Teri: I'm gonna need a human skull but you can't ask why.
Isa: Only if you also don't ask why.
Isa: *pulls four pristine human skulls out of her bag*
Teri: ...
Teri, grabbing a skull: This one will do.
Lia: I made this friendship bracelet for you.
Elene: You know, I’m not really a jewelry person.
Lia: You don’t have to wear…
Elene: No, I’m gonna wear it forever. Back off.
Isa: When I was your age-
Elene, mocking Isa: When I was your height.
Isa:
Isa: Listen here you little shit-
Teri: Why is it that I always lose things as soon as I need them?
Isa: Actually, it's not that you lose things when you need them. You lose them a while before. It's just that you LOOK for things when you need them.
Teri: Okay yeah thanks Isa, that's great but WHERE'S THE FUCKING FIRST AID KIT?
Isa: You know you've made it when you see your picture everywhere you go.
Lia: Those are wanted posters!
Henry: Thought I was meowing back at my cat for the past hour, but it was just me and Lia meowing at each other from different rooms in the house.
Isa, bleeding out on the ground: Blood loss? No, I know exactly where it is.
Isa, eating a meal: I poisoned one of our glasses… but I forgot which one.
Elene: The way this dinner is going, I pray to God that it’s mine.
Henry, about Adelina: She's covered in blood again. Why is it she's always covered in blood?
Idrilla: Well, it looks like it's her own blood this time.
Teri: Isa and I were crossing the street, and this man drove by and honked at us.
Elene: What did you do?
Teri: She chased him to the next red light, and reached into his window, and-
Isa: *walking in* Who wants a steering wheel?
Teri: *clicks pen*
Idrilla: *clicks pen in response*
Henry: Stop that.
Teri: Stop what?
Henry: You’re talking about me in Morse code!
Teri: Yes, that’s what we doing. In our very limited time, we took a class on a very outdated, very unnecessary form of communication just so we could talk about you in front of you. Congrats, you figured us out!
*later*
Idrilla, to Isa: That’s actually exactly what we were doing.
Adelina: Hey, wanna help me commit arson?
Isa: What the hell!?
Adelina: Oh, sorry, my bad.
Adelina, whispering: Wanna help me commit arson?
Isa, whispering: Of course. What do you need?
Lia, walking into Isa and Lucanis’s bedroom in the middle of the night: I had a bad dream.
Isa: What was it about?
Lucanis: No, don’t ask her that!
Isa: Why not?
Lucanis: Cause she’ll answer!
Elene: I’m going to hell.
Isa: Probably.
Elene: I'll pick you up?
Isa: *nodding* Carpool.
Teri: Stop thinking whatever you're thinking.
Isa: Huh?
Teri: You always make that face when you're about to say something stupid just to piss me off. So cut it out-
Isa: I love you.
Teri:
Isa:
Isa: Also, cereal qualifies as a soup.
Teri: I KNEW IT!!
Lia: I have so much energy, I want to run a marathon or commit a crime... which should I do?
Elene: Please don’t get arrested.
Lia: No promises! <3
Adelina: Why not both? Get creative!
Lia: Wonderful suggestion, thank you.
Elene: Please don’t encourage her, Dela.
Isa: What has Thedas ever done for you?! Why would you wanna save it?!
Henry: Cause I’m one of the idiots who lives here!
Elene: You wanna fight?! You got one!
Isa: Okay! *raises fists*
*Henry runs in, scoops Isa up in his arms, and runs away carrying her*
Elene:
Elene: What?
Isa, in Idrilla’s window: I thought I’d find you here!
Teri, climbing past Isa: WE COULD HAVE USED THE DOOR-
Isa, on the phone: Uh. . Hey, Henry, i uh, I’ve been stabbed.
Elene: WHAT? WHERE ARE YOU?
Isa: Wait- You aren’t Henry. Sorry- I didn’t mean to call you-
Elene: NO, WHERE ARE YOU? I'M COMING THERE. I'M NOT GOING TO LEAVE SOMEONE ALONE WHO'S BEEN STABBED!
Isabella finds herself in a tight spot after she's captured and not able to get any word out to her Crow colleagues or her lover. With Lucanis in a panic, he seeks out Viago, who advises his to be patient and to not do anything. However, another de Riva Crow has a rather strange idea that thinks might work in favor of them saving their poor wayward Crow.
AO3
Lucanis paced in his office as he waited for the reports to come in. He had been waiting patiently, but there hadn’t been any new updates.
Spite was starting to lose his mind as well, but all they could do was wait until they received new information. They couldn’t ruin the contract because it had taken a longer time than usual.
Isa had taken a contract in Bastion in the southern part of the country, and the job was only supposed to take a few days, maybe four at most. It had been a week now.
It wasn’t the first time a contract had taken longer than usual, but Isa had been able to get a message across that she was alright. That she was okay or that she had been delayed. He had heard nothing from her at all, and there was nothing to show that she was uninjured or that the job was done either.
So Lucanis paced in his office as he fucking waited.
Illario had tried to come in to distract him, but Lucanis told him that he only wanted to know if there had been any updates. Not even his grandmother came in after that.
Near midday, a Crow knocked on his office door with a report. Lucanis took it from him before the Crow made himself scarce, making an excuse that he needed to leave in a hurry. Lucanis didn’t say anything, but he didn’t think it was a good sign as he closed the door.
Reading the report, he felt his blood pressure spike as Spite grew erratic. The only good news was that Isa was alive. However, she had been taken by the target and held captive. She nearly got out before being recaptured, and the Crow who reported didn’t have time to assist. Spite suggested stringing up the Crow who failed to help, but Lucanis shot the idea down. The only reason they knew that Isa was alive was due to the Crow.
Another thing that came with the report was the location where Isa was last seen, and from what Lucanis could glean from the it, it didn’t sound like her captors saw the reporting Crow, either. That meant that they weren’t thinking about relocating her anytime soon as well.
“When you said you had news, I thought it would be better news than this,” Viago hissed irritably, shaking his head.
Lucanis had gone to find Viago at the Diamond to share the report, and he was luckily there with Teia and his Crow, Adelina. The less Lucanis had to relay the report, the better. He didn’t want to talk about how she was missing and captured since he’d rather discuss an extraction plan more than anything else.
“How long as she been gone?” Teia wondered.
“About a week. Three days longer than she should have been. She sent a Crow when she arrived in Bastion, but that was the last time we last heard from her,” Lucanis explained.
“Positive. The report came in today and was dated from yesterday,” the First Talon answered with a nod.
“You can’t send anyone to get her,” Viago informed.
“I will not leave her there,” Lucanis countered sternly.
“Viago is right. The Crows can’t send anyone. This was a target that was supposed to be a quick job, but they managed to capture Isabella. This job was a trap. Any Crow we send will mean that we didn’t recognize it, or that you didn’t care that it was a trap,” Teia explained with a softer tone.
Lucanis took a deep breath, placing his hands on his hips. He knew that he could probably get the people he worked with the Veilguard together to help Isa, but he wasn’t sure how quickly he could get them to where Isa was.
“I think I can handle it,” Adelina mentioned, leaning forward a little.
Viago stared at her in confusion while the Crow started to think about a plan. Lucanis turned towards her, willing to try nearly anything.
“If I can get the word out to a handful of people, I can make it look like Isa is getting help from non-Crow people who are also not apart of the Veilguard,” Adelina mentioned as Lucanis raised a brow. “Isa said that she still doesn’t want to be recognized as Rook, right? I would like to make sure that she revealed like that, either.”
“That would be ideal, yes,” Lucanis agreed.
Viago exhaled, folding his arms as he started at his Crow. Adelina ignored him while Teia smirked, wondering if Viago was destined for stubborn and inventive Crows in his House.
In the end, Adelina was given permission to hire who she needed to pull this off as long as she didn’t give any indication that she was a part of the Crows or that the Crows were involved in Isa’s rescue. While Lucanis only cared about whether or not Isa was safe, his newer position as First Talon was still vulnerable. He did appreciate his fellow Talons looking out for his position as well.
Isa looked around the room she was trapped in, searching for another way to escape. She had been locked in the spare bedroom of the target’s house with her arms tied behind her back and her ankles tied together. She wasn’t exactly helpless, but there wasn’t anything she could do by herself. If someone tried to attack her, then she could use leverage to gain the upper hand, but alone, she was stuck.
The people who had trapped her were thorough, even if they had missed her hidden knife the first time. They found it after her escape attempt, and now she was trying to figure out how she was going to manage another escape attempt. It would be difficult, but not impossible. She just needed to figure out how to get out of the binds on her arms.
The target was supposed to be a random noble in Bastion who had a bounty on his head, but it turned out to be a setup. She didn’t understand what the trap was for, but it was clear that she was the bait at this point. They didn’t question her or do much else other than hold her hostage. She wasn’t even sure what they wanted.
A part of her wondered if they worked for another Talon or for a Crow who wanted Lucanis to give up his job or something. She also wondered if these people knew she was Rook, and they wanted something from her. However, they didn’t really speak to her. It was like they were waiting to hear from some outside source about what to do with her first. It didn’t fill her with confidence.
Of course, in the end, it didn’t matter. What she needed to do was to get out so she could get word to Lucanis and Viago that she was alive and breathing. The last thing they needed was either of them doing something rash on her behalf because she managed to get caught. She just hoped that they wouldn’t give her a lecture about getting caught when she did get back to Treviso.
When she was staring at the barred window, wondering if she could get past the bars after she broke the glass, the door opened. Isa turned to the door and glared as one of her captors stood just within the threshold.
“I wasn’t sure you would be awake, petit Corbeau. I don’t think you’ve slept at all since you’ve been in our care,” the man said in a thick Orlesian accent.
“As if I would be comfortable enough to sleep around you,” she sneered, glaring at him.
The man sighed, shaking his head. He looked exasperated, as if she had chosen the wrong side. As if she had a choice in whether or not she was being held against her will. Frustrated, she pulled at her binds, and the man just watched for a moment, letting herself test the ropes.
“You aren’t going to go anywhere, and no one is allowed in this room. You might as well get some sleep,” the man sighed.
“Why am I even here?” Isa demanded loudly.
This man wasn’t her target. She wasn’t even sure the target was even there anymore, and she wouldn’t be surprised if the contract had been pulled entirely. She glared at him, and he just watched her like a caged animal in a zoo.
“You are here because we needed you to be. We were fortunate that you were the one to take this contract, but we were hoping that the Demon would come himself,” the man explained as he exhaled. “The Demon has a lot to answer for, and we are hoping that grabbing his petit Corbeau might attract him to us if our contract does not.”
“As if Lucanis would be stupid enough to fall for your tricks,” Isa growled with bright eyes.
The man raised a brow, regarding her carefully. He wasn’t sure if he believed her, but there was something in her tone that made him question his plan. Her glare hardened, and the man was glad that she had no access to magic at least. She couldn’t hurt him while she was tied up as she was.
“We will see, won’t we?” the man remarked softly before taking his leave.
Isa grimaced at him as he closed the door, hearing the defining locked that kept her out from the rest of the world. She was glad to know that she knew why she was there at least, but it didn’t help that she was nothing more than bait for her lover. Now she had to figure out how to escape and get the word to him before something worse happened.
Adelina was pretty proud of herself as she stood in the unfamiliar lighthouse with five other unfamiliar faces staring back at her. She had sent the word out to the other factions that she needed help rescuing Isabella. Her fellow Crow had mentioned that she had met people in the last few months that she had helped and took contracts from, so Adelina sent the word to those who Isa had met already. She hoped that they would be willing to join her plight to rescue her.
To her relief and delight, all five had agreed. Henry Thorne from the Anderfels, Elene Mercar from Tevinter, Wysteria Ingellvar from Nevarra, Idrilla Aldwir from Arlathan, and Thalia Laidir from Rivain all came with Adelina called. They were more than willing to help, excited to find and help their Crow friend.
Although, no one looked comfortable in the lighthouse as no one had been in the Fade like this. Not that Adelina had either. The experience was new, but she acted like she had done it for as long as Isa had. She needed the confidence to convince the others that she knew what she was doing.
“So, do we know why Isa was taken?” Henry asked, still a little confused.
Adelina had given the bare bones explanation when she recruited them, so she had said that she had been taken on the job by people who wanted to keep her hostage. However, that was as much information as she gave.
“As far as we know, it sounds like it’s most likely a ploy to bring out the First Talon. They are keeping her hostage as bait for him,” Adelina explained with a grimace.
“And is that why the Crows can’t help? Besides you, I mean,” Idrilla added.
“The Crows can’t be involved at all. Lucanis has to be completely removed by this, but I’m positive he will be absolutely grateful that you helped with this,” Adelina reassured.
“I don’t care about that. She saved me from a dire situation, I don’t mind returning the favor,” Elene shrugged.
“And how alive do we need the people who took her?” Thalia piped up from the back. “Just wondering if I need to worry about any poisons I shouldn’t be using.”
“I think as long as Isa is released from their custody, any deaths are fine. I don’t even think the First Talon cares about keeping the leader alive at this point. Whatever the reason Isa is being held hostage can be learned from documents we can gather later,” Adelina replied, lifting her shoulders.
“That’s necessary?” Henry asked softly. “Seems unnecessarily violent towards people we aren’t sure have harmed her.”
“They staged a Crow contract to have her kill someone only to capture her and hold her until her fiancé came around. I doubt it was so they could just chat with him,” Wysteria pointed out calmly. “While I do agree that killing indiscriminately is a waste, I don’t think we should wait around to ask questions when Isa could be in danger.”
“Alright, fair point,” Henry conceded, exhaling.
“Okay, so if we’re all ready and prepped, we can head to Bastion and save Isa,” Adelina instructed before pointing towards the eluvian room. The people around her cheered briefly before following her down.
Adelina had waited until after dusk to take the group out into the city, knowing that not all of them would be able to stealth thought the area. The darkness aided them, and she had the map where Lucanis had said that the Crow had spotted Isa in the report. He was confident that she would still be there since they were sure it was a trap more than anything else.
Adelina had also learned that while she had been recruiting the group she was going to work with that Lucanis had further interrogated the Crow. He had learned the Crow who reported Isa’s location had been paid off by her captors to tell the First Talon about where she was. Further interrogation proved to Lucanis that the Crow wasn’t lying. However, the Crow was an example of why you didn’t cross the First Talon.
As they neared where Isa was being held, it was clear the place was being watched as it was a little too barren for the area. Adelina looked it over before she pointed out the second-floor window that was the only one that was barred. The rest of the windows were closed and covered with curtains or other items, but that one was the only one that had bars covering the glass.
Adelina wondered if Isa was put on the second floor for a reason, questioning the motives of the people in charge. Was it to increase the confidence of her rescuers? Was the barred window supposed to be the trap? Or was it the red herring? Isa had already escaped once. It made sense for them to reinforce her surroundings.
There were too many variables, and Adelina started to overthink it. This was completely different from the last contract she had gone on where she it didn’t matter who lived or died as long as the target died. Now she needed to make sure her target lived, and that was a different task entirely.
Before she could overthink herself to the point of panic, Henry stepped forward and placed a hand on her should gently. She nearly moved to remove his hand before she remembered who was with her. She nodded, knowing that he was there to help. They would work together to get her out as they had agreed to.
Thalia also came forward, mentioning that this reminded her of a treasure hunt in a strange way where it was important to get in and out with the prize without it or anyone else getting hurt or damaged. Adelina nearly laughed before she understood what the Lord of Fortune was saying. The Crow let Thalia take the lead and make a plan, starting with the basic infiltration with Adelina’s help on the basics of Antivan building design. While she was sure the layout wasn’t out of the ordinary, she wanted to help anyway she could.
Isa struggled in her binds, more frustrated than ever as she started to get rope burns on her wrists. The man who had set the trap kept coming in and chatting with her, wanting more and more information about the Crows and Lucanis. She had kept silent after their first conversation, and he was growing more irritated.
She wasn’t sure how much longer it was going to be before her captor was going to start resorting to either torture or possibly sending different parts to her lover to motivate one of them to do something.
Regardless of her position, she was proud of Lucanis for not doing anything rash, though. The last thing Isa wanted was to see him get hurt because he flew right into a trap designed for him. She was glad that he had seen what was happening and resisted the clear bait, even if it meant terrible things for her.
Of course, that didn’t mean she was going to sit there and do nothing. Isa was going to fight tooth and nail until the end, regardless of what was going on. They were going to rue the day that they ever thought about using her for bait, that was for certain.
Isa heard the hand move, and she started to struggle more in her bindings, wanting to get out even more, gnashing her teeth in frustration. Any day now could be the last straw for her tormentor, and she did not want to see that day.
However, the door swung open, and Isa froze with wide eyes as Thalia and Henry stood on the other side of the door. The Crow blinked before Adelina pushed past them to reach her while Wysteria, Idrilla, and Elene weren’t far behind.
As Adelina cut her bonds, Isa stared at each of them, shocked to see the six of them working together. It wasn’t surprising to see them as a team, since they were all clever and hardworking, but Isa never expected these people to ever meet each other. Not to mention it never crossed her mind that these people could be her saviors.
“Grazie,” Isa whispered, forgetting herself, while Wysteria healed her burns.
“Gern geschehen,” Wysteria answered with a smile and wink.
Isa laughed, gripping her friend’s hands, before turning to the others who were watching the door. Adelina was checking the window, but it was definitely the barred one they had seen outside. Henry had given an alternate exit plan, and it seemed that they were going to have to go that route, even though it was riskier.
“Ready to go home?” Thalia asked as Isa turned to her.
“More than you know,” Isa replied with a sigh. “But I don’t understand. How are you here? How did you know?”
“A Crow saw you and reported it to Lucanis. I found out, and you mentioned you had met and help people around Thedas,” Adelina explained.
“Since the Crows couldn’t get involved since it was an obvious trap,” Wysteria added.
“We decided to come get you instead,” Elene finished, walking over to help Isa to her feet. “Figured that you would have helped us if we were in the same position.”
“Of course I would have,” Isa replied with a grin.
“So, let’s get out before the rest come pouring in,” Henry mentioned. “I hit the leader guy pretty hard with my hammer, so I don’t think his friends are going to be very happy when they see his body.”
“No, probably not,” Isa replied with a relieved smile, letting the others take her home.
Isa is sent to Rivain to help pick up more ingredients for the poison that helped kill the dual dragons back in Hossberg back when Ghilan'nain was still around. The Crow had hoped that Taash was going to be there to help her search for the items, but they were away with their girlfriend for the time being. So, instead, Isa was going to meet with the local treasure hunter and herbalist who had an affinity for snakes. Isa had a feeling that she would be just fine.
AO3
Isa walked along the beach of Rivain where she had once met Taash. She had hoped that her friend would be in the area again, but Taash had said that they were out with Harding at the moment in the Anderfels. It was good that they were with their girlfriend, though. It just meant that Isa was going to need to work with another Lord of Fortune.
Viago had run out of certain ingredients for the poison he had made against the dragons. He wanted to experiment with more of it, but he didn’t know where to find more of the materials since he had them sourced by the Lords during the war against the gods. So, he had reached out, but the leader of the Lords, Captain Isabela, was also away for a time. Truly a stream of unfortunate luck.
However, there was a person who had helped on the expedition who was available, as long as Viago could send someone if he couldn’t go himself. To his chagrin, he couldn’t. Viago had more Talon duties that he needed to fulfill with the First and Seventh Talon, and at Lucanis’s request, too. Isa had been caught in that crossfire, unfortunately. He asked her to go, and she said yes before she asked why he couldn’t. He usually didn’t leave Treviso, let alone Antiva, so she didn’t think much of it.
She didn’t expect it to be a way to get back at Lucanis.
Still, Viago had said that she would have permission to experiment with the materials she collected as well since she was the one who retrieved them. He felt it was only fair, and she agreed with that. She as more than happy to get the items regardless, especially since she knew that the poison was so effective.
“I didn’t expect a Crow to be out in the open,” a voice called out nearby.
Isa turned on her heel with a half-smile, finding a woman with long dark hair decked out in gold and turquoise walking towards her.
“It wouldn’t do to hide away when I was supposed to meet with you,” Isa countered with a light shrug. “At least, I hope you’re the one I’m supposed to be meeting with. I don’t meet many Lords of Fortune these days.”
“I would imagine it’s about the same amount of Crows we see in Rivain nowadays,” the woman smirked, stopping a respectable distance in front of Isa. “Thalia Laidir, but most call me Lia.”
“Isabella de Riva, but Isa is fine,” the Crow replied, dipping her head.
“Good. I was supposed to be on the lookout for a de Riva,” Lia chuckled. “Glad that I didn’t run into a random Crow along the beach.”
“You know, you likely don’t have to worry about the Crows unless you piss someone off with lots of money in their pockets.”
“I think you would be surprised by the people I piss off.”
“We may have that in common,” Isa smirked before lifting her shoulders. “So, is this to be a gathering mission or just a retrieval mission?”
“A bit of both. The captain is working on gathering most of the materials your, oh, what do you call them, Talons? Whatever he asked for,” Lia replied, waving her hand around. “There are just a few things that we need to gather by hand, and I’m hoping that you have some skills to get it done.”
“I might, depending on what it is.”
“How versed are you at venom extraction?”
“Very. I work with adders and vipers fairly often,” Isa confidently replied. “What venom are we extracting today?”
“The venom from the Hissing Cobra. It’s one of the most venomous snakes of Thedas, and it’s extremely dangerous to encounter,” Lia warned.
“I’m surprised that you are willing to help me extract the venom then. Is the pay that good?” Isa wondered genuinely.
Lia regarded the Crow for a moment before lifting her shoulders. If it had been someone else, Lia would have snapped at them for being callous, but Lia was familiar with how Crows worked. It wasn’t dissimilar to the Lords, and Lia could ask the same of Isa, too.
“I happen to have a way with these snakes, I suppose. I like being around them, and I always feel like we understand one another,” Lia answered before smirking. “If you are familiar with adders and vipers, I would imagine you feel similarly.”
“My older brother has an adder that I enjoy watching and feeding. I took him out of the case once, and he was rather terse with me,” Isa replied, smiling to herself. “I think you two would get on well.”
“From what I hear, he’s a prickly one. The captain has interacted with Viago a few times, and she’s not sure how she feels about him.”
“Didn’t mention his name.”
“It doesn’t take a genius to guess who you are, Isa. Viago has a younger sister, and he’s not a trusting man, from what the captain says. I’m guessing that you are his younger sister from what I’m aware of,” Lia pointed out with a smirk.
“Alright, fair enough,” Isa nodded. “And yes, he’s... particular, I suppose. You get used to it over the years.”
“I would imagine.”
“So, where do we find this snake of yours?”
“There are ruins along the beach past the old Antaam fort and beyond Sharksmouth Mountain. The snake has made a nest that way, and that’s where I was able to get the venom last time we needed it,” the Lord of Fortune answered, pointing along the horizon.
“Do these snakes usually make nests in ruins?” Isa asked, curious about the behavior.
“Yes, it’s normal to find these ones in older ruins, especially in Rivain. I’m not sure if they live anywhere else in Thedas, though. Maybe in Par Vollen? I wouldn’t be able to tell you,” Lia admitted.
“Alright, so we go to the ruins and find the snake. You mentioned that wouldn’t be the only thing we would be getting.”
“There are a few plants that we need to find along the way, but I can point them out as we walk along the beach. It’ll be closer to the tree-covered areas, but I’ll stop you if we go too far.”
“Just let me know. I know a little bit about poisonous plants, but Rivain native foliage is a bit out of my area of expertise,” Isa replied with a smile.
Lia led them both down the path as Isa took stock of the area. It was strange to find the area so calm and quiet. The last time Isa was there, it was teeming with Antaam and general enemies. Now the atmosphere was much nicer and peaceful.
Isa watched as Lia picked up the plants that they needed. She made a mental note of the different specimens, and Isa wondered if all of the plants were really poisonous. There was a chance the plants that she was gathering had certain chemicals that interacted with the poisons and venoms that helped make the concoction more potent instead.
Lia noted that the Crow was fascinated by the different plants, and it was nice to see that someone was interested in her hobbies as well. She stretched after grabbing several low-level leaves while Isa kept a close eye on her and their surroundings. Lia had to admit that there was something comforting about having a Crow watching her back.
“Alright, I think that’s all the plants that we needed for your order,” Lia mentioned.
“I see,” Isa replied with interest. “I would love to get the names of the plants when we return to the Hall.”
“I suppose if there’s time,” Lia smirked. “But I will make sure that there’s a chart in the order at least. It wouldn’t do to have an entire stash with no way to identify what you had. Otherwise, you could ruin your batch of poisons.”
“Very true, but I am very interested in these plants that you’re collecting. A lot of these don’t look dangerous or poisonous.”
“Some aren’t. You have a good eye.”
“Do you have a lot of poison experts within the Lords?” Isa wondered, following her towards the snake’s nest.
“Not a ton, but I would imagine there are a few. I’m the only one in the area, I learned. I’ve been called on a few times to help supply some venoms and poisons, but your Talon is the reason why the captain has kept me close by recently,” Lia answered with a laugh. “Not that I mind. It’s nice out here, and it beats Dairsmuid’s busy streets.”
“Not a city person?”
“I’m not a crowds person. I don’t mind the city. The city just tends to house crowds of people. You can barely breathe.”
“An interesting take, but I understand,” the Crow replied, keeping pace with her.
The ruins were located at the bottom of the back of Sharksmouth Mountain, and Isa wondered if she nearly found that place while she was there for the Dragon King. She was glad she didn’t if there was a nest of poisonous snakes she wasn’t prepared for. They had to leave quickly, and it wouldn’t have been helpful to run away from snakes on top of everything.
Isa had also expected the ruins to be from the Grey Wardens, like they had been along the beach that they had passed. However, they looked more like the ancient elves had built it instead, or maybe another culture from around the same time. Still, it was crumbling and it looked dangerous.
“This is where the snakes nest?” Isa asked before Lia nodded.
“Yep. They usually nest in the crevices of old rooms or hallways. The more structurally sound areas, basically. It’s a great defense area to protect their broods,” the treasure hunter answered.
“A good idea, surely. As long as the nest is safe, of course.”
“A few still nest in the forest, but many of them come to the same spots from what I remember.”
“Do you recognize the individuals?” Isa wondered.
“A few of them have some markings that I remember, but I don’t get too close most of the time,” Lia answered before folding her arms. She sighed, looking over at the Crow. “There are two or three that do recognize me, though.”
“Oh?”
“I’ve earned their trust enough that they will come up to me instead of us having to go through the ruins themselves in search of a snake.”
“You’ve befriended them, then,” Isa smirked.
“Essentially, yes. I’m a little worried about bringing you along with me since you are new, but you are familiar with snakes and how to handle them. It makes me feel a little better about you coming with me,” Lia replied. “You just have to promise to do as I say just to make sure that you don’t get bitten.”
“I might be alright until we can get the antivenom. I have built a resistance to most poisons and venoms since I was a teenager,” Isa reassured. “But I will still do as you say when you say it. Trust in an animal can be a rare thing, and I don’t want to damage that for you.”
“I appreciate that,” Lia exhaled, a little more relaxed.
Isa followed the Lord of Fortune towards the ruins, but they didn’t enter the ruins themself. They walked around the perimeter as Lia looked for something specifically. The Crow took calculated steps, making sure that she wasn’t making more noise than the treasure hunter or making more exaggerated movements than her.
Eventually, Lia held up her hand as she stopped, and Isa watched carefully, halting her movements. The treasure hunter walked forward carefully, and Isa could hear a gentle hissing in front of them. The Crow tilted her head, understanding why the cobra had hissing in its name. It wasn’t the same sound she would expect from a snake. It also sounded soothing rather than threatening.
“Ah, it’s Besha,” Lia informed with a smile, kneeling down into a crouch. “She’s the friendliest of the cobras I know. I helped her when she was a hatchling, and she always remembered me after that. I was hoping she would be the one we would find.”
“That’s good,” Isa whispered, keeping her voice low as she kept still.
“Besha will be wary of you, but as long as you’re quiet and don’t make any sudden moves, you should be okay to approach,” Lia instructed.
Isa did as she was instructed, and she waited as the cobra slithered forward. She noted that it was much larger than any snake than she had ever seen, and Isa was glad that Lia was so comfortable around the creature. The Lord of Fortune reached into her pack and pulled out a few dead rats, and the hissing increased in excitement.
“Let her eat, and then she will be more receptive to being moved and manipulated,” Lia informed.
Isa just nodded, waiting patiently.
The cobra ate eagerly before coming closer, pressing her face into Lia’s knee. Lia ran her hand gently over her scales before motioning Isa forward.
“Do you need vials for the venom? That’s something I should have asked before we go this far,” Lia mentioned.
“I would have said something if I wasn’t prepared,” Isa reassured gently.
Lia placed a hand underneath Besha’s jaw, having the snake see Isa and acknowledge her. Once they confirmed that the snake wouldn’t attack Isa as she moved closer, Lia pressed on the snake’s jaw to reveal her fangs.
Carefully, Isa quickly attached the vial to her fang, letting the venom drain into the container. After a moment or two, Lia gestured for Isa to release the fang, and Isa withdrew the vial.
Besha closed her jaw, hissing gently as she stared at the Crow. Isa smiled, sealing the vial with the venom. Lia ran her hand over the scales, excited that the snake had done so well with her new friend.
“She’s very patient,” Isa whispered as Besha looked over to Lia.
“She is,” the treasure hunter agreed, pulling out another little treat for the snake. “She will likely hang out with us for a little while before returning to her nest.”
“Does she usually nest inside the ruins, or just outside?”
“Usually along the wall outside under the brush. It’s just as safe, and she can see me quickly when I visit.”
“So sweet,” Isa cooed, tilting her head.
Besha hissed at them before rising up, bumping Lia’s forehead with hers. Isa blinked, a little surprised, before watching the snake vanish into the brush. The Crow went to stand up before Lia held up her hand.
“Hold on,” Lia whispered.
The cobra returned with a strange object in her mouth before dropping it at Lia’s feet, bumping her head against her knee again. Lia smiled, rubbing the snake’s head.
Isa stared in disbelief as a golden figure now sat at the feet of the Lord of Fortune. The snake had found a small treasure for the treasure hunter, and the Crow almost wondered if it was payment for the food and pets. Still, the venom was gift enough, not that Besha would know that.
After a moment, the cobra bumped her head against Lia once more before vanishing into the forest again.
Lia stood and motioned for Isa to follow her, ready to head back to the Hall of Valor again with her new golden gift. The Crow nodded once, getting to her feet. Isa glanced over her shoulder before making sure that she knew where Lia was going.
“Does she usually give you a gift when you visit?” Isa asked as they walked back towards the beach.
“When she can find something, she does. If she can find anything, she’ll find something else that she’ll deem worthy. She’ll find an old turtle shell, or one time she found a fossil. She’ll find the shiny things first and hide them away, but anything that she deems strange or unique counts too,” Lia answered, lifting her shoulders.
“Did you train her to do that?”
“Not intentionally. When I helped her as a hatchling, I was looking for gold in the ruins. She was with me, and she noticed what I was grabbing. I let her go, and I think she noticed what kept me coming back. I think she thought that if she found the gold, I would keep coming to see her. So, whenever I’m in the area, I make sure to come see her.”
“She’s a sweet little thing,” Isa remarked with a smile. “And still a wild creature, which is good.”
“It’s important to keep them wild, which is why you, Taash, and a handful of other people are the only ones who are aware of her existence so far. I would like to keep it that way,” Lia mentioned, turning towards the Crow.
“Secrets are something I am rather good at keeping,” the Crow informed with a chuckle. “I promise that no one will know about Besha.”
“I’m fine with your recipe knowing about hissing cobra venom, but I’d rather Besha be an unknown,” Lia added as Isa nodded.
“That I agree with. She’s special, and I would like to keep her that way,” she reassured. “You know, if you would rather, you could work directly with the Crows rather than going through with your captain. Or at least, with the de Riva Crows. I can’t do much past that for now, it would give you more control over what information you give out.”
“You know, I think I would like that,” Lia smirked, folding her arms. “You de Rivas are the only ones that ask for poison ingredients, anyway. If we could work more directly, I think I would be able to get you more ingredients faster.”
“Viago would be very excited to hear that. I would love that as well,” the Crow nodded. “If you have some time, there’s an eluvian nearby where you found me. We can pop over to Treviso to introduce you to Viago and write up a contract.”
“I wondered,” Lia hummed.
“Wondered what?”
“If you were Rook or not.”
“Did I not mention that?” Isa smirked as Lia gently punched her arm with a chuckle.
“Show me this eluvian and let me meet your brother. I hope you pay well, or I’m not going to agree to anything,” the treasure hunter warned playfully.
“Trust me,” Isa laughed, shaking her head. “If you tell Viago that you can supply him with rare Rivaini poison supplies, you will want for nothing.”
Lia beamed, threading her arm with Isa’s as she talked about another area she was thinking about going to soon. If the meeting went well, she would send them the best stuff she found out that way. Isa grinned, surprised by the treasure hunter, but she nodded along.
