Howl

The baths were as magnificent as she remembered. It seemed that either that part of the estate wasn't burned down or Alistair made sure to build it again, but she cannot find anything that was different than before.

The baths occupied a big part of the basement, being the other part the wine cellar and some cells, and there was plenty of private rooms in them, to be used as saunas, private little pools, cold and hot, and two of them that were bigger and public, one of them hot and the other one cold.

Of course she had sheltered herself in one of the private rooms with a little hot pool, which had some kind of marble stairs to step into the water and sit down on them to enjoy the water. It also had some columns were hot water was falling, like little false waterfalls. The steam made the atmosphere comfortable and the Dalish found herself relaxed for once in the water, just under one of the columns and feeling the hot water falling on her.

Calliara tried to think in the things that happened that day, tried hard to focus, but she was too tired, too sad and too, too spent that she merely stayed there, eyes closed. It felt too nice to be real. She almost could hear her brothers laughing and playing in the public pool, but she remembered that her brothers were not there anymore.

There was just silence, and just the water running down the columns

Jezarine walked about looking at all the steam and water, turning round and round with a big smile on her face. Such a huge place for bathing and with hot and cold pools. It was so pretty and felt nice with the steam rolling over her body. She walked about and heard someone else there so spoke up.

"Hello?" She poked her head into a room not knowing if anyone was there, "Is someone here?"

Calliara sighed, eyes still closed, back leaning against the column.

''Just me, Jez. I'm here''

She wondered what the sweet healer would think about her actions in the forest. Creators knew she wasn't proud of them, but it was needed.

''How are you now? Calm?''

Jezarine followed the voice and peeked into the room before slipping in with the other woman and putting a toe into the water. It was quite hot but she could survive it if Calli could.

She got into the water, leaned back and sighed, "Hey. I'm doing better. I guess it's not strange when a healer gets so upset at killing." Her hands went to her basket and got out a bar of soap.

''You hadn't killed anyone. Your score is the same as always'' Calliara smiled tiredly, completely under the water falling.

She spent the next moments in silence, just enjoying that, the silence, the hot water, the steam, the pain in her chest, her tired body.

Then Calli opened an eye

''I want to apologize for yelling at you in the forest''

Jez lay back with her head on the side of the pool and put the soap back onto the dry flooring. She closed her eyes and sighed at the warmth that seeped into her, making her sort of sleepy headed.

"I know but it certainly felt like I had. And don't worry about it. We were both very stressed." She put an arm up and laid her head on that, looking across at Calli, "What do you think Nyggy will do with the prisoners?"

''I don't know and I don't care. For me I'd killed them all in the forest and left their corpses for the animals'' The Dalish said honestly ''But it wasn't my decission, so that's why I ordered to take them back to the city. Someone was behind this, and that one would have to answer to the Wardens for stealing someone of our property''

Calliara smirked, still eyes closed and completely relaxed in the water, but the shine of a blade was visible now and then when she move.

''I'm glad we could come back with you alive''

"Oh. I don't really know what I'd want done but I'm worried about the one who was in charge. I mean, I overheard them talking and he'd killed one of the other men because the guy tried to kill me. Then again that was probably just to do his job." She shook her head, "But he traveled with Magpie and it's hard to figure out how someone could go from putting up with my brother then kidnap me. It confuses me."

She started washing her arms. It wasn't that she was not clean from the day before but she needed to wash. Needed to be cleaner. That sewer was horrible and every time she thought of that trip she felt dirty.

"Thank you. I wouldn't have gotten out of that alone. I'm just glad that we are all safe now and I can be with everyone. I was terrified that I'd never see any of you ever again!" Her eyes filled with tears as she thought of the huge loss that would be. She'd come to care for everyone in the group, even grumpy Lithawen, and could not bear the thought of being away from them. Especially Ianto.

Deciding it was finally time to reveal herself to her future comrades, the Queen of Thorns walked towards the Warden Quarters of Denerim's castle. There she looked around for the one who blackmailed her into joining the Gray Wardens; Macha Cousland. Fremelda was still annoyed by that fact. She sighed after spending several hours looking and decided it was a good time for a bath. Entering the baths was simple enough, and it seemed like there was already two women there. Fremelda shed her equipment and clothing and then washed herself before taking a dip in. She took a cloth to scrub the dirt of traveling Denerim's dusty streets all day over her scarred body. The further down the scars went, the more numerous they became. And then there was the tattoo above her left breast depicting a thorn pattern.

Finally she entered the pool and closed her eyes. "Sorry to disturb you two. I'm just looking for the Wardens."

Calliara frowned and opened an eye to study the woman from her position, leaning against the column.

''Well it seems nobody in this city respects privacy'' She muttered for herself, her blue tattoos almost glowing in the dark atmosphere, and sighed ''Well you found one. If you wanted an audience you should have asked somewhere else. Although you are the one Macha Cousland talked about''

Jezarine almost hopped out of her skin when she heard the voice of someone she did not know coming into their little alcove. She took some deep breaths to calm herself down and get her regular breathing under control. This lady was no one she had ever seen so she moved a bit closer to Calli, now nervous around those she did not know.

The kidnapping had taken an ill effect on the healer as she was nervous, almost expecting to be carried off. She berated herself inside but the fear was still there and she fought off the urge to run.

Why am I like this? Well, the kidnapping happened only yesterday. I can't expect to be over it and there not be any side effects.

Jezarine knew the rationalizations of how one would react after a tragic event but it still bothered her nonetheless. Normally she would have been bubbly around a new person but not now. Not yet. It was too fresh and scary.

Fremelda smiled wearily. So she had found the Wardens after all. She wasn't surprised at the girl behind the white haired woman's shrinking back. The auburn haired assassin could be intimidating. Perhaps the dark skinned one knew who she was. No matter. "Ah, so my captor has briefed you on me. As to the privacy thing, well, when you used to be a slave in a brothel, you don't really care much for modesty after a while. You've seen one naked person, you've seen them all." she shrugged her shoulders. Her past life in that stinking brothel had dulled her sense of modesty and humility. Steel blue eyes regarded the room before settling back on the two women. "I am Fremelda. Better known as The Queen of Thorns here in Denerim." Once again, she kept her family name a secret. No one in this city knew who she really was, and she liked it that way.

"I'm mostly here to relax and get the dirt off myself from all the walking around Denerim. It's been a long time since I've had a proper bath and if I'm going to be joining the Wardens I want to look my best for it." she sighed and then submerged herself under the water for a time before coming back up for air.

Calliara lifted an eyebrow when Jez moved to be closer to her, but she soon understood and patted the healer's shoulder lightly. The Wolf was still under the water falling down the column, so she could see Fremelda, but Fremelda couldn't see anything but a bit of pale skin with blue tattoos and white hair.

''Queen of Thorns?'' She said slowly, thinking, and then shrugged ''I have no idea what you're talking about''

Calliara was being honest. She never cared about the nobility being killed or the different assassins in Denerim. She recall hearing something about someone called Thorn, or something like that, but she never cared at all.

"Caaptoor," That took Jezarine off balance and made her even more nervous, "Who is that? Nygozy won't like that at all. Not at all."

She shook her head, "The commander said you will be one?" The healer was having a hard time following what was being said as she had no idea about the topic at all.

Fremelda shrugged her shoulders. "I'm the best assassin in Denerim outside of the Antivan Crows. And that's not me boasting, that's fact. I was... apprehended by Macha Cousland and conscripted on the condition that she will not sell me out to the Chantry for several crimes I've committed. She's a shrewd one." The assassin sighed and looked over at Jezarine. "Yes. I'm to be a Gray Warden. Not exactly how I expected to leave Denerim but, I suppose it was time. I've spent the last 14 years here without ever leaving. Time to see the world again."

''You are about to try'' Calliara corrected, sighing again. She streched her shoulders and then moved slowly to get the soap Jez had left before. The light made her hair and tattoos shine lightly in the almost darkness, and then, as slowly as before, the Wolf moved back to the spot she had chosen and began rubbing her arms tiredly

''I can't imagine a reason for what anyone would want to stay in this city for that long without going outside''

Suddenly there was a speel of laughter as a creamy white body came careening into the room, stopped at the edge of the pool long enough for everyone to see everything that was him, without trying to, then belly flopped, arms and legs out wide as he splashed down.

His head came up out of the water and he spit out some liquid then gave Jezarine a huge hug, "There's my sister! What ya doing down here, Night Herb? Everyone wants to party with you because you're back and not kidnapped no more. AH!!!!" He screamed like a girl as he saw Calliara, "WOLF!!! Oh you saved my sister and Ianto did too!" He flopped over to the white haired beauty and gave her a huge hug as well, "Oh you're so wonderful wonderful wonderful! To think my sister has such good friends! That cutie you like is outside Jezzie and he feels real soft. I see why you like him but he doesn't like hugs from naked men I think."

Maghai turned his head to see Fremelda and he put out his arms as if he were going to hug her as well, "Rose!"

"Glomph ..." Jezarine had not expected to see her brother, buck naked running into the pool rooms and was surprised as he belly flopped then hugged her so tight. She followed his fast talk easy enough, chuckled as she put a hand over her eyes and tried not to burst out in a peel of laughter at the looks on the other two women's faces.

Calliara's jaw would have dropped had it not been fixed to her skull. What a sight for that night. The perfect thing to end that horrible day, to put it lightly.

Maghai belly flopped and splashed water all around, and when she had barely recover from his hug, and was able to breath again, he jumped on the human woman.

That was too much. Too much for just one day. The Wolf put a hand to her mouth, trying to hide a tiny smile that grew and became an enormous grin while she tried to hide some giggles. Epic failure, and she started to snicker silently until her laughter grew loud and loud and she finished bursting in laughter, leaning her back against the column again

Fremelda wondered what Calliara meant by 'trying' to be a Gray Warden. She folded her arms over her chest as she soaked. "I stayed here because it's the only place I've ever known past my childhood. Where exactly I'm from, I don't know anymore. I was a little girl when I ended up here." she mused.

And then all of a sudden, that blonde elf from the other week showed up. Fremelda groaned. "Not you..." and then she and the others were assailed with hugs from the apparently oblivious elf. Fremelda made no attempt to cover herself as she had long ago lost her humility, but she did twitch irritatedly as she was hugged. "Let. Go. Of. Me." she said in a hiss as her temper began to boil again. This insufferable elf was the last thing she needed.

Maghai kissed Fremelda on the cheek then swam back over to his sister and put his head on her shoulder, "I was afraid I wouldn't see you but I just found out not long ago or I'd have come too. That must have been scary sis."

A sudden realization flicked across his eyes and he popped up, sitting straight, "Hey! Did I hear when I came in that someone will be tested to be a warden? Can I be tested too? Do you think I can? Could you get the commander to test me please please please!?!" He put his hands together as if he was praying and faced Calliara.

Calliara managed somehow to stop laughing and smiled while watching Maghai swimming here and there. He was just like Fenrir. She wondered how they would get along, being just the same.

"Hey! Did I hear when I came in that someone will be tested to be a warden? Can I be tested too? Do you think I can? Could you get the commander to test me please please please!?!"

The Wolf wondered about that. Had it been her choice, a big NO would be in order. In fact, she was against conscripting anyone without telling them that they may die in the Joining, but thankfully she wasn't the Commander. But she wasn't sure Maghai would survive though.

''I... don't know, lethallin, but I could ask, yes. We'll see. You don't have to become a Grey Warden to help though''

And it had been so peaceful, too…

Ideas came more easily in the bath. If she closed her eyes… just a little… breathing in the steam and counting every drop of water shivering down her naked shoulders… Sophia could hear them singing, gentle notes that fell like rain onto her upturned face before evaporating, almost vanishing in the steamy air. Almost. Through her half-closed eyes, Sophia could still see them, every flicker of her eyelashes sending thoughts of her own to weave the fragile things into new designs. Some of them remained intact. Some, too complex and soaked with conjecture, collapsed under their own weight, fraying and vanishing before Sophia could do anything to salvage them. And some… well. Some were just incomprehensible, made of elements that seemed impossible to weave together.

The bird tattoos were one of these, a cult unlike any she had ever heard of: in tale or in reality. Drake’s sword was another: such a potent artefact that nevertheless provoked no response in the bemused chambers of her memory: both facts without threads to follow, at least, no visible ones. And those were just the more obvious patterns in the weave: The Shadow and his ‘Free Brothers.’ Griffinhart’s past, Caterina’s heart. The Mistress and her own Shadow, Jezarine’s kidnapping. And how could she forget Drake himself? Those mysterious wounds after his return from the forest, his lack of energy… All of it wove together to form… what?

She might have been able to piece it together, had not the private room next to hers erupted in a cacophony of delighted yelling. Letting the threads of her contemplation disperse with a sigh, Sophia swam over to press her ear to the wall and had to sink beneath the water immediately to stifle an overflow of giggles. Calliara, a male voice, bubbly, and… Jezarine? Sophia smiled to herself, overjoyed that the little healer could laugh so soon after such a horrible experience. Would they mind, she wondered, if she asked to join in the fun? At any rate, it wouldn’t hurt to knock.

Slipping out of the water, the willowy mage let the ribbons fall from her shoulders, looping themselves about her (bands, loops and crosses of silk,) to preserve her modesty. A towel would be little use: either way, she hadn’t finished her bath quite yet. No men in the corridor? No. Pad-to-the-door, one, two threesteps.

Knock knock.

“Calliara? Jezarine? Are you in there?”

Bathes. It was perhaps the one thing Fereldens got right. For all of their cold and horrid smells, they at least had the courtesy to make up for it with hot water and soothing salts. It was possible - very possible, in fact - that these baths were simply an exception, of course. A King's palace was not to be used as an example for the kingdom as a whole, after all, and maybe the glorious springs of water found in the castle depths were, rather, the exception to the rule (the rule being that Fereldens truly were smelly, dirty barbarians).

But it didn't matter. Exception or not, Caterina had heard fine things concerning the hot springs, and even if they were in the dungeon area, a bath was a bath, and Caterina needed one. She might be a warrior and a Warden, but she refused to give up the comforts of being a woman, especially when they were so freely given to her.

The walk to the baths was anything but pleasant, however. It was a cold and long way, down into the castle, and she had certainly heard the truth when it had been said that they were located in the deepest cellars. If Caterina had been inclined to believe in ghost stories, she might have worried that a specter or spirit of some sort might try to stop her on her way down so far.

Soon, though, the cold and damp air gave way to warm and damp air, and she knew that she had come down far enough (finally). It wasn't long after the heat hit her, though, that raised voices joined to mingle in the air. The Antivan paused, and frowned. A crowd? She hadn't been expecting many people . . . It would hardly be a relaxing bath, if the noise was to be any indication. But . . . no. She shook her head. These people were her friends - she considered them as such - and she was glad to share her free time with them.

"Hello?" She called, making her presence known as she finally came to stand on the exceedingly damp stone floor. The sound of rushing and running water was like a balm, with the steam in the air - after the cold of Ferelden, it was like she'd been delivered to some paradise without even realizing it. "Where are you, then?" She asked, still calling loudly enough to be heard as laughter weaved its way into her voice. Even without their saying so, from the noise, they could only be in one of the rooms.

She was padding her way across the slippery stone (mindful without even realizing it to watch her step, though an assassin never lost their proper footing) when she stopped. It seemed that one of the other pools had an occupant, as well. Her smile widened several-fold to see who it was.

"Sophia!" She cried happily, and meant it. How could she help it, though, when she had not seen her narradora almost since arriving in Denerim - it had been a difficult transition for all. She moved off her path to stop and stand in the way to Sophia's private pool (her pool, at least, had seemed calm enough for a relaxing bath). "Were you going to join the noise-makers, as well? Or, rather, have I caught you escaping from them?"

Jezarine put a hand over her mouth while Calliara got roped into explaining possibilites of joining with Maghai and her eyes shone with amusement but then she heard voices outside of the room and looked in that direction.

Her head tilted as she listened to the voices then called out, "Sophia? Caterina?" This was exciting. More people meant more safety and she liked everyone in their group so far, "Come on in! All we need now are snacks."