Chapter 32 - One totally innocuous shopping trip

"Cinna?"

It was half past ten and she was yet to come out of her room. Leliana tentatively knocked on her bedroom door again, while Carver leaned against an adjacent wall, yawning and trying to rub the sleep out of his eyes. He couldn't believe he had actually made the effort into getting ready and out of bed when Cinna herself couldn't even wake up on time.

"One more minute?" Came her muffled reply behind the door, and Carver groaned.

"We already gave you ten!" Leliana reminded, hand on the knob.

"Maker's breath, just knock the door down already," he sighed, sick of waiting already.

"Okay okay, I'm coming out!" She said finally, and the door creaked open.

They both stared at her. "What… are you wearing on your head…"

"Oh this?" Cinna laughed nervously and adjusted the folds in her hat. "One of the servants-magnolia- let me borrow it. Clothes too! Haha, what do you think?"

"It's…" Leliana began.

"Bad." Carver shook his head at her. "Who do you think you are, a milkmaid?"

"I'm undercover," Cinna sniffed, tucking a stray hair into her wimple-cowl-thing. "Who knows if someone will recognize me from Ostagar. I don't wanna give us away if someone spots me..."

"And now they'll give us a wide berth thinking you have cowpox" Carver muttered. "Congratulations, you've convinced us."

"Oh good, I thought that'd take longer. Let's go!" she said, quickly stepping out the door. She grabbed Carver and Leliana by the crook of their arms and hastily pulled them down the hallway, much to their protesting. "I wanna check out the market to see if they have any hair tonics-"

"Why would you need something for your hair?" Leliana asked innocently, casting a curious eye towards the silvery strands sticking out of Cinna's cap.

She started sweating. "Nothing, no reason, hA HA don't look at my hair."

Carver stared down at her, narrowing his eyes. "Why shouldn't we?"

"Because I said so!"

"Oh, so we should take your word for it?" He said lightly.

Cinna's eye twitched. "Yes, absolutely."

Before they could ask any more questions, she turned and started walking. They took a shortcut through the kitchens and out a side door to get outside, all while Cinna dragged them forwards, much to Carver's protests.

"Okay, so I know we've only got a small allowance from Duncan but I have a whole shopping list of things that we might need on the road. Most notably, glass jars, rubber ties and anything I could use for clean, sterilized gloves. I know plastic is out the question, because this world is a backward nightmare and everything sucks, but-"

"So you're not going to tell us what you did to your hair…" Leliana said slowly, an edge of disappointment laced into her voice.

"No," Cinna answered, annoyed. Carver wasn't about to believe she was wearing that hat because she actually wanted to. Something was going on, that was for sure.

Nevertheless, they took the stairs two at a time, cut across the courtyard, and eventually found themselves back on the bustling streets of Redcliffe in only a few short minutes. Cinna then dropped their arms, and looked around, not sure which way to go next. "So uh... do either of you know who would sell the weird junk on my list?"

Leliana shrugged, not familiar with the area. "We could start at the nearest stall and move to the next?"

Carver made a face. That would take them hours. He sighed, and pushed them in the direction of a peddler he knew at least sold glass jars and vials. "You're lucky I know my way around the city. It's barely been a year since mother made us- uh... me- um..."

Both girls looked at him expectantly, and Carver grimaced.

"That she what?" Leliana prompted, falling in line beside him.

Carver shook his head and led them down an old cobbled road, sidestepping several people as they started their early shopping for the day. A sinking feeling settled in his stomach, and he shoved his one good hand into his pocket. "Just... shopping trips with my family. The Arl throws festivals every year, it's not really that exciting."

"You know, we could probably get you some stationary and borrow one of teagan's pigeons if you want to send your family some letters," Cinna offered, and Carver blinked at her.

"You think so...?" He asked, wondering what he'd even say. 'Hello everyone, bet you thought you saw the last of me?' Yeah, that'd go over well, Carver was sure of it.

"Yeah man! It's important to you," she said enthusiastically, a fire in her eyes. "One of us should get the chance to tell their family that they're okay. And you at least know where they're headed. If Teagan doesn't let us use his birds… I dunno, we could bully him into it. Or go over his head and get a favor from the king. We'll make sure your family knows you're okay, Carver."

Staring at her for a moment, Carver numbly nodded his head. "That... I'd like that. Thank you."

Leliana looked between the two of them and smiled. Then, noting one of the nearby stalls, immediately ditched them both. "Oooh! Look at those scarves!"

"Nooooo," Cinna groaned, grabbing after her. The bard easily twirled out of her grip, like a proper rogue. "Leliana, come on!"

Carver gave her a sharp look. "What?"

"We've unleashed some sort of beast." Cinna gave Carver a world-weary look and gestured for him to follow her as they tailed the lay sister. "I'll do my best to reign her in but I'm not sure I've got the sheer strength to hold her back once she gets to the shoe stalls..."

Carver looked down at his broken arm, and then back up at her. "I don't think that's my problem."

Cinna narrowed her eyes at him. "Are you sure? Because we're not going back until we find her. We leave no man behind."

He let out a petulant huff, and looked down at her, annoyed. "But she's the one carrying all our coin."

Cinna's while face twitched, and she flew towards the last place they saw her, dragging Carver towards a perfume stall. Already, the bard was trying the free staples and chatting up a storm with the vender. All hope seemed lost.

Carver had a feeling they'd be stuck here forever. "Are you punishing me for something? Am I going to die out here poorer than when we started off? I didn't even think that was possible."

Cinna didn't seem amused. She didn't argue otherwise though, which he thought was very telling.

X

Cinna stood in front of Ferelden's equivalent of a pawn shop, dressed up like a farmers market stall. The objects scattered around were all worn, well loved, and coated in a layer of filth that spoke of graverobbing and thieving along the road, and the vendor selling his wares seemed none too friendly himself. There was a particular item though that had Cinna's attention, and no amount of suspicious glares from the shopkeep, nor passive aggressive looks from Carver could get her to stop staring at it.

"I thought you weren't going to get anything," he huffed, carrying a large box of glass jars with his one good hand. They had picked up all the necessary things from her list as they hunted down Leliana, and they had just enough coin left to buy his stationary before heading back. "What are you looking at that's so special anyway?"

Cinna just stared and stared, numbly running her thumb over a silver buckle. "A collar..."

"Oh?" Leliana asked, curiously peering over her shoulder. "Seems a tad too small for Barkspawn, no?"

"And it's broken," Carver observed, frowning.

"That's not the point," Cinna stressed, running her fingers over the muddy band. Once upon a time it had been a bright cherry red, with three silver tags attacked, but now only one remained. She could still make out the print.

Carver gave her the side-eye. "Then what is it? Don't tell me you've suddenly developed a taste for other people's garbage."

Even with her mind a million miles away, Cinna couldn't help herself. "I mean, we picked you up from the side of the road, right?"

He glared at her. "I don't have to be here, carrying your things for you, you know."

"And we're all very grateful for that." Leliana smiled, weakly patting his arm. Carver glared at her from over their glassware, and she took a cautionary step back.

Cinna took in a deep breath and carefully held the collar in her hands, like it'd turn to sand and run through her fingers at any moment. "Look, okay, I just... I have to get this."

"You have to," Carver repeated dubiously. He eyed Cinna as she dug through their remaining collection of coin. "Are you serious?"

"How much?" Cinna asked the shopkeeper, holding the collar up with shaking hands. There was a tinge of desperation in her eyes as the man behind the counter regarded her, which he undoubtedly took advantage of (honestly, in markets like this you were supposed to haggle).

"Well, seeing as how you want it so bad," the old man grunted, running a hand over his silver beard. There was a calculating edge to his smile as he leaned back in his chair. "Two sovereigns."

"You must be joking!" Carver scoffed, looking at the man like he was crazy. "Of all the beat up junk stolen from the dead-"

"Hey! I run a legitimate business," defended the shopkeeper, quickly snatching the collar out of Cinna's hands. "You want it? You pay for it. 'Else I take my wares someplace else."

"No! Wait!" Cinna said, desperately reaching for it. She was fully aware that Leliana and Carver were judging her, but she didn't care. Quickly digging through her purse, she pulled out all the money they had left and thrust them into the shopkeeper's hands. "Please, I need to have it. I don't have enough to cover the full fare, but-"

"This is fine," he said happily, palming the coins and dropping the cord into her hands. "Thank you for your purchase~"

Carver gave her a hard, disapproving stare as they made their way out of the market. "You realize you've just been scammed out of ALL our money, right?"

"I know," Cinna whined, curling the broken collar over her hand. The metal tag jingled as she walked, and she traced the letters over with her thumb. "And I'm sorry, I just... it was just important to me, okay?"

"Sure," he scoffed, and looked away from her.

Leliana pursed her lips at Carver, and turned her attention towards the collar itself. "Do you know what the text says?"

"Yeah..." She flipped the tag over for Leliana to read as she traced under each letter with her nail. "It says 'Vaccinated for Rabies, January seventh, twenty sixteen.'"

They passed armoured soldiers and banner flags. As they neared the front steps to Bann Teagan's lodge, Leliana shot her a puzzled look, and Cinna explained herself.

"I used to own this collar," she said, looking down at the cord.

A sick, coiling feeling in her stomach grew the longer she held it in her hands. Looking at the frayed edges of the cord, where it broke. Picking at the dried mud and darkened stains.

"It belonged to one of my dogs before he went missing. The fact that it's here and not... back home... I-I don't know, I don't know why I bought it, I just couldn't leave it there." She looked back up at Carver, a lump in her throat. "I'm sorry we didn't get your stationary like I said we would."

Lips thin, he looked back down at her and sighed heavily. "It's alright."

"I'm sure the Bann has some inside," Leliana said placatingly. Carver shrugged, and re-adjusted his grip on their purchases.

Cinna held the door open for them both as they made their way inside and tucked tucked a few errant strands of hair into her hat. They barely made a few steps in though, due to the collection of people already lingering in the main hallway.

Tern Loghain stood, surrounded by a small collection of his men, speaking with Teagan. And both men looked an inch away from drawing their swords and hacking each other to pieces.

"I cannot allow this to go on," Teagan threatened, his face set into a grim expression they hadn't seen before. "The bannorn will not stand for this!"

Cinna stumbled and dropped the collar in her hands, and all heads quickly turned towards the three clowns standing by the door.

"Has Eamon called in the calvary already?" Loghain said lightly, palm calmly sitting on the hilt of his sword. He turned back to the Bann, making no effort to hide his disdain. "I suppose I should give the old man credit. His tactics are something. Fortunately, I see through his attempts to stall my forces, and have no desire for more petty squabbles."

"Petty?!" Teagan exclaimed, as one of his men physically put a hand on his arm to hold him back. "My brother's talks with you were an attempt at keeping the peace while the blight approaches! You will respect him while you stand in his domain!"

"Thankfully, my company and I were just leaving," he said, curling his lip at the man. Without so much of a note of acknowledgment, he turned on his heel and gestured for his men to head out.

Cinna, Carver, and Leliana all realized at the same time that he meant to exit out the door they were currently standing by, and took a collective intake of breath as Enemy Number One started walking towards them.

While the other two moved out of the way in time, Cinna remained fixed to the floor, eyes wide as Loghain approached. Her hands shook with something she couldn't quite identify as he stopped before her, and she wondered if, just then, she could control a bandit's movements with her blood magic, she could also stop Loghain's heart then and there, saving them all the trouble. Would it work? Would the others let her? Would that mean the end of all their suffering, freeing Cailan of his pain, Eamon of his future poisoning, and Ferelden of its potential civil war?

Cinna's eyes slid off of Loghain' face and into the shadows, in the far corner of the room, as a long figure stood and watched.

Duncan stood in the shadow of a door leading to the servants quarters. They locked gazes for a moment then- just enough time for Cinna to take in another sharp breath- before her eyes snapped back to the man before her.

"You appear to have dropped something," Loghain said coolly, flicking his eyes toward the dog collar on the floor.

He didn't recognize her. He didn't remember her from that one night at Ostagar. He didn't know the people with her were part of the very group who were planning on putting a nail in his coffin. That Cailan was in the next room over, and duncan only a few short feet away.

Cinna didn't know what the hell to do.

Her eyes flashed back over his shoulder, only to see Duncan slowly shake his head.

Could he tell she was thinking of doing something? Cinna... slowly relaxed her hands, a sickly feeling in her stomach. Her limbs felt a hundred pounds as she knelt down to pick up the cord.

"M-My apologies..." she murmured to Loghain, going the extra mile to lower her head and courtesy like a good little peasant as she moved out of the way.

Something flickered in his gaze as he watched her dip low, but he quickly smothered the expression as he strode on towards the door, a parade of metal armored soldiers following in his wake. The doors slammed behind them all, and the halls stood silent.

Then, Cinna regained her composure, and said what was on their minds (more or less).

"Good fucking lord!" she cried, and her voice echoed through the halls, on and on and on.