“What took you so long?”
The Herald's Rest was considerably less crowded that day. Seeing that it was the afternoon and not on the cusp of nightfall. It was only then that harried individuals sifted through the welcoming doors and into the warmth the tavern provided Skyhold. At least in here, there was some kind of normalcy. A sanction away from all of the strange happenings in the world. Unchanged, familiar. Taverns were the same all across Thedas. Varied hearths with licking flames. Scattered chairs and stools, centered by long wooden tables. Bards plucking strings and singing tales that swept across their lands. This place was no different. The individuals who called it home, however, were a motley crew. In the furthest corner of the building lied a neat spread of pirates in varying shades of disarray.
It was a straw-haired dwarven lass who had broken the silence. Small hands planted on her hips, much like Zahra did whenever she was scoping out a place. Or a person. Although the atmosphere felt far too bristly. Her face was pinched up. Thick eyebrows drawn over her blue peepers. A seriousness resonated over her. One she wasn't sure she'd ever seen cloaking the wee spitfire. If Zahra didn't know any better, she might have thought that Nuka was rounding up to kick her in the shins. Luckily enough, her speculation didn't develop. She was standing near their table. For once in her life, she wasn't sure what to do with her hands. One crept behind her neck and rested there while she tried to scrounge up an appropriate explanation for her disappearance. For actively avoiding the only ones she considered family.
Someone thumped her shoulder. For all of her misgivings against the bearded man and his suspicious intentions, it was Garland's face that swung into view, accompanied by that shit-eating grin of his. Infuriating and reassuring. Even if she wanted to boot him in the shins, she was happy to see him. For once. If he resented her absence, he made no mention of it. Only inclined his head. Pale eyes lidded. Beside him stood her fiery-haired beauty. Incessantly frowning and nearly swelling with unspoken impatience. Zahra could almost taste it in the air—just how much Nixium wanted to tear into her for skulking back in this manner. She'd forgotten along the way, perhaps. Aslan hadn't just been hers to mourn. She wasn't the only one who had been hurting in all of this.
“We'll speak of this later,” Nixium's tone was an even slate, belying promises that were shrouded by a subtle twitch of her slanted eye. No doubt it would involve some sort of verbal lashing. As per usual. Zahra had the good sense to feel somewhat embarrassed. Or at least uncomfortable. She simply nodded. It would do her no good to sputter out any nonsense. The elf had an aptitude to see straight through any of her falsehoods. A laugh like bells sounded behind her shoulder. Soft blond curls and a dimpled smile revealed themselves as Brialle tottered forward and snatched up both of Zahra's hands, drawing them in front of her, “We're just glad you're back, Captain. You kept us waiting.”
Aslan's absence was felt. There was no need to bring awareness to the fact. She could feel the heaviness clinging from their shoulders. Drawing them together rather than apart. They'd mourned in their own ways, she was sure.
Zahra had taken a moment to sit with them before excusing herself. Told them that she would return later on. Discuss things further. Celebrate Aslan in their own way. As they usually did when they lost someone they cared about. It'd happened before. Pirating could be nasty business. Certainly not without its risks. They all understood that before they'd stepped aboard the Riptide, but confronting the cold reality was still difficult. Even for her. Zahra swept out into Skyhold's courtyard. For a place that rivaled Haven for its chilly weather, she was pleased that the sun was beating down. She would always prefer sweltering heat over goosepebbled climates. Alas, she would not be so lucky with the Inquisition.
She hummed softly under her breath as she cut around training soldiers. Pausing only to greet anyone who cared enough to call out to her. People around Skyhold had grown accustomed to the wild-haired pirate and her crew. Remembered her name, even. It was strange. As if they were setting roots down. Never had they stayed in one place for so long. She wasn't sure if she liked it or not. For now, it would do. There was something she wanted to know. And there was only one person she was aware of that could help her. Whether or not she would be inclined to share the information was another matter altogether.
Pausing in front of Asala's chamber, Zahra idled beside the doorway and lifted her knuckles to rap against the door.
There was a moment a silence, and then a rustle of activity behind the door. Even for all her meekness, Asala could not hide the weight behind her frame and her footfalls were easily distinguishable as they approached the door. The knob twisted and pulled ajar, the familiar shocks of white poking through the doorway. At first she she glanced down the hall away from where Zahra lingered, and when she swung it in the correct direction, she recoiled a bit apparently surprised by the proximity. "Oh, uh, Zahra? Is there... Can I help you with some-something?" she asked, stumbling over her words as she usually did. The door had swung open wide enough to allow a Zahra a peak inside.
The room was settled in, with just enough disorganization to tell that it was being lived in. Ruffles in the blankets on her bed, books tilted haphazardly on their shelves, and papers strewn across her desk. A book also lay open on the bed, but the most eyecatching thing, due to its adorableness, was a marmalade kitten snuggled into a blanket-lined box off to the side of her desk, snoozing comfortably.
Zahra tilted her head and stepped away from the wall. Turned to face Asala properly. She might have tried drawing herself on her tiptoes, but even then she wouldn't be able to peer into the young Qunari's face. Full of blushing embarrassment. The little, adorable flower. Of course because of her vertical disadvantage, she hadn't immediately seen her. She delighted in her reaction all the same. A small smile pulled at the corners of her lips as she casually peered around Asala's elbow. Her fault for not holding the door, “Ah yes, I had some questions—”
Her eyes widened. Gaze snared themselves on the fluff of fur kneading its little paws in a blanket. A laugh bustled out before she had time to stop it. This was meant to be all about business. Stark business involving solemn affairs. A swift conversation. How could she ignore such an adorable sight? She imagined for a moment... the curvy Qunari scooping up the kitten in her arms. Kitten snuggling a kitten. She smothered down the urge to bully her way inside and flagged an eyebrow, drawing her lips into her best pout, “You'll invite me in, won't you?”
Asala hesitated for a moment, her golden eyes wide and confused. A flurry of hair came next as she gently shook herself and nodded her consent. "Uh, yes. Oh, I mean, uh. D-do you wish to come in?" she asked, her ashen skin flushing. Asala sunk back into the door frame to make way for Zahra to follow. Apparently, the question had only been rhetorical, and only for her to tell Zahra that it was fine. Asala then threw herself into a flurry of activity, straightening up her room as much as she could. She straightened the blankets on her bed, before turning toward the desk and trying to quickly organize the papers into one neat stack.
Once she did everything that she could to clean the room, she threw her gaze around as if searching for anything else out of its place before alighting on Zahra. She smiled apologetically and shrugged. "I am... sorry. I do not get m-many visitors." Chances were, most of the visitors she recieved were in need of her skills. Asala then turned erratically toward the sole chair in the room and pulled it out. "Uh, you can have a, uh, seat. If you want," she offered, though she herself remained standing, most likely to see what Zahra would do first.
“Of course!” Zahra slipped through the opening Asala created. Quick as a snake slithering into a hidey hole. She swept into the room as if it was hers to peruse. Of course, it wasn't and she had no intentions of plucking through her personal effects. Plenty of snooping could be done where she was standing. She planted her hands on her hips as she scrutinized the Qunari's chambers and hummed a low tune in the back of her throat. Spun in a lazy circle as Asala scrambled around the room and tidied her things. Though she had to admit that it hadn't been particularly messy to begin with. Compared to some of the Riptide quarters—it was bloody spotless, albeit bookish. She wasn't sure why she was fussing about.
“No need to apologize, kitten. Or rearrange anything. After all, I'm the one that dropped in on you.” Zahra tilted her head and looked mildly apologetic. It may have been the lighting. Because she was anything but sorry for dropping in on her. Seeing her as flustered as she was had made the trip all the more worthwhile. It wasn't why she was here, however. She closed the distance between them and brushed past in order to plop down on the chair. Seated backwards, so that she could cross her arms over the back and face Asala properly. Or improperly. However way she wanted to look at it. Her smile softened around the edges, lopped pensive. “Actually... I came here because I had some questions. About Qunari culture.” While she hardly staggered when speaking to attractive women... she floundered.
“I wanted to do something special for Aslan. But I never got the chance—I guess, I didn't know much about him. His past. I need to do it right.” Zahra nodded and swung her gaze upwards, meeting Asala's eyes. She hoped she would understand. Even if she wasn't willing to divulge any information on the subject, she had to try.
Asala had curled her legs under herself and opted to take a seat on the bed, taking the nearby book and dog-earing the page she was on before she sat it aside. Apparently from what little Zahra could catch of the title, it was a Fereldan tale. She raised her head for a moment, and made eye contact with Zahra before her gaze dropped, breaking it as fast as it was made. Her head remained lowered, and the conversation seemed to bring melancholy veil over her. She was quiet for a time, as she thought hard over something before she finally spoke, though her eyes never rose from her lap. "The... Qunari. They..." She frowned, "They respect and... celebrate the spirit of the one that has passed."
She closed her eyes and gently sighed, wincing at something that was happening inside her mind. "Shok ebasit... hissra. Meraad..." She paused on the word and inhaled, before shaking her head and forced herself to continue. "Astaarit, meraad itwasit, aban aqun. Maraas shokra... Anaan esaam Qun." With the prayer, she turned toward Zahra, though Asala's eyes never rose to meet hers. "It is... a Qunari prayer for the dead. It means... that despite the ups and downs we face, life is... unchanging. And that victory is in the Qun."
Asala was quiet for a moment before the frown deepened and she shook her head with little more zeal than was expected. "No, that does not work," she said rather vehemently for her, "The Qun would have Meraad and I shackled, and life does change. There is no victory in the Qun," she said, seemingly talking to herself for a moment, at least before she realized that Zahra was still there. She flinched and her gaze dropped again. "I.. I am.. sorry. I-I understand your, uh, desire," she added quietly.
Small details hardly eluded her scrutiny. Neither did the book she had scooped up and neatly dog-eared. Something Ferelden. A familiar title. Only because Rivaini ports acted as gateways to other destinations. With each journey it picked up pieces of another place. Dropped them off as mementos. She tilted her head after it but could not discern the title in it's entirety. Too soon put away. Set aside for later perusal. Zahra imagined that Asala busied herself in many books. Carried herself away into worlds that were less frightening and easily managed between flipped pages and scrawled ink. Her expression thinned and set itself into a frown as she awaited Asala's answer. Perhaps, she'd send her away. Either way, this was time well-wasted.
It took her by surprised when she wasn't turned away. Zahra's frown lifted. Not quite a smile. It hadn't reached her eyes, but she was listening. Intently. Absorbing her words as if she were filing them away for later use. Even if it was slow-going... Asala was grieving too. She'd known before slinking her way down to her chambers. Heard from the others. Of all the losses felt in Haven. Selfish or not for dredging up painful memories, she wondered if they could both benefit from this. If she hadn't already put him to rest already. “Meraad,” she repeated his name and let it linger in the air, “I was fool enough to think I was the only one with losses. I'm sorry for yours, Asala.” Perhaps the only time she'd ever used her name properly. No cutesy nicknames. No fluttering of eyelashes and lewd comments dripping from her tongue.
Zahra perched her chin back down on her forearms and remained quiet for a few moments. While she could never profess to understanding the Qun as Asala did, she understood enough to know that neither Meraad nor Aslan had felt like their ways had been home. They'd found it in other places: far, far from where they had been raised. What did that say then? They were not their stations—much like she'd been told she was. Shackles? So, they had escaped a miserable fate. When Asala turned to see that she was still there, it seemed, as if she'd go anywhere else while she was talking and she caught the briefest glimpse of gold, Zahra straightened her shoulders and drew her chin up.
“No. You've answered what I asked. Thank you,” she tapped her fingers across the back of the chair and finally nodded, “but I think we're both going about it the wrong way. How would we celebrate their lives?”
She grew quiet again, though this time Asala appeared to be in thought. "I... I think I would wish to return home." Her eyes did not turn upward to Zahra yet, but still remained in her lap. Her hands now rested there as well, the palms turned outward so that she sat inspecting them, as if the lines within held some sort of answer she was searching for. "Tammy, the one who raised us. She... still does not know. Meraad..." She hesitated a moment after speaking the name, and audibly swallowed. "Meraad should be mourned by all of us, and not me alone."
There was another quiet moment, but during that moment Asala's head slowly tilted until she faced Zahra, and though her eyeline never rose above her chin, it was closest she had come to making eye contact on purpose. "Perhaps... she began before she shook her head. She tried again, this time her tone one of optimism "Perhaps, one day, I may return. If... you wish to, you... and your crew, could join me." A weak smile played across her lips, but the pain they still held was clear. "My home... Ash-Rethsaam, is on the northern coast between Antiva and Rivain. We could celebrate their memories... Together."
With that, Asala's gaze fell to the legs of Zahra's chair and she shook her head. "I am sorry if that sounds... Foolish."
It didn't take Zahra long to decide. No, not when it involved Aslan. Never had. She doubted it ever would. He was more than a wayward memory on a long voyage. He was something precious she'd always hold close. A cherished gem from her treasury she would never part with. As soon as the words parted from Asala's lips... she knew, with a voracity, that it was the proper thing to do. A proper farewell in a familiar place. That the mousey Qunari would allow her to come along meant far more than she could piece into words. Meraad and Aslan. Ash-Rethsaam. A destination cradled between her homeland. Somehow fitting how she would find herself so close to the place Aslan had freed her.
Harnessing every stealthy ability she'd cultivated in her childhood sneaking out windows and tiptoeing through midnight promenades, Zahra swept up from her chair and stood directly in front of Asala. She did not immediately answer. Nor did she initiate any physical contact. God knows how uncomfortable that made her feel. Instead, she offered her own upturned palm. Swarthy-colored, calloused and laughably small. Shiny baubles and bracelets hung from minute wrists. Rings clacked against adjacent rings. “Foolish?” She rolled the word in her mouth and shook her head, “No. Anything but. I would be honored if you'd let us come with you. Like you said, together.”
She let the words linger and tilted her head. It hadn't occurred to her before. The word that she'd never truly understood. A small smile tipped across her lips and the lines at the corner of her eyes seemed to soften. “Kadan doesn't really mean idiot, does it?”
Asala gazed at her hand for a moment, as if confused as to what to do with it. Instead, she finally found Zahra's eyes and smiled sweetly. "No," she said, shaking her head.
"It means family."
The Herald's Rest was considerably less crowded that day. Seeing that it was the afternoon and not on the cusp of nightfall. It was only then that harried individuals sifted through the welcoming doors and into the warmth the tavern provided Skyhold. At least in here, there was some kind of normalcy. A sanction away from all of the strange happenings in the world. Unchanged, familiar. Taverns were the same all across Thedas. Varied hearths with licking flames. Scattered chairs and stools, centered by long wooden tables. Bards plucking strings and singing tales that swept across their lands. This place was no different. The individuals who called it home, however, were a motley crew. In the furthest corner of the building lied a neat spread of pirates in varying shades of disarray.
It was a straw-haired dwarven lass who had broken the silence. Small hands planted on her hips, much like Zahra did whenever she was scoping out a place. Or a person. Although the atmosphere felt far too bristly. Her face was pinched up. Thick eyebrows drawn over her blue peepers. A seriousness resonated over her. One she wasn't sure she'd ever seen cloaking the wee spitfire. If Zahra didn't know any better, she might have thought that Nuka was rounding up to kick her in the shins. Luckily enough, her speculation didn't develop. She was standing near their table. For once in her life, she wasn't sure what to do with her hands. One crept behind her neck and rested there while she tried to scrounge up an appropriate explanation for her disappearance. For actively avoiding the only ones she considered family.
Someone thumped her shoulder. For all of her misgivings against the bearded man and his suspicious intentions, it was Garland's face that swung into view, accompanied by that shit-eating grin of his. Infuriating and reassuring. Even if she wanted to boot him in the shins, she was happy to see him. For once. If he resented her absence, he made no mention of it. Only inclined his head. Pale eyes lidded. Beside him stood her fiery-haired beauty. Incessantly frowning and nearly swelling with unspoken impatience. Zahra could almost taste it in the air—just how much Nixium wanted to tear into her for skulking back in this manner. She'd forgotten along the way, perhaps. Aslan hadn't just been hers to mourn. She wasn't the only one who had been hurting in all of this.
“We'll speak of this later,” Nixium's tone was an even slate, belying promises that were shrouded by a subtle twitch of her slanted eye. No doubt it would involve some sort of verbal lashing. As per usual. Zahra had the good sense to feel somewhat embarrassed. Or at least uncomfortable. She simply nodded. It would do her no good to sputter out any nonsense. The elf had an aptitude to see straight through any of her falsehoods. A laugh like bells sounded behind her shoulder. Soft blond curls and a dimpled smile revealed themselves as Brialle tottered forward and snatched up both of Zahra's hands, drawing them in front of her, “We're just glad you're back, Captain. You kept us waiting.”
Aslan's absence was felt. There was no need to bring awareness to the fact. She could feel the heaviness clinging from their shoulders. Drawing them together rather than apart. They'd mourned in their own ways, she was sure.
Zahra had taken a moment to sit with them before excusing herself. Told them that she would return later on. Discuss things further. Celebrate Aslan in their own way. As they usually did when they lost someone they cared about. It'd happened before. Pirating could be nasty business. Certainly not without its risks. They all understood that before they'd stepped aboard the Riptide, but confronting the cold reality was still difficult. Even for her. Zahra swept out into Skyhold's courtyard. For a place that rivaled Haven for its chilly weather, she was pleased that the sun was beating down. She would always prefer sweltering heat over goosepebbled climates. Alas, she would not be so lucky with the Inquisition.
She hummed softly under her breath as she cut around training soldiers. Pausing only to greet anyone who cared enough to call out to her. People around Skyhold had grown accustomed to the wild-haired pirate and her crew. Remembered her name, even. It was strange. As if they were setting roots down. Never had they stayed in one place for so long. She wasn't sure if she liked it or not. For now, it would do. There was something she wanted to know. And there was only one person she was aware of that could help her. Whether or not she would be inclined to share the information was another matter altogether.
Pausing in front of Asala's chamber, Zahra idled beside the doorway and lifted her knuckles to rap against the door.
There was a moment a silence, and then a rustle of activity behind the door. Even for all her meekness, Asala could not hide the weight behind her frame and her footfalls were easily distinguishable as they approached the door. The knob twisted and pulled ajar, the familiar shocks of white poking through the doorway. At first she she glanced down the hall away from where Zahra lingered, and when she swung it in the correct direction, she recoiled a bit apparently surprised by the proximity. "Oh, uh, Zahra? Is there... Can I help you with some-something?" she asked, stumbling over her words as she usually did. The door had swung open wide enough to allow a Zahra a peak inside.
The room was settled in, with just enough disorganization to tell that it was being lived in. Ruffles in the blankets on her bed, books tilted haphazardly on their shelves, and papers strewn across her desk. A book also lay open on the bed, but the most eyecatching thing, due to its adorableness, was a marmalade kitten snuggled into a blanket-lined box off to the side of her desk, snoozing comfortably.
Zahra tilted her head and stepped away from the wall. Turned to face Asala properly. She might have tried drawing herself on her tiptoes, but even then she wouldn't be able to peer into the young Qunari's face. Full of blushing embarrassment. The little, adorable flower. Of course because of her vertical disadvantage, she hadn't immediately seen her. She delighted in her reaction all the same. A small smile pulled at the corners of her lips as she casually peered around Asala's elbow. Her fault for not holding the door, “Ah yes, I had some questions—”
Her eyes widened. Gaze snared themselves on the fluff of fur kneading its little paws in a blanket. A laugh bustled out before she had time to stop it. This was meant to be all about business. Stark business involving solemn affairs. A swift conversation. How could she ignore such an adorable sight? She imagined for a moment... the curvy Qunari scooping up the kitten in her arms. Kitten snuggling a kitten. She smothered down the urge to bully her way inside and flagged an eyebrow, drawing her lips into her best pout, “You'll invite me in, won't you?”
Asala hesitated for a moment, her golden eyes wide and confused. A flurry of hair came next as she gently shook herself and nodded her consent. "Uh, yes. Oh, I mean, uh. D-do you wish to come in?" she asked, her ashen skin flushing. Asala sunk back into the door frame to make way for Zahra to follow. Apparently, the question had only been rhetorical, and only for her to tell Zahra that it was fine. Asala then threw herself into a flurry of activity, straightening up her room as much as she could. She straightened the blankets on her bed, before turning toward the desk and trying to quickly organize the papers into one neat stack.
Once she did everything that she could to clean the room, she threw her gaze around as if searching for anything else out of its place before alighting on Zahra. She smiled apologetically and shrugged. "I am... sorry. I do not get m-many visitors." Chances were, most of the visitors she recieved were in need of her skills. Asala then turned erratically toward the sole chair in the room and pulled it out. "Uh, you can have a, uh, seat. If you want," she offered, though she herself remained standing, most likely to see what Zahra would do first.
“Of course!” Zahra slipped through the opening Asala created. Quick as a snake slithering into a hidey hole. She swept into the room as if it was hers to peruse. Of course, it wasn't and she had no intentions of plucking through her personal effects. Plenty of snooping could be done where she was standing. She planted her hands on her hips as she scrutinized the Qunari's chambers and hummed a low tune in the back of her throat. Spun in a lazy circle as Asala scrambled around the room and tidied her things. Though she had to admit that it hadn't been particularly messy to begin with. Compared to some of the Riptide quarters—it was bloody spotless, albeit bookish. She wasn't sure why she was fussing about.
“No need to apologize, kitten. Or rearrange anything. After all, I'm the one that dropped in on you.” Zahra tilted her head and looked mildly apologetic. It may have been the lighting. Because she was anything but sorry for dropping in on her. Seeing her as flustered as she was had made the trip all the more worthwhile. It wasn't why she was here, however. She closed the distance between them and brushed past in order to plop down on the chair. Seated backwards, so that she could cross her arms over the back and face Asala properly. Or improperly. However way she wanted to look at it. Her smile softened around the edges, lopped pensive. “Actually... I came here because I had some questions. About Qunari culture.” While she hardly staggered when speaking to attractive women... she floundered.
“I wanted to do something special for Aslan. But I never got the chance—I guess, I didn't know much about him. His past. I need to do it right.” Zahra nodded and swung her gaze upwards, meeting Asala's eyes. She hoped she would understand. Even if she wasn't willing to divulge any information on the subject, she had to try.
Asala had curled her legs under herself and opted to take a seat on the bed, taking the nearby book and dog-earing the page she was on before she sat it aside. Apparently from what little Zahra could catch of the title, it was a Fereldan tale. She raised her head for a moment, and made eye contact with Zahra before her gaze dropped, breaking it as fast as it was made. Her head remained lowered, and the conversation seemed to bring melancholy veil over her. She was quiet for a time, as she thought hard over something before she finally spoke, though her eyes never rose from her lap. "The... Qunari. They..." She frowned, "They respect and... celebrate the spirit of the one that has passed."
She closed her eyes and gently sighed, wincing at something that was happening inside her mind. "Shok ebasit... hissra. Meraad..." She paused on the word and inhaled, before shaking her head and forced herself to continue. "Astaarit, meraad itwasit, aban aqun. Maraas shokra... Anaan esaam Qun." With the prayer, she turned toward Zahra, though Asala's eyes never rose to meet hers. "It is... a Qunari prayer for the dead. It means... that despite the ups and downs we face, life is... unchanging. And that victory is in the Qun."
Asala was quiet for a moment before the frown deepened and she shook her head with little more zeal than was expected. "No, that does not work," she said rather vehemently for her, "The Qun would have Meraad and I shackled, and life does change. There is no victory in the Qun," she said, seemingly talking to herself for a moment, at least before she realized that Zahra was still there. She flinched and her gaze dropped again. "I.. I am.. sorry. I-I understand your, uh, desire," she added quietly.
Small details hardly eluded her scrutiny. Neither did the book she had scooped up and neatly dog-eared. Something Ferelden. A familiar title. Only because Rivaini ports acted as gateways to other destinations. With each journey it picked up pieces of another place. Dropped them off as mementos. She tilted her head after it but could not discern the title in it's entirety. Too soon put away. Set aside for later perusal. Zahra imagined that Asala busied herself in many books. Carried herself away into worlds that were less frightening and easily managed between flipped pages and scrawled ink. Her expression thinned and set itself into a frown as she awaited Asala's answer. Perhaps, she'd send her away. Either way, this was time well-wasted.
It took her by surprised when she wasn't turned away. Zahra's frown lifted. Not quite a smile. It hadn't reached her eyes, but she was listening. Intently. Absorbing her words as if she were filing them away for later use. Even if it was slow-going... Asala was grieving too. She'd known before slinking her way down to her chambers. Heard from the others. Of all the losses felt in Haven. Selfish or not for dredging up painful memories, she wondered if they could both benefit from this. If she hadn't already put him to rest already. “Meraad,” she repeated his name and let it linger in the air, “I was fool enough to think I was the only one with losses. I'm sorry for yours, Asala.” Perhaps the only time she'd ever used her name properly. No cutesy nicknames. No fluttering of eyelashes and lewd comments dripping from her tongue.
Zahra perched her chin back down on her forearms and remained quiet for a few moments. While she could never profess to understanding the Qun as Asala did, she understood enough to know that neither Meraad nor Aslan had felt like their ways had been home. They'd found it in other places: far, far from where they had been raised. What did that say then? They were not their stations—much like she'd been told she was. Shackles? So, they had escaped a miserable fate. When Asala turned to see that she was still there, it seemed, as if she'd go anywhere else while she was talking and she caught the briefest glimpse of gold, Zahra straightened her shoulders and drew her chin up.
“No. You've answered what I asked. Thank you,” she tapped her fingers across the back of the chair and finally nodded, “but I think we're both going about it the wrong way. How would we celebrate their lives?”
She grew quiet again, though this time Asala appeared to be in thought. "I... I think I would wish to return home." Her eyes did not turn upward to Zahra yet, but still remained in her lap. Her hands now rested there as well, the palms turned outward so that she sat inspecting them, as if the lines within held some sort of answer she was searching for. "Tammy, the one who raised us. She... still does not know. Meraad..." She hesitated a moment after speaking the name, and audibly swallowed. "Meraad should be mourned by all of us, and not me alone."
There was another quiet moment, but during that moment Asala's head slowly tilted until she faced Zahra, and though her eyeline never rose above her chin, it was closest she had come to making eye contact on purpose. "Perhaps... she began before she shook her head. She tried again, this time her tone one of optimism "Perhaps, one day, I may return. If... you wish to, you... and your crew, could join me." A weak smile played across her lips, but the pain they still held was clear. "My home... Ash-Rethsaam, is on the northern coast between Antiva and Rivain. We could celebrate their memories... Together."
With that, Asala's gaze fell to the legs of Zahra's chair and she shook her head. "I am sorry if that sounds... Foolish."
It didn't take Zahra long to decide. No, not when it involved Aslan. Never had. She doubted it ever would. He was more than a wayward memory on a long voyage. He was something precious she'd always hold close. A cherished gem from her treasury she would never part with. As soon as the words parted from Asala's lips... she knew, with a voracity, that it was the proper thing to do. A proper farewell in a familiar place. That the mousey Qunari would allow her to come along meant far more than she could piece into words. Meraad and Aslan. Ash-Rethsaam. A destination cradled between her homeland. Somehow fitting how she would find herself so close to the place Aslan had freed her.
Harnessing every stealthy ability she'd cultivated in her childhood sneaking out windows and tiptoeing through midnight promenades, Zahra swept up from her chair and stood directly in front of Asala. She did not immediately answer. Nor did she initiate any physical contact. God knows how uncomfortable that made her feel. Instead, she offered her own upturned palm. Swarthy-colored, calloused and laughably small. Shiny baubles and bracelets hung from minute wrists. Rings clacked against adjacent rings. “Foolish?” She rolled the word in her mouth and shook her head, “No. Anything but. I would be honored if you'd let us come with you. Like you said, together.”
She let the words linger and tilted her head. It hadn't occurred to her before. The word that she'd never truly understood. A small smile tipped across her lips and the lines at the corner of her eyes seemed to soften. “Kadan doesn't really mean idiot, does it?”
Asala gazed at her hand for a moment, as if confused as to what to do with it. Instead, she finally found Zahra's eyes and smiled sweetly. "No," she said, shaking her head.
"It means family."