"So...Hawke..."
Isabela turned to look at Lana as they explored one of the side tunnels of The Deep Roads beside their camp together. The others had stayed behind to make breakfast while she and Hawke scoped out any possible paths to continue their halted expedition. One night of camp with Bartrand was enough. The dwarf was a noble piece of shit with no respect for anyone and they were all eager to collect their treasure and be done with him. The Deep Roads were unpleasant enough without having bad company as well. Lana turned and met the Rivaini's gaze, feeling slightly wary as to what the nature of this conversation would be. The sly smirk on the Rivaini's face told her she was up to something. Wasn't she always though?
"What?" Hawke asked suspiciously, her eyes narrowing. Isabela giggled back cheekily.
"Did you know that you talk in your sleep?" she said innocently.
Lana cursed inwardly. Oh Maker what had she said? There was only one thing that could make the pirate smile in that way. Curse her for not having her own tent! Lana wasn't used to sleeping in front of people who weren't family. She had been told on occasion about her sleep talking but had never considered it a big deal before. Up until now that was. Bethany usually kept it to herself, unless her sister had said something extremely funny that night. Hawke had a feeling that Isabela wouldn't bring it up out of the blue just to remind her of a witty word or phrase she had used. Lana had said something different this time, she knew it. She did remember having some sort of dream last night but she couldn't recall what it had been about. Hawke hoped desperately it didn't involve Sister Leliana again. That would just hand Isabela too much information to play with, and she already had enough as it was.
"I...I do?" Hawke replied, uncertain how to respond. Isabela's smile widened.
"Oooh yes," she said with satisfaction, "You said something interesting last night...and believe me Sweetness, it had nothing to do with Carver this time."
The pirate sniggered to herself and turned her gaze forward. Lana stopped walking and began to examine the Deep Roads map in her hand.
"Is that so?" she asked, scanning the piece of parchment pretending not to be phased by Isabela's words. She was desperately wrecking her brain to remember her dream. It definitely wasn't a wet one...was it? Isabela stopped beside her and peered at the map over her shoulder. She knew the Rivaini had no interest in what was on it. She was just placing her self closer to her, trying to make her sweat under the pressure and anticipation of being the source of interest for her. Lana could feel Isabela's warm breath on her neck, making her quiver slightly. She tried to ignore it, concentrating on being indifferent to their conversation. Let the pirate have her little games. Lana still had the upper hand over her.
"Uh huh," The Rivaini continued in her ear, "It was of a...sexual nature."
Lana froze. Her eyes were no longer focused on the map. She was staring at the same spot as Isabela hovered beside her.
"Really?" Lana asked, trying not to sound worried. "And...What exactly did I say?"
Isabela chuckled seductively, "It was...more of a question actually...a request..."
Lana cringed. "For whom?" she asked, already beginning to guess the answer.
The Rivaini reached up and slid her fingers under Lana's long brown hair and trickled her fingers along the back of her neck. Lana was still refusing to look at her, pretending to be searching for a way out of the tunnel. In actual fact, she was searching for a way out of this conversation. She felt strangely exposed because of it.
"For me," Isabela said, smirking slyly, "You mentioned my name...moaned it actually."
Lana's heart began to beat frantically. She could feel herself become hot under Isabela's gaze.
"And...the question?" Hawke asked, dreading to think what she could have possibly asked the busty pirate for. There had been plenty of questions running through her mind as to what Isabela would be into sexually but she had never dreamt of them before or even entertained the ideas fully. Isabela exhaled, leaning in closer to Hawke's ear.
"How about I just...reply..." she said alluringly.
The Rivaini leaned in and nibbled the bottom of Lana's earlobe. Hawke felt her hand falter on the map, allowing it to fall slightly. Isabela's fingers continued to caress gently along the back of her neck, then began to travel down her spine. Lana swallowed hard. Her breath caught as Isabela's hand reached her lower back. The Rivaini felt her quiver under her touch.
"Are you sure you can handle an answer?" she whispered teasingly, her hand hovering dangerously close to its destination. Hawke's breath caught. After several seconds, Isabela took her silence for a 'yes' and slide her hand slowly under the seam at the back of Hawke's pants, exploring some uncharted territory. The hand slipped further then, running along the firm, tense ass Isabela had so longed after last night. She grasped firmly.
Lana jumped. The Deep Road's map dropped to the ground and she spun her body to face the Rivaini fully, causing Isabela's hand to slide out from under her clothes to rest on her waist instead. They stared at each other unblinkingly. Isabela grinned, turned on by the latest feel she had copped. It was only a matter of time before Hawke would just give in. She couldn't win now.
Hawke's jaw tightened. She placed a hand on Isabela's shoulder and walked forwards, backing the Rivaini up against the nearest wall forcefully. Isabela gasped as her back pressed against the cold, hard, damp rock. Her eyes lit up, seeing the dangerous look in Lana's dark brown eyes. The pirate's smile widened, aroused by the rough handling and the obvious anger building behind Lana's stare. Rough sex was always a favourite of the Rivaini's. She didn't dare move an inch, waiting to see what Lana was going to do next, her excitement increasing. Hawke placed her hands on either side of the wall behind the pirate, trapping her there. She leaned in.
"That," she said threateningly through gritted teeth, "is the last time you will ever touch my ass, got it?"
Isabela's smile faltered. "What?" she exclaimed, confused. This hadn't turned out the way she'd hoped. Hawke looked furious.
"I mean it," she continued, her temper rising, "We can flirt all you want Bela, make dirty jokes, sexual references, Maker you can even nibble on my ear lobe when you get the urge...but the moment you slip your hand under my clothes and fondle my ass... we have a problem."
Isabela looked taken aback. "And...What problem is that exactly?" she asked, feeling slightly awkward. Had she taken it one step too far? Lana's face became angrier at the fact that she had to ask. She slammed her hand against the rock, hard.
"What's the problem?" she exclaimed heatedly. "The problem is that your hands are just too damn cold Rivaini!"
A moment of tense silence past. Then Isabela frowned, puzzled.
"WHAT?" she blurted, utterly perplexed by Hawke's answer. Had she heard her right? Much to her surprise, Lana began to snigger. She leaned back, releasing the Rivaini from where she had her pinned against the wall and doubled over in fits of laughter. Isabela was staring at her in amazement, still trying to understand what had just happened. Did she just get told off?
"I almost had you!" Lana laughed, holding her side, "You should have seen your face!"
Isabela straightened up off the wall. She shook her head then, her jaw dropping as she realised that Lana had been playing her from the start. The pirate groaned and began to hit her playfully, everywhere that she could reach.
"Oh, you asshole Hawke!" she shouted, beating Lana as she continued laughing, "You complete son of a bitch!"
"Ouch! Stop it!" Lana shouted, covering herself up from the Rivaini's continuous jabs, still giggling at her misfortune.
"You had me thinking you'd turned into Aveline there!" Isabela joked. "Maker's breath I thought you were being serious!"
The pirate began to laugh with her then at her own expense, seeing the funny side at last. She had to admit that Lana had her going for a second. Isabela hadn't been scolded like that since the last time she saw her mother. The pirate wrapped her arms around Hawke and wrestled the joker to the ground, getting her own back.
"Arghh!" Lana complained as she hit the cold ground. Isabela's weight fell on top of her. "Get off me you scurvy bugger!"
"Oy!" Isabela complained, hitting her once more. They stopped struggling then. Isabela leaned on her elbows and stared down at Lana, both of them catching their breaths. She ran her hand through the woman's hair, brushing it from her face. "Don't start talking like a pirate, Sweetness. It's not becoming."
Lana chuckled, looking up into the eyes of the Rivaini. "Hmm, you're right, it takes a different type of talk for one to 'be coming'."
Both women chuckled. Lana smirked smugly. She really enjoyed winding Isabela up. She sighed, reaching up to touch Isabela's face, caressing it with her hand. She was extremely aware of the woman's assets pressed up against her own, the warmness of her skin underneath her clothes. Isabela shook her head and took Lana's hand from her face.
"Don't go and get all intimate on me now," she said, pinning the hand over Lana's head instead. She grabbed her other one and did the same rendering Hawke powerless beneath her. "Let's not pretend that either of us is looking for more than what's on the surface."
Lana gave her a cheeky smile "Well, what else is there to look for?" she asked lightly. "I assume love isn't part of your vocabulary?"
"It was," Isabela answered truthfully, "but then I realised I didn't need it anymore...Love isn't for everyone, it's not for me...I only need one thing to keep me satisfied..."
"And what is that?" Hawke asked, knowing full well.
Isabela grinned then leaned down slowly, towards her face. Lana's swallowed. She lifted her head slightly, anticipating the Rivaini's kiss, the soft lips on hers, the taste of her tongue as it ran along her own. She closed her eyes, just like Isabela, each of them finally willing to submit to the other after months of endless games and pranks. It was the first time their flirting hadn't just been an attempt to break the other's will. This time it was genuine, from both women, without them even realising. Their drew closer, until nothing but the warmness of their long breaths separated them, seconds away from their first real kiss.
"Enchantment?"
The two women paused, their lips almost touching. Their eyes sprung open, eyebrows narrowed in bewilderment. They turned simultaneously to Isabela's left. There, standing in the corner, a giant frozen ogre behind him, stood a tiny dwarf lad with electric blue eyes and bright straw coloured hair. He was wearing a wide, innocent smile on his face, drool dripping from the corner of his mouth, a lantern in one hand, holding out a small grey rock to them with the other.
"Sandal?" Hawke asked in surprise. She recognized him from the expedition. He was the child of the merchant Bodhan who had tagged along with them, offering discounted supplies.
"Andraste's ass, what the-? How long has he been there for?" Isabela exclaimed, pulling her face away from Hawke's and sitting up straight.
"BOOM!" Sandal answered, still smiling his dozy little smile. Hawke tried not to laugh.
"How did you do that?" she asked kindly, pointing to the giant ogre behind him. Sandal glanced up at the ogre which was over ten times his size before turning back to Lana.
"Not enchantment," he replied simply, before walking off back in the direction of camp. The two women watched him go in amazement. Lana looked back up at Isabela then, who was still sitting on top of her. The pirate returned her look of awe. A tiny dwarf had just taken out the same thing which had killed Carver without so much as breaking a sweat.
"Smart boy," Hawke said in wonder. Isabela nodded, eyes wide.
"You don't say," she replied. The grin appeared on her face once more then. "Now where were we?" She leaned down again, eager to pick up where they left off.
Suddenly a horrible gurgling scream echoed from the nearby tunnels. Isabela paused. She and Lana stared at each other, each straining to listen. More shrieking followed. The pirate straightened up at once, Lana following. They both glanced towards the nearby passages of The Deep Roads. Shadows were forming on the walls around them, thanks to the numerous lanterns placed on the walls by the expedition's hired diggers. If the shadows were disturbing it was nothing compared to the long rattling breaths which were echoing up from the tunnels around them. Isabela jumped to her feet at once, grabbing Lana's hand and helping her to hers. The two women pulled out their daggers simultaneously, adrenaline surging through them. The horde was getting nearer.
"Guess we'll have to continue this later," Hawke said, turning her back to Isabela. The pirate pressed her back against Lana's, giving them a three hundred and sixty degree view of their surroundings.
"Looking forward to it," The pirate replied from behind her, swinging her daggers, anticipating the oncoming danger.
Both women raised their weapons in expectation as Darkspawn came pouring out of the blackness, swarming in on them from all angles, leaving them with no escape.
"Maker's Breath what happened to you two!?"
Isabela and Hawke stood before a bewildered Varric and Merril, completely dripping with black blood, their weapons held limply at their sides, trying to catch their breaths.
"Well," Hawke began, "We found the Darkspawn."
"Or rather they found us," Isabela added, looking at her clothes in disgust. Varric began to chuckle. They had been on the road for just over a week and had seen not one sign of Darkspawn. Trust Hawke and Isabela to find a horde of them first. The two women were just magnets for trouble.
"There must be an opening here,"" Hawke continued, handing the dwarf the bloodstained map and pointing to the tunnel the Darkspawn attacked from. "We can proceed further in by going this way. I think it's worth a shot."
Isabela emptied her flask of water over herself, washing away the tainted blood. She tossed some over Lana as well who wasn't expecting it. Hawke spluttered and choked as Varric darted to the side, holding up the map which had gotten splashed as well, trying to dry it out.
"Andraste's ass Bela, a little head's up would have been nice!" Lana complained, wiping her eyes. The pirate sniggered and entered their tent, searching for a cloth to clean the blood off them.
"Where's the fun in that?" she called over her shoulder. Lana rolled her eyes.
"I'll let Bartrand know there's an open tunnel nearby," Varric said, "The sooner we get moving the better. He's been pissing me off all d-Hey Bartrand! We found a way around your damn cave in!"
The dwarf changed his choice of words as his elder brother approached. He walked away towards him, drawing the grumpy git away from the rest of them, winking back at Hawke and Merrill over his shoulder. They both chuckled.
Bodhan and Sandal approached then from another direction. They were staring up at Lana with massive grins.
"Hello," Lana said, catching the cloth Isabela threw at her and beginning to siphon blood from her clothes.
"Oh you've no idea how pleased I am that you found my son Sandal!" Bodhan exclaimed, "I'm afraid he wandered off. I was so worried he'd-But he's safe now! I won't forget this I swear!"
"It was no trouble, Bodhan," Hawke said, waving her hand. He had sort of found them to be honest.
"Even so," the dwarf continued, "I owe you a debt for bringing him back, my friend. Say thank you to the kind lady for saving your life Sandal."
Bodhan ushered young Sandal forwards. The boy looked up at Lana with those bright, blue eyes, both of them knowing that Lana hadn't really needed to do anything at all. All she was responsible for was leading him home through the right tunnel and even that was by accident as he had seen where she and Isabela had come from.
"Thank you, kind lady," he said. Lana smiled down at him and patted his shoulder. The dwarf grabbed her outstretched hand and placed something in it. Hawke looked down surprised. It was the stone that Sandal had used to freeze the giant ogre. He smiled up at her.
"BOOM!"
Lana closed her fist around the stone and nodded her head in thanks to the young lad before Bodhan ushered him away.
They packed up their tents and waited for Bartrand to gather the expedition goons. It took them half an hour to get sorted before they were ready to take off. Hawke and Isabela used this time to catch up on breakfast. Neither of them mentioned what had happened between them earlier, or rather what would have happened if Sandal and the Darkspawn hadn't of interrupted them. Isabela was slightly worried by the gentle, caring hand which Hawke had placed on her face, the mention, however small of the word love. Hawke was apprehensive about the idea of having sex with Isabela voluntarily, without being under the influence of alcohol and having it to blame for her actions. The games were all well and good, but what happened in the end when you eventually won? Both women were beginning to realise that maybe what they had considered a win was something completely different from the reality.
Lana ate a piece of bread while staring down at the stone Sandal had given her. So this little rock was the difference between her brother being dead or alive. If only she had had one two years ago back in Lothering. Carver would be griping in her ear right now, complaining about the expedition and life in Kirkwall, rather than rotting on the mountains surrounding Lothering beside the corpse of Aveline's husband. Bethany wouldn't have lost her twin brother as well as her father at such a young age. And then there was Leandra. She wouldn't think of her eldest daughter as a failure and their once healthy relationship would be unbroken and unchanged, exactly as it had been back home when Lana's mother could look directly into her eyes with nothing more than love and pride. That look had long since died though, along with Carver. Hawke sighed and stowed the tiny enchanted stone in her pack before getting to her feet. The rest of the expedition was ready to go. Maker help any Darkspawn ogre that approached Hawke down here. It was time to get revenge for Carver's death. She was going to enjoy this. There was no way this expedition was going to get added to another of Lana's failures in the eyes of her mother. She was going to prove to Leandra that she wasn't as worthless as the woman imagined she was. The Hawke family would regain their honour. Lana would make sure of it.
The four of them led the way along with Bartrand, back to the Deep Road tunnels they had just came from. The grumbling expedition behind them held their breath as they passed the numerous Darkspawn corpses strewn across the ground courtesy of Isabela and Hawke. Lana didn't even flinch at the stench. She was becoming used to it already. Maker, that was a scary thought, feeling almost at home in the Deep Roads. Lowtown did smell better, but only a little.
Lana stole a glance at Isabela out of the corner of her eye. She couldn't believe that she had almost kissed her. No, that wasn't it. She couldn't believe that she had actually wanted to kiss her. She knew what Isabela was. A pirate, a raider, a killer, a stealer...a sex-crazed, untrustworthy piece of work who would probably stab her in the back the first chance she got to get her ship back and then set sail without a seconds thought. No one would approve of them sleeping together, least of all Lana herself. So what had happened to keeping the Rivaini at arm's length? Instead, she was inviting her in, opening herself up bit by bit to someone she knew would eventually hurt her in the end. She had to do a better job at controlling her urges. It had just been so long since she had been touched by another woman, been comforted by hands which claimed her for their own even just for an hour or two. Hawke shook her head, ridding herself of the confusing thoughts which were floating around there and continuing onwards, leading the expedition to what would hopefully be treasure beyond measure and a quick way out of shitty Lowtown life.