Chapter 2

                                    

                                          
     Hawke lets me borrow some of her clothes, but they are too big. So we turn to Merrill's clothes. They fit me almost like a glove. Only a little tight around the hips.  Plain brown hand and foot wraps, a green tunic with a leather belt, and black pants. 
     "Varric! Me and you are the only non-elfy people. Let's have a party!" Hawke said. 
     "You're just jealous you don't have the pointy ears."  I hold my hands up to my ears, making them twitch. 
     "Puh- lease! You dream of having these hips!" Hawke shashayed like she was walking on a stage.
     "And you wish you had this chest hair!" Varric puffed his chest out. 
     "Ooh lookit a frog! It's wearing a flower!" Merrill picked up a toad. She pranced around like a child. 
     "Wearing a flower!? Merrill those are poisonous!!!!" Hawke ran after Merrill with worrying speed. 
     "Is it usually this hectic?" I cross my arms over my abdomen, hanging the hairbrush from my finger. 
     "Tell me about it." Fenris grumbled.  He sat away from everyone else, a permanent scowl etched onto his features.  Chucking stones into the water, he doesn't speak again. Curious. 
     "You like the ruckus Fenris! Don't ya?  Bianca's excited."  Varric winked.... at his crossbow. The look on my face is all Varric needed for a good laugh.  I give up trying to speak with them.  
                          
     I kneel in front of the fire and work on brushing out my knotted locks.  The brush has a hard time gliding through my wet, slightly muddy hair, but I manage to pull it through.   Why did the Qun come after my today? Of all days?  
                          
     "Did it hurt?"  Hawke plants herself beside me. 
     "Did what....hurt?" I furrow my brow. 
     "When you fell from heaven because yo-"
     "Save it, Hawke." 
     "Well shit you've got me there." Hawke crosses her arms. 
     "Not the first time hearing that one." I flip the fish on the fire. I can tell this will be awkward now. 
     "Good thing I'm not trying to hit on you. I've got a boyfriend. I wanted to check if you liked me or not." 
     "Sure you do. Nice excuse." I chuckled. 
     "I do! Glowy dear! Come over. She doesn't believe me."  Hawke beckoned him over. Glowy?
     "What."  Fenris spat in a monotone voice. 
     "Glowy dear, this elf doesn't believe that I have a boyfriend."  Hawke gestured to me. 
     "Oriella.  I've a name."  Hawke brushed me off. 
     "What did you do to make her not believe?"
     "She hit on me. Asked me if I fell from heaven. That would be calling me a dark spawn, actually." I state. 
      "Hawke.... you hit on her?" Fenris pinched his brow. 
     "Yes. I wanted to know where her feelings lay!" Hawke held her hands up in surrender. 
     "Why would I care, Hawke. I honestly don't think you should be hitting on other people regardless of anything."  I flip the fish again. 
     "She's right." Fenris actually agreed.  "You shouldn't be hitting on anyone."
     "Besides you, of course?" Hawke smirked. 
     Fenris walked off without a word. Hawke just made him PISSED.  Someone is sleeping outside tonight.  Hawke went after him in the woods. Their words could be heard from all the way across the river.  
                          
     I drown out their arguing with a tiny song. My voice is dreadful, but it's better to listen to other than fighting. 
     "Is the fish done? I'm hungry."  Varric comes from his tent. 
     "Ooh food!" Merrill came and sat right beside me. I gave them what I had, and I went into a tent. I didn't actually make any for them, but I gave it to them anyway.  Sitting in the middle of the tent I sit silently. Staying was a bad idea. I spot some books and I start reading. I read for what seems like forever.  
                          
     Next thing I know, it's dark out, the arguing ceased, and a body is sleeping next to me. The mass of white hair tells me it's Fenris. Varric must be sleeping in Hawkes tent, and Merrill. I have no idea where she is sleeping.  I lay the book down silently and place my head on the ground.  There is no blanket to cover myself, or a pillow. Fenris took those. There must've been one set only.  Curling into a ball on my side I close my eyes. Fitful sleep awaits me. I already know. 
                          
     The Qun are chasing me again. 
     "NO!" I scream. I run through the dry desert plain, throwing up sand.  A Qun grabs me by my shirt collar. It hold me up off the ground, throwing me across the plain, onto the hard ground. I grunt hard, clutching my shoulder. 
     "A-ah! I will NOT submit!  Never into the likes of you!  I will fight with everything I have until my last breath!"  I scream at them.   
     "It will do your life good to submit. Submit, and your death will be swift" the leader said. 
     "WERE YOU NOT LISTENING TO ME!? Oh my god."  I start running again.  Their growls reverberate through my ears. It takes them a moment to process that I'm running, and that buys me some time.  It doesn't take long for their long legs to catch up with my normal elf ones.  One of their axes slam the sand beside me, and I yelp in surprise.  "SHIT"  I jump to the side.  Another axe swings at me and.....
                          
     Fenris shakes me awake screaming. I freak out and pin him under me, fist ready to strike.  I realize who it is and relax, rolling off of him. 
     "Sorry." I mutter. 
     "No problem.... you alright?" He asked cautiously. 
     "I'm fine." I give a bland reply. I'm not fine. I had another dream about the Qunari.  I pray he  doesn't pry. 
     "Alright." He says failing to hide his doubt. 
     "Thank you." I turn over and face my back to him. He grunts and lays back down himself. As soon as it gets quiet Hawke busts through the door with Merrill in tow, Hawke half asleep. 
     "Who is scramin'" she slurs. She uses her sword for support.  "Are y'all fucking?"
     "No!" Fenris snaps. He stands up and pulls Hawke out of the tent. 
     "Hello! What'd you dream about? I dreamed about little fairies in a forest. But they wanted to sacrifice me to their gods.... it wasn't very cute. But then it got better because they said that they had changed their mind and wanted me as their floor sweeper instead!"  Merrill rambled on, and on, and on. My eyes fluttered and my head bowed a few times, and then shot back up from a sharp awakening. "Oh! You're such a good listener! You're great!"  This cycle continued on and on until Hawke stomped into the tent. 
     "Get your shit. You're out of here."  She grimaced at me, her red streak wrinkling with her nose.  
     "Hawke this is unnecessary." Fenris said. 
     "Shut up asshole. You can go with her if you keep up your act."  She took me by the collar and threw me out of the tent. 
     "Ow! I didn't do-" Hawke cut me off. 
     "Just get out. We can't have Qunari chasing us anyway."  She turned her back and walked into her tent. I stood up and ran. The branches creaked under me, as I ran over a creek on a fallen tree. Let's hope for the best in Kirkwall.