Captain Isabela ran a tight ship, if she did say so herself. She walked the deck, checking and double checking the work of her crew, ensuring that everything was up to her expectations. She smiled as she finished her walk, noting that though it had been rough at the beginning, her crew was now one of the finest in all the waters of Thedas.
Noting the position of the sun, she walked over to the port side and saw Catarina climbing aboard. Since the very beginning of their voyage, Catarina had been obsessed with the idea that the ship would sink, and she felt she must be prepared to swim for her life. Isabela didn't agree, and could have simply ignored her, but had decided to give her time early each morning before the sails were furled to practice.
She had assumed that after one minute in the frigid water, the girl would come straight back and never go again, but she had been wrong. Every morning without fail, she had taken a rope, tied it around herself and jumped into the water, keeping pace with the ship as best she could. Several crew men had taken it upon themselves to watch out for her, pulling her in if necessary due to cramp or bad weather.
Of course, Isabela mused, there were those like herself, who simply enjoyed the sight of a pretty girl in her small clothes, but Catarina didn't seem to care. Isabela had to admit that her first impression had been way off. She was blaming that on Zev, however. The elf had told her to watch the girl like a hawk, as she was constantly getting into trouble and unable to take care of herself. In fact, when she had seen the girl trip over her own feet as she boarded the ship, she had decided to simply put her in a crew member's care.
Since that day, Isabela had had all preconceived notions torn to shreds as Catarina never once acted as expected. First with the swimming, then the insistence on learning about each crew member and their duties. Then the ship itself, the rigging, the terminology… Isabela smirked to herself as she thought of how quickly the girl was endearing herself to the crew.
She watched her own thoughts in action as a few men stepped forward to help Catarina onto the ship, and another wrapped a blanket around her. She observed the looks and smiles that passed between them, and turned to walk back to her cabin. She had never had a loving family, but thought that the looks she had seen were something akin to that and she needed to get away before she found herself joining in.
"You have got to be kidding me!" Duran said under his breath. Zevran looked over with a smirk, enjoying the exasperation and horror on his friend's face.
The entire group was huddled together, just outside the door, staring up at the high dragon with fear and awe. After all the fighting to simply reach this point, they were not at their best. And now they had to face a high dragon?
"Think of it as practice, no? For the archdemon?" Zevran commented, gaining cold glances from both of the wardens. "What?" he asked innocently. "What did I say?"
"Perhaps we can simply sneak past," Leliana said quietly. "It is asleep, and we are small in comparison." She glanced up to the dragon and back down to the path. "just a few at a time, maybe?"
"Not a bad idea," Wynne answered, as she too viewed the path ahead. "If it does come to attack us, we can surround it."
"Perhaps you sneaky types should try first," Alistair said, still looking at the dragon. "I feel my armor may be too loud."
Duran looked thoughtful, but decided he was right. In fact all the warriors should stay behind, they were hardly light on their feet, and Shale was worst of all. Intimidating yes, quiet… no.
"All right then, Zev, Leli, Wynne. You're with me. The rest of you, keep an eye on that dragon. Try to distract it if it wakes, to give us time to make it to the temple." He looked around to see them all nodding. Those that were leaving, left packs and any items that would cause unnecessary noise behind, then ventured out along the snowy path.
"You seemed surprised to see the dragon, my friend. Did the little dove not tell you anything of import then?" Zevran whispered as they snuck along.
"She told me some things that made no sense, but she said they would in time," Duran replied. "A heads up about a high dragon and a cave full of dragon worshipers would have been nice though."
They grinned at each other, and could see Leliana's shoulders moving in a silent giggle. Wynne turned to give them a wry smile as well, and Zevran could see that they were all remembering their companion.
"How about the time she ran right into that cave to get out of the rain?" Wynne whispered with a chuckle.
"Ugh, giant spider guts never come out of clothes, no matter how many washes!" Duran whispered dramatically. Zevran was caught by surprise and let out a snort.
The group froze, and looked up worry etched on each face. The dragon shifted, but stayed asleep. With a sigh of relief, they continued their journey, though first giving Zevran a cold look, to which he replied with a shrug of his shoulders.
"I blame the Warden," he muttered.
Duran smiled, "I'm not the one who let her discover giant spiders for herself," he replied. Zevran smiled at the memory. The dove had certainly given him hell that day. Odd, that it was her ire that he missed the most.
Isabela met with her crew, as always, at dinnertime.
"Fellows! It seems to me that our newest acquisition," she paused as Catarina started choking on whatever she had been eating. Those on either side of her pounded on her back, and she coughed.
"Excuse me?"
Isabela ignored her and continued on. "Right. Our newest addition, has need of some of our expert training. And so," she pitched her voice louder to be heard over the chatter, "we shall start in the morning, at full sail." She smirked as she took in the gleeful faces of her crew, and Catarina's frown. "Better place your bets lads."
Cat watched Isabela saunter out of the room. She had been systematically befriending everyone on the ship, and Isabela was turning out to be the hardest nut to crack. At first she had thought that being friends with Isabela would be easy, and getting the hulking men would be more difficult, but it was the other way around.
In fact, it seemed as if Isabela was completely ignoring her, which went against everything Cat had planned. The longer she stayed in Thedas, the more she forgot about Earth. Her family, her life… True, she hadn't been doing much with that life since her divorce. She had wondered several times if anyone even noticed that she was gone.
When her plans fell apart, she fell apart. Though she didn't really miss Steven, and she knew they were both happier apart, everything she had dreamed, everything she had worked for was gone, and she hadn't known what to do with herself.
Now, here she was again. In a much more dangerous situation, and without concrete plans, sure, but life was moving on and she felt unable to catch up. She quickly finished eating, and headed outside. She needed to be alone.
Isabela looked over at the noise that interrupted her solitude. She stepped back into the shadows as Catarina came forward to the railing. She really was a pretty thing, full of contradictions. The womanly curves, and blunt demeanor combined with her creamy skin and girlish freckles. The wild, dark hair that she constantly tamed by keeping it braided over her shoulder. Isabela originally thought that she was some noble woman running away from her life of privilege, but the more time went by, the more she saw a girl, running from life in general.
At first she had contemplated simply seducing the girl, but Catarina had bonded with her crew, and the lost look in her eyes had Isabela keeping her distance. This girl was a complication, and Isabela preferred things simple.
Cat heard a noise and whirling around, asked "Who's there?". Silence greeted her, then Isabela stepped out of the shadows. Cat sighed in relief, and turned back to the water. Neither of them spoke as they stood side by side, leaning on the railing and looking out at the night sky.
"Do I offend you, Captain?" Cat blurted out.
Isabela turned with a smirk. "Not at all sweetheart, what makes you ask?"
"It just… I mean, you… well you know…" Cat stammered. "You're not what I expected I suppose."
Isabela let out a full belly laugh, and Cat stood there perplexed. "I'm just what I appear to be. A pirate captain, who enjoys her freedom and does as she pleases." She looked Cat up and down then asked, "And what are you?"
Cat opened her mouth to respond, then closed it again. There was a pause before she finally replied, "I don't know… and that scares me."
"I won't sugar coat it, I can't help there, that's all on you. But, me and my crew can teach you how to fight and how to sail, and give you time to figure it out."
"I can't ask for more than that," Cat responded, looking out at the sky. The stars were beautiful, and looked so foreign. She had been drifting for so long now, wasn't it time to make some decisions? So many awful things were going to happen, and she knew about them. Some of them needed to play out, but perhaps with some planning the main crisis's could be averted?
"Make a decision Cat" she told herself. She turned back to Isabela and stuck out her hand.
"I'm in."
"I can't believe we've done it."
"Don't get ahead of yourself Leliana, there are still many things to accomplish." Duran said, looking over his shoulder at the archer.
"I know you're right Duran," Alistair added. "But the fact that we've actually been able to amass an army, is quite an achievement. Especially for the two newest members of the Grey Wardens. I don't know that I believed we could do it back at the beginning."
"We've as good as won, Warden." Oghren joined the conversation, though he was still looking around for any other attackers as they made their way back to Arl Eamon's estate. "We got rid of Howe, the rutting traitor, and rescued the Queen."
"True enough, my smelly friend," Zevran replied. "Loghain has no idea what we have in store at the Landsmeet," he turned to give Duran a look, "especially since the Arl plans to announce a new ruler of Fereldan."
Several of the party turned to look at Alistair at this comment, and he looked as if he was going to be sick. "I told him it's a bad idea, but he just won't listen!" Alistair looked pleadingly at his companions, "You should all tell him it's a bad idea. I can't even lead the ten of us, how could I possibly lead a country!"
"Calm down Alistair," Leliana soothed. "Your voice is going higher than even Dog can hear," she said, and the others chuckled.
"Come on, everyone, let's get back to the estate" Duran said, and all other banter stopped as they made their way through the city.
"I'm not going to like this, am I?"
"Morrigan knew it all, about the joining, the taint, even that a Grey Warden must die in order to kill the Archdemon." Duran saw the panicked look on Alistair's face that must have matched his own. If Duncan had taught him anything before his death, it was the need for secrecy.
"How did she know?"
"I think from her mother, but that's not the point. She says that we need not lose someone. There is a ritual that can be done, that would prevent the Grey Warden from dying."
"And the consequences of this path?" Alistair asked skeptically.
"I'm not sure," Duran replied. "Though Cat did tell me, that either way would be fine. She told me to make my own decision, even though I asked for clarification, she just smiled. I know it's my choice, but I could really use your advice."
"Advice? From me? Wow… that's a first."
"Be serious man."
"Fine. I think that if there isn't anything insane Morrigan is asking of you for this, then it's a good idea. There are a lot of good that you and I can still do in the order, and even with the Archdemon dead, there will always darkspawn."
Duran looked at his fellow warden. "Thank you Alistair."
Alistair looked at his friend, and decided to continue. "And since we're on this subject, Cat also said something similar to me. Not to let others decide my fate, that I could do or be what I wanted." He wasn't sure if Duran would help him, but he had to try. "Duran, I … I don't want to be king. I want to stay a Grey Warden, that is, if I survive."
"You talk of doing good," Duran replied, "do you know how much more good you can do as king?"
"Yes, but there is so much more harm I can do, if I mess up."
"You have advisers and such to help with that."
"True, however, I don't want it."
Duran looked Alistair over, and seeing that he was being serious, was taken aback. Alistair was never serious, and used humor in any and all situations.
"This obviously means a lot to you, and Anora has been pestering me to support her candidacy for remaining the monarch." Alistair nodded. "If that is what you really want, I will make a deal with her,"he said, and Alistair looked relieved. "Of course, we'll need to ensure that she doesn't try to have you killed, perhaps swearing fealty at the Landsmeet or something will suffice."
"Whatever it takes," Alistair replied with a smile. "She can have it."
"Very well my friend, it seems that both of us are stepping off the chosen path. I'd better go talk to Morrigan. I'll see you in the morning for the Landsmeet."
"Thank you, and good luck… my friend."