After packing up the herbs she had gathered, the two headed towards town hoping to be there by nightfall. A salty breeze blew in from the West. Sicilia gazed at the setting sun as it cast a pink and tangerine color across the sky. Her feet, though she wore her most comfortable boots, ached to stop. Her gut told her that something was coming. Though her mother hadn't mentioned anything, she knew the look on her mother's face. It was solemn. Whether this meant good or bad things, she didn't know. Her mother's face had also been this way when Xander left for Kont-aar.

Sis hoped that tonight would bring dreams of what was to come. Maybe then she would have some idea as to where to turn next. To wander without purpose wasn't something she enjoyed. Right now, her purpose was to get into Dairsmuid and find a place to stay. Tomorrow she would try to spread word about her potions to make coin. Maybe she could also find additional work.

The herbs she had gathered would be sufficient for basic potions and poisons until she had the opportunity to venture into the mountains. Maybe there were some caves near the coast where she could obtain giant spider venom, but that would take her and at least one companion that knew how to fight. Gwen certainly didn't fit into that category.

Just past the last hill, the gates came into sight. The stone walls extended slightly onto the coast. Fine crafted metal adorned the wooden gate. It was open, allowing caravans and travelers to pass freely. Four soldiers were stationed outside the doors and, though they couldn't be seen, archers were set up at the top of the wall.

Sicilia and Gwen moved to one side as a caravan passed through the gate. Even though it was almost nightfall, the streets were still bustling with people shopping, trading, and conversing. Stopping at a nearby bread stall, Gwen asked about inns and other places to stay. A tall, shirtless man, showing off a large chest tattoo, had told them about a roomy inn near the center of the town that had decent prices. Gwen had sweet talked the guy well enough that he told her to mention his name to the owner and she would get a discount. That was one of the reasons Sis kept her around.

The inn wasn't too grand, but considering the discount, it was the best they would get. At least there were beds and not cots or just a floor. They had paid for a two-bed room for a week, enough time to get more coin or find somewhere else.

"Well, this is…cozy," Gwen snickered. "It's better than nothing, I guess, and there's fresh water brought in every day so I'm not complaining. I'm going to wash up first, ok?"

"Alright, I'm just going to unpack." Sicilia swung her pack onto the mattress nearest to the window. Their room faced the docks, which was nice. A bit of dust hung in the air making the room seem stuffy, so she opened to window to allow some fresh air to pass through.

One corner was dedicated to a small tub and a small cracked mirror. Gwen sighed at she scrubbed the dirt from her legs. Sis sat down on the bed and unlaced her boots, hissing as she found a blister on each heel. She pulled out some Elfroot and made a quick paste to apply to her feet. Almost immediately, the cooling effect kicked in. She smiled to herself, pleased with the results.

An hour went by until both girls had washed up and unpacked their things. They decided to get some food at a tavern around the corner. The streets had nearly emptied and stalls had shut down for the night. Sicilia made a mental note to be careful returning to the inn later.

The food hadn't been bad. A few guys from a nearby table had been helpful, giving Sis the names of a couple of people looking for someone to help with some "side jobs." One had also been interested in some poisons and said that he would stop by the inn when he decided to buy. All in all, the night went fairly well except for the fact that Gwen was drunk and Sis was forced to carry her back to their room.

The day had been long and arduous. As the Arishok suspected, speaking to those in charge was particularly distasteful, but he had to in order to request a place for his men to rest. Now that things had settled down, he needed to speak to an Ashaad and make plans to send out a Beresaad.

"Ashaad," he called out to the nearest Qunari. His voice was low, but commanding, "gather your best men. I need this done quickly. It would be best to find the ship that carried her; there is no way she could have swam this far. Be inconspicuous, though, I do not want her running. Find out where she went after she arrived here, if she did."

"Meravas, Arishok," he said with a slight bow and turned to leave.

The Arishok let out a deep sigh, exhausted from the days work. Using his thumb and middle finger, he pressed the temples at either side of his head to ease his mind. Their new camp had been set up near the coast. The sun had set a few hours before and the moon was casting it's light onto the water. The scene was almost soothing his frustration.

Standing from his backless chair, he walked to his tent where, cautiously, he let his armor fall. The bed that lay before him barely supported his weight. He made a mental note to take a good long rest in his own bed once he was home. These past years would be the death of him. They had certainly taken a toll on his mind. Though he never let his men see his weakness, he had become homesick.

Admitting this to himself, he sat on the bed carefully and laid back, his head barely on the bed; the length of his horns almost extended to the ground. His muscles relaxed with each breath as he closed his eyes and envisioned the coast of Par Vollen.

Leaving the window open for the night could've been the best idea Gwen ever had. The breeze from Rialto Bay left the room fairly comfortable. Although her bed wasn't near as soft as her own at home, she slept well. Her body seemed to have completely recovered from her weeklong trip.

Gwen was still sleeping soundly when Sicilia decided to get up. She leaned out the window and looked at the streets below. The stalls had already opened and the townsfolk had begun their day's work. Maybe it's time for me to get to work, too.

She put on a white tunic and her usual worn leather pants. Buckling her weapons to her back, she wondered if they would be needed this early in the day in a town like this. Better safe than sorry. As an extra measure, she stuck a small knife into her right boot. She argued with her hair for a minute or two, deciding to leave it down or pull it up. Her hands dropped in defeat and she allow her hair to fall into it's usual place. The chocolate colored strands framed her face, but fell in a soft wave across her shoulders. It wasn't long, but it could still get in her way if she didn't put it up.

Sis let her friend sleep off her hangover and descended the stairs of the inn. The sun beamed down making her smile at its warmth. Her plan was to visit a few weapon stalls and simply ask casually about random jobs. She remembered the names the guys gave her last night; she planned to find them also. It's going to be a long day.

Luckily, the names she was given, helped Sis find a couple jobs. Hopefully Gwen found a job, too. Wanting some alone time, Sicilia headed down to the coast. Her hope was to walk the beach as she loved to do back home. Maybe she could find some time to practice on her fighting, before getting those jobs done.

"A jealous husband and a man too greedy for his own good," she said laughing to herself. Honestly, the drama was the best part about being a mercenary. It was good pay, too. The two men had been weary of her at first; not many mercenaries were female and even fewer were so young. She was only twenty-two. After discussing her previous jobs, however, they recognized a few names and decided to give her a shot.

There wasn't a job she never finished; well, except for that once. The man who hired her told her about the man his wife was having an affair with. The man had seemed sincere and caring about his wife, but when she found the man whom she was to kill, another story all together unfolded. Apparently the wife had been forced to marry and had fallen in love with another man. This man had abandoned everything to be with her and they had planned to run away that night. Being a woman, Sicilia had to admit that she had a soft spot for them and let them run away together.

Collapsing into the sand, she tore off her boots and set her weapons aside. The sound of waves crashing in was her favorite sound in the world. Her favorite feeling was sand between her toes, which she thoroughly enjoyed as she wiggled them further into the sand. The sun had reached the point in the sky where it had begun to descend faster, leaving the sky a light orange in the West and a deep blue in the East.

She settled into a stance and threw a few warm up punches. Shaking her hands, she tried to loosen her wrists. Kicking up her right foot, she watched the sand fly as she balanced for a moment. Feeling comfortable with her balance, she continued throwing punches and combining kicks. A metaphorical pressure was on the back of her neck; it was a sign that she was not alone. Sending a spinning kick behind her, someone caught her ankle.

A moment of silence passed as she held her balance while this unknown man held her ankle just inches from the side of his face. He was pale and thinly framed. His angular face made her think , at first, that he was an elf, but a glance at his ears told her otherwise. He was just a couple inches taller than she. His black hair fell to mid-back; the top third of it was pulled up. Blue eyes stared back at her and a half-crooked smirk was planted on his face.

"Nice move."

A/N:

Beresaad - a group sent out to answer questions for the Arishok.

Merevas - "So shall it be."

I know there isn't much dialogue, but I wanted to go through the day without taking up three chapters of slow moving tasks. I did try to touch on everything I felt was relevant for you to see the character's personality.

Thanks for reading! And thanks to my Beta, Kira Tamarion!