Alena stepped off the boat, peering out over the unknown land from under her hood. It was humid here, and the heat from the sun beating down on her vest did not make her any more comfortable. She had heeded Isabella's words and purchased a light lambskin vest with matching gauntlets and bracers with some fawn colored linen leggings and matching undershirt to combat the changing heat for her trip, but also had added a dark green wrap to tie around her waist, and a matching hooded cowl to cover her face and neck, in part to shield the sun but also to cover her tree branch tattoos that stretched across her forehead and temples. Her Fereldan skin made her pale, and living within the forest with the Dalish didn't help either. Feeling a hand fall on her shoulder, she turned to see Isabella smiling at her. Sweeping her hand out over the city and its lush vegetation, Isabella inhaled the air and sighed.
"Welcome to Antiva, Ward- ah... Alena." She corrected. "Remember what I told you. Watch your coin purse, smile and bat your eyes at the men and they'll give you anything, and start with the pubs in the inner city. He's bound to be in hiding, but someone will know where to find him."
"Thank you, Isabella. For the trip, the tips, everything." Alena said, putting her hand on the captains where it lay on her shoulder. She straightened, shifting her veil to better cover her face, and began her trek towards the inner city.
Alena approached the inner walls of the city within a half hour's walk from the docks. The walk itself was breath-taking, a well traveled dirt road surrounded by lush vegetation, ranging from flowers to fruits of all colors. The city contrasted sharply, but still held it's exotic notes, buildings a mix of stone and dark colored woods, windows wide open. Cobblestone streets were filled with vendors, men and women of all shapes, sizes and colors. She saw now why Isabella was so worried she'd stand out; her skin was white in comparison to the women here. As she traversed the busy streets, the passerbys would give her a twice-over, but nothing more. Listening in on the conversations around her helped a bit, as she learned basic phrases from her long nights spent at camp with Zevran. She could at least tell when people were talking about her. And the wolf whistles made other propositions
Her stroll led her to the city square, a large open area with a statue of some unknown person in the middle of small flowery garden. More vendors, shoppes, and small eateries lined the inner city space, and many children ran amidst the crowds of nobles and peasants alike. Alena searched the signs for something that would hint a pub or small tavern, and found what she was looking for across the plaza, a small hole-in-the-wall shop. Stepping inside was a relief, shade seemed like a long lost friend to her as she sat down on a bar stool to examine the other people lounging in the other parts of the tavern. She spotted an issue immediately; two young men in a corner were armed, which wasn't the issue. Many people in Antiva were armed, not many were armed with Crow daggers. She'd had that blade at her throat twice before and would never forget their shape and design. Turning on her stool, she faced the bar, checking her hood to make sure she was covered. They may not be pursuing her anymore, but she could never tell. The Crows had attacked again in Amaranthine when the Bann had rebelled against her.
"What can I get for you?" She heard the young barmaid ask. She looked at the girl from under her veil.
"Nothing yet, unless you sell information," Alena said quietly. The Antivan girl giggled.
"Your accent is foreign. What would a foreigner be looking for? Many a traveler have disappeared for poking where they don't belong," she cooed, smirking over the glass she was currently cleaning.
"Believe me, I know this more than anyone, miss. Could I throw some names at you and perhaps you tell me if you know of them? I hold you to nothing. You can simply walk away if you don't want to risk yourself." Alena slid a couple silvers across the bar, which were quickly snatched away by the girl, greed filling her features. "Here." Alena then slid a piece of paper on which she had wrote two names; Zevran Arainai and Master Ignacio. The girl's eyes skimmed over the first name, but widened on the second.
"Master Ignacio is the owner of this bar. How do you know him?" the girl hissed under her breath. Bulls-eye.
"I did some work for him a while back. He owes me a favor. Any way I could speak to him?" Alena leaned forward, which apparently intimidated the barmaid. She scurried off into the storage area and out of sight. After a moment, a familiar face rounded the corner, surprised to see the woman before him.
"Come to take my offer of more...permanent work, my dear?" Master Ignacio said, leaning against the bar across from her. Alena smiled at the offer, but simply flattened out the piece of paper she had shown the young girl for Ignacio to see, tapping Zevran's name.
"I'm looking for him. I've helped you in the past. Now I need you to help me. Where is he hiding?" Alena spoke quietly, locking eyes with him. Ignacio simply smirked at her.
"And I paid you for your business. What else am I required to give you?" Ignacio replied rather nonchalantly. Alena, at this point, was not in the mood to have a intelligent conversation. She reached in her pocket and slid two sovereigns towards him. Funny how is seemed Antivans could not cover their greed.
"Then I'll pay for your services. You've paid me this much to kill someone. I'm paying you this much to tell me where a living person resides. This should be more than enough. And don't tell me this isn't your expertise. I know you know how to find him. And you will tell me where he is, or these sovereigns will go to a child on the street. The choice is yours."
Ignacio was still for a moment, as he glanced at the two young Crows in the corner, to the coins on his bar, and back to the Grey Warden sitting in front of him. After a moment, he sighed, and jotted something down on her piece of paper and slid it back to her, along with the sovereigns.
"Take your money and this back. Give the sovereigns to a child in the streets and ask them to lead you here," his finger tapped the writing on the paper. "And get out of my tavern before they catch on to who you are. I can't have blood spilled on my good reputation." Alena looked confused for a moment, then smiled at him. She got up from her stool, gathered her things, but left another ten silvers on the bar.
"Thanks for the drink, lethallin."
It had begun to rain, a gentle drizzle, making it a bit more bearable to be out and about again. It didn't take too long to find a child that knew their way around the city. Now Alena needed to get his attention. And if she knew how curious children worked, she'd have him in a heartbeat. So she leaned against a wall under a veranda, dropped her hood, pulled her mahogany hair out of her face to show her tattoos, and pulled out her Dar'Misu. She had thought it was cute when Zevran had gotten a twinkle of boyish curiousity when he saw her Dalish nature, so catching a child with the same fascination should be like a moth to a flame. And so it was. As soon as the boy saw her staring at him, flicking the tip of her blade, he wandered over.
"You're not from here, are you, Mujera?" he asked, watching her with eyes that took in every detail.
"No, I'm not, Lethallin," Alena said, accentuating her native language. How enamored with her he was! "And to be honest, I am rather lost. Maybe you can help me?" The boy nodded his head furiously, shaking his sandy hair over his elven ears and tan face. "May I know your name?"
"Alim, Mujera." the boy answered quickly, straightening his shoulders. She giggled at him, eyes not leaving his face.
"My name is Alena Mahariel. It's nice to meet you, Alim," Alena smiled, again accentuating her tongue. "I wonder if you can help me find this place?" She showed him the paper. "I would appreciate it greatly." The boy nodded his head and took her hand, pulling her into the rain again. Sheathing her blade and lifting her hood again, she let him guide her. "Mas serannas, lethallin."
The trip was rather short, their destination a mere ten minute walk from where she had found Alim. He had taken them through a couple of narrow back passages that twisted and turned between shoppes and apartment buildings that held a similarity to the ones Alena had seen in the Alienage in Denerim, only more sanitary and homey. Alim finally stopped at one of these buildings, stepping through the front door and into the hallway connecting the apartments. The cool stone hallway was appreciated, as it cut down on the muggy heat that had followed the short rain. Alena dropped her hood, running her hand through her hair, shaking it from the loose braid that held it out of her face. When she noticed the young boy gawking again, she merely smiled at him again, moving her hand to get him to continue. He reached a door at the end of the hallway before he stopped, telling her to wait around the corner.
"I'll check if he's home," the boy said. Alena cocked an eyebrow.
"You know who lives here?" she asked. The boy nodded.
"I run errands for him sometimes. He's kind of careful about who he sees, lady. The Crows still come after him sometimes, so he doesn't trust too many people," Alim said, looking somewhat apologetic. With that he walked to the door, and knocked four times in a kind of pattern. At first, nothing. Alim turned to her and frowned, but tried again. This time he tried speaking through the door. "Signor Arainai? It is Alim-" The boy began, but the opening of the door cut him off. There, leaning against the doorframe clad only in a loose pair of dark linen pants stood the man she'd been searching for. Zevran, who hadn't noticed her and was staring at Alim with a rather annoyed glare set on his face.
"Maker's breath, Alim. What is it?" Zevran growled, rubbing his hand across his eyes and forehead. Alena noted the fact he looked very tired and irritable, and decided to wait until Alim alerted him of her presence before she rounded the corner. Zevran seemed to be cautious enough, she may end up with a blade sticking out of her chest if she wasn't careful.
"There's a lady that's come to see you, Master Arainai-" Alim began before being cut off again.
"And what did I tell you about people who want to see me, Alim? Zevran groaned. "Not unless-"
"I know! But she's different! And she's pretty!" Alim insisted. Zevran seemed to sober a bit at that.
"What do you mean different and pretty, Alim? There are many beautiful and exotic women in Antiva."
"But she's not Antivan, signor! She's got a funny accent, tattoos, and she's a Dalish!" Alim seemed to not be able to get the words out quick enough. The blur of words took a moment to process in the assassin's mind before anything came to him. When it did, a smirk played across his lips. Crouching down to Alim's level, Zevran ruffled the boy's short hair.
"Really? Well, where is this woman, Alim?" Zevran asked. Alim turned quickly and rounded the corner, reaching out for Alena's hand, pulling her around the corner and face to face with a rather amused Zevran. Upon confirming his suspicion, he again patted Alim on the head. "Well, at least I know your sense of what is beautiful isn't lacking. Here," Zevran reached into the pocket of his pants, and removed a silver piece. "For your efforts. Now, don't bring anyone else to my doorstep, understood?"
Alim nodded his head furiously, turned on his heel and began to run away. Alena turned, calling his name, stopping him in his tracks.
"Mas Serannas, Alim. You were of much help. May the Creators bless you." Alena smiled at him, touching her forehead, then waving at him. Alim lit up with a smile, waving back before disappearing around the corner. Alena watched him go, but was turned back by a warm hand cupping her cheek. She turned her head to face Zevran again to find him very close. She could smell his scent, something she personally missed, as he always smelled like a mix of leather, spices, and rain. She now knew why, after experiencing a day of Antiva, she'd be surprised if she didn't smell of it too. The hand on her cheek moved to the back of her neck, down to her lower back, beckoning her inside the small living space. She let him guide her inside, and as soon as she heard the door shut she found herself against it, his arms effectively caging her. She smirked at him. "You're a terribly difficult person to find."
Cocking his head to the side slightly, Zevran looked her over. Other than her hair being slightly longer, she looked no different than the last time he'd seen her. He again let a hand stray up to her face, moving a piece of hair of her forehead and back behind her ear. "Well, the Crows are not as forgiving as you are, my dear," Zevran replied, watching her jade eyes gaze back at his amber ones, "But I would not think the Commander of the Grey Wardens would have much time to search for me." Zevran leaned in, bringing his lips dangerously close to the shell of her ear. "What brings you to me and my lovely Antiva? Surely you must have duties to attend to-"
"No. I don't. At least not anymore." Alena replied simply, shivering as Zevran blew lightly on the sensitive skin of her neck before leaning back to meet her gaze again. "I have restored the Wardens. They can hold their own. So I informed our King that I was taking leave to travel, and happened to inquire as to your current whereabouts. And here I am," Alena finished, now being a bit more brave, running her hands up his abdomen and over his chest to lock together at the base of his neck, apply a bit of pressure to move him closer to her. He resisted.
"Restored the Wardens? Traveling? Surely this is only a small vacation?" Zevran questioned, not quite believing her. As he remembered, being a Grey Warden was something permanent, like losing a limb. You can never go back after committing to the Joining.
"No, Zev..." Alena started, dropping her gaze from his eyes down to the small neckace made of ivory beads and twine around his neck. "I have quit the Wardens, and they know it. I left my clan, killed hordes of darkspawn, fixed kingdoms and killed the Arch Demon. When you left, I went to Amarathine to do the exact same thing for the second time." Alena leaned forward, resting her forehead on Zevran's shoulder, and sighed. "I'm done being selfless. They took everything I had, and were the main reason why you left instead of coming with me. Right now, they can go kiss a genlock. I want you and no one will drag me back for anything. Unless you choose not to allow me the indulgence, which would be a great loss given my time and effort to find you." Alena finished, releasing the breath she had been holding in. It did not take too long for the arms caging her to be around her, playing with the edge of her vest.
"Well, I most certainly will not have my Grey Warden disappointed."
Alena awoke to the sound of rain and calls of night creatures. She could not quite remember when she fell asleep. She remembered the lazy afternoon spent enjoying Zevran and his love-making talents, but somewhere along the lines she must have dozed off in his arms. She'd been so tired lately. Travel, slay darkspawn, repeat. Mediate disagreements throughout the land. Stop fights between Velanna and Oghren. Remove Anders' questing hands. Repeat again. Every day wrung every last bit of energy from her. Then she would have horrid dreams and not sleep. Being a Grey Warden Commander, she concluded, was a terrible job.
Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she became more aware of her surroundings. Zevran's abode was quite simple; one room with a small annex, plain walls, basic furniture. He had one window in the room which was currently open, letting a small evening breeze in. As Alena went to sit up and stretch, she felt a shift of weight on her hip. Caramel contrasted ivory as it registered to her that it was Zevran's arm draped over her hip, hand gently tracing the smooth valley between her abdomen and hipbone. Glancing over her shoulder, Zevran appeared to be dozing lightly, though his tracings of her skin told her he was a bit more aware than he appeared. Smiling to herself, Alena succeeded in sitting up, and stretched her arms above her head, arching her back. The adventurous hand took that opportunity to trace its fingertips up Alena's taunt stomach, over the ridges of her ribs, and up to circle around her left breast. Careful not to disturb his fun, Alena leaned back down to the mattress, sitting up on her elbows, observing the now visibly awake Antivan.
"Good evening, Zevran," Alena purred. There was a rumble from the sleepy assassin's chest, as he seemed either too tired or too entwined with his current exploration of her exposed skin to form a coherent sentence. Wanting a bit more of his attention, Alena captured his hand, bringing it to her mouth where she nibbled lightly on his fingertips. Another moan of approval.
"Good evening to you as well, my dear. I trust you slept well?" Zevran had retrieved his hand from her grasp and pulled her to him, now busying himself with stroking her mahogany hair, every so often running his fingers over her bare shoulder.
"Indeed. I hope I did not bore you. I haven't slept that well in quite a while," Alena admitted, absentmindedly placing light kisses along his collarbone and chest. Zevran chuckled, tilting her chin so he could kiss her lazily.
"When are you ever boring, my dear? I had a pretty picture to admire while you slept. Hearing you moan my name was a pleasant benefit," He mused, watching her face flush in embarrassment, "Though I must say the best part was your peaceful disposition. No dreams came to haunt you?" Alena shook her head, making her hair fall back into her face. Zevran swept the locks back, taking in her vibrant green eyes and slight smile. He wouldn't admit it, but he'd missed her more than he'd initially believed. He hadn't slept that well since their last nights in Denerim together, before their plans of traveling had been interrupted by the trouble in Amaranthine. Perhaps it was because she was a skilled fighter, he always felt protected, or perhaps he simply trusted her enough to let her open him up, as Rinna had started to do before her death. It truly did not matter to him. The fact remained that she did not simply forget about him, as many others did. She came back for him, again and again. He had a place with her, and that was something to treasure. Leaning in, Zevran captured her lips again, dominating the kiss so that she lay back, allowing him to lay over her. Appreciatively, Alena wormed her arms under his to come up around his back, hands dragging up and down the planes of his back, tracing his muscles. As his kisses began to trail from her lips to her neck and beyond, her soft moans grew in desire, and mixed with whispers of want in her native tongue. Zevran smiled against her skin. Something to treasure, indeed.