Dragon Age - The Kill. Chap 14

Sindel was easily able to heal Zevran's wounds, but Xai's required a bit more attention, especially where Zevran had hamstrung him. So while the Dalish elf had the human lying face-down on his bed as she worked her magic, the Antivan poked his head outside and instructed the first servant who passed to fetch Shianni. If he was going to explain what happened in the tower, he'd tell them both at the same time.

When he sat at Xai's table, booted feet resting near the man's twin swords and by now stone-cold meal, the human said, "I don't suppose either of you would care to explain how Sindel came to be in the Imperium."

Zevran merely raised his brows, while Sindel replied, "I flew." She glanced at Zevran while healing blue light continued to stream from her extended fingers, and at his shrug and smile elaborated: "He sent a letter to Highever before leaving Denerim, asking that I meet him at the Grey Warden compound in Minrathous after a certain number of weeks. The teyrnir was not too troubled when the time to leave came, so I decided to risk the voyage."

"I wished to see if she could provide any aid with Shianni," Zevran said when Xai glanced at him.

"Ah." The human looked thoughtful. "The similarities of your…individual misfortunes, I presume."

"That was the general idea. But when the current situation reared its ugly head I thought to myself, 'Zevran, why not ask her to provide some assistance with Xai while she is here?'"

Xai smirked slightly. "The great Zevran Arainai asked for backup during an assassination attempt?"

Zevran grinned in return and stretched his legs further. "Backup? No, no, my friend, I asked for an audience. Alas, Sindel was the only one interested, but as this is my debut in Tevinter I am confident word will spread of my prowess, yes? I expect glowing reviews from the town criers all across the city."

"Expecting calls for an encore already, are we?"

"Let us say I am now prepared for such, hm?" Zevran shot a meaningful glance at the broken mirror and Xai's expression practically froze at the implication. Zevran hummed to himself, thinking he might have to reconsider throwing that threat around so casually. For one thing, he wouldn't be able to follow through with it if neither he nor Sindel could remember the words, and for another, those who'd held similar power over the former assassin in the past were now, according to him, quite dead.

"What is the situation in Highever?" Xai asked after a silent moment, looking back over his shoulder at Sindel.

Zevran had already asked her this when he'd found her in Minrathous, but listened in to her reply anyway. "The darkspawn presence is increasing all along the Coastland," she said. "It's getting pretty bad, and Fergus is having to make some tough choices on which parts of his lands to protect. Highever still doesn't have enough soldiers since the Howe occupation during the Blight, but Alistair, Galahan and I have been helping as much as possible. I'll be heading back as soon as I'm done here," she added with another glance at Zevran. "Before dawn, I hope."

Xai's brow furrowed. "Amaranthine?"

Sindel sighed. "From what I understand, Asleena arrived at Vigil's Keep in the middle of a darkspawn attack. None of the Orlesian Wardens who were stationed there survived the assault, but she managed to rescue some survivors and liberate the keep when she got there. I don't know much more than that, I'm afraid. I flew there before I came here to see if she wanted to pass on any news, but she wasn't around. Out on Grey Warden business, looking into rumours of a...of a broodmother nest," she finished, a shade reluctantly, and even Zevran felt a twinge of unease.

"She's the only Warden there?" Xai said.

"Not anymore. She's been recruiting. Which reminds me of something I forgot to tell you," she added in Zevran's direction. "You're a friend of Felsi's husband, aren't you? You were companions during the Blight."

"Are you speaking of Oghren, my lovely woman?" Zevran stopped as it clicked. One of his feet slipped off the table with a thump. "Oghrenis a Grey Warden? Oghren? Are you quite serious?"

Sindel laughed at his reaction. "You should have seen Alistair's face at the news. You know, in some ways I think you two are quite similar." Smiling as Zevran scoffed, she stepped back from Xai's bedside and flexed the fingers of either hand against each other. "All right. See how that feels."

Zevran pretended not to pay too much attention as the other assassin got up and tested his legs, but toyed with a dagger he could throw at a moment's notice. He still wasn't sure how much he was prepared to trust the human with regards to his personal safety, but he had come to one reluctant conclusion: without Xai's aid they had little chance of rescuing the Denerim elves. Shianni's altercation with the magister and inexperience with Tevinter politics counted against her, and Zevran's rampage through the Circle would not make his presence at any negotiation particularly helpful. Additionally, as Xai had pointed out when they'd first arrived, Shianni and Zevran were both elves.

"What if someone recognises you?" Zevran asked suddenly. "You told that magister Ezio your name, yes?"

"Yes," Xai said, "but when I came here as an assassin I used a different one. My hair was longer, I was younger, and I had little contact with any mages here but the First Enchanter. Superficial recognition may not be an issue." He sat on the bed and drew one knee up to his chin, then the other, stretching muscles carefully. "If they see the brand they will recognise the ink, naturally. And if I am subjected to their magic they are liable to sense the heightened connection."

"All magic? Not just blood magic?" Zevran shot a glance at Sindel, who shrugged.

"I always assumed he possessed some item that enhanced the effects of certain spells," she confessed. "Asleena's amulet amplifies healing energies, and I have a shield back in Highever that does similar."

"A Tevinter blood mage is likely to recognise when he's dealing with a lyrium brand," Xai said. "I honestly don't know what they would do with me considering I'm a Grey Warden now, but blood mages have plentyof options, subtle and otherwise. Maybe I would just disappear in the night one eve, following dark dreams." He gave a twisted smile. "Grey Wardens go missing all the time, don't they? A hazard of the job, you could say."

"So in short," Zevran said dryly, "if you are discovered, things may get complicated."

"You're not off the hook either, Arainai. Did Ezio just allow you to escape? Did you kill him? You don't have to be a thrall for a magister to come after you, and we both know he's tasted your blood. He's got your scent, and for all we know a vial of blood to boot."

A chill prickled down Zevran's spine, but he hid his discomfit and drawled, "Legally I am now in the proud possession of a delightful dwarven lady. If the magister wants me he will have to pay a substantial sum."

Xai made a hrmph sound, but asked, "How substantial?"

Zevran thought for a moment, smiled, then held his hands apart like so. "About…this much refined lyrium. Give or take. Impressive, no? I expect no slave in the history of the Imperium could claim such an extravagant price!"

"Not honestly, no," Xai murmured dryly. "But if you escaped your new owner, you're effectively fair game, Zevran, and if Ezio learns you are seeking refuge at the Fereldan Embassy—"

He was interrupted by a knock at the door, and Shianni's oddly subdued voice identifying herself on the other side. Xai threw on a shirt and Zevran removed his foot from the table before the other man called for her to enter. He'd been quite looking forward to seeing Shianni's reaction at seeing he had returned, and was not disappointed. Her face lit up, her relief that he was whole was palpable, and he had to speak up after a while to interrupt her stream of apologies for getting him into trouble in the first place.

"Here now, my dear," Zevran said. "I am alive, yes? And unharmed? I am prepared to strip down if you wish to examine me more thoroughly, but I assure you I am quite well. Come, join us at the table. We have much to discuss."

"We do?" Shianni said anxiously as Xai pulled out a chair for her. The girl sat, then gave Sindel a confused look as the armoured Dalish elf drew her own seat and sank into it with a clinking of mail. Xai claimed the place across from her.

"Ah, forgive my manners. Shianni, this is Sindel, Arcane Warrior of the Fereldan Grey Wardens and formerly of the Dalish clans."

"I didn't know elves could be Grey Wardens…"

"One of the most famous Wardens of old was elven," Sindel said, smiling at her. "But we can speak of that later, Shianni."

She nodded and promptly turned to Zevran. "How'd you get out?"

Zevran chuckled. "I'm so glad you asked."

He explained as much as he could remember, leaving out only the finer descriptions of the thralls' tattoos in case Shianni was clever enough to come to the same conclusions as Zevran had. By the time he'd finished, Xai was pouring drinks for the four of them and apparently deep in thought, Sindel was examining the dagger, broken sword and book Zevran had scavenged from the tower (the latter of which, Zevran had been disgusted to learn, was about rearing halla and carving horn rather than something even remotely interesting), and Shianni was trying to figure out who the elf had been that had reacted to her name and Soris'.

"Blonde, you said?" she asked again.

"With lavender eyes," Zevran confirmed. "Utterly gorgeous. Wicked sense of humour, too. And possessed of a very strong grip," he added as a wry afterthought.

"Ciela was blonde," Shianni said reluctantly, as though prodding a sore tooth. "She hated people calling her eyes lavender, though, because it was unusual and made her stand out. She preferred blue."

"Vivid colours are a mark of old Dalish bloodlines running strong," Sindel said, looking up from her book. "Amongst the People it is common to have purple eyes."

"Yeah, well, we lived in an alienage. Looking different or standing out just meant the shems paid you more attention—of the unwanted variety." Shianni twisted one of her fingers distractedly and so missed Sindel's concerned expression. "Zevran…I was given a list of the slaves from Denerim. It tells you everything. Who's in the Circle Tower, who was taken to auction and sold, and who's…not alive anymore. It says Uncle Cyrion is all right, but Ciela…she's dead."

"They could have lied," Xai said, setting down the glasses and reclaiming his chair. "I have told you this. What better way to keep possession of valuable slaves than deny their existence?"

"Taeodor said only two of the Denerim elves were taken to become thralls," Zevran said thoughtfully. "Ciela Tabris was one, but the name of the other…ah, what was it? Valdaran something?"

"Valdaran Dasu?" Shianni supplied. "I don't know him, but his name was on the list Valendrian gave me. I've already compared it to the Tevinter one." She frowned. "I would have to check to be sure, but I think they listed him as dead too."

"But the description Zevran gave matches your cousin's?" Xai said, sipping at his wine.

"She knew her way around a sword," Zevran pointed out. "Not a common alienage talent with that ban on elves owning blades, I imagine."

"It sounds like her," Shianni conceded hesitantly. She fiddled with the stem of her glass. "I just don't want to get my hopes up. Maybe we should just rescue the ones we know are alive and get out before anyone else is hurt."

There was silence until Zevran noted, "That's very unlike you, my dear."

"Maybe that's a good thing," Shianni muttered, staring at her drink. She started to pick the glass up, then lowered it again and pushed it away to the middle of the table. "So far my brilliance has gotten the people I care about abducted, raped, killed, imprisoned, sold into slavery and tortured by blood mages. Nice record, huh? Xai, you asked me back on the ship what I'd want to do if we learned the magisters were unwilling to let some of my people go. I said I'd want to save them if it wouldn't risk any more lives, didn't I?"

"You did," the former master confirmed quietly.

"We don't know if Ciela is alive," Shianni said. "If she is, then they're keeping her somewhere we'd have to break into, right? After what Zevran went through simply trying to escape, we could end up risking everyone for nothing. And if the magisters catch us what would they do with us? What would they do with the elves we'd just saved?"

"If it came to springing anyone out of the tower by less than legal means," Xai said, "the last thing we'd want to do is transport them on the same vessel as the other elves." He traded a glance with Zevran here. "If they wished, the magisters would be able to follow their blood scent, similar to how Templars tracks apostates via a phylactery, and Minrathous would have little trouble readying a warship complete with mages to hunt us down.

"If we were to free any thralls," he went on, "I would save them until last. Rescue the other slaves first and send the ship back to Denerim without us. When they are safely away, we liberate the thralls and leave the Tevinter Imperium separately."

"I am hoping there is a little more detail to this plan of yours than just that," Zevran remarked, leaning back with his wineglass in hand.

Xai smiled faintly. "Of course. But details are unnecessary if Shianni has no wish to proceed."

"Why not rescue all the thralls?" Sindel asked.

"That would be very dangerous, sister, and maybe impossible," Xai said sombrely. "The thralls' cells aren't sealed by key and lock, but by magic. Unlike the regular blood slaves, which are 'common property', thralls are more akin to being personal pets. The magical fields holding them are a combination of more than one mage's power, and can be lowered only by the cooperation, incapacitation or deaths of said mages. To free all the thralls we would have to deal with many powerful blood mages."

"I think I have seen a spell such as you are describing," Zevran said. "During the Blight, Arl Howe detained Anora in the Denerim Estate. There was a purple field sealing her door, and we had to slay two mages to dispel it. Not even Alistair and Asleena's combined Templar arts could bring it down."

"If procedure is the same as the last time I was here, on my contract to kill a magister," Xai added for Shianni's benefit, "it will be a minimum of two mages to a cage: one the overseer, the others whoever 'owns' or has an interest in the specific thrall—"

Shianni interrupted. "You're talking like it's already decided we're going through with this!"

"Are we not?" Zevran asked innocently. "Have I not broken into heavily guarded fortresses before and rescued Grey Wardens in distress? And let us not forget our friend Xai, who has infiltrated this very same tower in the past, killed his mark and escaped to tell the tale. What is there to fear?"

"Plenty!" the girl shouted, jumping to her feet and staring at him in disbelief. "Maker's breath, Zevran, I felt what that blood mage's spell was like. I saw him cast it on you! Do you want to feel that again?"

Xai set his glass down atop the table with a firm sound. "There is a simple way around this," he said.

"Is there now?" Zevran asked warily, and even Shianni looked suspicious.

Xai nodded. "When the regular slaves are freed, Shianni can travel back with them to Ferelden on The Royal Sail. Zevran and I can attempt to rescue any thralls on our own."

Zevran had to struggle not to gawp at the colossal gall of this calm-faced proposal of partnership. Sindel was making a choked sound beside him, and Shianni blurted, "What? You can't send me away while you rescue my own cousin without me!"

"Can you give me a reason why not?" Xai asked, his innocent expression of curiosity almost as good as a smirk.

"Because she's my cousin! I got her into this and I have to get her out!"

"Then you have until we free the other elves to make your decision on whether you're going with them, or staying with us," Xai told her.

"Why do you even care? You're human! And you're not even Fereldan!"

"Our instructions were, if I recall the wording correctly, 'to buy back or otherwise liberate those who were illegally sold into slavery during the Blight.'"

"Sod your…sodding orders, shem! Aren't you even a little worried about what those mages will do to you if they catch you? Aren't you afraid?"

"Should I be?" Xai asked, and for once Zevran believed he saw the lie beneath the serene façade.

"Maybe you would be if youknew what it felt like," Shianni snapped at him.

"I've been here before, Shianni," Xai reminded her evenly. "I assure you, I am aware of the risks in this place."

When the girl sat, looking a little shame-faced after her accusation had been shot down, Xai turned to Zevran. "Would you care to hear my observations now?"

Zevran swirled his wine, his eyes gazing absently at Shianni's untasted glass. "At your pleasure, my friend."

"The magisters have been experimenting with lyrium, blood magic and fragmented scraps of plundered lore for centuries," Xai said. "I can hardly claim to know everything they've achieved, only what I have seen and heard for myself. I have not heard of this…glowing eyes effect you described. At the least it seems like the magisters found a way to control their thralls over a greater than usual distance, even with obstacles between them."

"This is not a common blood mage skill?" Zevran asked.

"In my experience, any sort of blood control to the effectiveness you described would require the mage in power to be able to see what he's…doing." Xai blinked at nothing. "Four Swords…it's that simple?"

"They can see through the thralls' eyes?" Zevran demanded. "This is what you think?"

"Perhaps. It could help explain how the thralls managed to find you so easily, if they were not the ones doing the searching but relying on the mage behind them and within them." His expression registered disgust for a brief moment. "If we're right, we'd better pray the range isn't significant, otherwise it won't make getting away any easier."

"This sounds disturbingly similar to some theories I have heard on abominations," Sindel said, looking disturbed. "A demon comes across a sleeping mage in the Fade and attempts to possess him, through force or guile. If it succeeds, the spirit of the mage is still within the Fade with the demon, but it gains control of the body, sees through his eyes, acts with his hands."

"Wait, wait," Shianni said, looking between them. "Please tell me that if we do end up rescuing Ciela, or anyone who's a thrall, there's some way to make sure the magisters can't control them whenever they like! There's a way to protect them, isn't there?"

Xai shrugged, but Sindel said, "If these brands the thralls bear are like our vallaslin, tattoos"—she indicated the markings of Andruil on her own face here—"then it may be possible to burn them off."

"But…" Shianni hesitated. "Zevran said Ciela's tattoo was over one of her eyes. Burning it off would…really hurt, wouldn't it? And scar her for life."

"If not destroy the sight in her eye," Xai said. "Yes."

Sindel leaned forward. "I might be able to help there. I've had experience with healing burns magically and mitigating pain. I have even helped my old clan remove vallaslin." She glanced at Zevran. "A story for another time. Suffice to say, my skill is not insignificant. When the time comes I could assist with removing any brands. If it might remove a blood mage's power over someone, it's worth a try isn't it?"

The very slight emphasis she put on the offer to remove any brands prompted Zevran to glance at Xai, whose smile at Sindel's words was vaguely self-mocking. It wouldn't work then? Or was there something else? But Shianni looked grateful at Sindel's offer and said, "Thank you." The discussion moved on.

"For now, we have to worry about reaching the thralls and getting them out," Xai said. "Zevran, how much do you trust that dwarf who bought you?"

"Shayle? We are old companions, as I said. I trust her well enough. She has also been in contact with a number of the mages," Zevran went on musingly. "They are attempting to woo the rest of her lyrium from her, you see, tempting her to dinners and dances. Perhaps she can learn if our thralls live, or who their masters are. I saw them, however briefly, and she was there with me."

He gave an approving nod, seeming even a little impressed. "We have time. Shianni and I will organise the other slaves, but I strongly suggest you stay with your new mistress for now. We can contact you if there is any news."

Zevran didn't bother to hide his displeasure at this idea. "So I am to sit around doing nothing, hm?"

"By all means, sneak out, visit the Grand Cathedral, lie, cheat, swindle, wench, try to assassinate someone else if it pleases you," Xai said dryly. "Just don't draw any more attention to us, if you would be so kind." His lips stretched into a shadow of his usual smile. "But you are in charge, of course."

"So kind of you to remember."

The smile widened a fraction before he turned serious again. "I will try to secure some half-decent floor plans of the tower, and if you wish you can do the same. See if Shayle can assist. Several floors are open to the public so it shouldn't be hard to get hand-drawn maps from hawkers, complete with lists of visitor attractions, but anything reliable for the upper levels will be hard to find without a mage's assistance. I will draw what I remember, but it's old information at best."

"What can I do?" Shianni asked, looking determined to be included now.

"When we start bringing the Denerim elves in," Xai told her, "talk to them. All of them. They will have the most up-to-date knowledge of what goes on in the tower and what the day-to-day habits of some of the mages are. Everything will be useful, and you are one of them. They will answer your questions if it means rescuing more of their own, I expect."

"I can do that."

"Other than that," Xai glanced at Zevran, "and brainstorming ways to leave the city, there is nothing else to be done for now except enchant your weapons with the most powerful dweomer runes you can find."

Zevran's eyes flicked to the two Imperial Edges on the table. Both were already enchanted with two grandmaster dweomer runes apiece. He nodded. "I am sure Shayle's dwarven associates can assist me there."

Sensing the discussion was drawing to a close, Sindel pushed her chair back and rose, collecting the book, dar'misu and dar'misaan as she did so. "I regret I can't stay longer and help, but the others will need my skills back in Highever and I should leave as soon as it's light. Zevran, would you mind waiting for me out front?" When he indicated he would, she motioned to Shianni with a smile. "I would very much like to speak to my elvhen kinswoman before I go. Would you mind?"

The girl looked dubious, but rose and shrugged. "If you want. We'll go back to my room." Giving the two men a nod goodnight, she left with the Dalish Warden following.

As soon as the heavy door had closed, Zevran said, "You must have considered burning the tattoo off or cutting it away, so why have you never attempted it yourself?" Xai didn't answer immediately, and remained staring at the door with an unreadable expression. "The mark on your chest would not be so hard to erase, true?"

"In case you hadn't figured this out already, Zevran, it wouldn't stop the words from working."

The elf snorted. "That is an excuse, surely. What of the magic side you spoke of? You are walking around with a vulnerability to mages that is begging to be exploited. A pair of enchanted swords won't save you every time."

"It's a sacred Crow symbol. The House would have killed me for destroying it."

"Another excuse. You have been free of the Crows for nigh a year, Xai Merras, and tangling with enough darkspawn emissaries to be a liability to your Grey Warden companions, not to mention a risk to your Commander." Zevran watched the man carefully for reactions. "Did you not try to get rid of me for a similar failing?"

Xai gave him an irritated look. "The Commander believes the heightened effects I receive from benign spells are not without value."

"O-ho! Now she is making excuses for you?"

To Zevran's secret delight, he spotted a spark of anger at that comment. The man tried to cover it by smiling. "I just love how you can all talk about putting a hot iron against some young girl's eye as though she will actually agree to let you anywhere near her. Oh, yes. Very nice."

"You are evading the question, my friend."

"Question time is over."

The two men locked eyes, Xai's gaze challenging, daring Zevran to threaten him for more information, while the elf merely attempted to gauge how much further he could press.

"For now," Zevran conceded finally, feeling it best not to push his luck all in one night. He rose with deliberate nonchalance and headed for the door. "Oh, except for one last thing, Merras," he said, turning back to face the still-seated man. "You mentioned Asleena is aware of this? How much does she know?"

"More than you." Xai's dark eyes was steady. "And less than you."

Sindel met him outside, and together they left the embassy. There was some confusion at the gate considering no one had seen them arrive, but the elven woman's Grey Warden accoutrements and a runner sent to Xai's rooms who returned with prompt confirmation convinced the guards to let them pass.

"Shianni is strong-willed," Sindel said as they walked the streets of Minrathous, en route to Shayle's estate. "We just talked, I about the Green Dales and how I became a Warden—she asked, so I gave a brief account. She spoke a little about Denerim on her own in return, but not too much. You told me enough yourself. I think she hurts most for convincing herself others suffered due to her brashness. That it's her fault. In this our situations are…very different."

Zevran shook his head. "She wants to rescue her cousin, but at the same time she fears bringing more people to harm. She sees blood on her hands and guilt in her heart."

"I don't think I can help her any more than you and Xai have managed to so far. I gave her a pair of daggers like you asked in the letter. Good ones. She seemed very pleased." Sindel smiled faintly at him. "Said the two of you were training her."

He tried to hide his awkwardness at her gentle approval, but something told him she wasn't fooled. "Everyone should know how to defend themselves properly, no?"

The former Keeper smiled, then took the elegant dar'misu he'd stolen from the slavemistress off her belt and handed it back to him. "You might as well hold on to it, lethallin. I'm sure you will never want for more blades. It's called the Fang of Fen'Harel, according to its markings. I've seen daggers of similar make amongst the clans, and can only tell you that this style of forging and design dates back to the time the elvhen lived in the Dales, back before it was overrun by the Chantry."

"What of the sword?" Zevran asked. "That looked a fine weapon."

"I couldn't translate much of the script, and it doesn't help that some of it is too marred to make sense of, but give me time and access to my records back in Highever and I'll have a better idea. I don't know if it can be repaired either, not properly. The metal's a lyrium alloy, like Spellweaver here." She touched the pommel of her own blade. "Maybe your new dwarven friends can take a look."

He accepted the twisted pieces back with a shrug and a nod. "It is worth asking."

"Do you want the book back as well?"

Zevran laughed at that. "Stealing tomes from libraries! And not even useful tomes at that. What kind of thief am I, hm?"

"History is history," Sindel said. "There are designs for carving halla horns in here I have never laid eyes upon, lethallin, and they are beautiful. So much forgotten art is in those pages, I almost wish…" She trailed off, looking away into the night-darkened city with its shadowy towers of stolen lore. A soft sigh escaped her. "Don't discredit what you have recovered just because it doesn't show how to brew a stronger poison or fashion a more powerful bow. That's not what Arlathan was."

When they reached the gates of Shayle's estate several minutes later, she turned to him and asked, "Is there any message you wish me to bring back to Ferelden?"

"Ah…" Zevran thought a moment. "Tell Alistair and Asleena what I said of Shayle and Wynne. That will be of interest to both of them, yes? What do you think of our Xai Merras, however? He claims Asleena knows much of what we now do."

"I am bonded to a man who believes in keeping secret that which is not ours to share," Sindel said, glancing up at the night sky. "Grey Wardens are also not supposed to make much of a person's past. I am not sure this is always wise, but neither do I think carrying this information to Ferelden will help you here in the Tevinter Imperium."

"No…no, I suppose you are right." He sighed. "He is…convincing, I will give him that. Do you remember any of those words he said to the mirror?"

"Only the ones you repeated back to him, and that single one he said twice," she said, and recited it for him. "Not the first two phrases. You don't intend to use them on him, do you?"

"Only if the situation demands it, never fear." He gave her a reassuring smile. "Thank you for coming all this way, my friend."

She smiled back and bestowed a quick embrace, the metal of her armour feeling cool against his skin in the warmth of the evening air. "Mythal protect you and Andruil guide your blades, Zevran Arainai. Dareth shiral. We miss you back home and are thinking of you."

Zevran watched her walk off into the night, realising that he too missed the place he had come to think of as his home, and the people he had come to call his family…more keenly than he could give voice to.

"The painted elf has returned. I trust its treacherous enemy has been reduced to a red paste?"

Zevran sighed and sank into a chair opposite Shayle. She looked like she had been trying to sleep but given up; her black hair was rather becomingly tousled, her feet were bare, and she was wearing a cream robe that looked too warm for the weather but served to soften her features. Otherwise, the room was empty.

"No, I did not kill him," Zevran said, not without regret. "Things were said that made it feel…unwise to proceed with my plan."

Shayle grunted. "Disappointing. Anyone who crossed me wouldn't have a chance to explain himself before his head was crushed. In that, at least, I have not changed."

"I don't know…I rather like some of your changes, my dear. If you are having trouble sleeping, there are all manner of relaxation techniques I would be only to happy to demonstrate."

"The painted elf will stop leering at me this instant."

Zevran chuckled. "I apologise. If it makes you uncomfortable, I will stop looking. My offer stands, however. You have been a woman far too long not to have experienced any of the pleasures of the flesh—even a simple massage!"

"It does seem preoccupied with the idea of touching. I have no interest in being poked and prodded."

"Or probed?"

"That is disgusting! If it insists on speaking of such subjects I may be tempted to go out and kill someone myself. That always relaxes me just fine." Shayle folded her arms, pouting slightly. "When are we returning to Ferelden?"

Zevran's brows rose. "We? You wish to go back?"

"Certainly. This place bores me, and the mages, as I have made abundantly clear, are as aggravating as a flock of birds. The ball tonight was horrendous; they were all trilling about my new elven slave like it was some kind of scandal, then falling over themselves to introduce me to their pointy-eared servants as though I would desire to purchase an entire harem!"

"Oh? Were any of them more handsome than I?"

"What do I know of such things?" she grumped. "It's easy with jewels—cut, clarity, lustre. Fleshy mortals are not the same."

Zevran grinned and reclined a little further, deliberately. "You don't find some more…pleasing to look upon than others?"

"The ones that are dead? I am always pleased to look at them."

The assassin grinned. "Ah, well…I cannot deny I sometimes feel the same way. Getting back to Ferelden, however…I rather thought you were loath to leave your golem shell behind. Chances are we may not be able to take such a heavy thing with us."

"I thought the painted elf arrived on a ship. Such a vessel would have little trouble carrying my body, surely."

"Hm. This is true. I am sure you could travel with it…but if you desired my companionship I may not be present on board when the time came to leave."

She looked displeased. "What does it mean? Why would it choose to stay in Minrathous?"

"I will explain, my fine dwarven friend. And then, if you wish, you can choose to help."