A/N: My apologies for taking a month to post this one instead of two weeks, that definitely wasn't my intention but it got very busy for me over the past two weeks! Anyway, there is finally a new chapter now, with a fair bit of fun and fluff and some smut towards the end. It's not specifically blocked off, but you should be able to tell when it starts and can skip down to the next break in the chapter if you'd rather not read it. Hope everybody likes this one, as there is a good deal of original stuff as well as Isabela's introduction and first quest from the game!
Also, for anyone who's interested, I recently posted a gift fic separately from this story featuring Nathaniel and Velanna from Awakenings - feel free to check that out if you like and let me know what you think!
Thanks as always to those who have read, favorited, and followed so far. Extra special thanks to the reviewers of the last chapter, Trojan20, Asilyessam, WolFang1011, Ioialoha, Tactus501st, Lethal Dragon, and ArtanisRose - I always love hearing what you guys think!
PLEASE REVIEW - 50TH REVIEW GETS A GIFT FIC!
Disclaimer: As always, Bioware owns DA2 and its characters, I own my OCs and the rest of this story.
Chapter 7: Enter Isabela
They were only a few feet away from the dusky-skinned woman and the man yelling at her when Brianna noticed that there were two other rough-looking men drifting close to the woman as well. Varric stopped and hung back a little ways, as if sensing trouble he didn't want to get right in the middle of, though his hand drifted towards Bianca where she rested on his back. Brianna halted when he did, though she was now close enough to hear the man snarl, "You owe us, Isabela."
"Well, Lucky, I'll tell you what . . ." The woman calmly poured more alcohol from the bottle she held in one browned hand into the mug she held in the other, before continuing, "Since the information you gave me was worth nothing . . ." she took a swig from the mug ". . . that's what I'll pay you."
The man called Lucky put his hand over her cup as she went to take another drink, slamming it back down on the bar as he snarled, "Me and my boys will get our money's worth, bitch."
"Oh, you poor, sweet thing," the woman named Isabela drawled, leaning in close to the man as she grabbed his arm, before suddenly yanking him forward and slamming his head into the edge of the bar. One of the other men grabbed her from behind as Lucky tumbled to the floor, pinning her arms to her side, but she merely slammed her head back into his, making the man drop her briefly.
Mardin, who had gone to the other side of the bar to buy a drink as Varric had led them towards the argument, shouldered his way through the onlooking crowd just as the third man came up, taking a swing at Isabela, who ducked just in time to allow his punch to connect with the man who'd grabbed her, sending him to the sticky tavern floor as well. Before the third man could move, Mardin had already grabbed his shoulder and spun him around, punching him in the face. Brianna winced as the man went limp and crashed to the floor, though she could tell from the lack of effort behind the blow that Mardin had at least held back.
By this time, Lucky had scrambled to his feet, drawing his sword, but Isabela already had one of the daggers strapped to her back pointed at his throat when he turned to face her, one hand hovering over the other dagger. "Tell me, Lucky, is this worth dying for?"
Lucky slowly backed off, shaking his head as the man who'd pinned Isabela's arms got unsteadily to his feet. The two men quickly grabbed the arms and legs of their friend that Mardin had left unconscious on the floor, dragging his limp body off as Isabela chuckled. "I didn't think so." She turned to Mardin, giving him a very obvious once-over and smiling slowly. "Thanks for the help, sweet thing, but I didn't need it."
Now that they were this close, Brianna could see that this Isabela woman was even more beautiful than she'd realized from a distance. She had dark hair covered in a blue handkerchief, wearing a very low-cut white tunic that showcased a great deal of cleavage, while also being so short as to barely reach the top of her thighs. Her long legs were covered in very high leather boots, and she wore a thick golden necklace and a blue sash tied around her waist in addition to the daggers that were strapped to her back. In short, she was likely the most gorgeous woman Brianna had ever seen in person, and for the Maker's sake, even Fenris was staring at her cleavage. Face-to-face with this woman, Brianna couldn't help but feel rather self-conscious about her own average curves, and she didn't like the feeling.
"I can see that," Mardin replied, his tone admiring enough that Brianna clenched her fists, wondering at the sudden irritation that swept through her. "I couldn't quite stop myself from stepping in, though. Besides, it's rude not to share when you have so many opponents." He swept her the formal bow that Brianna had seen him employ when they first met, saying, "I'm C – uh, Mardin Trichlor, at your service."
"Oh, I hope so," Isabela drawled, taking a couple of steps closer to him.
Brianna frowned, and before she'd realized quite what she was doing, she'd stepped closer to the two of them, as well, holding out her hand. "I'm Brianna Hawke. This is my brother, Carver, and my companions, Varric and Fenris."
Isabela turned at the introduction, and Brianna was surprised to find herself the recipient of the same heated once-over that Mardin had gotten, as the woman shook her hand before checking out the others behind her, who offered their own greetings. She nodded. "Hawke, of course, I've heard the stories. You're not quite what I pictured, though. You're much prettier, for one thing, and not ten feet tall." Isabela winked at her.
Brianna flushed, withdrawing her hand. "Um, thank you." She glanced back at Varric, raising her eyebrows at him. "Just what kind of stories have you been telling about me?"
Varric shrugged, grinning. He'd somehow acquired a mug of ale during the last few minutes, which he took a swig of before answering, "Just the usual, Hawke. You know, how you defeated an ogre single-handed and rode a dragon out of Ferelden. That sort of thing."
"And you call that 'embellishment'?" Brianna asked incredulously. When Varric merely smiled innocently in answer, she sighed. "You know what, never mind. I don't even want to know." She turned back to Isabela. "Sorry about that. It's nice to meet you."
Isabela grinned. "You too. And don't worry, they were very entertaining stories. Anyway, you should keep your wits about you here. You're nothing but tits and ass to the men in this place, and they won't hesitate to grab at both."
"I would imagine you're speaking from experience?" Brianna asked. She had experienced a few men trying to grope her before, but mostly the men in here gave her a wide berth, likely because she was usually accompanied by Varric and Bianca, and one or more sword-wielding men. Of course, it was equally likely it was due to the reputation Varric had apparently given her, as well.
Isabela chuckled. "After a few broken fingers here and there, they got the idea."
"Well, in their defense, most men don't have enough self-control to keep their hands off such exquisite examples of feminine beauty. A decent man, though, will wait until a lady gives him permission before he puts his hands anywhere." Though he had addressed them both, which had caused Brianna to grit her teeth at the flirtatious way he'd looked at Isabela, Mardin's gaze slid to hers at the end. He looked steadily at her with that heated, dark gaze she hadn't seen in a couple of weeks now. She'd actually begun to wonder if he'd given up on her, but perhaps he hadn't. Still, he was flirting with Isabela, too, she thought, frowning.
Who, it appeared, was only too happy to flirt back as she closed the last bit of distance between herself and Mardin, running her hand down his chest. "Well, handsome, you can put your hands anywhere you like, anytime you like."
Mardin smiled down at her. "I'll keep that in mind." He didn't move away from Isabela's hand, but neither did he move to touch her in return, which slightly mollified the alarming flare of anger Brianna had felt at seeing the other woman touch him. Looking mildly disappointed at the lack of return attention, Isabela removed her hand, turning back to Brianna.
"You probably already overheard, but I'm Isabela. Previously 'Captain' Isabela." She shrugged. "Sadly, without my ship, the title rings a bit hollow. You're Fereldan, aren't you?" Brianna nodded, slightly surprised that Isabela had known that as she went on, "You have that look about you. I was in Denerim a few years ago. You know, from your reputation, you might be just what I'm looking for to solve a little problem I have."
Brianna sighed. There was a surprisingly large part of her that wanted to say no, in spite of the fact that she was usually quite willing to help other people, but Varric was giving her a pleading look, and aside from the job today, she hadn't had many offers or much excitement lately. "I suppose we could help," she said at last, "but honestly, can't anyone fix their own lives around here?"
Isabela gave her a grin and a shrug. "Must be something in the water. Someone from my past has been pestering me. I've arranged for a duel tomorrow night – if I win, he leaves me alone. But I don't trust him to play fair. I need someone to watch my back, and from what I hear – and see," she nodded at Mardin, "you're all pretty good at that."
A duel? That wasn't their usual sort of job. Still, she'd agreed, and Brianna had to admit she was curious now, so she asked, "Who is this person you've arranged to duel?"
"His name is Hayder," Isabela explained. "I used to work with him in Antiva. He's never liked me. He's been asking about me all around Kirkwall. Thought I'd get it over with and meet him face-to-face."
Brianna nodded. "All right, I think I could manage watching your back."
Isabela chuckled again, giving Brianna a heated look that had her flushing with surprise again as the other woman drawled, "I'll bet. I've arranged to meet Hayder in Hightown after dark tomorrow night. I'll meet you there. Tonight I've got a few other things to take care of." With that, she sauntered towards the door.
Brianna watched her leave thoughtfully, sighing when she saw that Carver had turned and was staring after her. That was all she needed, for Carver to have another crush. Varric poked her brother in the side. "Come on, Junior, put your tongue back in your mouth and let's play some cards."
"I didn't – I wasn't –" Carver stammered, but when Fenris snorted in obvious disbelief, he gave up, sighing and following the smirking Varric and the others over to their regular table. Brianna followed once she'd placed her own order with Corff, the bartender, and told him to send it over to the table.
She was surprised to see Merrill already waiting for them at the table. The young elf leapt to her feet as they approached. "Oh, good, you're all here. I thought I'd come and see if I could play cards with all of you again. I – I know I'm not very good, but – "
"Don't worry, Daisy," Varric interrupted her gently. "You're always welcome."
"Of course you are," Brianna added, making an effort to smile at the other mage. She'd had a long and trying day, but she was developing a soft spot for Merrill, who was obviously very lonely. "It doesn't matter how good you are, you can always play with us. Sit down."
Merrill nodded and smiled shyly before turning to the others. "Hello, Fenris, Mardin. Carver, it's nice to see you again."
Fenris merely grunted, ignoring her as he slumped into a chair by Varric, while Mardin returned her greeting with one of his own. Carver, Brianna noticed wryly, blushed a little as he hurried to a chair next to the one Merrill was sitting back down in. "It's . . . nice to see you, too, Merrill. How . . . how was your day?"
Merrill beamed at him. "Oh, it was fascinating! I saw someone get mugged right outside my door today! So much happens here all at once, it's so exciting!"
"What? You saw someone get mugged?" Carver exclaimed, scowling. "They didn't – I mean, you're okay, aren't you?"
"Oh, of course I am," Merrill replied, nodding. "Though I'm a little disappointed no one has tried to mug me, yet. They must not like me."
"Merrill . . . that . . ." Carver looked at a loss for words now as he shook his head.
"Your poor brother," Mardin whispered in Brianna's ear as he pulled a chair out for her. Shameless flirt he might be, but Brianna had noticed that he was also a gentleman in his own way. He was constantly opening doors and pulling out chairs for her and helping her out whenever he could, and she was embarrassed to admit that she quite liked it. So, too, did she like the shivery sensation down her spine when she felt his breath on her ear like that. Yet he had just proved what she had always known about him; he would flirt with any woman that was his type, and Isabela, it appeared, was practically made for him.
He hadn't even turned her down when she'd offered to let him touch her, Brianna thought, disgruntled as she merely nodded in response to Mardin's words. She took the seat he offered as she did so, while he sat down next to her. Why would he? a nasty little voice in her head taunted. It's not like you've been paying him any attention, after all. And she's far prettier than you.
It was true she'd avoided responding to his offers in any way, Brianna admitted to herself, nor had she even attempted to flirt with him over the last couple of weeks. She hadn't been able to figure out yet how she wanted to respond, or even if she wanted to respond. She had thought she would wait until she found out what he was hiding, and then decide, but now she knew everything, and she still had no idea if being with him was a good idea or not. She wanted him, she knew that much, and yet what would she get out of it? A few nights in bed with him before the inevitable heartbreak? Did she even have it in her to have a casual fling? She didn't know, and she didn't know if he was capable of anything besides that. All she did know was that it had irritated her more than she'd expected to finally see him flirt with another woman. Was she - could she be - jealous? Maker, she was tired of thinking, she decided, shaking her head abruptly. She'd had far too much to think about today.
So when Norah, the waitress, set down her first drink, she downed it all in one go, ignoring the bickering between Fenris and Varric in the background as the dwarf dealt out the cards. She handed the mug back to the surprised Norah and told her to keep them coming. She'd had a very long day, and she deserved to stop thinking and being responsible for at least one night, she decided.
"Maker, Bree, are you sure that's a good idea? What would Mother say?" Carver demanded as Norah headed back to the bar after taking everyone else's orders.
"I said I was going to have a lot of drinks, and I meant it," she told him evenly. "I've had a long day, and I need to relax."
"Are you all right?" Mardin asked her quietly as Carver frowned briefly at her before turning to respond to something Merrill had said.
"I'm fine," she hissed back at him. "Can't I drink for once without everyone making a big deal out of it?"
He held up his hands in defense. "If you're sure, I won't say anything more about it."
"I'm sure." She picked up the cards Varric had passed to her, making a great show of studying them and ignoring the look Mardin was giving her. He sighed before picking up his own cards, and true to his word, didn't say anything more about it as she downed drink after drink.
Which was how, several mugs and sometime later, Brianna found herself sliding sideways off her uncomfortably hard chair as the room tilted and spun dizzily around her. Her downward progress was halted by a strong arm, which easily lifted her back up and set her down on her feet. "I think it's time you go home, Brianna."
She looked up at Mardin, blinking as his face seemed to blur outwards into two – or three? – faces, and nodded, instantly regretting the motion when everything spun around her again. "Yes, might be . . . a good idea." She took a step and felt herself wobbling, his hands coming to her waist to steady her.
"I'll walk you home," he told her so firmly that she didn't even think to argue.
She noticed a rather blurry Carver appear next to him. "I can take her home."
"No, you should take Merrill home." Mardin gestured, and Brianna carefully turned her head where he was pointing, dimly seeing the elven mage heading towards the door. "Remember what she said about muggings?"
"Oh, yes, good point." Carver nodded. "You know which way you're going?"
"I remember." Mardin waved him towards the door. "Hurry up, before she leaves, and try to at least compliment her this time, would you?"
"Uh . . . right." Brianna giggled as she watched several versions of her brother race to the door, opening it for Merrill.
"Come on." Mardin gently steered her towards the door after them, and she followed, carefully putting one foot in front of the other, thinking about how good his big, warm hands felt on her waist.
"Did I win?" she asked him. She couldn't remember, but surely she must have; she was usually quite good at Wicked Grace.
"No, not even a little bit," he said, sounding amused. "Varric won most of the games, Fenris won two and I won the last game."
"Oh." It was really dark out, she thought, tilting her head back to look at the sky as they stepped outside. Where were all the stars? "The stars are gone."
"It's just cloudy, Brianna."
"I knew that." She looked at the street ahead of her, trying to ignore the way it kept spinning around her and tilting. When she stumbled a second time – where had that crate come from, anyway? – she felt herself being lifted off the ground and cradled against a hard, warm chest. "I can walk . . . I think."
She looked up, but she couldn't make out much of his face except a white flash of teeth as he smiled. "You really can't."
"Okay." She wasn't going to protest. It felt really nice right here. Why hadn't she let him do this before? Why hadn't she let him kiss her before, for that matter? She couldn't remember any of her reasons. "Mardin?"
"Yes, Brianna?" he asked patiently.
"What if . . . I said . . ." What was she going to say? How had that woman put it? "You can put your hands anywhere?"
She heard a sharp intake of breath, and those arms clutched her a little tighter. "Don't tempt me like that."
"Why not?" She tried to see his face again, but it was all shadowy and blurry. "You still want to, right?"
"You have no idea." He cleared his throat. "But . . . I want you to remember every second of our first time together in bed, and to remember it without regretting it. I . . . want you to say that when you know what it is you're saying, and what you really want."
"I do." She did, didn't she? She – what had she said again? Everything was spinning so hard around her, she couldn't seem to focus anymore. She remembered very little after that except the sound of hushed voices talking above her head, someone gently laying her in bed, and the searing hot feel of lips brushing her forehead before she fell asleep.
"Ow." The first thought Brianna had upon waking was how much her head hurt. It was throbbing so badly she couldn't focus on anything beyond the pain and how dry her mouth felt. She slowly sat up on the hard, lumpy bottom bunk bed in the room she and Carver shared in Uncle Gamlen's house, just as a booming knock sounded at the closed door. "Not so loud," she hissed as she clutched at her head.
"Hawke?" The door creaked slowly open, the sound screeching through her head, and she squinted at the brightness of the light coming from the other room as Anders peeked around the edge of the door.
"Anders, my head, please," she begged him, not even questioning why he was here right now. She couldn't think straight enough to perform a healing spell on herself at the moment, and besides, he'd be better at it, anyway.
"Of course." The mage crossed to her bedside in two steps, as the room was so small, and laid a glowing blue hand upon her head. The soothing, familiar warmth of a healing spell spread through her throbbing skull, dissipating the pain and clearing her thoughts rapidly. As soon as he was done, Anders moved to the small table at the side of the room, pouring some water from the jug there into the cracked cup and handing it to her.
She drank gratefully, as the healing spell had done nothing for the dryness of her mouth. Only when the cup was empty did she finally ask, "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be at the clinic?"
Anders grinned. "Mardin stopped by the clinic this morning. Said you'd drank enough at the Hanged Man last night that you might not be able to heal yourself this morning. It seems he was right."
Brianna frowned, trying to remember what had happened last night after she'd started drinking. Only bits and pieces came to her, most of it just a fuzzy blank. Had he carried her home? What had she said to him? Something embarrassing, no doubt, but she couldn't quite recall. "Thank you, Anders, I appreciate it," she said after a moment. "Is . . . Mardin here?"
Anders shook his head. "No, he and Carver have left already to train, your mother said. This was the soonest I could get away from the clinic. But you're welcome, Hawke. You've helped me out at the clinic so much these past two weeks, it's the least I can do to return the favour."
"Your teaching is more than enough payment for whatever little help I've been," Brianna said dismissively, waving her hand at him as she got out of the bed and crossed over to the water jug again. She was grateful that she'd been put to bed in her robes; they might be a bit crumpled, but at least she was fully dressed right now. "Say, Anders, since you're here, can I ask you something?"
"Certainly, Hawke." He leaned against the wall, looking as if he didn't know where to sit in the tiny room, or if he could sit, and looked up at her expectantly.
"Mardin . . . finally told us the truth yesterday," she said at last, filling her cup up again. "I guess what I wanted to know is . . . do you really believe him? And his sister, I guess? About . . . other worlds?"
Anders studied her for a moment, his arms crossed over his chest before he nodded. "I do. I'll admit it was a bit much at first, but it explained a lot about Ayla. And . . . well, you've met Flemeth, right?" When Brianna nodded, Anders went on, "So did the Commander, during the Blight, right after he found Ayla. Flemeth said something about Ayla not belonging, and apparently Flemeth knew about the existence of other worlds, too, according to the Commander. And didn't you say that Flemeth had said something similar about Mardin, when you all met her up on Sundermount? Or do you not believe her – or Mardin?"
Brianna sighed, sinking back down on her bed. "No, I do. It does make sense, and I've always been able to tell when he was lying to me before, and I know he wasn't yesterday. It's just . . . an awful lot to take in. I mean, other worlds? And people being sent here from other worlds because of some dark destiny? Don't you find it . . . terrifying?"
"Actually, no. Once I accepted the idea, I found it quite comforting," Anders replied, smiling.
"Comforting?" Brianna raised her eyebrows. How could he possibly find the idea of a vast universe full of other worlds and dark destinies comforting?
"Well, think about it. If there are other worlds, that means there are worlds where mages aren't persecuted for their magic. Ayla told me that in her world, the mages lead themselves. They have their own order, and they're respected as soldiers and healers. And there are even other worlds where there are no mages at all, where everybody is the same." Anders shrugged. "I mean, I know that I'm probably never going to see these places, but at least I know there are worlds out there where mages aren't locked up or hated. It's comforting in its own way."
"I . . . suppose. I never really thought of it that way." To lead herself? To be respected for her magical abilities? That did sound really nice, Brianna admitted. But . . . "What about Mardin being sent here, like his sister, to help with some sort of darkness? I mean, the Blight is over, so what could happen here that's so big that we need help from another world? Doesn't that scare you?"
"Well, yes, in a way, it does. It probably has something to do with the way mages are treated in the Circle here." Anders scowled, his fists clenching.
Brianna nodded, making a non-committal noise of agreement. There was no need to say anything else about the mages in Kirkwall; it would only rile up Anders more. It could just as easily be the Qunari, anyway, she thought, remembering what Mardin had said about them spoiling for blood. She shuddered at the thought, not wanting to see what the Arishok would look like when he was truly mad. "Whatever it turns out to be," she said softly, "the thought that he's here to help me – which he thinks he is – is frightening. And Flemeth seems to think I have some big destiny. I'm just a Fereldan apostate, Anders. What am I supposed to do?"
"Well, you could be looking at that the wrong way, too." Anders grinned when she stared at him doubtfully. "You're thinking of the fact that he's here to help you as frightening, when you could think of the fact that you've been sent extra help you weren't supposed to have as a good thing. And it means that there's obviously a higher power up there – the Maker, or the Goddess, as those two call it – that wants to help, that still cares about us."
Brianna blinked, thinking it over. She'd never been really devout in her beliefs, but she had always believed that there was a Maker, that there was no way that everything that existed in Thedas could have happened by accident. And Anders was right; if Mardin and his sister had been sent here from another world, if Flemeth could really see the future, that kind of incredible power had to come from somewhere. It had to be the Maker, trying to help. She nodded slowly. "You're right. If I think about it that way – it's not nearly so frightening. Thank you, Anders. That . . . makes things a little easier."
He smiled at her. "You're welcome, Hawke. And besides, Fereldan apostate or not, you always get the job done. And you're not alone. We're all here to help you, you know. Now, do you have a job you need to get to, or would you like to train today?"
"I'll check my mail, but I don't think I have anything until tonight," she answered. "So, yes, if you've got a few minutes to wait while I freshen up and get some breakfast, I'd love to train some more."
"Of course. I'll just wait out there for you." Anders slipped out the door of her tiny room, closing it behind him and leaving her alone to tidy herself up. She did feel a good deal better than she had last night before she'd started drinking, terrified of the thought of her future. He was right; she wasn't alone. She had her brother and the friends she'd made here. As for what to do about her attraction to Mardin, she'd simply have to figure that out later. It wasn't like he was going anywhere anytime soon, by the sounds of it.
Not long after the sun had set later that night, Brianna led Varric, Fenris, Carver, Merrill and Mardin to Hightown to meet Isabela. She had debated about whether to bring all of them along, but given what Isabela had said about not trusting this Hayder man, and the type of trouble she'd already landed herself in the night before, Brianna had thought it best to have them all there. Besides, it was probably time that she started to teach Merrill how to fight in a group setting.
She'd been a bit wary of seeing Mardin again after last night, but he hadn't mentioned anything about what she might have said last night when he'd seen her. And he'd accepted her thanks over sending Anders to her for healing quite graciously. Still, he'd given her such a heated, intense look when he'd first spotted her that she'd nearly gasped with the sudden desire that went racing through her veins at the look. She must have said or done something last night to warrant that look; she wished she could remember what it was. Well, she'd worry about that after this job was done, she decided. Until it was, she needed to focus.
Hightown was a dark, gloomy place at night, especially as it was both cloudy and foggy tonight, obscuring the stars and the moon from view. There were still some lanterns lit here and there to provide some light, but that only seemed to make the shadows deeper as they moved through the marble streets. Brianna sighed in relief when she finally spotted Isabela's white tunic ahead of them, in the courtyard below the stairs leading up to the Viscount's Keep.
"There you are," Isabela hissed, packing back and forth as they approached her. "I've been here for hours. Hayder hasn't shown up. No one has. I don't like this."
"'I don't like this?'" Varric echoed incredulously. "That's right up there with, 'What could possibly go wrong?'"
"Or 'it's a little too quiet'," Brianna added, rolling her eyes. She just knew this job was going to go wrong, even though Mardin had said Isabela didn't wish them harm. That didn't mean the pirate wasn't going to attract a whole bunch of people who did.
As if to confirm her thoughts, she heard Mardin sniff as if scenting the air behind her, before he murmured, "We've got some company."
An armed blonde woman came running out from the shadows to the left of the stairs only a few seconds later, just as Brianna was reaching for her staff. As soon as the woman spotted Isabela, she shouted, "That's the wench we're looking for. Gut her!"
Isabela drew her daggers as the woman raced towards her, and six more people emerged from the shadows behind the woman. Brianna sent a sizable fireball their way, scattering them apart before the others had a chance to reach them, and Merrill sent an arcane blast at one of the fighters before they could get up. One of Bianca's bolts pierced another before he'd even stood up, and by then, Mardin, Fenris and Carver had reached the remaining men. The fight was over fairly quickly after that, Isabela proving herself to be as useful with her daggers as she was in a bar fight.
"Hayder sent them," Isabela snapped once the last body had fallen. "Search the bodies, I need to find out where he is."
When the others briefly glanced at her, Brianna just nodded before she moved forward to help; she'd fully intended to search the bodies for money or items anyway. She still needed everything she could get to support her family and the expedition, after all.
It was Varric who found the letter. "This is probably it," he told Isabela, handing her a rumpled bit of parchment.
Isabela scanned it quickly before crumpling it in her fist. "Hiding in the Chantry and sending thugs to finish me off? Coward. He'll not get away with this. Come on." She turned and ran in the direction of the Chantry without even checking to see if they were following.
When the others turned to look at her again, Brianna sighed. "I suppose we'd better follow so she doesn't get herself killed. Come on."
They all ran after Isabela through the shadowy streets; it was fortunate they had, for the pirate was ambushed in the Chantry courtyard by several more fighters just as they reached her. Brianna was relieved that she'd decided to bring so many of her friends along, as it made what would otherwise have been a tough battle relatively simple. As soon as the last fighter was down again, Isabela raced up the Chantry stairs beyond him, Brianna and the others following once more.
Isabela shoved one of the double doors open as she reached it, and Mardin caught it before it swung shut again, gesturing to the others to follow her in. Brianna caught up to Isabela just as she halted in the main chamber of the Chantry across from a man with long brown hair pulled back in a low ponytail, armed with a sword and wearing heavy, dark leathers. "Isabela," the man, presumably Hayder, sneered. "Should've known you'd find me here."
Brianna glanced around the room behind Hayder, noting that there were several more of his shady-looking followers ranged on the steps and standing behind him. Mardin soon caught up her, planting himself directly in front of her, making her smile slightly in spite of herself as the others gathered around them.
"Tell your men to burn the letters next time," Isabela retorted.
"Castillon was heartbroken when he heard about the shipwreck," Hayder answered, ignoring Isabela's jab about the letter. "You should've let him know you survived."
"It must have slipped my mind," Isabela said airily, shrugging.
Hayder chuckled dryly before his eyes narrowed. "Where's the relic?"
"I lost it. Castillon's just going to have to do without," Isabela said simply.
"Lost it?" Hayder echoed incredulously. "Just like you 'lost' a ship full of valuable cargo?"
"They weren't cargo, Hayder, they were people!" Isabela exclaimed, throwing her hands up, and Brianna suddenly gained a new respect for the woman. Troublesome pirate she might be, but it appeared even she had a code of honor – and Hayder did not.
"Those slaves were worth a hundred sovereigns a head, and you let them scurry off into the wilds," Hayder snarled at Isabela. "And now the relic's gone, too. Castillon won't be happy to hear that, I promise you." He gestured with his hand, and the people that Brianna had noticed earlier raised their bows or drew their swords.
Brianna reached for her staff as she met Hayder's eyes, glaring at him. "Castillon isn't a very happy person, is he? Maybe he needs a new hobby besides enslaving people."
"There's only one way to settle this," Isabela added, drawing a dagger that she threw abruptly and unerringly into the chest of a female fighter standing to Hayder's right. The woman went down instantly, and with a snarl and another gesture, Hayder sent his fighters at Brianna's party as he raced forward to fight Isabela.
Brianna aimed a lightning blast at one of the archers first, shouting to Merrill to do the same, as Varric fired a bolt at the third. In a burst of glowing lyrium, Fenris blasted through two fighters on his way up the stairs to the left, while Carver went up the stairs to the right. Mardin stayed where he was, running through a fighter that had been to Hayder's left, before moving onto another warrior that had been running at Merrill. Between the six of them, they had dispatched all of Hayder's fighters by the time Isabela stabbed Hayder in the back and then slit his throat. The man dropped to the ground in a spray of blood, and Isabela bent to rifle through his pockets.
Once Brianna and the others had done the same, she approached Isabela, who straightened up and eyed her warily. "Not that I object to killing slavers," Brianna began, "but that was a bit 'stab first, ask questions later', wasn't it?"
Isabela shook her head. "Trust me, it's better this way. Castillon won't hear about me from Hayder, but he'll find me eventually. I just have to get him the relic. It's simple as that."
"So, who is this Castillon, anyway?" Brianna asked. She knew her curiosity was going to get her in trouble one day, but after hearing that Isabela had gotten into this mess to free some slaves, she couldn't stop herself from wanting to help the woman some more, troublesome pirate or no.
Isabela hesitated, studying her before she slowly said, "He's . . . a powerful merchant based in Antiva. I believe he has ties to the Felicisima Armada. I used to work for him. The jobs mostly involved smuggling lyrium, jewels, or the occasional criminal acquaintance. He paid well."
Brianna nodded. It sounded rather like what she'd done for Athenril, except for the part about the slaves. "And then you freed some slaves?" she prompted.
Isabela nodded, explaining, "I was asked to escort Castillon's cargo ship. I got a bad feeling about the job partway through. Boarded the ship to find slaves. Nearly two hundred – elves, humans . . . children even." Brianna heard a sound behind her that sounded distinctly like Fenris snarling, but she didn't turn to look, knowing that the story was probably hitting close to home for him as Isabela continued, "It was sickening. They paid Castillon to take them away from the Blight. He took their money and sold them into slavery. Even I can see that's wrong."
"You did the right thing," Brianna told her sincerely, and was surprised that Isabela looked actually embarrassed as she waved her off. Sensing that she was uncomfortable, Brianna decided to change the subject. "What's so interesting about this relic, that he'd pay so many people to come after you for it?"
"I don't really know what it is, except that it's ancient and worth my weight in gold. Castillon has me chasing it down as payback for freeing his slaves." Isabela sighed. "To be honest, I think he just wants me dead. But that would be letting me off easy."
Brianna looked over at Mardin, silently asking his opinion. He was frowning slightly as he studied Isabela, but when their eyes met, he nodded. "If getting the relic gets Castillon off your back, then I'll help you retrieve it," Brianna told the pirate.
Isabela looked briefly surprised, but she nodded. "I still don't know where it is, but you'll be the first to know if I hear anything. Anyway, thanks for helping me out with Hayder. If you need help with any of your problems, I could always tag along. There might be something I could do for you. If you need my help, or any . . . company," she glanced back and forth between Mardin and Brianna, giving them equally heated looks, "I have a room at the Hanged Man. Either one of you. Or better yet, both."
Brianna felt her jaw drop as her face turned bright red. Both of them? Did the pirate mean what she thought she did? "No – no thank you," she managed as she heard Varric chuckle behind her. "I . . . um, don't need any company."
Isabela shrugged. "That's too bad. What about you, sweet thing?" She ran her hand down Mardin's chest again.
He didn't look one bit embarrassed – or offended, Brianna noted sourly as he smiled at the pirate. "I thank you for the generous offer. I will certainly . . . consider it."
Brianna clutched her staff tightly, feeling unreasonably angry, but before she could say anything, Varric chose to interrupt. "Say, if you're heading back to the Hanged Man anyway, why don't you join us for a game of cards? We usually end most nights with a bit of Wicked Grace."
Isabela stepped away from Mardin, studying Varric for a moment before she smiled. "Why not?" She jingled the pouch hanging from her belt. "I've got a bit of extra coin, now."
Brianna sighed, strapping her staff to her back as she tried to calm down and remind herself that, though Mardin hadn't said no, neither had he said yes. And he was looking at her now, his gaze thoughtful as she waved to the others to leave the Chantry. Perhaps she didn't need to be as jealous as she thought she did. As they made their way to the doors, she asked Varric softly as she gestured at the bodies behind them, "Varric, do you think you can -?"
"Send somebody to let Aveline and her guards know about the mess we made?" Varric finished for her. "Consider it done, Hawke."
"Thank you, Varric," she smiled at him.
"Anytime."
The walk back to the Hanged Man was uneventful and mostly silent, though Merrill peppered Isabela with endless questions which the pirate answered with surprising gentleness and patience. Brianna thought that she would quite like the pirate if it wasn't for her flirting. Maybe, she thought, it was time she started doing some flirting of her own with Mardin. She would just have to think of a place to start; she wasn't all that good at it.
It didn't take long before they'd reached the Hanged Man and were all seated around their table again, Varric dealing out the cards. Brianna was a bit distracted, as she was both trying to concentrate on her hand and think about what to do with Mardin, so she wasn't really listening to the conversations around her until she heard Isabela say, "Is your hair red like that all over?"
She glanced up sharply, looking at the pirate, who was sitting across from Mardin, grinning wickedly over her cards. Mardin, who was sitting on Brianna's left, simply raised an eyebrow at Isabela, saying mildly, "Maybe it is. Do you want to see for yourself?"
Isabela's grin only got wider. "You bet I do."
"It's actually a few shades darker," Brianna blurted out before she had time to think better of it. She immediately gave herself a swift mental kick as Carver choked on his drink, Mardin laughed, and Varric snapped his gaze from Fenris, who he'd been arguing with as usual, to her, grinning broadly.
"Well, well, Hawke, who would've thought?" the dwarf drawled. "When did this happen?"
Brianna fervently wished for the power to suddenly sink into her chair as both Varric and Isabela leaned forward, looking equally interested in her answer. "It's not what you think! It was an accident!" she protested.
"Oh," Isabela nodded wisely, "that actually happened to me once. I tripped and – well, I guess it wasn't so much an accident as it was on purpose, but I landed on his – "
"That's not what I meant either!" Brianna cried, sure her face was bright red by this point as Carver's coughing fit got worse and Merrill rubbed his back in concern. Even Fenris was starting to turn a bit red at this point as Varric's grin got wider and Mardin only laughed harder. Damn him, he wasn't even trying to help her explain! "I went to the mansion to ask for help, and he answered the door naked! Nothing else happened!" she finished in a rush, determined to explain herself properly before anyone else interrupted.
"Ooh, you answer the door naked? Where do you live?" Isabela asked eagerly, turning her attention to Mardin now.
"Do not tell her," Fenris ordered Mardin sternly.
"Say, Broody," Varric began, "if Red's in the habit of answering the door naked and you two room together, does that mean you've seen him naked too?" The broad grin had not left his face, though he'd gotten his journal out and was writing again.
Fenris didn't bother to answer, but the growing blush on his face was answer enough, Brianna realized, relieved that attention had been deflected from her. Of course, now Mardin decided to explain things as he said, "To be fair, I don't answer the door naked. Brianna just walked in and I came out of my room to investigate. That's all."
"Wait, you two live together?" Isabela demanded, and Mardin nodded. The pirate turned to Fenris. "Do you walk around naked, too?"
"No," the elf said shortly.
"Too late, I'm already imagining it." Isabela closed her eyes briefly, and Brianna couldn't help suddenly remembering just what Mardin had looked like naked, flushing all over again at the thought. The pirate's eyes flew open suddenly and she looked at Fenris again, asking slyly, "Just how far do those markings go, anyway?"
"That is none of your business," Fenris managed, turning red again.
"Oh, I missed something dirty again, didn't I?" Merrill sighed, looking around the table. She had apparently started paying attention again now that Carver was breathing normally.
"You did, Daisy, but don't worry about it," Varric told her soothingly.
"If everybody's quite done now," Carver said dryly, "could we get back to playing cards?"
"Spoilsport," Isabela grumbled, but she turned her attention back to her cards readily enough, as did everyone else. The game, as usual, was won by Varric, and Brianna noticed that Isabela turned a sharp and considering glance on him at the end.
The conversation was uneventful for the most part after that, though Isabela still tossed out a few flirting comments to both Mardin and Fenris, causing the elf to leave after a couple of games, as he obviously didn't know what to do with such comments. The games themselves, however, quickly turned into a battle between Varric and Isabela, as first one of them won, then the other. After a couple of more games, everyone else dropped out, quickly realizing that it was turning into a cheating battle between two rogues. Carver offered to walk Merrill home, and she agreed, flushing prettily as the two walked out of the tavern.
"Would . . . you mind walking me home?" Brianna asked Mardin softly as the two rogues started another card game, staring each other down with hard-eyed concentration as she and Mardin left the table.
"Of course I wouldn't mind," he answered gently, and she gave him a relieved smile as they headed towards the door.
"Good. I . . . wanted to talk to you in private," she admitted just as they reached the door, and he held it open for her. Isabela's flirting with Mardin was already driving her insane, which had become obvious when she'd blurted such an embarrassing statement out without even thinking, and she clearly needed to do something about it. Perhaps acting on her feelings for him might help in some way, and if not, well, at least she'd be able to see him naked on purpose, and not by accident. Her pulse sped up at the thought.
She didn't know what to say, though, or how to bring it up. Was she just supposed to ask? And if so, how was she to go about it? So they walked along the streets of Lowtown in silence for a few moments before he said, "What was it you wanted to talk about?"
She stopped, trying to gather her thoughts, and he stopped with her. Fortunately, there was no one else around this late at night, so they had the narrow street all to themselves as she finally blurted out, "Do you think Isabela's prettier than me?" Why did I even ask that?! That wasn't what I wanted to ask! After all, she knew the pirate was prettier than her; she didn't need to hear Mardin say so. And why did she even care, anyway? She was still pretty; she wasn't vain about it, but men had told her so often enough that she accepted it as fact. It wasn't like it was a competition, but the pirate's ample curves and obvious beauty were a bit deflating to her overall confidence.
Mardin frowned at her; they were standing beneath one of the few lanterns in Lowtown, so she could actually see his face. "Why would you ask that?" he demanded.
"Because you didn't say no to her when she offered you company," Brianna retorted. Maker's breath! Why do I keep saying things that make me sound like a jealous ninny? That's really going to help!
"I didn't say yes, either," he pointed out, but when she only scowled at him, not knowing what else to say, he started to smile. "Are you jealous?"
She opened her mouth to deny it, but what was the point? She'd made it perfectly obvious she was. "Yes, I am," she admitted with a sigh, "because she's obviously more your type than I am."
"Oh, I completely disagree," he told her, slowly starting towards her. She started backing towards the wall of the nearby building, unsure why she suddenly felt so nervous. "I think you're much more my type."
"But, why?" she demanded. "She's more forward like you, and she's got –" bigger breasts - "better . . . curves than I do. She's still your feisty, recklessly brave type, and she's gorgeous."
"She is," he agreed, nodding, "but so are you. And she might have more . . . pronounced cleavage, but that doesn't mean anything. Besides, I find I much prefer staring at your rather magnificent buttocks over hers." She should be offended, Brianna thought faintly, but for some reason, she found his remark about her ass arousing instead.
He breathed in deeply as she hit the wall and he braced his arms on either side of her, boxing her in, his body only a few inches away, though he didn't close the distance. "Besides, you smell so much better."
"It's just soap," she answered breathlessly. "If I gave it to her, she'd smell the same."
"It's not just soap." His voice was low and gravelly now, sending tingles chasing each other up and down her spine. "Do you remember that I said one of my shifter abilities is enhanced smell?"
She nodded dazedly, wondering where he was going with this as he continued, "When I smell you, it's not just the soap I smell, though that's quite good also. When you get aroused, like you are right now," he breathed by her ear, and she shuddered, "I can smell that, too. And oh, Goddess, I've never smelt anything so intoxicating before. I am aching to find out if the taste of you matches that smell."
Her blood was liquid fire right now from his words and his nearness, but what did he mean by taste? He couldn't – did people actually do that?! Neither one of her previous lovers had ever even tried that! "I – what do you mean by taste?" she asked softly, proud that her voice only trembled slightly.
His eyebrows shot up. "You have mated before, haven't you?" She nodded, and he frowned. "But none of your lovers ever tasted your arousal, the very core of you?" She shook her head, unable even to find words at the moment, and he scowled, shaking his head in turn. "They didn't know what they were missing." She noticed suddenly that his arms were trembling, as if from the effort of not touching her, as he went on, "I would worship you properly, drink from you until you screamed –"
Oh Maker. She couldn't take it any longer. She grabbed his head in her hands and pulled his mouth down to hers. As soon as their lips touched, it was like she'd broken a dam in him. He surged forward, one hand tangling in her hair, the other gripping the curve of her ass tightly as he pressed his body hard against hers, pinning her to the wall as his tongue parted her lips, sweeping into her mouth.
She moaned softly, winding her arms tightly around his neck, arching against that fantastic body of his, wrapping her legs around his waist, feeling the hard press of his cock where she ached for it the most. She rubbed against him, her body throbbing for him as she gloried in the roughness of his kiss. No man had ever kissed her so roughly before, or pushed her up against a wall, and if he'd asked before, she would have said she didn't want him to. Now, however, she was realizing that she wanted this more than anything, that she was revelling in the savagery of his kiss and how badly he wanted her. She gave into the urge she'd had from the moment she'd seen him, and sunk her teeth into that full bottom lip of his.
He growled harshly, the sound vibrating through her whole body as his hips snapped against hers. His hand was still kneading at the curve of her buttocks, but now it slid down and forward, his long fingers slipping between her legs and playing against the fabric of her breeches, even as his hips pushed against her from the front. She gasped into his mouth at the sensation, rocking against his fingers. His mouth finally broke free from hers, and they both panted for breath as his fingers pressed against her core. Maker, had she thought she knew what she was doing? She was a novice in the skilled hands of an expert, and he was setting her afire with ease in the middle of the street.
It was that last thought that doused through her passion-fogged brain like cold water. She gasped as she realized what they were doing in the middle of a street in Lowtown, of all places! What would her mother think? No, this was too much, too soon. She simply couldn't deal with the intensity of what he made her feel right now. She pushed against his chest, trying to squirm out of his grasp. "No, I can't," she exclaimed breathlessly, the words all she could manage in her addled state.
He froze, but when she pushed again, he slowly and carefully set her down, that sinfully tempting hand disappearing from between her legs. He took a deep breath, and she could see the fine tremors in his muscles again as his fists clenched together. "You what?" he asked at last, his voice rough.
"I can't," she repeated. "I can't do this." His eyes were blazing with heat, blue like the center of a flame now, and part of her wanted so desperately to throw herself back in his arms, but the other part of her was too terrified of the way he made her feel, the way he brought her so out of control. She was a mage, she couldn't be out of control. So she fled, before she gave in to temptation, and heard him curse loudly behind her back before he stalked away. She glanced over her shoulder once as she fled, to see that he was heading back to the Hanged Man. She kept going to the relative safety of Gamlen's house, hoping she would be able to think straight at some point soon, when her blood finally cooled, and would know what to do.
"Sure you don't want to go for round two?" Isabela asked as they stopped at the bottom of the stairs.
Mardin shook his head as he looked down at her. He'd returned to the Hanged Man after Brianna had so abruptly rejected him, asking for the strongest alcohol that Corff possessed. The stuff had tasted vile, but he'd taken the bottle and begun drinking it quite rapidly anyway, wanting to forget what had just happened.
He had realized, when he was standing there in the midst of the street, aroused and frustrated, that no woman had ever truly rejected him before. And certainly, no woman had ever done so in the midst of a passionate embrace. He knew that Brianna had wanted him, had been enjoying herself; the smell of her arousal had never been so intense. Yet she'd stopped him and fled as though she were terrified. What had he done to cause it? Had he repulsed or disgusted her somehow? The swirling thoughts had tormented him, so he'd drowned them along with the surprising shaft of hurt piercing his body with the strong alcohol, drinking it as rapidly as he could manage.
He'd nearly reached the bottom of the bottle when Isabela had come upon him at the bar when she came to order her own drink, and she'd made her offer again. This time, he'd taken her up on it; why shouldn't he, after all? He was incredibly frustrated, and Brianna had made it clear she didn't want him touching her anymore, while Isabela was making it equally clear that she did. So he'd followed her up to her room.
Though the experience had been enjoyable enough, he'd realized shortly after he'd spent himself in her arms that though it had been pleasant, even his climax with Isabela had paled in comparison to that incredibly, unbelievably fiery and passionate kiss he'd shared with Brianna in the street. He didn't understand why his desire was so much more pronounced with Brianna, or why her smell was so much more intoxicating to him than Isabela's spicy, exotic scent, but now that his shifter metabolism had burned through the alcohol and sobered him up, he decided he didn't want to give up on trying with Brianna just yet. He would simply have to find out what had made her flee from him, and if she would be willing to give him another chance.
With that in mind, he'd taken his leave of Isabela, and she'd followed him down to the bottom of the stairs in the main room of the tavern to say goodbye. "Thank you, but no," he told Isabela with a smile. "I should really be going now."
Isabela shrugged. "Suit yourself," she told him. "You know where to find me if you want a repeat performance." So saying, she gave him a quick kiss before she headed up the stairs.
Mardin turned to go towards the door, only to see Brianna just inside of it, staring at him. "Brianna, I -"
"Don't even bother," she said coldly, slamming the door of the tavern behind her as she fled from him again.
Mardin let out a series of inventive curses for the second time that night, slamming his fist against the wall of the stairs, which caused a crack to run up the plaster. Judging by the hurt he'd seen buried beneath the anger in her eyes, he'd likely just ruined any chance he'd had of convincing her to try again.