Chapter 11 – Farewell
The ship anchored at the small harbour outside of Kirkwall looked almost picturesque, white seals taken in as it bobbed lazily with the waves. The familiar sight of the figurehead made Aífe linger for a moment to just look at it – the ebony woman carved into the prow of the ship had her jaw lifted defiantly, fingers tight around the sabre she carried. Some of the paint colouring her dress a watery green had peeled off, revealing the dark wood underneath. The eyes were still a fierce blue, dark as the midnight sea.
The boy in her arms turned to crane his neck, bumping his head against her jaw and she flexed it tenderly, happy to be so close to their destination. A few more minutes and he would manage to break her jaw with all the squirming and wiggling he did to take in everything without losing sight of his friends and specifically Nelaros.
She adjusted her grip on the small elf, shifting his weight so she could balance it mostly on her hip rather than her fast tiring arms. He had assured her – using his fingers for demonstration – that he was only five years old. She was pretty sure he was at least seven, even though he was small and skinny.
"We are almost there, Karis", she told him and managed to evade a collision of their heads this time as he turned to gaze at her. He looked at her earnestly, vibrant green eyes wide open as he listened carefully. Since she had fished him out of the water and he had been able to sleep through the night without so much as waking once, he had barely strayed more than a few feet from her. "Perhaps you would like to walk the last bit yourself? We just need to follow the path down to the ship, see? A few hundred meters, not more."
His arms around her neck tightened and he shook his head decisively. She had not expected that he would, but there had been the faint traces of hope. Repressing a sigh, she looked over her shoulder at the others.
Nelaros had stopped a few steps behind her, holding the hand of a small elvish girl that could very well have been a pixie with her white-blond hair and the big sky-blue eyes. Aífe shot him a baleful look, wondering how he had managed to talk her into walking on her own, before her gaze drifted further to Alistair. Ever since they started off from the cave they had spent the night in, he had carried one or another of the children. They quickly got tired walking along the stony path and they had had to take breaks every now and again. "Almost there", she told them and Alistair nodded with the trace of a smile.
How the man managed to look as though he had been carrying no more than a bouquet of tulips all day was beyond her. Having slept little and still feeling the strain from the fight, she felt like dropping then and there and curl into a tight ball to sleep until sometime next week. Or perhaps till summer. That would be nice.
Just then Grimm returned from the scouting trip she had sent him on, tongue lolling as he looked at her, ears perked up and cocking his head to the side. "Did you find somebody hiding?", she asked him and cocked the head the other way. He was relaxed and unconcerned and she nodded. "No surprises down there? Archers?", she asked one more time and he yawned demonstratively. "Alright. Go on, you can make sure Mikal is expecting us, then." The Mabari jumped around her excitedly and barked, then he took off in a run down the slope.
As they made their way down, she could spot several people on deck of the ship, while a few were on the beach close by or the wooden baulk next to the ship. When they were almost there, she could already spot the tall, lean form of Mikal as he walked towards them, arms outstretched.
"There you are, my dove!", he greeted her, flashing her a brilliant smile. "I had thought you would let me sit here like a chicken!" His accent made the words sound much more exotic, even though it was barely the only remarkable thing about him. She was pretty sure he had gotten yet another piercing, as she looked him over. His right ear was all but gleaming in the sunlight with all the silver rings and he had added a golden one piercing his left eyebrow. It only served to draw more attention to the dark, abstract patterns tattooed on that side of his face.
"A sitting duck, Mikal, not a sitting chicken", she corrected him and chuckled when he shrugged it off. "Hello to you, too, though. It is good to see you, I was afraid there might be a delay." She bent down, carefully setting down the child in her arms. It took a moment, before he finally let go off her neck, albeit one of his hands was now grasping her belt, as though she would disappear any moment if he didn't hold on tight.
Crouching down, she put a hand on his shoulder and pointed at the man standing in front of them. "This is Mikal, he is the captain of that ship. He is a friend of mine", she explained and Mikal winked at the boy, before averting his gaze to look at the others filing in after her.
"My, my, Nelaros! You look much healthier and less arrow-pierced than the last time we met." When the captain spotted Alistair, he nodded with an easy grin, looking back at Aífe. "I approve. I have long since told you to add a little muscle to your merry group of crazy."
Aífe decided it best not to turn around and look at Alistair, but found it hard to scowl at Mikal as he marched past her. Strands of his teal-black hair had loosened from the pony-tail he had pulled it into, now dancing in the soft breeze. "I am Mikal of Rivain", he said, introducing himself, "Captain extraordinaire and a prodigy of the sea. At your service." He ended with a perfect bow, tipping an imaginary hat at the warrior, before extending his hand towards him.
"And so modest", Aífe added with an eye-roll, turning to look at him. "Be that as it may, I want to stress that I disapprove of the word crazy. I explained it to you, it's behaviourally experimental." Shifting her glance towards Alistair, she smiled apologetically, because he seemed a bit confused as he sat the boy he had been carrying down.
"Uhm…", he muttered and grasped the offered hand to shake it. "I am Alistair. I am also not quite sure what we are talking about." He did not seem to be offended, though, so that Aífe allowed herself to look back at Mikal, who had slapped Nelaros on the back in a greeting and now walked back towards her. He had gotten even more tanned, if possible, his skin looking bronzed in the bright sunlight.
"Oh, but the lady never talks about that part", he said and winked at Alistair. "You see, she likes to keep these things to herself and then whoosh. You're hers. Now, now, no reason to slap me, my sweet!" He masterfully evaded her hand and came to stand just out of reach. She considered her chances to pinch him just a bit if she moved fast enough, but abandoned the idea in favour of once again looking at Alistair and shrugging her shoulder helplessly.
"Do not listen to him, half the time he talks just to hear his own voice. I promise there was no hidden meaning about anything I said!", she assured him and was well aware of the deep sigh Mikal uttered. "Always so stern. Can you not play along for once? I am pretty sure the lad will not faint at such an idea, he seems battle-hardened. He has probably experienced worse things than you. Such as blizzards or dragons", he said just behind her, eyes twinkling.
"Thank you very much", she said dryly, casting him a withering glance over her shoulder. "Only you have such a way with words. You make me feel like the next Archdemon rising." "She has not even damaged him yet", Nelaros chuckled quietly and she shot him a look. Traitor.
"Except for when she knocked me over – and perhaps when I got shot by an arrow", Alistair supplied helpfully. There was a good natured smile pulling at the corners of his mouth as he looked at her. Surprised that he had joined in, she stared at him for a moment – and then switched to a well-practiced scowl.
"Band all together, will you? I knew it well enough already yesterday. Mutiny", she murmured and demonstratively turned her back on them, winking at the boy, who was giggling, hand still curled around her belt.
"Now, do not pout, my little orange." Mikal slid up next to her, throwing an arm around her shoulders and pulling her closer. She crinkled her nose as she turned to look at him, one eyebrow raised. "Orange?", she questioned and he looked thoughtful. "Peach?" She raised the second eyebrow. "Nectarine? I swear it sounds much more alluring in my language", he assured her.
"To be sure." As she looked up at him, she noticed the concern in his dark brown eyes. The grin on his lips was genuine, but she knew already what he would ask of her once they had settled down to talk. "As long as you do not call me a natural disaster again." He laughed and finally let go of her, looking past her and the men. "Where is Wilder? I cannot see him", he asked and she shook her head. "I made him stay in a village further away. Kirkwall is notorious for its apostates and the Templar order reigning here. I did not want to risk him getting too close to them, he has never had to fight a Templar and I would like to keep it that way", she explained. Mikal seemed rather surprised by that. "He stayed back willingly?", he wanted to know and she pressed her lips together, looking away. "Not exactly, we had a fight and I was rather harsh to him. He is very mad at me, but it was necessary." The look on the captain's face very much looked like exasperation, but then he turned to Nelaros and Alistair. "Come now, my friends! I took the liberty to have the cook prepare a warm meal and have already prepared the beds for the children and all else you asked of me. Now, the cook is unfortunately Ferelden and so, by extension, is the food – but at least so far we have all survived on it." Gesturing towards the ship, he lead the way and only now Aífe noticed that he wore no boots and walked barefoot.
She loosened Karis hand from her belt and instead took it in her own, following him quickly. Grimm came bounding towards them in a full-out ran, all lack of sleep and rest completely forgotten. He barked excitedly as he drew circles around them, sand splashing around his feet as he changed direction every then and again. Aífe knew he would probably have a blessed sleep this night.
"Is this the ship you told us about?", Karis asked so quietly that she almost missed it and she squeezed his hand reassuringly. "Yes, it is. Mikal will bring you home on this ship, back to Ferelden, to Highever. My brother, the Teyrn, will welcome you and help you find your family there", she repeated what she had already told them all several times. The boy nodded and then looked up at her. "Is he a pirate? My Mom says that pirates have big ships and dark skin and many rings in their ears." Looking ahead at Mikal's tall form as he walked onto the ship over a plank, she wondered whether he was one. "No, he is a merchant and a friend. You do not need to be afraid, I promise." However, apparently she had misjudged the true intent behind that question, because the boy looked rather disappointed.
After they had led the children on board and Mikal's cook had personally started to look after them, showing them the big room they would share and chastising every crew-mate in sight that so much as made one of them flinch, Mikal led them to his cabin. A few things had changed since she last had been here – a map hanging next to his bed, a few more books and scrolls and a generally more crowded feeling. He sat down on the bed, leaving the two chairs and the little stool to them, albeit he did pat the spot next to him and grinned invitingly at Aífe.
Removing her weapon belt, she settled down on the stool with a sigh and stretched out her legs, ignoring his invitation completely. "In your message you talked about 13 children, but you brought only 6", Mikal said without the pretence of subtlety. She bit her lips and could feel her stomach turn at the thought. She knew well enough. It had been in her mind every single moment since she had watched the ship sail off.
"There was a problem", Nelaros said when she remained silent and instead of sitting down, he came to stand behind her. She felt his hand on her shoulder, giving it a tight squeeze. "By the time we had arrived at the slaver's hideout, they had already started to move the children to ship them off. We could not get to the others." Pressing her eyes closed, she pinched the bridge of her nose. One day earlier and they could have saved them all. Even a few hours would have sufficed. Had she not insisted on waiting for the dark, the plan would not have failed.
"Have you heard of the Reina del Océano?", she asked when she finally opened her eyes again, forcing herself to remain practical. "Nelaros saw the name written on the ship's side. The men spoke Antivan, albeit I cannot tell you much more than that and I only understood fragments of sentences – something about a master and a ship. Some elves, some humans, some with tattoos, some without. There was no pattern I could deduce." Nelaros still stood behind her, hand on her shoulder, and Grimm sat down between her legs, resting his big head on her thigh. She was grateful for their presence. She could hear Alistair settle down on a chair, movements slow as if he did not want to disturb them with the clattering of his armour.
"I am sorry", Mikal said, but did not look away. "Hmm… I am not sure, I could ask the boys, but I am afraid the name alone will tell us little. Was it a barque? A brig? Perhaps a caravel? A galley? A schooner?" He stopped his already rather doubtful guesses at the increasingly confused look on Aífe's face that she knew must become evident. "You do not know what the difference between any of those is, do you?", he asked rather bluntly and did not even wait for her to shake her head, instead he rolled his eyes and raised his arms in defiance.
"ᴉIncreíble!", he murmured and shook his head. "You live at one of the biggest ports in Ferelden!", he said and sounded rather accusing. She sheepishly scratched her neck and cleared her throat, trying her best to look remorseful. Truth be told, she could only tell stern and bow of a ship apart, because her father had insisted on drilling at least the basic nautical terms into her head. Everything beyond those basic terms was over her head.
"I think it was a caravel, a small one. It did not look much like a transport ship", Alistair said then and Aífe turned to him in surprise. He looked at her and shrugged, rubbing his neck with an embarrassed smile. "I spent some time around harbours when I was small. Used to bug the captains for stories and sometimes they'd show me the ship", he explained. "It is only a guess, though, I've only ever seen a caravel once and that was up close back then, not out on the sea."
"Guess or not, it gives me something to work with. I will talk to the guys and keep my ears open, if I get any clues, I will let you know", Mikal assured, but paused, eyeing her carefully. "If you are so sweet as to tell me your next destination that is, my sweet. The last time you simply vanished from the surface of the earth. Do you know what your brother does to me, every time I return without any news from you? He gives me the sad eyes. Have you ever seen his sad eyes?" She gave him a blank look, unsure whether to slap him upside the head or apologize. She decided for a middle-way. "Yes, I have, he is my brother", she said, "It was not done out of malice, it was-"
"Necessary", Mikal ended the sentence for her. "It is always necessary with you." Grimm lifted his head from her thigh and looked at Mikal, barking at him and giving him something that bore remarkable resemblance to a stink eye. "We sent a letter soon after", Nelaros stepped in to defend her. "Sometimes much time goes by until the letters arrive in Highever." She almost laughed at the look Mikal gave both the hound and the elf.
"Alright, alright, calm down", he said and got up. "You will keep this one, no?", he then asked her and nodded towards Alistair. "I like him. He knows what's important and also when to keep quiet. Plus, he's easy on the eye." Of course Mikal would eventually return to that kind of topic. Aífe put her head in her hand and patted Grimm with the other one. Good thing poor Alistair did not already believe her mentally unstable. Oh, wait. She had probably given him enough reason to by now. She groaned.
"Thank you. I think", Alistair said with hesitation. "However, my contract ends today. I will be off after." She glanced at him from between her fingers and noted that he had tensed again, albeit not as much as before. There was merit to Mikal's words – Alistair had proven a good addition to the team. She and Grimm were the only close-range fighters at the moment and while she was fast and could quickly remove opponents from the fight, she simply lacked the strength and build to engage fully armoured men to draw their attention from the others. Grimm, while strong and determined and quite skilled, had no protection besides his reflexes. Another point in Alistair's favour was that he was Fereldan after all and seemed trustworthy to her, if a tad suspicious. But who was she to judge? Looking away again, she pushed the thought aside. There was more danger ahead and she could not simply recruit a stranger that had little cause to help. She did not have the funding and much less the will to endanger yet another person. After they left the ship, she would pay him and he would leave and that was for the best.
Mikal hummed as he regarded Alistair for a while and then looked back at Aífe. "Too bad, I had hoped to give Fergus good news. I know the answer already, my dove, but I will still ask. Will you return to Highever with me?" She could not help but fidget on her stool and once again Nelaros squeezed her shoulder reassuringly. "Whatever you wish, my lady", he said very quietly, although she knew he did not cherish the idea.
"I am sorry, Mikal, I cannot. We are not done yet, especially not after tonight." He did not seem surprised at all and had probably known the answer anyway – it had been the same since the first time he had asked her over a year ago. Nelaros breathed an almost inaudible sigh of relief and she felt a smile tug on her lips. Not yet, but at some point they would be able to.
"I have written a letter for Fergus. Some of it I only wrote yesterday night and I did not have much light, so it is probably not easy to read", she said, quickly changing topic. Opening the pack she had carried with her, she pulled forth a few sheets of paper, by now rather wrinkled. She straightened them carefully and handed them to Mikal, who took them and immediately got up to put them in a drawer of his desk. He also took out a sealed envelope. "I will give them to him. He also has sent a letter for you." He handed her the envelope and she immediately recognized the Cousland seal on the wax closing the envelope. The paper felt rough under her fingers and she looked at it for a moment, longing to open it immediately and read the lines. It had been a while since she had gotten news from him. Instead she packed it away and closed the pack, pushing it behind her stool with one leg.
"Also, because I value you deeply and especially in cases where you get to stab people we do not like in vital organs, a little present. From me to you, with utmost love and a tad relief that it is out of my hands now", Mikal said and she looked up in surprise, just in time to see a huge smile light up his face.
She tentatively took the vial he was handing her and held it up against the light to look at it more closely. It contained a fine white powder that had been meticulously grinded for quite some time by the looks of it. She was not absolutely sure, but it did not look like any of her usual ingredients. Ripping her attention from the powder, she saw Mikal grin like the cat that swallowed the canary. "A poison from the far shores of Seheron, or so I am told, it is an extract from the Death Nut. I was told even low amounts can paralyze and higher doses stop lungs and heart", he explained proudly and she could not help the smile that formed on her lips.
Without bothering with a reply she got up and hugged him close. He squeezed her briefly and leaned back to wink at her. "I even made sure I got the proper recipe with it this time, since you scolded me quite badly for my last present." With that he produced a sheet of paper from his desk and handed it to her. "I did not scold you", Aífe defended herself, taking it and looking over it briefly. Sounded easy enough, although she would have to be extremely careful when handling the powder. "I just told you that a poison without knowledge is suicide. Thank you, Mikal. I do appreciate it!"
As she turned to walk back to the stool, she saw that Alistair seemed a tiny bit dubious. Well, dubious might be an understatement. He looked as though he was praying to the Maker. Nelaros seemed unfazed by the exchange, but then, he had witnessed the like and worse. "Relax", she told them and quickly stashed the present away. "I know how to handle these kinds of substances." Somehow, Alistair seemed rather more concerned than less so.
He was saved from more of her explanations by a knock at the door. The crewmate entered and told them that the children were already eating and then led them to the mess. Aífe recognized him as a Ferelden refugee Mikal had picked up in Starkhaven quite a few months ago and offered him a smile, asking about his young wife and life on board. They ate together with the children. It was easy to forget the time with Mikal – he spoke of his journey and the storm they had endured just two days ago, of Highever and the changes within the city and many more things. At the end he chose the story of a notorious pirate and the treasure he had buried somewhere on an island in the Waking Sea. They left the mess and the children with some difficulty – Nelaros had to explain them yet again why they had to go alone, how long it would take and that they would be safe. Only then they could return to Mikal's cabin for a glass of wine and some stories he had heard about unrests in Orlais and at Ferelden's border.
When Aífe looked out of the small window, she noticed with some trepidation that it had already gotten dark. She got to her feet and tapped Grimm's nose lightly, making him get up as well. "I think we need to leave now, before the turn of the tide. You should leave now, there might be people looking for the children." Mikal sighed and got up as well, opening the door for her. "I guess there is no way to convince you to stay the night and rest?", he asked and looked from her to the others.
She stopped in her tracks and turned so abruptly that Alistair almost crashed into her. Reflexively lifting her hand, she felt it connect with his chest before she really registered her own movement. He looked down at her in puzzlement, raising an eyebrow. "Actually, it just occurred to me… Alistair, would you like to return to Ferelden?", she asked and his second eyebrow shot up as well. He took a step away from her, brows furrowing as he regarded her for a moment. "My brother is always in need of good soldiers, you would be more than welcome in Highever", she told him and cocked her head to the side, when he shifted his gaze away from her and shook his head. "If the soldier-life does not suit you, there are many other positions. We always need farmers, workers as well as merchants. Everybody is welcome." When he looked at her again, she almost took a step back herself. There was intensity in his whiskey-coloured eyes that ingrained every word he said into her memory. "There is no place for me in Ferelden. Thank you for your offer, though. It was kind." He motioned towards the door, suddenly impatient. "We should leave."
She was at a loss for words for a moment – something that rarely ever happened – but she quickly recovered and nodded, following Mikal out of the cabin and up the stairs. "As you wish. Should you ever change your mind and find yourself in need of work, just contact my brother and tell him I sent you. He will help", she said, unwilling to let it go so easily. Many people had fled Ferelden during the Blight – less so from Highever than from Gwaren and the southern Bannorns, but still… with both the refugees and the men and women lost during the war, everyone could be of use. Especially a young and vital man such as Alistair.
As they had left the ship, Mikal stood before them and sighed deeply. "I wish you would for once stay longer than just a moment, my dove. Life is boring without you." She chuckled and shrugged. "And here I thought you would appreciate a reprieve from all the damp forests and stinking camps", she teased. "Ah, I'd endure it for the sake of your presence, my dear." He hugged her, his hands rubbing over her back in a soothing motion. "Until we meet again, Aífe."
Then he turned to Nelaros, shaking his hand accompanied with a slap on the back – would they never stop doing that? – and also wished Alistair good-bye. Lastly, he dropped to one knee and patted Grimm affectionately. "Look after them, will you? They always get into trouble." The Mabari barked and licked over Mikal's face, before the captain got up and looked at them for a while. Then he bowed to them and returned to the ship, already shouting commands.
Aífe felt her stomach tie into a knot as she looked at the ship for a moment, a brief feeling that was treacherously close to yearning manifesting itself. She quickly turned away, heading back towards the path they had come from. Pulling a little bag from a pocket in her belt, she opened it and removed the coins within, counting the silver she owed Alistair. Then she quietly handed it to him with a smile. "Thank you, you have been of great help", she said and knew how lame it sounded. "I really meant what I said. Should you ever care to return to Ferelden, Fergus will help you. Either way, I would suggest you do not stay in Kirkwall. It is not a very good place to live in."
Nelaros drew up alongside them, standing close to her. "Aífe…", he said and she almost flinched. She knew what he wanted to say and she had thought about it a hundred times during the night already. Alistair would make a fine addition to their team and it would certainly solve some of her problems – especially those that consisted of gigantic men wielding mauls of doom. The Templar training he had also could come in handy. Worrying her lower lip, she regarded him. Yes, he would be a good addition, but the prize was too high.
She could not afford to pay him during all their travelling, not if she needed the coins for bribes and information. Moreover – and that was her bigger concern – it was not exactly an occupation that could be considered healthy. Nelaros had come because of loyalty and personal reasons. Grimm had come because he would not let her leave alone to the point of swimming after the ship rather than staying behind. Alistair, however, did not seem very keen on their company and she understood him. The last two days had shown how wrong things could go.
Alistair put away the coins without even counting them, further proving to her that he truly had never really cared about the money, whatever he himself said. "You are welcome", he said, a bit gruffly and then shook his head again, but did not answer her. Instead, he just watched her awkwardly and she had the impression that he wanted to say something. But then he pressed his lips closed and nodded again, extending his hand towards her. "I am glad I could help and I wish you all the best for your future. I really do. Stay safe and good luck", he wished her and she shook his hand. There it was again. The stone settling in her guts.
He shook Nelaros' hand and patted Grimm and then, with a wave, split ways with them, heading back towards the city. She watched him for quite a while, and wondered... No, it was for the best. When he vanished behind a rock-formation, she sighed and rubbed a hand over her eyes. Well, too late now in any case.
"We will pick up the blankets and packs from the cave and then return to the house at the docks", she told Nelaros and started walking. "Tomorrow morning we leave the city and move to a smaller village. I do not want to risk anybody finding us." The elf walked beside her, still looking at the rock formation. "Are you sure it was the right decision?", he asked quietly. "No, not really. However, it was the most sensible one at this time. Who knows where we have to go next? I do not want to bring even more people into this." He nodded, but she knew him well enough to interpret the slight frown as disagreement. "He is the best fighter you have hired in a while and his abilities against mages would be more than welcome should we have to face another Tevinter magister. It would also mean you do not have to step between us and enemies", he said and she didn't even turn to look at him. "I know. It would also mean yet another person that risks his life and he has little reason to. Let us just leave it at that, Nelaros, I am tired."
"As you wish, my lady." She cringed at those words, knowing full well that the only reason he did not pursue the topic was that even after all this time he still could not stop seeing her as the Teyrn's daughter. Too exhausted to argue, she kept her mouth shut, though, and except for a bit of mindless banter they spoke almost nothing on their way to the cave and further on to the city.
It had turned dark by the time they arrived in Lowtown and Grimm walked close at her side, yawning every once and again. Aífe lifted her right arm and rolled her shoulder softly, willing the tension to fade. She did not like Kirkwall, she decided once again as they walked and she looked at all the grey walls and red banners blowing in the wind. It looked dreadful and bleary. Grey in grey, as though the whole city was in some way between life and death, but neither here nor there. Looking up at the tall houses all around, she crinkled her nose in thought. Probably closer to death than life.
"Look out!"
Her hand was on her fighting dagger before she fully registered that she knew the voice. She turned, her gaze jumping from corner to corner, but all she saw were shadows. Grimm pushed past her, ears perked as he looked towards the stairs. She followed his look, heart in her mouth.
Alistair in a full-out run. He had shield and sword drawn.
"Quick!"
She drew the dagger and turned, eyes scanning hurriedly, but unseeing. She heard nothing, only her heart hammering in her chest. Adrenaline was rushing into her blood as she turned again, shifting desperately.
The shadows sprung to life and she barely dodged the blade aiming for her throat.
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Author's Note:
Whoa. I mean... whoa. This chapter seriously turned out way longer than I thought it would. I guess it is Mikal's fault, because I really wanted to give him a few moments and introduce him properly, because he's such a little cutie-pie. AND TOTALLY NOT A PIRATE. Nooooo. No pirates here, Sers! In case you wonder, I decided that Rivaini speak Spanish. Why? Because Rivain seems to be modeled after Spain. I know that Antiva actually has the Spanish language already claimed for itself, but figured it's only three words anyhow and since there is no official hint, I will go with what makes sense in my head. _ (Might not make sense in any other head)
I am not completely satisfied with this chapter, I have to say. It is way longer than I had aimed for and somehow, I felt like I might babble to much and say too little. I hope that I did not bore you and that the explanations actually worked. =) Let me know what you think of this chapter, I hope you could enjoy at least in some way. And of course... THANK YOU EMMA. I asked about a hundred questions, which you patiently answered and assured me that this is not total crap. X'D So thank you for that. =) Thank you also to you guys who favoured this story or put it on alert, I really, really appreciate it - and last but not least, thanks for the lovely reviews, alyssacousland, Graymalkyn, EkoCentric and reality deviant.
On a sidenote. MWAHAHAAH. CLIFFHANGER.
I'm sorry. (Only not very, because I had planned this for ages and I quite like what's coming in chapter 12 in a crazy-author-kinda-way.)
Anyhow, let me know what you think - I am as always open for constructive critique, suggestions, questions and warning if my character starts to become out of character (although, admittedly, the game doesn't give us much to go on for Nelaros and Alistair will turn less grumpy, I promise).
EDIT:
A big thank you to a friend of mine and Graymalkyn for helping me with the bits of Spanish in here, the ships name was changed to "Reina del Océano", which should mean "Ocean Queen". Also, as another note on the language thing - the ship-name is Antivan and thereby Spanish, since we have that language confirmed for Antiva, at least. =) As mentioned above, Mikal as Rivaini speaking Spanish has no 100% proof in the codex-entries, as all we know is that there are strong influences of Spain for Rivain, but perhaps also African influences for the tattoos/piercings/skin color in a way. I still decided to go with Spanish, because I always interpreted Thedas to be "European" in terms of cultures and languages, plus, I have not the slightest clue about African languages, save perhaps for what is spoken in Johannesburg, as that sounds a tiny bit German. To keep this short, the choice of language is my interpretation, but I would be very glad to discuss it and listen to any other suggestions/interpretations, if anybody has found hints in the codex/lore. :) */end of babbling*