Author's Disclaimer: I don't own a thing belonging to "Dragon Age 2." Nothing!
Author's notes: And I don't know one thing about making your own distillery. Just gonna have to fake that part. Thanks for reviewing, peeps. On we go!
"Catching the Wind"
Chapter thirty-one "New home"
Isabela stood beside the wheel, spyglass held to her eye. Craven held the wheel and Hawke craned to peer at the horizon along with her mate. Their island was there, the medium sized droplet of land surrounded by pristine blue water. Their document read "Moon shaped islet number three" due to the string of islets that connected it on either side, but Hawke knew it would be home.
Now to get rid of the specks she could see milling around on the beach. Isabela grunted beside her as she angled the spyglass from the pirates to the flag on their anchored ship. It was nowhere near as big as the Stormy Lover but looks could be deceiving. There could be twenty more sailors stashed below the small deck.
"Could be a fight. A big one," Isabela murmured. Hawke settled a hand along her waist and leaned against her shoulder.
"We'll handle it. They're on OUR land," she growled. Isabela shivered and leaned to peck a kiss on her cheek.
"Family needs some solid ground sometimes." She agreed. Hawke grunted.
"They'll get it." Her thoughts swirled as always, around their new baby, and her sons. Merrill deserved a place not to worry as well. Mages were still hunted across Thedas. As if her thoughts had summoned her, Hawke noticed her second mate walking carefully across the deck. Her sons stopped whacking their weapons together and scurried to flank her.
A few of the sailors rushed to help Merrill. She was carrying the baby who was swaddled tightly and laying in a sling around her neck. Hawke rushed off the wheel deck and Isabela followed. Magpie was asleep, face nestled against Merrill's breast. The elf smiled for her and Hawke leaned for a kiss. Merrill blushed happily up at her as they parted.
"Is that it there?" Merrill chirped. She patted the baby's back carefully. Magpie's lips moved in her sleep and she nestled closer. Hawke nodded.
"Our home."
"Damn right it's ours," Isabela put in. Merrill gave her a soft smile.
"I can't wait," she said. Isabela patted the elf and leaned to stroke her daughter's face with one curved finger.
"Stay here with the pups, kitten. Hawke and I will clear the refuse."
Merrill's eyes glinted with a fierce light. "Be careful. I mean it."
"We will," Hawke murmured. Isabela nodded and gestured to Craven to angle the ship away. They had to have been spotted even by the most incompetent vagabond and they'd need to swing away to give the illusion they were passing by.
But they'd circle around the islets and be back as the sun set. Hawke wanted the element of surprise to dispatching the undesirables and Isabela had it all planned. The sailors went about their tasks, but those on downtime sat on deck, sharping daggers and swords.
The sun angled high overhead and arched toward the west slowly. Hawke sat with her mates and baby, watching Falcon and Lark spar. As the sun begin to settle along the horizon, contrasting against the ocean in waves of orange, Hawke stood.
She offered Merrill her hand and led her to the captain's quarters and helped settle her and Magpie into the large bed. Hawke watched her mate settle against the pillows and unwind the baby's sling. Magpie pressed against Merrill's breast, fist clenched against the soft flesh as she slept.
"I'll be back," she purred. Merrill smiled and leaned up. Hawke bent to kiss her lips sweetly.
"Don't be reckless, Hawke," Merrill chided. Hawke touched her cheek and leaned to kiss Magpie's soft curls.
"I won't," Hawke promised. She left her there and joined Isabela on deck. The twins put their wooden weapons up and watched ten sailors line up, ready to depart for the island.
"Boys, you stay with Cook. Do everything he says," Isabela ordered. The twins nodded. The chubby man wearing his custom apron saluted.
"We'll have to get the evening meal ready, won't we lads?" he asked. Falcon and Lark nodded, but their eyes followed their parents as they readied their weapons. Hawke strapped a massive two-handed long sword to her back and Isabela sheathed Bodice-ripper and Heartbreaker.
Hawke took her mate's hand, thumb running across her knuckles. "Ready, love?"
"Yes." A hard glint filled Isabela's eyes. "Let's make them run."
Everyone quieted as they filed into two dinghies, rowing quietly toward shore as dark began to descend across the landscape. Hawke found herself grinning as she picked out targets. Her hand reached over her shoulder, clenching the hilt of her long sword.
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The first man to fall was a sleeping scout at the edge of the island. He woke barely in time to try to shout before he was knocked out with a blow to the head. Hawke nodded. They could limit casualties where they could help it. But the next two they encountered a good way in sprang to their weapons. Hawke hamstrung one, leaving him falling to his knees and hissing in pain, while Craven blocked the second from his weapon. A heavy fist on his skull rendered him unconscious. Isabela nodded as three sailors fell on the first man crawling, his ankles bleeding, gagging and hog-tying him. And rather quickly at that.
"Let's go," Isabela whispered. The sailors and Hawke nodded, jogging quietly toward a few bonfires they could make out through the trees. A few ramshackle huts had been raised quickly and Hawke wondered how many people were in the crew.
Then the hue was raised, and all hell broke loose in their direction. Hawke moved beside her mate, her longsword rising and falling. Isabela was still as fast as ever, dodging and weaving with her blades, but Hawke remained glued to her side. No harm would come to her mate on their land, she was bloody stubborn to see that remain so.
Hawke was beside her mate, kicking a thin door to one of the huts in. There was a small firepit inside, the smoke wreathing out through a hole in the slanting ceiling. But Hawke's attention was on the five people inside, all bare, skin glistening from interrupted activities; half were screaming while the other half were scrambling for blades.
"Throw your weapons down!" Isabela yelled. Craven shouldered his way through the short entryway and when he stood tall inside, two of the betas shrank back. The other three, alphas all, didn't listen to Isabela.
"Fuck you! Get 'em!" One of the alpha women spat. She and her two companions sprang up, uncaring about their nudity, and met Hawke and Craven first. Craven countered with his machete, then slammed his other forearm across one of the men across the face. He went down like a sack of spider monkeys, and the other alpha woman screamed as Hawke pressed her back to the hut wall, her blade knocked from her grasp. Hawke pressed her blade close to her throat and gave a grin. The last one, who obviously carried some authority by her tone and elaborately jeweled blade, was pressed to surrender by Isabela's blades. Isabela stood tall, one dagger held to her throat, the other upraised above her head.
"Worth your life?" she asked. The woman grunted, fear mixing with fury in her dark eyes.
"No," she spat.
"If you're the captain, call your crew down. My men and women have them all down for the count as it is," Isabela said casually. Hawke had to laugh as the naked captain flushed with rage. Isabela didn't allow her or any of the others to touch their clothes and were marched out naked as jaybirds. Isabela's crew laughed as the betas and alphas tried to cover their charms with their hands.
"What the fuck do you want with us? We set anchor here first!" the captain spat. Isabela gave her a kick in the back of her thigh, almost tumbling her.
"This here's our island. We have papers. Not that we brought them to a fight," Isabela drawled. Hawke shouldered her long sword and stood tall at her side.
"By order of Antivan law. This is our island, so step off."
"Well said, Hawke," Isabela nodded. She gestured with her dagger to the remaining conscious crew. "Get out of here! And don't let me catch you here again."
"You can't do this, Isabela!" the naked captain recognized her then. "I'll have your head on a pike."
Isabela tugged her arm up behind her back and pressed her dagger into her throat. The woman shrank back into her. "Take mercy where you find it. Get out."
The rival pirates were ejected through much catcalling and cheering from Isabela's crew. She threw a branch into one of the camp's firepits, banking the fire higher. The sparks rose high into the dark night.
"Mel, select five crew to take guard on the beach. Three will guard the ship. The rest of us will camp here."
"Get enough rest, we'll need to start building tomorrow," Hawke ordered. The sailors grinned and went about their tasks. Craven and Mel were among the five selected to camp on the beach. They took a few torches from the campfire and marched out single file. The dinghies moved back and forth between the anchored Stormy Lover and the beach, transporting supplies and Isabela's family.
The twins splashed down in the water as they neared the sand, helping the sailors pull the small boat further onto land. Merrill was seated in the boat, cradling Magpie. The infant cried but quieted when her parents neared and helped Merrill out. Hawke took the baby, allowing Merrill to tie the sling around her neck. The baby leaned into her familiar scent, eyes wide, but quiet as Hawke carried her through the dark toward the campsite. Merrill had her arm slung through Isabela's and the women giggled as they followed their mate.
"Was it much of a fight?" Merrill asked. Isabela laughed.
"A cut here or there, but we let them run. I wouldn't sully our land with blood," Isabela boasted.
"We would have if it went badly," Hawke promised. Her strong arm cradled the curve of the baby slung against her. Magpie's feet wriggled and she moved against her sire, babbling softly.
"We're really gonna live here?" Falcon asked. He and Lark hopped over a few tree branches and sat in front of the large campfire. A few of the sailors broke out bottles of whiskey and rum and shared them. Isabela took a draw on one of the whiskey bottles and handed it back to one of the omegas.
"Yes, son," she said. "Guess we're camping tonight."
The boys giggled as one of the sailors piled a few blankets on top of them. Hawke sat on a log in front of the fire, seeing to her baby. Magpie wriggled her legs and stared up at her. Hawke pressed her lips to her soft forehead.
"I hope we know what we're doing," Merrill said. Isabela helped her down on a pile of blankets and slung an arm around her shoulders.
"Not too often I do. But we have a home, kitten. That is worth celebrating," Isabela beamed. Hawke stared at her, love in her gaze. Isabela grinned at her.
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The sailors were put to work on building sturdier homes. The house for the captain and her family was built around the trunk of a massive tree. Rooms were added and wooden walkways built attaching the larger house to the other establishments that sprang up under nearby trees.
Hawke didn't like the baby being out under the open air at night and had opted for the children to be on the ship until their home was complete. It took some weeks. A few times, Isabela had had to sail with Stormy Lover to a nearby port to pick up supplies and more timber. A token force was left to guard the beach when they did, and the building picked up steam as the weeks dragged to months. Hawke was helping Isabela purchase new bedding and curtains for the main room when she realized the house was almost done.
"We have everything for Maggie?" she asked on one such outing. The baby's nickname was picked up immediately by the twins and had stuck. Mags was also used in passing.
Isabela was picking through swaths of fabric held on a merchant's arm. The woman tucked each bolt of fabric over on each other when Isabela shook her head at the pattern. Isabela grinned at her mate. Hawke was dressed in her best new clothing, tunic nondescript and without her family crest. Merrill fit into her old tunic and leggings with ease and looked regal even in her simple outfit. The way she hung on Hawke's arm spoke of decadence. The baby in question was slung around Hawke's neck and shoulder, bonnet tied over her soft scalp.
"Craven and the men carved a new cradle for her. We have everything she'll need and…." Isabela trailed off. Hawke's eyes softened. She and Merrill surrounded the pirate. Hawke could offer only one hand, squeezing her mate's shoulder. Merrill hugged her free arm.
"It's okay. We almost have it done. It is a lot," Hawke breathed. Isabela nodded, eyes shining. The merchant looked away until the pirate had her composure.
"How about this selection, madame?" she asked. Isabela nodded. The feather in her large hat waved with the gesture.
"That one," she said confidantly. Hawke squeezed her hip and rocked the baby who began fussing. Craven was waiting outside with the twins who were staring at everything in the market. Craven was dressed in a new jacket tailored for his enormous size. Hawke wondered how close he was getting to Mel, who had made the article of clothing for him. She hoped close for Mel's sake. She was falling head over heels it seemed.
The small family took up their pups again and Craven followed as guard. The sailors were filing up to the ship, purchases tucked under arm over carried slung over their shoulders. Isabela smiled as they filed up the gangplank.
"Let's get home," she said. The loving look Hawke gave her was worth it.
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"What in all Thedas are you doing, Bela?" Hawke exclaimed. They had just landed back at their island and Isabela was hard at work getting up to mischief. Hawke was holding the baby, watching as her mate climbed onto a barrel bigger than she was. Merrill was on the sand, helping a sailor do something to it that Hawke didn't know what about.
"Starting our distillery, of course!" Isabela crowed. "Didn't expect whiskey and rum to fall out of the trees, did you?"
"Well, no…." Hawke rocked Magpie carefully. She reached to help Lark hop across a set of tools so he wouldn't trip. "Hey, watch it, pup."
"Sorry, Papa," Lark grinned. Falcon handed a beta sailor a hammer when he asked for it.
"We'll need our own supplies. AND we'll need a way of making money. Can't do mercenary work forever, sweet thing," Isabela said idly. But Hawke knew she meant it. Their sons were getting taller and the baby was sitting up already. Their family was getting bigger and would need all three of them. Isabela didn't say it aloud, but Hawke knew she wanted them to be safe.
"I agree. It was fine for a time helping out in Kirkwall. But we don't have to be in danger all the time," Merrill chirped up. Hawke gave her a wry grin.
"Thanks for backing me up when you did," Hawke drawled. Merrill smiled but a small blush was across her features.
"Well…" she stuttered. Falcon tugged at his mamae's hand.
"We have our own room in the new house!" he crowed. Lark looked as excited. The sailors grinned as they went about securing the large barrels. Isabela accepted one of the beta's hand to hop down safely.
"No more ship for awhile, boys. This is our home," she announced. Falcon and Lark looked excited and Hawke had to smile. The large house was made of purchased timber and the walls and floor were stout and firmly hammered into place. The ceiling was finely made and there was no need for a temporary fire pit. Isabela had purchased an actual metal oven and had it installed with pipes venting out of the kitchen roof. The table was large, and chairs had been made for all of them.
Hawke smiled as she carried Magpie through the new kitchen and to the front room. Chairs had been made here too and glass had been purchased and installed for the windows. The new curtains were hung. A shuffling sound and Hawke turned to notice her mates following her. She turned and leaned into their open arms. The baby was pressed between them, gurgling at the attention from all of her parents.
"Is it enough, Hawke?" And here Hawke noted a trace of uncertainty in Isabela's voice. Hawke nodded. She pressed her brow against the pirate's.
"It's so grand. It's good, love. It is," she promised. Isabela beamed.
"I got a bed to scale for all of us. We're sleeping indoors today," she promised. Hawke grinned. Their things had been brought into the master bedroom and Hawke sat on the edge of the wide bed. The mattress had been purchased in port and had taken five sailors to carry in. She patted Magpie's back, smiling at the simple but well-made furnishings. The baby's cradle was set in the corner by the large bed and Hawke could see it being taken into the third bedroom once the girl got bigger. And the thought that she could relax and see that happen made her truly happy.
But for now….
"You'll go right to sleep tonight, right, Mags?" Hawke asked softly. Magpie stared up at her, burbling. "Papa needs time with your mothers." The baby stared at her with her green eyes. Hawke grinned, bouncing her.
"What ARE you planning, Hawke?" Isabela leaned in the doorframe, smiling wickedly. Hawke felt the jolt all the way between her legs. She smiled.
"A tasteful exploration, hopefully," Hawke drawled. Isabela grinned.
"Me or Kitten first?" she asked. Hawke leaned back, cradling the baby to her chest. She spread her knees. Isabela sat beside her and began rubbing her thigh in a very unsubtle way.
"You if you keep pushing me like that," she growled. Isabela dipped a hand further up to the junction between her thighs. She gave her growing shift a firm squeeze, smiling as Hawke gasped. Hawke pouted, rocking the baby.
"Really, in front of the children," she teased. Isabela took Magpie, smiling down at her. The baby reached up to pat her face.
"I expect a thorough report later, sweet thing," Isabela purred. Hawke grinned at her.
"What are you two going on about?" Merrill asked. She came in carrying an armful of bedding and made up the baby's cradle. Hawke gave a soft smile as Isabela laid the baby in it and they all stood looking down at her.
"Hawke has plans on us later," Isabela teased. Merrill blushed. But the look she gave Hawke was one of longing.
"I'd like to see that," she stammered. Hawke found herself blushing under her mate's gaze.
"So, should we begin or…." Hawke gestured to the bed, grinning.
The twins began calling from the second bedroom. "Mamaaaaa!"
Isabela laughed as everyone looked at each other. "Later. Let's have dinner with the crew first."
Merrill brightened. "Yes!"
Hawke patted the baby as she began to flutter asleep. They left the front door wide open so they could hear her if she woke and the crew brought dishes from their own houses. Everyone ate on the wooden walkway and chattered excitedly. Isabela smiled as the sun began to set and lanterns were lit in the other wooden houses.
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The crew said goodnight to the captain and Hawke gently closed the front door. They took dishes to the kitchen to wash up and Falcon and Lark were dressed for bed.
"Go on, to bed," Hawke urged. She slung one of the boys across her shoulder and patted his rear with one hand as she carried him to his room.
Lark giggled as he was gently tossed on one of the narrow beds. "Good night, Papa!"
"You like it here?" Hawke asked as she tucked Falcon into his own bed opposite his brother's. The boys stared at her and nodded.
"It's so sunny, and warm, and the baby likes it here too," Falcon said. Lark nodded, pulling his covers up to his chest.
"Good," Hawke said. She blew out the lantern and opened the room's window. "Good night, pups."
Hawke made her way to the master bedroom. Isabela was rocking the baby as Merrill covered her breasts up from a feeding. Hawke prowled in and took the elf into her arms, making her squeak in surprise.
"Oh, no fair, my hands were full," Isabela complained. She rocked Magpie and laid her in the cradle, bundling her. The baby's eyes were closed, and she breathed evenly.
"Get over here then," Hawke growled. Merrill had pushed her onto her back and taken up residence over her lap. Hawke grasped her hips with both hands and urged her to grind down. Merrill gasped as she was pushed against the hard shaft of her mate's shift. She blushed in the dim light.
Isabela began undressing, laying her earrings and choker on the dresser. When she climbed onto the bed, she was completely nude. Hawke smiled as her cock throbbed at the sight.
End for now
End notes: And on we go. Like it, smash that button and review.
Pen 3/16/2019