There and Back - Chapter 177
Chapter One Hundred Seventy-Seven: Exercise in Frustration
The next week was an exercise in frustration. Moving to an inn went well, except that Alistair was only capable of walking a few feet, and even that caused significant pain. He was mortified at being carried on a stretcher, but we really had no other choice. We rented a carriage to limit how far he had to travel like that, but he was surly and embarrassed the entire time - and the carriage ride nearly killed him, bouncing over rocks and potholes without anything resembling shocks. Larus dosed him with something before we left, and again after we arrived - I guessed it was probably something like opium, though I was too afraid to ask - but it didn’t seem to help much.
The captain was all over himself trying to help, so grateful that he was going to be allowed to leave - and that none of us seemed to be out for his blood in revenge for the attack on his ship. His men carried our things, helped us load them on the carriage, and carried Alistair’s stretcher until we were safely esconced in a beautiful, high-class inn far enough from the docks that I couldn’t even smell fish anymore.
Avanna assured me they had secured Dera…somewhere. I assumed she was in the inn’s cellar or some such, because there was some sort of tense discussion between the guard captain and the innkeeper before he nodded and scurried off, and I didn’t see Dera again after that. I still hadn’t decided what I would do about her when we got back - it was going to be an awkward discussion no matter what. She might not have had much of a choice, but the elf had betrayed us - and Alistair had almost died. I decided to put it out of my mind until we got back to Highever. I knew Avanna would keep her contained until then.
Aedan and Zevran took off with Larus, promising to check in at least daily on the sending stones. They’d decided upon some sort of strategy to go looking for the healer’s companion - apparently a young elf named Arathea. I was still worried about her - not only that she was alone somewhere, but also that she might have been coerced to go with Larus. He seemed like such an arrogant jerk sometimes, though he had helped us when we needed it, so it was hard to be certain. Maybe he just has terrible interpersonal skills. One way or the other, if they found the poor woman, I resolved to get her alone and make absolutely sure she was with him of her own volition.
That left Alistair and I alone - discounting the seven guards and one prisoner we had remaining - with a very irritable Fergus.
I’d already told Fergus off once - something both Alistair and Aedan had approved of, when they found out - but it didn’t save me from having to speak to him entirely. We had logistics to work out, for starters, and the inn wasn’t that big; even just walking through the hallways, I ran into him at least daily. Fergus was completely frustrated at the delay in our trip. He understood why, and for once didn’t seem to be blaming it on me, but it left him snappish and curt to the point of rudeness. Even when he was trying his patented ‘I’m so charming that I can patronise you politely’ thing, it fell flat when he inevitably lost his temper and snapped.
So to avoid him, I spent most of my time in my room with Alistair. I didn’t mind at first - I was so grateful my husband was alive that hovering over him and fussing didn’t bother me. I brought him meals and water, helped him wash and shave, encouraged him to do the stretching and exercising Larus recommended…and completely pissed him off. He was in pain - his muscles would apparently burn for days until his body had completely processed the toxins his liver had been unable to clear, and though he refused to remove his bandages so I could see it, the large, knotted scar from his chest to the middle of his abdomen pulled with every movement - and exhausted, sleeping nearly sixteen hours a day at first. Somehow, though, my attentiveness just drew his attention to his inability to care for himself and it left him cranky.
It wasn’t that he didn’t love me and want to spend time with me, he was quick to reassure me. Just didn’t like feeling useless, like a burden. And no amount of reassurance from me seemed to help. The fact that he was too sore and tired for sex was the last straw in his abysmal mood, and it became clear: I had to get out. At least for a few hours.
The issue was, I couldn’t decide how to accomplish that. Was it better to go out as a noblewoman with a bodyguard, or wear armour and try to blend in with a group of guards? I wasn’t about to discuss it with either Fergus or Alistair, both of whom I desperately wanted to throttle - and I didn’t want Aedan worrying about me when he had bigger issues to deal with. When I informed Avanna I wanted to go shopping, she seemed convinced that acting like a noble was my safest move, even though I’d have to lie and give a fake name. Even the innkeeper didn’t know our real identities; just like in Ostwick, unless we wanted to be presented to the rulers of Wycome, we couldn’t admit that Alistair was a prince.
I waited until Alistair was napping, and then got dressed; I refused to go out completely unprotected, so I decided to wear my lightly armoured court clothes - I was going to need more of those, at the rate mine kept getting destroyed - and carry a dagger strapped to my forearm. Avanna brought another one of my guards, and the three of us set off in the direction of the retail district of Wycome.
I wasn’t looking for anything in particular - we wouldn’t be in Wycome long enough to have clothes tailored, and that was the only thing I really needed - but I figured even just wandering around would be a significant improvement over being cooped up in the inn with two grumpy men. Wycome was a larger city than I’d expected; somehow the fact that I hadn’t even heard of it in game left me assuming it would be insignificant, but it was larger than Highever, if significantly less prosperous. Our walk from the docks to the inn had demonstrated streets that weren’t anywhere near as clean, the buildings older and more run down; the Alienage was huge and surrounded by a high wall, the few buildings I could see through the gate dilapidated. It didn’t leave me feeling warm and fuzzy about it, that was for sure.
My first impression improved a little as I got closer to the centre of the city. As we left the inn, instead of heading down towards the poorer areas we’d walked through the day before, we went towards the central market, which was ringed by prosperous businesses, estates that probably cost more than a castle in Ferelden, and a wide avenue through the centre of large, well-maintained greenspaces. They weren’t wild like a forest or national park, but rather carefully manicured, perfectly flat, grassed areas with rings of trees chosen to provide shade and benches scattered strategically throughout. It was easy to imagine a game of soccer being played there by bored teens or a family reunion picnic - though there were enough guards patrolling the area that it was pretty clear the park wasn’t open to all of Wycome’s residents, only their wealthier ones.
“I heard the innkeeper say there’s some sort of huge festival here every few weeks,” Avanna muttered when she caught me staring. “Wycome being the ‘revelry capital of Thedas’, apparently.” She snorted, her opinion of that title obvious.
I raised an eyebrow. “And why, pray tell, was the rather taciturn innkeeper regaling you with all of this terribly fascinating information about Wycome?”
She flushed, and I laughed. “Never mind. Did he tell you anything about the market?”
We spent a couple of enjoyable hours wandering through an open air market, looking at everything from local produce to imported silks, hand made pastries to exotic weapons. I picked up some sweets to take back to the inn for Alistair, and a second, thin stiletto dagger for my other forearm to match the one Zevran gave me. I bought meat pies for lunch for the three of us, and a bottle of Antivan wine for Zevran and Aedan when they returned.
The market was swarming with people, just like the one in Denerim always is; there were other nobles with guards following, shoppers from every walk of life haggling with the various vendors, small groups of soldiers - probably mercenaries, I decided based on the mismatched armour, and messengers darting through the crowd with bags held tightly to their chests. And, of course, the obligatory beggars, sitting or lying in every nook and alley, cups held out hopefully. I went to put a few coins in a hat held by a small, filthy child squatting between two market stalls, but Avanna gave me an emphatic head shake and dropped a couple of her own coppers once she was satisfied I was far enough away.
I finally got tired, and turned to suggest we head back to the inn, when I felt someone brush up against me from behind. No stranger to those sorts of tactics, I grabbed for my money pouch - already gone, the strings hanging empty from my belt - and turned to shout. Before I even managed an outraged squawk, Avanna had an elf - a young woman with mousy brown hair and a messenger’s outfit that let her blend effortlessly into the crowd - by the neck, pressed up against the nearest wall, a dagger drawn but held to the side where casual observers wouldn’t see it.
“Please, messere, wait, what are you-” the elf pleaded with Avanna, trying to act innocent, her eyes wide and guileless.
Avanna ignored her, gesturing to my other guard, who grabbed the girl while Avanna rifled through her pockets rather ruthlessly. “Aha. I think we’ll just be returning this to my Lady.” She turned and handed me back the small pouch of coin I usually kept at my waist. She continued to ignore the elf, whose words had gone from denial to begging, tears pooling in her eyes.
I fingered the pouch thoughtfully as I examined the young woman being held in front of me. As I looked closer, I could see she was painfully thin, clearly malnourished, with crooked teeth that were blackened in places, skin so pale as to be almost translucent, with dark bags under each eye. Her hair cut was uneven, her hands dirty, her nails broken and ragged. Her clothes were two sizes too big but had obviously been taken in so she wasn’t swimming in them. I idly wondered who she’d stolen them from, even as I winced at her obvious abject poverty.
Avanna, by contrast, looked furious. “Shall I call the city guard?” I put a hand on my guard captain’s shoulder, nervous that she might actually cause the girl physical harm.
The elf’s tears overflowed at the mention of the guard, reaching her hands up in supplication. “No, please, I’m sorry, my Lady.” She wiped at her tears, succeeding only in smearing the dirt from her hands onto her face. “Please don’t call the guard. They’ll hang me for sure. Please. I’m just trying to take care of my little brother. He’ll die without me. Please.”
Like she knew I was a sucker for the argument, Avanna slumped. “You can’t just let her go!” Her tone was outraged.
I almost laughed, but it wasn’t really funny. “Is she lying?” Avanna didn’t respond. “Is she? Will they hang her?” Reluctantly Avanna nodded. I turned to the girl again, and inspiration struck. “Do you live in the Alienage?” The elf bobbed her head almost comically. “Come back to the inn with us, and afterwards I’ll let you go. I have a…proposal for you.” Her eyes widened fearfully, and it occurred to me how bad that could sound. “Just talk. I promise no one will hurt you. We won’t even touch you, I swear. One conversation, and I’ll let you go. I’ll even throw in this pouch as a reward.”
I tossed the coin pouch lightly, letting her hear the coins clink. I’d learned from Duncan never to keep all my coin in the same place; I kept a small pouch with only a few silvers at my belt, and kept the rest of my money tucked away somewhere much more secure. He’d taught me that if you didn’t have a pouch visible, thieves were more likely to look further, so a few coins you could live without was a small price to pay to keep everything else safe. Of course, the elf had no way of knowing what was in the purse - and even a few silvers was probably more than she’d had in a while. Her eyes followed the leather sack closely as it flew above my palm.
“Just talk?” She eyed me skeptically.
“Just talk.” I didn’t know what else to say; it was the truth.
“Fine.” She jerked her arm out of the guard’s grip and straightened her clothes. “But if this is a trick, or some sort of disgusting-”
Avanna growled, and the elf subsided with a sigh. “Which inn?”
*****
We settled at a table in the back corner of the common room, out of sight of most of the other patrons, and Avanna took the table next to us - where the rest of my guards quickly joined her. They chatted together loudly enough to draw attention away from me and the emaciated elf seated across from me and prevent anyone else from eavesdropping.
I love that woman. I made a mental note to give Avanna a raise when we got back to the Keep.
I plopped the pouch of coins on the table between us. “I promised you this in exchange for a conversation. Can I trust you not to run out the door the moment I blink?”
The bag disappeared even as she nodded - but she stayed put, and I breathed a sigh of relief. My stomach rumbled, distracting me from the discussion I wanted to have; given the skeletal arms that protruded from the sleeves of the elf’s tunic, I could only assume I wasn’t the only one hungry. I ordered food from the innkeeper - and the stern look I gave him when he sneered at my guest had him rushing over to get it faster than I’d ever seen him move - and soon we had two large bowls of stew and a loaf of bread to share. I gestured to the food. “Dig in; might as well eat while we talk.”
Her eyes were wide, and she stared at the food like she’d never seen stew before. She waited a moment - almost as though she thought I’d yell ‘psych’ and take it back - before digging in and shoving a hunk of bread into her mouth with a large spoonfull of the thick stew. She reminded me painfully of Blake when I’d first fed him, and I frowned despite the humourous sight in front of me.
“No one will take it away,” I assured her, “but you’re going to make yourself sick if you keep eating that fast.” She flushed a little as she looked up from the bowl at me. “Take your time. Really.”
She didn’t reply, but her next bite was a little more reasonable and at least I didn’t have to worry about her choking to death in front of me. I took a bite of my own, humming happily at the rich flavour. The elf watched me as much as she watched her food, and jumped at every loud noise. I couldn’t help but feel sorry for her.
“What’s your name?” I finally asked, already sick of referring to her in my head as ‘the elf’. “I’m Sierra.”
“Ena, my Lady.” She bobbed her head politely.
I debated trying to convince her I really did want to be called by my name, not my title, but decided it probably wasn’t worth the effort. I wasn’t going to have days, or weeks, to persuade her…and it would waste time I could use to pitch my idea.
“Alright Ena. You said you live in the Alienage, correct?” I waited for the nod before continuing. “So, strange question. If you were new to Wycome, and an elf, and you showed up in the Alienage, can I assume you’d probably find some assistance there if you needed help?”
Her nod was much less confident this time. I need to gain her trust. “Here’s the deal. I can only tell you the truth and ask you to trust me. I’m looking for someone. A young woman, who recently escaped from Tevinter. I’m afraid something will happen to her…or maybe has happened to her already. I can’t even be sure she’s in Wycome, but it’s possible. I want you to help me find her, if she’s here, and I’ll pay you to make it worth your while.”
Her expression was openly skeptical, and I chuckled to myself. She’s got to be the worst criminal I’ve ever met. “Go ahead. Ask away.”
“My Lady?” Now she looked confused.
“You don’t have much of a poker face, I’m afraid.” Her confusion didn’t improve a bit, and I sighed as I remembered poker wasn’t a game she could ever have heard of. “I just mean, it’s clear you have questions. Ask me anything. I won’t be offended.”
“Why are you looking for her?”
“I owe her a debt of gratitude.” Sort of - by proxy, anyway. “I want the chance to repay that. I just want to make sure she’s safe, and has the ability to get wherever she wants to go. I don’t mean her any harm; I won’t make her come with me, or go back to Tevinter. I’m only concerned about her safety.”
“One elf, an escaped slave? Why would you care if she’s safe?” Her skeptical frown hadn’t improved at all.
“I know it’s probably hard to believe, but not all of us nobles are so callous. Some of us are even a little bit honourable.” Ena smirked, flushing, and I grinned back. “She escaped Tevinter with a healer - without whom my husband would have died. I owe him - and her, indirectly - everything. They were separated, and we promised to help him find her - but I want to make sure she’s really safe. If he’s brought her here against her will, I won’t let him take her, debt or no. I have the resources to help her, if she needs to get away from him - but if she wants to be with him, I can reunite them and help them find a new start.”
“Why would I believe you?” Ena demanded. “You could just be some…”
“Yes, I know. I could be some pervert, or a slaver, or worse. But I’m not. If I was, well…I mean, you’re here, right? I haven’t hurt you. I didn’t even turn you in for stealing.” I sat quietly and let her stare at me, willing her to believe me. It’s sad that we live in a world where an elf can’t believe a human isn’t trying to hurt them…where good samaritans are unheard of.
Finally she sat back, her bowl empty, her expression less guarded. “And if I can’t find her?”
“I’ll pay you for your time, either way.” I considered my options. If I gave her the money in advance, she could take it and run - but if I offered to pay her by the day, she could drag out the process just to earn more. “What about this? We plan to stay in Wycome for another five days, give or take. I will pay you daily to look for her, with a bonus if you can actually find the elf I’m looking for. If you’re able to find her sooner, I will still pay you for the entire five days - even if you bring her to me today. I will interview her to ensure she’s the right person, mind - don’t go thinking you can just pawn off anyone.”
She stared at me some more. “How much?”
“Um.” Aaaand…I have no idea. “Ten silvers a day. And like I said, a bonus if you actually find her.”
“A soveriegn a day,” she countered.
Five sovereigns? I could afford it, but given that was more than most of my staff made in three months, it seemed a bit excessive. “Fifty silvers.”
“Fine.” She bit her lip, looking away thoughtfully before turning back to me again, a fierce expression on her drawn face. “If I do this, I want to be there when you meet her. And we’ll meet somewhere I choose, not here.”
“That’s fine by me, though my guards will insist on accompanying me. Just for my protection.”
She snorted. “Those blades you carry make me think you don’t really need a lot of protection.”
I laughed. “You might be surprised.”
“So how will I know which elf I’m looking for?”
I gave her Arathea’s name and description, emphasizing that she would have just come from Tevinter. I also gave Ena the first fifty silver, and asked her to meet me in the market the following day to report on her progress and claim her pay for the second day. I wasn’t completely certain she’d be there, but in the end, if she ran I’d lost very little - and if I could find Larus’ lost elf, he could come back and take another look at my husband’s wounds.
Ena took the money and vamoosed, leaving me tired but wired - an annoying combination. It might have been fine if I had some sort of a distraction, but I had no desire to see Fergus, and even my husband wasn’t much of an enticement in his current, irritable state. I contemplated contacting Levi for updates, or telling Aedan what I’d done - but I wasn’t in the mood for a lecture or dry administrative discussions.
Without any other ideas, I got up to head to my room, but caught the edge of one of my forearm scabbards on the edge of the table, and it gave me an idea. “Avanna?” I called with a grin.
The guards all quieted, turning to me curiously. “My Lady?” At least I’ve managed to put a stop to all the ‘your Highness’ nonsense since we have to travel incognito.
“You once promised you’d spar with me. How about it?”
“Now? Are you mad? Uh, my Lady.” Avanna flushed.
I threw my head back and laughed.
*****
Covered in mud, and thanking my lucky stars I’d worn an old set of leathers instead of my new Archdemon armour, I clomped up the stairs of the inn. Avanna and I - and eventually some of the other guards, once they’d realised I was serious - had sparred for a couple of hours in the back yard of the inn. They’d put me through my paces rather thoroughly, and while it was a welcome distraction, there wasn’t a muscle in my body that wasn’t aching like I’d been beaten within an inch of my life. I guess I needed the practice more than I’d hoped. Living the life of a beaurocrat wasn’t keeping me in shape the way I’d been during the Blight, and I resolved to change that when I got back.
At least I’ll be able to sleep tonight. Alistair laughed at me - sympathetically, sort of - as I stripped off my soiled armour and showered, cursing like a sailor as I tried to rid my hair of the sticky mud that had caked in the long curls. I downed a small healing potion, sighing in relief as the aches and pains receded, and then crawled carefully into bed beside my husband. He shifted slightly onto his side so I could curl up around his broad back, stealing his warmth.
“How was your day?” His tone was strange, but without seeing his face I didn’t know how to interpret it. Was he angry that I left him? Worried about me being attacked in the Wycome market? Happy that I’d not fussed over him for a few hours? I honestly couldn’t tell, and that worried me. I didn’t want to ask, though; we’d had enough arguments recently because he thought I worried too much. He’ll tell me - eventually - if something’s really wrong. Right?
I pressed my lips to the skin between his shoulder blades gently, careful not to disturb the bandages he still wore around his midsection. “It was fine. I brought back some sweets for you - though I don’t know where I left them. I wonder if Avanna has them?” I mused, thinking back over my day - Ena’s theft and our subsequent meeting had rather unsettled me, if I was honest, and I could no longer remember what I’d done with the packages I’d picked up in the market.
“Sierra?”
My eyes were drifting shut whether I liked it or not. I knew I should have told him about Ena, about the market…but I’d never stay awake that long. “I’ll tell you tomorrow, okay? I love you, Alistair.”
I was asleep before I heard anything he might have replied.
The next week was an exercise in frustration. Moving to an inn went well, except that Alistair was only capable of walking a few feet, and even that caused significant pain. He was mortified at being carried on a stretcher, but we really had no other choice. We rented a carriage to limit how far he had to travel like that, but he was surly and embarrassed the entire time - and the carriage ride nearly killed him, bouncing over rocks and potholes without anything resembling shocks. Larus dosed him with something before we left, and again after we arrived - I guessed it was probably something like opium, though I was too afraid to ask - but it didn’t seem to help much.
The captain was all over himself trying to help, so grateful that he was going to be allowed to leave - and that none of us seemed to be out for his blood in revenge for the attack on his ship. His men carried our things, helped us load them on the carriage, and carried Alistair’s stretcher until we were safely esconced in a beautiful, high-class inn far enough from the docks that I couldn’t even smell fish anymore.
Avanna assured me they had secured Dera…somewhere. I assumed she was in the inn’s cellar or some such, because there was some sort of tense discussion between the guard captain and the innkeeper before he nodded and scurried off, and I didn’t see Dera again after that. I still hadn’t decided what I would do about her when we got back - it was going to be an awkward discussion no matter what. She might not have had much of a choice, but the elf had betrayed us - and Alistair had almost died. I decided to put it out of my mind until we got back to Highever. I knew Avanna would keep her contained until then.
Aedan and Zevran took off with Larus, promising to check in at least daily on the sending stones. They’d decided upon some sort of strategy to go looking for the healer’s companion - apparently a young elf named Arathea. I was still worried about her - not only that she was alone somewhere, but also that she might have been coerced to go with Larus. He seemed like such an arrogant jerk sometimes, though he had helped us when we needed it, so it was hard to be certain. Maybe he just has terrible interpersonal skills. One way or the other, if they found the poor woman, I resolved to get her alone and make absolutely sure she was with him of her own volition.
That left Alistair and I alone - discounting the seven guards and one prisoner we had remaining - with a very irritable Fergus.
I’d already told Fergus off once - something both Alistair and Aedan had approved of, when they found out - but it didn’t save me from having to speak to him entirely. We had logistics to work out, for starters, and the inn wasn’t that big; even just walking through the hallways, I ran into him at least daily. Fergus was completely frustrated at the delay in our trip. He understood why, and for once didn’t seem to be blaming it on me, but it left him snappish and curt to the point of rudeness. Even when he was trying his patented ‘I’m so charming that I can patronise you politely’ thing, it fell flat when he inevitably lost his temper and snapped.
So to avoid him, I spent most of my time in my room with Alistair. I didn’t mind at first - I was so grateful my husband was alive that hovering over him and fussing didn’t bother me. I brought him meals and water, helped him wash and shave, encouraged him to do the stretching and exercising Larus recommended…and completely pissed him off. He was in pain - his muscles would apparently burn for days until his body had completely processed the toxins his liver had been unable to clear, and though he refused to remove his bandages so I could see it, the large, knotted scar from his chest to the middle of his abdomen pulled with every movement - and exhausted, sleeping nearly sixteen hours a day at first. Somehow, though, my attentiveness just drew his attention to his inability to care for himself and it left him cranky.
It wasn’t that he didn’t love me and want to spend time with me, he was quick to reassure me. Just didn’t like feeling useless, like a burden. And no amount of reassurance from me seemed to help. The fact that he was too sore and tired for sex was the last straw in his abysmal mood, and it became clear: I had to get out. At least for a few hours.
The issue was, I couldn’t decide how to accomplish that. Was it better to go out as a noblewoman with a bodyguard, or wear armour and try to blend in with a group of guards? I wasn’t about to discuss it with either Fergus or Alistair, both of whom I desperately wanted to throttle - and I didn’t want Aedan worrying about me when he had bigger issues to deal with. When I informed Avanna I wanted to go shopping, she seemed convinced that acting like a noble was my safest move, even though I’d have to lie and give a fake name. Even the innkeeper didn’t know our real identities; just like in Ostwick, unless we wanted to be presented to the rulers of Wycome, we couldn’t admit that Alistair was a prince.
I waited until Alistair was napping, and then got dressed; I refused to go out completely unprotected, so I decided to wear my lightly armoured court clothes - I was going to need more of those, at the rate mine kept getting destroyed - and carry a dagger strapped to my forearm. Avanna brought another one of my guards, and the three of us set off in the direction of the retail district of Wycome.
I wasn’t looking for anything in particular - we wouldn’t be in Wycome long enough to have clothes tailored, and that was the only thing I really needed - but I figured even just wandering around would be a significant improvement over being cooped up in the inn with two grumpy men. Wycome was a larger city than I’d expected; somehow the fact that I hadn’t even heard of it in game left me assuming it would be insignificant, but it was larger than Highever, if significantly less prosperous. Our walk from the docks to the inn had demonstrated streets that weren’t anywhere near as clean, the buildings older and more run down; the Alienage was huge and surrounded by a high wall, the few buildings I could see through the gate dilapidated. It didn’t leave me feeling warm and fuzzy about it, that was for sure.
My first impression improved a little as I got closer to the centre of the city. As we left the inn, instead of heading down towards the poorer areas we’d walked through the day before, we went towards the central market, which was ringed by prosperous businesses, estates that probably cost more than a castle in Ferelden, and a wide avenue through the centre of large, well-maintained greenspaces. They weren’t wild like a forest or national park, but rather carefully manicured, perfectly flat, grassed areas with rings of trees chosen to provide shade and benches scattered strategically throughout. It was easy to imagine a game of soccer being played there by bored teens or a family reunion picnic - though there were enough guards patrolling the area that it was pretty clear the park wasn’t open to all of Wycome’s residents, only their wealthier ones.
“I heard the innkeeper say there’s some sort of huge festival here every few weeks,” Avanna muttered when she caught me staring. “Wycome being the ‘revelry capital of Thedas’, apparently.” She snorted, her opinion of that title obvious.
I raised an eyebrow. “And why, pray tell, was the rather taciturn innkeeper regaling you with all of this terribly fascinating information about Wycome?”
She flushed, and I laughed. “Never mind. Did he tell you anything about the market?”
We spent a couple of enjoyable hours wandering through an open air market, looking at everything from local produce to imported silks, hand made pastries to exotic weapons. I picked up some sweets to take back to the inn for Alistair, and a second, thin stiletto dagger for my other forearm to match the one Zevran gave me. I bought meat pies for lunch for the three of us, and a bottle of Antivan wine for Zevran and Aedan when they returned.
The market was swarming with people, just like the one in Denerim always is; there were other nobles with guards following, shoppers from every walk of life haggling with the various vendors, small groups of soldiers - probably mercenaries, I decided based on the mismatched armour, and messengers darting through the crowd with bags held tightly to their chests. And, of course, the obligatory beggars, sitting or lying in every nook and alley, cups held out hopefully. I went to put a few coins in a hat held by a small, filthy child squatting between two market stalls, but Avanna gave me an emphatic head shake and dropped a couple of her own coppers once she was satisfied I was far enough away.
I finally got tired, and turned to suggest we head back to the inn, when I felt someone brush up against me from behind. No stranger to those sorts of tactics, I grabbed for my money pouch - already gone, the strings hanging empty from my belt - and turned to shout. Before I even managed an outraged squawk, Avanna had an elf - a young woman with mousy brown hair and a messenger’s outfit that let her blend effortlessly into the crowd - by the neck, pressed up against the nearest wall, a dagger drawn but held to the side where casual observers wouldn’t see it.
“Please, messere, wait, what are you-” the elf pleaded with Avanna, trying to act innocent, her eyes wide and guileless.
Avanna ignored her, gesturing to my other guard, who grabbed the girl while Avanna rifled through her pockets rather ruthlessly. “Aha. I think we’ll just be returning this to my Lady.” She turned and handed me back the small pouch of coin I usually kept at my waist. She continued to ignore the elf, whose words had gone from denial to begging, tears pooling in her eyes.
I fingered the pouch thoughtfully as I examined the young woman being held in front of me. As I looked closer, I could see she was painfully thin, clearly malnourished, with crooked teeth that were blackened in places, skin so pale as to be almost translucent, with dark bags under each eye. Her hair cut was uneven, her hands dirty, her nails broken and ragged. Her clothes were two sizes too big but had obviously been taken in so she wasn’t swimming in them. I idly wondered who she’d stolen them from, even as I winced at her obvious abject poverty.
Avanna, by contrast, looked furious. “Shall I call the city guard?” I put a hand on my guard captain’s shoulder, nervous that she might actually cause the girl physical harm.
The elf’s tears overflowed at the mention of the guard, reaching her hands up in supplication. “No, please, I’m sorry, my Lady.” She wiped at her tears, succeeding only in smearing the dirt from her hands onto her face. “Please don’t call the guard. They’ll hang me for sure. Please. I’m just trying to take care of my little brother. He’ll die without me. Please.”
Like she knew I was a sucker for the argument, Avanna slumped. “You can’t just let her go!” Her tone was outraged.
I almost laughed, but it wasn’t really funny. “Is she lying?” Avanna didn’t respond. “Is she? Will they hang her?” Reluctantly Avanna nodded. I turned to the girl again, and inspiration struck. “Do you live in the Alienage?” The elf bobbed her head almost comically. “Come back to the inn with us, and afterwards I’ll let you go. I have a…proposal for you.” Her eyes widened fearfully, and it occurred to me how bad that could sound. “Just talk. I promise no one will hurt you. We won’t even touch you, I swear. One conversation, and I’ll let you go. I’ll even throw in this pouch as a reward.”
I tossed the coin pouch lightly, letting her hear the coins clink. I’d learned from Duncan never to keep all my coin in the same place; I kept a small pouch with only a few silvers at my belt, and kept the rest of my money tucked away somewhere much more secure. He’d taught me that if you didn’t have a pouch visible, thieves were more likely to look further, so a few coins you could live without was a small price to pay to keep everything else safe. Of course, the elf had no way of knowing what was in the purse - and even a few silvers was probably more than she’d had in a while. Her eyes followed the leather sack closely as it flew above my palm.
“Just talk?” She eyed me skeptically.
“Just talk.” I didn’t know what else to say; it was the truth.
“Fine.” She jerked her arm out of the guard’s grip and straightened her clothes. “But if this is a trick, or some sort of disgusting-”
Avanna growled, and the elf subsided with a sigh. “Which inn?”
*****
We settled at a table in the back corner of the common room, out of sight of most of the other patrons, and Avanna took the table next to us - where the rest of my guards quickly joined her. They chatted together loudly enough to draw attention away from me and the emaciated elf seated across from me and prevent anyone else from eavesdropping.
I love that woman. I made a mental note to give Avanna a raise when we got back to the Keep.
I plopped the pouch of coins on the table between us. “I promised you this in exchange for a conversation. Can I trust you not to run out the door the moment I blink?”
The bag disappeared even as she nodded - but she stayed put, and I breathed a sigh of relief. My stomach rumbled, distracting me from the discussion I wanted to have; given the skeletal arms that protruded from the sleeves of the elf’s tunic, I could only assume I wasn’t the only one hungry. I ordered food from the innkeeper - and the stern look I gave him when he sneered at my guest had him rushing over to get it faster than I’d ever seen him move - and soon we had two large bowls of stew and a loaf of bread to share. I gestured to the food. “Dig in; might as well eat while we talk.”
Her eyes were wide, and she stared at the food like she’d never seen stew before. She waited a moment - almost as though she thought I’d yell ‘psych’ and take it back - before digging in and shoving a hunk of bread into her mouth with a large spoonfull of the thick stew. She reminded me painfully of Blake when I’d first fed him, and I frowned despite the humourous sight in front of me.
“No one will take it away,” I assured her, “but you’re going to make yourself sick if you keep eating that fast.” She flushed a little as she looked up from the bowl at me. “Take your time. Really.”
She didn’t reply, but her next bite was a little more reasonable and at least I didn’t have to worry about her choking to death in front of me. I took a bite of my own, humming happily at the rich flavour. The elf watched me as much as she watched her food, and jumped at every loud noise. I couldn’t help but feel sorry for her.
“What’s your name?” I finally asked, already sick of referring to her in my head as ‘the elf’. “I’m Sierra.”
“Ena, my Lady.” She bobbed her head politely.
I debated trying to convince her I really did want to be called by my name, not my title, but decided it probably wasn’t worth the effort. I wasn’t going to have days, or weeks, to persuade her…and it would waste time I could use to pitch my idea.
“Alright Ena. You said you live in the Alienage, correct?” I waited for the nod before continuing. “So, strange question. If you were new to Wycome, and an elf, and you showed up in the Alienage, can I assume you’d probably find some assistance there if you needed help?”
Her nod was much less confident this time. I need to gain her trust. “Here’s the deal. I can only tell you the truth and ask you to trust me. I’m looking for someone. A young woman, who recently escaped from Tevinter. I’m afraid something will happen to her…or maybe has happened to her already. I can’t even be sure she’s in Wycome, but it’s possible. I want you to help me find her, if she’s here, and I’ll pay you to make it worth your while.”
Her expression was openly skeptical, and I chuckled to myself. She’s got to be the worst criminal I’ve ever met. “Go ahead. Ask away.”
“My Lady?” Now she looked confused.
“You don’t have much of a poker face, I’m afraid.” Her confusion didn’t improve a bit, and I sighed as I remembered poker wasn’t a game she could ever have heard of. “I just mean, it’s clear you have questions. Ask me anything. I won’t be offended.”
“Why are you looking for her?”
“I owe her a debt of gratitude.” Sort of - by proxy, anyway. “I want the chance to repay that. I just want to make sure she’s safe, and has the ability to get wherever she wants to go. I don’t mean her any harm; I won’t make her come with me, or go back to Tevinter. I’m only concerned about her safety.”
“One elf, an escaped slave? Why would you care if she’s safe?” Her skeptical frown hadn’t improved at all.
“I know it’s probably hard to believe, but not all of us nobles are so callous. Some of us are even a little bit honourable.” Ena smirked, flushing, and I grinned back. “She escaped Tevinter with a healer - without whom my husband would have died. I owe him - and her, indirectly - everything. They were separated, and we promised to help him find her - but I want to make sure she’s really safe. If he’s brought her here against her will, I won’t let him take her, debt or no. I have the resources to help her, if she needs to get away from him - but if she wants to be with him, I can reunite them and help them find a new start.”
“Why would I believe you?” Ena demanded. “You could just be some…”
“Yes, I know. I could be some pervert, or a slaver, or worse. But I’m not. If I was, well…I mean, you’re here, right? I haven’t hurt you. I didn’t even turn you in for stealing.” I sat quietly and let her stare at me, willing her to believe me. It’s sad that we live in a world where an elf can’t believe a human isn’t trying to hurt them…where good samaritans are unheard of.
Finally she sat back, her bowl empty, her expression less guarded. “And if I can’t find her?”
“I’ll pay you for your time, either way.” I considered my options. If I gave her the money in advance, she could take it and run - but if I offered to pay her by the day, she could drag out the process just to earn more. “What about this? We plan to stay in Wycome for another five days, give or take. I will pay you daily to look for her, with a bonus if you can actually find the elf I’m looking for. If you’re able to find her sooner, I will still pay you for the entire five days - even if you bring her to me today. I will interview her to ensure she’s the right person, mind - don’t go thinking you can just pawn off anyone.”
She stared at me some more. “How much?”
“Um.” Aaaand…I have no idea. “Ten silvers a day. And like I said, a bonus if you actually find her.”
“A soveriegn a day,” she countered.
Five sovereigns? I could afford it, but given that was more than most of my staff made in three months, it seemed a bit excessive. “Fifty silvers.”
“Fine.” She bit her lip, looking away thoughtfully before turning back to me again, a fierce expression on her drawn face. “If I do this, I want to be there when you meet her. And we’ll meet somewhere I choose, not here.”
“That’s fine by me, though my guards will insist on accompanying me. Just for my protection.”
She snorted. “Those blades you carry make me think you don’t really need a lot of protection.”
I laughed. “You might be surprised.”
“So how will I know which elf I’m looking for?”
I gave her Arathea’s name and description, emphasizing that she would have just come from Tevinter. I also gave Ena the first fifty silver, and asked her to meet me in the market the following day to report on her progress and claim her pay for the second day. I wasn’t completely certain she’d be there, but in the end, if she ran I’d lost very little - and if I could find Larus’ lost elf, he could come back and take another look at my husband’s wounds.
Ena took the money and vamoosed, leaving me tired but wired - an annoying combination. It might have been fine if I had some sort of a distraction, but I had no desire to see Fergus, and even my husband wasn’t much of an enticement in his current, irritable state. I contemplated contacting Levi for updates, or telling Aedan what I’d done - but I wasn’t in the mood for a lecture or dry administrative discussions.
Without any other ideas, I got up to head to my room, but caught the edge of one of my forearm scabbards on the edge of the table, and it gave me an idea. “Avanna?” I called with a grin.
The guards all quieted, turning to me curiously. “My Lady?” At least I’ve managed to put a stop to all the ‘your Highness’ nonsense since we have to travel incognito.
“You once promised you’d spar with me. How about it?”
“Now? Are you mad? Uh, my Lady.” Avanna flushed.
I threw my head back and laughed.
*****
Covered in mud, and thanking my lucky stars I’d worn an old set of leathers instead of my new Archdemon armour, I clomped up the stairs of the inn. Avanna and I - and eventually some of the other guards, once they’d realised I was serious - had sparred for a couple of hours in the back yard of the inn. They’d put me through my paces rather thoroughly, and while it was a welcome distraction, there wasn’t a muscle in my body that wasn’t aching like I’d been beaten within an inch of my life. I guess I needed the practice more than I’d hoped. Living the life of a beaurocrat wasn’t keeping me in shape the way I’d been during the Blight, and I resolved to change that when I got back.
At least I’ll be able to sleep tonight. Alistair laughed at me - sympathetically, sort of - as I stripped off my soiled armour and showered, cursing like a sailor as I tried to rid my hair of the sticky mud that had caked in the long curls. I downed a small healing potion, sighing in relief as the aches and pains receded, and then crawled carefully into bed beside my husband. He shifted slightly onto his side so I could curl up around his broad back, stealing his warmth.
“How was your day?” His tone was strange, but without seeing his face I didn’t know how to interpret it. Was he angry that I left him? Worried about me being attacked in the Wycome market? Happy that I’d not fussed over him for a few hours? I honestly couldn’t tell, and that worried me. I didn’t want to ask, though; we’d had enough arguments recently because he thought I worried too much. He’ll tell me - eventually - if something’s really wrong. Right?
I pressed my lips to the skin between his shoulder blades gently, careful not to disturb the bandages he still wore around his midsection. “It was fine. I brought back some sweets for you - though I don’t know where I left them. I wonder if Avanna has them?” I mused, thinking back over my day - Ena’s theft and our subsequent meeting had rather unsettled me, if I was honest, and I could no longer remember what I’d done with the packages I’d picked up in the market.
“Sierra?”
My eyes were drifting shut whether I liked it or not. I knew I should have told him about Ena, about the market…but I’d never stay awake that long. “I’ll tell you tomorrow, okay? I love you, Alistair.”
I was asleep before I heard anything he might have replied.