A/N: The beginning of this is actually the only time I want to focus on Isabela. I'm not a fan of her so I'm still not sure what will happen to her through this story, but I'll figure it out soon enough. Also, I will try not to write too much fluff; I, personally, like to get to the good bits quickly. There should be some plot happening around chapter four or so. Sorry, still no smut for a while. Please be patient!

How could I have done it again? Isabela argued with herself once more. That ass-hole. To think he handed me over to the Arishok! Hawke, if I never see you again, it will be too soon.

Once she arrived on land after a month at sea, she had lost the damned relic again. The Qunari had imprisoned her on their ship headed to Par Vollen. After managing to steal it away and escape, Isabela had been rescued by a trader's ship and taken inland. She managed to keep the tome in her sights for a day, maybe two, and then it was gone. Now the promiscuous pirate was frantic, searching the town high and low for the artifact she'd risked her life for so many times.

Pouting, Isabela sat on the dingy, unmade bed retracing her steps in her mind. She brought one leg up over the other and crossed her arms under her jutting breasts making her cleavage more notable. Where could that old thing have wondered off to?

"Vashedan!" The Arishok's yells had become a low roar within the ship. Another ship searched and nothing yet found. Katara, Basra!

His rage had never seemed so ferocious as it had the moment he found that she had escaped with their relic once more. To say he resembled an atashi would've been an understatement at best. In his anger, he hadn't managed to control punching a hole through the wall of his cabin. The Qunari on board had been ordered to stop and search any ship seen. Three had been searched and still there was no sign of her.

Glancing at the patch job the Gena had done, the Arishok blinked in shame. He had lost control. All the pent up anger would be unleashed on this female once he found her. He stood, the low ceilings barely accommodating. The Arishok had been forced to sail in this "tiny" ship and it itched at his nerves. He had managed to escape Kirkwall and was hopeful to return home, but the presence of humans seemed to be like an unrelenting disease.

Docking in Rivain seemed to be the only option. At least their kind were accepted there. It would be far more bearable than Kirkwall ever was. He would send out Beresaad to search for her in Dairsmuid. Once he found the relic and killed the woman who caused all this, he would take his army and travel North to Kont-aar and request a ship to Par Vollen.

The Arishok made his way to the deck. "We dock at Dairsmuid!"

"Damn, it's hot this season," said a raven-haired girl as she watched the dust cloud with her ever step. She deliberately made heavy steps as entertainment.

"Yeah, but I think it'll rain soon. Hopefully it will cool down. Look, Gwen! Dairmuid probably isn't much farther!" Another girl with lengthy chocolate hair tried to cheer her companion up. The two had been traveling for a week and their destination was finally in sight.

"You're still sure your mother didn't give any hint as to why we're here? I mean, how are we supposed to do whatever it is if we don't know what to look for?" She stopped to shake a pebble from her sandal.

"Quite. She only told me that I needed to go to Dairsmuid. I haven't even had any dreams lately that would give any clue. It's strange. I'm glad you decided to come with me, though," she stopped to bounce her pack back into a comfortable position.

"Well, it's not like I could just let my best friend travel on her own. Besides, do you know how many handsome men there are in Dairsmuid? With all the ships that come through, there's plenty of foreign men."

"I thought you had a thing for elves?"

"Oh, Sis, I'm over that. Good muscular men are the way to go!"

"Just let me know when you decide to go to Kont-aar because it's changed to Qunari," she joked.

"Nah, the horns are a bit much for me. Although, atypical Qunari are quite cute."

Laughing, she stopped, straightened her back, and took a deep breath. "The air sure is different here. Maybe we should stop for a while and eat something before we go the rest of the way."

"Sounds good to me."

They had managed to catch two caravans on their journey from Ayesleigh, but had been walking for two days straight. Sicilia was the daughter of a seer. Her mother had told her to go to Dairsmuid. Knowing her mother's prophecies to be no joke, she quickly packed and headed out with her best friend, Gwen. Gwen's father was from Antiva, but had moved to Rivain after Gwen's mother died twelve years ago.

Sicilia had dreams; apparently, some of her mother's abilities had been passed on to her. Their life had been fairly well-off. Her mother made good coin as a seer while Sicilia, Sis for short, made her living selling her hand-made potions and doing petty side jobs for local mercenaries. She had a knack for stealth and she knew how to wield a couple of daggers as well as she could make a simple poison. Many people had been sorry to see her go.

The two girl's sat by a tree near the road while they ate the rest of the bread Sicilia's mother had packed for them the morning they left. Gwen's father had made sure that they had enough money for their first week's stay at whatever inn they decided. Sicilia brought along plenty to buy food for their first few days, but they would soon have to find jobs to keep them going. Sis tended to do fairly well selling her potions, but Gwen was another story. It was hard to find a job for someone whose only good trait was looking as men's backsides.

"Any word about your brother lately? I never asked before we left how he was doing," Gwen asked laying her head against a tree root.

"He's not my brother anymore, Gwen, but he's fine I'm sure. We knew when he decided to convert that it would be like this. It was his decision and I'm glad he found something that means so much to him."

"Yeah, but I know you miss him. Xander and you were always pretty close."

"I told you he's not Xander anymore. He's Ashaad."

"That's his rank not his name."

"He doesn't need a name now; Ashaad is his rank and it's-"

"Who he is, I know," Gwen finished. They'd had this conversation twice before and it always ended the same. She just never understood how Sis could just let her brother go like that. She was sure she missed him. "Does he never write?"

"He's written once to tell us his role and to ask a question, how we were doing. At the time, it was really hard for me, but I guess he knew the question I wanted to ask because he also wrote this: Shok ebasit hissra. Meraad astaarit, meraad itwasit, aban aqun. Maraas shokra. Anaan esaam Qun. It means, 'Struggle is an illusion. The tide rises, the tide falls, but the sea is changeless. There is nothing to struggle against. Victory is in the Qun.'"

Gwen hesitated, "I don't get it."

"For me, it means that things are the way they are supposed to be. There's nothing to worry about or question. Asit tel-eb. It is to be," she leaned back against the tree and stared at Rialto Bay. A ship could be seen coming into port.

"If you understand all those riddles, why didn't you convert?"

"I think if it's my place, I'll end up there when the time is right."

"I swear, your family and all this humbo-jumbo go hand-in-hand. Oh, you mentioned you wanted to scout the area before we get into town for stuff to make your potions, right?"

"Yeah, you want to stay here while I go look around?" she asked as she pulled a small leather roll from her pack. This held all her tools, including ones she had to use to collect more lethal herbs. She grabbed her daggers just in case.

"Sure."

"Just don't fall asleep and let our packs get stolen, alright?"

"Yeah, yeah, I got it!"

A/N:

Vashedan - "Shit or trash."

Katara - "(You) Die."

Bas/Basra - "Thing." Used to refer to a non-Qunari.

Atashi - "Dragon."

Gena - a Qunari craftsman.

Kont-aar - the Qunari settlement in Northern Rivain.

Atypical Qunari - a Qunari born without horns. Sten, from Dragon Age: Origins, was an atypical Qunari; they have the face of a human.

Thanks to my Beta!