Chapter Text
I had never in my life been happier to see solid land.
Even if the massive, metal statues that looked like slaves covering their eyes bothered me a little.
The chains that connected to them were even worse.
Still, we had made good time. We managed to cut off a few days from our journey, thanks to smooth waters and stiff winds.
At least, that was what I heard one of the sailor’s saying. I spent most of my time with my head in a bucket so I couldn’t tell if we had smooth sailing or not. It certainly didn’t feel like it.
I stumbled down the gangplank, feet and ground wobbling from being at sea for so long.
“Ungh…,” I groaned, breathing deeply as I bent over my knees. “Never again.”
I carried my bags with me and walked away from the docks and the smell of saltwater and fish. I hid my surprise well when I saw a handful of Qunari soldiers hanging out in front of a blocked-off section of the docks. Unlike Sten, these Qunari had horns and bright red tattoos that stood out against their gray skin.
I put my head down and kept walking. I didn’t have a problem with Sten, but those people were not Sten and he had warned me to be careful if I ever came across other Qunari.
After asking the nearest guard for directions to a nice inn, he pointed me to Hightown and simply told me to keep going up to get there.
I thanked him and walked away pretending to know what he was talking about.
* * *
I was sweating by the time I made it to the inn in Hightown.
“So...many,” I panted as I threw my bags in my room, “stairs. Lord, help me.”
I was barely able to get out that I needed a room for a while when speaking to the innkeeper. I was pretty sure he thought I didn’t speak Common with how he was looking at me as I drug my stuff through the main room.
The room was nice enough. The bed didn’t look to have any lice or bed bugs and the dark green spread looked freshly cleaned. There was even a bathtub and privy hidden behind a wooden divider screen. And, I had more than one pillow, which was always nice.
It was well lit, much like the main room, and smelled like lavender with an undertone of wood.
It was overall pleasant.
I spared a few moments to get unpacked and catch my breath before heading out into the city. I wanted to buy a map and get acquainted with nooks and crannies, as well as the people. It would be a smart thing to try and invest some of my money that I made with Elissa to keep a steady income.
I made a mental note to find someone to ask about that.
* * *
Hightown -well, Kirkwall in general- was nothing like Fereldan.
The streets were solid stone with an almost marble looking texture. The walls of houses built right against one another stretched up into the sky, blocking many of what I would call courtyards from receiving light until well in the afternoon. But it was the closest I had seen to something resembling a city like back home, so it was comforting in a way.
The market was busy enough, though. I ignored the nobles that sneered at me as I purchased a map and went to the next stall to browse their wares.
It was hard to blame them, too. I smelled and looked like I hadn’t bathed in days, which I hadn’t and it killed me.
I made sure to keep my coin purse hidden inside a pocket of my cloak. I had seen someone get robbed right in front of me, so I couldn’t be too careful.
I was busy looking at the map and walking, which was a bad idea to begin with, and ended up bumping shoulders with someone.
I looked up, the apology dying on my lips as I took in the person I bumped into.
He was an elf, but that wasn’t what caught me off guard. No, it was the stark white hair and tan skin lined with blue...tattoos...no. No, that’s not right. They weren’t tattoos...they were something else that had the fog in my mind solidify and trying to push forward on its own.
I winced and stumbled backward several steps as I clutched my head. I couldn’t open my eyes because of the appearance of everyone's auras. I had never done drugs, and I never planned to, but I imagined the wavering of the air would be close to the effects of LSD….maybe.
It hurt to think.
Dimly, I felt someone rest a hand against my arm to hopefully steady me and not rob me blind. I quietly thanked them and managed to stand on my own two feet after a moment of getting the fog under control. You would think that by now it would be listening to my every command, but nope. It didn’t work like that just yet.
The man who kept me from falling on my tail in the middle of the street let me go after I thanked him. He grinned, teeth flashing behind a neatly trimmed, black beard. “Anytime, my lady.”
I looked at the man again and gave him a soft smile. I expected his eyes to be blue, but they were a beautiful green that reminded me of the forests and rolling hills of England. Or, well, the pictures I had seen of England.
And, Christ, was he tall. Almost as tall as the bearded man now standing beside him.
All the other elves I had met, including Zevran, were only a few inches taller than me, but he was at least six foot. And carried around a sword that looked as tall as I was.
The dark armor with spiked gauntlets didn’t help make him less intimidating, either. And...he was glaring.
“I am so sorry. I get headaches that come and go often.” I scratched the back of my head awkwardly before deciding to blurt out my apology. I tried to ignore the heat rising to my face. “I know I offended you, and I apologize. That was never my intention. I like to think of myself as honest, so I’ll tell you straight. You caught me off guard. And…right. You’re glaring again, so I’ll just go.”
As I scurried away towards Lowtown, I called over my shoulder, “I’m sorry again!”
* * *
Fenris’ P.O.V.
He was looking over a weapon one of the merchants had displayed on their table, waiting on Garrett Hawke to finish speaking with the Death Pit owner. He did not dare touch the sword, though. Unless he wanted to be accused of stealing or something else just as outlandish.
After Hawke was done, Fenris left the table and started to make his way back over to the group. He ignored the conversation the younger Hawke sibling, Bethany, was having with her fellow mage, Anders. It was something about magic theory.
When someone bumped against his shoulder his hand went to the hilt of his greatsword on instinct. At least, until he looked down.
A young woman with long brown hair that shone in the sunlight was looking up at him, mouth agape and light brown eyes wide. A bow peaked from over her shoulders and he noticed two daggers strapped to her legs.
He didn’t know who she was, but she was armed and that made him more cautious than normal.
Her eyes glided over his hair and his ears -unlike half of the people he came across- and instead landed on the markings etched into his skin.
Fenris was going to say something when she stumbled backwards, one hand clutching at her head while the other fell limp at her side.
Hawke came up behind her and helped to steady the small woman before she ended up on the ground and caused a scene. That was the last thing any of them needed.
She kept her eyes closed as she leaned backwards, into Hawke’s hand, before pulling away with a quiet “thank you” and a small smile in his direction.
And because Hawke was who he was, he flashed the woman an overly friendly grin and stated, “Anytime, my lady.”
Fenris almost rolled his eyes. He had not been helping the man but for almost a week now, and it was clear that he was very friendly with people he thought were attractive, be them a man or woman.
Fenris glared when the woman turned that soft smile towards him. But, he was not prepared for the words she spoke or the strange way she said them.
“I am so sorry. I get headaches that come and go often.” She reached up and scratched the back of her neck, but he made sure to keep an eye on what her other hand was doing as well. It would not serve to be stabbed in broad daylight because he was not vigilant.
The woman continued, even as her face heated, “I know I offended you, and I apologize. That was never my intention. I like to think of myself as honest, so I’ll tell you straight. You caught me off guard. And…right. You’re glaring again, so I’ll just go.”
They watched her run off towards Lowtown, yelling out one more apology before she disappeared down the stairs leading lower into the city.
“What is wrong with you?” Anders exclaimed, hands thrown in the air. “That was one of the most beautiful women I had ever seen and she was talking to you! And not running away!”
Fenris simply glared at the mage.
It was true the woman was pretty, but she also unnerved him. There was something about her that was...quiet.
He was silent the rest of the day, lost in his own thoughts, as he followed Hawke around to report back into several people who had given them jobs to do.
That woman never quite left his mind, even as he made himself as comfortable as possible in his former master’s house. Even with the tonic Anders was polite enough to give him, the markings still ached and felt raw to the touch.
He would be visited by worse than normal night terrors, it would seem.
It was a good thing Hawke did not need him tomorrow. It would give him time for his markings to calm down and for him to try to make more progress on finding Danarius.