Moonpriestess30: Inquisition wasn't out when I finished my original so I was keen to add it to the rewrite.
Chapter 3 – Like me.
It had been a week since Eve arrived and she had slotted in nicely to everyone's lives, true to Isabela's word she had managed to get her a job as a barmaid at the Hanged Man. She worked almost every morning and night but it was something that Eve seemed to enjoy. As soon as she started earning some money she insisted on paying Varric back little by little. She kept her room at the tavern but did buy her own food from time to time from the market; she was a little sceptical of the quality the Tavern provided and what it was doing to her.
Aveline looked over her shoulder as Eve wandered past having collected the glasses and bottles from Varric's table. 'She seems to be doing well,' she says honestly as she looks over at Garrett who was sharpening his dagger.
'Yeah, I mean, she does have a little trouble with people who don't know she can't talk and there's been a couple instances when she's been grabbed. She's managed to hold her own though,' he nods. Eve had already left the room so he didn't mind casually talking about her. 'I think Bela has been teaching her a few things.'
'Like what?' Aveline says suspiciously narrowing her eyes and picking up the report that she was originally reading.
'Well, the first time someone grabbed her …. backside, Eve was quite upset. The next time... Eve tipped his drink over his head and walked off. The third time it happened she took out a small knife; that I'm going to assume Isabela gave her, and took off the tip of his finger as she stabbed the table,' Garrett explained. 'She's had no trouble since.'
The Guard Captain's eyebrows rose and she sighs, 'well I can't say I can blame her, it's not like she can tell them to fuck off,' she admits to herself. 'Well as long as she's safe and she doesn't kill anyone,' she shrugs. Deciding to move the conversation on she looks at the Champion, 'so what are you doing tonight?'
Garrett sucks the air through his teeth, 'hmmm, there's this gang down the docks that are really starting to piss me off. I can't go down there without someone taking a pot shot at me. I was thinking about grabbing Anders and Bela and going down there to clear them out,' he says thinking about it. 'You got time to join us? I could use a bruiser and you could write your reports with first person experience of what happened and why there are so many bodies,' he grins. Aveline rolls her eyes and reluctantly agrees to join him.
'You're such an ass,' she mutters as she gathers her reports. 'Okay, I'll go let the men know what's going on and where they can find me if they need me-'
'You mean Donnic,' Garrett teases. Aveline pauses going bright red and walks past him, gently punching him on the shoulder as she does so. Garrett swears and gives her the finger playfully as Fenris and Varric walk in. They both greet and say goodbye to Aveline as she leaves and take their seats around the table. 'Hey, you manage to find out what I wanted?'
Varric chuckles and gently frisbees a letter in his direction. 'You're welcome,' he says sarcastically. 'Everything you need to know is in that, though I don't know why you couldn't have gone to the Gallows yourself,' Varric points out.
Garrett's face fell and he shakes his head, he didn't like to be reminded of Bethany and such places did that, he couldn't help it. 'I see you picked up Fenris on the way,' he says changing subject.
'We normally meet around this time and if you do not wish for me to accompany you I will simply play cards with Varric,' Fenris said simply. Garrett nods and explains that he's taking Aveline, Anders and hopefully Isabela when she returned from where ever she was. They wouldn't be leaving till it got dark and that was going to be a few hours yet.
Varric nods, 'that's fine, I'm meeting Sparrow in about ten minutes,' he says looking at the time. 'She's finishing her shift before tonight-'
'Sparrow?' Garrett interrupts wondering who he was talking about.
'Evelyn, Eve, you know the woman you rescued,' Varric laughs. 'I call her Sparrow, she doesn't stop singing, or humming or generally talking,' he explains getting blank looks. 'I know she's mute,' he adds making them both look relieved. 'Have you not noticed that she still sings to herself?' The dwarf chuckles, 'mute she may be but she doesn't stop.' Fenris didn't really want that observation pointed out to him, he would be looking for it without realising now. He wouldn't admit it but he found Eve's presence comforting. Avoiding her hadn't worked, something always pushed them into the same room.
'Did you see what she did earlier in the week? I should have told Bela not to give her weapons,' Garrett asks as he puts his dagger away. 'She took the tip off some guy's finger because he wouldn't stop touching her.'
'Yeah, I heard about that,' Varric nods.
'Isabela did not give her the knife,' Fenris said bluntly. 'I did.'
The other two look at him and raise their brows in wonder. 'You gave her the knife?' Hawke said tilting his head at the Tevinter elf.
'Yes. She needs a way to protect herself. She cannot tell people to leave her alone like a normal woman and so a more pointed deterrent will make things safer for her,' he shrugs.
'She didn't even hesitate,' Varric laughs. 'Turned around and brought it straight down through his finger. When he started screaming she simply pulled it out and continued working.' Fenris allows himself a smile, he privately thought that it was a good thing. 'Well, from what I've heard she's not had trouble since so whatever works,' he grins.
Garrett has to agree, nodding his head. 'Well in the future, no more sharp things okay? Last thing Aveline needs is to be writing up a report about her,' he points out. 'What are you meeting for?' He asks curiously as he takes the pack of cards from Varric to shuffle.
Varric cleared his throat and gave Fenris a tactful look, 'she um, well I found out that... she's having trouble with serving... because she …,' he taps his fingers on the table trying to say it without offending the elf. 'She can't read or write,' Varric said casually noticing the twitch under Fenris' eye. He clears his throat again and shrugs a shoulder, 'so I offered to teach her. Sparrow was a little embarrassed about telling me but I reassured her that it wasn't her fault and she's picking it up really well.' Fenris pauses as he shuffles looking at the cards, he could feel that both Hawke and Varric were looking at him.
'Slaves are not taught,' he says simply and bluntly. It answered their unvoiced question and made it very clear to drop the subject. The tension was broken by Eve who walked into the room with a couple bottles of wine and some glasses on a tray. She puts them down with a smile before greeting everyone. Eve was very physical because of her mutism and people had gotten used to it, or had to. She gives Garrett a brief hug from behind and ruffles his hair and kisses Varric on the cheek. For Fenris she squeezes his shoulder lightly and presses the side of her head against his briefly in a hello. He tenses as he feels her touch but she doesn't take it personally.
'Hello!' Eve signs enthusiastically as she lets his shoulder go and he turns to face her.
'Good afternoon, Eve,' he replies, in what Varric would call a soft voice. Everyone had noticed that Fenris was rather gentle with her, almost the fact that she was an escaped slave made him treat her with unknown kindness. She smiles brightly at him, her hair bouncing from where she had tied it up to keep it out her eyes. 'Are you well?' He asks, smiling a little as she starts to sign and tell him about her day.
'-I've now got a fair few hours before I go back to work,' she signs. 'Varric has been teaching me to read and write, to make it easier when looking for things at the bar.'
'I heard,' he nods, she can tell by his facial expression that something was bothering him. Eve tilts her head and moves, sitting on the edge of the table next to him, her back to Varric and Garrett so they couldn't see what she was signing.
'You haven't told them have you?' She asks, her eyes looking at him with sadness. Fenris almost snapped at her, but he could see that it wasn't pity she was expressing, it was understanding. He sighs and simply shakes his head, it was embarrassing and he didn't know how to broach the subject though he had thought about asking Aveline or Hawke. Eve pulls a thoughtful expression, 'well, it's easier than you think. If you want, I can teach you what Varric has taught me and you'll get a head start? I don't know how well I can teach being mute, but I can try to give you the basics,' she signs slowly.
'You... would do that?' Fenris replies surprised, he honestly thought she would just tell him to ask Varric to teach him. It was like she could tell it was a difficult subject for him to even admit let alone ask for help on.
Eve giggles silently and nods her head. 'Of course, we help each other. I get a few hours each day and oh, tomorrow I actually have off! Like a day of no work!' She signs as if the idea was absurd. 'Do you want to try tomorrow?'
He chuckles at her clear happiness and surprise, he nods. 'I would... I would like that. Thank you, Eve,' he says honestly. She smiles and he notices that her cheeks go a little pink, for a brief moment he wonders if it was because of him before shoving that thought at the back of his head. Varric and Garrett exchange a look with each other, they have no idea what they're talking about but both seem to be in a good mood. Hawke was getting better with understanding Eve when she signed and Varric already knew enough to get by, unless she was excited and then she normally signed a little too quickly.
'Are you ready, Sparrow?' Varric asks as he gathers a few things from his desk to bring to the table. 'Do you mind if we do it here? Easier to keep at eye on the Champion,' he teases. Eve jumps down from the table and nods to Varric in excitement. She runs around and takes her seat, tucking her dress under her as she sits. Fenris was curious as to how Varric was teaching her, it seemed difficult to teach a mute. 'Alright, Sparrow, we're going to practice the alphabet again, remember the letters?' He says as he pulls a sheet of paper towards her with the alphabet written on it.
Fenris and Garrett play cards while Varric gives Eve her lesson, there was frequent clapping when she got something right and expressed her happiness. Isabela came in halfway through the lesson causing a minor distraction as Eve bounced to her feet and runs over to hug the pirate. 'Doing your words huh?' Isabela laughs as she hugs her tightly. 'Good woman, the sooner you learn to write the sooner you can write a big sign that says, 'fuck off,' and stick it on the heads of the prats that don't seem to get the hint.' Eve laughs covering her mouth with her hand as she knew it was a little unnerving when no sound came out. 'Come on, don't get distracted by me, go finish your words,' Isabela grins as she steers her back to the table and makes her sit down.
After a good hour Varric and Eve agree that she's getting tired and making mistakes. 'Can I have these? I want to put them in my room and practice when I have time,' she signs slowly for Varric.
'Oh, of course, Sparrow. If that's what you want. Here, take some pencils and a book as well to practice your writing and drawing,' he says as he begins to gather it up to make a nice easy pile for her to carry. Eve smiles, she was planning on using some to teach Fenris and it seemed like a natural way to ask for more materials without raising suspicion. She picks up the papers and books, putting the pencils in her apron pocket before leaving to put them in her room. She signs thank you over and over again as she backs out the door. Varric chuckles and rolls his eyes, 'she's so sweet,' he muses to himself.
'She's gonna cause trouble,' Isabela grins drinking from one of the wine bottles. 'A face like that, mark my words.'