Tempest hadn't seemed to have minded the glare; as he seemed to have ignored much of the other glares he was given from times before. She probably mistook his shock as some sort of curse; which wasn't the case at all. Granted, he was still very-much overcoming a state of shock since a paranoia had quickly jolted through him. Witnessing the kiss; however, had been more than enough proof to the scoundrel that making any moves on Leliana would have had to be well played, if ever attempted.
Meanwhile, Anders had been walking from his cabin and heading towards the bar for a bit. He was starting to hear Justice's voice again and the spirit was practically chewing him out for things Anders knew he couldn't argue against. The locals in Ferelden use to joke that it was okay to talk to yourself, but if you were ever to answer yourself, then there was a problem. Anders was standing once again in what he felt like a three-way-conversation half of the time the ship had sailed away from the Amaranthine waters.
Needing the drink, he walked towards the doors and held them open. However, in front of him was a sight he wasn't clearly prepared for at all. There were just too many shocks at once for him to take in at the moment. The first was the fact that the Warden Commander was on the ship, the second being the possibility that he and Fenris knew each other, and lastly though the most obvious (and still even dreaded the worst) was that he and Leliana were seemingly intimate. If not that, then it was certainly extremely close; more close than of what Anders was comfortable with. It wasn't a sight Anders could take, and almost as quick as he came in, he ducked away to head back towards the cabin.
He locked the door behind him once he was inside his cabin and pressed his back against the door, sliding down the wood slowly. Anders wasn't certain of what to do. For all he knew, the Warden Commander would have hunted to put his head in a noose! Leliana being in what seemed like a starting or lasting romance with the Hero of Ferelden was a factor nearly as huge to him as well. He tried to brush it off; after all Anders had started out in his relationship with her seemed fickle; or at least enough that by now through seeing certain circumstances, he would have to question it. For this moment, being alone perhaps would have been best then.
Back into the bar, though the room was at a bit of a stand-still when seeing the final verdict of the act. While Fenris, who had believed it was naturally better for the two to possibly talk it out calmly—if they were to persist in still talking; Tempest seemed more keen on trying to dismiss all negativity near the area.
"Sounds like we don't have enough drinks to go around!" The bloodmage mentioned loudly in order to break the icy tension. He looked back towards the bartender and tapped on the wood. "Oy, there laddie! Pull out a round of the finest ale this side of the boarder can buy."
"We're not on the boarder anymore." The barkeep answered as he started to fill up glasses along the wood. "And you're not buying!"
Leliana hadn't had the chance to look around nor over her shoulder seeing Anders enter and then retreat as quickly as he had entered. She couldn't have caught him if she had wanted to anyways. Her stare on the warden turned more to a glare. As she began picking up her pace and sitting in between Tempest and a patron knowing the warden couldn't sit by her.
The Warden on the other hand stood there a moment longer as he bit and sucked on his lower lip, as he finally followed Leliana's lead and made his way to his own seat. He stayed silent for a moment as his hands wrapped around the mug of an ale. "So who's the rather lucky fellow then?" He began to question his brow arching curiously as he shifted his head to the side to glace Leliana's way.
Leliana's look became softer, as she had felt herself come to a more calm state of mind, and she looked to Tempest as he spoke in such an odd tone. She couldn't help but shake her head as she reached over using her index finger to seal his lips shut. "Speak normally, you don't pull off an accent that well." She teased as she began to look to the warden once more. "It's the man who I'm traveling with." She really didn't want to speak his name. Knowing he risked rather a lot to go on this ship with Izzy. And even though she doubted he would harm Anders she still was going to try and keep his name under wraps for the mean time.
"As long as you're happy Leliana." He replied, bringing the mug to his lips allowing the fluids slip down his throat. "I'm sorry for the sudden kiss, but please no biting me like that again unless it's in the bedroom?" He teased. Causing Leliana to grumble, blush and bring the mug up to her lips hiding her features and stop her from muttering another word she would regent later on.
"I can't help it, lass. I tend to talk this way when I'm nervous." Tempest explained after the remark was given to him.
"You mean, you speak like an idiot?" Fenris questioned, though again it was just another obvious one.
Tempest shrugged his shoulders and quickly agreed. "Aye. I walk like one, talk like one, but mind you it's a great bluff. Speaking of which- How about a game of diamond back?"
Fenris paused for the moment, glancing around the people at the bar, and knowing quickly that if he allowed Tempest to move around unsupervised, the man would rob the people here blind. "Are you really so heavily intent on swindling out every last dime here? These are dailish who know little to nothing of your trade in coin. Dailish, who you've turned into slaves—"
"Free elves." Tempest corrected in a brief though serious tone and then retreated back to his mug. "…And no, Ranger-Rick, I only take money from the prideful and the foolish. I traveled with these elves far longer than you, so don't—"
"Then you know how well they fear you." Fenris abruptly remarked; in which in turn rendered Tempest silent and shrinking back down to sulking his mug for a moment longer. It wasn't like Tempest could really argue against such a statement anyhow, so he didn't even try.
Fenris; though, seemed content with pushing his argument and reached down for his metal armor. The spiked fingertips grasped at a forearm casing, and lifted it to reveal the skin of his arm. He held it out towards Tempest in plain view and flexed the muscle. From underneath, the blue markings of lyrium pulsed and glowed to his response. It was an astonishing sight, which caused Tempest's wide-eyed stare at the appendage a well deserved one.
"It's for things like this that they fear you. You and your cursed magic." Fenris spoke with venom, but his resolve was oddly calm. "Do you think this is vallaslin? It's lyrium; burned into my flesh, by people like you."
Mortified, Tempest shook his head to the sight and leaned away from his chair. "Caimen … . Caimen Brea would never approve—"
"It doesn't matter what nationality you're under, fool." Fenris explained quickly. "Every Magister is susceptible to such lewd behavior unto others even your own kind. What puzzles me, is why such an experiment seems new to you…"
Tempest cleared his throat some and then glanced back over to the other elves there around them before answering him. "Look around. How many elves do you see with markings like those?"
That should have answered Fenris's wondering; which really wasn't much of a surprise to him. Fenris knew for a long time that he was the only one of his master's success. So, with that in mind, the elf moved quietly once more to cover the armor back over his forearm again.
Leliana sighed quietly to herself trying to forget that the Warden was even in her presence. She tried to listen Fenris and Tempest as they chatted away with one another. But none of that caught her attention until Fenris' skin began to glow brightly. Well his arm that was. She fixated her orbs upon the one spot of his forearm, as she felt herself going into an almost memorized state of mind. When the glow subsided she glanced up to Fenris curiously and began shifting her head to the side while parting her lips slightly. "Someone did that to you?" She paused for a moment to bring her attention to Tempest then back to Fenris once more. "I think it's very… Pretty." She added cheerfully, hoping her compliment wouldn't frustrate him even more than he already was.
The Warden on the other hand just watched the event unfold before him. He knew of Fenris' abilities, but little of the story since he wasn't one to dig too deep into someones past unless someone was willingly giving out information then he had an open ear. "Hey Fenris didn't you say Anders was here… On this ship?" He asked curiously, his brow arching in his expression.
Immediately this caused Leliana to cough and sputter on her drink which was pressed against her lips. This had caused the patrons nearby to clear that sat next to her, well all but Tempest it seemed. She had completely forgotten that the Warden once knew Anders from his travels to Amaranthine. Plus in hearing he knew he was on this ship brought even more wonder to her mind. "Why? Are you looking for him?"
The Warden shrugged his shoulders. "Everyone is…" He stated. "He destroyed the Chantry… Even though the Grey Wardens don't involve themselves in politic matters I would still like to meet up with him… Possibly. See if he's the same apostate I met many moons ago." He finished with a nod as he began to stand to his feet, and walk near the open spot near Leliana to sit down next to the rouge.
"So you wouldn't send him to his death?" She didn't hesitate to ask.
"You mean making him walk the plank?" He joked, a chuckle passing through his lips which quickly halted half way through upon seeing the not so happy look on Leliana's face."Nah, I mean how could I after all us being on a ship it would be a bit difficult don't you think? I'm just surprised I haven't run into him sooner. I guess this ship is larger than I thought."
"Pretty?" Fenris questioned after hearing Leliana's comment and finished fastening the straps on the metal brace of his armor. He glanced at her in confusion before turning his attention back to his arm. "Yeah, sure. Mutilation and disfigurements of the entire body always have their own sense of prettiness to them."
"She's just trying to give you a compliment." Tempest frowned at him.
Fenris glanced at him and looked back towards Leliana. "Keep your compliments. I don't need the half-witted nonsense, and I don't need the pity. What I need—"
"Is another stiff drink!" Tempest was quick to cheer and slid a freshened cup right into the elf's path.
Fenris looked down at the mug and after a moment's pause raised it to his mouth to quickly tuck back the liquid into his throat. He swallowed quick and fierce as if he was truly hacking down medicine and with a slight growl, placed the cup back down.
"I hate you…" He grumbled under his breath towards Tempest; which earned a slight nervous chuckle from the other all the same.
Fenris listened to the next question directed at him, but he didn't have the time to answer; for soon he was having to dodge a coughing attack once more. The elf's reflexes were quick in jumping away and giving up his seat. The area had cleared some, and Tempest had even managed to dodge the cross-fire. Still, being more of a gentleman, the bloodmage did reach up and patted Leliana's back in hopes to prevent anymore choking from her. They both had listened to the conversation back and forth, concluding their own assumptions to the situation at hand.
"More like, he's been in hiding ever since he realized the magnitude of his actions. Which he deserves…" Fenris made the remark more-so under his breath for the time being.
"Wait, wait…" Tempest finished when he started to feel the discussion rolling away from his interests. He looked towards the Grey Warden, still in question, but his smile was obviously strewn about his disbelief. "So, you think that the 'Terrorist of Kirkwall' is on this ship with us?"
"You were talking to him the other day." Fenris spoke rather flatly as he stared Tempest down from his standing-point.
Tempest noticeably flinched, and even shivered from the thought of it. "I-I was?"
"You are either incredibly dense, or incredibly talented in seeming incredibly dense…" Fenris's eyes squinted at him a little, but then turned slightly to the Grey Warden in his answer. "Anders has no doubt locked himself in one of the cabins if not his own. I can take you to him."
He turned leading them out of the brig and towards the path of the shipmates' cabins. The sea air was tugging back at Tempest's hair again, causing him to fidget and at last pin it up into a high ponytail. This later caused him stumble a bit off balance and limp the rest of the way. Fenris had hoped the man would have clumsily fell overboard, but he was given no such luck.
At the end of their destination, Isabela was knocking on one of the doors. She braced her hands back against her hips, taking a stance that was certainly giving off signals of her annoyance at the time. Though, even still, her pout was somewhat dominate in her expression.
"Come on." She said talking to the other side of the door. "Stop being such a winey ass and open the door."
"Forgive me, Isabela…but the sea air just hasn't been well with me." Anders's voice came from the other side.
Isabela smirked some and folded her arms. "I've got a small kitten for you."
The latch was heard opening and when the moment that Anders was seen from the cracks of the other side of the door, Isabela pried her foot in and braced her shoulder against the door. Anders was thrown backwards onto the ground as Isabela walked inside. The mage propped himself back up, looking up at her in disappointment.
"…I knew I should have waited until I heard a 'mew.'" He said to himself while moving to pull himself back up to his feet once more.
Leliana cocked her head to one side as Fenris spoke of his marking of nothing more than an ugly on his body. She shrugged her shoulder as she let out a defeated sigh. Figuring to leave it at that, as she sat there leaning against the wooden chair.
As for the Warden he leaned into the table as Fenris spoke to him. Nodding his head in agreement of going to Anders room. Wherever that may be. He had no idea how the mage would take it seeing him at his doorstep but he wouldn't know until he tried. Firstly though he took a final gulp of his drink, sliding it back to the barkeep, and began standing to his feet as he took no more than a few steps before he took a look back to Leliana. "You coming?"
Leliana pressed her mug firmly to her lips, while her optics seemed to gaze into the ale that swished around in the mug. Finishing her ale as well, she set it down. Leaving it near her seat, and began standing to her own two feet. She looked over to see the Warden's hand out, as if to lead her. But to his surprise Leliana didn't take it and continued walking forth. Alongside Fenris and Tempest. In which made the Warden follow slowly behind.
Upon reaching near the door, Leliana halted in her tracks as she watched the actions of Izzy before her. She began shifting her weight to one side, her hip cocked to the side followed by crossed arms over her small frame. She didn't take her hues off the event until the Warden stood near her side. The both of them shrugged their shoulders as they both watched, and waited. While they waited Leliana trailed over to a post leaning herself against it, dropping her arms down to her sides once more as she slowly closed her eyes. Which happened not to last long as she heard a rather large thumping from Isabela swinging the door open. With her eyes fluttering open she looked past the crew and saw Anders on the floor. She couldn't help but shake her head as she followed the lead of the rest into Anders cabin.
"Anders." The Warden stated as he walked in, stepping past his door and near a wall or something to rest against as his icy hues began to scan the room before laying on them Anders. "Its good to see your still alive…"
"W-Warden Commander. " Anders felt an octave raise slightly in his voice upon his response. He cleared his throat some though was idly moving farther away. "A surprise seeing you here. On a boat…this far out to sea…. with no reliable witnesses…"
"Oh, good. I don't have to call everybody into another room for the meeting." Isabela sighed and then gave the others a smile. "Unless, you'd care to have a special meeting in my own cabin."
"What meeting are you talking about?" Fenris started to say and then folded his arms a bit, moving towards the opposite side of the room. "And not the obvious one…"
"Well, I do think it's high time everyone knew where our ship is heading." Isabela nodded in her explanation. "We are sailing out to Par Vollen."
"That's nice. I'll get back to shouting at you about that issue in a moment, but first things first… and it seems I am caught." Anders responded to her flatly before turning his attention back towards Aragorn. His shoulders shrugged some, nearly in a point of giving up—since he couldn't out-swim the high tide if he was to jump. "So… Have you spoken with Commander Stroud about my fate? Are you preparing to drag me back?"
"Wait. Drag you back to what? Why?" Tempest found himself asking; although he already knew the answers since he was a Tevinter. He mainly acted out on having the information pulled out into the open.
"I'm an abomination; or so the Grey Wardens would claim." Anders answered in a slightly gruff tone. He glanced towards him and smiled smugly. "You think I don't know they want me dead? Of course their reasons for doing so would publicly claim over different reasons than the truth; but that's to be expected. Right?"
"Heh… Aren't these witnesses enough?" He asked curiously, as he used a hand to gesture to the people surrounding them. "Especially the ravishing red head right back there?" He added with a point back with his thumb. "You remember the king, right? He sent me to be on this ship. So here I am. Lucky me to find you here and not anyone else."
Leliana stood there dumbfounded as she blinked a few times before walking closer to the Warden. Who she gave a serious yet questionable look. She made a stance for a moment in between the Warden and Anders as she began crossing her arms over her frame once more. The Warden blinked a few times before looking down to the rouge before him. In which almost made him step back as he took a closer look into her emerald hues. "You look… Angry." He stated as he reached over to ruffle her crimson locks.
She jolted back from his playful actions and began arching a brow while she fixed the few strands on her head. "I thought you said you weren't going to involve yourself?" She protested with a wag of her finger, causing her expression to anger with each second that passed.
Aragorn nodded to Leliana in a short and quick response as he looked over the rouges shoulder and looked to Anders then back to Leliana. "This is the one isn't it?"
Leliana shifted back, taking a step backwards. "The one?" She asked curiously.
"The one that stole you away."
"No one did no stealing." She replied as she felt a rush of warmth filling her cheekbones. "Plus what of it. Its not like it concerns you anymore."
The Warden scoffed at the females words, as he looked back to Anders. "Don't worry Anders I won't turn you in. To me you're no abomination… Abominations are those large overgrown monsters, until you look like one I won't turn you in… Plus I think Leliana would slit my throat at night if I even tried." He nodded with a sigh passing his lips, as he began to turn around. "As for Stroud; I could care less. I'm a Cousland and the Warden commander. For all he knows I never saw you."
"Isabela…" Aragorn called out, as he turned around to now face the pirate. "When will we be to our destination anyways? We should get this meeting of yours done and finished before we get too deep into catching up with one another."
Anders remained silent for the most part when listening to Aragorn and Leliana speak back and forth. He found it was better not to involve himself to certain discussions, at least. In this case, it had proven for the better when he started to learn of a new understanding between them. The mild sigh of relief had escaped him upon hearing of what judgment Aragorn mercifully had for him, but didn't display any grand forms of gratitude. The only thing that kept replaying in his mind was the man enforcing his romance over Leliana. So, it was more than clear to him that the main reason he was possibly spared was because of her, and the Grey Warden's obviously dwindling feelings of her. That was fine; if it kept Anders alive a bit longer…
"And I was looking so forward to the latter." Isabela teased with pouty lips. She shifted her weight slightly and reached up to place her hands back against her hips once more. "It should be within a couple of days… There's a clan Fog Warriors struggling against a group of Tal Vashoth. Their fortress is stationed near the middle plains outside of Quanandar—"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa." Tempest quickly held his hands up, giving his cheesy smile again. "No one said anything about Fog Warriors or Tal Vashoth until now."
"Would you have came if I did?" Isabela raised a slight eyebrow towards Tempest questionably.
"No." Tempest scoffed rather quickly, showing a grand display of cowardice.
Fenris folded his arms and squinted his eyes slightly at the man to study his responses further. "Why did you come?"
Tempest rubbed the back of his neck and moved towards the window of the room. "I came because I was being hunted by a templar convert of the Black Divine."
"That doesn't make any sense." Fenris responded, now honestly confused. "The Black Divine's views are the complete opposite of what the White Spire believes."
"Trust me; if you ever met the man, it would make perfect sense." Tempest laughed and turned back around towards them. "He's a deranged lunatic… After discovering my defection by releasing these elves onto Isabela's ship, the nobleman I was serving wasn't exactly thrilled. So, he placed a bounty on me; one that a certain templar convert would love to involve himself with-if for anything else than the thrill of the hunt."
"So, let me get this straight…" Anders tried to figure out his logic, without laughing at him. "In order to escape a single templar convert, you risked journeying over the ocean to a land filled with creatures sworn to enslaving you or worse."
"Par Vollen sounded like a nice name. Very exotic." Tempest shrugged and looked away brightly.
"Yes, there's a reason for that. It's because no one in their right mind wants to go there." Anders retorted back and looked back towards Isabela. "And you. Do you have any idea what can happen by dragging myself and a bloodmage to those boarders?"
"Bloodmage?" Fenris asked a bit in shock, but more-so of a growing anger. "Who's the bloodmage?"
Anders rolled his eyes and pointed over towards Tempest. "Do you really have to ask?"
The bright and dumbfounded grin returned to Tempest again. Even though a good majority of Tevinters were bloodmages, not necessarily all of them dabbled in the dark arts. However, he was no exception to the stereotype after all, and Anders revealed it to be so.
"Was that not supposed to be told…?" Tempest asked innocently.
Of course Fenris was beside himself with feeling betrayed. He marched over towards him. "Here I thought all I had to deal with was just a flip-flop-minded abomination, but now a blood mage too?"
Anders raised his arm out in a signal to prevent the elf from continuing any rash behavior. Instead, Fenris was quick to turn back towards Isabela and pointed back at her.
"You know what? I don't care." Fenris huffed and then folded his arms. "If these two get locked up, I am not swearing my loyalty to a bunch of slave-driving-demon-worshiping-two-timing-slithering-deceitful mages!"
"Don't you think you're taking this a bit too personal?" Anders questioned him dryly.
"No. I am not." Fenris growled at him but he did at least inch slightly away from him this time.
"And here I thought were finally reaching through to each other." Anders mused rather sarcastically. "I was going to even knit you a tea cozy."
Leliana couldn't help but scoff as she picked up her pace once more and sat her rump on the edge of Anders bed. She hated the thought as well of seeing the Tal Vashoth. But she didn't have a choice she just decided she would keep silent through the whole process hopefully making it harmless and quick. Plus they did have the Warden, and he was always good when it came to convincing others with his charm and whatever else he may have on him to allow people to turn an eye to things people otherwise wouldn't want to see.
As for the Warden, he looked back and forth between the trio speaking to one another. Crossing his arms as Fenris began the long and yet, somewhat untrue name calling. Arching a brow he looked to Fenris while parting his lips. "Name calling, so soon?" He sighed while crossing his appendages over his chest. "I'm sure we won't have too much of a problem…"
Looking the blood mage, Tempest. Aragorn couldn't help but not feel a single threat from him. Sure maybe to others but not to him at least not yet. Yet he was one to bring murders, king slayers and crazy apostates in his party… So this seemed of no harm to keep Tempest close by. "He hasn't shown a danger to anyone yet so what's the problem? Who cares if he's a blood mage…"
He then took a look to Anders a smirk played across his lips as he narrowed his orbs to the mage.
Leliana glanced to the Warden seeing the devious look in his eyes. She knew that look, and when ever he had it smeared all over his face as it was now, it meant trouble. "What are you going to do—"
But before Leliana could even finish her sentence, react or Aragorn could respond to her words he sprinted forward, towards Anders and without warning tossed him over his broad shoulder. To wistfully turn around and jolt out the cabin and to the helm of the ship. Near the railing he halted, keeping his muscular arm still wrapped around the mage as he began shifting one side of his body to the right, practically hanging the mage over board. Through laughter and utter amusement, he spoke. "You know Anders it would be so much easier getting rid of you now. Less work for me later on." Aragorn looked back to see if the others had followed, and to no surprise Leliana had already begun running out and towards them. He began to shift his posture forward once more but what he didn't feel was the wrapping of rope that entangled his ankle. So when the Warden took a step, he tripped uncontrollably. Releasing his grasp from Anders to hopefully catch himself. But failed in his attempt at saving them both, causing the two to fall in the depths of the ocean.
Fenris had wanted to argue Aragorn's point over Tempest being a bloodmage, but he knew after spending time around him and Alistair both, there really wasn't much of a progress even if he tried. He shook his head some and walked away from them, moving more towards Isabela for protecting her from the evil mages.
Isabela was about to try and explain the rest of her situation, but the Warden had already made his move in snatching up Anders. The others had turned to watch as the mage squirmed and struggled against his grip. Aragorn's grasp was too strong; or more rather, the position he carried him kept Anders from being coordinated.
"What? No, no!" Anders started to whine in between being rushed over towards the edge of the boat and then hearing Aragorn's words. He thought this was actually going to happen; being hoisted over to one side, his arms and legs were flailing about into the air, trying to grasp onto whatever he could. "Not like this! There's sharks down there! Don't do it, please! I don't wanna be shark bait!"
But the trip eventually happened, and the two fell down to the waters below. Anders had hollered the entire way until the sound of the large splashing came. Tempest rushed towards the side of the boat, bracing himself against the railing. He tired to see if they were coming back up for air any time soon.
"Uh-oh. Hang on!" Isabela called, and moved out of the cabin, heading towards the other side of the ship to grab a rope ladder near her resting anchor.
It took a few moments until Anders had came up for air. He coughed, wiping away the water from his eyes and simultaneously kicked underneath him to keep himself afloat. He looked around the still waters, trying to pinpoint where the fellow Grey Warden would surface.
"Commander?" He asked a little nervous and swam carefully to another direction in his attempts to find him. "…Commander…?"
Anders took a breath and flipped down to swim farther downward to find him. Within that meantime, Isabela had managed to throw her rope ladder over the board in partially into the water in order for the two men to climb back up on board.