Chapter 25

Dragon 9:34

Solis/Solace Denerim [Present]

Lawler agreed with Anora that he would start his search in Denerim and then, after a week, they would review the position. She gave him one hundred sovereigns to cover any expenses and he was very taken aback, and tried to thank her fulsomely she shrugged off his attempts and just said, "Do your duty. Find him and bring him back here even if you have to pry him off some woman's lap by the ear…"

First, of course, he visited Bregeth and Niamh, Bregeth sat Lawler in the kitchen served him some warm broth with herbs and, with perfect amiability, pried everything he knew from him. They had not seen Alistair for three days, but Bregeth told Lawler that sometimes he turned up late at night and when he had been drinking, he had developed the habit of sleeping in the parlour as best he could so they often found him when they went down for breakfast much the worse for wear. Alistair then usually wished them good morning, played with his daughter a little, had breakfast with them, and was off. Bregeth did not explain what the arrangements were when he had not been drinking and Lawler did not ask.

They agreed that should Alistair turn up Bregeth would send the little redheaded elven girl to the palace with a bunch of elfroot for Lawler.

Lawler then visited The Pearl, just on the off chance, where Sanga assured him that Alistair had not been seen, was not there and was not even a habitual client. "As I understand it," she informed him sniffily, "he much prefers street trade…" Lawler left cursing the haughtiness of whores under his breath.

Lawler got his break at The Mermaid and Anchor where the barman said he saw Alistair late the day before last with a group of sailors. This was confirmed by Priya, when she returned for her evening shift. She knew those sailors well, she said, she described them as "picturesque" and identified their ship as The Siren's Call. It had a female captain she remarked, a certain Isabela. Lawler's ears pricked up at that…

So it was that around midday the next day Lawler was standing on the poop deck of The Siren's Call with some new friends. He managed to ingratiate himself with the group of sailors with much greater ease than he even suspected possible because they had something in common. Anora's sovereigns had also helped, these being sailors, they drink like fish and some of them have rather exotic alcoholic preferences that do not come cheap. This was Lawler's one difficulty, he was not much of a drinker himself and yet he had to be seen to be keeping up. In the end he waylaid black-eyed Priya and asked that she serve him water which he pretended was spirits and for which he (or rather Anora) paid the full spirit price. He was sure Priya was pocketing the difference, but, what the hell, the girl worked hard and gave him his tipoff. It all worked out well in the end, though, he and a rather stout young Trevinter called Puy whose drinking also seemed to be limited, ended up putting the others to bed or rather dumping them in their hammocks. Puy actually seemed rather grateful for the help.

Puy, looking fresh faced and rosy-cheeked was leaning on the handrail next to him. Lawler always thought that Trevinters would be rather dark but as Puy informed him, "We Trevinters are a mixed lot…" Hamm was sitting in the corner quietly polishing the disassembled artefact that yesterday at the Mermaid and Anchor he was claiming loudly, would end civilization, as Thedas knew it.

"So Captain Isabela…"

"Is a bit busy at the moment… She has a new beau, he's rather dashing actually…" says Puy.

"There's a rumour he's the King of Fereldan…" Whispered Casaubon, an Orlesian, with a hint of excitement.

"So much rubbish." Snorted Lucky, a dwarf. From his accent Lucky is not Fereldan but when Lawler, politely, tried to delve a little deeper into his origins, Lucky just said, "I'm a dwarf, where d'ya think I come from? Underground of course."

"Is not…" argued Casaubon.

"It is and I'll tell you why… Because…" said Lucky, "Surface Kings always get this thing called an 'education': they learn how to ride a horse, governance, languages, table manners, the history of the Chantry, diplomacy, non-chalance, how to be polite to ladies…"

How to behead a darkspawn in one stroke, added Lawler for himself, despite his initial alarm at the subject of the conversation, he was now finding it quite amusing.

"…how to drink without looking drunk…"

Alistair certainly missed out on that one, thought Lawler.

"Oh, I thought the basics of royal education were: the Trivium, grammar, rhetoric and logic, and the Quadrivium, arithmetic, geometry, astronomy and music, supplemented by…" Chipped in Puy.

"Oh, shut up Holy bloody Father…," said Casaubon and the others immediately began to boo and whistle.

Puy went slightly red "… a long story…" he muttered to Lawler.

"… and dancing…" Lucky finished.

"I do agree on the dancing…," said Puy.

"Good." Said Lucky, "and I'm sure we all agree now that this guy can't dance for toffee…"

"…ergo…" interjected Puy,

"Whatevs, he can't be the King. A cousin or something, perhaps, but not the King… Anyway the King of Ferelden is called Alistair, Priya told me that, and this guy's name is Sandro…"

"Well, that is such a conclusive argument…," said Puy rolling his eyes, but fortunately no one but Lawler seemed to notice his comment.

At that moment, there was a sound from below, a squeaking hinge, a door pushed open. A striking woman with dark curly hair almost down to her waist and a derriere to die for, which she knew how to move, came out on to the main deck. Followed by… Alistair, even from behind there is no doubt that it was he, the wide shoulders, the honey blond hair... Lawler was wholly unprepared for the feeling of relief and some other emotions that he could not quite put a name to, that coursed through him in that instance of recognition.

They were both carrying foils, Alistair was clearly displeased with the weapons, even when he had his back to Lawler, Lawler could tell, just by the way he was impatiently swishing the foil back and forth. Having taken what he hopes is a glance; Lawler turned away from the view of the main deck to face the others.

"There they are, the love birds…," said Casaubon.

"Does Isabela pick up a lot of men?" asked Lawler.

"Is the Archon a Trevinter?" asked Puy.

"Men, girls, you name it… So long as they're pretty." Said Lucky.

Lawler pretended not be interested in what was happening on the main deck but out of the corner of his eye he saw them practicing basic stances. From what he could see, Isabela was pretty strict with Alistair, far more than he would be, kicking his feet to put them in the correct position, making pointed remarks…

"Funny what happened during their second session yesterday wasn't it?" Said Puy.

"Oh yes, she's going to get her own back today, that's for sure…" Remarked Lucky.

"What happened yesterday?" asked Lawler.

"I'll tell you," said Puy, "He hates foils. Foils give her an advantage and put him at a disadvange. On their first day, Isabela made the mistake of using blunted cutlasses for their first session. Sandro had her on the deck in barely four minutes… So she switched to foils. Anyway, they started with the foils and he was standing quite still moving the foil from one opening position to another. He had apparently grasped that she would not usually move until he did and this was a shortcoming, she was following every movement he made like a hawk as she usually does. He is pretty impetuous and Isa really exploits that… He was doing this for a few minutes and then, surprisingly, Isa began to loose patience and made a few half-hearted lunges. I think she'd had it too easy and might have gotten used to it. He carried on a little longer and this weird little smile began to play on his lips… This was just really an extension of foreplay for them both, I reckon. Eventually he put his foil in a lowered position and she was following it with her eyes as usual and then…"

Lawler heard the clash of blades from the deck below, obviously they had just moved from stances to hands on practice. Lawler was pretty certain Alistair would fare badly, he was not about finesse but strength and force, the foil would deny him most of that, still he admired him for giving it a try, although he guessed only a pretty woman would induce him to do so.

"…He drops it." Puy continued, "She tracked the foil with her eyes, as he had been training her to do, and not his body. It was a mistake and a very big one. He charged her, hit her in the mid section with his shoulder and hoisted her over his back, like a sack of potatoes. She started screaming once she'd recovered her breath, 'Sandro! Sandro!' waving her foil ineffectively. He laughed, he's got quite a wicked laugh, and carried on running, took her down to the lower deck and her bedroom, those of us that could, tried to follow them… Just about remembered to shut the door, disappointingly. There was a thud as he dropped her on the bed, followed shortly by another one which was probably him jumping on top of her. Half an hour later, she was still screaming 'Sandro!' from the bedroom… After a while, it all went quiet… I saw them at supper later that evening, they both looked exhausted, but he was far happier than he has been…"

Lawler reflected that you could only use a feint of the kind Puy had described with the same opponent just the once. Perhaps Alistair was not intending to stay that long? Perhaps he was reading too much into things…

"So what else do they do?" Lawler asked.

Casaubon sighed.

"They dance." Said Puy, "She's trying to teach him to dance…"

"Bummer really," added Lucky, "he's hopeless…"

"But at least he's getting lots of the other thing… and then there's the kissing…" said Casaubon.

"That's why we're here," Lawler looked down to find Lucky squinting up at him. "For the kiss…" he said winking.

"It's our hobby." said Puy.

"Sad, you're all sad," said Hamm suddenly from the corner, putting down a piece of the artefact with a clang.

"No we're not, we're just… romantic…" said Casaubon.

"Speak for yourself, petal," said Lucky, "I'm lusty…"

"I'm…" said Puy eyeing Lawler, "just a humble student of human nature…"

They watched the end of the sparring and although Alistair acquitted himself better than Lawler had expected, he still lost. The dancing, to some rather scratchy music played on a flute, mandolin and accordion, was… painful, at least at first. Isabela resorted to counting aloud, "One, two, three, four… twirl. One, two, three, four… twirl. One, two, three, four, FIVE… twirl."

Finally, Isabela seemed to conclude that that this method wasn't working. Lawler had a glimpse of Alistair leaning down towards her and Isabela obviously explaining something to him, given the amount of hand gestures she was making. Lawler realised Isabela had some very eloquent body language, he wondered if that was one of the sources of her attractiveness. Perhaps he should not have been looking at their interaction for so long but then he noticed the others were, too. In any event, Isabela put her pelvis against Alistair's and smiled up at him, he returned the smile and then she began to move and he began to follow her in a much more relaxed fashion than previously.

"Ahhhh…" said Casaubon.

"So, what do you make of him?" Lawler asked turning to Puy.

"Of our 'Sandro'? Isabela is a lucky girl, he is very beautiful and I do not mean physically, which goes without saying… I mean he loves where he lusts and he does not even seem to realise he is doing it. Possibly our capitán could show him the difference, but why should she? It is an attractive trait, almost innocent, and she is benefiting from it…"

Eventually the dancing stopped and Isabela went downstairs for a moment while Alistair wandered towards the port side of the main deck, put his elbows on the side and started looking out to sea. Lawler wondered whether he was thinking about the letter…

Isabela came back on deck but Alistair did not seem to notice, still looking out to sea. Isabela waited a while and then went up to him and put her hand on his waist, and then allowed it to smoothly drop down to his behind. Alistair came out of his daze and exchanged a few words with her, perhaps remonstrations? His expression was serious. Isabela replied, very fully. Half way through he put a hand on her cheek, she bent her face to one side and nuzzled against it. He smiled. Then he put his other hand on the opposite side of her face and pulled it towards him.

Their heads were close for a considerable length of time, Alistair's arms dropped to her shoulders and he hugged her against him. Isabela broke it eventually but he still beamd at her, she caught his hand and they went down below.

Casaubon allowed himself to breathe again and said, "Nine,"

"Seven," said Lucky, "it wasn't bad…"

"I'd say eight," added Puy, "progress is definitely being made here, and the kisses are getting longer…"

"Two" said Hamm from the corner, he had not even bothered to look, unlike the others.

Puy murmured to Lawler, "Hamm always gives less than four if it's not girl on girl… Lawler?"

"Seven and a half?" Mumbled Lawler.

"Nice compromise." Remarked Puy, turning to face him, "But, why are you showing such an intense interest in our latest male visitor, Lawler?"

Suddenly, all eyes were on him. Inside, Lawler heaved one great sigh. Puy was too perceptive and some distraction was needed, obviously. Therefore, taking a leaf from Alistair's book he wrapped his arms around the Trevinter pulled him close and put his lips on his. Puy was taken completely by surprise at first but then he responded in kind and passionately. Their tongues entwined… Eventually Lawler let him go.

There was a stunned silence, until Casaubon said: "Ten."

"Eight" said Lucky.

"Four" said Hamm.

Puy's eyes did not leave Lawler's face, "Participants don't vote," he said, his voice husky, "but that was… Wow…"

That evening after supper, Isabela began to teach Alistair how to cheat at cards. Well, not cheat exactly but how to be a better card player, explaining tells, bluffing, slow playing, best hand play, card counting and betting patterns. Alistair found it all quite amusing, in a detached kind of way.

Afterwards they went to her room where she took him quite frantically; collapsing against his shoulder once they were done. He eventually eased her to one side and gently disentangled himself from her.

"So you must know quite a lot about us, then," He asked after a while, turning toward her. "I mean the Grey Wardens."

"I can smell all you Wardens, Sandro. I find it quite a pleasant, sweet, attractive smell, like early spring blossom. Male or female you all remind me of Duncan."

She sighed, "You carry death around inside you and you wear it around your necks to remind yourselves of it." Isabela clasped his pendant, the only thing he was wearing, in her hand and used it to pull his face towards her, kissing him almost delicately on the lips, "You think of it everyday, when you first wake and before you sleep, and especially when the nightmares come… At sometime or other, you all seek oblivion to make these lives of yours bearable. Before the taint overcomes you, in its first flowering, it gives you strength, persistence and especially endurance, your appetites increase, all your appetites…" She stroked him briefly, making him stir once again, "But then… I should not speak of that…" Abruptly she turned away from him.

Alistair lifted up her long hair and kissed her neck, then said gently, "What Isabela?" turning her around towards him and taking her face in his hands, unsurprised to see tears brimming in her eyes, "what were you going to say? You should say it all, you know, otherwise it will poison you."

"You burn quick…" her eyes over spilled and her tears made bright tracks down her face, "you burn quick, you loose everything you gained and more, and then you all seek that death you have been carrying around inside for so long…"

Alistair put his arms around her, kissed away her tears and then said, "Thank you, I knew all this but thank you for putting it so well and thank you for having me here… And, thank you especially for your compassion and your heartfelt tears."

After a while, she asked him, "Do you want to talk about Neriya, Sandro?"

"Not particularly." He replied looking up at the canopy with his hands crossed over his belly.

"Your feelings at being a Grey Warden."

"No."

"What brought you here?"

"Definitely not."

"We still have a few more days… Perhaps we should get a little more adventurous…"

"What would you suggest?" He asked propping himself up on his side.

"Forfeits…"

"You mean if I win I get to spank you for being such a naughty girl? Hmmm… Not hard of course…"

Isabela laughed. She's like the sea she lives on, he thought, deep and meaningful one minute, light and frothy the next, changeable by the moment. "Oh you are already there Sandro! …and I would tie you to this bed and have my wicked way with you."

Maker… he allowed his eyes to drift to the slightly crumpled sheet under them, it might almost be worth losing…

Lawler hoped that it was not this thing that had suddenly developed between him and Puy that was the determining factor, but he decided to give Alistair three more days. That evening Puy said:

"I suppose it would be too much to ask that…"

"Early days" Lawler replied quickly, hoping that the other man could not see him blush.

"But you have… before…"

"Yes." Said Lawler suddenly bristling, "we may not be as advanced here as in Trevinter, but…"

"I intended no offence… Look, I don't know why you're here and I imagine you are not going to tell me. Doesn't matter. Whatever it is, I'll keep my big mouth shut from now onwards. But just tell me that that kiss was for real because I can still feel it…"

Lawler put his forehead against Puy's, "It was for real… I have to go now. I'll be back tomorrow…"

"Good," said Puy, "good."

Lawler then sought out Anora and, adopting an air of mystery, assured her Alistair was safe, but he also told her it was going to take him at least three days to bring him back.