Chapter 53 - Llomerryn
The great island of Llomerryn was a jewel in the vast Amaranthine Ocean. Rich vegetation sprang up everywhere, even around the Docks. The bedraggled group made their way around, looking very much exhausted, but sharply taking in all the details.
"I never thought I'd come back," Isabela mused under her breath. Faith heard the comment, and smiled to herself.
"Rivaini, where do we go to get cleaned up and proper rest?" Varric asked wearily.
"I'm just grateful we're not on a rocking ship anymore," Faith commented, getting a glare from Isabela in the process.
"And I'm sorry we're on dry land," Isabela retorted. Turning, she spoke to Varric next, "We'll see. There used to be a pretty good inn right here in the docks. If not, I guess we'll have to head into the city."
"There's a Dalish camp in the outskirts of the city, isn't there?" Merrill asked thoughtfully.
"Yes, Kitten. Would you like to visit, once we've settled in?" Isabela asked kindly.
"Oh, no. No, no, no. I think I'll pass," Merrill bit her lower lip.
"I'd like to know if there are any houses for sale as soon as possible." Faith's cleared voice interrupted the conversation.
All of them stopped in their tracks upon her announcement.
"You want to buy a house? Here?" Anders asked, his eyes wide as he regarded her.
"Of course! Rilka is with child. We'll need a comfortable, safe place to live in now. Even if we do leave to -" she lowered her voice, " - join the fight later, we need a home."
Anders said nothing to this, keeping his eyes down on the ground, his brow furrowed, but Faith knew that Justice probably disapproved. She didn't care.
Rilka's cheeks were flushed as she turned to look at her cousin. Before she had a chance to open her mouth to protest, Fenris spoke.
"I know you want to keep us safe. Just how safe would we be in a place where the Raiders walk around comfortably like normal citizens?"
"True. But that also means no real lawful people, like...oh, I don't know...templars?" Faith retorted, effectively shutting Fenris up. "We just need to find a way to avoid the Raiders completely."
"Easier said than done," Anders snorted.
"Doesn't mean we shouldn't try," Faith snapped back.
Anders shook his head slightly, but chose not to reply, if only to stop the argument before it began.
"Wise of you to shut up, Blondie," Varric whispered and Anders grinned at the dwarf. "You're getting better at this 'husband' business."
They stopped walking, their eyes fixed on a sign that said 'Better Than Ever!' in bright red. Underneath another sign said, 'Trust us! You won't find a better inn!' Both signs were above an elaborately-carved wooden door of a building that looked like an enormous mansion from the outside.
"I find myself dubious of anything or anyone that uses the word 'trust' in their vocabulary," Faith commented.
"Ah! This is the inn right here! Glad to see it hasn't shut down!" Isabela exclaimed. She promptly entered the place, leaving the rest behind.
"Huh," Anders said, shaking his head.
"I guess we'll just have to follow her in, right?" Faith said, moving towards the door and opening it.
"Since when has following Isabela ever been sensible?" Fenris sighed as he, too, headed to the door.
...
After they had settled in, they all met downstairs to have a meal and then walk around the city. People didn't even throw a second glance in their direction, so they wandered around, curiously looking at all the sights. Various seers beckoned at them for a magical solution to their problems, and Faith gave a nervous giggle as they passed one that promised eternal youth.
"Most of them are charlatans. The ones that are good usually live outside the city, and never want coin in exchange for the services they offer," Isabela said, her eyes clouding over momentarily.
"You're remembering your mother, aren't you?" Faith whispered, squeezing the pirate's hand.
"It doesn't matter. What's past is past. No need to bring it up," Isabela replied, moving away from Faith.
"Skewed broiled nug," Rilka murmured. "I don't know why, but my mouth is suddenly watering."
"Let's have some," Faith smiled, ignoring the fact that they had all just had some stew.
"Pretty lady," a gnarled, old woman said, grasping Faith's hand suddenly.
Faith lowered her eyes to look at the woman, sitting on the cobblestoned ground, who started to pet her hand. Vainly she tried to extract her hand from the old woman's grasp, but she could not. The old woman was stronger than she looked and continued to hold Faith's hand in a viselike grip.
"Tell pretty lady's fortune," the old woman blabbered on. "For a bit of food."
"All right," Faith said, allowing the old lady to turn her palm upwards. The old woman peered into her hand. "Pretty lady travels far, far to save the man she loves. Yes. Magic will save magic! Pretty lady faces death and destruction!" The old woman gasped, abruptly letting go of Faith's hand. Faith's mouth parted open in surprise for a few moments, but she quickly recovered.
"Death and destruction? That's something I'd never face, right everyone?" She turned to the rest, a wide smile on her face.
Anders was frowning. He looked down at the old lady, then up at Faith, his eyes narrowing slightly, a hint of blue under the surface.
"Here, have a coin," Faith offered the old lady nervously.
"No. No coin. Nothing will I ask for. Leave, please!" The old lady screeched, and people curiously turned their heads to stare at them.
Faith dropped the silver she was holding in front of the old woman. The coin made a musical clinking noise as it hit the cobblestoned ground, bouncing around a few times before it rolled to a stop right in front of the old crone, who did not make a move to take it. Faith turned and walked away. The rest quickly caught up with her.
"What was that all about?" Anders asked, the blue glow in his eyes gone.
"That was one of the charlatans," Isabela interrupted, glancing at Hawke for a few minutes. "You can spot them a mile away. She asked for food, and was probably going to ask for coin afterwards."
Faith glanced up at Anders, but his face was blank and devoid of expression. He was staring at Isabela, a smile tugging on the corners of his lips.
"Yes, well, you said you wanted skewed nug pieces?" Faith turned to Rilka, avoiding Anders's gaze.
"I'll have some, yes," Rilka licked her lips.
Much later, after the skewed nug and various other unimportant, small purchases, they walked away towards the general direction of the town square. Only then did Faith chance a look back at the old lady.
She was still staring at her.
...
They walked on for a while, Faith in the lead, with Anders falling in step with her from time to time. Varric was bringing up the rear, next to Orana. Rilka and Fenris were behind Faith and Anders, chatting about possible names for the child.
Soon they were outside the city, and left the farmhouses dotting the landscape behind. Faith drank in the beauty of the lush vegetation and wild flowers surrounding them, a genuine smile on her lips.
"I really didn't like Kirkwall much. I guess I grew accustomed to living in a town. Lothering was so pretty! We had a farmhouse. Father and Carver would work tilling our barley fields," Faith said as her gaze took in the raw beauty around her.
"You were very happy there, weren't you?" Anders smiled.
"Yes. It was a simple life. I guess I like simple things. Damn templars and the darkspawn had to go and ruin it all!" She clenched her fists momentarily, her eyes darkening.
They had stopped in a clearing and were considering returning to the city, when Merrill gave a cry. Everyone turned to look at her. She was looking straight ahead, and trembled slightly.
"What is it, Merrill?" Faith frowned, as she stepped close to her.
"We must return, lethallan. We -"
"Come no further, traitor, unless you want us to kill you for your crime!" A voice rang out from the brush.
Faith whirled around and came face to face with a Dalish hunter - bow and arrow aimed directly at Merrill.
"Ah. Looks like we found the Dalish." Anders deadpanned.
...
They found themselves surrounded by Dalish hunters, but their arrows were trained on one person only: Merrill.
Merrill trembled slightly, but did not move. Faith turned to the hunter that had yelled out the warning. The look on the elf's face was hostile and his eyes dangerous.
"We mean you no harm," Faith began, her tone soft.
"I do not fear the shem. We live peacefully near their city. They let us be. But you," he gestured towards Merrill, "I know who you are. We will not allow you to set foot in our camp!"
"How do you know Merrill?" Faith shot back immediately, causing the elf to falter slightly, the hands holding the bow trembling slightly. He turned to look at Faith, his eyes narrowing.
"I don't have to answer your questions, shemlen. All I can say is that we know of this one. We will not let our keeper come to harm. Begone!"
"But -" Faith insisted, but was interrupted by Merrill.
"Please, Hawke. We must leave. Please let's just go!" Merrill begged, close to tears.
"All right. We're going now, just don't shoot us," Faith held up her hands defensively, palms up, towards the elves.
The leader of the group nodded curtly, but did not lower his bow. The rest of the elves were still pointing their arrows at them also. The group had no other option but to turn back and walk away, tense and half-expecting an arrow to come whistling from behind and embed itself in someone's back, but nothing happened.
When the farmhouses came to view once again, they all felt extremely relieved. Faith walked up to Merrill, her brow furrowed.
"Why did the hunter know you? How is that even possible, Merrill?" She demanded.
"I'll tell you later, lethallan. Please, let's just get back to the inn. It's late and we should get to safety."
"We really are something, aren't we? Barely a day in Llomerryn, and already all the Dalish elves want to kill us," Varric shook his head.
...
The raider looked at the group as they headed towards the inn. Satisfied with what he had seen, he rushed off to a warehouse across the square next to the entrance to the docks. A few men stood guarding the door and nodded when he entered.
He walked along dark corridors until he came to a door. Pausing only to knock, he went inside.
"Yes, what is it, Lysander?" A man dressed in raider armor sitting in front of a desk said, looking up briefly at him.
"There is a new group of people who have arrived today. I was trailing them. A woman seems to be their leader. I thought you would want to know about this. They're staying at the 'Better Than Ever.'"
"Interesting. What else can you tell me about this group of people?" The man inquired.
"There are two elves in the group and a dwarf carrying a crossbow. One of the elves looks like a servant. Three of them are mages, they carry staves on their backs. All of them, with the exception of the elf that seems to be their servant, are well-armed."
The man at the desk nodded, grinning suddenly. "Well, then. We will have to meet them soon, won't we?" He stood up, and walked around the desk, crossing his arms, his grin turning wolfish. "After all, it is only proper to graciously welcome all visitors to the city, isn't it?"
"Do you think Soreikos will allow this? He doesn't want us to focus on the people here, he wants us to turn our eyes to the people in foreign lands, for that is where we get our wealth. We don't want trouble here. We want a safe place where we can disappear and hide from the foreigners that hunt us."
"Did I say I wanted your opinion?" The man's steely grey eyes grew colder as they fixed themselves on Lysander. "Soreikos needn't know what we are up to. Unless you wish to inform him and risk instant death? I would be extremely sorry to see you go." A wolfish smile appeared on the man's face - a smile that did not reach his eyes.
Lysander gazed at the man, but shook his head after a few moments.
"Good. Then we are in accord. We'll speak about our course of action tomorrow. I hope you don't mind Petros following you around from now on? Temptation is a curious thing, you know..."
Lysander shook his head again, fear gripping his heart like a vise. All he knew was that the man in front of him had the power to strike him down any time he wished, if he felt threatened, and the only man who could stop him - their true leader, Soreikos - was away on a mission.
And that was enough for him to do everything the man in front of him asked him to.
After all, nobody crossed Delphos. If they did, they didn't live to tell the tale.
...
A.N. Yep...we'll be seeing more of the raiders in the next chapters. I mean, our heroes are in Llomerryn, right?
