Selena trudged to the tavern and froze at its wooden door, inhaling and exhaling deeply; smoky tendrils rose like mist from cold trembling lips. Maker, it's cold. She thought. Frigid air gnawed at her face, and she shivered; she hated this cold weather! Images of a glorious fire blazing in the hearth from the confines of her bedroom tantalized her with its vividness and she inwardly groaned. Can't believe I am being forced to leave my nice, comfortable room for this!

She shrugged.

Best to get this over with….

She unconsciously lifted her chin a little higher and squared her shoulders as though she was about to do battle with an archdemon, and increased her pace to the miserable dinner party, already steeling herself for the always deliriously happy Josephine.

Rubbing above her left eyebrow, Selena sighed. She was being foolish; it's just a dinner party—what's the worst that could happen? At least the tavern was out of this accursed cold!

Distinctive lettering—The Herald's Rest—had been engraved upon the signpost above the tavern, and Selena scoffed at the name. Would be nice if I could rest! The tavern looked to have been built hastily from the many pine and aspen trees in the area, yet it seemed sturdy enough. Warm, golden light trickled out from the building. Firelight. Warmth. Music and boisterous laughter—exactly what Selena hoped to avoid—resounded from the closed doors; apparently the crowd was enjoying themselves. She preferred the quiet, and from the sounds the night revelers made, silence was the last thing offered within those walls.

A headache—it was inevitable— would soon rear its monstrous head; chaotic noise often did that to her. It seemed the night taunted her, laughing with each step she made. Even the wooden door mocked her; it just had to be amusing itself with her soon to be miserable occasion. Wrinkling her nose and shuddering, she mumbled under her breath, "Brilliant! This is exactly what I aspired to do this evening!"

Another chill wind brushed past her shoulders, and she shivered once more.

Damned door.

Damned Josephine.

She turned the small metal doorknob.

The door creaked open, and odors of alcohol and cooked meat hit her nostrils while the low roar of chatter and singing echoed through the room. Her stomach rumbled involuntarily; it had been hours since her last meal. The large room was filled with tables and chairs of ashen wood, and they looked comfortable enough.

Not as comfortable as her blankets and cozy bed at home.

Either way, it was warm, and there was food.

Loud raucous laughter resonated from the far side of the room, a darker corner that attracted every shadow in Thedas. So it was no surprise that four scraggly men would be the cause of the irritating clamor that slammed into her head as if Iron Bull struck her with his sword pommel. She groaned. Of course, they would loiter on the night she finally decided to grace the tavern with her presence. She understood that people needed to find a distraction from these troublesome times whenever they could steal a moment or two—Maker knew they deserved after all that transpired over the last few months—but, did they have to be this loud?

She started to plod past the gaudy alcove to search for her companions, but a soft voice that had an undercurrent made Selena tense, halting her steps. As one would expect, the sound came from the rowdy men's corner.

Filthy assholes.

Selena's footsteps pounded on the hardwood floor, bounding towards the men.

There were four of them, elbowing each other—with teeth that flashed yellow when their lips drew back in a sneer. The nauseating stench of their clothes and stale alcohol invaded her even before she reached them. Did these men bathe? Did they even know what a bath was?

Maker, I am going to gag.

A woman pressed her back tightly against the wall, pinned in by obtrusive men. She had straight hair the color of wheat tied up in a ponytail, which further accentuated a pale heart-shaped face. Delicate arms lifted to cover breasts hidden in a thick woolen dress, away from the prying eyes of the men flanking her.

One of the men—the ringleader—had his mangy paws on a soft arm, trying to drag her towards him. Grimy, shabby, and frayed, the man's leathers were much to be desired. Why did he even wear them? "Come on, darling, we just want to share a drink or two." The blond woman looked down and turned away, her gaze darting around pleading for help. This Prince Charming—obviously so stupid he thought the woman was into him—pressed on. "Just one drink."

Oh, lovely, another moron in need of a lesson in manners!

The woman's tone was strained. "No, I... I was just leaving." The grimy fingers clamped around her arm tugged with more force. She whimpered.

Selena had enough of this.

She tapped the ringleader's shoulder, lips pressed in a thin line. "I understand an idiot such as you," she glanced around the group, every word deliberate, "does not understand what the word 'no' means." She gave the man a hard, unblinking stare. "But, I suggest you back away from the lady."

Josephine should be happy with this outcome. She didn't lose her temper, and Prince Charming still had his head. Her fingers twitched, the need for her blade overwhelming, but she would handle this civilly. Well for now. Later, when they were alone...

Her lips curved upward, and her heart sped up. Yep, she would definitely pay prince charming and his friends a visit later.

A voice that could vex Andraste herself chopped across the dark corner, spittle sprinkling to the ground. Tall, pale and ugly obviously had a mouth watering problem. He leered at her, leaning in close. "Look, boys another pretty thing to join our party." His face twisted in wild, savage glee while tiny, beady eyes swept from the top of her head to the bottom of her feet. Selena's eyes narrowed, fists itching to meet with the man's head. "The more the merrier, I always say!" He stretched out another grubby hand for her shoulders, but Selena easily dodged it. It wasn't difficult to dodge an oaf after all.

Stay… calm….

Must not attack the silly, stupid fool of a man.

Her lips drew together and her body tensed. "How about this," she said with a sinister looking smirk, "you touch me again, and I remove that tiny," she said, her eyebrows arching as her eyes lowered to his crotch, "pitiful organ you wish to have a party with." Her face went blank, a cold tone in her voice. "Win. Win."

Prince Charming's face contorted into a scowl. "You're gonna do what?" His mouth twisted into an ugly sneer. "Oh, this one's feisty."

"Uh, Spero—"

"You know what, I think you need to see who's in charge here!" Spero said, taking a menacing step closer. Selena held her ground, body coiled ready to spring on him like a cobra eyeing a harmless mouse. "Girl."

"Spero—"

"John, don't interrupt! We need to teach this one a lesson."

"Spero! It's the inquisitor."

Selena raised an eyebrow and watched the blood drain from Spero's face with a cocky smile. Rubbing the back of his neck, his eyes darted around. Yeah, Selena thought, I've got you now. "I meant no disrespect, Lady Inquisitor, we were just—"

She cocked her head to the side and narrowed her eyes. "Really? Because it looked like you were forcing your attentions." She glanced at the trembling woman, expression softening instantly. "Were you harmed?"

"N-no, Lady Inquisitor. I thank you," the woman glanced away, cheeks as red as the strawberry jam Selena enjoyed stealing from the kitchen. "I was just trying to leave when they…"

Selena scanned the room and beamed when her gaze fell on Krem. She raised her voice, ensuring it echoed through the tavern. "Krem!" Krem peered up at her, brow wrinkled. "Krem, can you escort this woman back home? These men were insistent on giving unwanted attention; so, I wish to ensure she is safely escorted."

"It will be done," Krem said, shepherding the woman out the door.

One of the men in question—John—interrupted. "Can we go, ma'am?"

That was not the right thing to say!

She whirled back to John, her jaw clenched. "No, I don't think so. But, what shall I do with you?" The door to the tavern opened, and steel boots lumbered on the wooden floor. Cullen. "Cullen," she said, shooting him a look over her shoulder. "These men need something to do; you know what they say about idle hands." She stared at Spero a few seconds before peering up at John. "Isn't that right, boys?"

There was no hesitation. In unison, they said, "Yes ma'am."

"Cullen, can you have some of the men escort these gentlemen to the privy. Let them have that duty for a while to reconsider their behavior."

"It will be done," Cullen said, dipping his head.

The night didn't turn out half as bad after all! The tavern was well rid of those idiots, and she had more victims for privy duty.

I'll still have to pay them a visit later. Just to be extra sure they learned this valuable lesson.

"Oh, there you are, Lady Inquisitor!" Selena cringed. There it was again, the voice that grated her beyond all others—even Spero's. Not because it was horrid—the voice was quite lovely. No, it was because when Josephine spoke, suggestions that were really commands generally followed. Selena really had no desire to perform any more tasks. "We are on the second floor."

With lips compressed, Selena ground her teeth. If this shitty evening must commence, there better be lots of drinks. "Second floor. Got it." She shot a smile that hopefully showed massive dedication—which in all actuality was none— to this event. "On my way."

The front door shot open once more, and a gale of chill wind rushed in. Selena's head shot to the entrance.

She froze.

A woman wearing a forest green tunic and leggings stood by the door. Her emerald green eyes searched the area, hands clutching the handle of a thick ashen staff. She licked her full lips, the corners of her mouth tipping upwards. She half turned, staring at the courtyard through the open door, before muttering something to herself. Sable Brown hair rested on slender shoulders, and the strands tapered off in the back. They looked soft… so soft. What would it be like to run my fingers through those tresses? Selena lost herself in brilliant green eyes—they touched and held her in a fixated stare. Those eyes enthralled her. The woman's eyes locked on her, the type of stare that could stop Selena's heart and shoot her temperature up a few degrees. Well… to be honest, more than a few. Long thin ears rose from the woman's head—Selena paused.

An elf.

Am I gawking at an elf?

But, those curious thoughts vanished when that emerald gaze trapped hers, propelling her into fields of green touched by the early morning's dew. Emerald green. She wanted to sink into emerald green. Squinting her eyes, she tried to make out even more details about this elf. Who was this woman? Where was she from?

Selena had to know!

She must find out!

Nonchalantly, she strolled towards the elf, sidestepping some chairs in order to get a closer look—she didn't want to appear the obvious stalker. She turned to the left, not realizing there was a small stack of lumber on the ground, and sauntered forward, eyes hooked on this heavenly apparition before her.

She fell on her face.

Selena had slipped on the lumber laying on the ground—why would anyone leave something like that on the floor, anyway?— foot twisting, falling hard with a loud thump; the only thing that protected her face was her wrists held out in front to block the blow.

The enchanting, seductive heavenly apparition of an elf gaped down on her, brow wrinkled in concern for the foolish gawking idiot who just fell flat on her face! The blood flowed into Selena's face, heating her neck all the way to her hairline—oh, she was red… so very red.

She was mortified, and that was putting it lightly. Sweet Andraste, she wanted to hide somewhere that wasn't here.

Anywhere but here!

Large luminous emerald green orbs enveloped her, took her breath away. Selena could do nothing but stare. She blinked. The elf was kneeling beside her, lips pursed together "By the Dread Wolf! Are you okay? I saw you take quite a fall, and it really seemed like you hurt yourself. Are you hurt badly? I know what that is like—I'm always falling. Just the other day, I fell off the side of the boat, and the water was dreadfully cold. I took quite a swim—Isabela was not happy about that—back to the ship. Nope, Isabela was not happy; she didn't smile once, and she usually smiles all the time. She said I am too clumsy for my own good. How being clumsy good, anyways? Sometimes the things she says baffles me. So, I know what it's like to be clumsy, but I've never seen anyone else fall on their face like that! I really hope you are alright? How did you trip; didn't you see that piece of wood there? Why would it be there anyways? Oh, Is that woman on the stairs with you, she looks so cross. Oh, creators, she's coming here."

Selena opened her lips to speak, but no words escaped. Why couldn't she speak? Why couldn't she move?

So beautiful. She's so beautiful.

An interruption slammed into her like a wave on a cliff side. "Lady Inquisitor! Are you alright?" Josephine's panicked voice caused Selena to clench her jaw.

Maker, why does she have to be here?

Varric appeared suddenly, gazing down at her a moment before shaking his head and let out a throaty laugh. "Well, this I must hear about!" His attention turned to the elf kneeling beside her. "Daisy? I thought you were in Kirkwall?"

"Hi, Varric," Daisy replied, her voice a melody, such a beautiful song. "I followed Isabela, who followed Hawke, and I am not sure why Hawke came. I mean I am, but not really—something about a friend—but I really can't say. You'll need to talk to her. I was so happy that this place is so easy to get around because I was so worried I would get lost. You know, I was always getting lost in Lowtown, but you gave me that twine! This time, I didn't have any twine, and I always end up in the worst places. Like that time in Lowtown when… oh, you wanted to know about Hawke and Isabela. They are sleeping, and you know how grumpy Hawke gets when someone wakes her. She gets all scary, and I really try to stay away from her then. It's quite interesting, really because normally she is quite pleasant to be around. Why do you think she—"

"Daisy…"

"Oh, I am babbling again, aren't I. Isabela said I should look for you as I wasn't ready to turn in. So here I am… looking for you."

"How wonderful! Another guest for our dinner!" Josephine said, beaming. "I shall ensure a place is set for you."

As if the incident with Selena didn't happen, the ambassador was darting back up the stairs. That suit Selena fine; she'd rather not be around Josephine. She wanted to bask in the presence of this heavenly creature with such intense green eyes. Eyes like a forest where she could run free—unrestrained.

Free.

"Oh Maker, are you hurt, Inquisitor?" Cullen's voice was laced with concern.

Maker Preserve me.

"I am fine, Cullen," Selena said, taking his offered hand.

"Oh, you are the inquisitor?" The elf asked. Her mouth widened, the corners lifting towards the sky, sending electricity humming through Selena's body. "I'm Merrill."

Merrill.

Yep, this night was definitely going to be interesting.