Judy- thank you
"What reeks? I almost think I am back in the darkspawn caverns." I said wrinkling my nose in disgust as we enter the tavern.
"I think that's the smell of vomit and sour ale."
"Or bronto piss," Darragh said with a chuckle.
I attempt to breathe through my mouth which doesn't work as well as I wanted it too. "And they have the nerve to say Ferelden smells like wet dog. I'd take wet dog over bronto piss any day."
Both men chuckle in agreement as I look around the room. I am looking for him and they know it. The part they don't know is the why. Or maybe they're aware and willing to allow me to pretend that it is because I was sent to find him.
I had been trying to prepare myself all day for the moment I would see him and as I scanned the room there was no sign of his auburn hair or his rich baritone. I couldn't decide how I felt. But I saw someone that made my heart stop for a moment for a different reason.
"Ancestors! The gods are laughing at me. Everyone who knows me personally is in Kirkwall. And the one person I was supposed to find is nowhere in sight. How in Thedas am I supposed to keep my identity secret? First, it was Aveline, then Sandal and Boden, and now Isabella. Who's next Shale or Zevran?"
"Isabella? Who is she? Are we looking at a problem?" Darragh asked with a frown. He'd heard from Alton about our interaction with the dwarven pair in Hightown dealing with the butcher.
I wasn't worried about Sandal he had a one-word vocabulary. And Boden promised he wouldn't share our secret.
"I don't know if she will remember me or not. Sandal recognized Teyrn not me. And I was sure Aveline would remember me because we interacted. But she didn't. Isabella was a… well she other things on her mind. Zevran knew her intimately. And I was with the group when we met them."
"But no interacting?"
I shook my head no. I had no intention of telling them about her offering to lay with me after I made a comment about Aedan getting to know her better. Nor was I going to share how naïve I was when Alistair had to explain what she was suggesting. At that time, I thought it was about taking turns not all three of us together.
"You bloody Fereldans. Can you not read the sign? No dogs allowed," the bartender, said interrupting the conversation.
"Corrif good buddy. They're with me. We can overlook the rule this time can't we." The blond dwarf said tossing what looked like a gold sovereign to the bartender.
He caught the coin in a lower tone said something about dog shite and piss and making the place smell bad. But waved us back.
"Somehow I doubt that anything Teyrn and Enid do could make this place smell worse. I don't think I'll be getting a room here."
Alton and Darragh chuckled while my hound whined and cocked his head as if to say he had better manors than to go to the bathroom inside a building.
When Varric invited us to join him in the back, I hesitated. Alton returning the favor from earlier nudged me forward with a not too gentle poke in the back.
We followed the dwarf up the stairs passing the dark-haired ship's captain without the woman even noticing us. Maybe I was just being paranoid.
As I entered the room behind Darragh the first thing, I noticed was the huge stone table. I wondered how a dwarf, got a table that size into a room this size. Against the far wall was a display of blades including a wicked crooked blade from Tevinter. If I had time later, I wanted to examine it.
It looked as if we had interrupted a game of diamond back. Of the group in the room, there was two new people I didn't recognize. The brunette in white armor with blue eyes leaning over Bethany's chair. And the white-haired elf standing leaning with one arm braced against the fireplace.
Behind me I felt Alton shift into a more alert warrior in response to the newcomers. It was the same response from Darragh in front of me. I almost wondered if it would be better for all if we made our excuses and met at a different time.
The waitress bringing a tray of drinks pushed passed us to get into the room deliberately brushing her chest against Alton arm and shoulder.
Darragh and I exchanged knowing looks as my humble bowman was constantly harassed by females and found himself having to oblige. I quickly looked at the floor to stop from cracking up when Alton's eyes widened, and his posture changed. My bowman would be sleeping elsewhere tonight.
"We were in the middle of a game of Diamond back. Would you care to join us for a hand?" Hawke said offering one of the large stone chairs.
Darragh looked at me pointedly as if telling me to behave. Which of course only made me want to play a hand. But I didn't need to give my poor warrior a heart attack. I quirked an eyebrow and almost lost it when he snorted.
"Actually, I think we'll just have a drink tonight."
Varric frowned. Many surfacers didn't care for the game but Ash Warriors with their strong ties to the dwarven traditions wouldn't turn down a hand. "Do you not play with strangers? Or do you not care for the game."
"He plays. As do, many of us having dwarven friends. His restraint comes from the fact he hopes I will not indulge. You see the last time I played and gambled; I literally lost the clothes off my back. He would prefer I not expose myself quite so soon after meeting you."
For several moments, there was complete silence except for the sound of the crackling fire as the occupants of the room looked at each other and tried to figure out what to say. Darragh looked as if he wanted to strangle me and Alton suddenly started guffawing.