Chapter Text
"Gentleman please." Mari sighed, "I do not see what the problem is?"
Mari tapped her foot on the cobblestone, feigning irritation. Although the more she waited with the pack across her shoulder, the more agitated she was actually becoming. She looked around the gate, a small trickle of concern that Carver had not appeared. His failure to show meant something was about to go horribly wrong. Great, she thought. This was meant to be the last job for them, to signal the end of their year of servitude under Athenril— if it went well they would be free, if not, they would have to wait for the next one. The loss of this job was not an option.
Mari wanted it to go well, she needed it to go well. She was sick of serving others and getting nowhere. She wanted to make money, to move out of her Uncle's pathetic excuse of a home and make her mother comfortable, Maker knew she deserved better. She took another quick glance around, but still Carver had not appeared. He was meant to be her distraction, without it the guards would not leave allowing her to slip through with her bag of questionable items. It was the biggest shipment of lyrium she had ever been asked to smuggle, which was definitely adding to her discomfort. She could feel it shifting beneath the leather by her side. She didn't know why but to her the lyrium felt alive. She hated it.
"Sorry Serah, it's standard procedure." The guard held up his hand. "All goods have to be checked."
"Goods?" She rolled her eyes. "Or are you just desperate to get yourself on a lady's under things?"
The guard flinched, blushing deeply. Mari suppressed the urge to laugh at him, the poor tyke was a young thing, likely never laid with a woman. Not that she was one to talk, but at least she had a sense of humour, one she could hopefully use to her advantage now.
"You do, don't you!" She shrieked unnecessarily loudly. "Maker have mercy! How dare you pry on a woman's delicate possessions like this!"
"Ma'am no!" The guard spluttered. People were beginning to look. "That's not what—I didn't—"
"You're a disgrace to the guard!" She continued. "Taking advantage of young women who come through just wanting to get home to their poor sick fathers."
"That's awful!"
"Disgusting!"
"That poor woman."
It was working, thankfully, as there was still no sign of Carver. She was going to kill him when she found him. If he had gone to The Blooming Rose again he was going to castrate him, no matter what her mother said.
"I want to speak to your captain." Mari folded her arms and tapped her foot, careful not to jostle the bag and give away her cargo. "I will not be treated like this!"
"Please ma'am!" The poor guard now looked like he was going to wet himself, sweating profusely beneath his helmet. "That won't be necessary, I am sorry!"
"Sorry!?" She continued to be outraged even as she made for the gate. "If I wasn't in such a hurry…"
She let her threat trail off as she hurried on, hand safely across the bag. She walked for several minutes, changing direction abruptly three times in the hopes of shaking anyone that might have been on her tail. She stopped to take in where she was, having come through the top gate from outside of Kirkwall, she was slightly out of sorts. That was why she had needed Carver to meet her, that was the plan. Cause the disturbance so she could get through without drawing attention to herself, which is what she had managed to do. Leaning against the wall she took a small breather, opening the bag to triple check the contents had not been disturbed.
Over one hundred vials of lyrium were contained in the satchel, carefully placed between layers of fabric to ensure their safety. She couldn't smell anything, or feel a dampness within the folds. So far so good. Now she just needed to figure out the quickest route back to Lowtown and to the drop point. The sun was high above the
"That was impressive." A voice cut through the alley. Her head snapped up, eyes wide for the briefest moment before she collected herself. Keep your blades sharp but your tongue sharper. Her father’s words ran through her head. She assessed the area: a closed alley, one way out.
"I don't know what you're talking about.' She shrugged, lowering the flap of the bag, her hand loosening the fastening on one of the blades strapped to her leg.
"Sure thing sweetheart."
She looked at the stranger, a dwarf with warm honey hair and an unholy amount of chest hair on show. He was familiar, but for the moment Mari couldn't place where she had seen him before. She adjusted the weight of the bag, pushing away from the wall and passed him back into the streets of Hightown. It was a risky bet, but to her luck, he did not attack her.
To her annoyance he was following her instead. Not ideal, she would not be able to make the drop until she lost him. She looked up at the neat stone buildings, trying to figure out exactly where she was. She was only fifty percent sure she was walking in a useful direction. Every so often he could see him in the corner of her vision, tagging behind her like a lost dog. She already had a dog at home, and she was annoyed now to not have him with her.
"What do you want?" She stopped and turned, not bothering to hide her annoyance.
"What makes you think I want something?" He cocked an eyebrow at her. It was then she saw the crossbow on his back, almost as tall as he was and unlike any crossbow she had ever seen. Her annoyance turned to caution, a hand carefully resting on the hilt of her blade again.
"You're following me." She resumed walking, and he followed, even when she randomly changed directions again and doubled back on herself.
"We just happen to be going the same direction." He chuckled, dogging her steps. He knew what she was doing, she could tell. But what she did not know was why? Was he Carta? Merchant Guild? Did he know what she was carrying? Dwarves were the keepers of the lyrium trade to the Chantry, was he here to make sure his stock was returned back to its rightful owner?
"Is that so?" She stopped again, in the centre of the Hightown Markets, her feet leading her true for once. "And where might your destination be?"
She had hoped it would be a little busier here, at least enough that she could potentially slip into the crowd and leave this obnoxiously persistent dwarf behind. Then she could get to the drop point, finish the job,and be done with this once and for all.
"Where is yours?" She didn't need to see his face to know he held a smug grin on his uncharacteristically unbearded chin.
"I asked first." She added a little anger to her voice, hoping he would finally get the hint. Once again she wished for Bear, her mabari would have already chased away the irritation. When he seemed unrelenting she added. "Would you please tell me if I can expect to be shot at in broad daylight by a cocky piece of shit for walking?"
He laughed at that, a great hearty booming laugh. She didn't know what annoyed her more, him following her or him finding it seemingly hilarious. She turned her attention to one of the market stands, a display of jewels sparkling in front of her.
"I am not going to shoot you." He said after he had finished laughing, the rumble of amusement still present in his throat.
"Oh goody!" She rolled her eyes, picking up a cheap glass imitation necklace. "So just some casual stalking by a nug herder then."
"Please don't compare me to those rock lickers." He scowled, looking serious for the first time. "I have actual sense."
Mari gave him another look over, he was quite handsome for a dwarf, her eyes tailing down to the low cut of his shirt. She did not know why the sight of it fascinated her, and when he tugged the shirt down, she knew he had caught her looking.
"Clearly— HEY!"
She had let her guard down. A momentary lapse of her concentration and her bag was gone. She saw him, running through the sparse crowd, she pelted after him but he already had a head start. Instinctively magic primed beneath her skin, but she pushed it back. There were too many people, magic was not an option.
"Get back here you—"
She felt the whoosh of the bolt pass her face, imbedding itself into the wall ahead of her with a dull thunk. Turning she saw the dwarf lower the crossbow, the annoying grin back on his face. She reached for her bag again, flipping the lip to check the contents. The dwarf passed her, approaching the man who had tried to rob her.
"Now, now, where are we off to in such a hurry?"