Chapter 97

The sound of merriment and raucous laughter filled the Hanged Man as Varric finished telling one of his tales. Emma took a mouthful of ale, still chuckling and thinking that Varric's reputation as a storyteller was well-deserved. "Is there something on my face, Feathers?"
Aedan raised an inquiring brow. "Feathers?"
Varric looked over to Merrill. "Daisy, tell the Warden what you would name your griffon."
The elven mage smiled innocently. "Oh, if I had a pet griffon, I'd call him Feathers."
Emma burst out laughing. "That's perfect, Merrill."
"Anyway, back to my initial question. Why do you keep looking at me?"
"Well, I've never seen a dwarf without a beard before."

Emma thought of something a friend had once told her, and being slightly tipsy, she blurted out, "Oh, it's because his beard thought his face was too handsome to cover up, so it took up residence on his chest instead." She couldn't remember whether she'd got the words exactly right, but she knew that had been the gist of the comment. Varric stared at her for a moment, and then burst out laughing, slapping his hand against the table at the joke. "Oh, that's a good one. I might even use that in a story." His words reminded her of something she'd always wanted, and she asked him for an autographed copy of Hard in Hightown, which he gave her with a chuckle.
Carver, who looked relaxed and happy for once, asked Aedan if he had any good stories about defeating the Blight. Aedan glanced sideways at Emma, with a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Well, the first time I saw Emma fight, she held her staff in both hands and beat the crap out of the wolves attacking us."
Emma groaned and dropped her head against the table. "Why did you have to tell them that story? I'm sure I had better moments than that."
Aedan chuckled. "You're right. There was that time you jumped into a river and then ran back out when you realised how cold it was, and most of the camp saw you naked."
"Oh, that's much better, thanks." She slapped him playfully on the arm.
Carver looked a bit disgruntled at the lack of action. "But what about the fights you were in? I hear you took down a Broodmother?"
Varric smiled and shook his head. "Kid, those are the types of fights people would rather forget about."

A game of Wicked Grace was soon underway, and Emma was glad that Zev had taught her the basics of the game. After losing a couple of games, she sat back, content to just watch and listen to the conversation. Aedan dropped out after the next round and he leaned into Emma. "I can't concentrate – every time Fenris speaks I get distracted. Also, you never told me what that phrase meant. The one you shouted when we killed the dragon. What was it again?"
Emma whispered the words to him, and due to the amount of alcohol he'd imbibed, he repeated them in a slightly louder voice than he had intended. "Taarsidath-an halsaam." Fenris looked up quickly, his eyes wide, and a slight flush on his cheeks. Emma burst out laughing and smugly explained to Aedan that Fenris had some knowledge of Qunlat. Aedan groaned as his face heated up. "You could have told me that before, Angel."
She sniggered. "Well, that's what you get for telling those stories about me." She stood up, pulling Aedan with her. "If you'll excuse us, I think we could do with some fresh air."
Varric nodded. "Okay, but will someone translate what Feathers said? I have a feeling I just missed out on something good."
Emma shook her head. "I'll let Fenris tell you."

They stepped out into the cool night air, and a full moon lit the way as they wandered through the streets until she led him down a steep flight of stairs heading towards the docks. "Why is that area blocked off?"
Emma followed his pointing finger. "The Qunari are camped there at the moment."
"Is Sten there?"
"Unfortunately not, but the Arishok is."
Aedan frowned. "That can't be good. I can't see him leaving Par Vollen unless there was a damn good reason."
"Yeah. It's not going to end well, and unfortunately, I don't think there's anything we can do to help. This is something that Hawke and his friends will have to deal with."

Aedan sat down on the steps leading to the sea, and Emma sat between his legs, resting her head against his chest, and for a while, they were content to watch the reflection of the moon shimmer across the sea. He rested his chin on her shoulder. "This is a nice quiet spot."
"Mhm." She rested her hands on his. "So, where will we live when we get back to Ferelden?"
He lifted her onto his knees and held her close as she shivered at the brisk wind sweeping across the sea. "I'm thinking somewhere in Denerim, though with the occasional visit to Highever to check in on my brother."
Emma nodded. "Yeah, I like the idea of being near Al and Ali."
Aedan sputtered. "Is that their new nicknames?"
She looked back at him and grinned. "Yep, Alfstanna is a bit of a mouthful, and it's just so cute for them to be Al and Ali."
He planted a firm kiss on her warm lips. "Such a romantic."
Her gaze softened and she stroked his hair. "Of course, what else can you expect when I've found the love of my life."
"Maker, I love you, Emma Cousland." Their lips joined in a longer, passionate kiss with the whispering wind and lapping waves providing a melody of nature. -

The next morning, they found Varric sitting at a table eating breakfast. He beckoned them over. "So, how long are you guys going to be staying around?"
"Not long. We have a couple of things to do, and then we'll be heading back to Ferelden."
Varric took a drink from the mug at his side. "Are you sure you don't fancy a trip to the Deep Roads?"
Aedan chuckled and shook his head. "No, thanks. We've had our fill of the Deep Roads."
Varric gave an understanding nod. "Anders said the same thing." He looked into his mug of ale, a contemplative expression on his face. "I'm not claiming to have the same gift as you," he said as he glanced up at Emma, "but I have a feeling there's a storm on the way, and we might need some help."
Emma met his gaze. "You've got good instincts, Varric. When you need us, we'll be here, but for the most part, the task of keeping this city safe will fall to Hawke and the friends that he's gathered around him."
The dwarf took another mouthful of ale. "I guess it's his time to shine, huh?"
She chuckled. "Something like that."
He sighed. "I didn't even get time to think of a nickname for you, Emma."
She patted him on the shoulder. "Don't worry, Varric. You've got plenty of time to think of one before we meet again."