Isabela didn't even know what was wrong with her. Her dalliances weren't giving her the usual satisfaction; instead she was feeling frustrated and more and more annoyed. With Aisha. With Sebastian. With everyone. Hawke was a goody-two-shoes, wanting to help everyone that came her way. Aveline was boring and meddlesome; Sebastian frigid. Fenris was… fun to tease. Merrill and Varric were the only people Isabela could bear right now.

The pirate was standing by her favourite place in the bar, gulping down whisky that was burning her throat just enough on the way down. She saw a handsome stranger eyeing her but she just rolled her eyes. Not good enough. She started looking for somebody else who could drown her sorrows better than drink. Somebody young, female. With dark skin and black hair.

"Are you coming?"

"Huh?" Isabela hadn't noticed Hawke entering the tavern and starting to talk with her.

"Are you drunk?" The mage asked, "The others are outside. We are going back to the Deep Roads for the day, relocating two brothers."

"Are you daft?" Isabela replied, "no way I'm going down there again!"

Hawke shrugged, said it was fine and started saying something else but was suddenly interrupted by their comrades who had entered the tavern, looking for Hawke. It was Varric who had spoken.

"Are you coming or what?"

Hawke nodded and started turning around. Isabela stole a glance to the people behind her. It was Merrill, of course, Varric and also Sebastian, Aveline and then Aisha.

"Wait," Isabela finished her drink in one swift movement, "I'm coming."

…

The Deep Roads were what they had always been. Water dripping. Mold. The sound of little feet in the shadows. Spiders. How the dwarves could live there was beyond the pirate. She hated it; the lack of strong wind, no open sky or beckoning horizon.

"Ugh."

"What's wrong?" Aisha came to stand beside her as Hawke was discussing fervently with Sebastian and Aveline about where they were going to walk next. Isabela threw the mage a quick look. The girl was sporting a new piercing. It was similar to the one Isabela had on her chin, but Aisha had hers on the side of her nose. The girl looked different, alive; the smile on her lips could also be seen in her eyes. But then she put on a worried face and lightly touched her friend's arm.

"Really, are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Isabela said slightly irritable and mindlessly scratched the part of her arm that Aisha had touched, "I just don't like having so much rock over my head."

Varric overheard her and laughed.

"Isabela," he said, "I thought that you of all people would be okay with exploring Deep Roads."

Isabela giggled and sighed, trying to feel more comfortable despite the place where they were.

"Yeah, you would think so, wouldn't you?" She said and noticed with amusement as something teasing flashed across Aisha's eyes.

"If you want to, I can hold your hand," the girl whispered and winked. Isabela had to chuckle.

"It is nice to see that you are yourself, sweet thing."

"Darkspawn!" It was Hawke's voice and sure enough, soon they were practically surrounded by genlocks and hurlocks.

Aisha, Merrill and Sebastian stayed in the background; Hawke was a mage but liked her opponents close in a fight and always wore heavy armor. Aisha tried to deliver her healing spells equally but couldn't help to keep an extra eye on Isabela. She also took the fight as an opportunity to practice some new fire spells. Then she suddenly heard heavy steps behind her. It was an ogre coming closer; Aisha didn't even have a chance to react it was coming towards her so fast, she simply closed her eyes preparing to die. She waited for the fatal blow.

It didn't come. Instead there was the sound of quick movement, a thud and then a gasp accompanied by the slick sound of claws tearing through flesh. "Isabela!" It was Merrill's voice, "Isabela, don't move! We're coming!" Isabela?

Aisha opened her eyes again. The ogre was dead, its throat slit finely, as with a dagger. Aisha's heart skipped a beat when she saw Isabela's body thrown to the side, her white tunic stained with blood around the midsection. All sounds drowned out as the mage started running. She pushed Merrill and Sebastian out of her way, not even hearing their protests as she sank to Isabela's side. She wanted to gag when she saw the deep cuts on Isabela's stomach; the blood flowing freely from the open wounds. Aisha tried to calm and not panic. She ripped off her bandana and pressed it against the wound, desperately trying to stop the blood flow. A hand touched hers.

"Aisha," whose voice was that? "Aisha, you are a mage. Heal her." Of course, stupid, stupid, stupid.

She tore her gloves of and flexed her fingers. She tried to focus, but the cuts were deep and she just couldn't concentrate. The damage was worse than she usually dealt with. Isabela's skin grew warm and the blood flow subsided a little but nowhere near enough. More power, Aisha needed more power. She saw Isabela's dagger lying on the ground. More power. Without thinking Aisha grabbed it and before anyone could stop her, she stabbed her hand. She gasped at the sudden sensation of power flowing through her in waves. Her eyes darkened and her thoughts became primal. Blood. More power, good, enough power. She had stopped thinking normally and instead put all her focus on the task at hand. She could hear the others shouting at her but couldn't make out what they were saying. It didn't matter anyway. Isabela was finally healing and that was all that mattered. Blood magic is good. Good. It heals. It saves.

Isabela suddenly started breathing heavily and clutched her stomach. Her cuts were healed and all that was left now was her torn tunic and the stained white fabric; the skin underneath was completely intact. Aisha on the other hand had fallen to the ground, spent and exhausted.

Hawke raised her staff, almost preparing for Aisha to turn into an abomination but she felt no such vibes from her and a look from Merrill confirmed that Aisha was still Aisha.

Isabela sat up and groaned.

"Nothing like a near-death experience to get the blood pumping. Ugh, I need a drink." Then she noticed Aisha lying limp next to her. For a moment the pirate almost thought that her attack on the ogre had come too late and she grasped Aisha's hand, her own eyes filling with tears.

Sebastian came with quick steps and pushed her hand away.

"This is all your fault," he snapped, "because of you the poor girl took to blood magic." He lifted Aisha up, intending to carry her home. Isabela stood up again, not meeting the others' stares. It was clear to her now what had happened. She tried to act like she didn't care, reached for her dagger and wiped Aisha's blood of it as if it didn't matter. The white fabric of her tunic was already ruined anyway. Then she noticed Aisha's red bandana lying on the ground, also stained with blood. Isabela picked it up and tied it around her forearm.

"Hold still," she then said softly to Sebastian who had stared at her in disbelief and made a movement to start walking. With deft hands Isabela took off her own bandana and tied it around Aisha's dripping hand.

"There," she said, her voice almost void of any emotion. She could feel the others looking at her but she had nothing to say.

…

It was night. Aisha was still unconscious but safe on her bed at the Hanged Man. Merrill, bless her heart, had sat with her all day but when it was clear that Aisha was not going to turn into an abomination she had left. Everybody avoided the Rivaini women like the plague. Anders had stopped by briefly and given the pirate an earful. Everybody seemed to blame her, much to Isabela's annoyance. It wasn't her fault.

She had bought a bottle and was now sitting on her bed, drinking it and just watching Aisha sleep. All fibers in Isabela's body were screaming at her to leave, to find somewhere else to spend the night but she couldn't make herself go. Even she wasn't capable of such harshness, not when Aisha had put herself in danger to heal her.

The girl started stirring.

"Aisha?" Isabela said and Aisha nodded.

"I'm here, I'm alive," she groaned.

"Good, I was almost worried."

A strangled laugh escaped the girl.

"Ha, almost."

"Do you feel okay?"

Aisha sat up, rubbing her head with her palm.

"My head feels like it's about to be busted open and my hand feels…" she stopped talking when she saw Isabela's blue bandana tied around her hand, "oh… thank you. I'll wash it and return it to you. Have you seen mine?"

Isabela looked at the red bandana that was still tied around her forearm. She had washed the blood of it and then put it back there.

"Um, yeah. It is here. But you are not getting it back."

Aisha looked at her confused but then shook her head, not caring why Isabela wanted to keep it.

"Fine," she said.

"Well, I'm going to go," Isabela said and stood up, "I need a stiff one… and a drink."

Aisha rolled her eyes and laid back down. Her head was almost throbbing from the pain and she silently promised herself never to use blood magic again. She heard Isabela getting ready to leave, finding a new bandana and tying back her hair with it.

"Do you have to go?" She suddenly whispered but immediately clasped her hand over her mouth.

Isabela looked down on her.

"Mmmmm," she replied with laughter in her voice, "I need relaxation. I almost died today."

Aisha nodded but felt like crying. She didn't want to be alone and she didn't want Isabela to sleep with anyone else.

There was a knock on the door.

Aisha sat up and made sure her clothes were correct and then nodded. Isabela opened the door.

"Hello," it was Sebastian, "I just came to make sure you were okay." He cast an awkward look at Isabela and then put all his focus on Aisha.

"I'm fine," Aisha said and Isabela looked triumphant.

"See, no harm done, "the pirate said wanting Sebastian to leave because there was no way she was going to leave Aisha and Sebastian in the room together.

"Yeah, but no thanks to you," Sebastian said without even looking at her. But Aisha reacted to the words.

"People are blaming Isabela for me using blood magic?

"Don't worry your sweet head with that," Isabela replied and opened the door again, "and you are welcome to leave, choir boy."

"I don't think that is up you," Sebastian replied still not looking at her, "Aisha, I have come to ask if you would like me to find you better quarters, Elthina…"

"Oh stuff it," Isabela interrupted him, "she is not going anywhere and she is definitely not moving to the Chantry."

"Again," Sebastian had raised his voice, "I don't think that is up to you."

Aisha stood up, ignoring her protesting head which was still being plagued by the throbbing headache.

"Shut up the both of," she said tiredly and they both turned silent, "it is not up to either of you. Sebastian, I am not moving to the Chantry. I'm not an Andrastian, I'll never be an Andrastian. Isabela, stop smirking. This has nothing to do with you, I have no intention of staying in this smelling hell-hole with you forever and I am intending to move. But when I do it will be on my own terms and not through charity. Now, if you want to leave, leave otherwise stay. I am going to get myself something to eat."

Then she left the room, leaving a speechless Sebastian and Isabela behind her.