Nevarran affaires

Bowen was fuming while pacing back and forth in the dinning hall. Fenrir was resting on the bear rug, chewing a bone and waving his little tail every time Daddy looked at him, but Daddy wasn't in the mood to play right then.

The Nevarran was furious, worried, and fed up.

Fury was a curious thing for him to feel, actually. Usually he never got furious. Pissed, yes, angry, that too. But furious, with that deep rage that made you see red, it wasn't often for his calm nature.

He wished Caterina was there, to speak with her and ease his mind. Surely Caterina would know what to do, how to act. She was a woman after all, and maybe she could help where he couldn't because he didn't know how to. Things were sooo way complicated...

The Nevarran looked around, hoping for someone to show up and speak to

Sleeping in was a luxury Caterina only rarely enjoyed - sleeping for the day was nearly unheard of. When brown-gold eyes opened that 'morning,' she had instantly felt . . . off. Her bed was comfortable, and she felt more relaxed than she'd ever felt before, and for a few minutes, she simply stretched around in bed, switching from hugging one pillow to hugging the other in a sleepy daze. It was only when she realized that the sun shining through her window was low and dim that she discovered what the strange feeling was. It wasn't early morning, or even late morning at all. She'd slept clear through the better part of the day. She sat up instantly, looking about with a bleary-eyed surprise.

Once the adrenaline-fueled wake-up was over, her eyes drooped back closed and she fell back onto the bed with a tired 'oomph.' For a moment, she was completely still, and then she rolled over to the side of the bed and swung her legs around, sitting up once more as she rubbed a hand over her eyes.

"Ai, how did I do that?" she wondered to herself sleepily, slipping back into her natural Antivan since she was alone. At least she was mostly awake now.

She realized that she was hungry a minute later, but didn't worry about that too much. More importantly, she should go find someone - Bowen, most likely - and find out what she'd missed. Sleeping in so late, she felt strangely out of the loop, like the world had decided to go on without her for a day. She dressed quickly, pulling on her riding cloak becuase she was still chilled from just waking up, and slipped out of her room.

Now, where to find Bowen? He hadn't been in his room - she'd checked and besides, he'd never sleep all day. That left someplace with Calliara, the training grounds, or someplace quiet. But, no. Her sense of time was off. If it was the morning he'd be training, but this late in the day? He could be anywhere.

She had no choice but to wander, then. Luckily, she did not have to wander long. Before too much time had passed, she heard the happy yelping of Fenrir's puppy bark, and where Fenrir was, Bowen or Calliara were, too. Even if it was Calliara, surely the elf would be able to tell her where the Nevarran man was.

She stuck her head inside the room and smiled. Success! It was Bowen there. But . . . she frowned. Her precioso did not look well.

"Bowen?" She asked tentatively, keeping her voice a little quiet. She didn't want to startle him out of whatever worry he'd lost his head in. "Are you alright?"

Bowen's head turned quickly to look at her, and the enormous Nevarran sighed. ''Maker be praised''

He moved quickly to grab her hands and pulled to make her almost fall in his arms. Relieved, Bowen hugged her close, kissed her forehead and then looked at her seriously. ''I need you, Caterina. We may have a problem. Calliara found Drake with another woman... It didn't look suspicious though, and I believed Drake when he told me that the woman was a flirt and an old friend of Nygozy, Sinjan and him, so... I think he told me the truth, but I think Calli is hurt and I don't know what to do, Cat!''

Bowen looked lost for once, and sat down on the very floor with Caterina on his lap. ''What should I do? Leave things this way and let them talk and fix whatever is fixable or not? Should I kill that wench? What would you do?''

Caterina was surprised when she was so quickly and fiercely tugged into his embrace, but she didn't resist in the slightest, and she looked up at him with open curiosity.

"Bowen?" She asked again, worried, but then he continued on, the words spilling out of his mouth, and the worry was clear in his voice. By the end of his tirade, Caterina could help but smile fondly, and she raised her hands to the sides of his face and stood on her tiptoes to kiss him on the forehead, mimicking his own kiss from only a few moments earlier.

"Bowen, querido, you are worrying too much. You are so much the big brother to her - our lovely Calliara is strong. So very strong. She will talk things over with Drake. Now, if you want my help, stop, and start from the beginning, and tell me what happened calmly. Tell if if you've spoken to Calliara since then." She nodded towards the hearth Fenrir was sitting in front of, she took Bowen's hand in both of hers and led them to it, sitting down in front of it to take the puppy into her lap. "Sit. Relax. Calm yourself. I am here, and I will listen."

Fenrir panted happily when he was pulled on a more comfortable lap, and licked Caterina's hand before nudging her playfully. Bowen sat down with her as well, looking defeated, and looked at her sheepishly.

''I don't know what happened. I was going to the stables to check Goliath and the other horses and I saw Calliara there, standing just outside the stables, listening. Caterina, she looked like death. At that moment I didn't see it, but when I called her and she looked at me... She looked like someone stabbed in the back, shocked. It hurt me seeing her like that. I've only saw that look in her eyes once, and was in Wiesshaupt, when we were told what happened in Ostagar''

The Nevarran sighed and rested his head on Caterina's for a moment, feeling better just smelling her. 'Calli ran away. Just that, no words, no explanations, nothing. Then I saw Drake inside the stables with a red-haired woman. They argued a bit after that and Drake told me that the woman was an old friend of them, and a flirt, that she had an affaire with Sinjan in the past or something like that, and rushed to find Calli. For what I know, she is hiding and no one had seen her in hours!'' Bowen grunted, looking angry and desperate at the same time. ''I believed him, because I think he is an honest man, and forgive me love, but you women are evil sometimes, and I totally believed that wench was flirting just to hurt whoever she could. She had that look, you know. And I know I'm ridiculous! You don't have to tell me, I'm not bright and I know I'm acting childish, but I am worried. Calliara is strong, but like a mirror, too many hits and she will broke''

Suddenly he grabbed her hands again. ''Caterina, I swear you that if sometime you see me talking with another woman it won't be nothing to be worried about. Alas, I don't like redheads, they are mean and annoying. I prefer your hair very much, and all yourself and... and I should shut up right now, I guess''

Caterina absently pet at Fenrir's fur as she listened to Bowen's tale. It was clear in every line of his body that he was worried for his elven sister, and Caterina felt an immense pity and love for him for that. To worry for someone who was not his sister in blood but in bond was truly heartwarming.

"Bowen, precioso, Calliara is a strong woman, and Drake is a good man. Yes - we woman can be evil. I do not know the temptress of whom you speak, but it sounds as if the blame lays solely on her, if at all. As hard as it may be to hear, only misfortune led Calliara to hear what went on between them, and I cannot say for sure if the red-headed woman truly intended to antagonize our dear elf or not." She paused, frowning to herself as she tried to sort out the facts.

Her frowned changed from one of concentration to sympathy, then, and she placed Fenrir to the side gently so that she could push herself a little forward, and she wrapped her arms around Bowen's neck, letting her neck crane up a little so that their foreheads touched again.

"You are a kind man, Bowen. A very kind man, and you worry so much about your sister. And you are not a stupid man, precioso. No, in fact, I find you to be a very smart man indeed. Only a smart man understands how much he doesn't know." She leaned up to kiss him gently, and then lowered her head again to stare him in the eye. "Do not fear for me either, querido. I am not so fragile that I would jump to the wrong conclusions so quickly. Rather, I am much more likely to slap you, and then ask you straight away what was going on." She smiled, laughing a little as she pressed another quick kiss to his cheek. She was only joking, of course, and she wanted him to know it. "Your approval of my hair is well taken, Bowen. I was worried you did not like it."

Bowen looked at her with surprise in his green eyes. ''Caterina, I like you from the tip of your hair to the tip of your toes, and I don't care if you have long or short hair. You are amazingly beautiful, but what I like from you it's not just physical, so... well... I am babbling again''

He kissed her softly, lovingly, and then sighed resting his forehead against hers. ''Then... what do you think I should do? Just wait? Maybe... maybe you're right. It's just that... for two years we've been alone, just having ourselves, Gunnar, Calliara and I. It's difficult to get used to be with more people again...''

Caterina smiled, and her eyes closed contentedly. She felt the puppy crawl back into her lap she she let out a breathy laugh, craning her neck down a little to look at him. "Crafty thing, you," she said to him gently, rubbing his nose with the tip of her finger. Her gaze went back up to Bowen, then, and she wondered what she could say to make him feel better.

"You have been alone with them for a long time, Bowen. I suppose it would feel strange to so suddenly be surrounded by so many people, sharing her affections now with another man. I have never had a brother, but I imagine that it must feel that way - and why not? You are as much her brother as anyone from her clan was. I do not think that simply waiting is a bad idea, but you can and should still be there for her. If you only talk to her, I am sure you would both be the better for it."

''Well, she is hiding now, so I guess I'll have to wait''. He shrugged, and then leaned his head against Caterina's again, smiling now. ''Thank you, I don't know what would I do without you, woman''

Fenrir barked and tried to chew Caterina's clothes,, and the Nevarran smiled and stroked his back tenderly. ''This little fellow loves you very much. That's a good thing''

After a long silence, he looked at her, unsure. ''Would you... want to go out perhaps? I don't know, maybe to the market... or somewhere where we could have a proper dinner... or... ''

"Then leave her, querido," she said gently with a fond smile. "If she is hiding, then let the one who she wants to find her seek her out. I imagine she and Drake will have much to discuss when that time comes." She grinned a little for the wiles of women, and for admiration at Calliara's strength. It was good, that she did not so easily forgive the man who appeared to have wronged her. Guilty or not, he should beg her forgiveness, not she for his.

"I -," her head tilted to the side in curiosity, and then her eyebrows rose and she smiled. "A date, then? I would very much enjoy that, Bowen. This castle is so dreary, don't you think?" It felt of dead memories only hastily and wrongly revived, as if those who'd rebuilt it after its destruction had tried and failed to bring its personality back. She did not like to be here alone, and certainly did not like to spend too much time here.

''I feel sick staying here'' Bowen confessed, looking at the floor. ''I think I was happy here, once... even if I had lost everything at that time, I had another kind of family, and slowly my wounds healed... and then I lost them all again''

The Nevarran looked at the ceiling now, trying to hide the emotion in his eyes, but it was evident in his voice. ''I miss them, preciosa, I miss them all so very much. The pranks, the jokes, the laughter, long nights drinking together and telling tales, long nights on watch... They all were good men''

He lowered his gaze and smiled at her fondly. ''It is curious, isn't it? Calli told me once, and it never occurred to me how true that was. We are Grey Wardens, and we are the best men and women Wardens can fight. And just because we are the best, we have to sacrifice ourselves for those who are not... It's wicked in some way''

"A date, then? I would very much enjoy that, Bowen. This castle is so dreary, don't you think?"

He nodded and stood, the lifted her in his arms to make her stand up as well. ''Usually this place wasn't this silent, you know. You could always hear someone yelling at someone, someone complaining about someone, someone laughing with someone'' Bowen smiled with the memories and kissed Caterina's hair softly. ''Let's go and have some fun, love. Where do you wish to go?''

With blue shoes on, and a very revealing blue gown to match, Leliana twirled about like a school girl, giggling to herself.

As she was skipping, and enjoying herself, she came across some hushed voices, and just could not resist.

She looking into the crack of the partly opened door, there was the blonde oaf she had met earlier, and with him, was a very beautiful lass.

They shared a kiss, and with a sudden shyness that he had not shown before, he asked this girl to dinner.

"Well well, this man has a heart. Not for long, I will soon shatter what he has." she thought to herself.

Just as they were getting up, arm in arm, she burst into the room, her cheeks red, her nostrils flaring with anger, and a look of death was in her eyes.

"You...you...OAF!!" she screamed.

"I find you in the arms of another woman, just after you were watching me undress, with your tongue practically hanging out!" tears began to well up in her eyes.

"I had to push you out, just so I could change in peace! I decided to get all dressed up for you, putting on my best dress, and my favorite blue shoes, that had to be shipped from Orlais!." she bend down to bring up the hem of her dress, to show them the shoes. At the same time, showing off her bosom, and giving a very opened look down her dress to those in front of her.

"You can not trust his words mon cherie. He is a man! I wicked wicked man!"

She stepped closer to the girl, and run her finger down her cheek, and whispered to her, "Come with me, and I will show you how a true beauty of a woman should be treated."

Still waiting for Caterina's answer, Bowen felt that everything was alright again. He was just being a big brother and that was all. Calliara was old enough to handle her own business, and he trusted Drake to not...

"You...you...OAF!!"

Maker's breath, what was with everyone calling him that?. He looked astonished at the very angry and very barely dressed redhead with wide eyes and mouth hanging open. He just could listen to her nonsense, too frozen to react properly. And then she started to FLIRT with Caterina just in front of him, and his rage flamed again.

''WHAT!!??'' The enormous Nevarran roared, furious. He had never been that furious in his life, and his hand around Caterina's shoulders was shaking lightly, trying to restrain himself from strangling the woman. He pretended to be a gentleman after all. ''How do you dare to come here and yell at me all that rubbish, woman!? I don't even know you! And maybe you forgot that I saw you changing clothes because you were already half dressed with Drake before I arrived! So don't pretend things that never happened!''

Andraste's holy knickers, what the hell was happening now? He expected that Caterina wouldn't believe that... that... Bloody hell! He looked at the Antivan girl, still shocked.

''All I have told you was the plain truth, and all she is talking about is bullshit! I told this... sodding wench that even if she were the last woman in this land I wouldn't look at her. I don't like redheads, for the Maker's sake!''

"Mmm. You are such a responsible man, Bowen," she cooed pleasantly. "I don't know this city well enough to suggest anyth-," her words were cut off when she heard a slam and a shout, and she was stepping in front of Bowen with a knife in her hand before even she'd realized that she'd reacted. She could feel the adrenaline pumping in her veins, and for a moment, she didn't quite hear what the new, red-headed woman was saying.

And then, the words caught up to her, and her tan skin blanched. "W-what?!" She asked incredulously. It wasn't any belief of her words that had shocked her so, but rather that the woman would say them at all. Red-hair, flirtatious . . . her eyes suddenly narrowed, and she quickly slapped the hand caressing her cheek away.

"You are the woman who tried to drive a wedge between Drake and Calliara," she said as recognition slipped over her. To think, she had thought that maybe Bowen had interpreted this Orlesian's actions incorrectly - there was no excuse for something like this. "I demand that you leave at once, perra mentirosa, or I will make you leave." She didn't so much as look up at Bowen as she held up a finger to quiet him. "Hush, Bowen. I will speak to her."

She took a step forward and jabbed a finger at the woman, her eyes narrowing as she stepped into her face. "Escúchame, niña, because I will not say this again. There is enough pain in this party without you going about causing more. Drake will be lucky to have Calliara understand what happened, and I am not about to believe a word that comes out of your mouth about Bowen. You were a friend of Sinjan, yes? Then you were a friend of the Commander. I don't know how you managed with them for so long, but I suggest you remember, because I will not tolerate anyone who goes about hurting the man I love, and the woman who is his sister. Do you hear me, niña tonta?" She stopped and stared the woman hard in the eye, ignoring that she was a few inches shorter - she felt taller, right now.

[Calli! They don't teach you how to insult people in Spanish class! Did I say those right?]

[You did it perfectly, I just changed 'perra mentira' for 'perra mentirosa' which is the correct form. And no, they never teach you how to insult in any languages class, and that's bad, insults are the first things you should know =P I'll delete this later]

She took a step back as the woman got right up in her face, tears still streaming down her face.

"This OAF has been mistaken, mon ami," she stammered, tears flowing freely down her cheeks.

"He knows I was only acting, I told him this before he left me" she sniffed, her large blue eyes looking at the girl with innocence.

"I love Drake," she began, "as a very dear friend. We always harmlessly flirt." She took a handkerchief from inside her dress, and wiped her eyes clear of tears, her nose red from all the crying.

"I find you more alluring than those hairy men anyways," she looked at the woman straight in the eyes, carressing her cheek again, and gently kissing her other cheek, lingering for a moment, before stepping back.

"Men will only take advantage of you," still wiping the tears from her eyes. " Let this one ponder that, and let us dine on cheese and wine, talking until the moon sleeps, and the sun peaks over the mountain tops. Let the morning dew shiver out bodies, as we huddle closer together, warming each other with nothing but each others presence. We shall laugh, and cry, and enjoy one anothers company. The others can scheme and plan, and try to be all manly. Let us be WOMEN, let us share one another with each other." all said with a soft alluring whisper.

Bowen just stood there, staring at the two ladies and listening to them, still shocked. What the hell was going on?.

He admired how Caterina put the redhead in her place, and he loved her endlessly in that moment. How he wanted to kiss her right then. She deserved better than him. It was obvious that she did, but Maker, he was a selfish man, and he wanted her to be his

So he remained silent, feeling still furious, and confused, and having a growing headache

Caterina's eyebrows drew together, but her frown remained, and her gaze did not falter. "I feel sorry for you, niña," she said, and some sympathy mixed with the hardness of her voice. "I do not know what might have happened to you that you reject men. Preferences be what they will - I understand that better than most - but such blatant hatred does not seem fair." She was getting off point, though, and her glare returned. "But that does not excuse such manipulative behavior, and that you appeal to me now and aim for my sympathy only makes me even more angry with you."

She crossed her arms, and stared up at the red-headed Orlesian. "And," she added, her tone matter-of-fact and more than a little indignant, "Bowen is my 'oaf.' You may not call him that."