Isabela sprinted back down the corridor as fast as her legs would carry her, desperate now to return to Hawke and free her before the Templars noticed she was there. The pirate's face was moist under her mask and she was furious, unable to get what she had just heard out of her head. Bethany's in danger! By the sounds of it those bastards were going to capture her and use her as bait to get to Hawke. As much as she hated to admit it, it was a sound plan. Where family was concerned, Lana became predictable, so much so that it would be easy to manipulate her to get her to do what they wanted. And there was so little time for them to fight back. They had to get out of here as soon as possible and get back to the others with the news. Leliana might be a little pissed with our lack of information though. They hadn't even found anything out about the liquidation of the Circle, having messed about for so long in the 'sex dungeon'.
As the Rivaini approached the door back to the party it suddenly sprung open. A group of Templars burst through, swords and shields drawn.
"There she is!"
"We've found her!"
"DON'T LET HER GET AWAY!"
"Oh balls!" Isabela cursed.
The pirate skidded as she tried to slow down, causing her to momentarily lose her footing. She slid on her backside across the marble floor, turning up the rug, under her feet, before scrambling back up and running in the opposite direction. The Templars gave chase at once, yelling after her, their thunderous footsteps echoing menacingly down the hallway after the fleeing 'whore'.
"Stop running! There's nowhere for you to go you meddling little slut!"
"The Knight-Commander would just like a word!"
Isabela laughed, glancing over her shoulder, "Your Knight-Commander can suck my left tit!" she hurled back.
"You'll regret that you dirty whore!" another angry Templar yelled after her. "We're going to hang you and your girlfriend in the square!"
"Oh balls, I'm shaking!"Isabela replied sarcastically.
She rounded a corner at full speed, tearing off her mask and knocking over a massive, expensive-looking glass vase on a nearby chest of drawers as she passed. I guess they found out we were here then. She heard the vase shatter behind her and reached the end of the next corridor, slamming into the door facing her and exploding onto the scene of an ongoing orgy. Isabela bounded over the enormous bed feet first, knocking a naked Templar flying towards the window along with the woman he was in mid-sex with. The pirate landed ungraciously on top of both of them in a heap in the corner, getting poked in the stomach by a male foot and a massive female breast in the face, padding her fall. I guess I'm the one sucking a tit then, she joked, untangling herself. The three other women on the bed screamed and yanked the covers up around themselves as Isabela climbed over them, springing off the four-poster into the air. She dodged a second naked Templar who had reached out to grab her and pushed over another, sending him out of the open balcony and over the edge. His cries echoed in the night and a sickening crunch was heard as he landed on the ground below.
"SOMEONE STOP HER!"
As Isabela reached the door at the far end of the room the crowd of Templars on her tail had finally caught up. She yanked the handle with all her might, trying to pry it open with her shaking hands.
"Come ON!" she yelled. To her relief the door obeyed. Before she could exit however, the first naked Templar who she had kicked wrapped his arms around her from behind and lifted her off the ground in a giant bear hug.
"ARRGGHH!" she growled, struggling and swinging her legs crazily. She swung her head back then, whacking it off his painfully. The man let her go with a groan and bent over holding his forehead. Instinctively, Isabela swung a roundhouse kick at him and her heavy boots connected with his neck. He fell sideward and lay still. The pirate then floored another armed Templar with a right hook before he could raise his sword, and made to run out of the room. Before she could escape he reached out a hand and grabbed her ankle. She fell to the floor face first hit her head off the corner of a nearby wooden desk.
"Argh, you bastard!" she turned back, angrily lashing out with a stamping boot to the man's face.
"Uoof! Bitch!" he screamed, holding his bleeding nose. "Someone grab her!"
Blood was running down the side of the pirate's head but she had no time to lose. Not waiting any further, Isabela scrambled back to her feet just as the others closed in. She suddenly felt a sharp pain in her shoulder before she slammed the door shut behind her, hearing her pursuers crash up against it. The pirate hastily grabbed a nearby, wooden chair and edged the back of it under the handle to slow them down as the Templars began to pull against her. She let the handle go then and set off on another run through the next room, breathing heavily and feeling something warm trickle down her back.
The Rivaini reached a hand around her shoulder as she ran and her hands, to her horror, found a thin blade embedded in the right side of her back. Arggh! Maker's saggy ball sack that hurts! She cursed loudly, grimacing as she tried to pull it out mid run. Her fingers were slippery from the blood and as much as she tried, she couldn't get a decent grip. It'll have to stay for now.
A loud crash sounded behind her as the Templars charged the door. It flew completely off its hinges and smashed into the opposite wall, along with the chair just as Isabela left the room and exited onto another corridor.
"She's through here! I saw her go!"
"Damn it!" Isabela groaned, at full sprint once more. She glanced over her shoulder as the Templars followed closely behind, realising she seemed to have picked up even more now after her brief interruption in the bedroom. Semi-naked Templars had now joined the fray, looking even angrier than their comrades and a group of cowering whores were watching furiously. Well, no one likes to be interrupted mid-orgy.
The pirate's stamina was waning now, not to mention her blood level as generous amounts of the scarlet-red liquid ran down her back and dripped off the end of her corset. She shoved her good shoulder at yet another door, trying to break her pursuers' line of sight again, but it was locked. Her body crunched up against in painfully.
"Balls!" she groaned, turning and kicking down the opposite door with her foot.
This time it appeared she had entered an art gallery of some sort. It was in semi-darkness, though she could make out the walls covered in numerous paintings and tapestries in the large room, not to mention the many sculptures and statues spread throughout. Andraste's flaming sword, who lives here? she thought in dismay. This Estate is a bloody maze! Wheezing now, Isabela ran inside. Hearing footsteps approach behind her she lifted an ancient, gold javelin from a wall rack nearby and swung around, tossing it through the air. The first Templar through the door was pierced with the point, straight through his forehead. The force of the pirate's throw took him clean off his feet and pasted him up against the wall like a grotesque piece of artwork.
"Maker, she's killed him!" one of the others screamed hysterically. The pirate smirked smugly, and then took off again, trying not to make too much noise now. I think I can lose them in here. She crept around the statues and saw two wooden display cases side by side. Exhaling in pain, the pirate slipped in between them both and slid down onto the ground. She held her hand over her mouth, trying to mask the sound of her heavy breathing. Her ribs were aching and the wound on her head was throbbing painfully.
"Where'd she go?" another angry voice echoed through the gallery.
"She disappeared."
"Fan out, men! She can't have gotten far!"
The pirate's heart was threatening to tear out of her chest. The small blade was still buried agonizingly in her shoulder-blade. She daren't try to pull it out now though. Several sets of footsteps were making their way through the dimly lit gallery. Suddenly a voice called out, closer now.
"There! See the blood?"
Isabela looked down in horror and realised that the wound on her back had now dripped the entire way down the back of her leg. She glanced back at the ground she had covered and cursed, seeing the large droplets of blood leaving a trail right to her. Damn it! It would only be a few seconds before they discovered her. Taking a chance the pirate used the display case facing her to pull herself to her feet.
"OVER HERE!"
Before she could take more than a few steps a huge, heavily armoured man threw himself over the display case and tackled her, throwing them both over the other one and onto the hard floor.
"I'VE GOT HER! ARRRGHHH!"
Isabela yelled in anguish as she landed flat on her back, feeling the blade in her shoulder push further in and pierce right through her body, bursting out through fresh skin right in front of her eyes.
"AGGHH! MAKER'S BLOODY BACKSIDE!" she cursed loudly, trying to push the heavy, steel man off her. They began to wrestle on the floor, knocking over ornaments and statues. Bits of clay, stone and glass rained down on them from above. Isabela's suspenders snapped and her black tights could be heard tearing in places as they caught on the Templars heavy armor. She wrapped her good arm around his neck, putting him in a headlock, restricting his airways. The man wheezed, grimacing up at her and buried several well-aimed punches in her ribcage.
Isabela relinquished her grip, winded, and struggled to her feet before the others caught up. She knocked over a few life-sized statues along the way, hearing the Templar on her tail yell out and try to dodge them. The pirate then grabbed a ceremonial blade from an old armor rack and slashed the supporting ropes attached to a large, heavy tapestry of The Maker and His Children. The giant piece of art fell from the wall and came down upon the Templars on her tail, smothering them in the blackness.
"ARGHH GET IT OFF! SHE'S GETTING AWAY!"
The pirate ran as fast as she could towards what she hoped was the exit and thundered through. She slammed the door shut behind her and tugged the handle with all her might on the other side, breaking it off completely and locking them in. That'll have to do. Now to go find Hawke.
Isabela ran as fast as she could away from the immediate danger, her thoughts consumed with images of Hawke then and the position she had left her in. If they sent this many Templars after her then Lana must have been discovered, unarmed and already strung up in chains like a present just waiting to be had. If they've killed her I'll burn their precious Chantry to the ground! More worried now than she had been in her entire life, the pirate took a left and tore off down yet another corridor, hoping that had successfully shaken off her pursuers. She ignored the pain in her body, knowing that if she was feeling this way, Hawke surely had it worse.
Lana spat blood onto the ground at the Knight-Commander's feet. She glanced up at her and smiled defiantly.
"You'll have to do better than that to hurt me," she said, heaving with laughter. Her arm, still chained to the roof was completely dead now, the blood having run out of it and she was hanging limply from the metal bondage after being attacked. One of her knees had buckled painfully and her face felt bloody and bruised. She could barely hold her head up at all. Despite this, six Templars and two whores lay dead at her feet, not including the one Isabela had killed before she had left. They had found her not long after the pirate had taken off, having been tipped off by the owner of the Estate, who had come to use his 'dungeon' with the two whores. Hawke hadn't wanted to kill the women, but when they started to beat and strangle her after she killed the others she had no choice.
And now the Knight-Commander herself stood in front of Lana, her red hood pulled up over her blonde locks, a heavy chain in her had.
"Oh, I don't want to hurt you, Champion," she said, the chain dangling threateningly from her hand, "I simply want you to talk."
"I wouldn't talk to you even if you were sitting on my face, you treacherous bastard," Hawke replied, still grinning.
Meredith looked furious again. She swung the heavy chain and lashed it hard against Hawke's ribcage once more. Lana felt the wind leave her again. She grimaced and tried not to shout out in pain, not wanting to give the Knight-Commander the satisfaction.
"Had enough yet?" Meredith asked menacingly. That was the seventh time she had whacked Hawke around the side and still the woman had done nothing but joke. Hawke coughed and spluttered more blood onto the floor. The pain in her side was doubled with the tightness of her corset yet she still joked. Fresh laughter escaped her lips.
"Hmm, maybe one more," she teased, still chuckling. "I'm kinky that way." She regretted her words immediately as the chain links collided painfully with her right side again. This time she heard a crack.
"Ugh!... Shit!" she hissed, trying to catch her breath. "You...Bitch!"
"What was that?" Meredith asked. She leaned in closer and dug her nails into Lana's face, turning her bruised features up to look at her. "Have you got something to say now?"
Hawke rasped hoarsely, staring into the woman's cruel eyes.
"Are you going to kiss me, Meredith?" she teased, still keeping up her jokes, "Go on, just a little one...I won't tell."
The Knight Commander growled and released her, turning away before swinging around and smacking her had in the face with her fist.
"Uff!...That's not...very nice."
"I'll ask you once more, Champion," Meredith said, grabbing Hawke's now dangling hair and pulling her head up again. Their faces were inches apart now, Meredith breathing down her neck. "Where is Anders? Where is your little, dim-witted Dalish kitten? I know Blondie is planning something and that wretched elf belongs in the Gallows with the rest of her pathetic kind! I need information...and you are going to give it to me."
Lana breathed hard, finding it difficult to stay conscious.
"Oh, I'll give it to you," she gasped, staring into those dangerous eyes of the Knight-Commander. "I'll give it to you so hard, Commander. Where do you want it?"
"ARGHH!" Meredith growled, as Hawke touched a nerve once more. Sick of her messing around she punched her around the face a few more times until her knuckles burst. Cursing the Knight-Commander held her bleeding fist and tried to control herself. Lana's head hung heavily now and she stared at the blood-stained floor, her vision blurring. She could feel herself going in and out of consciousness now. Almost every inch of her as covered in blood. Her chained arm felt disconnected from the rest of her body as it supported all her weight.
Suddenly the door swung open with a bang. Isabela took one look at Hawke and jumped over the bodies on the floor, flinging herself into the Knight-Commander's midsection and lifting her clean off the ground. They both shuttled headlong into a nearby collection of sexual artefacts. The two of them wrestled among the rubble as Hawke dangled bloodily from the chain, unmoving.
"YOU!" Meredith yelled, struggling with Isabela on the ground. She wrapped her steel bracer around the pirate's neck, squeezing the life out of her. Desperate, Isabela felt along the ground for a weapon. Suddenly her hand closed around a familiar shape (one that she had held many times before, though in more pleasurable circumstances) and jabbed the end of it into the Knight-Commander's eye.
"Aahh!" Meredith yelled. Her arms loosened and she held her face. Isabela scrambled free and made to get up. The Knight-Commander grabbed the handle of the blade lodged in the pirate's back and began to twist.
"ARGGGGHHHH!"
Isabela's face contorted in agony and her blood-curdling scream echoed throughout the entire Estate. Metal grinded on bone as Meredith pushed the blade further through the pirate's body and got to her feet. She placed her heavy boot on the pirate's back and pulled the dagger out of her wound, tossing it to the side and nudging her to the floor. Isabela lay in a heap, having never been in so much pain in her life. Hawke was right, this was definitely my dumbest idea yet. Unable to move for the time being, the Rivaini could do nothing more than watch the Knight-Commander approach the bloodied and bruised Hawke, who was still swinging from the ceiling. Isabela saw that her legs had buckled so that she was left with nothing to stand on and knew that her arm must be killing her right now. That's if she's still alive.
Meredith grabbed Hawke's face again and raised it to hers, her nostrils flaring. To Isabela's relief, Lana's eyes were still open (barely). She stared back at the Commander weakly, but still with her usual defiance.
"I'll ask one last time, Hawke," Meredith growled at her, "Where is Anders? What is he planning? Tell me now! Tell me and I will only kill you...If you don't give me what I want however, your little sister will be next."
"B...Bethany..."Lana moaned weakly. Life seemed to come back into her eyes momentarily. For a moment the two women stared at each other. Suddenly Hawke swung her head forwards with every ounce of strength she had left and head-butted the Knight-Commander square in the forehead.
"Ah!" Meredith grimaced, stumbling backwards. Hawke's head hung heavily. Isabela glanced up at her, seeing that her eyes were closed now. She's passed out.
Just as Meredith composed herself, the door burst open again. Knight-Captain Cullen stood horrified in the doorway as his eyes scanned the scene: A sex dungeon turned torture chamber.
"Commander? What's going on?" he gasped. Meredith sprung to the door.
"Cullen, what do you want?"
"Is that-Is that the Champion!?" he asked in disbelief, staring at the hanging figure in the centre of the room, dripping with blood. His eyes found Isabela on the floor then and his question was answered. "What did you do to her? We have to get out of her, Commander! The city guard are coming here to investigate the disturbance."
Meredith cursed under her breath. "Meddlesome fools," she said angrily, "How do they know?"
"Apparently that pirate pushed one of our men out of a balcony and he landed in the market square below. They found his body before we could."
"Damn it!" Meredith glared down at Isabela, and kicked her in the stomach, flinging her over onto her back. "Fine! Take the Champion and kill this bitch! Let's get out of here."
"Yes Commander," Cullen replied, saluting her, "You should go on ahead and get back to the Gallows. We don't have much time."
The Knight-Commander pulled up her hood and went to exit the room with Cullen watching her go. Isabela had gotten to her feet behind them finally.
"Hey!"
Meredith turned around just on time to see the small, bloody blade the pirate had tossed at her head. She turned her face, dodging the fatal blow but feeling the warm blade slice across her left cheek.
"Arrrgghh!"
A thin, red line appeared on her face, not deep enough to really injure but just enough to scar.
"Commander!" Cullen shouted, startled. The Knight-Commander raised a hand to her face and looked at the blood on her hand.
"Nice try," she snarled at Isabela. "But it'll take more than that to kill me." She glared at her then turned on her heel. "Take care of it Cullen!"
The door slammed shut behind her. Isabela had lifted another sexual artefact off the floor and was waiting for Cullen to attack. The Knight-Captain held up his hands in surrender however.
"You can put that down," he said, "I'm not going to hurt you."
"I should hope not, you backstabbing pig!" The pirate spat, "Hawke and I saved your bloody life once. You'd better not forget it!"
"I won't," Cullen answered, "So consider this repayment for what you did. You've got to get out of here before the guards come too. Either that or they'll have no choice to arrest you for what's happened here."
"Arrest us?" Isabela asked furiously, "You are the ones torturing and kidnapping people! Look at us! We're the bloody victims here...LITERALLY!"
With that thought she came back to her senses and ran to Hawke. She raised Lana's face and stroked her bloody, bruised cheek. Shit! What has that bitch done to you Sweetness? Isabela fumbled with the metal clasp around Lana's bloodied wrist but it was still as impenetrable as ever.
"I've got a key," Cullen said, moving her out of the way. He put the rusty skeleton key into the lock and opened the clasp. Lana's body fell limply to the floor before the Knight-Captain caught her. Isabela grabbed her other side and they both heaved Hawke's limp body out of the room and back to the party area.
"The coast will be clear. The guests have either gone or been killed. We should take the Champion back to her Estate," Cullen said to Isabela as they made their way down the staircase to the messy ballroom below.
"Right," Isabela replied, feeling glad he was here despite herself. She felt as though she was going to pass out herself.
"I'm surprised Hawke was able to kill so many of them while chained up," Cullen said, "If I hadn't of seen it with my own eyes I would have never believed it."
"Yeah, well, that's Hawke for you. Nothing's impossible where she's concerned," the pirate said, smiling to herself.
"I'm beginning to see that," Cullen said, impressed, "Tell her when she recovers that they're coming for her sister Bethany. I'll do my best to stall them but...I can't disobey a direct order when the time comes."
Isabela looked at him as they made their way through the night and walked through Hightown.
"Why are you helping us?" she asked, suspicious. Cullen stared back at her.
"I may be a Templar, Pirate, but I have my own moral code. I do this work because I believe in the Templar cause...but even I know that the kidnapping and torture of an innocent girl is wrong, mage or no," he said sincerely.
"Plus the fact that you fancy her," Isabela added, recalling overhearing them earlier. Cullen blanched.
"So you heard Ser Thrask's accusation?" he asked, pursing his lips, "Yes, I like her...But that's not just why I'm doing this. If it were anyone else in her place I would act the same way...and then there's Hawke..."
"What about her?" Isabela asked, "Worried she might slit your throat if you get on the wrong side of her?"
"Well, now that you mention...Yes," the Knight-Captain admitted, "But I also admire her greatly. She's an honourable woman, even if her methods aren't always just. I respect her, Pirate, right now more than my own Commander...and I know she's right in what she is doing against the Order."
"Wow honesty! From a Templar," Isabela said, taken aback, "That's a new one."
Cullen chuckled slightly. "Despite what you may think we're not all bad, Pirate. But just because I believe Hawke is right doesn't mean I can support her in her fight. Meredith may have gone crazy but I still have my duties, and she has hers. All I'm doing is warning the Champion about her sister. So make sure she gets the message."
"I will, don't sweat it," Isabela answered.
They both reached the Hawke Estate and brought her inside. Varric, Leliana, Charade, Merrill, Fenris and Gamlen were all waiting inside, sitting around the fire. The whole room jumped to its feet as the trio burst inside.
"Lana!" Gamlen yelled hysterically, "Blood of Andraste! Is she dead?"
"What happened to you?" Charade asked worriedly, rushing over to Isabela's side.
Unable to go any further Isabela fell to her knees. Cullen and Charade helped her lower Hawke's unconscious form onto the ground as the others crowded round. Merrill began to work some of her magic over Lana, as Cullen bit his lip, watching on. Now wasn't the time though, not when magic was being used for goodness.
"What happened?" Leliana repeated, falling to her knees on Lana's other side.
"Meredith happened," Isabela panted, holding her side. Her face was unnaturally white as she had lost so much blood from the wound on her shoulder.
"Leliana...?" Cullen interrupted, "I know you..."
Leliana looked up at Knight-Captain Cullen then. She frowned, trying to place him.
"Ah yes, I remember. You were the one we rescued from the Circle of Magi in Ferelden, no?" she asked. He nodded.
"I was. You have a good memory, Sister," he replied, "I'm sorry to hear of the Hero of Ferelden's demise. She was a great woman."
Leliana's face fell. "She was," she said sadly, swallowing over the lump in her throat. She fought back the tears forming in her eyes and turned back to Lana's body. Her side was jutting out, oddly shaped from an obvious broken rib and almost every inch of her was covered in blood. "We should get her upstairs," she said, "this hard floor won't be good for her. Let's lift her together."
"Oh I'll just bleed out here on the floor then shall I?" the pirate asked angrily, gesturing to the gaping hole in her shoulder.
"I've got you," Cullen said, surprising her. He bent down and scooped her up into his arms as though she was made of nothing but feathers. The pirate was slightly taken aback. She watched Lana worriedly over Cullen's shoulder as he made his way upstairs, the others following behind. Maker, please be alright, she thought, cursing herself for messing around like that when they were in so much danger. Why did I have to chain her up?
The Knight-Captain went to enter Leandra's room when Isabela stopped him.
"Not there," she said, glancing at it warily, "That door hasn't been opened in years."
"Of course," Cullen answered, not prying and realising to whom the room might have belonged. The whole of Hightown had heard about Leandra Hawke's brutal murder a few years ago. It was normal for Lana to want to shut everything away that reminded her of it. Bethany had been seen in her room several weeks later, tearing leaves one by one off a white lily and crying silently in her room.
Cullen opened the middle room door then and entered into the bedroom, bringing the injured Isabela over to the massive four-poster bed and placing her down gently.
"I supposed I should thank you," she said, staring up at him.
"Don't," he replied, grimly, "It was I who sent the others after you. I knew you'd be around if Hawke was."
"You bastard," she growled, shaking her head.
"Sorry, but it's my job," he said, shrugging. "I should get going."
"Don't let me stop you then," Isabela replied bitterly, turning onto her side.
As the Knight-Captain left, the others entered with a fragile Hawke and lay her down on the other side of the bed. Isabela leaned over and stroked her face. Come on , Hawke, wake up. Suddenly she felt a soft hand touch her wounded shoulder. Leliana had begun to dress her wound.
"I'm fine!" the Rivaini said angrily, trying to push her away. "I was only kidding before. Just give me a whiskey."
Varric chuckled and handed her the remains of his glass of whiskey. The pirate knocked it back in one and grimaced.
"Lay still Isabela," Leliana said, rolling her eyes, and taking the empty glass from her, "Whatever it was has pierced you right through the bone. You need it cleaned."
Isabela groaned, "Fine!" she relented, laying back down, and allowing Leliana to continue. Blocking out the pain she turned her head back to look at Hawk. She reached out and grabbed the woman's hand, squeezing it gently. Suddenly, she felt a slight movement as Lana squeezed her back.
"You're awake?" the pirate muttered in her ear, ignoring the sound of the others as they argued and fussed around them. Hawke opened her eyes a little and turned to her left, seeing the pirate stare back at her worriedly. Her vision was still blurry and the room was spinning around her. She was glad Isabela was back by her side though.
"How...how do I look?" she joked hoarsely. Isabela chuckled and glanced over her broken form.
"You look like shit, Hawke," she said truthfully. Hawke smiled back as best she could.
"You always were... good at...cheering me up, Bela," she replied, sarcastically. The pirate giggled and squeezed her hand gently again. "Just...one thing," Lana continued, grimacing in pain momentarily.
"Anything," Isabela answered her, waiting. Hawke grinned, her blood-shot eyes twinkling.
"Never...make me wear this damn corset... again."
They both laughed and grasped each other's hands tightly, relaxing on the bed as the others treated to their wounds. Isabela closed her eyes, thinking about everything she had discovered tonight. She had a feeling this would be the only rest either of them would get for a while, with Bethany now in danger and Anders gone AWOL, apparently planning something big. Then there was Knight-Commander Meredith. That bitch will get what's coming to her, the pirate vowed, fury burning inside her as she pictured her, I'll wipe that smug little smile off her ugly face...Soon...I can promise you that.