Later on, Cat would tell many stories about the storm they were in, but none of them ever came close to the truth. The storm was easily the worst she had ever experienced, and the word 'storm' was not enough to describe the huge gales of wind, choppy waves, and water that ran across the deck with every tilt of the ship.

Added to that, the Siren's call was missing huge chunks of her deck, her rigging, and her crew. The Qunari dreadnought was the only ship to have followed them into the storm, and just as they entered the chaos, they sustained heavy damage from cannon fire.

The Qunari obviously weren't trying to sink them, otherwise they would have had no chance of survival. In order to reclaim their tome in the inclimate weather, they had to catch the Siren's Call, not destroy it. However, as long as they were still sailing, cannon fire was considered a 'warning shot'.

The persistent attacks were taking their toll on the damaged ship, and its crew. Smoke billowed from the fires that seemed to spotaneously erupt around the ship, hindering visibility, and breathable air. Cat could hear the coughing of her companions, though she could not see them.

"Land! Land ho!"

Cat looked around, looking for a break in the smoke and water, trying to find anyone. She heard the boom again of the cannon, and moved as quickly as she could to what she thought was the mast. She found herself outside the captain's cabin, and making a quick decision, felt around to find the door and rushed inside.

Her eyes watering, she took a moment before she could see, and noticed Isabela putting the lock box inside a pack and putting it on her shoulders. She looked up, noticing Cat.

"Grab anything you can't leave behind! We're angling for the shore and we'll have to run for it!" she yelled to Cat above the sounds of storm and battle.

Cat nodded, grabbing the pack that she had put together earlier. She didn't have much she couldn't leave, but there were a few things from friends, as well as some clothes, what little money she had, and weapons in her bag. Surviving this just to starve to death made no sense to her.

The two women headed back out of the cabin, and looked around the deck as best they could. They began inching in the direction of the bow, avoiding holes in the deck, and checking the men they found laying down. Cat found she couldn't find words to say, as they found no one alive.

Suddenly the Siren's Call lurched to the side with a large cracking sound.

"Move!" Isabela yelled, pulling Cat along, and barely avoiding the damage as a large crack made its way across the deck, and the the ship began to separate into two pieces. Isabela and Cat made it to the railing, and looked in horror at the large rock they were about to crash into.

"Abandon ship! Abandon ship!" Isabela dragged Cat along the railing as she screamed the warning out. Cat joined her, hearing the sound of pounding feet, yelling and screaming, and felt confident that some of the crew had heard them.

"You saw the rock?" Isabela yelled in Cat's face, holding her shoulders to get her attention. Cat nodded in exaggerated motions so that she was understood. Isabela leaned closer so she didn't have to yell as loud. "Head that way towards the shore! If we get separated we'll meet at the shore!"

Before Cat could nod again, Isabela had taken her hand and pulled Cat with her as she jumped off the side of the ship into the churning water.

Cat felt the embrace of the water as a punch, and struggled upwards to breathe. She had lost her grip on Isabela as soon as they hit the water, and as her head popped above the water, she gulped in air and screamed her name.

The waves overpowered her and she found herself without air underwater again, and pushed with all her strength up, up to the sky. Everything was dark, and she had no idea if she was swimming in the right direction, it was all she could do to continue to move. She focused on making it back up to the surface each time she was submerged.

It felt like and infinite amount of time passed when she felt her leg brush something. She took as much air as she could before she was submerged again, and reached down.

Her hands grabbed sand, and she started clawing with her hands, dragging herself underwater towards the shore. Once she came back up for air, Cat pushed her legs down, and was elated that she was able to stand. Her strength was waning, and she pushed forward, knowing she had to make it to shore, had to hide.

Cat almost made it out of the water before her legs gave out, and she fell into the shallows. She pushed up to sit, panting and struggling to stay upright, her limbs giving up and she sat in the water, unable to do anything else.

She looked up at the light she noticed, and saw that the Siren's Call was fully ablaze now, giving some visibility to her, but covering the sky behind it in thick clouds of smoke. She forced herself to look around, eventually finding what looked like a cave.

Cat didn't think it was possible for her to stand, but after yelling at herself enough, she was able to make her way to the cave. She made it perhaps a few feet inside before she collapsed again, unable to keep going. She gave up her fight, and closed her eyes.

Quite frankly, Cat was surprised to see the cave walls when she finally opened her eyes. Light was streaming in, and she squinted until her eyes adjusted. She continued to lay where she was, and eventually gave herself to the count of three to move.

One…two…three.

Nothing happened, and Cat didn't feel bad about it either. After a few more counts to three, Cat was able to roll herself over, and up to her knees. A sharp pain on her thigh made her look down. Seeing the tear in her pants, and the dried blood on her clothes, she poked around the wound trying to determine the severity. It stayed closed, and she took that for a good sign, and decided to continue. She then made it to her feet with the help of the cave walls.

She slowly made her way to the entrance, and peeked out, shading her eyes from the sunlight.

It looked somehow familiar, and she assumed that she was somewhere on the Wounded Coast. She looked out to the water, unable to find the wreckage of the Siren's Call, but was shocked to see the wreck of the dreadnought.

She had always assumed that the Qunari used it as an excuse to stay in Kirkwall to find the thief of their relic, but there was no mistaking that their ship was wrecked. It looked like it was wrapped around one of the huge boulders that stood up from the water, and it was more than halfway underwater. She figured it was probably sitting on the seabed.

She looked around the shoreline. She didn't see anyone, no Qunari, no pirates, no Isabela. If anyone was nearby however, calling out for the captain could bring her unwanted attention.

Decision made, Cat started to walk, well limp really, keeping to whatever hiding spots she could find and making her warped bird call every few minutes. She took rests when she needed, but continued on. The shoreline soon became a path, and she made her onto it.

Cat continued to walk, her wound burning, but she ignored it and eventually forgot about it. She continued to try her bird call, knowing how awful it sounded, since she couldn't whistle. She cheered herself up with the knowledge that Isabela could never mistake it for a real bird.

She began to hear the noises of the city, though they weren't loud, but it served to give her the energy to continue. As she got closer, she could see she was nearing the docks. She grew concerned as she couldn't see any Qunari. Where could hundreds of soldiers be? Didn't the city give them space here in the docks? she asked herself.

She heard a noise to her left, and spun. A grin spread across her face as she saw Isabela coming towards her.

"Issy, you're all right," she said, relief evident in her voice.

"And you're the luckiest girl in Thedas," Isabela replied. "I think I need to keep you around and maybe that luck will rub off on me."

"Lucky? Are you serious?" Cat gestured to herself, as she looked exactly like she had slept in a cave, where Isabela looked about the same, though a little tired- and without a pack.

"I've been hiding here for hours," Isabela explained. "because the Qunari were here. Then, they all move into the city, and I'm getting ready to sneak in when I hear that noise you call a bird call. How else would you describe it?" she asked Cat with a smirk.

"Let's just get in there, while we can," Cat grumbled.

"All right Kitty, no need to be sour." They moved towards the docks and Isabela explained to Cat where they were headed, so they could act as if they belonged there. In the middle of explaining, Isabela stopped.

"See that man there, the bald one?"

"Yes…?"

"I know him. He can help us," Isabela said. "New plan!" She said energetically, pulling Cat along at a faster pace. "See what I mean, lucky!"

Isabela's friend was a former raider named Martin, and Cat felt bad for not having recognized him. The huge scar across his throat was not something she thought she would ever be able to forget.

Martin was more than willing to help them, in exchange for help in return. He had sunk all the money he had in bringing poisons to Kirkwall to resell, and now it had been stolen. Isabela promised assistance, though she did say it may take some time.

Martin took them to Lowtown, or as Cat thought, the poor side of town. He took them to a shady looking man, who then escorted them to a one room hovel just outside the alienage. Martin paid him for three days stay, and Cat and Isabela assured him they would pay him from that point on.

Martin told them he was staying at a tavern called The Hanged Man, a few streets over, and asked that they come to him as soon as they had any information on his cargo. Then he left, leaving the women alone to assess their new situation.

"Shall we explore?" Isabela asked.

Cat gave Isabela an answer that needed no words. She cocked her hip, put her hand on her waist and gave her a big smirk.

Isabela woke the next morning, and dressed, deciding to return back to Cat. She would definitely return however, the Blooming Rose was her new favorite place! She walked along in the early morning light, thinking. She knew she should talk to Cat about the relic, how it was gone when she had finally come to, but she just couldn't.

"Besides," she thought. "Cat always seems to understand, even when I don't explain things. It's what I like most about her."

Isabela knew that they were different. Cat tried to make something of herself, always thinking ahead and planning new ways to be better. Isabela didn't think past the moment, and simply took what she wanted when she wanted. But, Cat never judged her, and that meant everything.

So, Isabela would have to keep some things from Cat. But, it would mean that Cat wasn't involved, and safe, just as she had promised Zevran. She may be a good for nothing pirate, but she kept her promises to friends.

Isabela stopped at a market stall, buying a few things for breakfast with the money she had 'found' lying in some nobleman's pocket last night. She knew Cat would be hungry, as she hadn't eaten anything yesterday. She probably should have forced her to eat sooner, but Cat had told her about the Rose, and well…

Isabela walked into their lovely abode, and turned to the cot on the right. Cat was still asleep, though she wasn't sleeping peacefully. She was tossing and turning, and groaning. Isabela put her packages down and went to her side, grabbing her shoulder, and shaking her awake.

Cat mumbled something, and Isabela tried again. Cat opened her eyes slowly.

"Issy?"

"Hey Kitty, you don't look so good."

"Feel awful, it's burning."

"What's burning?"

"My leg, it's on fire."

"Show me," Isabela demanded, and was shocked to see the infected cut on Cat's thigh. It was disgusting, mottled and red with something oozing out of it. She looked away before she retched.

"We need to get you to a healer Cat" she said seriously. "I'll go ask around, maybe there's one in the alienage."

"No"

"Cat, you have to see a healer."

"I know" she mumbled, then continued a little clearer. "I heard something yesterday, about a healer. A clinic, in the under city,"

"Darktown? All right then, let's go. Can you make it?"

Cat smirked as best she could, though to Isabela, it was more of a grimace.

"Of course I can."

It took longer than either of them had planned, though they were only stopped once by thugs trying to rob them. They tried asking directions, without luck, and finally came upon the clinic with the lit lantern hanging outside. At that point, Cat's leg had already given out, and Isabela had her arm strung over her shoulders, carrying most of her weight.

Isabela opened the door and with difficulty dragged Cat inside. Neither of them had truly recovered from their ordeal, and it was made obvious by their hike through Darktown.

"Hello? I need a healer!" Isabela called as they struggled inside.

"I'm here, what's the problem?" A blonde man came up and helped her get Cat to a cot. Cat sat, then hissed in pain as Isabela brought her legs up to lay on the cot.

Isabela grabbed for the top of Cat's pants, and Cat batted her hands away. She went again, and the two of them wrestled for a moment, much to the man's amusement.

"Stop it!"

"He needs to see the wound, so the pants have to go!"

"If it helps," he said calmly. "I am a healer, and I will need to see the wound in order to help. Nothing more."

Cat looked up at Anders. He seemed tired, but more healthy than she was expecting. Perhaps he had been getting enough to eat so far. And he really was wearing feathers as a jacket. And the thought of taking her pants off made her cringe.

"I can get a blanket for you, and turn my back until you are ready?" he asked, and she nodded. His bedside manner was spot on, and she found herself relaxing. Her previous doctors had all been old men or women, not a man slightly older than herself who looked like he could be a rock star. The shoulder length hair and the stubble really worked for him, and the earring was just icing on the top.

He did just as he said, and handed her a lap blanket and turned away. She gestured to Isabela to help her, and she lifted her hips off the table as Isabela gently removed her pants.

"This wasn't how I thought I'd finally get your pants off Kitty," Isabela said with a wink and Cat rolled her eyes. She heard Anders stifling a cough, and gave Isabela a glare. She replied with a laugh, and turned Anders around with a hand on his shoulder.

"I don't think I can look at it another time. I'll come back in awhile to escort her back." With that, she strode out of the clinic, leaving Cat alone… with Anders.

"Well," he said. "Let's see this… oh." He peered at her thigh, bringing his hands up to turn her leg. "It looks infected. How long ago did this happen?"

"Um, two days ago?"

"And how did you get it?"

"I'm not exactly sure."

His eyebrow winged up in question. "Okay, then where were you when it happened?"

"Out by the coast. I noticed it after it had already congealed. It didn't reopen when I moved around, so I thought it was okay. There's probably something in it that's festering."

Cat wasn't sure why, but Anders was giving her a strange look. "That sounds probable," he replied. "We're going to have to open it to clean it out. It may sting a bit."

Cat readied herself. She wasn't a fan of pain, but her tolerance was fairly high. Anders went to fetch some cloth and coming back, handed it to her. He stood over her, with his hands out above her leg. His hands began glowing, a blue tint to the glow, and he slowly moved them down and out, coming close but never actually touching her.

She understood the cloth, as the wound began to weep. First pus, then blood came out slowly and she used the cloth to wipe it up. This continued for a few minutes, and with each cleaning, she had more things on the cloth. Grit, dirt and even a thread also came up and she realized that in her haste, she had left a dirty wound to heal.

After he was satisfied, his magic changed, though it looked the same, she could feel her leg tingling, and watched in fascination as the wound was closed.

"It may still be tender for a day or two, so you should keep off it if possible." Cat looked up at him, awe on her face. He smiled at her, and she was reminded of Wynne. She had smiled at Cat like that as well, every time she had used her magic in front of Cat.

"Thank you Anders," Cat said quietly.

Anders stiffened, and he looked at her suspiciously. "How do you know my name?" he asked. She looked back at him, to see him holding a staff, his hand outstretched. Cat froze. It was akin to having a gun pointed at you, and it frightened her.

"Um, the store keeper, Lirene? That's how I heard about the clinic." She said quickly, doubting that it would work.

He relaxed, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to frighten you. I'll have to talk with her about that, I'd rather keep myself anonymous."

Cat nodded, and worked on putting her pants back on under the blanket. She finally gave up and swinging her legs over, stood up. "I'm sorry, I don't have any money," she said yanking them back up.

He looked up to her. "It's fine, I'm just glad I could help."

"No" she said, and he looked surprised. "It's not fine. You helped me, and you didn't have to." She glanced around, noticing a dozen things that he needed. "I'll get paid soon," she lied. "And I'll pay you double since I couldn't pay today."

"Really, there's no need-"

"There is every need" she interrupted firmly. With a pause, she decided it was time to go. "Thanks again, uh, sir." She got a confused look and determined to find out how to address others here, or she would get herself into trouble. She slammed her feet in her boots and headed out the door before he could say more.