Jowan's hand as we start walking. "I'm not the only person who thinks you're a hero."

He makes a face at me. "We all know you're biased 'cause you like-"

"Love," I correct. "I love you."

"Fine," Jowan grins. "You're biased 'cause you love me. And Brady and Jasen... They don't know what Iwas." He glances down at the scar across his palm.

"Because that doesn't really matter," I counter."Yes, you did wrong things in the past, and no matter how good your motives were, you hurt people who trusted you. But that's not who you are now, and it isn't who you were when you were helping refugees. You changed, became better, and are absolutely a hero."

"A change I largely credit to you," he deflects. "I am who I am now because of you, Rahna."

I swallow the first few reactions I want to have, because there are children playing in the streets around us. "That's bull. You were helpin' refugees long before we bumped into each other at that tavern."

Jowan shakes his head, running his fingers through his hair as we skirt a puddle. "No, I mean before that. When... When you let me out, told me to run for it. That was my fresh start. And I figured if someone who didn't even know me saw enough good in me to give me that chance, I should honor it. So, yes, Rahna Tabris, even before I started tagging along with you and Zevran, you were making me a better person."

"I'm sneaky like that," I tease, stepping up on a fallen crate so I can kiss him without stretching too far.

"You are a tricky little minx," Jowan confirm in an undertone, completely ignoring the staring passers-by. "It's one of the many, many things I love about you."

I lace my fingers together behind his neck and grin at him. "You'll have to regale me with the whole list sometime. Never hurts to hear good things about yourself."

He grins back playfully, resting his forehead against mine. "It'll be a long night," he whispers, stealing a kiss. "It's a very long list."

"Well, I have a laundry list of flaws, good to know there's enough virtue in the mix to balance it out," I joke, reluctantly pulling back and hopping down from the crate. Flirty banter with my man is all well and good-and I love it, don't get me wrong-but we do have a job we're supposed to be doing.Business first, pleasure later, I remind myself. "Do we have time to talk to people in town before we're supposed to meet Mahariel and Velanna?"

"Plenty," Jowan assures me. "At least two hours, probably closer to the full three."

"Alright, then." I survey the shops that line Honnleath's main street. "Let's get started."

A/N: I am so sorry this is going up so late. I totally spaced this morning, and then was out with my mom and sister, and then had to work... So, yeah, sorry it's late.