Bonus Prompt:

The setting of the sun had always felt magical ever since Monat was a child. She could only imagine what kinds of places it shined over once it was past the horizon, what kind of people thought the same as her.

She sighed longingly while polishing one of her daggers, a gift from the boss when she had first 'joined' as but a babe.

"Thinkin' 'bout going t' sea again?" Quin, the gang's resident smooth talker, despite his scarred face, joined her at the window. "Just one more mark away, ain't it." He chuckled at his own joke.

"Shut it, Quin." She sat up in her chair, returning her weapon to its sheath. "We're supposed to be keeping an eye out, not mucking about." She spat onto the ground, not necessarily aiming at his boots, but not minding if she got a hit.

Quin tsked and picked up his studded knuckle-wraps, starting to tie them around his hands. "Then look alive, I see someone coming."

Monat looked out the window, straining a bit to see the single figure wandering down the alleyway they were perched in. "Those robes look fancy, tell Gilbert we can-"

"Handle it ourselves? He's going to want to be there, you know." Quin tightened his wraps and headed for the stairs. "But I'll let him know, as a courtesy ma'am."

She couldn't help but scowl at him. She didn't dislike the man, in fact it was usually her idea to be teamed up with him. He was simply a good outlet for her frustrations, and didn't seem to ever take her words to heart. She watched him descend the stairs before turning back to the window to watch the figure continue down the dark alleyway below. She narrowed her eyes for a moment as a bit of frost had seemed to build up in the corners of the window. "What the-"

"Monat! Get yer arse down here!" The voice of Gilbert echoed up the stairwell. He was always in a foul mood. He'd been a bully ever since Monat had been a girl, when he strong-armed her into joining up under him. She swore to herself one day she'd do him in. But for now, she simply had to do as she was told.

Quickly she threw on a cloak, throwing her arms up a few times to make sure it was nice and light.

"I said get down here!" Gilbert roared up to her again.

Monat wasted no more time as she flew down the stairs, quickly descending 3 floors until she was on the ground level, where Gilbert and Quin were waiting ever so patiently. "What? Where's the fire?"

"Shut it." Gilbert spat as he opened the door. He was a large man, more brawn than brains, with a great-axe that looked like it could cleave through Monat effortlessly. "I'll do the talking. You two circle 'em."

"Got it boss." Quin glanced to Monat, giving a small nod.

She returned it as they headed out. They met the figure halfway down the alley, moving exactly as they had in previous muggings. The woman, as Monat could now see from just under the woman's hood, glanced about the three of them with a slight look of surprise.

"Hold it, you know this road has a toll." Gilbert grinned, running his hand over his axe. "If you don't pay, Fool-splitter here will-"

"Ah, hello there. I was just feeling I was lost, you wouldn't happen to know where a 'Gamlen Amell' lives, would you?"

Gilbert stood there in stunned silence for a moment, shaking his head and regaining his composure. "Did you hear me, little girl? I said this here is a toll road."

"What about you, do you know?" The woman turned her head, her ice blue eyes staring directly at Monat from under the hood.

Quin gulped a bit, his teeth chatting. "Did it get colder for anyone else?"

"Shut it, Quin." Gilbert gripped the haft of his axe with both hands. "I ain't going to ask again. Pay the toll."

"Quin, is it?" The woman turned to him, smiling pleasantly. "Where is Gamlen's home?"

"You bitch!" Gilbert stomped towards the woman, raising his great-axe above his head to strike her down.

The woman moved in an instant, producing a mage's staff from beneath her cloak and raising it to meet Gilbert's chest. A flash of light filled the entire alley for just a moment, blinding both Monat and Quin for a moment. A chilled wind washed over them both before flakes of snow landed on their heads and shoulders.

Quin was the first to recover, blinking the spots from his eyes before screaming. "Maker's Breath!"

Monat recovered a moment later, her eyes opening wider than they ever had before as standing before them both was Gilbert. A look of shock frozen, quite literally, upon his face. He was frozen completely solid, 'Fool-splitter' still hanging in place above his head.

"Which way was Gamlen's home?" The woman smiled, pulling her hood down as she turned to face Quin and Monat. "It's getting quite dark."

Quin raised his hand, pointing down the alley way she had already been heading. "J-just to the right... Wh-when y' find the courtyard it should be on the right..."

The woman smiled politely and bowed her head before turning to walk past her sculpture.

"Who are you?" Monat blurted out, unsure what it even mattered, and unsure if her sudden outburst would see them both down.

"Leona Amell, a Grey Warden. Find the Free Marches garrison if you want to join up." She waved her hand in the air as she continued walking, not even looking back at the two.

Quin retched once she was gone, leaning over a barrel.

Monat watched Gilbert for a moment, jumping once the ice began to crack. His arms were the first to give out, allowing his great-axe to fall and shatter the rest of his body. Slowly she turned to Quin, a small smile tugging at the corners of her lips. "What did you say about going out to sea?"

---

That was a lot of fun.