Carver was a man to appreciate his freedom. After a year of working for someone else's benefit, he was pleased to leave the mercenaries behind and just be himself. With any luck he could keep Bethany out of too much trouble- at least aside from the Warden mage in Darktown. Bethany seemed rather too eager to get in trouble with him. Not that the new arrival Anders seemed a bad person, with his cat and his clinic, but the man practically screamed of a plant from their elder sister. He didn't deny it either: a Warden, with the local maps, so coincidentally nearby? Marian's doing.

Which is precisely why Carver hated admitting the information and aide was welcome. Bethany had even started learning some healing spells from him, when possible. Maybe now she could do so more commonly. After all, she hadn't had sufficient training since father died. Not to mention it was humorous to watch both the mages be so uncomfortable! Carver snickered, heading to the Lowtown dive The Hanged Man. Varric should have some information on their possible financier for the expedition at least.

The dwarf, however, was not what caught his eye on entering the bar. It was a dark-skinned Rivaini woman beating up thugs. Carver found himself watching, stars in his eyes as she twisted and turned around until she got her way.

Beautiful.

The fight over, Carver approached, sidling up to the bar for his mug of barely drinkable ale. The woman smiled at him, brilliantly. "My. And here I was starting to thought the only men in this place were besotted fools who couldn't hoist the mainsail."

Carver leaned against the bar, still glaring at her. "Hoist the mainsail?"

"Yes. You know. Ship activity. Requires strength, knowledge of rigging. Maybe a small measure of sobriety."

Carver fought not to blush. The year had hardened him, but not by THAT much. "I, ah, don't know much about rigging. Or ships really. Though I am told I am...good with my hands. Perhaps you could show me?" He returned her smile, taking a drink from his mug. Maker was it bad today.

"Oh my." The woman seemed lost in thought a second. "You remind me of a lovely morsel I met in Denerim several months back. Pretty thing, she was."

Carver groaned. "Was she called Marian, by any chance?"

"I didn't rightly get her name. Seemed in a rush, and particularly uninterested in...fun. My name is Isabella." She looked over Carver and his company, we'd moving to the blonde mage. "Though he looks familiar."

"Denerim?" Ander's asked, face flushing. "I, err, might have..."

"You were the runaway mage who could do that thing with electricity!" Isabella practically squeeled, and Anders colored brightly as he turned to Bethany- now slack jawed. "That was...lovely."

Carver looked at his companion in a slightly new light. "Runaway mage?" he whispered.

"Yes well before being conscripted I may have run away from the Circle a time or two. Or ten. Who's counting really? You know what? I could use a drink."

Carver turned back to Isabella. She was a force of nature. Pretty. And fun. He asked her very little after the, content to drink with her a bit before agreeing to help her later. It felt natural for her blades to partner with his, and he knew just how much he needed her in his company from that first moment on.

Meeting the little Dalish slip of an elf was different. As they came up behind her, Carver felt drawn to her presence immediately. Even in her ramblings, one thought surfaced: sweet. She was cute, and naive, and everything Carver knew he wasn't. More like Bethany, but with less comprehension of the real world. Carver wished he wasn't drawn to the elf. It made him feel like he would dirty her.

Isabella had no such qualms, almost immediately leaning on the girl, calling her names like Kitten. Carver felt jealous. Or would have, if Bella wasn't just as forward with him.

It took one week before the pirate was in his bed. Happily, he would add. It was a nice...arrangement. Thankfully nobody else noticed, or if they did nobody cared.

So Carver started getting into a comfortable routine. Isabella and he would be in the front, him guiding the damage while she dealt it. In the back Merrill would add with her spell-craft while either Anders or Bethy healed as needed. It was a good rhythm, and a comfortable one they all appreciated.

Carver had to admit he liked the up-and-coming hero business.