Isabela staggered back to Kirkwall and hobbled through the streets of Hightown towards the Hawke Estate, receiving curious glances from passing nobles as she did so (even more than usual this time). Her long white shirt, still drenched from the foray in the ocean, was now sprayed with droplets of dirt and blood, some of it being her own. It seeped slowly from a gash on her stomach and another on the top of her left thigh. She was limping rather heavily, having taken a swift kick to the knee from one of Lucky's old pals (who was now dead along with his nine other friends). The pirate was almost completely out of breath after the tough fight and long walk from The Wounded Coast. Yet despite this, the only thing on her mind was Hawke. I've really ballsed up this time. I hope I haven't screwed this up for good.
As much as Isabela cursed her badly timed joke back when Zevran had appeared and interrupted what would have been a very pleasurable experience, it was Hawke's reaction that had bothered her the most. The woman was angry...and with good reason I suppose, that much is clear...but she had never even given the Rivaini a chance to explain herself. I really should have seen this coming. I think I pushed her too far. The whole day Lana had been a little off, not just with her, but even with Leliana earlier. I just don't know what's up with her, Isabela thought, frustrated with how Lana had been acting these past few days. The sooner I get her out of Kirkwall, the better. It must really be driving her insane...That's if she'll even have me anymore.
The bloodied pirate reached the front door to Hawke's Estate and began to hammer it with her fist.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
She waited, listening for the shuffling sound of Bodhan's footsteps on the other side coming to answer...but there was nothing. Curious, the pirate hammered again, louder this time.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
...Still nothing.
Furious now, Isabela decided to try to let herself in. You're not bloody ignoring me for another week, Hawke. We're dealing with this today. She turned the handle and pushed open the door, finding it unlocked (weirdly) and made her way inside.
The Estate was eerily silent, with only the hint of water dripping somewhere nearby. The fire was a dying ember in the grate, throwing the house into a sinister kind of darkness, creating ominous shadows on the walls. Isabela shivered, seeing her breath in the air. A chilling breeze was blowing through the window nearby, howling slightly as it made its way through the living area and the landing above. Letters were flying off Hawke's desk, scattering across the floor, landing on the wet, glass-covered ground. Isabela glanced at the wall, seeing a brownish liquid trickle down it, watching the drips slide to the bottom, joining the massive puddle below.
What in Andraste's name has happened here? she thought, her eyebrows creased.
"Hawke?"
There was no answer.
Anxious now, the pirate withdrew one of her blood-soaked daggers and crept towards the staircase. She stuck her head through the doorway to the study on her way, searching for any kind of life, but there was none. Carefully and quietly, Isabela began to ascend the stairs, getting another chill down her spine as she did so. Something's not right here. Her hand began to sweat on the golden handle of her dagger as she neared the landing above, her footsteps squelching slickly. Her amber eyes scanned the semi darkness around her, on high alert for any sign of movement. There was no light coming from Hawke's bedroom, or indeed anywhere else that she could see from this angle. Where is she? Suddenly there was a noise from somewhere nearby. As soon as Isabela stepped out from the wall to investigate, the entire place erupted with shades.
"DOWN!"
The pirate didn't need telling twice. She flung herself across the floor just as something exploded over her head, almost giving her frostbite as it passed in a white blizzard. The shades around her froze solid, then shattered into tiny pieces of ice, and disintegrated with a sound of broken glass right in front of her eyes. Stunned, Isabela looked up, seeing who her saviour was.
"Hello."
There, standing before her, scratching his backside was Sandal, a tiny grey stone in his hand.
"Sandal?" she said in disbelief. To say she was surprised would be an understatement. Isabela glanced around at the millions of ice particles now littering the landing around her. How in the...She turned back to the dwarf then. "You're something else, Kid, you know that?"
"Enchantment," Sandal responded, grinning widely at her. The pirate gave him a kind smile, with a certain mix of awe and gratefulness, then got back to her feet.
"Where is everyone?" she asked, wondering why he hadn't answered her calls before, "Where is Hawke?"
Sandal gazed up at her with his electric blue eyes and simply shrugged. He turned his back on her then and traipsed down the stairs as though nothing was out of the ordinary.
"Hey! Wait!" Isabela called after him, leaning over the balcony rail. Sandal walked into the study, without acknowledging her further and closed the door behind him. The Rivaini sighed to herself and shook her head. What a strange little man. She turned her attention back to the seriousness of the situation then. Shades? Here? Suddenly something caught her attention. Leandra's bedroom door was lying open, hanging off its hinges. There was a faint glow of silvery light glittering over the floor, illuminating several items strewn across it carelessly.
Isabela walked slowly towards the room, curiosity taking over now. She had never been inside before. Hawke's ignorance to even its existence had been driving her crazy for months. I didn't expect it to be so messy though. Every inch of the ground was completely covered in junk. The entire place was in disarray, as though someone had torn it apart. A broken hand-mirror lay cracked, a portrait of a boy with jet-black hair lay crumpled, drawers were turned out, discarded on the floor among numerous items of clothing, along with what appeared to be several love letters. The pirate reached down and picked up a particularly old looking, torn piece of parchment that had skittered past her foot in the wind, and straightened it out. It seemed to be a journal exert of some sort. The handwriting was very girlish, slick and precise, the thing of nobles. Isabela held it up into the faint light from the nearby window and began to read:
...just can't come to terms with what happened back in Lothering. Lana knows I blame her, I can see it in her eyes, that pain...but I can't help myself. The only other alternative is that it was in fact I who was responsible for what happened that day...but no. It was definitely her, I'm sure of it. She just stood there and did nothing, allowing that monster to take him from me. She shouldn't have let him charge off like that. I miss him dearly, my beautiful son...though through my grief I have pushed away my eldest daughter and let her shoulder all the responsibility. What kind of a mother does that make me? Malcolm would never forgive me if he was still alive, rest his soul. Lana always was his blue eye. I don't even think she realises how much she is like him. I only wish I hadn't distanced myself so far from her, and made it so difficult to repair the damage between us, but she has at least allowed me to try...My darling daughter...She always was a better person than I could ever hope to be...
Isabela exhaled, stunned. She stared down at the elegant handwriting that had once belonged to Leandra Hawke and felt a bitter sense of injustice rise in her. So she dragged Lana through all that misery because she was too afraid to admit that she might have been the one who had failed her family? Or that Carver himself was responsible for what happened to him? The pirate shook her head in disbelief. And people call me heartless...She dropped the journal exert to the ground and began to search the room more thoroughly. The curtains were hanging from the window, the rail having collapsed. There were tiny family portraits resting in dusty frames on the night stand, with one turned face down. Isabela picked it up, seeing a familiar face stare back at her. The glass was smashed, as though intentional. She traced over the broken frame with her fingers, staring down at a younger, more carefree Hawke. The artist had managed to capture the woman's cheeky grin and beautiful brown eyes that had so enticed the Rivaini from the day they had met. Isabela smiled to herself. That's the Hawke I remember, she thought, wishing she could have her back again. She placed the picture back down on the nightstand, standing it upright beside the others. More letters, some dating back years, were lying on what remained of the chest of drawers, and among them a glass vase with the dusty remains of something that had long since died.
Isabela cast her eyes over the opposite side of the room then, towards a grand fireplace much like the one in Hawke's chambers. Suddenly her eyes caught the outline of a boot, lying at an awkward angle in front of the hearth. Why does that look familiar? The pirate climbed over an overturned wardrobe and skipped in between the rubble at her feet towards what she then realised with shock was a woman's body. Hawke!
Isabela dropped to her knees beside her.
"Hawke! Hawke? Maker's Breath, answer me!"
Lana didn't move. She lay still, eyes closed, holding a broken vial in her hand. Isabela touched her arm. It was deathly cold.
"Hawke!" Isabela gasped, her heart beating wildly in her chest. Oh balls, what has she done?
"She won't wake."
Isabela jumped and turned around to the corner behind her, seeing a naked woman stroll towards her. Only she wasn't a woman, not exactly. What the...? As the creature moved out into the faint light, the pirate's eyes widened in shock. Her skin was a faint purple, eyes like that of a dragon, with long, thick horns protruding from her head. The pirate swallowed hard, overcome by chills once more. She scanned the fiend's body, feeling longing rise in her against her will. What a nice rack...I wonder if I could just...Damn it, Isabela, focus!
"What are you?" she asked, intrigued and slightly wary of the thing standing over her. The woman smiled, her eyes flashing dangerously.
"I am a creature of desire," she said, mystically, running her hands over her full, pointed breasts in a seductive manner and staring at Isabela intently. Something swished behind her then and the pirate realised she had a tail.
"Nice tail," she remarked, entranced. The creature laughed, sending more chills up the Rivaini's spine.
"Ever the charmer," she said, as though she knew who she was. Her dangerous eyes traced over the pirate's body with longing, "This woman's mind is filled with thoughts of you, thoughts of desire...and lust...I can see why."
Isabela chuckled, "What's this? A demon trying to flatter me?" she joked, "Well as you no doubt know already if you've dived into her mind, I'm taken."
The demon laughed again, slowly running her long fingers along her body once more.
"And is that what you really want? To never lie with anyone else ever again, apart from this woman?" she asked, "I can see into your mind, mortal. You find it difficult sometimes, do you not? Difficult to curb those burning desires, that thirst for the more adventurous lifestyle you possessed before you succumbed to love?"
Isabela's jaw tightened, "Difficult, but not impossible," she admitted, "So if you were thinking of offering me an alternative then my answer would have to be no."
The demon sneered at her. "Oh, I wasn't going to offer you, mortal...I was going to show you."
Suddenly Isabela felt her head go funny, as though someone had snaked their fingers into her mind and was sifting through her deepest, darkest thoughts and desires. The room began to spin. She could hear an evil laugh somewhere nearby. Then, before she could even begin to fight it, she collapsed onto the floor beside Hawke and fell into unconsciousness.
Hawke smiled at her little sister and patted her dark brown curls as she cried into her shoulder. She was fourteen, though still possessed the air of child as she hadn't yet came of age. Lana wished she could stay this tiny and cute forever, feeling rather protective over her when boys in the market started to look at her interestedly. She hated the thought of one of them taking advantage of her Bethany, causing her to grow up too soon and reach the day when she no longer wanted her big sister around.
"It's alright, pretty thing, don't worry," she soothed, holding her close, "She's going to be fine, look!"
Bethany pulled her face out of her elder sister's embrace and turned to look down at the little stray mabari pup that had just been born at the side of the road on the outskirts of Lothering. It hadn't moved an inch for several minutes and they had feared the worst. All of a sudden it started to move, rolling towards its mother and the rest of the litter. The mother began to lick it clean. Bethany gasped.
"Look at her go, Lana!" she said excitedly, wiping her tears with the back of her hand. "Oh, she's so adorable!"
Hawke smiled at the enjoyment of her little sister and kissed her on the head.
"See, I told you she'd be alright, didn't I?"
Bethany looked up at her and smiled, as cute as a button.
"You always know best, Sister," she said, tightening her arms around her and snuggling into her once more, resting her head against her chest. Lana chuckled silently and leaned her chin on top of her sister's head, holding her. Both of them watched the pups together for several minutes.
"We should get back home now, pretty. Mother and Father will be wondering where we are," Hawke said finally, reluctantly breaking up the tender moment.
"Aw, but I want to stay and play," Bethany moaned, staring down at the pups with longing once more. Hawke helped her to her feet and dusted off her knees from where they had been lying in the dirt so as her mother wouldn't shout at her.
"We'll come back tomorrow," she promised, wiping the last bit of dirt away then caressing her little sister's cheek and giving her a kind smile. "How does that sound?"
Bethany's eyes lit up. "You mean it?"
Hawke stared deeply into her eyes. "Every word, little sis."
A huge grin spread over Bethany's youthful face and she hugged her sister once more, oozing happiness.
"I love you, Lana," she whispered, closing her eyes.
Lana patted her hair affectionately.
"I love you too, Beautiful."
Bethany reached up and took her hand then, waving goodbye to the pups and their mother as Lana led her away, beginning the short walk back home.
"Do you think Mother would let us keep them?" she asked excitedly. "I always wanted a mabari."
"Maybe," Hawke replied, as they walked along the dusty road together, "Though I think she has a fear of dogs, Sister. She's not from Ferelden, remember? No other country in Thedas has as much dogs as we do."
Bethany chuckled, "Why did she come here then?"
"Because she loved Father, silly. People sometimes do strange things for love," Hawke replied, swinging their hands playfully.
"Have you ever been in love?" Bethany asked, looking up at her curiously.
Hawke hesitated. At twenty years old she had never thought much of the word love. She'd slept with only one man before, a few years back, and was greatly disappointed with the outcome. Is this what I'm supposed to feel after my first time? She somehow doubted it. Hadn't everyone told her how magical it would be? Yet she didn't feel a thing, and in actual fact got a little bored half way through doing the deed. And then there are those ever confusing thoughts that I have about women occasionally...but Bethany's too young to hear about that...and I don't even know how to explain it properly.
"No," she answered finally, avoiding her sister's innocent eyes.
"Me neither," Bethany said, grumpily, scuffing feet, kicking up a few pebbles. Hawke stared down at her then.
"Do you want to be?" she asked, curious. Bethany shrugged.
"Not really...but I don't have much of a choice, do I?" she asked sadly. "Father says I should focus more on my spells instead of worrying about boys."
Lana laughed. She stopped and leaned down towards her, placing a hand on her shoulder.
"He's just doing his job as a father, Bethany, trying to keep you safe. You're so pretty that he's afraid someone will come along one day and swoop you away from him...causing me to hunt the boy down and kick his ass."
Bethany giggled a little then, gazing up at her sister. "I don't understand how you haven't got a suitor yet, Lana. You're so beautiful and nice and funny...The best person I know. How come you never bring any boys home?"
Hawke chuckled. "I don't know if you've heard, Sister, but I'm a bit of a troublemaker in town...and besides, I'm just not interested in a relationship."
Bethany laughed and the two of them started walking again.
"That's a shame," she said, staring up at Lana in awe, "You deserve to be happy with someone who loves you."
Hawke smiled and ruffled her sister's hair.
"I'll always have you, Bethany. I don't need anyone else."
Bethany smiled and hugged her arm affectionately, staying close as Hawke led them back home, just in time for dinner.
The lashing rain was beating across Isabela's face, along with a cruel hard wind, as she stood at the helm of The Siren's Call and tried to ease it through a storm. Her crew were shouting wildly, reissuing her orders and climbing the rigging to fix the sails, sending them off in the right direction. It was chaos, complete chaos, and Isabela loved it. She lived for these kinds of moments, enjoying putting The Siren through her paces, riding every wave as it crashed up against the sides of the ship, showering them all with icy water.
"We're clear!" she yelled, seeing the last of the storm die behind them. "Tie those ropes and break out the rum!"
Her crew cheered appreciatively, swinging from the rigging and propelling themselves down onto the deck once more. Isabela passed the helm to her first-mate Casavir and began to walk back to the Captain's Quarters. Suddenly, one of her crew intercepted her.
"Avast, me proud beauty! Wanna know why me roger is so jolly?" he asked, grinning toothlessly at her in a manner he deemed seductive. She walked past, waving him off.
"Shut your bung hole, Jack. It was a onetime thing, and when I was drunk you looked a lot better than real life," she said, rolling her eyes. Nearby members of her crew chuckled at Jack's expense. He looked furious.
"Ah come on now, Captain," he said, reaching out and grabbing her arm forcefully. Isabela glared at him dangerously. "Don't be like that...I know you'd love me to bury me face in that treasure chest of yours again."
"Get your filthy paws off me, you bilge rat, or I'll have your head," she growled. Crusty Jack didn't let go.
"Well, pardon me Captain Isabela sir, but I'd like to fire me cannon through your porthole once more...and I'm not taking 'no' for an ans-"
Before Jack could finish his sentence Isabela hand hauled him up off the deck and tossed him overboard. His yell carried all the way down to the rough sea where he landed with a hard splash. The other pirate's cheered and howled, leaning over the edge, laughing and jeering down at him as he tried to keep up with the ship. One of them poured a bit of his watered-down rum over board.
"Have a last sip of grog, you scurvy bastard! No one touches our Captain like that and lives to tell the tale!" he yelled, getting more cheers from the others.
"And a last piece o' toast you mongrel!" another pirate with a wooden leg shouted, chucking it into the sea after him. "No one touches The Queen of The Eastern Seas and gets away with it!"
"Ahh, that felt great," Isabela sighed to herself, chuckling. She mockingly saluted the man floating in the ocean and turned away, walking back towards her quarters. Her crew parted for her as she past, some nodding their heads in respect and others backing away out of caution.
"Captain."
"Sir."
She nodded back and walked down the wooden stairs, opening the door to her chambers and closing it behind her. A huge, cheeky smile appeared on her face as her eyes were treated to the gift waiting for her inside. Three naked whores (one male and two females) lay sprawled out on her giant four-poster bed, waiting for her eagerly. She had taken them from the last port they had docked in, having been chucked out of the brothel there after yet another bar brawl. Best decision I ever made when I decided to 'borrow' these three in return for my troubles.
"Sorry for the interruption," she said, taking off her daggers an undressing before re-joining them on the bed after dealing with the storm outside. "Now, where were we?"
The male whore began kissing her immediately as the women giggled and hands began to trace over her wet, naked body from all angles. She pushed the man back down onto the bed dominantly, crawling on top of him and pinning his hands over his head as she so often liked to do. Oh, the joys of being in control. The man's tongue pressed up against hers felt kind of different now though, not nearly as enjoyable as she'd remembered.
Suddenly, Isabela pulled back, feeling a little funny.
"Is something wrong, Captain?" the man asked, giving her a weird look. The pirate massaged her temples. What was I doing before this? Wasn't I...? Oh, forget it. She shook herself a little and leaned back down, kissing the man passionately again and feeling the women on either side resuming their exploring.
After several minutes, Isabela pulled back once more. He head was beginning to turn foggy. She brought a hand to her temple again and closed her eyes tightly. What's happening to me? The voices around her began to become blurred.
"Isabela...you're acting really strange..."
The pirate opened her eyes and looked at the distorting faces of her lovers. She squinted, trying to make them out.
"No," she said, shaking her head, "No, this is weird...I shouldn't be here."
She jumped up off the bed and began to put on her clothes again.
"Come back to bed, Captain," one of the women called, running her hand along her body seductively. "We'll do anything you want."
Isabela hesitated, staring back at them with longing. Maybe I could just...No! There's something weird about them...and I feel like something's holding me back. Suddenly the image of a woman with dark hair and chocolate-brown eyes burned in her mind then. I...Don't I know her...?
"I'm leaving," she said finally to the whores, resuming getting dressed. She picked up her boots and began to put them on.
"Oh, please stay. Don't you miss The Siren's Call? Wouldn't you like to have her back again?"
Isabela faltered. She gazed around at her beloved quarters, never wanting to leave. "I like big boats, I cannot lie..."
"Then stay with us," the woman continued, "We'll show you a good time."
"Hmm, it's so very tempting," she groaned, staring around again with longing. "Do you know how many people I had sex with on this ship?"
"No."
"Neither do I," the pirate joked, smirking at the inhabitants of her bed. Just as she went to walk back and give in to her desires, the same face appeared in her mind again. No, what am I doing?
"I...No, I can't," she said regretfully, "I have to save...someone."
She turned away again and put on her other boot, having made up her mind.
"YOU GOING NOWHERE MORTAL!"
Suddenly the whores morphed, and changed into something monstrous behind her. Isabela turned in shock and dived across the bedroom floor just in time, dodging the desire demon's attack. Maker's Breath! Picking up her discarded daggers she began lashing out at the fiend before it could regain its composure. The large, horned head rolled off its body and black, tainted blood began to pour from the decapitated torso, oozing out onto the floor.
Isabela got back to her feet, shaken. She put the daggers onto her back and stepped away from the travelling pool of thick blood. Suddenly the door to the Captain's Quarters began to rattle loudly. There was the unmistakable shout of crazed pirates, trying to break the door down, hammering it wildly with their weapons.
"Shit!" she cursed loudly, pacing the floor, wondering what to do. "Oh, balls, I need to find Hawke...I need to find Hawke!"
No sooner had the words left her mouth when she was beamed up into nothingness once more, taken from her dream of desire and propelled into blackness.
Hawke sat down to supper with her family at the table outside. They always ate in the garden as the house was too small to hold them all inside along with the massive table, leaving them very little room to move. She listened to Bethany retell the story of the mabari pups they had found on the roadside.
"...so cute, Mother. It was the tiniest little thing. Can we keep them? Oh, please can we keep them?"
Leandra chuckled and turned to Malcolm.
"What do you think darling?" she asked. Malcolm smiled kindly at his youngest daughter and placed a hand over hers on the table.
"Sorry, Sweet Pea. The pups have to stay with their mother. She'll look after them better than we ever could," he said gently. "And we just can't afford more mouths to feed." Bethany's face fell. She stared down at her hands sadly. Lana reached out and brushed her hair back away from her face. She leaned in close.
"We'll go back tomorrow and bring them some scraps, ok?" she whispered in her ear, as their parents began to ladle out helpings of stew into their bowls. Bethany's face lightened up then.
"Ok," she said, smiling at her sister. Lana winked at her and straightened up. Suddenly Bethany's chair was pulled out from under her and she fell to the floor. Carver hovered over her and stuck out his tongue.
"Ha ha, you fell on your bum! You fell on your bum!" he teased, making a silly face.
"Carver!" she cried, "Ugh, you're so annoying!"
Hawke rolled her eyes and helped Bethany up. She was used to her little brother's antics. Only last night he had pinned Bethany's pigtails to the bed as she slept. She dragged her sister's chair upright and backed her onto it, then got to her feet.
"Carver!" she scolded, giving him a stern look, "Stop messing around you little scamp. We're about to eat dinner so settle yourself."
He glared at his elder sister and groaned, sitting himself down on the opposite side of the table.
"Put the sword away, darling," Leandra said, "Nothing's going to duel you at the table."
"I might," Lana joked, making him laugh. He held up his sword to her in attack before his mother yanked it from his grasp.
"Oh, Mother!" he groaned.
"You'll get it back when dinner's over," she replied.
"And apologise to your sister," Malcolm added, glancing at Bethany. Carver huffed then and folded his arms.
"Sorry, Bethy," he said grumpily, picking up his spoon and beginning to attack the stew in his bowl. Leandra chuckled and ruffled his hair.
"Lana, be a dear and pass me the bottle of wine," she said. Hawke did as she was told. "Thank you...Here you go, darling. I made it without onions, just the way you like it."
Lana took the bowl of stew from her, "Thank you, Mother."
The family of five sat down to supper then, ignoring the usual human tradition of saying grace beforehand as they always did. Well, The Maker did give us two mages in the family. I don't think He'd be offended if we didn't thank Him for a meal.
"So," Leandra began, taking a mouthful of her stew and turning to her eldest. "Are you going to tell us who that boy was you were talking to in Lothering yesterday, Lana?"
Malcolm rolled his eyes and gave his daughter an apologetic stare.
"She's been talking about it all day," he groaned, "Already picking out wedding dresses, flowers and a potential guest list."
Lana cringed. "Um, he was just a friend, Mother. I met him at the tavern a few weeks ago and we got to walking...So you can save the speech."
"Oh come on, dear" Leandra said sceptically, "I saw how you two were staring at each other. There was more there than friendship, I'm telling you. I'm hoping it won't be long before you give me my first grandchildren. How long are you going to keep me waiting?"
Lana thought back to yesterday then. True, she had been excited to see her friend, but it was the nature of their discussion that had put a smile on her face. She had just found out through his gossip about a local woman who liked to 'explore' her sexuality. Her friend had put in a good word for her, having seen her checking out women one night when they were drinking and wrangling her secret out of her, even though she hadn't uttered a word of admittance. At least now I can try and put these confusing feelings I'm having about women into motion though. They're driving me crazy...and I haven't looked at a man longingly in ages. Maybe I'm just not interested in them...Is it possible? Lana looked up then and caught her father's eyes. The way he was staring at her was as though he could read her thoughts. Every time Leandra brought up the subject of marriage and men, he seemed to sense it made his daughter uncomfortable and changed the topic. Today was no different.
"Leave the poor girl alone, Leandra. I'm sure she can handle her own affairs," he said, placing a hand on his wife's to quieten her. He flashed Lana another look of understanding then and picked up another spoonful of stew. Hawke threw him a small smile in thanks and turned her attention to her own dinner, keeping her head down. I wonder if he knows, she thought to herself. The way he looks at me...Lana smiled to herself then, suddenly not feeling so alone. She felt a deep rush of affection for her father and glanced up at him. He threw her a discreet wink across the table before taking a sip of his wine.
Suddenly a strange looking woman appeared in the garden out of nowhere. She had dark hair, tan skin and a blue bandana. She also looked to be armed. Lana jumped to her feet, as did her mother and father.
"Who are you?" Malcolm asked threateningly, his hand reaching for his staff should her need it. Bethany grabbed her sister's hand, scared.
"I...I'm looking for Hawke," the woman said, scanning the faces of the dinner table. Her head was still a bit foggy.
"You have him," Malcolm said, his jaw tightening. "Are you with the Templars?"
The woman chuckled. "Maker's bloody balls, as if! And I think I should have been a bit more specific. I'm here for Lana Hawke."
Lana felt her sister's grip on her hand tighten. She glanced down at little Bethany and gave her a reassuring smile, then released her.
"And who might you be?" she asked, walking towards her. She's quite attractive. The woman frowned.
"You can't be serious, Hawke!" she exclaimed, "It's me! Isabela!"
Lana's eyes brows creased. "Do I...know you?" she asked, confused.
"Better than anyone else," Isabela replied, grinning at her. Lana said nothing. It was several seconds before the pirate realised Hawke wasn't toying with her, that she actually didn't know who she was. "Oh, come on! Maker's Breath! After the amount of times we've had sex and you still can't remember me?"
There were noises of outrage. Leandra covered Carver and Bethany's ears, brining their heads towards her chest.
"There are children here, Serah! Please watch your language! My daughter would never consort with the likes of you!" she exclaimed, glaring at Isabela.
"Aw, shit not you again," the pirate groaned, seeing Leandra Hawke in the flesh once more. "I thought she'd finally gotten rid of you." She turned back to Hawke, who looked appalled at her rudeness. "Look Sweetness, this isn't real. You have to believe me. We need to get out of her fast or some sexy ass demon is going to kills us, alright?"
Hawke gave her a strange look and turned up her nose. "I'm not going anywhere with you," she snarled, "And I suggest you leave...before I make you leave."
Isabela rolled her eyes. "Look, I know how much fun you're having, being back with your family and all, and I'm so sorry for bursting that happy bubble...but Hawke, just listen to me...They're dead, Sweetness. This is a dream, nothing more. I'm the only thing that is real. You must trust me!"
When Hawke's demeanour didn't change the pirate groaned. "Oh, this is getting us nowhere. Come here." She grabbed Lana's face and planted a passionate kiss on her lips. Hawke stood in shock, her eyes closed. Wow...my first kiss with a woman...It's better than I imagined. Their tongues brushed up against each other, light and playful. Her mother yelled in outrage and left her youngest children at the table, charging across the grass and breaking the two women apart.
"How could you, Lana?" she asked, glaring at her daughter. "In front of your siblings! You're setting a bad example for them. Don't you dare go with this whore!"
Isabela chuckled.
"Oh, here's the Leandra I know," she joked, "Still trying to control her daughter even in the afterlife."
Leandra turned to her furiously. "Get out of here, you pirate slattern. You will not take my daughter."
"No," Hawke said firmly as Leandra grabbed Isabela's arm and tried to drag her off. Her mother turned back to her in shock. Isabela could see some recognition register on Lana's face then. Oh thank The Maker, I was getting bored of this! Hawke brought a finger to her lips, feeling the effects of Isabela's kiss, remembering something, as though it was a distant memory. She stared into her eyes. "I do know you..."
Isabela grabbed her arm quickly and started to run. "That's great, Sweetness. Now let's get out of here before-"
"YOU ARE BOTH MINE!"
"Oh, balls!" the pirate groaned. I'd hoped we could avoid this. She and Hawke turned around just in time to see the others disappear and Leandra morph into a demon.
"What the-!"
The pirate tackled Hawke to the ground, landing on top of her and shielding her from harm as the demon cast a spell at them. She felt Lana grab one of her daggers and the two of them got to their feet.
"Together?" Lana suggested.
"Always," Isabela replied.
The two women charged down the desire demon and jumped simultaneously, disappearing from view momentarily then reappearing behind the monster. They both buried their daggers in the fiend's back, hearing bloodcurdling screams echo all around them. The world began to shake, strips of light shining through the demon as it died. Suddenly it exploded, sending Isabela and Hawke backwards and into another cloak of darkness once more.
Hawke felt life come back into her body. She inhaled sharply. She was lying on a cold, stone floor in semi darkness. Someone was calling her name frantically. Her body was stiff. She opened her eyes.
"Hawke? Hawke, answer me!"
"...Bela?"
"Hawke! Thank The bastard Maker!"Isabela reached down and touched her face. "Are you alright?"
"I'm..." she screwed up her face, "Ugh...my head feels heavy..."
Suddenly everything came rushing back: Zevran's appearance on The Wounded Coast, Isabela's response, her own fit of rage, throwing the whiskey bottle at the wall, tearing her mother's room apart after she read her journal...and then finding a tiny vial with a note addressed to Leandra from Quentin, the necromancer who had murdered her.
"What happened?" Isabela asked, caressing her cheek.
"I..." Hawke looked across at her outstretched hand, seeing the broken vial. She tipped her hand and let it fall onto the ground. "The vial...I...it broke...something attacked me and...that's all I remember."
"Come on, let's get you up. We need to get out of here."
"You're hurt," Hawke groaned, seeing the blood spattered all over the pirate as she glanced up at her, dazed.
"I'm fine," she replied, "It's just a few scratches."
Lana allowed the pirate to help her to her feet then and felt her warm hand slide around her waist as she led her out of the messy room and down the stairs.
The sun had long since disappeared behind the clouds as they exited the Hawke Estate. Isabela led a still groggy Lana through Hightown, descending the steps into Lowtown and heading in the direction of the docks. By now Hawke had come around properly, helped by the fresh air. She pulled away from Isabela and walked alongside her, not looking at her. The pirate watched her out of the corner of her eye, waiting to see if she would speak. After several seconds it was clear that she wasn't going to.
"Do you remember all those walks we took here years ago?" Isabela said, finally breaking the silence. Lana nodded and smiled a little against her will.
"I remember you trying to seduce me over there," she said, pointing to the spot on the docks where they had shared a bottle of whiskey together after the pirate got threw out of The Hanged Man for brawling. Isabela smiled.
"I thought about that night for years," she admitted quietly.
"So did I," Hawke replied, throwing her a grin. "Do you even know how close you were to winning me over?"
Isabela chuckled. "I had an idea," she teased, "I was impressed that you actually managed to resist."
"So was I," Lana said, chuckling.
The pirate decided to chance it then. She reached out, taking Hawke's hand in her own as they approached her ship on the harbour. Lana glanced down at it, the smile falling from her face. Isabela took it as a sign of encouragement that she didn't let go.
"I'm sorry," she said, squeezing her fingers gently, "I'm sorry for what I did earlier today..."
Lana looked over at her and smiled. "I know, Isabela...But it was a little humiliating...and it kind of hurt."
Isabela exhaled harshly, angry with herself. How do I always seem to get myself into these messes? I need to be locked up. Hawke squeezed her fingers back then reassuringly, surprising her a little.
"I think I'm the one who has to apologise more though," she continued, still staring at her. "I've been a right pain in the ass recently, Bela."
The pirate chuckled, "And I've been an idiot," she added, "Maker, what are we like?"
The two of them laughed then as they made their way up the slope towards the deck of the ship. They walked towards the front of it and hung around, staring out at the view. There were dark rain clouds approaching in the distance, floating slowly closer to Kirkwall. Isabela released Lana's hand and leaned over the rail, daydreaming into the deep ocean below. Maker, I miss sailing...It was the only thing in my life that I didn't have to apologise for. Hawke watched her, seeing the moonlight reflect in her eyes. She looked tired. Neither of them spoke for several minutes, listening to the sound of the gentle waves in the distance.
"Would you have gone through with it if I had of said yes?" Hawke asked, curious. Isabela turned to her.
"I'm not going to lie to you...The thought did cross my mind initially," she said, apologetically, "But it was a selfish one...I would never do that to you, Hawke, no matter how much I wanted it." She sighed then and looked down ruefully into the water once more. "Balls, me and my big mouth...It was just a joke that got out of hand, that's all...and I'm really sorry, Sweetness."
Hawke smiled then and reached out, caressing the pirate's face with her hand and turning her to look at her. Without another word she leaned in and placed a sweet kiss on her lips, wrapping her arms around her neck and pressing herself up against her. The pirate slid her arms around her waist and held her close.
After several minutes their lips parted. Hawke stood in her embrace and stared into Isabela's eyes.
"You know, you were right," she whispered, playing with the pirate's hair.
"About what?" Isabela replied, watching her.
"When you said I had too many regrets," she said softly, "I've been feeling too sorry for myself recently, and I hadn't even noticed."
"I had," Isabela said, smiling her crooked smile and brushing away a lock of hair that the wind had blown across her face.
"I know," Hawke said, sadly, "And I'm sorry."
Isabela placed a tender kiss on her lips in response.
"I knew you were slipping, Sweetness, I just didn't know how far you were going to go..."
"Neither did I," Lana admitted, shaking her head in disbelief, "I think that's how the demon was able to manipulate me so easily...But I suppose something good came out of it at least."
Isabela frowned at her, "And what was that? Me, stylishly following you into the fade and dashing to your rescue?"
Lana chuckled, "Did I even thank you yet?" she asked. Isabela grinned.
"You can thank me later, Sweetness," she replied, giving her a wink. "So, what's this other thing then?"
"Well..." Hawke swallowed hard, "I...I guess I just realised how much I missed Bethany," she admitted, finally saying the words out loud. Isabela smiled. "That dream...or memory, whatever it was...It made me realise why I had been lashing out at everyone, Bela. I have to let things go, I can't hold onto them forever..."
"And have you?" Isabela asked gently, searching her chocolate-brown eyes. Lana smiled at her.
"I have," she said, feeling a huge weight lift off her shoulders, "My mother...whatever she became in the end, will always be my mother. I can't change that...and I can't bring her back. It wasn't my fault what happened to her, and I think even Bethany knew that. I didn't even stop to think about how much Mother's death had affected her though. She was locked away on her own, unable to see anyone or even get a proper explanation as to what happened...I don't know why I didn't see it before."
"You were grieving too," Isabela offered kindly, stroking her cheek.
"But now I'm finished," Hawke said firmly, looking up at her. "I've finally let her rest...and I realised have to forgive Bethany for how she acted...It wasn't her fault."
Isabela gave Lana a proud smile and pulled her close then, placing her head against chest and hugging her tightly. She let out a huge sigh.
"You have no idea how happy I am to hear you say that, Sweetness," she said, resting her chin on her head and swaying her slightly in her arms. She's back, she couldn't help but think. The real Hawke is back.
Hawke closed her eyes and smiled, heaving a huge sigh herself. She could feel the pirate's heartbeat beating against her face and relaxed into her embrace.
"There's just one thing, Isabela," she whispered.
"Name it," the pirate whispered back.
"I want to leave Kirkwall once I make sure my sister is safe." Hawke pulled back and stared up at her then. "I don't want to stay here anymore...It's never felt like home to me."
Isabela sighed, "Me either, Sweetness."
"And I never want to set foot in that Estate again," Hawke added. Isabela nodded, understanding. She had expected this, knowing that the place had been haunting the woman for years.
"Why don't I go back and get your things?" she said, "Stay here with me tonight. We'll have dinner together, maybe a few drinks...and then we'll leave, first thing tomorrow after seeing Bethany."
"And go where?" Hawke asked curiously. The pirate grinned.
"The open waters," she said simply, "Sailing...Maker I've missed it."
Lana smiled up at her then and placed a light kiss on her lips.
"Deal," she said, throwing her arms around her. They both started to laugh then and hugged each other tightly. For once, everything felt like it was going right.
All of a sudden there was a resounding, earth-shattering explosion in the distance. The two women jumped with fright and broke apart, staring up at Hightown in shock. A massive fire was raging in the night, followed by the sounds of people screaming and shouting. Smoke bellowed from what was once the Kirkwall Chantry.
"By The Maker!" Hawke breathed, her eyes wide. She walked a few paces away from Isabela in a daze, transfixed on the incredible scene. Isabela stood open mouthed, having never seen such a thing in her life. Lana's blood ran cold. She took one last look back at the Rivaini, then they both set off at a run, sprinting back towards the direction of Hightown with nothing but dread in their hearts.