Sparkler and the Wolf

24. Broody and Buttercup

Fenris was pleasantly drunk. Not happily drunk, but pleasantly drunk. He was sitting alone at the bar, his tense and angry posture keeping most of the other patrons away. Cabot said little and Fenris said less and he liked it that way and then someone took the seat beside him. He could feel their eyes on him and was tempted to sneer and scare them off, but realized he was too drunk to care.

"Oi! Elf!" Shrieked a female voice in his ear making him cringe. "You deaf? Or just too drunk to hear me?"

He turned his head to see the blonde elf from earlier, Sera was it? Staring at him, a smile tugging at the corner of her mouth.

"That's what I thought." She smiled, raising a mug of ale in his direction in what he took to be a toast. "Too drunk. Best way to be when you're angsting over someone."

He scowled at her. "I am not angsting."

"Pfft!" She snorted. "Riiight... that's why yer eyes are all red and you can't see or hear anything proper. Cuz you always sit here, night after night, getting drunk for no reason. See I know that last part ain't true, cuz I live here and you don't come here much."

"And you still talk too much." He retorted, sneering at her.

"Yeah? Well I talked to Inky and now I know why you're in here."

"So?"

"So magey-pants is a friend of mine yeah? So you better not of hurt him or I'll stick you with arrows."

Fenris frowned and set aside his ale. He considered he may have actually overdone his drinking when the room swayed. He blinked and turned back to Sera who was still watching him.

"You don't look so good." She observed. "Hey Cabot! Got a fainter here! Get him a coffee yeah?"

"What are you doing?" Fenris growled.

"Getting you something that's not boozy. You're gonna pass out and I'm not carrying you back to your room."

"I will not pass out." He grumbled. "And if I did, I'm perfectly fine here."

"No you're not. Inky said to make sure you didn't pass out if I found you in here and that's what I'm gonna do."

"Why do you care? Why does she care?"

Sera shrugged. "Dunno. Maybe you should ask her and I don't care, but Dorian would and he's my friend, so... drink the coffee when it gets here yeah?"

"Fine." He growled. When the coffee came, he wrinkled his nose at the bitter taste but drank it down and Sera ordered him another one. By the time he'd finished the second cup, the room had stopped spinning and his thoughts were no longer clouded. Sera still sat beside him, presumably watching in case he should pass out.

"You may go now elf." He muttered, her stare irritating him.

"Sera." She corrected. "And I'm not leaving. You upset Dorian and I wanna know what you said."

"I did not upset Dorian."

"Did too. Now talk. Inky said you couldn't go on a mission together and you were mad, so there's that, but why'd you yell at Dorian? Ain't his fault."

"He could've said no! He could leave with me."

"And go where? Thought you and Dorian were here to help the Inquisition?"

Fenris scowled as his own words caught up with him. "We... are." He said quietly.

"And he said he wouldn't leave so you yelled at him? That's stupid."

"I..." Fenris felt his cheeks warm. "Yes. It was stupid. I should go, I need apologize. Thank you for the coffee and I'm sorry I hit you with a rock."

"Eh." She said, waving her hand dismissively. "Didn't hurt and anyway you can't apologize. Dorian's gone, left with Inky an hour ago."

"Dorian left?" Fenris felt his heart sink, worse, he felt guilty for how he'd behaved. "Venhedis."

"That's swearing what you're doing right? Sounds like swearing. Dorian does that too."

"I need to go."

"So long as it's to get ready. We gotta go soon. I heard we're looking for slavers, Coryphenus lackeys, heard you're good at that, killing slavers. Be fun right? Lots of arrows." She giggled, winking at him.

"We're leaving... tonight?"

"Yeah." She drawled. "Inky insisted and it's important we stop em. Can't let Coryphyshit win."

"Yes it's important." He agreed, getting to his feet. "Where are we meeting the others?"

"Front gates, lower courtyard. Don't be late spiky."