As a general rule, it was difficult to shake Zevran. Years of training had taught him how to close off his feelings to others, and you often had a hard time trying to decipher his expressions, to work out what really went on behind the mask he presented to the world. Deep down, you knew that underneath all of the laughing and joking, Zevran's past was darker than he let on. And this incident had proven your suspicions to be correct.
He had come into your tent that night, and wordlessly lay in your arms as he hid his face. He barely made a sound, but the damp feeling on your shoulder gave away his tears. You had been worried about Zevran all day. It had all begun with that cursed sloth demon. Freeing the Circle mages from the top of the tower had already seemed like a big enough challenge, but then you also had to deal with escaping the fade. After learning how to shapeshift into several different forms and battling through numerous areas, you had finally been able to reach your companions. Wynne had been surrounded by what appeared to be the bodies of her fallen students, but you had been able to convince her it wasn't real, and you both made it through safely. Morrigan had not been fooled by the fade demon for one second, and had just not-so-patiently awaited your arrival. But Zevran. Zevran had been affected the worst.
You had walked in to find him strapped to some kind of torture device, being 'tested' by two crows. It hadn't been too difficult to convince Zevran he was dreaming, and afterwards he had joked about it, even referring to the experience as 'bracing'. But it was how he behaved after escaping the fade that had you worried.
He had been uncharacteristically silent the whole time, fighting off enemies with a grim expression on his face. The muscles across the top of his shoulders were taut (not that you'd been staring), and he was lacking the usual exuberance he displayed when fighting. You had decided against confronting him about it. Zevran was not someone who opened up emotionally just by asking. You knew that if he needed to, he would come to you. And, he had done just that.
Now, you ran your fingers through his hair soothingly, and listened to him as he spoke. 'It was a common rite of passage in the Crows. They would torture us to raise our pain tolerance, so that we would be less likely to spill their secrets if we were careless enough to get captured.' his voice was oddly smooth despite his crying, but there was a definite bitter edge to his words, and you could hardly blame him. The Crows may be one of the best groups of assassins in Thedas, but from what Leliana had told you, they were ruthless, especially when concerning their own recruits.
Zevran elaborated no further on the matter, but you continued to hold him anyway, to let him know you were there. Eventually, he drifted off to sleep in your arms, eliciting a soft snore that made you smile. You moved to get up after a while, deciding to leave him to rest in peace for the night. But, when you moved, Zevran held you tighter in his sleep, mumbling something you couldn't quite catch. Pulling a blanket over you both, you lay back down to try to get to sleep when you heard it.
'Don't leave me alone, my Warden.'
You wouldn't.