There and Back Again Ch. 179

Chapter One Hundred Seventy-Nine: Reunion

I followed Ena down the main street of the market, with Avanna and another guard at my heels. I could tell Avanna wasn't happy that I was following a random elf -- a thief -- to Maker-knew-where. I gestured at Avanna and she jogged up beside me; I slowed a little to leave some space between us and Ena.

"I don't think it is, but it's always possible this is a trap." I sighed as Avanna gripped the pommel of her sword. "She knows who I am."

The guardswoman paled. "Then don't follow her, my Lady. Let's just leave!" she hissed.

"Except, I don't think it's a trap. I think she knows where Arathea is and she's just afraid we will hurt her or try to take her by force."

"Then let me go alone. There's no reason for you to be there."

I considered. "Maybe. We will see where she's planning to take us. If it is some sort of ambush or kidnapping attempt, just...well, be ready. I've got weapons and armour; I'll be fine."

She grumbled, but fell back when Ena looked over her shoulder. I picked up my pace and pulled up next to the elf. "Where are you taking us?"

She looked at me, expression inscrutable. "Never fear, your Highness. We will stay outside where everyone can see what's happening, and we can escape if you make it necessary."

"I've promised not to harm you or Arathea, but I notice you haven't offered the same assurances to us."

"I didn't think you'd need assurances from a mere elf." I scowled at her, and she flushed slightly. "I promise that I mean you no harm. I just want to ensure our safety, that's all."

I nodded. "Thank you."

We passed beyond the clean, open streets of the more prosperous area of the city and into a darker, dirtier, more crowded neighbourhood. It wasn't a slum, not like the Alienage, but the houses were close together, the alleys full of refuse, and the air smelled of sewage and fish. I kept my face neutral, even as I wanted to wrinkle my nose in disgust. The roads were a bit of a maze, but I did my best to memorize the route we'd taken -- just in case.

I knew Avanna didn't, but for some reason I trusted Ena. The words 'honest thief' might have been an oxymoron, but they still seemed to apply. The few times she'd tried to lie -- in the market, when denying she'd pickpocketed me -- she was terrible at it. I just have to hope I'm not wrong.

We finally came to a clearing between several streets, which originally must have been meant as a token green space in the closely packed urban area. It hadn't been maintained well, however, so the only green visible was some scraggly grass and the occasional weed. Several streets headed off in every direction, and I had to admit I'd gotten completely lost; I'd have to hope Avanna knew how to get back to our inn. Despite the dismal view, some enterprising soul had set up a stall selling cups of cheap wine, and there were a handful of tables to sit at, all currently empty.

Ena motioned to a table closest to the edge, and I sat down with my two guards at a table directly behind me. They were close enough to help me if something happened, but too far to grab at someone across the table if she ran, something that would hopefully make Ena -- and Arathea -- less afraid. The set up clearly didn't improve Avanna's worry any, and I saw her fingering her scabbard anxiously. I double-checked my two daggers without thinking, and then forced myself to stop and relax.

Ena sat down across from me, and I paid for wine for all of us, and an extra cup which I left sitting beside Ena. We waited silently, and I sipped at the wine, trying not to grimace -- I wasn't a fan of wine in general, and this wine in particular was awful. I wasn't enough of a connoisseur to know if it had somehow gone off, or if it was just that terrible. I was glad it only cost a few coppers a glass -- any more would have been highway robbery.

Ena watched me impassively, ignoring her cup altogether. I wondered what we were waiting for; if it's going to be an ambush, surely it wouldn't take this long? Patience wasn't my strong suit, but it occurred to me that asking questions and demanding they hurry probably wasn't going to help my case any. I sighed and settled in to wait as long as necessary.

A few people eventually walked up and took tables, sitting down and drinking wine while chatting amongst themselves; they didn't seem to have a problem with the wine, so I decided I was probably just a wine snob. I took another hesitant sip and watched them idly, noting at least one elf at one of the tables. I was somewhat surprised that the wine seller didn't so much as blink at Ena or the other elf; I wondered if he just didn't care who he took coin from, or if the racism wasn't as bad as I'd assumed.

People-watching distracted me from the wait, and I almost missed the slim, brown-haired elf that wended her way across the street and slipped into a chair beside Ena. She was beautiful, older than I expected -- probably older than me by a handful of years -- but looked completely terrified. She looked from me to my guards, glancing fearfully at the other patrons before dropping her gaze to the table in front of her, but never made eye contact with anyone. I supposed, disgustedly, that it was a habit from her days as a slave. I felt myself stiffen and had to consciously force myself to relax.

"Hello." It sounded stupid, but it escaped before I could take it back.

"My Lady," she replied, bobbing her head nervously like a little bird.

"My name is Sierra, and you are both welcome to use it. Please, help yourself." I gestured to the cup of wine, and she wrapped one tiny hand around it but didn't take a sip. I sighed. "What's your name?"

She glanced at me quickly, startled, and I could see that her eyes were a brilliant blue, a colour I'd never seen on anyone before. I didn't get much of a chance to look before she turned her gaze quickly to Ena -- who nodded reassuringly -- and then looked back down at the table.

"Arathea, mis-, er, my Lady."

I winced at the half-voiced honorific; I'd never be anyone's mistress. "I just want to make sure that you're the right person I'm looking for. If you are, I have some questions, and then I can help you, if you wish. I won't hurt you, okay? No matter what."

She nodded almost miserably.

"Can you tell me where you're from and how you got to Wycome?"

She gulped. "I lived in Minrathous with my master and his family. His son and I fell in love. He would not have been permitted to have a relationship with me, so we left in the middle of the night, took a carriage down the Imperial Highway until we reached the river, and then a riverboat to Ansburg. The captain of the boat, he, he...he took all of Larus' coin with threats of alerting the Circle, and then abandoned us on the docks. We were trying to come to Wycome, but we had to walk, and then I lost him in that horrible town and he was captured by templars, and—"

She was nearly hyperventilating as she told the story, and looked about to pass out. I shared an alarmed look with Ena, who put a hand on her shoulder, and I reached out to touch her hand, but the reconsidered and just held my hands out. "Okay, okay. Steady, take a deep breath." I probably sounded condescending as hell, but fortunately the elf listened and seemed to calm a little. "So...Larus. Can you tell me about him?"

It was the right question to ask; she smiled almost dreamily, and the tension bled out of her as she answered. "He's wonderful," she sighed. "We met when he healed my arm after I was cut by a broken dish I'd dropped." She looked at me, making eye contact for almost the first time. "Imagine, an altus making the time to heal me, even after I dumped his dinner all over the floor." What on earth is an altus? Her tone was adorably breathy, the way Hollywood actors sounded in over-the-top romance movies. I wonder if I sound like that when I talk about Alistair? She continued prattling on about the healer, emphasizing his kindness and sweetness, traits I hadn't particularly seen for myself -- but then again, he wasn't in love with me, I supposed.

In any event it was quite clear that she was more than smitten with the man, and really did want to find him. She told me she'd followed him to Wycome after Aedan had orchestrated the fire and freed the mage, but then lost track of him -- presumably when Aedan dragged him onto the boat. She'd been hiding out in the Alienage ever since, looking for him. The Hahren had allowed her to stay there for free briefly, but she had started to worry about how she would support herself if she didn't find Larus soon. Not that it sounds like he's got any more coin than she does anymore.

Satisfied with her answers, I wanted to ask about a few last things.

"Arathea, you said you left with him willingly. What sort of duties did you have before you escaped?"

"I was a kitchen and household slave, my Lady. Helping the cook, washing floors, that sort of thing."

"I see. And...look, this is awkward to ask, but...were you...did your masters..."

"I was not a body slave, mistress, if that's what you were asking. I was purchased as a child by Larus' father and was only trained for cleaning and kitchen duties. Body slaves require rigourous training and they are chosen only from the most beautiful of slaves."

More beautiful than her? I doubted it. I breathed a sigh of relief. "So, you were never pressured for sex?" She was so matter-of-fact about it that it seemed strangely...normal to talk about it. I'm pretty sure I'm still blushing though.

She flushed too, though it looked like anger. "Not by my master. Some of the guards, though..." She trailed off, looking slightly ill. "I was lucky. The others looked out for me, and then Larus freed me before anything could happen. I'd never...before Larus."

I took a deep breath, feeling like I was being disgustingly nosy -- and hating that she didn't even think to refuse to answer my questions -- but needing to know for my own peace of mind. "May I ask when you and Larus...first...?"

Her dreamy smile returned. "At an inn a few days after we left Minrathous." I thought it was probably a good sign that he'd waited, not had sex with her as a slave. She continued, "It was very romantic. He brought me flowers and supper, paid for us both to bathe...he was so gentle with me, teaching me to please him." She blinked at me as my jaw clenched. "Not like that! We pleased each other. He was wonderful."

I relaxed slightly and nodded. "Arathea...have you given any thought to what would happen if you decided you didn't want to be with him anymore? Or if he didn't want to be with you?"

She looked at me anxiously. "Do you think he wouldn't want me anymore?" She glanced down at herself, wearing threadbare, stained clothes, and I saw tears pool in her eyes. "I know I don't deserve—"

"No, no. Nothing like that. Your clothes don't matter, not to me and I'm sure not to him. You're lovely. I'm just thinking about the future. If you wanted to leave him, what would happen?"

She frowned. "I wouldn't..." She stopped when I opened my mouth to interrupt, and seemed to think about it. "You are asking if he would let me go if I wanted it."

I nodded, relieved she understood.

"He would never hurt me. If I told him no, he would let me go. I'm sure of it." She certainly sounded convinced. I breathed a sigh of relief.

"My Lady...you are asking all these questions, but I'm not sure I really understand why." Suddenly her expression looked guarded. "You said you can help me?" She looked over at Ena as though for reassurance.

"Oh!" I slapped myself on the forehead. "I'm sorry, Arathea. Yes. I should have explained." I considered where to start. "The short answer is that I know where Larus is, and I can get him to come back here. I just wanted to make sure that you were the right person -- and that you really wanted him to find you. I admit I was...worried...that you had been taken against your will."

She looked incensed, her chest puffing up in anger. "Larus would not -- he saved me -- I can't—" She was sputtering, she was so mad, but still trying to remain polite. It was actually sort of cute.

I couldn't not giggle. "Okay! Okay. I hear you. I just wanted to be sure. Not all people are honourable."

She glared at me for a minute more before relaxing. "Do you really know where he is?"

I nodded. "In fact...is there somewhere quiet we can go?" I looked at Ena.

She wrinkled her nose. "Why?"

"Ever heard of a sending stone?"

In the end, both elves accompanied me back to the inn. I was a little surprised they trusted me that much, but I was grateful; I knew Avanna was practically twitching with worry about sitting in the open like that, and I had no desire to pull out the sending stone in public. It was getting to be evening and we hadn't had supper yet, so we ordered food from the innkeeper and asked to borrow a private room for a few minutes. He brought meals -- some sort of roast fowl with potatoes and a green vegetable I didn't recognise -- and left us in a small room that looked like it was meant to be a library. I figured the elves would be anxious, so before we ate I pulled out the sending stone and triggered it so two blue Lyrium lines glowed.

"Aedan?"

It took a couple of tries before he answered. "Sierra? What's wrong?" Usually we waited for him to contact us, and he sounded anxious.

"Nothing is wrong. In fact, you guys should pack up and come back to Wycome."

"We still have two more days," he argued. "I promised Larus to do everything—"

I interrupted, chuckling. "I know. But listen, put Larus on."

"Did Alistair get worse? What's—"

"Aedan! I told you everything is fine. Just put Larus on."

He grumbled something unintelligible, and then I heard the healer clear his throat. "What is it?" His tone was pompous, as normal, and I wanted to snort, but before I could say anything, Arathea squealed.

"Larus? Larus!"

I put my hand on her arm. "You don't have to shout." It was amusing, the comparisons to Earth -- and the number of people I'd watched shouting into cell phones. "Larus, there's someone here who'd like to see you."

"Arathea?" His voice rose, losing the annoying, entitled tone and becoming syrupy and frantic. "Where are you? Are you alright?"

And then she was crying; I nodded my head towards the door, and Ena and I crept out to the hallway, leaving her to have some privacy. We loitered in the hallway, my guard watching us curiously.

"That was...kind. Thank you."

"Thank you for finding her. My brother is out there putting himself in danger trying to find Arathea, and now he'll be able to come back."

She smiled. "I admit I wasn't sure about you."

I laughed. "Likewise." I shook my head. "My brother's going to kill me."

"Never worked with a thief before?" Her tone was strangely tight.

"No. Assassins, blood mages, and thugs, yes, but not thieves." I giggled at her skeptical look. "No, really." I sighed happily. "My life is weird."

She raised one eyebrow and I just smirked. "So anyway." I pulled out a coin purse from a secret pocket inside my jacket. "This is yours. I owe you for two more days, plus that bonus I promised."

She didn't immediately take it, though she stared at it, expression twisted. She sighed. "You don't have to. You helped when you didn't need to, and we appreciate it."

I reached out and took her hand, putting the purse in it firmly. "Then call it an Alienage Improvement donation. You helped me, and you deserve this -- and the Hahren deserves some compensation for sheltering Arathea when she needed it."

She opened the purse almost reluctantly, gasping at the gold she could see inside. I'd put the sovereign I owed her in there, and added ten more as a 'bonus'. I can't change the world, but I can help, one person at a time. She looked up at me, eyes moist. "Thank you. You don't know what this means."

I smiled sadly. "Yes. I think I probably do. Just...quit stealing, alright? I don't want to hear you ended up getting caught and executed for theft."

She nodded. "I promise." She tucked the purse away somewhere and muttered, "And you think your life is weird."

We walked back into the little room to find Arathea sitting quietly, staring at the sending stone in shock. "Larus says he will be here tomorrow." She looked at me uncertainly. "He said I should trust you -- and that you'd keep me safe until he gets here. Why would you do that? My Lady," she added, face flushing a little.

I sank into a comfortable chair. "My husband was dying, and your Larus healed him. It's the least I can do." I sighed. "I'll talk to the innkeeper after I eat. I may...I'll probably have to tell him you're my servant. I sort of doubt he'll agree to give you a room otherwise."

"I would be happy to serve—"

"No!" She jumped, and I held out my hand in apology. "I don't need a servant. That's not what I mean. You're not a slave anymore -- you have choices. But I've learned that being able to say you're a noble's servant provides some protection against stupid people who otherwise don't treat elves like they're people. All you need to do is relax and wait for Larus."

Ena looked as shocked as Arathea did, and I rolled my eyes. "Look, I imagine you've both had some bad experiences, but not all humans are monsters, okay?"

They both looked away, flushed. I just groaned.

We ate dinner -- Alistair joined us, his pain and scarring improving enough that he could stand upright and manage the stairs -- in the little library, and I filled Alistair in on what had happened. He welcomed Arathea warmly, still careful not to invade her space or startle her. Both elves warmed up to him quickly, between his quirky sense of humour and their experience with me -- and neither reacted to his scars, for which I was grateful. By the time Ena was ready to leave, we had both elves laughing and neither looked nervous about Arathea being left with us alone.

"Thank you -- again, your Highness." I shushed Ena and she smirked, but then the smile dropped. "Please don't let that mage hurt her," she whispered to me as she got up. "She can always come back to the Alienage if she needs to. Although if you're a princess, you can probably keep her safe, right?" Alistair had talked to the innkeeper and secured his agreement for Arathea to stay in Aedan's room for one night, an obvious solution that hadn't occurred to me. He'd also arranged for a room for Larus the next day. We'd only be in Wycome a few more days, and I had no idea what Larus and Arathea would do once reunited, but needing a room at least for one night seemed likely.

I nodded at Ena, thanked her again for her help, and offered to have two of my guards walk her back to the Alienage. She looked at me like I had two heads, waved once at Arathea, and then pulled a hood up over her head and disappeared out into the dark city.

We retired to bed, and Alistair pulled me close, pressing a kiss to the back of my neck as he spooned behind me. "I'm not impressed that you put yourself in danger, wife."

I scoffed. "I was armed, accompanied by two guards, and stayed in public the entire time. Unless you think you're going to tie me up in the bedroom forever, I was as safe as I could be. I can handle myself, you know."

He sighed and pulled me closer. "I'm aware. Doesn't mean I won't worry anyway." He kissed me again. "Tying you up in the bedroom doesn't sound all that bad, though, does it?"

I laughed and fell asleep with a smile on my face, my fingers interlaced with Alistair's.

*****

The men must have ridden most of the night; when they tromped through the doors of the inn the next day, covered in dust and smelling like horse, Aedan gave me a wan smile and nearly tripped into the nearest chair. Zevran was one step behind, looking just as weary, his hair sticking up awkwardly from his braid, and I nearly laughed at the sight of the two handsome, vain men looking worse than vagabonds.