Preceded by Gates of Life, Chapter 1: Change of Plans


First Interlude: Cats Always Land on Their Feet

Afterwards Blair wasn't quite sure why he'd sparedthe elven assassin. He had plenty of time to ponder that on the day of the ambush. The whole group with the exception of Leliana opposed the idea of taking the assassin with them. It was well known that Leliana's judgement was suspect when it came to questions of mercy. Blair pondered telling the assassin to leave the party, but it seemed to him they were safest with Zevran either under their watchful eyes or dead. He was unwilling to kill him in the first place, and to do it now would just be murder.

He supposed he had spared the man because he had asked for his life with such composure. Once before they had dealt with a band of foolhardy bandits, and at the end there was one left alive in the bloody dirt, hamstrung by Alistair's sword. The man had screamed and begged for mercy, but in spite of Leliana's look of reproach Blair had killed him with a bolt of lightning. Perhaps if that man had spoken to them as if they were civil men meeting in the course of business? The bandit had expected to die, and did, but Zevran seemed as if he expected to live–not because he was succeeding in pulling the wool over their eyes, but because it was so reasonable to not kill him.

They would watch the assassin, he decided. He'd put Zevran in Sten's tent. Sten was a seasoned warrior and slept lightly, and Blair thought Zevran had to be at least nervous of the hulking Qunari warrior. Greagoir too could help watch the assassin's moves. Provided he kept Zevran away from the cook-pot, he didn't see how the assassin could be dangerous to the group.

That first day Zevran walked slightly apart from the group, but the next day began to try to speak to the others in the party. He was rebuffed by most, and eventually ended up walking beside Blair, with Greagoir wedging himself protectively between them. They spoke initially of inconsequential things–the difficulty in finding good boots, the unseasonably dry weather, and the blandness of camp food. But walking beside him Blair began to wonder if he had an additional reason for sparing the assassin that he had kept hidden from himself. The man was hot. Not just his appearance, although he had a lean, muscular body and handsome face, but it was the way he moved that made Blair's pulse quicken. Zevran moved with virile grace, and seemed to have an effortless awareness of his body that reminded Blair of a cat.

Zevran caught Blair looking at him out of the corner of his eye and broke off from what he was saying about the weather in Antiva compared to Ferelden to ask, raising an eyebrow quizzically, "What?"

Blair shook his head and smiled. "I was just wondering if you always land on your feet."

"I seem to have this time at least," Zevran said with a smile that made Blair's heart skip a beat.

Assassin, Blair reminded himself. Don't be a fool. He would betray no signs of interest. Besides being stupid to pine over the assassin, it would be futile. Blair had seen the way he watched Morrigan and Leliana, the man was definitely interested in women.

So it was surprising the following eveningwhen Blair went to tell Zevran he could have Blair's tent and Zevran suggested instead that he and Blair share the tent–and spend their time doing something other than sleeping. Blair felt a thrill of excitement, then indignation. Was the assassin trying to play him, or had he noticed Blair watching him and was mocking him? Some of his annoyance slipped out as he said, "That's a ridiculous suggestion. Not only would you be tired, but I would be as well. That's worse than the current situation." He quickly escaped to join Alistair, knowing the other Gray Warden's glowering would keep Zevran away. Had he betrayed too much? Was the assassin laughing at him behind his back? He resolved again to hide his attraction to the man. Becoming infatuated with a man who had tried to kill him a few days ago, no matter how unsuccessfully, would be pathetically stupid.


Followed by The Broad Road, First Milestone: Transgression