Chapter 19: Fools Rush In
Nowhere in my travels, not in the heart of the Imperium nor the streets of Orzammar, have I felt so much an outsider as in Rivain.
The Chant of Light never truly reached the ears of these people. The years they spent under the thumb of the Qunari left most of the country zealous followers of the Qun. But resistance to the Chant goes deeper than the Qunari War. The Rivaini refuse to be parted from their seers, wise women who are in fact hedge mages, communicating with spirits and actually allowing themselves to become possessed. The Chantry prohibition against such magical practices violates millennia of local tradition.—From In Pursuit of Knowledge: The Travels of A Chantry Scholar, by Brother Genitivi
The Hanged Man
After that waste of time with the dwarf Javaris and the Arishok, Ericks and Fenris was at the Hanged Man for a drink. The rogue took a big sip, and slammed his mug down with a satisfied sigh. It was the little things that made the disappointments sting less. "I'm hoping Varric have a job for me, the chance for coin had dried up after that business with Anso"
"You just need ten more sovereigns for that expedition" Fenris said. "You never did tell me what the expedition entails"
"According to Varric, its big, an incredibly old section of the Deep Roads…so old that the Shaperate in Orzammar don't have it recorded" Ericks said. "The type of treasure there could set a man for life, which is why I got to go on that expedition"
"Betty's a mage and there's far too many people here in Lowtown that would sell us out in a minute" he said. "With coin and influence, I can better protect my family"
"Bethany could just go the Circle and that would be all the security she would need"
Ericks snorted. "I'd sooner drink rat piss then let Betty give up her freedom and besides the Templars here are a bit too…twitchy for my tastes"
"The way you talk about the Templars, you would think you were a mage yourself" Fenris said.
"My da and Betty are mages, since I was a kid my greatest fear was the Templars coming into our home and taking them away" Ericks said. "And that fear is reason I dislike them"
"You may not like them, Hawke but the Templars are needed, a weak or corrupt mage is a danger to everyone"
Ericks took a sip. "I don't doubt that, but the problem is a lot of the Templars see everything mages do as a threat" Fenris was about say something until he saw a lone dark-skinned woman with brown hair wrapped in a dark blue bandana at the bar be approached by a lot a men clad in armor. She wore a white formfitting tunic that showed off her breasts and she was adorned with piercings on her ears and the bottom of her lip. All of the sudden the air grew thick with tension.
"You owe us, Isabela" one of the men said.
For her credit, Isabela showed no fear just casual indifference. She took the bottle on the bar and poured it in her glass. "Well, Lucky, I'll tell you what…" she said. "Since the information you gave was worth nothing…" She took a sip. "…that's what I'll pay you" Before she could take another sip, Lucky held down her arm and got in Isabela's face.
"Me and my boys will get our money's worth, bitch"
Isabela looked at him. "Oh, you poor, sweet thing" She came close to him and then pulled his arm and slammed his head on to the table. One of the men behind her grabbed her while another man took a bottle and was about to swing at Isabela. Until he felt a tap from behind, he turned and Ericks punched the guy in the face.
"Now that's no way to treat a lady" Isabela got free by smashing her captor's nose with her head and swung around to punch him in the face. She saw another of Lucky's men grab a chair about hit Ericks and threw her glass in the thug's face. Ericks then kicked him in the gut. He gripped the bottle in his hand. "Duck!" Isabela crouched and Ericks smashed the bottled against the thug's head behind her.
"I could have handled this, you know" she said.
"I know, but seven against one did seem a bit much" Ericks said. "Oh look, your friend is coming to…and he's quite pissed, might want to do something about that" Lucky got off the floor and took out his sword about to swing for Isabela's head. The woman quickly took out one of her daggers and pointed at his throat. The man gulped hard and Ericks gave an impressed whistle, Isabela was probably better with the blades that he was.
"Tell me, Lucky, is this worth dying for?" Lucky put away his sword and he and his men left the tavern. Isabela went back to the bar to get another glass. She chuckled. "Didn't think so"
"Some help you were, Fenris" Ericks said dryly.
"Don't look at me, I didn't tell you to jump into someone else's affair" the elf said. "And just like that you caused problems for yourself" Isabela sat down her drink and headed over to Ericks and Fenris.
"My, and here I thought the only men in this place were besotted fools who couldn't hoist the mainsail"
Ericks raised a brow. "When you talk about hoisting the mainsail, what do you really mean?"
"What else could it mean? It requires strength, knowledge of rigging, and a small measure of sobriety"
The rogue then smirked. "Well in that case, I know my way around rigging just fine…and I'm good with my hands"
"Ohh my…" she said impressed. "Name's Isabela…previously 'Captain' Isabella. Sadly, without my ship, the title rings a bit hollow"
"Ericks Hawke, and 'Mr. Personality' here is called Fenris"
"You're Ferelden, aren't you? You have that look about you. I was in Denerim not too long ago" Isabela said. "You know, you might be just what I'm looking for to solve a little problem I have"
"Can't anyone fix their own lives around here?"
Isabela smirked. "Must be something in the water" she said. "Someone from my past is pestering me and I've arranged for a duel….if I win, he leaves me alone"
"I doubt someone like that would keep their word" Fenris said.
"Exactly, I need someone to watch my back"
"Who is he?" Ericks asked.
"His name is Hayder, we worked together back in Antiva…couldn't stand each other" Isabela said. "He's been asking about me all over Kirkwall, thought I'd get it over with and meet him face to face"
"I heard you wanted information from that Lucky character. What was it?" Fenris asked.
"He and his boys were supposed to track down something I lost, they failed to do it" she said. "It's nothing to worry about, and I rather have Hayder off of my back"
"Why a duel?" Ericks asked.
Isabela chuckled. "I like duels, it's what I do" she said. "I win, he's dead and problem solved!"
"What makes you think I'm right for this?"
"You saw me talking to Lucky, right? Those boys couldn't manage simple information gathering" Isabela said. "I can't trust the riff-raff here but you…you're different and plus there may be some coin in it for you"
Fenris crossed his arms. "Looks like we weren't the only ones eavesdropping"
"I've arranged to meet Hayder in Hightown after dark, I'll meet you there" Isabela paid for her drink and left the tavern.
Hightown-Night
The gang met up with Isabela that night, she was waiting below the Grand Stairway. And not a moment too soon, Anders and Fenris seemed like they were going to be at each other throats at any moment. Both men made it very clear how they felt about mage rights, it was only thanks to Ericks and Varric keeping the peace that they made it Hightown without the two of them coming to blows. Isabela was pacing back and forth until she saw them. "There you are"
"How long have you been waiting?"
"Hours and Hayder hasn't shown up, in fact no one has…I don't like this"
"'I don't like this?' That's right up there with, 'What could possibly go wrong?'" Varric said. To the corner of Isabela's eye three people ran towards them, a woman with brown hair led them. Isabela took out her daggers and the gang followed suit.
"That's the wench we're looking for. Gut here!" Soon a large fight ensued; more raiders came out of their hiding places to attack. Anders scorched the raiders with fireballs while Fenris impaled another raider with his ghostly blue hand. Jenra kicked over a stun grenade that blinded the archers allowing Varric to shoot a volley of arrows that pinned them to ground. Isabela danced around the raider leader's blows, it was like watching a dance almost…then slipped behind her and slashed her vital points causing the leader to bleed out. When the fighting was done Isabela started to search the bodies. She found a letter and read it.
"Hiding in the Chantry and sending thugs to finish me off? Coward" Isabela said. "He'll not get away with this, come on" They headed toward the Chantry, along the way they were fighting waves upon waves of raiders trying to get in their way. Once they were all killed, the gang headed inside the Chantry.
"Isabela. Should've known you'd find me here" A brown haired man with brown and red armor come out from behind the pillars and approached the gang with his men surrounding him.
"Tell your men to burn the letters next time"
"Castillon was heartbroken when he heard about the shipwreck" Hayder said. "You should've let him know you survived"
Isabela just shrugged. "It must have slipped my mind"
Hayder gave mirthless chuckle. "Where's the relic?"
"I lost it; Castillon's just going to have to do without"
Hayder frowned. "'Lost it?' Like you 'lost' a ship full of valuable cargo?"
"They weren't cargo, Hayder, they were people!"
"Those slaves were worth a hundred sovereigns a head and you let them scurry off into the wilds" he said. "And now the relic's gone, too. Castillon won't be happy to hear that, I promise you"
"Okay, exactly what's going on here?" Ericks asked.
"Isabela's been a very bad girl, ruined a perfect business deal and then ran away" Hayder said. "She didn't tell you?"
Isabela frowned; this was just like Hayder trying to turn his own incompetence on her. "I told him enough" she said. "I said I arranged for a duel, which I did. I also said you wouldn't play fair, which you didn't"
Isabela turned to Ericks. "We can talk later if you want; right now we have other problems"
"Not the not the most cheery fellow this Castillon is, perhaps he needs a new hobby"
'Couldn't agree more" Isabela took out one of her daggers and threw it at one of Hayder's men, the dagger struck her heard and the raider dropped to the floor. Hayder glared at Isabela and took out his sword. The archers came out of the shadows and fired arrows at the gang, Anders formed a barrier around the gang to deflect the arrows. He then cast a fire ball spell to scatter the raiders. Varric took cover and shot a volley of arrows while Fenris, Isabela and Ericks came in to attack. Hayder headed right for Isabela and tried to take her head off; the duelist smoothly dodged the attacks. She went to the side and knocked him off balance. She gave a smug smirk; Hayder never could beat her when it came to blades. Hayder gave a glare of hatred and swung wildly, another dodge to the side and she drew blood from cutting his cheek. Isabela motion him to come, the duelist readied her blades for the finishing blow.
Next Time! Review and Comment!
