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[Miri1984]

A bunch of us (being MireliA, Blightsworn, Riathepinkie, Miri1984, Gilgamesh aka Erynnar, Jenncgf and Ladyames) have started a Round Robin fanfiction for your enjoyment! Here is the first chapter. We were going to get people to guess who writes each one, but considering we'll be posting our own that will probably end up being obvious. Hope you all enjoy!

The Brewmaster's Daughter - Chapter 1

Mya didn't understand why some people objected so strongly to the smell of hops. Perhaps it was because she'd spent her entire life smelling it, but to her, it was like everything safe and comforting in the world.

"Mya, how many barrels of the bitter are there?" her father's voice came from the top floor of the brewery, filtered down through the constant sloshing sounds of sparging and lautering from the work floor. They only had a few vats going; the mad rush to build up stocks that were being depleted rapidly for the procession day had finished the day before. The results were gently fermenting and required no more hands-on work for at least a month.

Mya quickly ran her eyes over the stacked barrels. Their bitter was the best in Denerim - everyone said it even rivaled the punishingly expensive mage brews that could sometimes be gotten from the Tower. There was no way they were going to fill all the orders they had for it, not with this rush. The cheap swill they made for the bars on the docks would have to do for most of the taverns, although Mya knew her father would let the Gnawed Noble have the full amount they requested.

It wasn't just because they paid more for it. The Pearl paid just as much (and as a consequence, would also be getting more than what Mya thought was their fair share). Her father owed Cyril now.

That thought darkened her day a little and she started counting by rows, notching on her slate as the figures rapidly marched their way across her mind. Yan, tan, tethera, she thought - that's what her gram and grandad had used before her mother had come along and taken over. She'd been so angry when she'd caught Gram using the old counters with Mya when she was little. By that stage Mam hadn't realised Mya had no problems with holding both systems in her head.

"What is she, a shepherd?" her mam had yelled. Gram had just smiled in her serene way and pushed little Mya out of the room. They always shouted at each other, she remembered. It was only just before Mam died that she realised how much affection the bickering covered. Gram had loved her son's wife as much as any of them.

"Thirty-eight!" she called back to her Da when the counting was done.

She heard a colourful curse float back down to her and grinned. She'd counted all the other barrels and noted them down, knowing that her father wanted all of the numbers so he could start loading the wagons. She climbed back up to the brewer floor to find her father directing five of the mixers to get started loading.

"Ten to the Noble, eight to the Pearl," he shouted. "The rest to be split evenly, Mya," he turned to her, "can you make sure they do that? You know they're -"

"About as capable of counting as a rat who's fallen into the hopback," she finished for him, grinning. "Yes Da." He ruffled her hair fondly.

The men happily took her direction as she told them where to load which barrels, although they wouldn't let her help shift them. "No miss," Hob said. "We can't be having with you hauling this stuff around."
She put her hands on her hips and cocked an eyebrow at him. "You think I can't handle them?" she said. He laughed at her.

"'Course ye can," he said. "But we'll be lookin' bad if we let yers. Got a reputation to maintain, we do. Can't be seen lettin' a lady do the hard work!"

She guffawed with him. Lady indeed. She was as common as Hob was. Just...

..a lot luckier.

As the last of the barrels was loaded her Da came up behind her. "Do you want to ride along to the Noble? I'm sure Cyril has a few things he'll be wanting to talk to you about... and it might soften the blow of ten barrels a bit if you're there..."

She was about to shake her head, when she heard a familiar voice piercing through the thick, dusty Denerim air. "Sure Da," she said hastily, picking up her skirts and making to dash for the wagon before she could get close enough to notice her.

Her Da was too quick for her, though. She'd only taken a step before his enormous hand wrapped around her upper arm, firmly and gently stopping her escape.

"Mya," his voice was sad. "For your brother's sake..."

She squirmed free. "Got to go with the wagon," she said over her shoulder as she sped away. She caught a glimpse of red hair and angry features as she swung up next to Hob, one of the brewers who was driving the wagon.

"On our way miss?"

"Quick as you can, Hob," she said as the slim figure advanced on her father. Hob clucked the mule into action and the wagon moved off. She made out the words "demon" and "lazy" before the noise of the wagon and the surrounding city blocked the voice out and grimaced.

Hob obviously heard too, because he clucked his tongue against the roof of his mouth. "She's a shrewish one, that," he said.

"Don't let my brother hear you say that, Hob," Mya said. "He seems to think she's all right."

"He thinks she's pretty," Hob said. "But pretty ain't everything. Look at me."

Mya laughed. Hob was probably the furthest thing from pretty you could get in a man, but she still preferred his company over that of her... soon to be sister-in-law. Her heart clenched. She'd been all but running the brewery since Mam died - well, with Denys - but because she was a girl and because she had no place she was the one who had to go elsewhere now that her brother was getting married. His wife would take over running the household.

She knew Da knew how much she did for the brewery as well as cooking their meals and looking after their daily needs, but Denys just assumed that the things got done and never thought to ask how. He'd be in for a surprise once she was gone, that was for sure.

She hated to leave Da. But she wouldn't live in the same house as that woman. Not for anything. And that only left one option for her. And she wouldn't be far away - she'd be able to check on him, make sure he wasn't forgetting to look after himself.

The city was in an uproar - there were troops of mercenaries spilling out of taverns into the streets, merchants setting up on every corner touting their wares, and pickpockets moving swiftly through the crowd to liberate visitors of their coin. It was a lucrative time. Mostly, the army was stationed outside the city and the common people only saw the palace guard or the Templars, but King Cailan had wanted a festival procession out of the city. The city would provide for its beloved King, even if it meant disruption and inconvenience and sheer chaos.

It was good for them, she knew. It was a way to soften the blow of the coming war to the families of those soldiers who would inevitably be lost, and at the same time line the pockets of those merchants and businessmen who would be providing for the celebrations. And she couldn't help but be caught up in the excitement of it all. Darkspawn. A Blight, the whispers said. She felt a shiver of horror at the thought - Blights lasted for centuries, whole cities were swallowed. No one was safe.

It was hard to be afraid, though, when she thought of King Cailan at the head of an army with Teyrn Loghain at his side. She'd seen them once, from a distance - the King all golden and beautiful in the sunlight with the dark head of Loghain next to him. Sunshine and night, she'd thought. The King and the Hero. There was nothing they couldn't do - no one they couldn't defeat.

She hopped off the wagon at Wade's, thinking to duck in and find Liam before she went to talk to Cyril. Hob winked one of his kind, muddy eyes as she jumped down and she grinned back at him. "If Cyril gives you trouble about prices, just wait for me to get there," she said to him.

"Ah, Cyril and me'll work it, miss. You go find your friend."

She nodded and ran to the blacksmith. She wasn't looking where she was going well enough, though, and so she barreled into a steel plated chest right outside the door to the smithy.

Uh oh. She looked up into, as she had feared, the helmed head of a Templar who was just coming out. Andraste, she hoped it was one of the locals and not one of the contingent accompanying the King to Ostagar with the mages or she....

"Huh," he grunted. The gauntleted fists that came up around her thin arms were stronger than her father's.

"Ser, sorry ser. I didn't see you there..." she tried desperately to avert her gaze, knowing what was coming, but the Templar tipped her chin with fingers strong enough to bruise until her face was fully visible. She shut her eyes tight, but the Templar shook her chin.

"Look at me, child," he said harshly. "Why are your eyes closed?"

She whimpered, hoping he took it for fear - which it half was - and not a ruse to stop him from asking any more.

"Oi, you! Templar!" She sagged in relief at the familiar voice from behind her captor. "Leave her be, she's my friend."

The Templar looked up and over her head, but didn't relax his grip. She sneaked a peak to see Liam, his tall, strong frame right behind that of the Templar, a frown on his face and his massive arms crossed across his chest. "Your friend, you say?" the Templar said.

"Aye," Liam continued. "Master Wade's as well. You'd best leave her be."

"As you wish," the Templar said, and he released her. She gave him a deep curtsey, still keeping her gaze averted, but the Templar had lost interest and continued on his way.

She slipped inside and Liam closed the door behind her, chuckling. Herren and Wade weren't around, so he must have been minding the shop. She couldn't ask him to slip out with her then. "You're serving Templars now?" she said. "I thought they made their own armour?"

"At the Tower, they do," he said. "The Tranquil do it. But here, they come to Wade. For repairs mostly."

"I wish they'd leave," she said. "It's getting hard to walk around at the moment."

"You could always wear a blindfold around," he said, motioning her into the shop. She perched herself on the counter while Liam busied himself with putting tools away and tidying the forge.

"As inconvenient as my eyes are, Liam, they are also my only way of seeing where I'm going."

"Yes, but being branded as a demon by every new Templar in town can't be fun. You could pretend to be blind until word gets around."

"It's only because of the procession," she said sulkily. "There are too many new ones in town. The Revered Mother told all the Denerim Templars I was normal after that thing with what was her name...?"

Liam started laughing. "Rylock. Ser Rylock. Oh, that was fun to watch - frothing templar on the Chantry steps as you tried to go in for service - One dark eye and one light - the mark of a demon! She must be purged!"

Mya blushed. "Mam said her mam had it as well. She wasn't a demon," Mya said. "Or at least, if she was a demon she hid it pretty well for sixty years."

"Hey, I know you're no demon," Liam said. "You don't grant wishes or fulfill my desires or anything useful."

"If your desires weren't so perverted..."

"Just because I work with Wade doesn't mean I share his tastes," Liam said. "Or Herren's for that matter.

"Oh, Wade would be heartbroken to hear it!"

Liam wiped his hands on his apron and leant back against the workbench, grinning at her. "Are you going to the procession?" he asked her. "Wade says we can sit on the roof of the shop if Herren doesn't see us go up there."

"I'll probably have to work," she said, suddenly glum. "Cyril wants me at the bar."

"Aww, no one will be in the taverns. Everyone will be out watching. See if you can sneak away. He won't even notice."

She smiled at her friend. The roof of the smithy would be a great place to watch the King and his army pass by. She'd have to see if she could manage it.

"How long till Wade gets back?" she asked.

"He's out till sunset, I'm afraid," Liam said. "I'm stuck here for the time being."

She sighed in disappointment. "Well, I have to get to the Noble in any case," she hopped down from the counter, letting her eyes run over the suits of armour, daggers and swords on display.

"Still want to run off and join the army?" Liam said, noting the focus of her gaze.

She shrugged. It was out of her hands now - whatever skills she had no longer mattered. Her life was mapped out unless she found a husband somewhere. The thought was not comforting.

Liam clapped his hand on her shoulder. "Cheer up, Mya," he said softly. "Think of this as getting some freedom. You'll earn a wage, you'll have your own room, and your Da won't be waiting up every night for you to come home. Think of the fun we can have!"

"I think you're overestimating the amount of this so-called wage of mine," she said, grinning a little.

"I'm looking to you to support me in my old age," Liam said.

"You wish," she said, elbowing him in the stomach. "I have to go."

"Sneak out," he urged her, as she moved to the door. "And bring some bitter when you do!"

She laughed and pushed the door open, letting the noise of the market district wash over her for a moment before pressing back out into the street.

Modifié par Miri1984, 15 août 2010 - 09:50 .

[jenncgf]

CHAPTER 2

The procession was a marvelous spectacle, full of sights and sounds, colors and cheering.  Mya sat transfixed, the vantage point that she and Liam had taken making it easy to see everything without getting overwhelmed by it all.  Plus, sitting on the roof of Wade and Herren's shop allowed them to avoid the people who decided that because of her eyes, Mya must have been cursed by the Maker himself.  She and Liam could actually enjoy the parade without worrying about distractions or being jostled in the crowd.

First in the procession were the mabari hounds, their coats gleaming and painted with swirls and stripes as they proudly marched alongside their handlers.  The crowd went up in cheers and parents lifted small children to see the gorgeous animals with sleek coats and muscles, walking in an almost-formation with their ears pointed forward and eager looks on their faces.  Some people in the crowd threw small bits of food to the dogs, who snapped the treats in mid-air and looked like they were grinning.  Mya wished she had thought to bring some of the leftovers from the tavern to do the same, and said as much to Liam.  Liam grinned.  "If we all did it, the poor beasts would be waddling all the way to Ostagar," he replied.  "It's just as well we're not throwing food at them."  He laughed as he spoke and carelessly tossed his arm over Mya's shoulders.

Next, there were several men and women wearing colorful robes of red and blue and gold carrying staves upon their backs.  "Mages," Mya breathed.  She craned her neck to see the people who wore such colorful clothing and carried such beautifully carved staves, men and women who seemed perfectly normal in appearance but who could each raze a town with just the wave of a hand.  She was fascinated by these people who could wield so much power, but who would fail to raise any attention should they walk around in commoner's clothing.  On either side of the mages marched templars, their shiny plate acting as the perfect foil to the colorful cloth robes of the magi and their long skirts providing them with colors that softened the effect of so much metal on their bodies.  When Mya was looking at them from a distance and not being confronted by them, their austere appearance made them seem less terrifying.  Mya felt, just by looking at them, that they were invincible and could protect anyone.  It seemed like nothing could take them down, which was a great reassurance when the army was off to fight monsters.

The Dragon's Peak bannorn forces were next, followed by the Arl of Denerim's men.  The soldiers were lined up by weapon type – bowmen first, followed by men with dual weapons (Mya particularly liked this part of the procession), then by the two-handed and sword and shield warriors.  Each soldier kept his focus forward but managed, somehow, to stay in his row, helping to form straight lines that were truly a testament to the knights' discipine and training.  The tips of the bows, the pommels of the swords and daggers, the top lines of the shields – all moved forward in graceful precision, forming exacting waves of metal and wood that passed by, exciting and reassuring the masses as they marched toward the city gates.

As impressive as the Arl and Bann's forces were, they were nothing compared to Gwaren's men.  A loud cheer rippled through the crowd, growing stronger and louder as Teyrn Loghain's forces followed next in the procession.  The men were led by Ser Cauthrien, who Mya admired tremendously as a fine example of a woman, and a commoner at that, who managed to impress the Hero of River Dane himself and rise to a position of power.  Ser Cauthrien was riding a horse in front of Gwaren's bowmen, and both animal and warrior were tall and proud.  They were just so confident that their mere presence made Mya believe that no darkspawn could ever defeat Ferelden's forces.  The soldiers following Teyrn Loghain's second-in-command must have sensed her power too, for they all stood incredibly straight and proud and moved as if they were all sharing the same mind.  It was an awesome spectacle and the crowd loved it, cheering and screaming and waving its collective arms.  The marketplace was pure chaos.

“This is fantastic!” Mya leaned forward to get a better view and gushed.  “It's really lucky that we were able to get out of work to watch the parade!”

Liam chuckled.  “It is pretty great, isn't it?”  Mya looked over at him to see him smiling at her.  His hair was ruffled from the breeze and he sat relaxed with his knees up in front of him.  “Be careful, though.  I don't want you taking a spill off the roof.” 

Just then, the screams turned into a full-out roar.  Mya turned her head back to the procession to see three figures, mounted on horses, as the crowd went completely insane.  “Look!” she shouted over the crowd and pointed.  “It's King Cailan!”

 The three mounted men could not have been any more different, yet they somehow looked perfect riding together.  The man riding in the center, King Cailan, smiled and waved at the crowd, causing additional cheers to erupt in whichever direction he faced.  He was all golden hair and armor, his skin tan and healthy, and with that grin on his face, Mya was sure that there were women swooning everywhere.  After all, what was not to like about a young, handsome man who was also in power and, from what she heard, incredibly charming and boyish?  Riding a white steed, wearing golden armor that only emphasized his golden features, he looked like a gorgeous, living statue.

To his right, riding a huge black horse, sat a living legend.  Teyrn Loghain, the Hero of River Dane, commander of the King's forces and master of strategy, rode comfortably and with incredible dignity given the histrionics of the populace.  His expression was severe, accented by the ornate silverite armor that he wore, his dark hair and face testament to many hours spent outside.  The man exuded power.  He must have been twice the King's age, yet he looked every bit as capable and fit as the younger man, maybe even more so.  He did not acknowledge the crowd, but Mya thought that didn't matter.  He was still an amazing sight, all strength and silver and steel.

To King Cailan's left rode another serious-looking man, although he didn't look as serious as Teyrn Loghain.  He must have been really important to ride alongside the king as he was, his gray steed keeping pace with the other two horses.  He wasn't as well known as his companions, garnering few cheers or flowers thrown at him.  Still, Mya's eyes widened as she took in the steel breastplate with scrollwork all over it, the long skirts, the dark skin and darker hair pulled into a ponytail, and the heavy beard on the man's face.

“Liam!  I met that man today!”  She craned her neck even farther.  “I ran into him when I was going back to the tavern!”

And indeed, she had literally run into the man who was serious, yet relaxed, while riding  alongside the two most important men in the country.  She had been running to the Gnawed Noble to report in for her shift when she crashed into a solid chest and nearly fell over.  If it hadn't been for the man's quick reflexes, she might have fallen flat on her back.  Instead, she felt strong hands grasp her shoulders and keep her on her feet as she looked up to see kind brown eyes watching her.  She remembered herself when his eyes widened and ducked her head down.  “Excuse me, Ser,” she had said, “I was running late and didn't pay attention.”

 The man had chuckled, then, and she was glad she hadn't offended him, but still, he was a stranger and he had seen her eyes.  She waited for the inevitable accusations because of those Maker-forsaken eyes, or for him to push her away in horror, while she looked at the ground.  She was completely unprepared for his response.  “You have very interesting eyes, Miss,” he had said without even a hint of disgust, and it sounded like he would have continued except that one of the city's known cutpurses, a young man with short dark hair, had bumped into the man and run off.  Mya looked up at the man, whose expression turned wary as he patted his hips.  “Excuse me, Miss,” the man had said before he took off at a full run after the thief.

Liam looked at the man too.  “That templar who came into Wade's shop earlier said that there were Grey Wardens riding with the King.  Maybe he's their commander,” he offered.  “That would make sense.”

 Mya was incredibly embarrassed.  “Great,” she groaned.  “I nearly run over two different people today, and they have to be a templar and the bleedin' Commander of the Grey?  Could I be any more unlucky?”  She hid her head in her hands as her face heated up while Liam laughed.  “I am such an idiot.”

“Cheer up, Mya.  At least you left … an impression.”  Liam snickered and Mya's face burned hotter.  She was just about to turn to tell Liam to shut up already when he pointed and laughed at the procession.  “Look, Mya!”

 She looked down just in time to see the king laughing and holding a piece of cloth in the air.  Teyrn Loghain looked even more dour, and the man on the king's left shook his head as King Cailan bowed to his right and smiled before throwing the cloth into the frenzied crowd.  “Was … was that … someone's smallclothes?” she asked, not believing her eyes. 

“YES!” Liam's laugh turned out into a full-fledged guffaw as they watched the three men on horseback.  “That's terrific!  I wish I'd thought of that!”

 Mya laughed despite herself.  “I don't think King Cailan would have wanted to see your smallclothes, Liam,” she said, letting her amusement creep into her voice.  Liam laughed again, and she looked past the King and his companions to see who was next in the procession.  She sighed, suddenly disappointed.  “It's just a bunch of the smaller bannorns now.  I guess I'd better head back to work before people leave the parade, otherwise Cyril will kill me.”  She carefully got up to leave.  “I'll see you later, Liam.”

Liam smiled at her again.  “Be careful down there, Mya.  It's pretty crowded.  I'll stop by later, all right?”  Mya smiled at him and started to move toward the rooftop entrance so that she could get back to her job.

Modifié par jenncgf, 16 août 2010 - 11:05 .

[sabreene]

I'm really liking this so far! It's interesting, and I'm very curious to see how it plays out. It was a nice touch, the use of two different eye colors to separate her apart.

[Gilgamesh1138]

Chapter 3

Mya made her way down the
ladder from the rooftop entrance and down from loft and out the door of
Wade and Herren’s shop.  The crush of people outside the door was
almost claustrophobic in comparison to the emptiness of the roof.  

After attempting to
push her way through the throng of people and making no headway, she
found it easier to go around by snaking her way down front of the block
which housed the shop and circling around the marketplace.  

Mya pushed her way
into the Gnawed Noble Tavern’s darkened interior, standing a moment with
her back to the door giving her eyes a moment to adjust to the dim
light from the bright outdoors.  The tavern was doing brisk business;
considering half of Ferelden had descended upon Denerim to see the
marching of the troops, and more importantly to catch a glimpse of the
king, it was no surprise.  The noise was considerable and the barmaids
Elena, Giselle, Sarah, and Caren were weaving and wending their way
around tables while fending off the occasional pinch on their hind
quarters.  A squeal of indignation from across the room, followed by a
resounding smack, told Mya that some of the grasping fingers were
landing on their targets despite the experience the girls had at
deflecting such unwanted attentions.  

Edwina stood tall and proud, her arms
crossed against her bony chest.  A boulder in the middle of a raging
river, immovable and inscrutable.  No one messed with old ‘Dwina (as
Cyril, and only Cyril dared called
her), not if they knew what was good for them at any rate.  What Edwina
couldn’t handle, she had Sergeant Kylon of the city guard take care of.  

Thoughts of Kylon had
Mya blushing and gnawing on her lower lip.  He, along with Liam, felt no
fear at her odd colored eyes when he first met her.  No whispers of
demons ever passed his lips, no hand gestures to ward off evil.  He was a
kind man, and an excellent leader of his men in the guard.  The
marketplace was one of the safest places in Denerim because of him.
 Seeing him always made her day brighter.  She hoped to catch him when
he came to the tavern for his evening meal.  Another thing about
Sergeant Kylon, the man was as predictable as sunrise.  Knowing he would
walk in the door later that day had her heart beating slightly faster.  

If Kylon had her heart
fluttering, it was Edwina’s voice that made it skip a beat when she
realized she had been standing barring the door, and daydreaming.
 “Great Maker, girl, your mother wasn’t a doorstop!”  Mya flushed and
walked towards the elder woman, scrunching her shoulders.  She still
wasn’t sure if Edwina’s bark was worse than her bite...yet.  “Really
girl, daydreaming about that Liam lad you’re always hangin’ about with
were ya?”

“Liam?  Why do you say
that?”  Mya could only stand in confused surprise at Edwina’s
assumption.  

“Well,
you have the look of a moony-eye calf, and since his is the company you
keep, well then you can draw your own conclusions.”  Edwina rolled
forward on her toes and cocked an eyebrow at Mya, “And my other
conclusion is that you had best get your sorry carcass back behind the
bar to Cyril, girl.  He’s been lookin’ for ya.”

“Yes, mistress!”  Mya
bobbed her head and made to go around Edwina to move towards the bar.  

“Not mistress, girl!
 I’m no high paid noble’s servant.  I know you’re new, but it’s just
plain Edwina.  And mind you don’t try callin’ me ‘Dwina either.  Cyril
is lucky I don’t pluck off his toes like feathers on a chicken for
callin’ me that.  The fact that I changed his swaddling clothes is the
only reason he gets away with it.  You don’t have that advantage, you best keep
that in mind!”  The corners of wrinkled lip curled slightly, as close as
Mya had ever seen Edwina come to a smile.  “Get on with ya, girl. Go
on.”  And Edwina turned her hawk like eyes back to the mayhem of the
room.

Mya threaded her way
through the warm bodies filling up the tavern’s main room, fighting to
reach the bar, very much like a salmon swimming upstream.  She finally,
Andraste’s flaming knickers, managed to push her way to the dark scarred
wood of the bar that acted as Cyril’s throne from which he reigned as
king.  

She slipped behind the
bar to face Cyril, a bear of a man; tall, with dark hair, a thick neck,
broad shoulders, muscular arms, a mustache, and stubble shadowing of
his chin and cheeks.  Any that didn’t know him, might be intimidated,
but Mya knew him to be one of the most gentle and generous souls in all
of Denerim.  His soft edge was the the perfect foil for Edwina’s sharp
tongue.

“There you are, Mya.
 With all this business I need you to run out to the market and get more
cheese, along with a few other things Kayleigh needs in the kitchen.
 She’s fit to be tied, worried that we will run low on supplies.  And
you know what cheeses I like to have out on the tables, salty to
encourage drinking, not that we need to encourage them today.”  Cyril
nodded at the throngs of bodies around the bar itself.   “After you
return I’ll need your help with the books and we’ll need to do
inventory.  It’s going to be busy for all of us for a bit.”  She watched
as Cyril went to door behind him that lead to his offices and the
moneybox he kept locked there.  He returned in a moment to push a
leather pouch into her hands.  “Best be off then, girl.”

Mya grinned and nodded
before turning to fight her way back through the press of bodies.  She
made her way back the way she had come, the going more difficult than
the coming, as people were trying to make their way towards the bar
rather than away from it.  

After what seemed an eternity, Mya reached
the door and shot through it as more patrons pushed it open to enter.
 Once out on the street the relative quiet in comparison was deafening.
 There were plenty of people wandering the streets but they weren’t in
an enclosed space.  She took a few deep breaths before making her way
back to the Market District.

Like the tavern, the district merchants were
doing brisk business.  Mya wound her way to the cheese seller’s stall
and old Caleb’s face lit up when she appeared.  “Hey girly, more cheese
for that rascal, Cyril, heh?  Bet he’s doing brisk business today.”

Mya grinned and
nodded, “How are you Caleb?  Doing well here too, I see.”  

“Aye, and I know what
that Cyril will be wanting the usual, no doubt.”  Caleb winked at her
and turned back to gather the cheeses the Gnawed Noble liked to serve.
 While she waited a young man in split mail rubbing his chin with a
slightly lustful look in his caramel colored eyes, caught her eye, while
he perused the table laden with varieties from all over Ferelden and
even as far away as Par Vollen.  

“So, looking for something in
particular?”  Mya smiled and waved a hand over the heavily laden table.

She watched him jump
slightly and blush as it dawned on the man that she was speaking to him.
 To his credit he didn’t flinch at her eyes, or make a sign to ward off
the evil eye, instead he gave her a charming lopsided grin.  “Where I
was raised there wasn’t a lot of variety.  Now that I am in the Grey
Wardens, I find myself a little overwhelmed by the choices.”  His hand
went to rub the back of his honey brown hair.  “Duncan’s second Bernardo
sent me to acquire food supplies, you see.”

“I thought all the
Grey Wardens would have left with the king, in the procession.”  Mya
tilted her head at him.

“Oh, only Duncan left in the parade with the
King.  Cailan insisted that Duncan at least be in the cavalcade, he
holds the Grey in high regard.  But we needed to retrieve certain items
before we head to Ostagar.  So Duncan went with the King, at least until
they get out of the city.  Then he is headed to find more recruits for
the coming battles.  I and the rest of the Wardens, will catch up with
the King’s contingent as we are not slowed by wagons of supplies.”  He
turned back to the table with a rueful look, “But I am having difficulty
deciding on what to get.”  He faced her again sticking out an armor
clad hand.  “Allow me to introduce myself, I’m Alistair.”

“Mya, please to meet
you.”  She grinned back at him, she  was about to point out some of her
favorite cheeses when she was jostled roughly from behind pushing her
into Alistair.  

“Get
out of my way, you demon spawned brat!  Some of us have important
business, not to mention that some of us are just more important.”  Mya
turned to find Vaughn, son of the Arl of Denerim leaning against the
table addressing Caleb, “Hey old man, I am planning a party, and I don’t
have all day.”  

Caleb
turned to the table his arms filled with Cyril’s standing order.  He
placed the rounds of cheese on the table preparing to wrap them in waxed
paper and twine, ignoring Vaughn.  Vaughn’s face turned bright red as
his brows drew down in rage.  He grabbed old Caleb by the shirt front,
violently hauling him off his feet, “I told you, old wretch, that I
don’t have all day.  You will stop what you are doing and attend to me,
do you hear?!”

Without
thinking Mya drew the dagger hidden in her boot,  putting it between
Vaughn’s legs.  “Put him down you son of a syphilitic ****, before I
change you from a rooster to a hen with one flick of my wrist.”  

Mya watched Vaughn’s
face drain of all color as he looked at the sharp blade threatening what
he held most dear.  “You little demonic ****!  I’ll...”

Mya heard the sound of
a shield bashing into something soft that gave a surprised “Ooof.”  And
another frightened voice murmuring something about wanting no trouble.
 Mya kept her gaze on Vaughn’s eyes, “You’ll do what?  You’ll turn
around and walk away and forget this ever happened?”  Without turning
around Mya could feel Alistair as he stood close behind her.  Vaughn
gave her a strained nod of acquiescence.  “That is what I thought you
were going to say, friend.”  

Vaughn
backed away and strode off his hands balled in fists, his friends who
had tried to come from behind following him.  When he was far enough
away that neither Mya or Alistair could do anything to him, he turned
and pointed a threatening finger at them, screaming, “No one treats me
that way!  No one do you hear!  Especially you, you little ****!”,
before he turned back on his heel disappearing into the crowd his gang
of bullies struggling to keep up.

Modifié par Gilgamesh1138, 20 août 2010 - 06:15 .

[ladyames]

 Chapter Four


“Well, that was certainly entertaining,” Mya muttered sarcastically as she returned her dagger to its sheath.  She heard a soft chuckle from behind her and suddenly remembered her companion.  Turning, a light pink now staining her cheeks, she glanced up at the Grey Warden and murmured, “I’m sorry about that.  I know you blocked his friends from interfering, and I do thank you for that, but I -”

Alistair chuckled and waved his hands out in front of him in a manner suggesting he had no concerns.  “I was actually surprised to see that you were able to fend him off so easily, though I would perhaps stay away from him for a while.  I doubt he will take too kindly to your interference.   Do you have any idea who he was?”

Mya nodded, her gaze dropping to the ground for a moment.  “Unfortunately, I do.  That was Vaughan Kendells,” she told him with a sigh as she moved back over to the side of Caleb’s cheese stall.  “He is the son of Arl Urien Kendells, the Arl of Denerim.”  Mya lifted her gaze to the man in front of her, wondering if Alistair knew who she was talking about.  

Alistair was staring off in the direction that Vaughan Kendells and his friends had disappeared.  With a sigh of his own, he turned and gave her a lopsided grin.  “It’s too bad the father didn’t take the son with him to Ostagar, I guess,” he returned.  “Perhaps he could have bullied the darkspawn into submission.”

It took a moment before his words registered in her brain, but when they did, Mya laughed.  Her laughter was clear, bright and uninhibited and she saw both Caleb and Alistair look at her in amazement, though she could not understand why.  A moment later, Caleb was saying, “Mya?  Cyril’s supplies are ready.  And there’s a little something extra in there, just for you, for keeping that lout away.”

Mya took the parcel from the man knowing that he and Cyril had a billing system in place (after all, she did his bookkeeping, she would know, as she spent many hours pouring over leather bound tomes, her eyes crossing with the sea of numbers on their pages) and gave him a warm smile of thanks as she turned back to Alistair.  “It was nice to meet you, Alistair,” Mya told the young man in front of her.  Looking up into his amber gaze, she smiled.  “I wish you, your fellow Wardens and all the soldiers luck at Ostagar.  If you are ever back in Denerim, you should come by the Gnawed Noble Tavern.”  She nodded in the direction of the establishment.

Alistair blushed a little, stammered a bit more, and Mya glanced away, surprised but silently pleased at his reaction.  The man was sweet and nice and completely different from what she was used to other than a few individuals whom she thought of as friends.  Instead, she was  used to people shying away from her if not downright screaming at her to stay away from them because of her eyes.  As she began to step away, she whispered loudly so that the merchant could easily overhear, “Caleb sells the best Ferelden cheddar this side of Highever.  I would highly recommend that every army should have some on hand at all times.”

Alistair glanced down at her, saw her wink at him, and he grinned in return.  “Good to know,” he told her, and signaled Caleb for a wheel.  With one more glance at Mya, he told her seriously, “Maker watch over you my friend.”

Mya smiled back at him.  “May the Maker guide your path, Alistair,” she returned.  “As well as all your fellow Wardens.”  And with that, she headed off towards the next stall she needed to visit before returning to the Gnawed Noble.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mya fairly fell into the kitchen as the door was opened in front of her just as she reached for the handle.  “Kayleigh!” an older male voice called down into the kitchens as he grasped Mya by her upper arm to keep her from tumbling in through the opening, “Mya’s back with the supplies you wanted.”  Then to Mya he added, “Watch your step there, my girl.”

Mya recognized the voice as belonging to Dennis, Kayleigh’s husband.  “Thank you, Dennis,” she told him as she began descending the staircase into the kitchens carefully.  She had made two additional stops along the way back from Caleb’s stall to purchase bacon (for rendering the grease to cook with) and yeast cakes (for use in the bread).  Now inside for the first time in well over an hour, Mya had to blink a few times to get accustomed to the dimness of the room.  She soon had her bearings though and was able to finish her descent, dropping her packages on the heavy table Kayleigh used for much of her cooking purposes.  At the moment, Kayleigh was kneading a huge batch of what looked and smelled to be her famous brown bread.  Glancing on the shelves nearby, she saw freshly made loaves just pulled from the ovens.  Taking a deep breath to inhale the wonderful scent, she snuck over and gave Kayleigh’s powdered cheek a quick kiss (this was a running joke with the entire staff of the Gnawed Noble who swore that the larger, older woman was incapable of stopping them from doing so) before grasping the treat from Caleb off the top of the cheeses.

“Been at it agin, ‘ave you, missy?” Kayleigh asked.

Mya gave the woman her best blank stare.  “Whatever do you mean, Kayleigh?” she asked innocently.

Kayleigh simply snapped her towel at Mya and smiled when the younger girl giggled and turned to flee with a small yip.  “Tell Cyril I’ll ‘ave ‘im more of ‘is snackin’ and drinkin’ bits ready for ‘im shortly.”

“Thank you, Kayleigh!” Mya called over her shoulder as she ran up the stairs, opening the door into the common room and stepping out.  The door was in the back of the room, just behind the bar, so Mya didn’t have far to go to report back for duty.  Grabbing an apron, she began assisting Cyril with the overflow of customers at the counter.  Once this had thinned out, Mya reached beneath the counter for her inventory list and she and Cyril began their afternoon count.  

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mya glanced up from her place behind the counter as the door opened.  Given the time of afternoon, she knew it would be him.  She discovered that she was correct in her assessment as the man strode into the common room confidently, taking his usual position at the far back table so that he could observe the entirety of the room as he ate.  As he passed the bar, Sergeant Daniel Kylon paused, and gave Cyril a broad wink.  "Mya, my love, you spoil me!" he announced as he took the mug of ale she offered him.  "When are you going to leave poor Cyril here and make me the happiest man in all of Denerim?"
Mya, feeling emboldened by her successful encounter earlier in the day, smiled back at him, removed the apron at her waist and rounded the counter to sit with him at the table.  She saw the surprise in his dark eyes at her move.  He knew all too well how shy she was normally around others, and until recently around him as well.  "Is today soon enough?" she asked cheekily.  "I fear if I wait a day longer some beautiful lady shall swoop down and steal you away from me!"  Mya was pleased to see him laugh at this, which had been her intention after such a long, exhausting day for the both of them given the crowds of people gathered for the royal procession.  
Caren brought his mid-day meal then, but Mya remained seated at his table.  Their friendship was long-lasting, though recently their relationship had taken a slightly more serious turn.  It was this that led him to asking her about her day while he ate.  And so she told him of watching King Cailan’s procession out of the city from the roof of Wade and Herren’s shop - “I should think you and Liam lucky not to have fallen through that poor excuse of a roof Wade has!” he told her - and of meeting the Grey Warden named Alistair at Caleb’s cheese stall - “No finer cheese merchant will you ever find!” - and then she told him of her confrontation with Vaughan Kendells.
Mya watched Daniel closely for his reaction to this admission.  He had been telling her for years to be mindful of the nobility for they had the ability to harm her almost as much as the Chantry fanatics did.  To his credit though, he did not pale as much as she might have expected at her announcement.  “I think,” Daniel finally told her after some minutes of careful consideration, “that you may need an escort home of an evening from now on.  Vaughan Kendells will not let this pass, Mya, despite what he might have said.”  
Mya nodded, staring down at her fingers on the tabletop where she was twiddling them together in a nervous gesture.  A moment later, she saw Daniel’s larger one reach across and cover hers to cease their movement.  Glancing up, she looked him in the eye and told him softly, “I am sorry, Daniel.”

Kylon smiled kindly.  “I know,” he told her gently.  Patting her hands with his, he pulled back to reach for his drink.  “And I am very glad that you were able to defend yourself so admirably.  You know I worry about you.”

Mya blushed.  Yes, she did know.  He had made it clear to her, until she could no longer ignore it or him or the feelings that rose when she thought of him, that they were a suited pair.  He had first expressed his interest months before, but she had refused his attentions because of her own issues; first taking care of her father and brother and then, once Denys had become engaged to that shrew who had the building next to Wade and Herren’s shop for her laundry business, because of her eyes and peoples’ reactions to them.  Daniel had finally convinced her that it was a non-issue for him, and she was now learning this was a permanent viewpoint of his.

Mya began to rise to her feet soon thereafter, knowing she needed to get back to work.  Cyril was a tolerant man, but she did not want to abuse the privilege.  “What time will you be off work this evening?” Daniel asked as she stood.

“Why?” she retorted cheekily.  “So you can send someone to escort me home?”

Daniel swallowed a grin.  “I will put my best man on the job,” he promised with mock seriousness.

“Oh, I see, some lowly new private, is it?” she teased back.  She was used to this banter: it happened most days that he arrived and she was working.

Daniel reached out, caught her by her wrist and pulled her close.  “Oh, I think I can do better than a lowly private,” he replied quietly.  “As a matter of fact, I think I know the perfect man for the job.”

Mya giggled and he released her.  “And just who might that be?”  She lifted his now empty plate, thinking to return it to Kayleigh and the kitchen staff and save Caren a trip.

Daniel rose then as well and leaned forward to kiss her forehead.  “You will just have to wait and see then, won’t you?”

Mya harrumphed and turned away from him, but they both knew it was part of the game they played.  As Daniel began walking away, she called after him, “Nine o’clock.”

“He will be here!”

As Mya turned to head towards the kitchens, Cyril walked to her side, chuckling and handing her the record book.  “Will you do a quick inventory of the stockroom while you are down there?” he asked.  

With a soft sigh and a nod, Mya opened the door and began descending the stairs.

Modifié par ladyames, 27 août 2010 - 09:53 .

[MireliA]

I apologise for the dropped aitches - it was Goldanna, I swear!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The rest of the day passed fairly uneventfully as Mya assisted with stocktaking and helping out behind the bar.

At about eight forty-five, Caren came over to her and said ‘You’re a popular one tonight, Mya. You got a visitor, a man, and if he’s spare, you can always push him over in my direction.’

Mya ignored the undertone to the woman’s purring voice and looked round the corner. There, drinking a tankard of ale, was Liam. He had smartened himself up since she saw him last in the armourers.

She stood in front of where Liam was sat and wiped down the counter with a cloth.

‘Hi Liam, how are you tonight?’ She grinned at her friend.

‘I’m pretty good but I heard what happened at the cheese stall. A stand-off with Vaughan Kendalls over some Highever Cheddar, wasn’t it?’ He grinned, putting down his tankard.

‘Who told you?’ Mya asked, knowing the answer could be one of a dozen people. The shopkeepers and stallholders all gossiped and with someone who looked as distinctive as she did, it was hard not to draw attention to herself.

‘Caleb told Herren and Herren told me. Seriously though you should watch out –‘ Liam looked over one shoulder ‘Vaughan is a nasty piece of work, especially when it comes to women.’ Liam’s voice dropped as he said it,
Mya knowing why. The Gnawed Noble Inn was somewhere the nobles sometimes met. Banns rubbing shoulders with Arls. It didn’t pay to rub these people up the wrong way.

‘So seeing as I thought you’d be in need of a bodyguard to get you home, well here I am offering my services. I can make myself useful in other ways too.’ Liam overemphasised the wink and nod he gave her.

Mya bit her lip and said ‘Actually Liam it’s good of you to offer but I already have an offer of someone to escort me home.’

‘Kylon, I take it.’ His voice was quiet, with an I’m not bothered attitude to it. She looked at Liam and knew his voice and his body language were saying exactly the opposite to each other.

She nodded. ‘Liam –‘

‘Never mind, another time, eh?’ His grin had turned into a bitter line of disappointment.

At that moment, Daniel walked in. It was dead on nine o’clock and his timing was impeccable but really he couldn’t have picked a worse moment to turn up. Maker, what a day this was turning out to be, she thought.

‘Evening Mya. Are you ready to leave?’ Daniel said as he sat next to Liam on a barstool. Mya went to say her goodbyes as she left the two men talking.

‘So Liam, how’s the armour crafting going?’ He asked as she walked away.

‘S’ok, I suppose.’ Liam answered sulkily.

Mya took her apron off and let Kayleigh, Cyril and finally Edwina know she was leaving. She grabbed her shawl pulling it round herself and walking over between Liam and Daniel. Putting a hand on Liam’s shoulder, she
said ‘Thanks for the offer Liam but –‘ Mya lowered her voice for his ears only. ‘I’m sure Caren would appreciate some attention from a buff armour crafter, don’t you think?’ She motioned towards the pretty barmaid who pretended to ignore him but was certainly interested.

‘Oh. Oh!’ He said as his irritation turned to realisation, responding with a half smile at Mya. She felt bad for leaving her friend the way she was but Daniel did ask first.

‘Come on, Mya. Let’s get you back safely. Bye Liam.’ Daniel responded, looking at their conversation in amusement.

‘Kylon. Look after her?’Liam responded.

‘Of course I will.’ They walked over to the door and as he opened the door for her, she felt a hand protectively in the small of her back.

Walking out into the cool night air, Daniel turned to her. ‘I hope I’ve not caused trouble between the two of you.’

Mya sighed. ‘He heard about my run in with Vaughan from Caleb and came to offer his services to walk me back. It was good of him to offer.’

‘It was. He’s a good friend to you and they are few and far between in this life.’

Mya listened to his words, her hands down by her sides. She felt his larger hand in hers, fingers interlacing with each other. She swallowed hard at this simple act.

‘And if Liam is a good friend, what does that make you, Daniel?’ She glanced at him, encouraged at his hand in hers. He smiled at her question as they strolled steadily towards her home, neither of them wanting to rush.

‘That, Mya, is your choice. As I’ve told you before, I am a patient man. I can wait as long as you decide is necessary.  I know you have other duties and responsibilities.’ Daniel stopped in front of her. Using his free hand he stroked her hair away from her face and bent to kiss her lips. A small sigh escaped her then, putting a hand on his chest, she kissed him in return. At moments like this, she thought, I could just tell my duties to go jump off a
cliff. She wanted to think of herself for a change. Was that so wrong?

Had either of them been more observant, they might have seen two men who were following them, hiding in the shadows.

A few minutes later, Daniel stopped opposite her house. She was reluctant to go but knew Daniel was not the sort of man to renege on his word.

‘Goodnight Mya. I’ll wait here until you go inside.’ He let go of her hand and she kissed his cheek.

‘Night Daniel. And look after yourself.’ She walked over to her front door and with a shy smile, she walked inside.

Daniel smiled to himself as he walked back to the guard house.

#=#=#

Mya was up early next morning. She had not gone to sleep until the early hours of the morning, the brewery bookkeeping needing to be done before she could see her bed. After getting ready, she went downstairs.
There in the kitchen was Goldanna.

Oh wonderful, just who I wanted to see this time of the morning, she thought. Time to be polite. ‘Morning.’

The woman barely glanced over to the door where Mya was stood. She carried on making an omelette on the ledge over the hearth. Mya walked over to the teapot and poured a cup of tea. It was stewed, by the look of the water pouring through the tea strainer.

Goldanna scraped the omelette onto a plate and angrily put the frying pan in the sink. Sitting down and still ignoring her future sister-in-law, she began eating her food.

Mya cleared her voice and said ‘Has Denys got up yet?’

The other woman stopped and finally looked at her. ‘I have no idea what that lazy, good for nothing brother of yours is doing with ‘imself. ‘e never tells me anything! Oh no, I’m only his wife to be!’

Mya blinked at the woman’s sharp words. ‘He’s still my brother, when you’ve quite finished b*tching about him. No need to take your argument with him out on me.’ Her voice was even yet she was so angry with this woman she should have been shaking.

‘I should have known you’d take your brother’s side.’ Goldanna picked up her plate and dumped it with the frying pan in the sink. ‘Well, some of us have to work. Should your brother show up, tell ‘im from me I don’t want to see ‘im no more!’ And with that Goldanna stormed out of the kitchen and out of the house, slamming the door.

Mya breathed a sigh of relief as Goldanna walked out. There was no way she could live on the same street as that woman, never mind in the same house.

She heard the cellar door opened with a drawn out squeak. Denys came over to the table and sat down. He looked defeated and tired. Mya reached over and patted his hand.

‘She’s gone, Denys. Let me make a fresh pot of tea and I’ll pour you some out.’ Mya chucked the stewed tea out of the door, filled the kettle from a large jug of water on the table, setting it to boil over the hearth with a few  teaspoons of fresh tea.

‘You know what, all that happened was I said I wanted a night out tonight with the lads, a game of cards and a few drinks. Nothin’ too drastic. And she takes it like I’m leaving her.’ He shook his head. ‘I went out for a walk early to avoid her. I’d hoped she calmed down. No such luck. I dunno what to do, Mya.’ Mya poured out a cup of tea for her brother.

‘Talk to her, Denys, once she’s had time to think. Perhaps she’ll see sense when she’s had time to calm down.’ She was too nice to her brother. As much as she hated ‘that woman’ as she lovingly referred to her, she hated seeing Denys so dejected much more.

‘May be. Perhaps I should buy her a gift? What d’ya think?’

‘That’s a good idea, why don’t you look on the Market today?’

There was a quiet between them. That’s what she loved about spending time with her brother, their relationship was so comfortable they didn’t always need to chat to fill the silence. Sometimes it was good to have someone who didn’t want to talk all the time. Like Daniel...

Denys put his cup down on the table. ‘Oh! I heard something worryin’ from one of the guards when I went for a walk this morning. His boss, Sgt Kylon got beaten up last night. He was walking back to the guard house when
two men jumped him.’

‘What??’ Mya crashed her cup down on the table. ‘He...He walked me home last night, Denys. I have to go to him. Is he at the guard house?’ She started running around getting everything ready, her cloak and purse.

‘I think so. Mya, are you and he...?’ Denys stood up putting a hand on her shoulder.

She couldn’t trust her voice at that moment so she nodded.

‘Oh Mya, I’m sorry. I would have told you quicker if I’d known. Go to him and I’ll cover for you with Da. I won’t tell him, I promise.’ Her brother gave her a quick hug and she fought with herself to remain strong. She wouldn’t be good to anyone if she broke down.

‘Thanks Denys. Got to go.’

She almost ran across the street and towards the guard house. The market was opening up for the early trade but Mya barely noticed, not even seeing Caleb as he waved to her. All she could think about was that she caused him to be beaten up. What if he was seriously injured? By the time she got to the guard house she was panicking, breathing hard and that was nothing to do with her run.

She saw a guard outside the guardhouse and said, ‘I heard Sgt Kylon was injured last night. My name is Mya and I’m a friend of his.’

The guard squinted warily at her, focusing on her eyes. ‘He’s in the barracks infirmary, miss. The healers are working on him. I’ll take you there now.’ He turned to his partner and said ‘Sid, mind the post while I escort this lady to the barracks.’

The healers are working on him in the infirmary? Oh Maker, that sounds bad, thought Mya.

#=#=#

Modifié par MireliA, 02 septembre 2010 - 06:21 .