A/N: Thanks for all the reviews/ messages so far! Really love hearing the reactions from you all! Hope you like the latest chapter. Sorry for any typos. I'm really tired and have been sick all week D: Ciao!

Isabela was stunned. She didn't really know what to say, and was ever thankful that she and Navarre were in darkness as they continued to walk along the beach in search of Hawke.

"So... you and Leliana have, er, made up then?" Isabela asked optimistically when the Hero of Ferelden had finished her story. She heard Navarre sigh.

"Goddess, I don't know," the elf replied, half laughing through her pain. She dexterously dodged a rather large crab that snapped angrily at her toes and flicked it into the sea. "I guess I took your advice without even thinking about it, shem."

Isabela laughed. "Sex is always a great way to avoid awkward conversations."

"Leliana obviously agrees," Navarre chuckled. "She initiated it, not I."

"She always was quite feisty. Did she bite you this time?"

"Isabela!"

"No sensual massage along your—"

"Stop."

"Not that sensual massages aren't lovely," Isabela continued relentlessly, "but in a dire situation like yours, you need to get straight to the point. Was she any good?"

"I swear—"

"What?" the pirate protested innocently. "You've been all but celibate for the better part of a decade, Nav! The least you can tell me is if it lived up to your elevated expectations."

"Suddenly wishing a whale would jump out of that ocean and swallow me up," Navarre groaned, massaging her head. "And don't ever call me 'Nav' again or I'll put an arrow in your eye." Isabela sniggered. "Anyway," Navarre continued, "How do you know my expectations were 'elevated'?"

"Sweetness, it's been ten years!" Isabela said pointedly, shuddering at the thought. "Balls, I went six months without Hawke once and I cooked her up to be something else entirely in my head. Imagination runs away with you after a while. Plus the letters she writes me are filthy! More fuel for the fire."

Navarre snorted. "Not that yours needs fuelled. But it wasn't like that for me. Sex with Leliana was...Forget it. Can we stop talking about this please?"

"You're not going to tell me, are you?" Isabela complained. "Fine! I'll just chalk it down to 'room for improvement' then, shall I?"

"Ugh, if I don't tell you, you're just going to make something worse up aren't you?" Navarre grumbled.

"It's more fun that way," Isabela joked, picking up a rock and skimming it across the bed of ocean to their left. "You Dalish don't exactly scream 'sexual deviants' you know. Someone has to look out for your reputation between the sheets."

"Elgar'nan..."

"I'll make up something exciting, I promise! Don't you trust me?" the Rivaini grinned.

"Not in the slightest, shem."

"But I have first-hand knowledge of your talents, Navarre," Isabela teased, enjoying herself now. "It may have been a decade ago the last time we frolicked, but you left a ...hmm, lasting impression."

"I will stab you in your sleep," Navarre threatened, her eyes flashing dangerously. "We don't all like to boast about our conquests like you, Isabela. Besides, how I performed or Leliana performed is not what's bothering me."

"Then what is? Maker, I've never met someone so utterly depressed after having sex. It's...well, depressing!"

Navarre took a moment to sidestep a large clump of seaweed on the beach before continuing. "It's the fact that Leliana and I are eventually going to have to have the conversation that we avoided that's worrying me. It's now ten times more complicated."

"Why? How did you leave things when you were finished groping each other's grinders?" Isabela asked.

Navarre hesitated. She picked up a stone off the sand and tossed it into the oncoming tide, splashing them both slightly. "Er…nothing. I just kind of, grabbed my things and…walked out."

At this Isabela couldn't help but hold back her laughter. "You hit it and quit it!?" she sniggered. "Andraste's left tit, you really did take my advice, didn't you? I'm like a proud mother over here!"

Her laughter seemed to embarrass Navarre even more.

"Isabela, I will knock you out and leave you here!" Navarre growled, her anger burning as much as her face.

Isabela didn't doubt her for a second.

"I'll bet, sweet thing. What are you going to do though?" she asked, quickly getting her laughter under control.

"I…don't know," Navarre admitted, shrugging. "For now, let's just focus on finding Hawke. I'll deal with my personal life when I get back to Skyhold."

"Good idea," Isabela agreed, getting back to the mission at hand. "Don't worry. I'm sure you'll think of some other way to avoid the conversation again."

"Here's hoping. Anyway I—Isabela, look!"

Isabela followed the faint outline of Navarre's arm, pointing towards something in the distance. It was a glowing green light, sparking violently and shooting out dark shapes onto the Storm Coast.

"That must be a rift!" Isabela exclaimed, having never really see one up close and personal. It was slightly terrifying, she couldn't deny. Feeling slightly sick she shouted, "Let's go! Hawke could be nearby!"

The two of them instantly broke into a run, drawing their weapons as they did so. Navarre began shooting arrow after arrow at the horde of demons that were spilling out. Isabela relished the first cut of her blade as the fight began, and she lost herself in the relishing thought that when it was over she would be one step closer to finding Hawke.

###

"That was too easy!" Isabela yelled triumphantly as the last of the demons fell. "Who's next?"

"I sense Darkspawn on the way," Navarre said, killing the last of her foes until it was only the two of them again.

"That was a rhetorical question," Isabela replied sarcastically, flicking the ectoplasm off her daggers. "I need to have a look around. Hawke could be here somewhere."

"Go, I'll hold the Darkspawn off until the others get here," Navarre ordered, taking another arrow and resting it against her bow in preparation for the oncoming trouble.

"Done! See you in a bit!" Isabela replied, running off. She glanced back over her shoulder as a horde of four Darkspawn Hurlocks came belting towards Navarre. In a split second the Grey Warden had released four arrows, each with perfect headshots and had taken out her daggers to engage another horde to her left. Maker, I forgot how good she was! Suddenly Isabela spotted another group of Blighted creatures closing in from the right. She realised that no matter how good Navarre might be, she was out numbered twenty to one. Damn! Doubling back, Isabela entered the fray again, and the Warden and the pirate continued the fight.

"What are you doing? Get going! I can handle this," Navarre responded, glancing over her shoulder as Isabela got her flank again.

"You can't," Isabela warned. "There are more on the way. I'll deal with this first. Let's dance!"

Hurlock after Hurlock came pouring onto the beach from every crevice imaginable. Soon they were joined by unknown mercenaries who charged down the hills of the Storm Coast towards their position on the bloodied beach.

"I hope they're friendly!" Isabela called, watching the mercs clash with the Darkspawn along with them.

"We can't keep this up forever!" Navarre yelled back. Both of them were covered in tainted blood and it seemed like the Darkspawn and demons were never ending. There must be a passage to the Deep Roads nearby, Isabela shuddered, glancing at the endless stream of enemies. It was an absolute free for all in the craziest form.

"Alright, new strategy. HELP!" Isabela shouted, feeling a muscle tear painfully in her leg. She was immediately thrown off balance. Her left leg had seized up. Navarre moved to her side, still shooting arrows until she had none left. She wielded a dagger then, holding Isabela upright with the other arm. The remaining Darkspawn closed in, jaws gnashing hungrily. They were overrun. As the nearest Hurlock made to attack, Navarre shoved her aside and immediately beat it back, slashing its face in two. The others growled angrily.

"Go!" Navarre shouted to Isabela, pushing her away. "NOW!"

Not needing to be told twice, Isabela left her and limped to find safety, simultaneously parrying an oncoming attack with her blades and cutting off the fiend's head. She tripped blindly and found herself flat on her back in the darkness. She blacked out for a bit, and time seemed to stand still, before suddenly fresh battle cries could be heard in the distance. The others! Isabela thought gratefully. The more the merrier, I suppose! Afraid to be caught sitting on her ass, Isabela dragged herself to her feet. As she did so, something connected with her skull.

"Oof!"

She hit the sand again, feeling like her skull had been carved in two. Dazed, she glanced up through watery eyes and through the night she could see the outline of something running towards her menacingly. She was going to die. Her daggers were too far away. Just as she curled up and braced for impact, a rough hand reached down and dragged her to her feet.

"Get up, big tits. You're coming with us."

Isabela opened her eyes to find that it wasn't Darkspawn chasing her any longer, it was the mercenaries.

"To the Void with that! Get your hands off me," she snarled. "I need to help my friend!"

She tried to break free but more mercenaries closed in and one kicked out the back of her knee, causing her to buckle over. They squeezed her daggers out of her hand and she felt her jewellery being stripped away.

"Are you kidding me?" Isabela asked in disbelief. "You're going to mug me in the middle of battle? At least have the decency to kill me before you loot my body."

"We're not going to kill ya, sweetheart," the oldest and only female of the group replied gruffly. "We're gonna sell ya. You'll fetch a pretty price in Tevinter."

The other mercs laughed in amusement and Isabela found herself in chains. Oh shit. Slavers!

They hauled her to her feet and no matter how hard she fought, Isabela couldn't stop them from taking her. She felt a sucker punch to the face and heard her nose crack.

"Argh!"

The female merc who had hit her guffawed loudly. Isabela was dazed. Her head was spinning. Navarre was too far away to call for help and they were both exhausted from the fight. Knowing Navarre would come looking for her though, Isabela couldn't leave her without a trail. Footsteps would be hard to find in the dark and washed away by morning. She shook the blue bandana she always wore from her head onto the sand, and watched as the mercs trampled it as they led her away towards a ship on the harbour. It was the best she could do. Hoping to The Maker that the Grey Warden would find it and piece the puzzle together, Isabela looked up at the heavens then, praying that she wasn't on her way to becoming a Tevinter Magister's bitch.

##

"How nice of you to drop by."

Isabela raised her head from where she knelt among the numerous tightly packed slaves, as blood from her broken nose dribbled off the end of her chin. From a short way across the boat's crowded hold, a smiling face caught her eyes, one that she hadn't seen in what felt an age.

"Hawke?!"

Isabela buffeted aside the other slaves and flung herself into Hawke's chest, wrapping her chained arms around her neck and hugging her like she had never hugged anyone in her entire life. "Maker's Breath! Blood of Andraste! Oh, Hawke!"

Hawke's laughter was like music to her ears, a sound Isabela never thought she'd hear again. She could feel herself welling up with happiness despite the precarious situation they found themselves in. Isabela closed her eyes, savouring the moment she had been dreaming and longing about since Hawke's apparent death.

"You're alive!" Isabela whimpered, completely overwhelmed, kissing Lana's mouth, cheek and then neck over and over before burying her face there, breathing in the woman's familiar scent. Underneath the sweat, blood, and stench in the ship's hold, there was no longer a doubt in Isabela's mind. This was really Hawke, hers and only hers. She couldn't quite put it into words. The sheer emotional toil of the whole situation had rendered her speechless.

"Oy! Break it up, you filthy slatterns!" the female slaver yelled. Isabela instantly felt a stinging lash from a whip against her back and released Lana. As she buckled over there was a second and third, more powerful lash.

"Argghhh!" Hawke wailed.

She keeled over sideward onto the deck in front of Isabela, her face wrecked with agony. She had taken it straight in the face.

"Hawke!" Isabela cried.

Hawke's check had been slashed open by the tip of the whip, casting a long thin straight gash from just above her eyebrow to half way down her face. The Rivaini glared up at the guard, who had walked away laughing evilly. She noticed the bitch had her daggers and was now examining her massive golden neck piece from the loot on a nearby crate. Get your filthy hands off it, Isabela cursed under her breath. The other slaves all bowed their heads as the slaver passed, afraid that they would be next for a lashing. Bastard!

Isabela turned back to Hawke and quickly made to see if she was ok. "Shit...Come here. I've got you."

Hawke's arms were chained behind her back, making her unable to do much more than rest her head on Isabela's shoulder, as the pirate straightened her into a sitting position. Isabela then sat against a wooden column for support and allowed Hawke to lie her head back on her chest. Carefully, Isabela cradled Lana's face in her right hand, tilting her head upwards, trying to get a better look at her. Staring down into the soft chocolate-brown eyes of Lana Hawke having never thought she would ever do so again, Isabela felt a familiar, comforting warmth caress her insides that she hadn't felt in such a long time. It was like a hot drink on a chilly day. A shot of whiskey on an empty stomach. Love sometimes crept up on you that way, usually in the strangest of moments.

Like this one...

Isabela brushed away a tear the escape down Hawke's cheek. Lana's face was a mess. There didn't seem to be an inch of her that wasn't bruised purple and blue. Dried blood was caked around her nostrils and her lips were cracked and dry, indicating that she, like the rest of the slaves here were dehydrated. Maker knows how long they had been down in this cold, dusty hold.

"Isabela," Hawke breathed, seemingly as taken in by the reunion as she was.

"Miss me?" Isabela teased.

"I…I never thought I'd see you again," Hawke croaked, shaking her head in disbelief. "H-How did you find me?"

"I didn't," Isabela chuckled. "We tracked you to the Storm Coast, but I got caught just like you did."

"We?"

Isabela nodded. "The Hero of Ferelden and I. Varric and the others weren't long behind us. We were held up by Darkspawn and demons, but I went searching for you alone. That's when I got caught. I had hoped that the others would follow us, but now that we're at sea it will be hard for them. It's up to us."

"You found Navarre?" Hawke asked interestedly.

Isabela nodded. "She's still her bitter little self, although with a little less prejudice these days. Rather charming now actually."

"Maybe I'll finally meet her," Hawke replied.

"Here's hoping. There's a lot you don't know though. You've been gone long time."

Hawke sighed. "I know…There's a lot you don't know either. Donnic's dead, Bela."

Isabela ignored the dull pang of sadness for Aveline and baby Hendyr and kissed Hawke's hair. "There'll be time for talking later, sweetness. Let's not do it here."

"Damn, slavers," Hawke cursed, wincing as Isabela touched the gash on her cheek, trying to stem the blood it was oozing. "I fell out of the fade rift into a massive horde of demons. I managed to take them out but…Maker, I must have passed out. Next thing I remember I was lying on the beach with the tide washing over me, being woken up by those cretins."

"That explains the sand," Isabela said, wiping away a few granules from Hawke's dirty undershirt. It was the only thing she had on, accompanied by her usual dark purple breeches which were almost unrecognisably dirty and torn in places. "What happened to the rest of your clothes?"

"Bastards must have looted my body before they woke me," Hawke grunted, "I woke up with nothing. Shame. I loved that green jacket."

"Don't worry, well get it back," Isabela assured her. "Along with our weapons. I was rather attached to those daggers myself. Not to mention that neck jewel."

Hawke's breathing became stilted then and her head dropped a little. Isabela shook her to keep her conscious.

"Stay with me," she said, kissing the side of her head. "If we're going to get out of here I'll need your help."

"My left ankle is broken, Bela," Hawke winced, "I'm afraid I'm not going to be much use and once they find out they'll surely kill me. A slave who can't walk won't fetch them much coin, even in Tevinter."

Isabela glanced down at Hawke's foot, which was dangling at an awkward, sickening angle. She hadn't noticed before.

"Balls," the Rivaini cursed, fighting the urge to vomit. "That's going to make this all the harder."

"We've faced worse odds," Hawke chuckled amidst her obvious pain.

Isabela tilted her head in consideration. "Good point."

"How's my face look?" Hawke asked. Isabela glanced down at her.

"Hmm, still beautiful, but that cut is definitely going to scar," she said grimly. "I'll take you to Bethany once we get off this ship. Maybe she can help."

"She's alright?" Hawke asked eagerly, clutching Isabela's arm a little tighter than before.

"She's fine," Isabela smiled, patting her hand to reassure her. "She is herself again. The demon is gone."

"I know, I killed it," Hawke grinned smugly.

Isabela chuckled. "You can tell me all about it when we're back in Ferelden Let's just focus on getting free."

"You have a plan?" Hawke asked eagerly.

"I do," Isabela said grinning down at her. "How impartial are you to being whipped again?"

"Er, I could do without it!" Hawke said warily. "Why?"

"Kiss me," Isabela ordered.

"What?"

"Kiss me, dammit! And make it a good one this time."

Without waiting for a response, Isabela leaned down and took her unawares, kissing her with such passion that a few other slaves around them began to mutter. Isabela pressed Hawke down onto the deck in a way that would be deemed inappropriate even in many brothels, putting on a show that was sure to catch the attention of the passing merc. As much as she was keeping an ear out for them, Isabela couldn't help but lose herself in the moment. She could feel that same eagerness from Hawke despite her injuries. They'd have to continue it later though.

"Oy!"

There was a scattering of movement as the other slaves withdrew from the scene, and Isabela heard the heavy boots of the she-male mercenary approach. As soon as the pirate felt a rough hand on her shoulder to drag her off, she spun around and swung her chained hands at the woman's midsection with all the strength she could muster. The merc yelped in pain and collapsed onto her knees, within reach of another punch to the face this time. She hit the floor and Isabela wrapped the chains the bound her around the woman's neck and pulled them tight, strangling her mercilessly. As she struggled, Isabela held on, seeing the shocked, scared eyes of the others slaves watching fearfully.

Finally, the female merc went limp.

"That's for breaking my nose," Isabela snarled, spitting on her corpse. She pushed her dead body to the side and immediately retrieved her daggers and neckwear, putting them back on. She dragged the frayed, dark green coat off her that belonged to Hawke and threw it over Lana's broken, freezing body to keep her warm then got to her feet.

"Nice work," Hawke said, smiling up at her. "Who doesn't love good old asphyxiation every now and then?"

Isabela winked, her hands on her hips as she concocted the next step. "Stay put, gorgeous. I think it's time I turned this ship around. Oh, how I have missed life on the high seas! No one messes with the Queen."

The surrounding slaves began to chatter excitedly then, a few even getting to the feet, answering Isabela's rally. Hawke smiled proudly and amusedly as she watched the Queen of the Eastern Seas strut up the hold of the ship. She was gradually accompanied by an army of would-be slaves, all of them ready to stage a coup against their capturers and commandeer the ship, turning it back towards Ferelden.