Chapter Three: Familiar Stranger
She turned a corner and headed down some stairs. The barracks of the men was pungent with sweat and ale. Looking around, she saw a few soldiers standing about gossiping about Andraste knows what. They did not see her as she approached.
"... I'm telling you they've got to be something worth hiding at least." The man closest to her was saying with a giddy laughter that only alcohol could induce.
"Yeah, she catches you saying that and you're dead. You know that, right?" The man leaning against the wall was looking at his other friend.
"Okay, sure. He's a dead man. But at least he'll get close enough to tell right?" The third man laughed obnoxiously. "Closer than we'd ever be, my friend."
"Excuse me," Krista interrupted as she felt the heat rising in her throat.
The three men turned their attention to her and became pale. The one closest to her had a tint of pink on his cheeks. She assumed it was from the alcohol for his sake and tried to ignore the bits of the conversation she had overheard. She really hoped they weren't talking about what she thought they were talking about.
"Oh, er, hello, my Lady. You're looking lovely today, as always." The one closest to her smiled awkwardly, his eyes trying to focus on her face. The words he spoke had slurred together. He clearly had a bit too much already, but she supposed the time for celebrations was now or never.
"What can I do for you?" he asked with a tiny hiccup and a happy grin.
"I'm looking for Ser Garnet. Have you seen him anywhere?" It was best to make this short before the conversation went south fast.
"Ser Garnet? Hmm. I think he was down the hall last I saw him. That way," the drunken guard said as he pointed a finger in the direction he spoke of.
"Thank you sir," she said with a forced calmness and headed down the hall. Before she was out of earshot she heard the other two men snicker at their friend, calling him all sorts of foul names. The man in the distance was babbling incoherently and she decided it was probably for the best that she ignored him.
There was an open door at the end of the hall, glowing with an orange and magenta calm. She recognized the area as the guard commons. The concrete was cold as she placed a hand to the frame of the door, though the scene that awaited her was pleasant and warm. The strong smell of ale pervaded her nostrils once more and the sound of men laughing and talking merrily reverberated along the corridor. As she stepped through the doorway she felt the warmth of the room envelop her face. The fireplace was aglow and many of the guardsmen were sitting around it, telling stories of embarrassment and of conquest. Each man that had his turn to speak tried to outdo the previous man's story, true or false—though the men swore up and down that everything really happened. She had seen them do this before, on nights of great celebration and informal parties.
They didn't notice her as she walked in, which she was thankful for. She glanced around the room hastily, trying to find a man she has never met before. Her eyes found the seamstress, laughing with a few guards by the fire. They had taken the time to drag her into their stories and she seemed pleased by it. Krista knew that the seamstress did not mind attention. She was a beautiful blonde woman of about thirty. Clara had no husband, but had many lovers. However, she was the best woman to be had for stitching and tailoring, so she was asked to stay at the castle. Her family was poor so she jumped at the chance to become well off. She still visited her parents in the slums of Denerim every now and again, sending them money whenever she could. All Krista knew about them was that Clara's mother was Orlesian and her father was Fereldan. Clara was a nice woman, even if she was promiscuous. Krista decided not to bother Clara at the moment. She looked through the bodies of jolly men for anyone who stood out from the guards. She had to find this man: Ser Garnet.
Her eyes rested on a man whom she could swear she had seen a few times around the castle, but only with her brother. That must have been Ser Garnet. He had short dark brown hair and pretty cerulean eyes. His armor consisted of fine leather with furs lazily laying on his shoulders, several brown and black belts looping around his waist and chest, and a long hand stitched cloak that trailed to the floor. His eyes were on her. It was then she realized how handsome his face was. His jaw had a crisp structure, very rugged and full of scruff, like he hadn't shaved his beard in a few days. He was still staring at her as her eyes concentrated on him. She must have been studying him for a bit too long because he started making his way towards her, his cloak flowing behind him as he walked. She froze, not knowing what to say or do. He was looking at her with a softness that she had not ever remembered seeing in a stranger. She took a deep breath and let it fester in her lungs, which burned with anxiety.
"Hello," he said with a dashing smile. "I don't believe we've met. I'm Garnet, and before you say anything about the name –I know it's silly—my family had an interest in gems when I was born. I could still carry on that interest seeing as how you're quite the gem yourself."
She gave him points for originality and the corniness of the flirtatious joke. She had a little soft spot for those and cracked a half-smile, a rarity for anyone other than her family to witness. Rolling her eyes, she glared at him. He was just a man. There was nothing to be frightened of, although she still found herself a bit unnerved as she resumed breathing normally. She tried to think of a response but nothing came to her. Those damn words were eluding her once more.
"I'm sorry. That was
terrible. I just saw you staring and I thought I'd try to be smooth, like a big ol'...
man... But now that you've humiliated me with your silence... I think I'll just pridefully walk away with my shame." He smiled a painfully fake grin; it was cheesy. He turned to walk away when the Cousland found her voice.
"I'm Krista," she blurted quickly, halting his leave. She held out the pouch of money for him to see. "I have money for you."
He sent her a perplexed look. "People usually don't make a habit out of giving me money. Well, not without me doing them a service first."
"Right. I meant to say that I was sent to buy some new armor. Leather-working is kind of your thing, or so I hear." She inwardly scolded herself for fumbling on her words. "What do you say? Do you think you can help me?"
"Right, of course," he said with a hint of relief. He motioned for her to follow him out into the hallway. As she followed him, he continued talking. "You're lucky I happen to carry my wares and tools of the trade with me wherever I go. I usually don't, uh,
work with females though. It's not as though I have them coming to me every day for my skills." He chuckled and stopped abruptly. "I meant making armor, sort of skills, not... you know, other things... Wow. I'm making things worse. Forget those last couple sentences, will you?"
They approached the drunk guards Krista had talked to earlier and stopped at a closed door nearby. She could hear the drunks giggling and gasping at the sight of her with this handsome stranger. He opened the door and she followed him in, the guards talking loudly about them in voices they must have assumed to be whispers. Krista shut the door behind her somewhat vehemently. Garnet looked at her with a puzzled expression.
"It's loud out there," she said in defense.
He nodded in agreement, pushing the issue no further. He began rummaging through a nearby chest that was rather large. It sat at the foot of a comfortable-looking bed. A small strip of window was revealed at the top of it, not quite big enough for anyone to see through but enough to let the sun shine in. A full length mirror was balanced by the trunk; it was simple and quaint, but would come in handy when trying on new armor. A few candles stood in holders on the wall to add more light. It made this room more inviting.
"So... give me a moment to find my wares and let's see what I can do for you." He said this pleasantly, though she knew he was not really certain what he
could do for her. As he said, she was a woman and he was not used to making leather for such a person. She wandered to the middle of the room and looked around. It was must smaller than her own room, though she supposed it made sense for it was only a spare room. He tossed a few pieces on the bed: a few pairs of pants, one pair of gloves and a single pair of shoes. He dug a bit more in the trunk, clearly looking for one more component to his set. He made a few grunting noises and whispered to himself as he went through it all. Krista was surprised to see how much he actually did carry with him, even for a celebratory occasion. He suddenly tossed a hide chest-piece on the bed and smiled. It looked heavy and complex, but also beautiful.
"You carry quite the arsenal," she commented as she crossed her arms and looked upon his stash of hide armor and clothing.
"Well, you flatter me. I hardly have an arsenal... No real weaponry or anything of the sort but um... You never know who might come asking to buy something," he said with a smile. "It's a living for me, you know."
"I see. Now, are those pieces there possibly going to-"
"Yes," he said confidently before she could finish. She was astonished. No one had interrupted her in a long time, save for her own family. "I studied you when you came in. Oh... that's sounds awful... I meant body type. Er... What I mean to say is... If I had any armor that could fit you nicely it would be these here. Built for smaller men
or a few pieces here were built for strong women who might be interested in my wares. I suppose I should make more of those now that you've become a customer."
"You say that like you know I'll be coming back to you if I need something more." She rolled her eyes.
"You'll like the quality. I guarantee you'll come crawling back in the future for all your armor needs," He said in a mocking tone; he seemed arrogant as he smiled at her expectantly. His focus suddenly drifted to her hair. "Say, you look familiar... Have we met?"
She felt the anxiety burning at her lungs again and pushed it away. "Nope. Do you not recall introducing yourself and your pathetic flirting?"
"Ooh, ouch. Felt the sting on that one... But seriously..."
"I suppose those pants over there aren't for my six legs," she joked, ignoring his pride.
"Right. Uh, you see. I'm not really sure how to, uh,
compensate for your figure since I can't very well see it behind the, um,
armor. So maybe you should see which is the best fit for yourself. Taking in proportion of your body, I'm guessing one of those will be perfect.I'm hoping the vest fits well; it's all I've got for... you know, the ladies. It seems a bit large and hulking, but hopefully it works out, right?"
"Hopefully," she nervously agreed.
"Well, I'll just uh..." He began to walk towards the door.
"You know how to be a man and not peek, don't you?" She was surprised by her own boldness, but he was a professional after all.
He faltered for a moment. "Well, I've been drinking, you see, and I don't know what I might do under these circumstances. Even if I'm a man otherwise... I'd feel much better just waiting outside until you are done... uh, Krista."
"Well, thank you for being so honest," she said with a hint of shock.
"I trust you won't rob me then?" he queried lightheartedly as he walked out the door. The drunks yelled to him playfully as he emerged from his room alone.
"'I have money for you.' Ring any bells?" She found herself smirking as the door shut quietly. "And don't let anyone in!"
She waited a few seconds to listen to the stillness of the room before walking towards the garments on the bed. She hastily kicked off her boots and removed the heavy plate around her waist. With any luck she would no longer need it. She wiggled out of her pants and hastily tried on the first pair. She slipped into them without problem, but even her belt could not keep them from falling off her waist. The bottoms were also a bit too long. She removed her belt from them and they fell to the floor.
She looked at the two remaining pairs and looked at the differences. One set was short and the other long, but they seemed smaller than the ones she tried on. She decided to go for the long pair next. She didn't know how she felt about exposing her knees when armor was supposed to protect. The long pair fit nicely around her waist, but they hugged her thighs and calves uncomfortably. It seemed like it would flex with her body's movements but it would also be exposing her curves, much like what she already had. She rolled the pants down and grabbed the final pair on the bed. She sighed and stepped into them, one leg at a time. As she pulled them up she felt comfortable. It felt like they were made for her body. She looked at herself in the mirror and noted how they stopped halfway along her thighs. Surely, that was too short, but they felt perfect. They did not accent her bottom either. She turned in the mirror to make sure. She looked just as average down there as any other man. It must have been the flaps of leather along the sides of the thighs. She smiled at this. She would rather show the skin on her legs than show off her curves.
She neatly folded the reject pants and placed them on the trunk's top. She quickly unlatched her chest plate and set it down on the floor. She took off the straps holding her weapons and placed them next to her plate. She wriggled out of her leather top slowly and took a deep breath as she pulled it over her head. She always felt weird stripping down her armor when she was not in her own room. Dropping her chest-piece on the floor near her original pants, she walked over to the new armor Garnet had left out. She found quickly which side was the front and slipped it over her head and comfortably onto her body. It hugged her breasts close to her and supported them as she tested its sturdiness by bouncing on the balls of her feet a few times. She couldn't say she was entirely pleased with the way her breasts were accentuated, but it was less obvious than in her old armor.
It was heavy to her in comparison to her old vest, but lighter than the plate attachments so she could not complain. She would no longer need those silly things. The new piece tightened near her stomach and fanned out in multiple thin strips that dangled at her waist. She tied her belt around the dip in her hips and examined herself in the mirror. The leather was fashioned into a v-neck and it exposed a bit of cleavage, which annoyed her. She would have to see if Clara would help her cover that without making her look ridiculous. However, it was stylish on its own and it made her look like a woman who did not need to hide her body. She approved and was glad it fit. Garnet was not lying when he said his armor was of good quality. She felt so nimble in it.
Her arms and legs felt naked save for the gloves she was still wearing. She removed her old gloves reluctantly and slid on the pair he had set out for her. They were thick as they wrapped around her elbows. Hulking straps covered them and made her feel fortified. The gloves thinned around her wrists and hands, allowing a greater freedom on movement. She enjoyed that they were fingerless. She smiled at the added protection which did not require her to give up freedom and quickness of movement. He had done very well in choosing equipment for her. She knew she should not be surprised because it was his job, but she was impressed.
She hastily grabbed the boots from the bed and sat down on it. She slipped one onto her foot when a knock resounded.
"How is everything in there?" Garnet called from the other side of the door. He sounded a bit worried.
"You can come in," she called as she pulled the top of the boot up towards her knee. She began to wrap the straps tightly around her legs to hold them up when he entered. The loudness echoed into the room and dimmed as he shut the door. She watched his expression carefully. His smile seemed to stretch across his face from ear to ear.
"I take it everything fits well." He walked to the bed slowly and glanced at her discarded armor on the floor.
"Wonderfully, actually," she responded as she dropped her clothed foot to the floor. "I guess you weren't bluffing when you said your armor was good. I will have to tell my brother you were very helpful. I can see why you're friends... Not just for the armor thing. I'm sure he keeps you around for other things too, like laughing."
The boot was a little big and her foot slid back and forth inside of it. However, it felt fresh and sturdy so she did not mind the sliding. She reached for her belt and took out the coin purse. She was about to ask how much for the set when he asked her a question she had been waiting for.
"Your brother?" he asked quizzically.
"Yes, Fergus," she said with content.
His face illuminated with realization. "You're the young lady Cousland. I
knew I recognized you. I've seen you around on my visits. We were both... younger... Wow. But I guess we never actually met... Just awkward staring from across the way. I guess some things never change." He smiled at her.
"I'm guessing that makes my mother the
old lady Cousland then?" She curled her lips but did not smile. She repressed the urge.
"Uh... I never said that. Do not tell Lady Eleanor that." He fidgeted uncomfortably as he sat beside her on the bed. She felt the bed sink to her right. She was thankful he left quite a distance between them however.
"Don't worry. She really is old. Even she knows that. So those guards out there did not say anything to you about me? I figured they would be teasing you while you stood out there."
"I couldn't understand much of their babbling... But... You're missing a shoe," he said playfully, changing the subject.
"That I am. You're very observant."
He rolled his eyes as he looked down at her naked foot. "I'm sorry if they're a bit big, which they probably are. You have smaller feet than I'd anticipated."
He grabbed the remaining shoe that was laying between them and held it in his hands.
"You really have a gift for noticing these things," she stated with minor sarcasm.
"Impressive, isn't it?" His tone was boastful and he laughed.
"I'm swooning, can't you tell?" She couldn't tell if she was mocking him anymore, though he thought so. She couldn't believe the burn of anxiety was returning once more. Was she flirting in her own way? She scoffed at the thought.
"Oh, you are just the most...
pleasant woman now aren't you, Lady Krista Cousland?" He smiled at her again, his eyes focusing in on hers. It made her heart feel heavy and loud, like it thumped against her chest as stone. She felt heat rush to her face as it tingled and radiated with that same heat.
"Are you blushing?" he asked, playing coy. He was being cocky again.
She forced her eyes to look at the floor. "N-no."
"Uh-oh. Was that a stutter? I think we have a recipe for disaster brewing here," he said with a laugh as he playfully tossed the shoe from one hand to the other.
"How much do I owe you for all this anyway?" she asked, ignoring his taunting words. She looked back up at him finally, a redness still staining her cheeks. He gazed back at her with a doe-eyed look. He held a hand up and smiled, as if to say "halt."
"Free of charge. My gift, to the young Lady Cousland who will protect this castle while her brother and father are gone at war," he explained.
She felt as though her heart was being wrenched and squeezed. "Surely I can give you something... I have this whole pouch of silvers..."
"Keep them," he said, though she knew he needed them more than she did.
She began to dig through the coin purse to find an adequate amount for payment. He put a hand on her arm.
"Really. It's not necessary."
She pulled out a handful of silvers. "At least take these.
Something. I feel like I robbed you of such nice armor."
She removed his hand from her arm, opened his hand and placed the silver into his palm. She forced his fingers to curl around the payment and close.
"You overestimate," he chuckled nervously as he looked at his clenched hand. "This many silver pieces... It's too much. A gift is supposed to be free."
"Take them, please. This armor is of high quality. You clearly know what you're doing."
He swallowed hard. Her generosity had caused his body to stiffen. He did not know how to accept such a gift. He nodded and gratefully shoved the coins into a pouch attached to a belt circling his waist.
"Thank you."
They sat in silence as they awkwardly looked at one another and averted eye contact. Krista looked at the floor and rubbed her hands together nervously, fiddling with her fingers. The air seemed thick as she struggled to regain her nerves. Taking in a large and silent jagged breath, she sat quietly and tried to quell her thoughts.
