Story Summary: "You want to know where the Champion is Seeker? I'm not the one to tell you about her, but there may be someone who can. Listen well Seeker, Rivaini would want her tale told well." Based mainly through the eyes of Isabela and how she shaped the Champion. F!Hawke/Isabela

Chapter 1

It was too late at night for anyone sane to be awake, but still Isabela was curious on a certain subject that had been plaguing her mind for some time.

She swirled the swill in her mug slowly, forcing herself to drink and swallow in one gulp; smacking her lips when the liquid finally trailed down her throat. There was no point drinking such ale in small mouthfuls - as Hawke did whenever she came by with Varric - when it was such an awful drink.

"Alright, we're done here!" Coriff (or was it Corff? She could never remember) yelled, banging his fist on the counter a few feet away from her and her drink. "Closing up now! To your respectable rooms if yer please!"

It was now or never.

Isabela leant leisurely against the counter of the Hanged Man, making sure that she was in clear view of Corff so that the bartender wouldn't dismiss her amber eyes glancing at him with interest.

He may have only met Hawke a few times, but surely that was enough times to allow Hawke's first name to slip in between conversation between the two?

"Corff," Isabela tested with a low, teasing voice - enough to attract a man such as Corff's attention anyhow. "You know Hawke, right? That rather intimidating, dark-haired woman who comes here with Varric?"

Luckily her gaze had managed to win Corff over in a heartbeat and to her complete, utter delight he had abandoned his post of clearing everyone else out to solely focus on her.

"Hawke? Yeah, yeah I know 'er." Corff responded gruffly, raking a hand through his blonde locks. "Hey, don't you follow 'er around too? What's with the questions?"

Seeing distrust start to creep into Corff's eyes, Isabela quickly turned the tables around by merely giving the bartender a warm smile; going as far to even rest her cheek in the palm of her hand - feigning interest.

"Just curious on what you know about her Corff," she raised her empty mug to her lips to hide her smile. "Like, what's her name for one?"

Corff gave her a look that to Isabela reminded her of the time when she wrestled with the captain of the Silent Seas for dominance in nothing but cream and mustard. And that look was of disbelief. "You ain't normally the one to be interested with names!"

"I'm just curious sweet thing," Isabela drawled with a tilt of her head, feeling irritation start to claw at her. Why would nobody just give her a straight yes or no answer? "She's a companion but she has such a cold, cold soul that she never talks to someone amazing as myself half the time! And why not? I am the wonderful 'Captain' Isabela-"

"Previously captain," Corff pointed out with a wary smile. He knew very well how Isabela got when she was tired and sober at the same time; it wasn't pretty that was for sure.

Isabela scoffed, slamming down her mug with a snort. "Yes, yes, yes…Previously Captain Isabela, thank you ever so much for reminding me! No really, you're a giver."

Corff grunted lowly at her, choosing to take her mug from her hands and to clean it with a rag as he stared intently at her. Questioningly. "Hawke a friend to you then? Or a friend?"

Unable to stop herself, Isabela laughed heartily at the bartender's implication, throwing her head back and curling her fingers around the hard edge of the counter so she wouldn't fall over.

"A friend?" She continued to laugh at Corff's suggestion, feeling light-headed and loving it. "Oh I think Hawke would rather bathe herself in a river of blood than be a friend. And why not? I've heard it's good for the skin."

"Listen love, I really need to close up now otherwise Fredrick over there will start harassing Norah all bloody night." Corff said with a sigh, completely ignoring her attempts to once more catch his attention. "Oi Fredrick! Keep your hands to yourself! Hit him with the mug Norah! The mug!"

Isabela held back her sigh of frustration at the rather severe lack of answers she was receiving today from almost everyone she asked. If this was what it was going to be like all night, she'd probably just go ask Hawke herself and not bother trying to get Corff's attention again.

Still, it was rather late and there was no point trying to get any sleep tonight with how she was feeling; awake, irritated and for some odd reason, excited. Maybe it was something in the water? Though she hadn't drank water in a very long time.

"Pass the mug will you?" Isabela grinned sultrily at the blonde bartender, taking his silence as an answer and grasping her mug back with a firm grip and a wink.

She silently passed through the wave of drunken men and women towards the door where some poor souls were actually stumbling out on the street; holding out her mug far enough that when she passed the offensive drunk patron known as Fredrick, the mug instantly smacked straight into the back of his head - sending him sprawling to the ground.

With a smug laugh, Isabela mock saluted in the direction where she had just come from. "Don't bother staying open, I'll get back in somehow!"

Right now, she was off to find Hawke and traumatize the woman into telling her the true name everyone in the group had been dying to hear.

Hawke let a sigh escape her chapped lips, wetting them with her tongue to try and warm them up against the harsh, cold weather that did nothing but make her draw her cloak around her more tightly.

As usual, she was keeping watch on the shack of a house for Gamlen as the rest of her family slept.

It was her nightly routine, sometimes she'd see Brennan stalking through the streets of Lowtown, sometimes she'd see Aveline and sometimes she'd even see Fenris (though she refrained herself from calling out to the elf) but never in her life had she seen so many gangs as she had tonight.

The reason why she kept watch was to make sure nobody broke in to Gamlen's home, she didn't quite know why Gamlen didn't find a bodyguard or an old friend or someone to at least keep an eye on his home or live with him for a while.

"Do I look like I'm made of coin, girl?" He had snarled at her when she had asked that question in particular. "I can barely fend for myself, never mind have to pay someone else for looking after me!"

In return she had growled low under her breath, murmuring angrily. "Andraste's ass, how did you not manage to get robbed?" It had of course been unfair of her to have been angry at him (after everything he had done for her, Carver and Mother) but still, manners didn't cost much.

"I did." Oh. Well. That was settled then.

A sharp snapping sound broke her away from the memory and she jumped up with a snarl, swinging her staff out in front of her in case any attacker decided to launch themselves at her.

Hawke felt her heart steady somewhat when she found out that instead of meeting a thug of some sort, she instead met nothing but thin air and a cat that was content to meow pleasantly at her - most likely wondering if she was going to hit it with her staff.

"Just a cat," she said breathily with a chuckle; feeling silly at being so worked up over a mere sound which turned out to be just an animal lurking. Still, it was better than turning around and seeing a knife in your face. "Not an abomination, ninja, dog lover, urchin…A cat."

And then before she could react, she felt the sharp point of a dagger being pressed gently into her back - a painful pinch at the swell of her shoulder blades.

"Well meow, sweet thing!"

It was as if she had been punched in the gut at the surprise that shrouded her in mere seconds, feeling like her world was spinning and that her head was aching with such uneasiness it made her quiver in shock.

Yet the voice was familiar, ridiculously so, and it brought her enough frustration that she swung herself around once more; growling angrily when she came face-to-face with a laughing Isabela.

"What in Maker's name do you think you're doing Isabela?" Hawke found herself snarling in aggravation, stabbing the blade of her staff in a soft spot on the ground where she had been sitting on her watch. "I could have stabbed you right through the middle if you hadn't of ducked!"

To her annoyance, Isabela merely chuckled and spun the blade she had been using around her finger; clearly unfazed at what had occurred.

"Really Hawke you're far too predictable," Isabela cooed in that voice Hawke had grown strangely familiar with, if somewhat uncomfortable with. "Even if you had wanted to kill me, you wouldn't have been able to!"

In response Hawke simply rolled her eyes, planting herself down next to her staff with a grunt.

Isabela shot her an amused look, arching a fine brow questioningly at the next to penniless refugee. "What are you even doing out here? Shouldn't you be-"

"Shouldn't you be laying face down in a ditch by now?" Hawke interrupted coldly, her dark hair shielding her striking blue eyes away from the former captain. "Surely the tavern can't be closed by now."

"You would think so wouldn't you?" Isabela remarked with a grin, placing both of her daggers back in their respectful sheathes. "But no, Corff closed up early and I was out here looking for you anyway! It's been such a long time since we last talked Hawke!"

"We talked just before I left the Hanged Man," Hawke responded gruffly, raking her hand through her coarse dark locks to try and calm herself. It was strange guarding a shack with company, she had to be more alert than usual. "You said you were going to play something called Strip Diamondsback."

"Ah yes! Funny story that! Well, there was this man named John and he started to unbutton his pants and when he dropped-"

"Isabela!" Hawke interrupted with a disgruntled hiss, moving her face away so that the former captain couldn't see her expression. "What do you want from me? I'm supposed to be keeping watch!"

"Well now sweet thing," Isabela murmured sultrily, planting herself next to the refugee with a grin. "Why do you think I want something from you? I could be merely looking for some company."

Hawke scoffed, gripping harder onto the wood of her staff. "I'm not a public whorehouse Isabela, go to the Rose or something and quit pestering me."

Isabela feigned a sob, placing a hand over her heart to emphasise her emotions even more; it was enough to make Hawke want to smack her one. "Oh, I'm hurt! You think I'd try to bed you?"

With a click of her tongue, Isabela nudged Hawke firmly in the ribs, giggling wickedly. "You're damn right! But still, another time sweet thing. I came here to ask you a very important question."

"No." Hawke said bluntly, turning away from the former captain with another irritated growl.

Isabela instantly threw her arms up in the air, unimpressed. "Hey! You haven't even heard what I was going to ask!"

The grip Hawke held on her staff got noticeably tighter, so tight it looked as if Hawke was going to snap the wood in two. "I don't need to Isabela, it's already a no."

For the first time since she had met Isabela, Hawke heard the smuggler give a huge sigh; a huge enough sigh that it actually made her turn back to see that Isabela was pouting (in a not so subtle way) at her.

"And all I wanted to know was your name…" Isabela murmured in such a fake demure voice that Hawke actually found herself laughing slightly under her breath at how pathetic it was.

"What? You think I'm going to tell you my real name just because you bat your lashes at me?" Hawke let a small smirk grace her lips, tugging her legs from under her so she could rest her elbows on her knees. "If I were that easy I'd probably be a walking human disease."

"I don't bat my lashes sweetie, if I bat anything then it'll be my -" Isabela started, a sinful look appearing on her face when once more Hawke interrupted her with a groan.

"If you're so interested about learning my real name, how about telling me yours?" Hawke snapped impatiently, trying to get her mind back on track so she'd be able to keep watch much more efficiently. "Because you are obviously not called Isabela. That alone is obvious."

In return Isabela shrugged and rearranged her necklace. "And how do you know I'm not called Isabela? What did you expect me to be called? Sally Sparrow? Though I do have this cousin called Jack, but we don't talk much. Said I stole his rum and woman, balls to that."

"So," Hawke drawled, letting go off her staff to cup her chin; staring at the former captain with undeniable curiosity. "You expect me to tell you my name, but you don't expect me to know your own?"

"I've told you my name Hawke," Isabela shot back with another smirk that Hawke knew she could not understand without giving herself head trauma. "It's not my fault you don't believe me. Besides! How bad could your name be? Unless it's something you call a child who you want to be murdered horrifically. Like Scott Chegg."

"Scott Chegg?" Hawke murmured softly, tearing herself away from watching the streets to stare at the pirate in confusion.

"Long story sweetie, you'll understand later on." Isabela teased with another laugh, throwing herself back so she was resting on her elbows. "Now, tell me! I'm curious! Varric knows but he refuses to tell me! Who else knows?"

Hawke got up from her sitting position, unable to sit any longer with Isabela bothering her watch. Maker's breath, it was getting hard to remain comfortable with Isabela around; watching her with amber eyes that made her shiver and twitch nervously.

Stupid pirate wench.

"Why are you bothered about who knows my real name? It's not as if it matters!" Hawke barked furiously, gripping onto her staff and digging her blade further into the soft ground. "I don't like my real name anyway. If I told you then you'd never be able to use it, so what's the point?"

"Oh who cares?" Isabela yelled with rising frustration that only one could be capable of if their answers had been denied almost all day. "I'll even make a deal with you! You tell me your name, I bugger off and leave you alone to your stick-in-the-mud duties. How about that?"

Hawke was tempted. Despite how her mouth was desperately trying to tell Isabela where she could shove her so-called deal, but of course that was where she was at fault. Because Isabela's deal wasn't so bad, even if that meant the former captain knowing her true name; it couldn't be so bad.

So she agreed. "Fine. If I tell you. Then you never call me it in front of anyone! Ever."

Isabela cocked her head at her with an impish glint in her eye, teeth unnaturally white and gleaming in the darkness of Lowtown. "Of course Hawke, whatever you say!"

"I mean it Isabela!" Hawke retorted seriously, lowering her eyes when amber eyes tortured her icy blue. "If I find out you've told anyone or if you say it when we're walking around then…"

Hawke didn't have time to finish before Isabela had grabbed her by the collar, forcing her lips around the pirate's ear by the close proximity Isabela had placed her in.

The refugee felt a little bit self-conscious, what with her hot breath on Isabela's skin and all; something that she was sure she wouldn't be getting used to anytime soon. Still, if Isabela wanted to know and had promised to leave her alone…

She whispered her name softly into Isabela's ear, feeling the soft skin brush against her chapped lips ever so slightly and how the pirate seemed to laugh under her breath at the touch instead of reeling from it.

When Isabela pushed her away with a snort (rather rudely) Hawke couldn't help but cross her arms and pout out her lower lip, narrowing her eyes further when the pirate continued to laugh.

"I don't see what's so funny. It's a perfectly normal name!" Hawke insisted, feeling a bit put out really. Sure her name wasn't a 100% common name, but it hadn't been her idea!

"You're named after a bird! Both of your names are after birds!" Isabela snorted with a cocky laugh, getting up from off her elbows to giggle hysterically. "I just find that a tiny bit amusing, sweet thing."

"Oh go away Isabela," Hawke scoffed in exasperation, throwing her head back to stare up at the dark night; attempting to distract herself away from the insipid pirate. "You said you wanted to know my name. I've told you. Now go find a ditch and fall in it."

'Normal people,' Hawke thought bitterly after a wave of silence passed between them both, 'would hit me at this point.'

In replacement of being hit, Hawke merely saw (and heard) Isabela click her tongue at her, getting up from where she had been sitting to run a hand through her already wind-swept hair.

This action made her growl impatiently, ice blue eyes narrowing up at Isabela's composed form. It unnerved her.

"Alright then, I'll see you soon Hawke," again Hawke felt the pirate's fingers run through her hair again, before she heard the sound of footsteps walking away. It was a blessing. "Don't work too hard now, eh Phoenix?"

Phoenix Hawke grounded her teeth, hard. Forcing her frustration into the essence of her magic, allowing it to weave and replenish from the tips of her fingertips; slowly developing what she knew to be fire in the pit of her palm.

She clenched her hand closed at hearing a high-pitched laugh, dispersing the fire immediately.

That woman was going to be the death of her.

"Dwarf! Why are you telling me this? This doesn't tell me anything important I know about the champion!"

"You want to know the Champion? You're going to have to know Isabela first."

=] So I tried to do the Isabela rivalry romance. Found out that Isabela thinks my Hawke is the best thing since sliced cheese when I played my Hawke the way I had planned to. So I guess we're in a friendly romance. XD Strange. Anyway, yeah. Isabela in the game is really, really fun. In a way that makes me cry ;_; I'm finding it hard to romance Merrill because she's JUST THERE. I'm like '-pout-' all the way through the Merrill romance. I actually think Merrill is cute and adorable too. D:

She's just no Isabela. 8D

Confused on this chapter? You'll just have to read the second one then. :D