The day was a magnificent one, for early autumn. The air was crisp without being cold; it didnât tend to get terribly chilly in Kirkwall anyway. But there was a bit of a freshness to it, perhaps due to the rain that had fallen the night before, dampening down the natural odors of the walled city and allowing the briny tang of the ocean to drift in for a while. At present, Lucien was enjoying on the docks with two of his favorite people: Sophia and Nostariel, who had both been kind enough to volunteer to help him with a few finishing touches on the barracks today. A few of the other mercs had already moved in, but some of the rooms in the back still needed maintenance before they could be opened up, and even in advance of their first official contract, heâd already had the fortune of a new wave of applicants.
Lunch was a simple affair, but the bread was fresh, the fruit was ripe, and the cheese sufficient to his Orlesian sensibilities on the subject. One would not immediately pick Lucien for a food snob, but there were certain things he could not really help about himself, and he enjoyed eating too much to not want to eat well. Not that he made a fuss about it, of course. Concessions were necessary when living a more modest lifestyle, and he was happy to make them, for the benefits that came of his current position.
So, almost like children were given to do in Val Royeaux, they were sitting on one of the smaller docks, their legs dangling over the edge. Lucienâs feet were submerged, actually, his breeches rolled up to the knees. The water was pleasant against his skin, and unconsciously, he moved them back and forth. It reminded him of days ill-spent, sneaking out past his tutors, donning the clothing of a pauper child and exploring the grand, beautiful disaster that was the capital. The sea hadnât drawn him more than anything else, in truth, but his friend Thierry had been absolutely enamored, and when his turn came to decide what they did, they wound up by the boats more often than not. He remembered the sun on the back of his head and shoulders, twiggy boy-limbs stretching to skim the surface of the sea at high tide. Wondering if that was how people caught fish.
âThank you both, for your help,â he said genially, raising his glass slightly ironically. It was, after all, just water. He had more work to do that afternoon and no desire for wine at the moment. Perhaps that evening, though.
"Of course," Sophia answered from his right. Only her toes really broke the water's surface. Unlike Lucien, this reminded her of nothing, as it was a new experience, sitting at the water's edge, swallowed up by the city. Her childhood had been largely contained to Hightown, and she'd never really been the sneaking out type. Not until now, of course. She turned to give Lucien a light kiss on the cheek, something she could hardly stop herself from doing at every chance now.
"Let me know when you're going to start training the recruits," she suggested. "I'd love to be there for that." It would likely be soon, considering how well the preparations were coming along. In addition to watching, Sophia didn't doubt there was a thing or two she could teach to aspiring swordsmen and women. She couldn't deny that she'd had an excellent teacher herself, as much as she wanted to find him and wring answers from his throat.
âAnd of course Iâll be happy to patch them back up when youâre done with them.â Nostarielâs contribution came with a large dose of levity; she knew that neither of them would mistreat the recruits, of course, but she also had the guess that Lucien wouldnât go too easy on them, because to do so would be to leave them less prepared for what they were facing. So it only made sense to offer what help she could, both for the aftermath of training and their actual contracts, whenever those started.
Nostariel kicked her legs back and forth, savoring the food and the company, grinning behind her hand when Sophia leaned over to peck Lucienâs cheek. They were honestly adorable. The Warden, being considerably shorter than either of them, did not manage to skim the water with even her toes, but the breeze coming off the ocean was lovely. In the distance, she could see what looked like a passenger boat coming in for the docks; or at least she assumed it was a passenger boat. On a day like today, the fishermen would be out until near nightfall.
"Glad I picked the guard instead. At least their training doesn't include trips to the clinic, not that I need a reason to go mind you," A familiar voice behind them said, as a wet nose pressed into Nostariel's elbow. Ashton leaned forward and planted a ginger kiss atop her crown. "Didn't want you to feel left out, sweetheart," he said coyly. A wink was tossed in Lucien and Sophia's direction, laughing as he nodded a greeting. He remembered his first thought when word finally, got around that they were an item. About damn time, though he had little room to speak-- so he didn't.
The docks were his to patrol that afternoon, but it was serendipity that Snuffy had sniffed out his very special friends. His route had been quiet, no doubt due in part to the nearby mercenary headquarters. It made his job easier and he was pleased that it was Lucien that headed them, he'd never have to worry about them with him in charge. In fact, he expected them to run into each other in a more official capacity as the Argent Lions took on more contracts. "I've got time to kill. Things've been pretty low-key around here as of late. I think we owe that to you, Lucien." Ashton's gaze shifted toward the direction that the other's face; into the bay.
Snuffy found herself a seat on the other side of Nostariel as Ashton stood behind them, watching contently as the passenger ship meandered toward the port. At least, until he thought he recognized the certain head of crimson hair standing at the bow of the ship. He squinted in an effort to see better and leaned over Nostariel trying to get a better view before he finally brought it up.
"Hey... Isn't that...?"
Lucien, who seemed to be wearing a semipermanent smile these days, had no trouble mustering an additional one for Ashtonâs arrival, shaking his head slightly at the further commentary, at least until something seemed to catch the guardsmanâs eye, at which point the mercenary turned to look back over his shoulder, observing the same thing. Well⊠it was true that a fair number of people had red hair, but⊠this particular one did seem familiar. âYou know, it might just be,â he replied, pulling his feet from the water and offering Sophia a hand up.
âI do believe we have the return of a prodigal friend on our hands.â
The City of Chains was an apt moniker, one she'd almost forgotten in her absence. Sailing into Kirkwall as statues clapped in irons watched with pained expressions brought that memory back. However, this time they did not intimidate her as Aurora stood at the bow of the ship staring forward at the quickly approaching port. It had been nearly a year since she departed.
She looked healthy, her red hair cut into the bob style she had in her early years in Kirkwall. The red scarf that forever occupied her neck made its return as well, though it looked new, restitched with the hands of an expert. A jacket was thrown over her shoulder as she wore a pair of long pants, to help fight off the chill of autumn. It wasn't long before the ship pulled into a dock, and Aurora took her first steps back into the city proper.
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, before reopening them and taking a look around. It was still much like the remembered, but a city could hardly be expected to change in year. Soon, her gaze was thrown toward a nearby dock. She should've been surprised seeing as she didn't write them about her return, but she was too glad to have been shocked. She tilted her head toward them and smiled, hiding the chuckle from Ashton's enthusiastic wave. She shouldered her pack and walked toward her friends, unable to hide wide smile stretching from cheek to cheek.
"So how'd you all know I was coming back today?" she said, a twang of Antivan present in her voice.
âOh, you know, the usual. Psychic revelation.â Nostariel wore a grin to match, hopping up from her spot and half-running, half-skipping over to Aurora to collide against her friend in a bear hug, or at least the closest version thereof that someone of her size was capable of producing. She was strong enough to spin the other woman around though, so she did that a few times, before setting her down.
While she was expecting a hug, not like the one Nostariel gave her. A meep escaped her throat in surprise as her pack fell to the ground, but soon it was replaced by laughter and a tight hug of her own.
âIâm so glad to see you! Itâs been a long time. Everything went well in Antiva, I hope?â She took the opportunity to scan Aurora over with a healerâs eye, reaching up to tousle her newly-shortened bob affectionately. âYou look happy.â The Warden tilted her head to the side, as if to ask whether she had the right of it.
"I feel better," she admitted, readjusting the hold on her pack. "It was nice seeing my family again. They kept my room the exact same way I remember it, do you believe that?" She was beaming, obviously excited to be back with her friends. By the way she held Nostariel's hands, it was clear that she missed her as well.
Sophia didn't jump in on the hug, partly because Nostariel was already occupying most of that space, and partly because she and Aurora weren't that close of friends. Still, it was good to see her return, in what looked to be good spirits. In all the chaos of the Qunari attack, and her state both shortly before and after it, Sophia had entirely lost contact with Aurora. They would need to work on that.
She came alongside the two mages, putting a hand on Aurora's shoulder and giving it a slight squeeze. "It's good to have you back. I'm sorry I couldn't be there to see you off."
âWelcome back, Aurora,â Lucien added with a smile. âYouâll have to tell us all about it when you have the inclination. Everything here has been mostly peaceful in the meantime.â No more large-scale invasions, at any rate.
"What they said," Ashton added, pointed at three others surrounding her. "Now, as much as I'd like to stay and throw a welcome back party, duties call. I've slacked off enough for today... Gotta get back to serving and protecting." He took a step forward and took one of Aurora's hands in both of his and squeezing it. Letting it fall back to her said, Ashton turned and pecked a kiss onto Nos's temple saying, "I'll see you later, sweetheart," before taking his leave.
Aurora watched Ashton, now encased in the guardsman plate, walk away from the group in utter confusion. An eyebrow was arched and a hand planted on the side of her face trying to figure out if what she was seeing was true, "Ashton's.... A guard? And you two are... Together?" She asked, two fingers together to demonstrate her point. "You two together I can believe. You're adorable, that's not the hard one. But a guard?" Shaking her head, she smiled up at Lucien and nodded.
"And you're going to have to tell me everything I missed."
Lunch was a simple affair, but the bread was fresh, the fruit was ripe, and the cheese sufficient to his Orlesian sensibilities on the subject. One would not immediately pick Lucien for a food snob, but there were certain things he could not really help about himself, and he enjoyed eating too much to not want to eat well. Not that he made a fuss about it, of course. Concessions were necessary when living a more modest lifestyle, and he was happy to make them, for the benefits that came of his current position.
So, almost like children were given to do in Val Royeaux, they were sitting on one of the smaller docks, their legs dangling over the edge. Lucienâs feet were submerged, actually, his breeches rolled up to the knees. The water was pleasant against his skin, and unconsciously, he moved them back and forth. It reminded him of days ill-spent, sneaking out past his tutors, donning the clothing of a pauper child and exploring the grand, beautiful disaster that was the capital. The sea hadnât drawn him more than anything else, in truth, but his friend Thierry had been absolutely enamored, and when his turn came to decide what they did, they wound up by the boats more often than not. He remembered the sun on the back of his head and shoulders, twiggy boy-limbs stretching to skim the surface of the sea at high tide. Wondering if that was how people caught fish.
âThank you both, for your help,â he said genially, raising his glass slightly ironically. It was, after all, just water. He had more work to do that afternoon and no desire for wine at the moment. Perhaps that evening, though.
"Of course," Sophia answered from his right. Only her toes really broke the water's surface. Unlike Lucien, this reminded her of nothing, as it was a new experience, sitting at the water's edge, swallowed up by the city. Her childhood had been largely contained to Hightown, and she'd never really been the sneaking out type. Not until now, of course. She turned to give Lucien a light kiss on the cheek, something she could hardly stop herself from doing at every chance now.
"Let me know when you're going to start training the recruits," she suggested. "I'd love to be there for that." It would likely be soon, considering how well the preparations were coming along. In addition to watching, Sophia didn't doubt there was a thing or two she could teach to aspiring swordsmen and women. She couldn't deny that she'd had an excellent teacher herself, as much as she wanted to find him and wring answers from his throat.
âAnd of course Iâll be happy to patch them back up when youâre done with them.â Nostarielâs contribution came with a large dose of levity; she knew that neither of them would mistreat the recruits, of course, but she also had the guess that Lucien wouldnât go too easy on them, because to do so would be to leave them less prepared for what they were facing. So it only made sense to offer what help she could, both for the aftermath of training and their actual contracts, whenever those started.
Nostariel kicked her legs back and forth, savoring the food and the company, grinning behind her hand when Sophia leaned over to peck Lucienâs cheek. They were honestly adorable. The Warden, being considerably shorter than either of them, did not manage to skim the water with even her toes, but the breeze coming off the ocean was lovely. In the distance, she could see what looked like a passenger boat coming in for the docks; or at least she assumed it was a passenger boat. On a day like today, the fishermen would be out until near nightfall.
"Glad I picked the guard instead. At least their training doesn't include trips to the clinic, not that I need a reason to go mind you," A familiar voice behind them said, as a wet nose pressed into Nostariel's elbow. Ashton leaned forward and planted a ginger kiss atop her crown. "Didn't want you to feel left out, sweetheart," he said coyly. A wink was tossed in Lucien and Sophia's direction, laughing as he nodded a greeting. He remembered his first thought when word finally, got around that they were an item. About damn time, though he had little room to speak-- so he didn't.
The docks were his to patrol that afternoon, but it was serendipity that Snuffy had sniffed out his very special friends. His route had been quiet, no doubt due in part to the nearby mercenary headquarters. It made his job easier and he was pleased that it was Lucien that headed them, he'd never have to worry about them with him in charge. In fact, he expected them to run into each other in a more official capacity as the Argent Lions took on more contracts. "I've got time to kill. Things've been pretty low-key around here as of late. I think we owe that to you, Lucien." Ashton's gaze shifted toward the direction that the other's face; into the bay.
Snuffy found herself a seat on the other side of Nostariel as Ashton stood behind them, watching contently as the passenger ship meandered toward the port. At least, until he thought he recognized the certain head of crimson hair standing at the bow of the ship. He squinted in an effort to see better and leaned over Nostariel trying to get a better view before he finally brought it up.
"Hey... Isn't that...?"
Lucien, who seemed to be wearing a semipermanent smile these days, had no trouble mustering an additional one for Ashtonâs arrival, shaking his head slightly at the further commentary, at least until something seemed to catch the guardsmanâs eye, at which point the mercenary turned to look back over his shoulder, observing the same thing. Well⊠it was true that a fair number of people had red hair, but⊠this particular one did seem familiar. âYou know, it might just be,â he replied, pulling his feet from the water and offering Sophia a hand up.
âI do believe we have the return of a prodigal friend on our hands.â
The City of Chains was an apt moniker, one she'd almost forgotten in her absence. Sailing into Kirkwall as statues clapped in irons watched with pained expressions brought that memory back. However, this time they did not intimidate her as Aurora stood at the bow of the ship staring forward at the quickly approaching port. It had been nearly a year since she departed.
She looked healthy, her red hair cut into the bob style she had in her early years in Kirkwall. The red scarf that forever occupied her neck made its return as well, though it looked new, restitched with the hands of an expert. A jacket was thrown over her shoulder as she wore a pair of long pants, to help fight off the chill of autumn. It wasn't long before the ship pulled into a dock, and Aurora took her first steps back into the city proper.
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, before reopening them and taking a look around. It was still much like the remembered, but a city could hardly be expected to change in year. Soon, her gaze was thrown toward a nearby dock. She should've been surprised seeing as she didn't write them about her return, but she was too glad to have been shocked. She tilted her head toward them and smiled, hiding the chuckle from Ashton's enthusiastic wave. She shouldered her pack and walked toward her friends, unable to hide wide smile stretching from cheek to cheek.
"So how'd you all know I was coming back today?" she said, a twang of Antivan present in her voice.
âOh, you know, the usual. Psychic revelation.â Nostariel wore a grin to match, hopping up from her spot and half-running, half-skipping over to Aurora to collide against her friend in a bear hug, or at least the closest version thereof that someone of her size was capable of producing. She was strong enough to spin the other woman around though, so she did that a few times, before setting her down.
While she was expecting a hug, not like the one Nostariel gave her. A meep escaped her throat in surprise as her pack fell to the ground, but soon it was replaced by laughter and a tight hug of her own.
âIâm so glad to see you! Itâs been a long time. Everything went well in Antiva, I hope?â She took the opportunity to scan Aurora over with a healerâs eye, reaching up to tousle her newly-shortened bob affectionately. âYou look happy.â The Warden tilted her head to the side, as if to ask whether she had the right of it.
"I feel better," she admitted, readjusting the hold on her pack. "It was nice seeing my family again. They kept my room the exact same way I remember it, do you believe that?" She was beaming, obviously excited to be back with her friends. By the way she held Nostariel's hands, it was clear that she missed her as well.
Sophia didn't jump in on the hug, partly because Nostariel was already occupying most of that space, and partly because she and Aurora weren't that close of friends. Still, it was good to see her return, in what looked to be good spirits. In all the chaos of the Qunari attack, and her state both shortly before and after it, Sophia had entirely lost contact with Aurora. They would need to work on that.
She came alongside the two mages, putting a hand on Aurora's shoulder and giving it a slight squeeze. "It's good to have you back. I'm sorry I couldn't be there to see you off."
âWelcome back, Aurora,â Lucien added with a smile. âYouâll have to tell us all about it when you have the inclination. Everything here has been mostly peaceful in the meantime.â No more large-scale invasions, at any rate.
"What they said," Ashton added, pointed at three others surrounding her. "Now, as much as I'd like to stay and throw a welcome back party, duties call. I've slacked off enough for today... Gotta get back to serving and protecting." He took a step forward and took one of Aurora's hands in both of his and squeezing it. Letting it fall back to her said, Ashton turned and pecked a kiss onto Nos's temple saying, "I'll see you later, sweetheart," before taking his leave.
Aurora watched Ashton, now encased in the guardsman plate, walk away from the group in utter confusion. An eyebrow was arched and a hand planted on the side of her face trying to figure out if what she was seeing was true, "Ashton's.... A guard? And you two are... Together?" She asked, two fingers together to demonstrate her point. "You two together I can believe. You're adorable, that's not the hard one. But a guard?" Shaking her head, she smiled up at Lucien and nodded.
"And you're going to have to tell me everything I missed."