Searching For Skies To Conquer

Hawke forgets how many times Isabela runs away from her, all she knows is that despite what the pirate says - she's always going to come running back. F!Hawke/Isabela

Hawke stifled a yawn on the back of her hand with a weary shake of her shoulders, it was of course a vain attempt to wake herself up because both her, Isabela and her faithful mabari hound Alistair still had a way to go before they could find shelter good enough that the templars hunting them would pass on.

The rocky ground dug into the soles of her armoured boots which sent a shooting pain through her leg each time, it's a mere twinge of course and she can ignore it, but it's also an annoyance that slowly starts to make her mood become more and more sour until Hawke took on grunting each time the pain started to become too much for her to handle.

Isabela is uncharacteristically quiet next to her and Hawke can feel the guilt swirl around and around inside her each time she allows a glance towards the pirate, knowing that this was not the life Isabela wanted and she was more than ashamed at the reality that she had swept Isabela's life under the carpet without even thinking about it.

"You're shivering." Hawke observed with a gesture of her head towards Isabela's shivering arms and legs, feeling ridiculously stupid when Isabela in return rolled her eyes and trudged on with more haste than before. It made Hawke growl in irritation at the pirate, the reaction being that Alistair then licked her palm in an effort to calm her down. It didn't work very well.

"Isabela!" Hawke yelled after the pirate with her anger causing the magic in her blood to pulse vehemently, mirroring the anger that clouded Hawke almost every second of her life since her father died. "Make sure I can see you damn it!"

Alistair howled loudly at her yell and with an excited bark he rushed towards the slowing pirate with such cheeriness in his bark that it made Hawke stop for a moment and let the sound wash over her, the sound itself wasn't calming but what it held deep within the many layers made her exhale calmly. She could get through this, all she had to do was try harder.

A yell and then another bark made Hawke raise her eyes from the rocky terrain she was walking up to see that Alistair had managed to wrestle Isabela to the marshy ground that was up near the top of the Vimmark mountains they were walking down from to head towards Markham.

The sight brought out a smirk from Hawke, something that was unfamiliar and foreign even to herself yet in the last years she had spent in Kirkwall she had been doing nothing but smiling because Maker's breath it hadn't been perfect but…It had been close enough.

She stopped directly where Isabela laid under Alistair's huge bulk, staring up at Hawke's amused eyes with a frown. Hawke can't help but think it's slightly cute, but she felt guilty about even thinking of the adorableness of the situation because the times they are in? They're far from adorable and tender.

Isabela pouted when Hawke merely chuckled at her, slapping Alistair's back with a grunt. "Shush you and help me get this mangy beast off me!"

Hawke knelt down next to the great beast with another smile, letting her fingers rush through the course fur that is caked with mud and dry blood from previous battles and a recent one that had occurred what felt like a few hours ago. Alistair had been with them since they had retreated from Kirkwall despite Hawke's insistence that he instead guard Aveline, Donnic and Merrill as they boarded a ship to Maker knows where - he knew where his loyalties lied and while Hawke was flattered she would have had a lot more comfort brought to her if he had gone with Aveline instead of trekking with them through the Vimmark mountains with templars scurrying after them.

"He's listening to his mistress Isabela," Hawke murmured with a fond shake of her head, scratching Alistair behind the ears and pressing a chaste kiss to the animal's head. "He's a good boy, he protects us. Don't you Alistair?"

Isabela flicked mud at her face with a huff that Hawke decided is actually well-earned, it certainly made her turn to face Isabela properly this time anyhow. "Now that you're finished loving your hound a bit too much, can you get him off me?"

Hawke raised an amused brow and patted Alistair's hind leg, the movement causing Alistair to bark once more in Isabela's face - not before licking it of course - and jumping off the pirate to dance around Hawke's side like he always had since he was a pup.

Isabela sighed and accepted Hawke's hand to help her up once the apostate had stood up properly, letting out an exasperated groan at the sight of her muddy clothes and how the stickiness of the mud had even managed to get into her hair. "Rule number one Isabela, when Hawke says sod the ship you punch her straight in the eye."

"That's a bit harsh," Hawke grumbled with a shake of her head, spraying water everywhere which of course meant Alistair thought that he had to do the same with another mischievous bark escaping him. "We'll get you some new clothes once we hit Markham if that makes you feel any better."

Isabela picked at the blood under her nails with a huff, eyeing Hawke with vicious amber hues that not only made Hawke feel overwhelmed but it managed to make her feel as though she was falling into a dark abyss with no escape - it was enough to drive anyone insane. This look alone obviously meant that Isabela didn't agree about this whole thing making her better but Hawke found herself not caring, just for that moment.

She hesitated before placing two fingers on the curve of Isabela's chin, tilting the pirate's face towards her and pressing a chaste kiss to Isabela's forehead; smirking at the feel of Isabela's brow furrowing in irritation at being treated so tenderly, it was of course something Isabela was still getting used to.

"And now I'm getting the dog treatment. Lovely." Isabela groused with her arms folding across her generous chest and her eyes averted upwards to avoid Hawke's gaze.

Hawke honestly didn't know how to appease Isabela sometimes no matter how hard she tried, so instead she shrivelled back into her usual stance of being cold and insolent with the pirate; not because she wanted to but because she had no idea how to be anything but.

"You look lovely anyway, now lets go." Hawke commanded with another swish of her hair, shooting Isabela a parting glance before trudging on down the path of Vimmark mountain. "I think I see some shelter down the mountain."

Isabela scoffed in reply, gazing idly up at the sky. "Hurrah."

It took another ten minutes before Hawke felt Isabela brush past her, subtly grazing their hands together with such warmth that it made Hawke pause and only composing herself when Alistair nipped at her fingers.

"If we're lucky," Hawke started with a hand reaching out to grasp at Isabela's wrist, slowing Isabela down until they walked side by side. "It might be an inn that we find down there and we can actually sleep in a bed and even have a hot bath instead of walking around always filthy."

Isabela met her eyes and Hawke was pleasantly surprised to see the pirate smirking at her. "I agree, you'll need that bath." She took a sniff near Hawke's face, causing Hawke to flush at the closeness of the Rivaini pirate. "You're starting to smell like a dog."

Hawke growled angrily at that, pushing the laughing Isabela away from her. "That's rich coming from the woman whose caked in mud and blood."

Isabela continued to laugh cheerily and to Hawke the sight was something she herself had not grown used to in the same way Isabela still had not grown used to receiving such affection off the now traitorous Champion of Kirkwall; it seemed as if most days Isabela was the only thing keeping Hawke moving and that in itself was both refreshing and horrifying at the same time.

"You can thank your precious mutt for that," Isabela gestured to the mabari hound with a glare, knocking Alistair gently with a thigh that caused him to whine. "His the one who got me all dirty in the first place."

Alistair barked happily at being noticed by the pirate and licked at Isabela's thigh, causing Hawke to laugh and rub at the hound's ears.

"If you do have a bath and you're all wonderfully smelling and clean," Isabela cooed with a tone that dripped with sarcasm, leaning over to pinch at Hawke's cheek with a chuckle. "Then I'll make sure your lovely Alistair comes in with you so you can embrace the dirt together."

"What? In the bath?" Hawke scrunched up her nose and sent a disgusted look her pirate's way, annoyed at the look of smugness that flittered over Isabela's face when their eyes met. "No thanks, I'd rather have you in the bath."

Isabela's eyes darkened almost immediately after the words left Hawke's mouth and her smile got wider and more impish, like a young teenager planning out the ways of seduction that would end up disastrously perfect. And of course, Hawke was more charmed than she could ever say because as usual she was like a child who had been given a present with such intricate parcelling that she didn't want to mar it in any way, shape or form. She didn't want to touch it in case it got spoiled but in the end…

Isabela wouldn't be the same if she wasn't spoiled, and that was exactly how Hawke liked her. Spoiled and free, ripped and open and everything Hawke wanted no matter how hard it was to grasp.

But of course, it wasn't always going to be this easy…

Alistair whined and nudged at the back of Hawke's knee, causing her to stop from her trek through the marshy ground to look down at the hound with a look of worry creased over her brow.

"Boy?" She enquired with a pat on her mabari's head, shielding Alistair's eyes away from the rain hammering down onto their backs. "What's wrong boy? Are you too tired or-?"

Hawke trailed off at catching Alistair's leg that looked as though it had been severely twisted or even broken, it stunned her at how she hadn't seen it before and at how Alistair hadn't even said or made any indication that this leg had been hurting him.

She let her mind wander back to when it could of happened, it couldn't have been yesterday as they had managed to wash their clothes early yesterday morning which lead Hawke to the conclusion that her mabari must have obtained today when they had been attacked by bandits on the route down from Vimmark mountains.

Hawke met the forest-green hues of her mabari with a frown, stroking under his chin gently. "Why didn't you tell me?" He whined and pawed at the ground softly in response, burying his head in the middle of his paws.

"Hawke!" Isabela called from further down the path, looking worriedly over her shoulder once she realized that neither Alistair nor Hawke was following her. "What are you doing? We won't get anywhere if you keep stopping!"

"Alistair's leg is injured!" Hawke called back with a gesture for the pirate to walk towards them. "I don't think he can move that well, we'll have to stop here."

Isabela looked aghast at the news, jogging up towards Hawke and the hound with her eyes full to the brim with impatience. "What? We're stopping where we're right out in the open where everyone can see us but that's perfectly alright because your dog's leg is hurt? Hawke, please tell me you're actually jerking me around here…"

Hawke gave the pirate a look that made Isabela's hand connect with her forehead almost as if it was by instinct instead of choice, it just made Hawke feel even angrier at the Rivaini. "Alistair can't move Isabela, we'll have to stay here."

Isabela crouched down at Hawke's side, flicking the apostate on the very tip of her nose with a finger. "Hawke it's a dog, we'll just leave him up here and then we'll get some help in the settlement at the bottom of the mountain."

Hawke shook her head with an irritated huff escaping her lips. "Are you mad? I'm not leaving Alistair up here by himself, he could get hurt for all we know."

"It's not safe for us to be here out in the open!" Isabela snapped with a shake of her head, gesturing wildly to the road behind her. "Do you know how many templars are after you? Hm? More than enough to slit your throat if they find you up here! Alistair will be fine if we just…"

"I appreciate your concern Isabela!" Hawke growled sounding anything but appreciative, curling her finger around a strand of her hair and tucking it behind her ear. "But I'm not leaving Alistair alone up here while we go get help, I'm staying put." And as if to end the discussion altogether, Hawke flopped down next to her mabari with her eyes focused solely ahead; ignoring Isabela altogether.

In response Isabela threw her arms up in the air and looked severely like she was contemplating whether to throw herself off the mountain's path. "For everything sweet and…Damn it Hawke! What is it with you? Don't you actually give a nugs arse that, hm how can I put this? The templars. Will see you. And then they'll stab you. In the eye."

Hawke scoffed with a roll of her eyes, sulkily leaning back against Alistair's damp fur with an expression that rivalled Fenris's when it came to being indifferent and heartless however the expression also held a small tint of smugness that Isabela couldn't stand. Because honestly? It was just plain arrogant of Hawke to do something like this and if it's one thing Isabela can't stand in Hawke's personality alone is arrogance.

"Let them come." Hawke replied monotonously with her icy eyes still fixed ahead of her, refusing to look at Isabela no matter what the pirate or herself said because it was not her way.

Not her way to give into everything Isabela wanted to do. It had been like this in Kirkwall, when Isabela wanted something Hawke weighed up her options to see if the pirate was allowed to have it; like a game played between them both that either ended up with them yelling at each other or tearing each others clothes off - either way helped them tremendously in the end.

"You're bloody…unbelievable!" Hawke's eyes snapped to the side to face Isabela (silently cursing herself for breaking her usual method of ignoring Isabela enough that the pirate would either give up or scowl angrily at her for a good while) at the pirate's yell, narrowing and darkening when Isabela prodded her in the shoulder.

"What? Are you giving up now?" Isabela teased just as she had done before yet it was different, dark and twisted and for some asinine reason Hawke couldn't help but shudder with want at it. This desire was a curse inside her blood. "Sweet thing, have you never been on the road? Is that why you're giving up?"

Hawke snarled fiercely at the pirate, cradling her cheek in her palm and giving Isabela her best death glares that she usually reserved for Carver but with him gone Isabela was the best thing she had to glare at these days. "I didn't ask for your therapy."

"And I didn't ask for you dragging me everywhere without any idea where you're going!" Isabela sniped back with a resentful look in her eyes, it's something that strikes Hawke right in the heart and makes her head spin until all she can see is nothing but dark clouds and lightning hitting into one another again and again but the pain melts into anger instead and all of a sudden Hawke wants nothing more but to wrap her fingers around Isabela's neck and squeeze.

"I didn't ask you to come!" Hawke roared back with her magic rising rapidly around her, making the air that had been damp and frigid a few moments ago start to become more humid and muggy at her rage. "I don't understand why you did come! There were ships docked in Kirkwall that you could have used! You could have gone with Aveline and Merrill! I didn't ask you to come with me!"

"Who else was going to save your great arse?" Isabela joked with the intention of trying to ease the argument down into their usual friendly banter but this time Hawke was far too worked up to actually care.

"So you're here just to protect me and not because you want to actually be here?" Hawke said with a click of her tongue, feeling the hurt that had struck upon her at her own words start to tickle at her chest. "That's brilliant Isabela, truly brilliant."

"Do you want to be here Hawke?" Isabela laughed humourlessly with a shake of her head. "Nobody sane would want to be here at the moment."

Hawke didn't reply, instead happy with stroking at Alistair's fur whenever the dog whined in pain and discomfort. She truly hated it when Isabela made a fine point.

So she lashed out. "I should have let the Qunari have you." And the sad thing is, she can't even say she lashed out because her voice is calm and quiet and it fills the silence with such a loud banging noise that it deafens. "Maybe then I wouldn't be in this mess."

That logic didn't work of course, Hawke knew very well that it didn't but she can't help it; can't help but think that maybe if she'd done something differently then she wouldn't be on the run now and all she can see and hear in her mind is Isabela, Isabela, Isabela, Isabela…It's driving her nuts.

But it isn't just that either. Hawke can remember the night she duelled the Arishok to the death just for Isabela's safety, she can remember how he almost slaughtered her with his blade and how he almost sucked the life out of her by a mere squeeze of his fingers against her neck; but most of all she can remember how afterwards once the celebrations of the Arishok's defeat died down, it had all been utterly worth it.

Isabela hadn't wanted Hawke to risk her life for her, it had been one of the many reasons why Isabela had stormed off the face of Thedas for years and now as Isabela had said, she hadn't asked to be dragged across half of Thedas when Hawke honestly didn't know where she was going.

It was how she had been taught as a child to get people to run away from her, taunt them with the things that hurt them most until they ran far, far away from her so they wouldn't get hurt anymore than Hawke had already done to hurt them. It had been a trick she had taken with her from her childhood, a trick that still worked.

So it didn't surprise her to see that Isabela was gone the one moment she looked back over to where Isabela had been crouching next to her, in fact it felt as if a huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders and placed on the ground next to her - giving her a small amount of relief.

Alistair barked at the place Isabela had been sitting a few moments ago, the sound causing Hawke to thread her fingers more tightly through the mabari's fur and bury her head on the canine's back with a sigh.

"She's gone boy," she murmured into the drenched fur with a shake of her head, brushing her nose up against Alistair's spine and allowing herself to flop forwards and curl up and around the mabari hound. "She isn't going to be coming back."

Alistair pressed a large paw against the back of her head, nose nudging at her ear with a whine accompanying his gentle movements. Hawke shrugged him off with a growl, pushing away the snout that kept poking at the back of her ear.

"We'll be fine Alistair." She growled more to herself than her faithful hound, falling back into the marshy ground with a huff of exasperation. She was tired, ridiculously so and now she had no idea what she was going to do. Alistair was hurt and if he didn't get help soon then…

She had two options, either to leave Alistair behind to perish in the cold or stay with him and try to keep them both alive as long as possible until she managed to figure something out.

Hawke willed herself into sleeping with both of her hands cupped over her eyes to shield her from the rain, silently berating herself from driving Isabela away once again.

Hawke growled at the feel of something rough and itchy being rubbed up her leg and across her shoulders, reaching out blindly to snatch away the rough object and throwing it to her right.

A gasp answered her and all of a sudden Hawke jolted upwards, surprised when she found herself in a tub filled to the absolute brim of warm water and how she was completely naked.

Not even the bark of whom she guessed belonged to Alistair could reassure her that she was safe, and with a growl she stood up from where she was resting in the tub of warm water and looked around the dimly-lit room she found herself in.

Hawke's eyes settled onto the bed in the far corner of the room she was in, surprised to see that instead of the scratchy quilts and sheets she had slowly started to get used to in the months she and Isabela had been running away that there instead was a soft, velvet quilt full to the brim with feathers.

Whoever had brought her here had obviously felt brass enough to pick her a room full to the brim with luxury, velvet quilts, the smell of vanilla essence in the air and the warm water that surrounded her ankles…Who had brought her here?

"Messere?" A small voice made her head snap to the side to see that a young elven girl that couldn't have been more than nine years old staring up at her, blue eyes wide in fear. "Y-you need to sit down so I can rub at your back."

Hawke creased her brow at the stuttering blonde elf which of course just made the elf whimper at the look, she probably looked angry or something like that but at the moment Hawke didn't have the time to spare this elven girl's feelings.

"Elf!" She pointed a lone finger at the elf girl, eyes looking wildly around her room once more to see that both her armour and stave was resting near the fireplace of the room. "Where am I? Who are you? Why am I naked?"

The elf trembled before answering, dropping the ragged towel inside the tub and biting nervously at her nails. "The Sleepy Snake. I don't know. Because you smell messere."

Hawke felt irritation start to make her skin crawl and with a sigh she stepped out of the tub and scratched at her right arm, looking down at the elven girl with annoyance.

"Is this about the whole 'us-humans-stole-your-land thing? Because if it is then I am truly very sorry." Hawke said slowly with a little nod of her head in what hoped to be a supportive manner, not really caring if the tone of her voice cancelled out such a gesture but wanting to at least somehow make the girl comfortable in her presence. "Now where can I find a towel?"

"Messere that is most unwise!" The elf exclaimed the moment Hawke started to make her way towards what looked like to a wardrobe at the far end of the room. "You've got a very bad fever, your sister told me not to let you walk around!"

Hawke stopped from where she had been walking towards the wardrobe, heart beating rapidly and her eyes widening in an almost comedy-like fashion. Her sister? Bethany was dead so how could…Unless…

Hawke shot the elf a glare over her shoulder, eyes cold and demandingly icy as they always were when it came to being in strange rooms, naked and with elven girls staring at her as if she'd knock them flat any second. "Where is my sister? Do you know elf?"

The elf nodded eagerly and pointed towards the door that was a few feet away from where Hawke was standing, looking somewhat relieved now that Hawke had turned away from the wardrobe to stare evenly at her.

Hawke watched as the elf cocked her head to the side before speaking, her hands wrung together nervously. "I could go fetch her? She's drinking with Master Rodney and his sons messere but I'm sure she wouldn't mind coming to help her sister-"

"Wait," Hawke waved her hand in front of the elf's face, silencing the girl instantly. "How did I even get here? I can't remember much at all."

"Your sister brought you here messere." Again with the sister, what in the Maker's name had Isabela been thinking saying that? Sister? Bah, she'd give her sister when she managed to get her hands on her. "Though you don't look much like her if you don't mind me saying."

Hawke felt something that she thought to be a smile cross her face, regarding the elf with an amused arch of her eyebrows. "Of course not, I'm the prettier one."

The elf girl merely blinked, either not getting Hawke's quip or not finding it humorous at all - it drew a sigh from Hawke and her shoulders sagged. Nobody ever seemed to appreciate her jokes, they either acted shocked or they didn't laugh. Damn her reputation.

"Just go find her then," Hawke muttered with a flick of her wrist towards the door that most likely led back to where Isabela was with the rest of the tavern. "Tell her that Fenabella Tethallen wants her. Her sister."

Hawke didn't bother to see if the elf had followed her order or not, instead using this time as to find some spare clothes in the wardrobe (a navy blue tunic and tight brown breeches, obviously belonging to a man) that were big enough to be used as sleepwear for the night.

Alistair was curled up at the bottom of the bed with his left hind leg wrapped in a bandage, grunting softly when Hawke curled a finger behind the mabari's ear and ruffled it as gently as she could so she didn't wake the mabari up.

Hawke honestly couldn't remember much of what happened apart from choppy little scenes: she and Isabela had had an argument, Alistair's leg had somehow gotten hurt, they'd had another argument, Isabela had left which left both herself and Alistair alone in the cold and now she was in warm room with beds of feathers instead of lousy old hay…

What a distressing and truly mind-boggling evening, it certainly wouldn't leave Hawke's mind in a hurry and that was before she realized that Isabela (or so she hoped it to be Isabela) would be coming up to greet her soon enough.

Hawke pressed a kiss to Alistair's head before bounding out her door (grunting when her foot connected with the wall) to gaze down at long stairway that was in fact so long that Hawke actually couldn't see where the stairs ended but that was not the thing that bothered her.

Isabela was coming up the stairs with a smirk on her face that clearly said that whatever had happened down in the lower depths of the tavern had pleased the pirate to the point of grinning like a chesire cat despite (maybe) knowing that Hawke was far from being in a good mood with her.

When Isabela finally managed to look up at Hawke with that stupid smirk still on her face Hawke herself was surprised at how it managed to soften her slightly in spite of the anger that she felt with the pirate at the moment, even if that anger was partly caused by herself.

"You've got some nerve pirate," Hawke growled with a throaty cough, wrapping her hands around her neck to try and soothe the tension that had started to clog her throat up. "Smirking at me as if everything is perfectly alright."

Isabela's smirk widened. "It isn't? Why ever not? You've had a bath, you're warm and you've got such big clothes I can easily rip them off you. What's not perfectly alright about that?"

Hawke admitted silently to herself that Isabela makes an excellent point but she wasn't going to admit that to the pirate, in its place she merely gave Isabela a pout and taking a step forward so that she met Isabela halfway up the pirate's ascent up the stairway.

"You left me!" Hawke snarled but what aggravated her the most was how Isabela simply chuckled and patted her flushed cheek, looking more pleased than annoyed. "I didn't know if you were going to come back!"

Isabela's eyes hardened dramatically at that and the pirate took a step forward which of coursed forced Hawke to take a step back, her hands running up the baggy tunic that was wrapped around Hawke's lithe body until she managed to cling on tightly to the apostate's shoulders underneath the blue fabric.

"If I wasn't going to come back sweet thing," Isabela sneered with narrowed eyes, digging her nails deep into Hawke's shoulders until she felt the crescent shaped scars form and for Hawke's blood to start to mesh against her nails and skin. "It would have served you right for…"

Hawke relaxed her muscles against Isabela's sharp nails despite the pain that coursed through her, glaring up into the pirate's eyes and using her small height as an advantage to grab Isabela's elbows and slam the Rivaini pirate against the stairways small, cramped walls.

"I said what I said because I didn't want you to come with me if this isn't what you really wanted!" Hawke snapped with a whine when Isabela's nails trailed down her back to scratch at the sensitive skin just above Hawke's arse. "But the Maker's sweaty under things Isabela! I didn't mean what I said!"

Isabela feigned a pout that made Hawke take a step back and ponder for a moment before the pirate was once more on her, gripping her elbow and looking deeply into her blue eyes.

"Sweet thing," Isabela started with that insincere pout still on her face, causing Hawke to flinch underneath the amber hues. "I know you didn't mean it, which made it a lot more easier to laugh at once I got to this tavern. Hawke, you're the most idiotic liar I've ever had the indecency to hear about. I almost feel sorry for myself at hearing you."

Hawke's eyes flashed in anger for a flicker of a moment. "Why you…"

Isabela tilted her head quizzically to the side in reply, the sight making Hawke visibly deflate from her angered high so that she instead glared down at the ground underneath her feet.

"I'm just glad you're okay." Hawke mumbled after a moment of silence with a tone full to the brim with discomfort that Hawke's voice always took upon whenever the apostate had to either confess that she had been wrong or if anything between them was tense - it was still another thing Isabela had yet to get used to. "I wouldn't have forgiven myself if you got hurt."

Isabela coughed roughly and dug her nails into the skin of Hawke's arms, pushing the apostate back and shaking her roughly. "Get a grip Hawke, it's not as if I was the one in danger staying up a mountain in the freezing cold with a stinking mabari pup."

Hawke pulled away from the pirate's grip at that, reverting back into her usual deadly still stance that she held so casually and indifferently that Isabela had taken a liking to it; seeing it now made Isabela grin and for her head to shake languidly at the cold look that had swept across the apostate's features.

"You're livid at me for worrying about you?" Hawke said with an uncharacteristic soft tone, eyes a dramatic obvious to her tone as she took another step forward to curl her fingers around Isabela's wrist - a gesture of unspoken affection. "Why am I not surprised at this?"

Isabela shook Hawke's grip off her, scoffing and punching the apostate in the shoulder. "Don't be an idiot, just don't get so sappy on me. Especially when we're in a tavern that gave me the dirty when I said you were the spawn of an Orlesian love child and that's why we don't look anything alike."

Hawke inwardly groaned and cupped her head with a look that clearly said she was contemplating whether to either kiss Isabela or smack her one; knowing Hawke it was most likely both.

"Oh Hawke don't get mad," Isabela soothed teasingly, placing a kiss on Hawke's heated cheeks and laughing wickedly when Hawke batted her away in embarrassment. "It was either that or I said you were my slave."

Hawke refused to blush at that despite how much she felt as she was going to and turned her back on Isabela to start her way back up to both hers and Isabela's room, shooting the pirate the look over her shoulder. "Knowing you I'm surprised you didn't say I was your sex slave just for the giggles it'd bring you, that and the amount of men to our door."

"Only if they could join us!" Isabela jeered before shooting off after Hawke with a wry chuckle, bumping shoulders with another laugh at how low she had to stoop to even attempt bumping shoulders with Hawke; the reaction being that immediately Hawke rolled her eyes.

"Moving away from the subject of multiple men practically breaking the bed in our room at all their weight…" Hawke slyly quipped with hooded-eyes, fearing that if she didn't move this conversation on soon then it'd get lost in complete silliness. "Do you know of a way to get us faster to…"

"…To Markham. I knew you was going to say that." Isabela finished flippantly with a toss of her long hair behind her shoulder, pleased to say that she herself had also had a bath and now her tresses didn't stick to her like lyrium-coated syrup or whatever that Rodney bloke had been telling her about his wild Templar days. "I asked one of the men here if they could take us there tomorrow and he agreed for twenty-five silver, daft I know but it'll make it quicker for us to get there."

"Good plan Isabela," Hawke's eyes spoke more than her actual words Isabela realized soon after the apostate nodded guardedly at her with blue eyes that were full of blue fire. "Oh and by the way…"

Isabela held in a gasp of shock at the feeling of Hawke's hand bunching up the front of her corset, panting sharply when the apostate pulled her forwards and moved with her so Hawke met her chin in another chaste kiss that Isabela hadn't expected.

"Thanks for saving my arse."

What accompanied Hawke's kiss was a gentle tilt of her head, allowing Isabela to violently clamp her arms around the mage's body and capture Hawke's lips in a rough kiss.

"What is it with you and chasteness?" Isabela grumbled into Hawke's hot mouth once she paused for breath. "Is it because you're so short or something? Balls Hawke if you want me to get you a stool all you have to do is…"

"Stop mentioning my height as if it's a bad thing!" Hawke silenced Isabela with a nip at the pirate's lip and a strangled growl once Isabela slipped a hand in between the large shirt's opening to pinch at the skin just above her right breast. "It's not my fault that I was born only a little taller than Merrill!"

Isabela resisted the urge to roll her eyes at the mage at the mention of the elf she considered her younger sister, really Hawke was the most tactless person ever when it came to the art of seduction but her sexual prowess certainly made up for it, another reason why Isabela didn't decide to voice her irritation at Hawke's mention of Merrill with her right hand now trapped in beneath the apostate's tight breeches and her thigh.

"Messere? I-I brought you fresher blankets for you and your sister and…Oh!"

Isabela repressed the groan of disappointment that tickled her throat at the sound of the young elven girl that had told her that Hawke was awake, removing her hands out of Hawke's shirt and breeches to address the young elf with a pleasant smile. Then remembering the last part of what the elf had said immediately pushed Hawke away from her as far as possible with a little, "sister!" escaping her.

Hawke to her credit played her part remarkably, especially when the elf girl (so sweet and innocent) looked up at the mage with her big brown eyes in a desperate bid for answers.

Hawke shot her a side-eyed glance full of intense loathing, wrapping her arms around her chest in a look of complete vulnerability.

"Is that what it'll be tonight? Telling everyone I'm your sister, mistress?" Hawke sneered with a look of contempt and a smile full of enough venom to keep Isabela stocked for years.

Oh Hawke, Isabela thought with a sigh of amusement at how Hawke was incredible at either getting them out of a situation or knee-deep into one, you and I are going to be having a very long talk after this. Not necessarily with clothes on.

However that left the problem on how a mistress acted, especially to a slave because despite doing many things when it came to sex Isabela had never actually experimented sex with a slave of all things and well…How did one act with one?

She thought briefly back to the talks she shared with Fenris and about how well he looked after Danarius and whatnot, she truly had to think harder than expected but her effort was rewarded with the fact that the only thing she could actually remember about that particular conversation was Fenris glistening like a naked baby's bottom.

Isabela didn't mind naked glistening but as a girl she had never liked the sun all that much (her mind had changed over the years of course) due to how she had lived in a dark hovel with her mother and five sisters that was almost completely pitch-black for almost all her life, it had taken nearly all her life to get used to sunlight because of it.

So she reacted to Hawke's sneer just as she would have reacted to sunlight for the first time; namely swatting it, namely swatting Hawke's arse because she was amazingly devious like that.

Hawke stiffened immediately and the bared teeth she exposed at the throaty growl she sent Isabela's way made the pirate feel both aroused and explicitly smug with herself at the mage's reaction.

"Get yourself ready woman," Isabela rasped out with a concealed chuckle that sounded much more like an excited growl to her ears. "Captain Isabela will be boarding you shortly! Aye up! No complaining, just get ready."

Hawke had never looked so embarrassed in her life in all the time Isabela had known the mage and that was completely delicious enough for her to continue with the charade even after Hawke sent her a look of 'wait-until-you-come-upstairs' which Isabela replied with a look of 'will-you-be-naked?'.

Once Hawke had left to trail her way back upstairs Isabela addressed the shocked elf with a smile, taking the blankets away from the elf and patting her lightly on the cheek. "Thank you sweetie, now could you please tell that nice gentlemen Brandon we'll be heading out early tomorrow for Markham so he has time to get his cart prepped and ready."

The elf looked like she was about to protest but soon curtseyed and rushed down the stairs, tripping a few times on the last three steps before regaining her balance on the last.

Isabela watched the elf go with a look of amusement at the similarity between the elf and Merrill before glancing over shoulder at the door to where Hawke was waiting for her.

The trip to Markham would obviously be full of Hawke teasing her in spite, and Isabela would not have it any other way.