Change of Heart

by RikaAltraz

When Zevran's life is spared by the kindness of the Warden, he questions his own reason in life. Is he just a killer for hire, or can he be a companion who protects his loved ones too? And is the Warden crazy or just very trusting and hopeful? Hell, how should he know, but he'll do his best to keep her alive to figure it out for himself. If he doesn't lose his head over her.

1. Chapter 1

AN: So, I had this finished for a bit, but was working on the second part which I decided to put up at the same time since it might make a bit more sense to do that. Also, I've been working on some other things, so that has taken a bit out of my time. I really liked playing this game and just had to do a story for it. I just kind of love Zevran, he never gets enough from anyone I know (they all kill him off when you get the chance when he attacks in the beginning of the game...). Plus, he's just awesome! Seriously.

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Change of Heart

When I first agreed to take this mission, I never expected to come to this end.

The sword hovering at my throat was not shaking, perfectly steady in the hand of the man holding it.

He looked battle hardened and defensive, as expected.

The arrow trained on me from the longbow in the hands of the woman to my back didn't faze me in the least.

She wouldn't fire until ordered.

The crackle of ready magic in the hands of the scantily clad witch behind the armored man held no hold to me.

I had never feared magic itself, only the users.

And the Quinari holding the huge axe didn't make me flinch.

Not even the Mabari warhound snarling by its master made me blink.

No, none of that terrified me.

Not even knowing that these people and dog had killed the hired mercenaries Loghain applied with me. The Mage had been swiftly dealt with by the obviously more powerful one of her group.

I stared up from my position on the ground at those piercing gray eyes.

Like steel when I had come at her earlier, but her partner had rushed me first and threw me to the ground.

He likely would have killed me then as I'd anticipated had one of my hires not attacked and distracted him from my incapacitated self.

Now, those gray eyes were softer as she stared at me, kneeling just within range if I lashed out.

"Will you be killing me then?" I cracked out.

My tone sounded so jovial. Like I was joking about them killing me.

It wasn't a chance, it was a certainty that they would do it.

After all, who let an assassin live?

Even a failed one.

"No. I think...there is something else to do with you."

"Oh, torture is it then? I'll save you the trouble." I felt my lips tilt into a smile even as my blood rushed in fear.

Never had I feared torture. But at her hands, I might very well bare my soul.

"You'll betray your employer?" She frowned, those delicate brown brows coming together slightly.

"A Crow who fails as I have is already assumed to have betrayed them. Therefore I am a dead man no matter what."

She smiled faintly.

"Well, that would be a waste, wouldn't it?"

I stayed silent.

"You're serious aren't you?" The man asked as he lowered his sword. "Gods I thought you were kidding."

I heard the arrow being removed from the string and quivered.

That static of magic dissipated.

"I know you were sent by Loghain. You're to kill Alistair and myself. And no one was ever to see us again."

I nodded.

"Obviously that was a failure." I said. "I suppose you can do with me what you will then."

She moved to stand back up, that lithe body moving under the hard leather armor.

"It's settled then. You'll come with me."

I blinked up at her. "You'd accept someone like me?"

"I'd rather have you watching my back than stabbing me in it, so yes. I'll call a truce with you and deal with your employer. If you no longer have an employer, then you have no reason to kill me, right?" She stepped back and the rest gathered the packs they had dropped to fight.

I moved to sit up.

She was insane.

Bloody insane.

And beautiful.

I pushed myself to stand, rolling my shoulder where I had hit the ground.

She leaned to pick up her pack and I sighed.

Some assassin.

I couldn't even die properly.

But I suppose if I had to be in a debt to anyone, I'd prefer someone like her.

Eclectic and kind, but ruthless and cunning.

"So, you should like to know your new team. Morrigan is the Mage." She motioned to the dark haired woman. "Lelianna is our archer, bard, and rogue on occasion." I glanced at the woman putting her pack over her shoulders with the bow loosely clipped to it. "Alistair is my fellow Grey Warden and a former Templar." I watched him grumble as he slung his pack over his shoulder. "The quiet one is Sten." She motioned to the man carrying the axe. She reached to pet the warhound. "And this is Fenrir, my Mabari."

I nodded.

"And I am Rykah." She held out her hand.

I hesitated as I took it gently.

It was somewhat surprising to see a woman shorter than myself.

Granted I was taller than most elves, but I usually stood on par with most women. Just short to human men. Alistair stood several inches taller than me.

"Zevran." I said.

xXx

I kept assuming that they would kill me as I walked several paces behind Rykah.

The hound kept mostly to his masters side, but as the day wore on he fell back in step with me.

I kept my hands to my sides, away from the short dagger holstered to my hip. Nonthreatening.

He gave a soft growl and then huffed before bumping my left leg with his bulky body.

I wasn't prepared for it and stumbled slightly to the right, quickly catching myself and steadying to not fall over. There was much more muscle to that beast than it looked.

He huffed again and caught up with Alistair in front of the group.

He gave a sharp bark and dashed to the side of the road.

I watched Alistair turn to follow, but not drawing his sword.

Rykah fell back in step with me as the others followed Alistair and Fenrir as well.

"Fen is our scout. He finds the best places to camp for the night before it gets too dark. We're heading to Redcliff, but we won't make it tonight. Hope you have a tent in that bag of yours."

I nodded. "I always travel light, but prepared."

xXx

Camp was nothing more than a safe shelter from the road.

Alistair and Sten gathered firewood while Lelianna and Fenrir went down to the stream nearby to collect water.

I watched Morrigan set up a bit away from the rest.

Rykah began to set up her tent and I pulled the small pack from my shoulder.

The weather here was colder than in Antiva, but I had found a quality simple tent. I wouldn't need more than the thick blanket tonight though, considering I didn't plan to really sleep.

I set my bag down.

"Hey, Zevran, can you help me real quick?" Rykah spoke up.

I moved away from my pack as she pulled out the cloth that went over the frame set up.

Her tent reminded me of the kind fancier people used.

I took hold of the opposite side from her and tossed it over with her.

As I helped her stake the corners down, her dog came to climb through the opening.

"Fen, get out of there." She laughed.

It was a soft laugh.

I started to head back for my pack.

"Thank you Zevran." She said.

"Of course." I gave her a cheerful grin.

xXx

"Can I ask you a question?"

I looked up from my spot away from the fire as Rykah sat beside me.

"Entirely so. You may." I looked at the fire.

"Why did you accept a mission like that?"

"To kill you? Because I was the only volunteer. We all know that to go after a Grey Warden is to ask for death."

"You...want to die?"

"Perhaps." I shrugged.

I had intended it, yes.

"I...don't want you to die."

I was startled by her admission.

I looked at her.

"I think you are a good man Zevran, and to lose a good man is a bad thing."

I scoffed. "I am a killer."

"True, but somehow, I guess that doesn't seem to bother me."

"I could kill you still." I pointed out.

She huddled against the cold and I shifted away from the mass of my blanket to put it around her shoulders and scoot a bit closer.

"I know. But I also have faith you won't. Call it crazy, but there is just something telling me that you're not who everyone thinks of you as."

I laughed. "And you'd believe that?"

She nodded.

"Like I said before, killing you would be a waste." She said.

I stayed quiet.

"Anyway, I just wanted to see why you took that job." She moved to stand up and I snagged her wrist.

She looked down at me with those beautiful gray eyes.

"I suppose I do owe you my life. If you want it that is?"

She gave me a soft look.

"You're free to me Zevran. I won't bind you to me."

She made to leave and I let her.

xXx

Fighting the walking dead at Redcliff was certainly something new.

I watched Rykah handle herself perfectly.

That lean form and nimble grace served her well. Even against the stronger corpses.

I caught sight of a pair heading for her back.

My feet seemed to move on their own as I went to intercept.

I cut them down before she stumbled back into me.

As I turned, the corpse she had been fighting swung the staff at her.

I wrapped my arm around her shoulders and turned to put myself between her and the wood.

My shoulder burned as the staff cracked over it, but she pushed forward and decapitated the corpse before it could swing the fractured wood again.

The others finished the rest off as the sun was rising.

I winced as I sheathed my double short swords at my back.

Rykah caught the look of pain before I could school it.

"Are you alright Zev?" She asked.

"Just fine." I mumbled.

We had talked along our trip from where we made camp to Redcliff. After a second night of camping, where she had asked a few more questions and I admitted to slightly enjoying the sense of peace around her.

She had given me leave to return to Anitva, but it just didn't feel right.

Having her back, that felt right.

She reached to touch my shoulder and I pulled away.

Her hand fell back to her side.

"Thank you Zev. I...guess I thought I could handle it."

"I'm sure you would have if I hadn't been in your way." I said.

"No, you saved me from those other two. You weren't in the way...I just didn't expect you there. At my back I mean." She said.

I laughed. "You should. Because I'll be there."

It just kind of slipped out.

She blushed slightly and nodded before walking to join the others congratulating the victory with no losses.

xXx

Her quick thinking was amazing.

Sneaking in through the dungeon, letting in the Bann's men, and then outwitting the Demon.

Lady Isolde had been prepared to lay down her life to save her son.

The Blood Magic had done its job, and as a miracle, the Lady survived on the edge of death.

The healing Mage said that the Arl could not be helped any more, so he would focus on healing the Arl's young wife instead, but there was little hope in her recovery any time soon.

The boy had been quiet ever since Morrigan drove off the Demon from him.

Rykah had saved just about everyone she could.

It made me feel a bit humble.

To her, sparing my life was probably just a part of her personal philosophy.

We camped as we stopped our journey to find the Brother Genitivi who was searching for the Urn of Sacred Ashes.

We were heading towards Denerim. Hopefully we could avoid an encounter with Loghain's men.

I sat by the fire and looked up as she came to sit beside me.

"So do you stare at everyone like that?"

I hadn't even noticed I was staring at her.

"When something catches my eye, absolutely. Does that bother you?"

She sighed.

"Not really, no."

"I suppose I could be a gentleman and not look at you." I said with a half smile.

In truth, she was very easy to look at.

"A gentleman? That's too bad."

I paused a moment to look at the cheeky smile she had.

"Or I could keep my eyes on you all the time."

She started to get back up as Alistair called out her name.

"I'll stare back."

She turned away before I could respond.

I sighed as I watched her walk to where Alister wanted her help in wrapping his hand from the cut he'd taken to the back of it the other day at Redcliff.

The Mage had just said it wasn't bad enough to deserve healing. It was just a cut and if kept clean, it would heal fine.

I moved towards the tree I had placed my pack beside and pulled out my blanket to wrap myself in it before leaning against the tree.

Even if Rykah was being flirty, it didn't mean she was interested.

She obviously treated everyone as a friend.

Even Morrigan.

xXx

"Zevran?"

I turned to look at Rykah as I stood up from the fire.

"Yes?"

She had made some flirty comments during travel today, and during the fight with common roadside bandits she had nearly gotten hurt until I stepped in.

It made Alistair fall back to question why I was still with them.

I told him my intention was only to be by her side as long as she wanted me to be there.

He said he still didn't trust me and he'd be watching me.

I looked down as she seemed almost nervous.

It wasn't her stance, but the way she averted her eyes from mine that told me.

"Care to join me in my tent?"

I felt a little happy inside. She trusted me enough to allow me so close.

No one had ever trusted me that much.

"Is there something in there that needs assassinating? I'm told that is my specialty."

She cracked a tiny smile. "I'm sure you're good at other things too."

"And is it one of these other things you would like me to do?"

She blushed slightly, but it was nearly invisible in the light of the fire.

"Can you...just come?"

I nodded.

I caught sight as Alistair looked at us heading for her tent.

She had planned this.

I had wondered why she put her tent up away from the others.

Normally only Morrigan did that.

It was just far enough that if she made a soft noise, it wouldn't be heard.

But if she screamed, I was pretty sure all hell would come down on that tent.

They might think I was killing her.

I followed her as she climbed into her tent.

The bedroll she had spread out was much more plush than mine as I dropped to my knees on it.

"What brought this on?"

"I...I like you Zev. More than I suppose I should. All things considered." She looked at me.

I was somewhat floored by her admittance.

"Right, because I'm an elf assassin." I started to get up.

"I don't care about that though Zev. You're different."

I sighed. "And you are still a noble, despite being a Grey Warden."

She scoffed. "I don't want to be. I...rather like traveling like this. I like the freedom."

"People will still look at you strangely if you choose to be in any kind of relation with me." I mumbled.

She reached out to grip my collar.

"And I'm saying that their opinions can go to hell." She pulled me down.

Her lips met mine.

I felt her hands slip down to tug open the leather coat I wore as armor.

Since meeting her, I'd found that being mobile was very important. I'd intended to die that day, so I hadn't worn my usual armor.

This coat was a start at finding something to replace the gear I'd left in Antiva.

Her nimble fingers were shaking as she undid the ties holding it together.

I kissed her quite thoroughly, enough to have her closing her eyes, as she pushed the coat off my shoulders.

I shrugged it off and tossed it to the side as my left hand moved to tangle in her hair.

It was just long enough to get a hold in, but not long enough to be unsuitable for battle.

Much like my own actually.

I pulled away as I moved my hands to tug at the shirt she wore.

Her armor had come off before she ever put up her tent earlier.

She looked up at me as I stripped her down.

Her cheeks held a flush on them that was beautiful.

Stunning even.

"Have you done this before?" I asked.

"No...I never found someone I even liked at Highever."

I started to pull away.

I wasn't sure how to explain it, but I really didn't want to be used as an experiment.

As a one-night-stand because I seduced her, that was one thing, but she was different from my previous targets.

One, I had failed to kill her.

Two, I hadn't seduced her.

"Zev?"

"Tell me this isn't an excuse for you to be rebellious." I said.

She frowned. "No, I...I just...I wanted." She blushed as she sat up.

I felt hard as I looked over her body, nearly bare to my sight.

She had such gorgeous skin, unmarked from her fighting.

And if I had my way, it would stay like that.

She reached for my soft cotton shirt.

"I do want you Zev. Tonight. I don't want to be alone anymore."

I sighed.

Neither did I.

The thought hit me hard, but I pushed it aside as she tugged my shirt over my head, revealing the tattoos I'd gotten in Antiva.

Simple, elegant lines accentuating the planes of my body.

It was a seduction thing that very few Crows had been willing to work to get. Only the best of us ever earned them.

They worked on Rykah as well.

Her fingers traced over the ones on my sides.

I eased my pants off as I urged her back onto the soft bedroll.

It was going to take considerable skill to ensure she felt no pain when I took her.

But as I worked, she was putty in my hands.

She responded to my every touch and kiss.

I claimed her mouth again as I felt her fall into that wonderful bliss for the first time.

I guided myself into her and slid fully in.

She winced briefly, but made no real show of pain.

But damn she was tight.

Her arms wrapped around my neck and her left hand tangled in my hair, careful to avoid the braids tying my hair back.

I wouldn't have cared if she undid them, but it was time consuming to have to work the two longer lengths back into their braids.

Rykah made a soft moan as I began to move and I took her mouth again to keep her quiet.

Her right hand scraped over my back and her left fell to join it, leaving marks over both my shoulder blades.

Her fingers tightened on my shoulders as I could feel her easing over the edge.

I kept my left arm braced beside her head to keep myself mostly up as my right hand moved between us and I rubbed the pad of my thumb over the tiny bundle of nerves just above where we were joined.

She tried to pull away and cry out, but I couldn't let her.

No matter how much I wanted to hear my name on her lips.

When she came down from that high, I started to pull away.

"Fill me Zev." She whispered.

I saw the blush accompany her words.

"As you command." I ground out.

It only took her permission before I pushed deeper into her.

I growled her name as I came in her.

It wasn't something I ever did, but if she wanted me to, I would.

For some reason, I couldn't deny her.

xXx

I finished putting my coat back on as she pulled her clothing on.

Was she ashamed now that we were done?

She hadn't spoken since her plea for me to come in her.

I opened her tent and stepped out, tapping the toe of my boot on the ground to settle it right.

Fenrir looked up from the fire as I came from her tent, but didn't attack me.

I started to head for my pack and my blanket when I felt her tiny hand catch my wrist.

"Is this...a one time thing?" She asked.

I shrugged.

"I'll do what you want. It is entirely up to you." I faced her.

She looked up at me.

"I'd like to be with you again." She said. "You're...special Zev. Very special."

I gave her a soft smile.

"As are you my Grey Warden."

I turned to go for my bag.

"Zev, please call me Rykah. I don't want you to think of me just as a Warden."

I looked at her again.

"I don't Rykah. Goodnight."

She smiled before turning to go back in her tent.

She made a motion with her hand and her Mabari came to her.

She always let the dog sleep beside her bedroll, as extra protection.

I grabbed my blanket and sat beside the fire, settling in to sleep with the heat.

xXx

As we came into Denerim, I was prepared for the worst.

I wasn't settled until we found the house and talked to the man who assisted the Brother.

And even then, I didn't relax again until we made camp several miles for the city.

Alistair complained that we could have had warm beds in the city, but I didn't trust those beds.

Rykah had taken my whispered comment to heart and got out as quickly as possible.

I wrapped myself in my blanket as I watched Rykah climb in her tent.

She caught my eyes and tilted her head in invitation.

I shook mine.

I wanted to take a watch in case other Crows had seen us in Denerim.

xXx

We made it to the inn that the Brother had supposedly stayed at and got into a brief scuffle with some bounty hunters.

Apparently Loghain had indeed heard about my failure and decided to send regular hunters from Ferelden.

I couldn't blame him.

But this country had no real hunters like the Crows or even the old Dalish.

They went down quite pitifully.

I noticed Rykah never killed.

Wild animals, yes. Humans or elves or anything sentient, no.

Alistair and the others, myself included, seemed to have no issue with making sure our attackers could never come after anyone again.

I separated her from the group as they discussed going to the Tower to address the Mages about the Treaties.

She had already said she wanted to do it. Alistair was convincing everyone else it was a good idea.

I made her look at me as we partially hid in the shadow of the tree by the old bridge.

"What is the matter Rykah?"

"It's just...why do people throw away their lives to hunt us? Me? I just...hate the killing."

I sighed. "These people usually will do anything for money. Including kill you."

She scoffed. "You were going to kill me for money, but I didn't kill you."

I grinned as I tugged her closer as she shivered. Probably from the nerves wearing off.

"For which I'm grateful. No amount of coin would be worth killing you. And I see that now."

I felt her lean against me and she smiled.

"I just thought, I couldn't bear to see pointless killing. And killing you would have been a real waste." Her fingers gripped my blood splattered coat.

Only a few drops had hit me, but it would need to be cleaned up.

"You don't have to kill if you don't want to Rykah. I'll do it for you as needed."

She looked up at me.

"Please don't kill if it isn't required."

"Severe maiming?" I raised a brow.

"Let them at least be able to work a farm, even if they'll never hold a sword again." She sighed.

A workable tradeoff.

It might take some getting used to though.

"Oi, come on." Alistair shouted.

Rykah wrapped her arms around herself.

"How do you get used to it Zev?"

"The killing? Put it in your mind that it is either them or you. Self preservation does the rest." I shrugged.

She shuddered.

Her soft nature wasn't because she was a woman. She was brutal in a fight, and had Alistair or I not killed the men aiming to hurt her, they surely never would have been able to fight again.

She just didn't believe in killing.

It was admirable, if foolish.

I followed her down to the dock to join the others.

The Templar held up his hand.

I laughed inside.

Surely he didn't think he'd be able to stop her as she stood steady in front of him.

Our fearless little leader with the big heart.

xXx

The circle was a mess.

The Templars had sealed everything off from the main room.

Rykah convinced them to let us go in and they closed the doors behind us.

It was a simple matter getting to the survivors.

Granted, they looked at me rather like I'd expected when Rykah introduced me as an Antivan Crow.

With fear and disgust.

I ignored it as we headed further in the tower to find anyone else.

Each floor looked progressively worse as we fought past Abominations and deluded Templars who we all kind of just knocked out and incapacitated.

I kept watching Lelianna tie them up with the cords and rope she found in the debris.

Rykah had strictly ordered us to not kill them. It was just the Demons.

We fought a couple of those before we made it to the fourth floor.

Wynne was an able magic user, and watching her get flustered over my lewd comments was surprisingly amusing. Even Rykah and Alistair cracked a laugh once or twice.

Morrigan just kind of made an amused expression, and the other two were in a kind of 'good grief' mindset. Fenrir couldn't care less as he chewed on a bone from a raised corpse.

As we climbed to the fourth floor and opened the doors to the central room, I was assaulted by the most putrid smell.

Worse than the corpses.

We came in contact with the Sloth Demon.

It spoke and I could see the crackling aura of magic as it tried to put us under.

"Is this some ploy to get me to lower my guard?" I cracked.

Alistair made a comment of feeling sick and it upped the level.

I felt weak for a moment as I pushed past Alistair as he collapsed.

I watched with blurry vision as Rykah started to go under finally.

I pushed forward and reached out, feeling her in my arms as I dropped.

But I wasn't about to let her hit the floor like that.

I watched the Sloth Demon stare at us amusedly before blacking out.

xXx

"Zevran!"

I heard her sweet voice in my torture memory.

Inside, I knew this was a memory, but it just felt so real as they chained me down.

"Zevran, please, you're already a Crow."

I blinked and the vision faded for a moment.

"Zev, I need you to fight with me. Please."

I struggled as I heard her draw her sword.

No, she couldn't fight two Crows at once.

I willed myself to push away the nightmare.

Suddenly she was standing beside the table.

"Zev, please come back to me. I need you here."

I nodded and looked up at her.

The illusion faded and I stumbled slightly as I stood in front of her.

"Was that...a memory from your training?" She asked as she gripped my coat.

"Yes, all Crows go through torture to prove our resistance. Those who can't resist..." I didn't finish.

I leaned down to kiss her.

"Thank you." I said. "Really. I...I fell into it so easily..."

She shook her head and put her cheek over my shoulder.

"No...I almost gave in to my own fantasy too...it would have been too easy." She admitted.

She pushed away.

"I have to stop this Demon."

I nodded.

I stepped to follow her but felt a burning sensation all over my body.

I barely had time to question what was happening before she vanished.

Well, I vanished from her.

I was whipped into a different fantasy.

Only, this one was too exaggerated, even for me.

Seriously, even I didn't really want to partake in any orgy.

I mentioned it, but never wanted it.

xXx

Fighting the Sloth Demon at Rykah's side was satisfying.

Knowing how hard she had fought for us all, while none of us tried to free ourselves, it was humiliating.

Freedom was even better.

I woke up with her in my arms. Something about that just felt right.

She pushed to her feet before the others came to and I felt a bit of a loss.

She reached to take a scroll from the body on the floor.

We didn't talk as she directed everyone to check themselves.

I didn't bother.

I knew I was changed, but not magically.

I...couldn't quite say why being with her just felt so right.

I pushed it aside as we continued on.

As we came to a trapped Templar, I frowned.

"They left one alive? It could be a trap." I said.

Alistair nodded.

The man was delirious.

Probably suffering from Lycium withdrawal.

It was a common symptom during something like this.

They had probably forced it on the poor guy and over the past few days he'd become addicted and now was suffering for it.

Rykah moved to go and confront the source of this huge problem.

xXx

I was so proud of her.

She had actually considered the thought of killing all the mages in that room for a moment, but she resisted, still believing that there were some to save.

I felt no hint of remorse driving my blade through the heart of the monster who had started this mess.

We led the survivors down and Wynne and Irving used their magic to open the doors.

The Templars collectively sighed in relief as Irving told them the Circle had been reclaimed.

The doors were closed and I watched a couple Templars herd the ones we'd freed from the Demons captivating them into a side room to be examined individually for changes.

Cullen was taken into a separate room after he'd made his statement that all Mages were hell.

I couldn't argue, but he hadn't been under the right mindset either. Wynne was good people after all.

Rykah secured the force of the Circle for when she finally faced the Archdemon.

As we sailed back across the lake with a new member on our side, I felt her lean against me in the boat.

I started to speak, but the sound of her even breathing caught the attention of both me and Alistair.

"I guess she did do most of the work with that Sloth Demon." Alistair whispered.

Everyone was as quiet as could be as we docked.

Alistair took both our bags as I carefully scooped her up.

She didn't even wake as I climbed to the dock and we headed for the Spoiled Princess.

The young Templar hurried ahead of us to clear rooms of the Inn.

I looked at Alistair as we headed for the door last.

"I'll stay with her tonight, with Fenrir." I said. He started to speak. "I just want to make sure she doesn't have nightmares from that Demon still."

He sighed. "I suppose you're right. She fought so hard it might have scarred her inside."

I nodded and he held the door for me.

I carried her to the room the Innkeepers wife directed me to and Alistair put our bags just inside the door to the small room.

She didn't wake as I laid her on the bed after checking it over.

It wasn't the softest stuffed mat, but it was better than the floor.

I moved to her bag and unclipped her bedroll.

She would need the comfort after today.

I eased her up as Fenrir laid on the floor at the foot of the bed.

I laid her bedroll out over the mattress and settled her on it.

It took me a second to realize I had also left the blanket under it too.

I worked to pull her armor off while she was still uncovered and neatly set it on the small desk.

I sighed as I pulled my warmer blanket from my bag and tucked her in with it.

I shrugged my coat off and laid it over the back of the chair before kicking my boots off and easing her over a little to lay beside her.

I let the candle burn out as I settled on top of my blanket.

xXx

I woke to the feel of cold hands on my waist.

I took a jolting breath and automatically reached for the knife clipped to my right hip before I realized it was Rykah.

I blinked at the setting moon in the window and looked down at her.

She shivered even under my blanket and I edged in with her.

I pulled her into my arms and she stopped shivering as her fingers warmed against my skin.

Rykah sighed against my collar and I held her close.

She hadn't woken up still.

Hopefully she would by morning.

xXx

The humming woke me up this time.

I turned to my side and looked at where Rykah was sitting at the desk, properly cleaning her armor.

"What time is it?" I mumbled.

"Almost sunrise. The others are sleeping in. Except Sten. He's been helping the owner chop wood for nearly an hour now, since we weren't allowed to pay last night apparently." She said.

I nodded. "We did kind of save the whole tower because of you."

She sighed. "I still would like to pay for using the rooms."

I sat up and reached for my boots.

I pulled the one on, but the other was a bit farther than I could reach.

Just as I was getting to get up, Fenrir took it up in his mouth and brought it to me.

"Ugh, drool." I grumbled. I patted him anyway and wiped the side of my boot off on the already stained fabric of the blanket from the Inn.

I pulled my boot on and stood up to stretch.

"So...tell me about Antiva." Rykah said.

I frowned.

I turned to grab my blanket and fold it tightly.

"Not much to say. It's a busy place, plenty of work for me, but it's home."

"And you miss it." She looked down at her hands where she was rubbing a tiny bit of oil into the leather in her small hands and I realized it was my coat she was working on.

I sighed as I went to tightly roll her bedroll and put it back.

"I guess I do. I grew up in a whorehouse before I was sold to the Crows, but to me it will always be the place I came from."

"A whorehouse?"

"It's a longer story than I'd care for right now." I shrugged. "Perhaps one of these nights I will tell you."

She nodded and finished working with my coat.

It smelled of fresh leather oil.

I took it and put it on, bringing the collar to my face to breathe in the scent of clean oiled leather.

"What do you miss the most?"

I thought for a moment.

"My gear mostly. And some things I wish I had bought before I left. I had such a nice set of loose plate armor. It was custom made for me as a Crow. Protective while still providing the quiet and maneuverability I needed. But I do miss having not bought the boots I wanted."

She raised a brow at me. "Boots?"

"Yes, quality Antivan Leather boots with a soft fur lining. Nothing quite like them here. They would have cost a pretty sum, but I had wanted to buy them when I finished here. Before I got here and decided that I wasn't going to finish." I said.

"Zev...do you still want to die?" She asked quietly.

I sighed and moved to kneel beside her and take her hands.

"My dear Warden, if I died, who would watch your back so completely?" I gave her a grin.

She smiled, but it didn't touch her eyes.

Was she doubting that I would stay around?

Was she thinking I would put myself in danger to be rid of them all?

"I'm sorry Zev." She mumbled.

I reached to touch her cheek. "For what?"

"I almost got you all killed." She blinked away tears.

I pulled her closer to me and she leaned forward to put her face against my neck.

"Nonsense Rykah. We chose to follow you. I will follow you until you tell me to leave."

"I'll never say that." She mumbled against my throat.

I sighed.

Good. Because I wasn't sure if I could even force myself to leave her.

I started to get up after a minute.

"Come now, we should be getting on the road again." I said.

She nodded and stood up.

I watched her put her armor on as I pulled my backpack over my shoulder.

I held hers out and she slung it over her shoulder carefully before leading the way out of the room.

xXx

I didn't want to question her decision to make a detour to gain the forces of the Dalish Hunters as we headed back towards Denerim.

As she walked beside me, she asked about my past, missions I'd done as a Crow, things I'd learned as a boy, about my Dalish mother.

I told her I'd once had a pair of gloves from my mother until the Crows found out and burned them in front of me, forcing me to accept that to the world I had no past. I was nothing more than an expendable Crow.

I watched some of the Dalish in the camp as Rykah talked with the leader.

She didn't introduce me to them as anything more than her 'friend, Zevran' this time.

They could tell I was an elf already, but they didn't need to look at me with fear at the assassin part.

She had learned her lesson.

We headed into the forest and I watched the way she fought against the wolves and negotiated with the werewolves.

As we came to the old ruins, she decided we should head back to the Dalish camp to prepare to speak to the werewolves in the morning.

I couldn't argue, but the less I was here, the better.

These customs made me uneasy.

I got a glare from the elder earlier just because I stood close to Rykah. Too close for their acceptable custom.

We set our camp up just in a clearing outside theirs.

Rykah wandered off to talk to one of the Dalish craftsmen and I sighed as Alistair sat beside me at the fire we'd built.

"So, are you planning on doing what is right for her?" He asked.

I raised a brow at him.

"I mean...I can see she cares a lot about you. From the go she seemed to think you were important. Maybe the Maker whispers to her, because she seems to know just how to get to people. Look, all I want is to know that you aren't going to break her heart." He explained.

I shrugged. "I don't intend to hurt her. Whatever we have is being set by her. I will not leave unless she says for me to go, but neither will I take things further than she pushes. I want her to set her own pace. As I understand, you take a bit of her brothers place to her and she respects your decisions too. If you tell her I'm a hazard and need to leave, she might listen."

"I...I'm not going to say that to her. I know now that you're not out to kill her. Or me. I've watched you cover her back when she doesn't even notice the enemies behind her. You...you're a good man Zevran, despite your occupation." He started to stand up and I smiled.

"You're a good man too Alistair. So just remember that if you hurt her, I do know how to make you pay for it."

He scoffed. "Truce Arainai."

"Truce." I nodded as he turned to leave.

I sat in front of the fire for another ten minutes before I heard footsteps behind me.

I didn't flinch as she dropped to her knees behind me.

She held her hand over my eyes.

"Rykah, you know I can tell your touch right?" I mumbled.

She leaned against my back.

"I know." She whispered. "Hold your hands out flat."

I did and felt a bit of fabric in my hands.

She uncovered my eyes and draped herself over my shoulders with her arms crossed over my collarbone.

I looked down at what she had put in my hands.

The material was different, and heavier quality, and it had a soft lining, but these were Dalish gloves similar to the kind my mother had given me.

"I...I found them in the woods in one of those broken chests. They were a bit filthy and the hem of the right glove needed to be fixed, but the older man who does the crafts around here helped me fix them up." She said.

I felt the soft hide and the careful stitching before pulling them on.

They fit perfectly.

And they were so very comfortable.

I reached up to take her hand and kissed her palm.

"Thank you." I said softly. "They aren't like my mothers, but these are even better." I could almost feel her start to feel bad. She had been trying to replace the ones the Crows took from me? "I do love them Rykah. Mostly because you put so much work into fixing them. Partly just because you gave them to me." She sighed. "No one is ever going to take these from me."

"Good." She said.

I swear I was pretty much gone for her.

She buried her face in the collar of my coat.

"Will you...join me tonight? I miss you." She mumbled.

I nodded. I hadn't been with her sexually since the night I was her first.

Hell I hadn't been with anyone since meeting her.

She was...special. Special enough that as long as she wanted me, I owed it to her to be faithful.

And it felt right.

xXx

When she pulled me to kiss her after the flap of her tent was securely settled, I shrugged my coat off.

Her hands couldn't push my clothes off fast enough for her liking.

I had her stripped to nothing before she finished working the button to my pants.

Those shy hands pushed my pants over my hips and I shoved them off before kissing her senseless.

I moved my mouth to her breast and she moaned.

"Zev, I...want to touch you."

"Hmm, you are touching me." I shrugged my shoulders where her hands were trying to push me back.

"Not like this." She gave me a harder push.

I knew if she really wanted me to stop toying with her body, she could push me away.

Still, I eased back as she guided me into stretching out on the bedroll.

"Touch away my love. I'm yours to learn from."

She nodded and watching her trace her small hands over my tanned skin was erotic.

Normally, I did this, not received it.

She blushed as her path led her down to the blond hair down south.

She shied away as she looked at my erection.

"Touch me." I whispered.

Rykah very carefully wrapped her fingers around my length.

"Just a little tighter." I instructed.

Her hand held me firmer.

"Stroke."

She nodded.

As she rubbed her hand along my length, the friction was almost torture.

Just a hint painful, but so damn good I couldn't care.

I shuddered as she brought me to the breaking point so quickly.

I had never come to this point so fast.

"Stop." I groaned.

Her hands flew away from me as if she thought she hurt me.

"Did I do something wrong?"

I reached to pull her close.

Her skin was flushed, and she probably didn't notice.

"Absolutely not. Too good in fact. I don't want to come so quickly. But your hands are such sweet torture."

"I..." She blushed as I pulled her to straddle me.

It put my erection against her mound and I could feel how wet she was.

Just from arousing me.

"Maybe another time I will let you push me over that edge like that, but not tonight." I said.

I eased her up enough to position myself.

She didn't show any sign of pain as I pulled her down on me.

"Zevran." She moaned.

"What is it?" I asked as I guided her in riding me.

It was the best kind of test on my control.

She was far too sexy for her own good as she braced her hands on my chest to give herself leverage to move on her own.

"I...I want you to stay with me tonight." She mumbled.

"I am with you." I said.

She made a beautiful groan as my fingers found her clit and I teased it.

"Not like this." She said with a shaky voice. "Sleep here. With me."

"If you want." I pinched slightly and used my other hand to pull her down to claim her mouth as she nearly screamed my name.

Maker I wanted to hear that one of these days.

Perhaps once it was accepted that we were together.

That though had me pausing.

"Zevran." She groaned as I could feel her tightening on me.

I growled as I shoved into her harder and spilled.

She collapsed on me and I pulled her blanket over us both.

I should have gotten up to at least get my bag from by the fire.

Her dog would guard my bag. Fenrir seemed to understand I cared for his master more than the others. And differently too.

Rykah shifted over to lay beside me with her head tucked up on my arm as I laid it out for her to do so.

"Zev." She spoke wearily. Completely tired from the events today and my loving just now.

"Yes?" I brushed my fingers through her soft hair, keeping it out of her face.

"I want you to stay with me forever." She mumbled.

"As long as you want me, I'll be here." I assured.

I heard her even breathing a moment later and had to question whether she had spoken consciously.

Surely she wouldn't have said that if she were fully awake.

xXx

It was quite novel to wake up in the morning to someone playing with my hair.

Rykah traced her finger over the outer edge of my ear.

I looked at her from the corner of my eye.

"You know...a lot of people make fun of elven ears, but...I like yours." She said.

I sighed and rolled my right shoulder where she had obviously been laying on it all night.

I didn't regret it, but it would take getting used to if she continued to want me to sleep with her.

"That's honestly a first. My old partner said I should have gotten them cut since I acted so human."

The look of pain on her face stunned me.

"Don't you dare." She said. She covered her mouth. I watched her look down at her lap. "I'm sorry. I don't have a right to tell you what you can and can't do."

I leaned over and tilted her chin to kiss her.

"I won't cut my ears down just to suit him. If you like them as they are, that's good enough for me."

She sighed. "I do Zev. I like you entirely as you are."

"Flirty and all?" I asked.

"As long..." She looked up at me. "As long as you only touch me." I watched her look away again and she reached for her clothes. "I mean...while we're...together that is."

I pulled my pants on and buttoned them before pulling her in for a kiss again.

"Of course my love. I told you before, I'm very faithful. When it is earned. And you have more than earned it. I don't think you stabbing me in the back could make me betray you at this point."

She nodded and pulled her shirt on.

It took us both a moment before we realized it was my shirt.

She blushed as she pulled it off.

"Sorry."

"Don't be. I liked seeing you in my shirt." I grinned.

In truth, it was a nice image. And I was going to hold on to it forever.

She pulled her shirt on as I tugged mine over my head.

I reached up and felt my braids.

I sighed.

"What?" She asked.

"I'll need to redo my braids soon. My hair is getting long again." I said.

She reached to brush her fingers through the hair at the back of my neck.

"I like it longer. It makes you look..." She blushed. "It's nice."

"Makes me look like a spoiled city elf." I said. "Not a Crow or a fighter."

"Maybe just let it grow a little longer then. Just a couple inches?"

I sighed. "Alright. But I still need to redo the braids."

I collected my coat and pulled it on as she eased her light plate armor on over her chest.

I watched her strap on the armor guards on her thighs and calves before collecting up her weapons.

I had been surprised at her mastery with dual swords as well, but it shouldn't have surprised me. She had no regard for her own safety.

We started to climb out of her tent.

xXx

Her negotiation with the werewolves was smooth. No bloodshed involved.

I was blinded as the curse was undone.

I had to blink away the flashes of light and was startled at the sight of humans.

These were victims of the werewolf curse.

Not just humans.

I saw several Dalish people as well, hugging and being hugged by the humans who had been cursed as well.

It gave me a hint of hope that humans and elves might have a different kind of relationship someday. More like Rykah and me.

She didn't hate, fear, or feel the need to control me.

Hell, this morning she had felt bad about her outburst over telling me not to ever think about cutting my ears.

She didn't want me subservient to her, nor did she think I would hurt her.

She was such a beautiful woman, inside and out.

The cured people headed out to leave and our team followed suit.

Rykah looked around the chamber.

"Rykah?" I called from the exit.

She turned to face me.

She started to walk towards me to catch up and I watched as she stumbled on the uneven floor.

I moved over to steady her and she gripped my hand.

We caught up with the others and I watched them carefully head up the fallen trees.

I started up ahead of her and my fear of her getting hurt came true.

She slipped on the damp wood and her ankle was spared but the broken off stub of wood from where a branch had been gouged right through her pants and left a gash on her leg.

She screamed in pain and Alistair turned around as I was bracing to keep her still.

Bits of the wood were still broken off in her calf.

"What did you do Arainai?" Alistair snapped at me as he moved to pull her out.

"Don't you ever think I'd hurt her Warden." I snapped back as I hit his hand away.

Wynne eased down with Morrigan as I carefully braced one arm under her.

Alistair realized I did nothing as he saw the gash on her leg.

"Collect a fragment of that wood Alistair." Wynne said. "I need to make sure she won't get infected."

"I'll save you the trouble." I eased Rykah free and she gripped my coat while trying to bite back her cries. "The sap is toxic to humans. Not so much to animals. It might give Fenrir a bit of an upset stomach, but after he throws up he'd be fine."

I kept my footing as I carried her up to solid ground.

Sten laid out his thick shirt and I set her down on it as Lelianna put her pack down to pull out the medical kit.

I brushed her hands away as I reached for the knife on my hip.

Rykah bit her fist as I eased her boot off and cut her pant leg off as Sten undid the armor guard that had nearly dug into the outside of her leg as the inside was gashed.

Wynne came to crowd around.

"That is bad." She said. "I think I can heal it."

"Not unless you know how to remove poisons." I said. She moved back. "Fen." I motioned for her dog to come closer. "Lick it." I ordered.

He gave me a droll look, but did as I put my pack down and dug for my old assassin kit.

I pulled out the box of vials and bottles.

Simple everyday plants could be turned into deadly poisons or miracle cures if mixed right.

"Now?" Lelianna asked.

I shook my head.

Rykah was staying strong, but as I looked at her, I saw that some of the fast acting toxin had started to spread before Fenrir could lick at the solid sap on her wound.

I pulled out a bottle of orange tinted liquid and held it up to the light. I set it aside and found the other that went with it.

"You going to poison her now?" Morrigan asked.

I glared at her. "I'd have had plenty of time to do that to everyone here for the past two weeks."

I took a clean cloth from Lelianna's hands and popped the corks on both bottles to drip some liquid onto the gauze.

"Put that on the wound, then wrap it tight." I instructed.

She nodded and Sten held Rykah's leg up off the ground, allowing her to lean back against his leg as he helped her keep her balance.

I capped the bottles again and put them away as Fenrir looked sick.

"Go throw it up you big mutt." I shook my head at him.

He moved away from us all and I heard him hacking.

"Zev, did you poison my dog?" Rykah finally spoke.

"No. He'll be fine. It's the fastest way to clean your wound. Dog slobber will do nothing to you and now that he's thrown up breakfast, he'll be fine." I said as Lelianna pinned the wrap in place.

I started to check it as she cleaned up her supplies.

"I can heal it now." Wynne said.

"It's better to give my mix at least a day to cycle into her body and flush out what got in her." I said.

Sten started to help Rykah stand and her leg gave out from under her.

I held my bag to Lelianna and my weapons to Wynne as Sten kept Rykah standing.

I put my back to her and urged her to let me carry her.

"He's right Rykah, if we get in trouble again, he's the best one to keep you out of it." Alistair said.

Rykah settled on my back and I was careful of her leg as I hooked my arms under her thighs.

Worst case scenario, I might be able to reach back and snag one of her short swords.

Lelianna started to sling her pack over her shoulder.

"Be careful with mine. Those vials shouldn't be shaken up too much. They are still deadly poisons too."

"So you did poison her?" Morrigan asked.

"The orange liquid is something that will induce a fever, the blue is a blood thinner. Hence why I said to give it time to cycle through. Together, they reduce the ability of the toxin to spread past where it sticks to her blood vesicles and make it so that her body goes into overdrive to fight off infection."

I headed for the entrance.

Wynne caught up to me and I saw she had tied my swords to her left side.

"Why be a Crow when you could be a healer?"

"Killing was more my style." I shrugged slightly.

I felt it as the fever hit Rykah finally.

Her head hit my shoulder and I leaned to keep her from falling back.

Fenrir caught up to me to walk beside me as I led the way back to the Dalish camp.

We were nearly in sight when Alistair caught up to me.

"Look, I'm sorry I shouted at you. It's just...you've been too good so far. I guess I should learn to trust that you'll always try to keep her safe. She...changed you."

"I know. I accept your apology." I said.

"She'll be alright, won't she?" He sounded worried.

"Once the mix has been allowed to cycle and her fever breaks, Wynne can heal her and she'll be good as new." I sighed.

"You don't sound sure of that." He said quietly.

"Some people have had bad reactions to the thinner. Granted, I normally use it to kill, but sometimes it causes weird things too. Things worse than me killing them."

Alistair looked worried.

"If she was going to have a negative reaction, she'd have had it by now. The longer it's in her, the less likely she'll react to it. I'd say she won't react." I carried her into the camp and headed for her tent. "I'll lay with her until her fever breaks. I need to keep an eye on the bandaging too."

Alistair nodded.

"Go and let the Dalish know what happened and make sure Wynne is with you. You're not always diplomatic, she has a softer tongue."

He sighed. "Right. Guess I should work on that."

"If you're going to be king someday, maybe."

He shuddered and I grinned as he walked away to collect Wynne from where she was passing my weapons over to Lelianna.

I carefully eased Rykah into my arms and moved into her tent to lay her down.

I stepped out to go and get my stuff.

"Is she going to be alright?" Lelianna asked.

Sten looked slightly worried as well.

"Yes. I'll stay with her and keep an eye on her wound and fever." I took my stuff and went back to Rykah's tent.

I started to get her armor and weapons off and set everything carefully in the corner. I was just easing her clothes off when Fenrir pushed into the tent.

I put her clothes to the side, leaving her in scantily little.

If not for knowing the flush on her skin was a fever, I'd have almost thought she was having an erotic dream.

I pulled my blanket from my bag and laid it over hers to tuck her in with them both.

The extra warmth would help her break this fever in the chill outside.

Fenrir was careful of her right leg as he squeezed himself between her and the wall of the tent, just barely on the edge of the bedroll.

He was worried about his master too.

I shed my jacket and my shirt and slid under the blanket with her.

I settled her so that her leg wasn't going to get bumped and she was snugly against me.

I closed my eyes as I tested her fever with my cheek on her forehead.

She'd be alright. She had to be.

I refused to accept anything less.

xXx

It was midway through the next day when she finally woke.

I looked down at her.

"Zev?"

"Yes?"

She weakly hit my chest.

"You poisoned me."

"Only partly." I smiled. "For your own benefit of course."

She put her hand against my chest and winced as she tried to move her leg.

"Shh. It's still gashed. But the toxin is gone thanks to my poison expertise." I eased away from her.

"Zev?"

"I'm getting Wynne. She can heal it now."

She gripped the waist of my pants as I tried to leave.

"No." She gritted out. "No magic."

I frowned. "But...it'll heal faster."

She shook her head. "I've never been magically healed, and never will be."

"My love, it is best to heal it properly."

She looked at me with pain in those gray eyes. "Magic doesn't work on me."

I looked down at her.

She was right. When Morrigan used magic to infuse all of us with defensive magic, it never worked for Rykah.

I sighed. "Alright." I reached for my pack. "I'll need to change your bandaging though. My medicines and poisons do work on you and I have something that might help you heal faster and something to dull the pain for a while."

She nodded.

I pulled my kit out and reached for a purple filled vial and one of clear liquid.

I normally used the one in tangent with another that would reverse the healing rate. Instead of being faster, it would take much longer. Obviously I used it very little since the vial was still full.

The clear one was nearly empty.

I needed to see if the Dalish here had collected the right fresh plants or knew where to find some that I could take leaves from.

I pulled out a set of clean bandaging and a cloth to apply the medicines to.

Wynne was right. I could have been a healer.

Now I guess I was just Rykah's.

Nearly everything in my kit had a helpful use. Even the stronger stuff that would knock her out or make her sick.

Rykah moved to sit up and began unwrapping her own bandaging.

"Wait, let me get some clean water and rags to wash it first." I said.

She nodded and held what she had removed.

I climbed out as I tugged my shirt back on.

I found a jug of water and several clean rags with the Dalish healer.

She let me take them with the promise to bring them back, clean or dirty.

I nodded and went back towards our camp.

"Is she awake?" Wynne asked.

"Yes, but...you can't heal her. I hadn't noticed really, but she confirmed my suspicion. Magic doesn't work on her." I said.

Wynne looked sad. "Then we'll have to wait until she is healed naturally."

"I've got some stuff that should speed the process up. When I'm done cleaning her wound, do you think you could get these things back to the Dalish healer. And her old bandages will need cleaning too."

Wynne nodded. "Just leave them outside the tent and I'll get them." I turned to head for the tent. "Take care of her Zevran."

"Of course I will." I shrugged.

I went back inside the tent to see her carefully unwrapping the blood crusted bandaging.

She winced as it pulled on a rough edge.

I stopped her.

Cleaning her wound was a tedious process once I realized there were several splinters still in her wound.

She winced as I carefully extracted them with my knife.

I used the sun warmed water to clean the crusted blood from her wound and wiped steadily at the dribbles of fresh blood seeping.

When it stopped bleeding I laid the cloth I doused with drops of the two vials over her wound.

She winced as I started wrapping it again with the roll of bandaging I had.

I was careful to not make it too tight.

It took a few minutes for the pain to fade for her.

I used that time to put the stuff outside the tent and closed the flap again.

"How long will this take to heal?"

"Maybe a week, top." I said.

She sighed.

"We need to head for Denerim. The longer we procrastinate on the Urn, the worse the Arl gets.

I nodded.

"We can leave in the morning if you don't mind me carrying you again." I suggested.

She nodded. "It'll have to do. Might not be as fast as normal, but it'll do."

She started to lay back on her bedroll.

"Smells like dog." She mumbled.

"He slept on your other side, on top of the blankets. He was worried. As...I was."

She made a smile.

"You know I don't let him sleep on my bed. I've never let anyone else sleep on my bed."

I pulled the blankets over her.

"You let me." I teased.

I watched a soft expression cover her face.

She reached to touch my cheek.

"You're special."

I peeled my shirt off and eased in beside her.

"Is that so?"

She put her cheek on my shoulder and her right hand over my heart.

"Of course Zev." She mumbled. "You're mine."

I was quiet as I listened to her drift off from the medicine.

I brushed my fingers over her cheek, pushing her messy brown hair out of her face.

"Yes love, for as long as you want me."

xXx

I carefully wrapped and tucked each vial in the case and then wrapped the case before putting it on top of my bedroll tucked in the bottom of my bag. Everything had to be rearranged to ensure none cracked.

"Come on, we haven't got all day." Alistair grumbled.

I ignored him and rigged my smaller bag to strap onto the top of Rykah's. I kept the water resistant fabric tucked on top in case we needed it.

Her weapons were strapped to one side of her bag, mine to the other.

I got everything situated as she braced herself against Sten.

"Are you sure you can do this?" She asked.

"Nonsense, this is nothing. I've done this before." I said. Not for nearly as long, but I'd had to before.

The Dalish saw us off as far as the edge of the forest.

Carrying her wasn't really a burden.

Not even her pack was heavy. Alistair had offered to carry them, but I barely trusted anyone with my bag. Lelianna had been a dead end resort because I had wanted to get Rykah to her bed as fast as possible and I figured the woman would be more gentle with my pack than the others.

We traveled fairly quietly, Rykah asleep on my back most of the way.

When we made camp, I set up her tent by myself as the others got everything else covered.

There was a bit of a fuss over who was taking the wood gathering job until Fenrir snapped at them all.

Never argue with a dog. Least of all a warbeast like him.

Rykah didn't argue with me as I carried her into her tent after eating a little of the stew Wynne prepared.

I changed the bandages again with the other set and reapplied the medications.

I helped her strip down and she tugged at my coat.

"Zev?"

"Yes?"

"Will you do it? Tonight?"

"Make love to you?"

She blushed as she nodded.

"I suppose. But only if you are very careful. Do not mess with your bandaging."

I shrugged out of my coat.

As armor, it was better than nothing, but I would have liked to have my old Crow gear.

She was careful of her wound as I shed my clothes.

I leaned in to kiss her as I was gentle in arousing her.

It honestly didn't take much.

Part of me wondered if she kept me around just for this.

I normally wouldn't care, but she kept saying I was special to her.

Did she care about me as more than just a companion?

A sexual partner?

"Zevran?"

Her use of my full first name had me looking down at her.

"Do you not want to do this?" She asked.

I sighed. "It's not that. I was just thinking about...well, us."

She smiled softly.

"Rykah, am I just a passing curiosity to you? Something to test before you find someone suitable to your station as Teyrn?"

She frowned before pushing me away.

She turned away from me.

"How can you think that Zev?" She sounded honestly hurt. "I...really care about you. And that's not just the stuff you gave me making me lose my head. I know what I feel."

"I'm an assassin Rykah. I don't do things like 'love' or 'compassion' well."

I still reached to touch her shoulder.

She shrugged away.

"I know...I just...I can't help it."

I sighed.

"Why not Alistair? Why not some other young, human, royal?"

She looked at me. "Emphasis on the human part I suppose?"

I knew it stung her.

She looked back at the wall of her tent.

"I...I've never cared about you being an elf Zevran. So trying to bring that up as a block is just a cowards tactic."

I turned her onto her back.

"Then answer me." I snapped. She flinched and I softened my touch on her cheek. "Please?"

"I've tried being with others from the time I was old enough to consider it. As you know already, it just never worked out. I was always missing something. Maybe it was just that he wasn't mentally on my level, maybe physically he just didn't make me feel hot like you do, maybe a combination, I don't know."

I watched her look up at me.

"But?" I encouraged.

"But when I saw you, that day you attacked us, I just knew I'd found someone who fit me. If it had been just you that day, no hired weight, you likely could have killed us all. Because you wouldn't have done that ambush. You'd have been methodical about it. You would have planned."

"Well...planning has never been my strong point. Killing, that I can do. Killing and lovemaking. And witty retorts." I added.

She cracked a smile as I had hoped.

"Still, you would have done it quietly and efficiently had you really wanted us dead."

I sighed. "True."

I moved to lay beside her.

"I'm sorry I'm so bad at this." She mumbled.

I pulled her against me, feeling her soft skin against my body.

"It is perfectly fine Rykah. We can be bad together."

She smiled.

"We'll learn, right Zev?"

I nodded.

She settled in and I listened to her drift off.

If she had no idea how long she wanted this to go on between us, then I could only hope she never got bored of me.

After so long being alone in a crowd, being with these people, especially her, made me feel at peace.

In just the short time I'd been with them, I could honestly say I'd found someone to call a friend. A real friend.

One who wouldn't stab me in the back eventually.

That kind of tactic just wasn't in her book.

xXx

She still had a faint limp to her right leg as we walked into Denerim again.

Alistair stayed to her left, while I put myself to her right.

It wasn't something they probably thought about, but for her, the obvious leader, to put me at her side was a show of complete trust.

We talked again with the Brother's assistant and found out he was an imposter. Who I had to kill to prevent him from stabbing Alistair in the ribs through that shoddy armor of his.

We found the real man in the back room, dead.

I found notes from Genitivi on where he was heading, but no map.

Haven could be anywhere in those mountains.

As we were heading out towards the gates again, we were ambushed.

But this time it was by a full group of Crows.

And not just any leader.

Taliesen.

My old partner.

"Well now. Good old Zevran. It's been too long. I've missed you."

"I'm sure." I scoffed.

"You know, you can come back with us. We'll always take you in."

"I suppose I'd have to be dead, wouldn't I?" Rykah asked him.

"Of course." He smiled coldly.

My blood ran slightly cold at the mere thought.

Her beautiful smile, gone. Those soft touches, unfelt again. Looking in those gray eyes and seeing warmth towards me, hearing her laugh at something I said or how I antagonized the rest of the group, all gone.

"You and everyone else here of course."

He looked at me.

She reached out and slipped her hand into mine.

I could feel her soft hide gloves through my own.

The Dalish gloves she'd found and cleaned and repaired for me. As an honest gift. A real show of affection.

I squeezed her hand lightly.

I looked at my old partner.

"I'll have to pass. I'm not going anywhere. Least of all back to the Crows." I shook my head.

His face changed and weapons were drawn instantly.

Two of his men rushed me, knowing I was easily one of the deadliest targets they'd ever had.

They were just fresh kids compared to me.

I looked at their faces.

No, they were kids.

He'd brought two young elf recruits to get at me.

A sign that I was replaceable to them.

I shoved them back and kicked out.

My boot came in contact with the smaller boy's jaw and he dropped.

The other one flinched as I slammed the hilt of my short sword against the base of his neck.

I let him fall beside the other and turned in time to see my old partner holding his knife at the ready to cut Rykah's throat.

I couldn't breathe for a moment.

I rushed from his blind point and braced the knife he'd once given me with both hands.

He tumbled to the ground with me and over the ledge of the terrace they had ambushed us on.

I felt the poisoned edge of his blade cut through the leather of my jacket and brush the linen shirt under it.

But mine was firmly lodged between his ribs.

We slammed to the ground twenty feet below and the wind was knocked out of me.

I'd landed mostly on him, further jamming my blade into him.

He coughed up blood as I pushed away.

"You always were the soft one." He spat at me.

I watched him die as I heard Rykah call my name.

I looked down at him as I stood up, pulling my knife from him.

"Zev!" She sounded like she was worried.

I looked up at her as I moved towards the stairs.

She met me halfway as the others cleaned up the bodies.

Alistair tied the two young elves up, since I'd left them alive.

Rykah reached up to touch my cheek.

"Are you alright?" She asked.

"I...I'm fine. I'm free. For once, I really feel free. With him dead, I won't be hunted. At least, not directly. I can finally travel."

She looked sad. "And you want to?"

"I do."

She gripped my coat.

"If you leave, I'll be sorely put out though."

I laughed before pulling her close. "Stupid. I wanted to be free to travel with you. No worries about this shit happening."

She looked relieved as she buried her face against my chest.

"Good. Because I'd really miss you. Really Zevran."

"And I would miss having you as a friend."

I sighed as I held her for a moment.

"I think of you as more than a friend."

She pulled away and started to lead me back up the stairs.

I huffed a laugh as I followed.

I felt every aching muscle from the fall.

I staggered slightly when we came to the top and Alistair reached out to touch my shoulder.

"Are you okay?" He sounded genuinely concerned.

Wynne frowned. "That was a big fall you took. Are you sure nothing is broken?"

I nodded. "I'm alright. I landed on him anyway. I'll be perfectly fine tomorrow." I said.

Rykah sighed.

"We should get out of town while we can." Sten said.

I nodded. "Yes. We need to head for Haven and find Genitivi."

Rykah moved away from me.

I rolled my shoulders as I let them get ahead of me.

Fenrir fell back and licked my glove.

I rubbed his ears.

It was the most affection I'd ever received from him.

I watched everyone as we headed out of the city.

xXx

We made camp quite a few miles from the city.

I helped Alistair gather wood for the fire and he cornered me in the woods.

I could have gotten away, but he didn't look like he intended to fight me.

"Are you really okay?" He asked.

"A little bruised, but I'm perfectly alright."

He sighed. "That's not what I mean Zevran. He was your friend."

I shook my head.

"No, he was my partner and rarely a companion. He was never a friend. Not like Rykah. Definitely not. Hell, not even like you. At least you won't intentionally destroy something you knew I cared for just to spite me."

He sighed. "I wouldn't. With friends like that, who'd need enemies?"

I laughed. "True."

We carried what we had gathered back to the camp.

Rykah was sitting on a log beside the cleared spot for the fire and I put the wood I'd gathered down to join her.

She looked up at me.

I sighed as she reached up and brushed her fingers through my hair, careful of the braid on that side.

"You really need to redo these."

I nodded and reached to undo them.

She stood up and moved behind me.

I frowned until I felt her brushing her fingers through my hair.

Morrigan gave us a bemused look from the other side of where Alistair was starting the fire.

I settled in as I felt Rykah begin to work with the two longer parts of my hair to make the new braids tighter than before and even.

It was really hard to manage that on my own.

Wynne and Lelianna got the food prepared and as Rykah finished, she leaned against my back.

"I really was scared when you went over the edge like that. Please don't do that again."

"I didn't intend for that, but I saw him ready to kill you and I just couldn't let that happen." I said.

She moved back to sitting beside me.

After we all ate, I followed Rykah into her tent.

We didn't speak as we both undressed.

I kissed her as I moved over her.

She pulled me to her and held me.

I guess it must have really terrified her at the thought of me being dead too.

Maybe this was what it meant to really care for someone.

I had cared about Rinna too, but not like this.

Her murder had hit me hard, but not because I couldn't bear never seeing her again. I just had a gut instinct that we were all wrong.

If Rykah had been hurt today, I...couldn't even think about it.

I felt her pushing at me and realized I'd been holding her tighter than I'd meant.

She didn't look upset about it.

Merely pulled me down for a gentle kiss as I slid into her welcoming body.

She was just as bad as I was as we made love.

Never rough, but this was definitely an act of life reaffirmation.

Neither of us were killed today.

Had she not still been limping, she very well might have been able to hold her own against my old partner.

But her calf had healed up pretty well.

I'd always watch for her though.

Anything to make things easier on her.

She scraped her nails over my back as she came and the look on her face pulled me along with her.

I settled beside her as soon as I could lower myself away from her.

She pushed against my side and put her head on my right arm as I turned to my side to wrap my arms around her.

This was definitely not something I'd ever done with anyone else.

I had never cuddled up to another person like this in my life.

I just couldn't resist it with her though.

Something about the way she was just pulled me in like a moth to a flame.

I just hoped I never wound up burned.

xXx

I woke to Fenrir barking.

I was up instantly.

He never barked.

I yanked my pants on as Rykah pulled her clothes on sloppily.

Nothing was done up right, but she pulled the light armor over her clothes anyway.

We grabbed our weapons and I pushed first out of the tent.

Everyone else was staggering out of their tents.

"Fen?" Rykah whispered.

He snarled in response.

I felt her grip the sleeve of my undone coat. Her finger caught the tear and she frowned.

"Something is coming." She said.

"You have a dream of the Archdemon too?" Alistair asked as he readied himself.

Even he didn't look fully pulled together.

Sten and Morrigan probably looked the most ready for a fight.

I watched Rykah nod to the question.

Damn. Any of their dreams relating that beast were bad news.

I jolted slightly as at least a dozen, no more than twenty, Darkspawn came from the trees around us.

Wynne and Morrigan threw up a spell each that lit up the area.

I saw Genlocks and Hurlocks, but nothing more.

A scouting party to test our strength?

I held both blades loosely before rushing at a group of six with Rykah a step behind me.

We moved perfectly in sync. It was good to see the results of all our training that this whole group moved quite well. Keeping the magic users to the center of our circle.

I felt the magic guards wrap around me, and glanced over to watch them bounce off Rykah.

She kept going as if it had never happened.

As if she couldn't feel the crackle in the air around her.

When all the beasts lay dead, I turned to look at her.

"Can you not even feel the magic?"

She shook her head.

"My...mother used to say I gave up the ability to sense magic or use it in exchange for my natural gift with any weapon I touch."

I sighed.

The others moved to start cleaning up camp.

Where one group was, others would surely follow.

Rykah and I put the tent away neatly and I cleaned off our weapons as she fixed her clothes and armor properly.

I held her swords back to her as everyone was ready.

Setup and breakdown seemed to come pretty fast now.

We headed for the road leading to Orzammar.

If anyone knew where the town of Haven was, it might be the surface dwarves set up outside the entrance to the great city of dwarves.

xXx

It was nearing nightfall when we came to the path leading to the entrance.

Rykah debated just camping for the night, but settled on just pushing forward.

As we came up to the entrance, there was yelling.

Some of Loghain's men were trying to get access to poison the minds of the dwarves.

I stuck to the back of the group, hidden from sight, observing the man who knew me by sight.

Rykah managed to intimidate him and his group into leaving.

It was amazing how someone so small and fragile could make grown men cower.

Hell, sometimes she scared me.

The dwarves let us in and sent a younger boy running ahead to let the dwarf temporarily in charge know we were coming.

I moved to stand beside Rykah again as the huge doors closed behind us.

xXx

In just a few minutes of observing the meeting while waiting for our host, Rykah had already determined which of the two candidates would be better suited for both our needs and the dwarves.

From the conversations I'd picked up on while we walked, I could tell the Prince was definitely more favored by the people.

It was the nobility who wanted the strict set of rules to continue.

Mostly because it kept them in power.

The Prince would have thrown those rules out the window.

Not all of them it seemed, but the ones keeping the dwarves locked in a state of stale life.

I listened as she spoke with our host and he explained that we couldn't be helped until there was a king.

Then she set out to find the Prince's men and get an audience.

The dwarf who spoke for the Prince to outsiders during this event urged us to help reveal the treachery Harrowmont was up to and Rykah agreed.

Then he offered us all rooms in the private royal quarter.

Small guest rooms, but each of the four rooms were carved with a clean hot spring pool and had a nice bed.

Alistair and Sten took a room, Lelianna and Wynne took the one beside theirs. We left Morrigan by herself, not wanting to irritate her.

And no one said a word to me staying with Rykah again.

Maybe they had begun to accept me being with her.

I bolted the door closed behind us as Fenrir laid in the hallway to guard all four doors at the end of the hall.

Rykah sighed.

"We'll set out in the morning to tell the two about his offer, and then hopefully we can talk to the Prince." She said.

I nodded and moved towards her.

I stood behind her as she eased her armor off.

"We need to get you some new armor my love. This stuff is too big for you and not suited to your style." I said as I set it aside neatly for her on the table.

"I know. Perhaps while we are here, we should make a detour to see the best smiths this city has to offer. Dwarven armor is rumored to be some of the best."

I nodded. "My old Crow gear was Dwarven made. Quite luxurious too. Comfortable and maneuverable."

She sighed as she looked at the spring.

I moved around her as I tossed my coat to the desk.

"Come on." I coaxed as I shed my clothes.

She had a weary look on her face after the long day of travel after having gotten up too early to fight Darkspawn.

I reached to help her remove her shirt.

"I know what you need."

"You?" She smiled as she shimmied out of her pants.

I grinned. "Close. I will show you."

I eased her into the pool with me and sighed at the warm water.

There was even a shelf with towels stocked and hard soap bars.

I took one and wrapped it in a small cloth and rubbed.

"That is a treat." She reached for one.

I moved to block her.

"Zev? Let me enjoy my first real bath in a while."

"You will." I said.

xXx

She didn't relax for a moment in my arms until I was halfway through carefully cleaning every inch of her.

I checked the new scar on her calf and kissed the clean, fresh skin.

"I am so sorry you had to get this." She shook her head lazily.

"I was careless Zev. I should have been watching my footing. Not your ass."

"Was that what distracted you?" I teased.

"I...not like that!" She blushed. "Not that I don't like looking, but...ugh, you're impossible."

"I'm told I'm incorrigible all the time." I rinsed the last of the soap from her skin and used a little on my hands to do her hair.

"I was looking at you, where you were, instead of where my feet were."

"It rightly scared me when you went down like that. That sap could have killed you."

"And if a hundred things hadn't been how they were, I would be dead long before now. But yes, without you there, knowing what it was and having the stuff to help me, I'd have died. I know. And I thank the Maker every time I look at you, that I didn't let Alistair run you through while you were down."

I sighed as I let her settle herself at the edge of the pool on the underwater shelf.

I quickly and efficiently cleaned myself.

"I am forever grateful for it as well." I said. "Had you let him, I never would have gotten to know you. To...care for you like I do."

She smiled. "So you do care?"

I tossed the wrung out cloth to the side of the pool and moved towards her.

"Of course. Enough to want to keep you safe."

I pulled her into my arms and picked her up.

She wrapped her arms around my neck as I took us both out of the pool.

I let her slide down my body to stand on her own feet before grabbing two towels.

She wrapped herself in one as I dried myself with the other.

My hair needed braiding again, but it was worth it.

She dried herself before tucking the towel to hold around her body.

She tugged on one of the longer hanks of hair hanging at the side of my face.

I looked down at her.

"Can I?" She asked.

I nodded.

I moved to sit on the bed, throwing the towel with the other cloth.

She blushed slightly at the sight of my body still, but it was a beautiful flush on her skin.

I felt her climb onto the bed and settle behind me to braid my hair properly.

I'd done it myself for so long it was like a prized treat to have her do it.

Especially knowing she did it tightly and evenly.

When she was finished, I turned and urged her to lay on the bed.

It was surprisingly large and soft.

I realized why it was so soft as I saw how it was put together.

The mattress was full of soft sand, giving the perfect ability to conform to our bodies.

It was brilliant.

But the pillows were just as impressive, being filled with sand as well.

Yet none of it fell out.

The weave of the fabric was so tight.

I looked down at her hair spread over one of the pillows.

"Zev?"

"Yes?"

"Let's make the most of private, thick walled chambers." She said.

I grinned.

"Of course."

The walls were thick, and the doors nearly as thick with a roll of fabric to seal out noise.

Finally, I could hear her scream my name as I made her break.

We didn't need hesitation or permission.

She knew my body was open to her wandering hands, just as she didn't stop me from worshipping every inch of her skin as thoroughly as I'd cleaned her.

When I used my hands to bring her over the edge, she resisted crying out.

I watched as she stared at me while I brought my mouth to throw her into a second orgasm.

"Zevran!" She moaned my name as she reached for me with weak hands as her body shuddered under my touch.

I had let her touch me enough while using my hands on her.

When I surged into her without warning, she moaned.

I groaned at how tight she still was.

I had to wonder if she would ever change.

I didn't want her to.

She raked her fingers over my shoulders, leaving red marks on my skin as I pushed into her over and over relentlessly.

I leaned down to kiss her as my hand snaked between us to tease her clit.

She closed her eyes as she tried to remain in control.

"Look at me Rykah." I growled.

I wanted to see those gray eyes as she came.

I wanted to see the pleasure on her face.

But mostly, I wanted her to always remember the face of the man who brought it to her.

As her eyes opened to meet mine, I rubbed in just the way I knew would set her off.

She screamed my name this time.

It was perfect. Finally being able to hear her voice while making love to her.

Her body pulled me along with her and I stared down at her as I groaned her name while spilling into her.

It was worth the fear of being deep underground with almost no way out in an emergency.

She was worth it.

xXx

Finding the people we needed to show the papers to turned out a bit more complicated than it had seemed.

The one man was easy enough to find, the other, not so much.

We ended up traveling into the Deep Roads.

I kept close to Rykah, ever weary of her being hurt again.

None of these Darkspawn or the beasts that lived down here had a chance against her though.

It took longer than I'd have liked to find the group of dwarves we were looking for.

And when we finally got back, the visit to see the Prince was only allowed to her and Alistair.

The meeting could have taken hours.

I couldn't stand the wait.

I went out to the craftsmen's area of the city and located one of the best smiths according to the royal guards.

The dwarf was a bit rough to talk to, but he allowed me to go through the things he had made.

I found some armor similar to my old Crow gear and was surprised to find that it fit.

"Do you have another set of this?" I asked. "Maybe just a little smaller?"

He grumbled, but sifted through a chest behind him and pulled out another set of the metal plate covered leather pants and jacket.

The set he handed to me were going to be perfect for Rykah.

I reached for my coin purse and haggled with him after realizing I was a few silvers short.

After pointing out that the stuff I was buying couldn't be used by any dwarves and few grown humans, who would normally never see these, he agreed to take what I had.

I also let him have my old leather coat to use as he pleased.

I carefully folded the other set and wrapped it up in a piece of rough linen he gave me to keep it from getting dirty when I explained that it was for my love.

The rough old dwarf was nicer than he appeared to be.

I made my way back to the royal palace.

When I crossed through the doors leading to the rooms we were set up in, I was assaulted by a smaller body.

I nearly dropped the armor as I caught her up.

"Where were you?" She asked.

Even Alistair in the hallway ahead of us looked a bit uneasy.

"I thought you left. That you got in trouble." She said.

I held Rykah close.

"I'm sorry I worried you." I saw the relief from Alistair before he headed into the room he shared with Sten.

I eased Rykah away and urged her towards our room.

She kept a hold of my hand.

As I closed the door behind us, she finally took in the new armor.

"You went out for armor?" She frowned.

"Yes." I held out the wrapped set.

"I was worried, and you were fine?"

I moved closer to set the armor in her hands.

"I'm sorry love. I didn't think you'd be done so soon."

She put the wrapped gear on the bed without looking at it.

"You were gone for almost two hours. Surely you didn't think I'd take that long?"

"What do you think of my new gear?" I asked as I shrugged the coat off and set it over the back of the chair at the desk. She stared at me as I undid the ties keeping the pants up over my own.

"It's very nice. Looks like the stuff you said you used to have." She said.

She looked ready to get on me again about being gone so long.

I reached for her and she let me turn her to face the bed.

I moved to unwrap the linen and she reached to touch my hand where it was around her shoulder.

"Zev...you..."

"I want you to have something to actually fight in. Something that will protect you, but still allow you to move." I said.

She reached to hold up the coat.

I stepped back as she pulled it on.

It did fit her perfectly.

She pulled the pants on over hers and did the ties to hold them up.

"This is...so light."

"And it is magically reinforced." I said. "As is mine. I took so long because I found a dwarf who could weave magical protection into the armor I bought us. Magic doesn't work on you directly, but I hoped being infused with your armor would be possible."

She moved to hug me and I let her.

"Thank you Zev." She stepped away and pulled it all off again.

"It seems like my guess was right. Being on your armor seems fine. So long as it isn't put on you."

She moved for her bag and as she started to pull out her tiny purse, I covered her hands.

"It's a gift love. I...I want you safe, even if you ever choose to get rid of me."

She turned to face me.

Rykah reached with both hands to pull me down to her.

"You know I'm never doing that."

No, I really didn't.

I hoped, but her word was the only thing I had to rely on.

Not that I put no faith in her, but I had been lied to by people I cared about before.

"Let us worry about that when it comes." I said softly before kissing her.

xXx

After we ate a good evening meal for the first time in a while, we all relaxed for the night before we went off on whatever mission Rykah had been given by the prince to help settle this deadlock.

I lay beside her to sleep, content to just hold her warm, soft, supple body close to me.

She didn't press further, seeming to sense that I just wanted to hold her tonight.

It didn't bother her to snuggle up to me and cuddle.

There was warmth between us like I'd never felt.

As many times as she said she wouldn't get rid of me, I still felt that twinge in the back of my mind.

This warmth was only temporary.

It just seemed like my old partner sneered at me from the grave.

Everything I'd tried to cherish in my life had been brutally taken from me, either by him or a fight.

I guess I was just waiting for her to be taken too.

xXx

We were joined by a drunken dwarf as we made our way to find a lost Paragon.

Turned out, that Paragon was his wife.

As we made our way through the Deep Roads, following the trail, that sinking feeling just kept getting deeper.

I tried to act my cheerful self, but I think she noticed.

As we made camp in a tiny crevice in the tunnel, I didn't resist as she curled up with me.

It did a lot to ease my mind in fact.

It was hard to think that I'd gone from someone who had accepted death to a man who wanted something I could never have.

Forever with a Grey Warden.

xXx

When we made it to that bridge, I swear I was more terrified than I'd ever been.

Seeing the Archdemon personally was a shock.

Knowing that the woman I had come to care so much for had to slaughter that thing herself was even more frightening.

As good as Alistair was, the sight of his face had me believing that he'd fight, but he'd never be able to make the final blow.

It would kill him before that could happen.

No, he was to be support for Rykah, nothing more.

It took careful work to get past everything set up to stop us.

But we found the remains of Branka's group.

And the survivor she had left behind.

We continued forward, fighting the ugliest creature I'd seen in my life aside from the Demons.

It rivaled the Sloth Demon in terms of ugliness.

I kept Rykah safe from the tentacles aiming to grab her and ended up caught by one myself.

Luckily, Alistair cut through it and I tumbled to the floor as the monster died from the others attacking it.

He gave me a hand and pulled me to my feet.

Rykah walked beside me from then on as we made our way to our target.

I was surprised to see Branka still alive as we found what we were looking for.

I felt bad for Ogrhen as his own wife ignored him in favor of her lost artifact.

But seeing the Anvil personally, I could see why it drew attention.

Having such power was a heady temptation.

I made the comment on how it would be useful to have an army of golems fighting for us.

"And just what would you think after you became one of those things?" Alistair asked.

I went to speak, but Rykah took my hand and spoke softly to me.

"You wouldn't be able to be with me anymore Zev." She sounded sad.

"I...guess that would be a bother, wouldn't it." I said to Alistair.

We settled on destroying it.

After a tussle with Branka and the golems she managed to control, we could finally break it.

In payment for the destruction, its master created one last thing to help us.

A crown for whoever became king of the dwarves.

In other words, whoever Rykah chose.

xXx

The trip back was pretty uneventful. One ambush by a handful of Darkspawn.

Nothing we couldn't handle.

Rykah did seem to be enjoying her new armor.

Even Alistair and the others had commented on how much better she moved and how it was more defensive than it looked.

These coats had hoods that also had linked pieces of metal fastened on just like the rest of the coat and the pants.

If I had my old Crow mask, I'd say it would be even better than my old armor.

As we came back into the city, our new dwarf companion seemed a bit at a loss on where to go.

Rykah offered for him to join us on our journey.

He agreed.

We made our way back to where the daily argument was being held and I stood by the door with the others, ready if Rykah needed me.

The crown was accepted with the awe it deserved.

She gave it over to the Prince, indicating the old Paragon's decision.

He'd claimed to not be interested in current affairs, but there was just no way after listening to Rykah talk about what was going on that he hadn't caved in and made it for the Prince

It fit him perfectly.

She moved to leave as he ordered Harrowmont's execution.

Alistair and Sten held the doors for her as I moved to walk with her.

At the sound of the brutal death, I pulled her close, seen only by our group.

She gripped the hem of my coat as I led the way back to the rooms the Prince had let us use.

Everyone went their own way, Ogrhen joining Alistair and Sten.

I closed the door to our room.

"Why did he have to kill him?" She sat on the bed.

I moved in front of her to help her shed her gear after pulling my own off.

"I know it is hard to accept, but some people won't just go quietly to their defeat. I'm sure Howe won't."

She clenched her hands on my shirt.

"That's different. He deserves death after what he did to my family. My parents are dead because of him." She said as she looked up at me.

"I know. And we will make him pay for it." I pulled her towards me to kiss her.

She turned herself to face me as I sat on the bed beside her.

"Zev...why is it that I try so hard to stop people from fighting each other but it never works?"

She looked hurt and scared. I pulled her close.

"You've stopped a lot of bad things. You stopped the werewolves from fighting with the Dalish and even lifted their curse. You fixed the problem at the Circle with so very few casualties. I heard from someone in the market when I got our armor that most of the Templars we had restrained after freeing them from the Demons were just about back to normal."

"Most."

"A few died of their wounds my love, but none were killed because they had been corrupted. You saved them. And you saved Redcliff from its disaster and even the Arls wife is alive. Things tend to go well around you, you just don't see it like I do." I said.

She sighed as she curled up against me.

"I just...I want to save people Zev."

"I know. I am one of your rescues."

"You say that as if you're a pet." She mumbled as she slid down to curl on the bed with her head on my thigh.

I stroked her hair as I laughed.

"It's not funny Zev. The way you talk sometimes, it's as if you think I own you in some way." She spread her hand over my thigh and I looked down at her.

She was really hurt over the inability to save everyone.

"I'm sorry Rykah. It isn't that I think you own me. I know you consider me free to choose my life. But I will always think of you as the one who owns my life because you saved it." She started to speak again, but I put my finger over her lips. "You chose to spare me that day, not because you wanted to use me the way the Crows did, but because you're a beautiful woman with an even more beautiful soul. In my eyes, I can't do less than give you my life because without your mercy, I'd be dead. I care for you, much deeper than I had thought possible for a man like me. I would gladly put myself between you and danger because I care, not because I owe it to you."

She pushed up.

"Please don't talk about you dying. I...don't like it."

I laughed. "I plan to live for a very long time. An old fortune teller once told me I wouldn't die young. I guess she was right."

Rykah sighed. I put my hand on her cheek.

"You can't save everyone love. There are going to be people who, no matter what you do or say, will continue to rush to their deaths."

She nodded and leaned into my touch.

No one had ever done that before her.

Not like she did.

She didn't have a hint of reservation or fear of my touch.

All of my previous targets had tried to hide it, but I could tell.

Rykah had never feared my touch.

Maybe Alistair was right.

Maybe the Maker did speak to her.

It was like she knew that I wasn't ever going to hurt her.

Even that day I attacked them, I was already pulling back before Alistair rushed me.

Some assassin I was.

No, I was good at my job. It was just her.

I was drawn to her like nothing else had ever drawn me in.

As if from the moment I saw her, I was bound to her by my very soul.

I pulled away from her at the knock on the door.

She moved to stand up and hurried to quickly put our armor on the desk and stand as commanding as possible.

I gave her a smile as I opened the door.

xXx

Alistair stood there with several of the new King's guards and the King himself.

"Come in." Rykah spoke up.

Alistair stepped in and as the rest came in I closed the door.

The two guards looked at me.

"I'm afraid this must be private." Bhelen said.

Rykah nodded. "Zevran is as trusted by me as Alistair is. If not more because he knows the value of silence. He was an Antivan Crow."

Bhelen looked at me.

"And he's not here to kill anyone?"

Rykah gave an honest laugh and Alistair chuckled. The King looked at them again.

"Zevran was assigned to kill us both." Alistair said. "Loghain hired him. He ambushed us a while back."

"And you kept him alive?"

Rykah smiled. "I suppose you could say my payment is worth more than Loghain's."

Damn straight.

Money might get me those boots back home, but nothing would replace Rykah.

The King nodded. "Always good to have a good assassin on your side."

"Very much so." Alistair nodded. "And he's been a fantastic ally."

The praise from Alistair was rather unexpected, but appreciated the same.

"I can honestly tell you that I will help you fight the Archdemon. As you know, I can't send too many troops, considering we fight every day down here, but it should definitely be a help."

Rykah nodded. "Any support you can give would be helpful."

"And as for that other place. I had a look at some of our older maps of the surface and I think I found the place you are searching for." He pulled out a very old and tattered piece of hide.

I hadn't seen a hide map in my life. Those had been used decades ago.

He unfolded it on the bottom of the bed and I moved to look and Rykah stood at my side to look down at the map.

I scanned quickly and pointed at the label of the village we were looking for.

Alistair pulled out our map and scribbled in the location.

"I don't know if it is still there. But that is where Haven used to be."

Rykah sighed as Bhelen rolled the thin hide back up and tucked it away in a pouch.

"That is immensely helpful." She said.

"I take it you will be heading there next?"

"I'd like to leave tomorrow morning. To give the rest of my group some time to get new, better equipment." She said.

Bhelen nodded. "Alright. You may continue to use these rooms until you leave. If I don't see you before then, good luck."

Rykah nodded. "Thank you."

I held the door for the King and his guards as they left.

"Alistair." Rykah looked at him. "Get the others and see what gear you can find. I'm sure the gold Bhelen gave us for our preparations should cover some good gear for everyone."

He nodded and I watched her go to her pack.

She pulled out a hefty bag of coins and handed it to him.

"What about you two?"

"Zev got us gear. All I can ask is if you can find a couple pairs of dual swords that are better than our current ones. Ours are still good and I think they just need a good sharpening. So if you can handle that too?"

Alistair nodded. She handed him both her swords and mine as well.

"I'll see to it."

He headed out the door to collect the others and I closed the heavy wood behind him.

I looked at her.

"Such a long day." I sighed.

"Very much so." She started to pull her shirt off. "I think we should take a bath and then relax."

"Taking a bath is relaxing." I said as I shed my clothes.

I followed her into the pool and was slightly startled when she turned on me.

xXx

As she forcefully pushed me back against the stone ledge, I didn't really know how to react.

It wasn't as if she was hurting me, so I didn't want to hurt her.

"Rykah?"

She moved her hands to my wrists.

As she forced my hands to spread over the floor behind me, I looked down slightly at her.

Her eyes met mine and it was like she lost the craze that had held her.

She put her head against my chest and her hands moved to my hips to settle gently.

"I'm sorry Zev. I...thought I could do it, but...I can't."

"Do what?" I frowned.

She didn't look at me, but I caught the flush on her cheeks.

"I just wanted to be the one in control for once."

I relaxed and wrapped my arms around her.

"All you have to do is say so my love. I have no issues with you taking control of our actions."

She looked up at me. "But, that's not something I can just say."

"Sure it is. I want you to control our lovemaking." I said.

She blushed.

"Then...can I...wash you?"

I felt the heat flood my body at her words.

"If you want to." I ground out.

She reached for the cloth we had used the other night and the soap and I moved to let her wash me.

Her hands shook slightly as she touched me.

This was a different level from her touching my body during sex.

This put me completely vulnerable to her.

She had given herself to me the other night and I refused to deny her curiosity.

Those small hands steadied as she cleaned my back.

I felt her touch the still tender scrapes from her nails the other day.

She had scratched me just shy of drawing blood.

"Did I...do these?"

"Absolutely. I love it." I said.

"You...enjoy that?"

"Not normally, but with you, entirely."

I felt her brush her fingers down over the marks again.

When her hands continued further down, I felt my body tense at her touch.

She took her time washing me until she had to actually focus on the one part of me that defied my desire to relax and enjoy the perfect torment.

I took the cloth and deftly finished before rinsing myself off and moving to sit on the edge of the pool.

I watched her clean herself.

She seemed nervous as I watched her.

"You're staring again." She mumbled.

"And why wouldn't I stare at such a beautiful body?" I teased. "Especially one I crave so much."

It just slipped out, but her blush was worth my slight embarrassment.

When she rinsed off, I helped her out of the pool and grabbed a clean towel to dry off and handed her a clean one as well.

I headed for the bed after picking our clothes up and setting them on the small table beside the bed.

I laid out on the bed and held out my hand in invitation.

With the soft blankets pushed to the side, I could feel the way the sand under me flowed to conform to me.

Rykah had a soft look on her face as she came to me.

She moved over me and I looked up at her as my hands settled on her hips.

"Zev?" I raised a brow at her. "Have you ever...had someones mouth on you?"

"Never as pleasurable as even your touch." I said.

It was true. Just her touch set me more on fire than every other person who had touched me before.

She shifted down a little and I felt her tiny hands trace over the tattoos on my skin.

I didn't really know how I could get harder, but it almost hurt to not have her touch on my cock.

I looked down at her as she leaned down over me.

It was like looking at my fantasy come true as I watched her take me into her mouth.

It was hell to feel it though.

The Crows had no torture that could have prepared me for this.

Her hands wrapped what her mouth couldn't comfortably cover and I groaned as she moved.

I twisted my hands in the sheet under me, careful of the mattress.

It wasn't very long at all before I was at the edge of orgasm.

I gritted my teeth as I tried not to come.

She looked up at me from under her bangs.

Her tongue stroked over the underside of the head and she sucked.

It was too much.

Her simple actions drove me over the edge.

I couldn't hold myself up as I spilled into her mouth.

She swallowed my semen as I watched with hooded eyes.

It took so much effort to keep looking at her.

I finally felt the breath fill my lungs again and reached to pull her up.

Even after that, I was still hard.

I wanted to make love to her.

She reached with gentle hands to position me at her entrance and I pulled her down hard.

She gasped at the force, but I didn't let up.

Her hands braced on my chest to give herself leverage.

It was hard and fast tonight.

"Rykah." I groaned. She looked at me, trying to find the perfect angle. It was so hard to wait for her. "You are the best thing in my life right now. No matter what, I won't let that monster hurt you."

She leaned down to kiss me.

"I know."

I reached between us to rub her clit and it threw her over the edge, taking me with her as she tightened on me.

She collapsed on me and I held her close as I pulled the blankets over us both.

xXx

I woke to a soft knock.

Rykah lay beside me, completely out to the world.

She must have been more than exhausted.

I slid away and pulled on my pants before cracking the door open.

Alistair gave me a confused look as I reached for the new dual swords he'd found Rykah and my sharpened ones.

"Zevran..." He spoke before I could close the door. I looked up a little at him. "You...do mean to stay with her, right?"

"For as long as she'll keep me." I nodded.

"It's just...I don't want to see either of you hurt. You...are as close to a friend as I can call, and she is a bit like a sister to me."

"I don't know what we're doing Alistair. I'm taking this day by day. If she wants more, all she has to do is ask."

"And marriage? You know she's a noble. If her brother is indeed alive, she is the sister of a tyern, which still makes her outrank nearly everyone here except Bhelen and some of the upper level dwarves." He said.

I rubbed the back of my neck.

"I...don't know."

"Do you love her enough to walk away if that's what it takes?" He asked.

"I'm not sure if I can. I owe Rykah my life and until I see that debt repaid to my satisfaction, even her marrying another noble won't stop me from protecting her."

Alistair grabbed my wrist.

"I'm asking because..." He let go and sighed before rubbing his head. "Look, I hate the idea of being King, but if I'm needed to step in and fill Cailan's boots, I'll give it a shot. And if that is the case, I...I'm thinking I'll have some need for a friend among the ranks."

"What are you getting at?" I yawned.

"If I become King, I need someone that both the Alianage Elves and the Dalish will be willing to go to. You are Dalish, even if you deny that, and you are an elf."

"You want to make me an ambassador?" I gave a soft laugh. "You think an assassin will be good for that?"

"Well...then I'll still need someone as an advisor in politics and you are good at that at least."

"Why are you trying to get me to fill these positions?" I asked.

"Rykah is a noble, but as an advisor to the King, it would put you up in our ranks. I'm just thinking about how she'll be looked at if it comes out to the people that you're her...lover."

I sighed. "Do what you want. I'll always stick by her until she doesn't want me."

"I'll make you my advisor if I'm King. Maker knows I'll need it."

"I'm going back to bed. We'll be leaving in the morning. Make sure everyone knows that."

He nodded and I closed the door.

I set our swords on the desk and shed my pants again.

I climbed under the blankets with Rykah and pulled her close.

She made a soft mumble and put her cheek on my shoulder.

xXx

We headed out after breakfast with the King and a few minutes on the surface for our new dwarf companion to get used to the sky.

Wynne tried to get me to talk about myself, but I think the way I took my past lightly made her think I was lying.

We followed the route on the map as far as we could before night started coming.

Rykah dished out the nightly orders and I noticed Alistair looked at her differently.

He was seriously considering becoming King.

He'd hate it, and would constantly feel inadequate, but eventually he would fall into it.

We made our fire and ate a good meal.

As Rykah headed for her tent, I helped clean up.

Maybe she would eventually find some man who suited her tastes and position, but I'd stay in the background, keeping her safe. Even from her husband if needed.

I moved towards her tent. She hadn't said I couldn't sleep with her still.

She was already stripped down and under the blankets when I climbed in.

I shed my clothes and armor neatly and slid in beside her.

She cuddled up to me.

I paused as I thought of how it was nearly a month since we first met.

Traveling had a way of throwing the sense of time off.

I turned to curl up with her and she put her back to my chest.

xXx

We finally found Haven.

Three days of wandering in the mountains had paid off.

The locals looked at us like we were a plague.

As we crowded into the only store to ask questions, I watched Rykah browse the shelves while Wynne turned her charm on the man.

He gave us hardly nothing and told us to go speak to the Father.

We headed out and I was just turning to head back in as I didn't see Rykah when she came out fixing her pack closed.

Alistair led the way to the Chantry building.

We walked in, interrupting their service.

I looked at Ogrhen.

"Just once, I'd love to walk in to a place like this and see something unusual. Maybe an orgy."

He huffed a laugh. "That would be funny."

"Right?"

I caught the dry look from Alistair, Lelianna, and Rykah.

I didn't catch what started the fight, but when the local men attacked us, we quickly put them down.

No killing, as instructed by Rykah.

She made to the secret room and we found Brother Genitivi on the floor.

He was wounded, but a combination of healing magic and bandaging fixed him up.

He excitedly told us what he had found once we explained we were here to help him help the Arl.

He leaned on Alistair for support and started to lead us to the shrine of Andraste. Her supposed burial grounds.

xXx

Things kind of passed in a blur for me from there.

I'm sure no one really appreciated my comments on the statuary around the shrine, but it did prove that I wasn't uneducated.

We made our way to a Dragon's den.

Little dragonlings defending their nest from us.

I tried not to hurt them too badly as we made our way forward.

It wasn't their fault we needed to get by.

As we came to some lunatics, Rykah tried to talk them out of a fight.

They refused once they realized we weren't going to do what they wanted.

Several died, but the two I put down were merely badly wounded.

We continued on and I caught the smile from Rykah. She was glad I wasn't killing. Even the baby dragons.

We came out to an open cliff and I could honestly feel terror.

The Archdemon was ugly, but this Dragon scared me more.

Something about the fact that it was in complete control of itself. It was an intelligent creature.

This thing could slaughter us if it wanted.

It seemed content to just lay on the cliff.

As we passed a gong, I saw Ogrhen move to kick it and blocked his boot with my leg.

"Don't set that thing off." I hissed at him.

He grumbled as we headed inside the real temple.

The Guardian met us.

As he tried to play on hidden guilt and fears to test our worth, I listened.

"Are you still hurt by your parents deaths? Do you think that things would have been different if you'd stayed?"

"I..." Rykah started. "I don't know. I'd probably be dead, I wouldn't have become a Warden..." She wrapped her arms around herself.

"Way to play on her pain." Alistair snapped.

"And you, mister 'afraid of your own blood' can speak? How many nights did you spend wishing your father had accepted you as his own? Wishing now that maybe, just maybe your younger brother wouldn't have had to become King and it would have been you dead on that battlefield?"

I watched Alistair swallow thickly.

He wished he'd taken Cailan's place?

The man turned towards our other friends as I reached to pull Rykah closer to me.

He didn't get much from Sten, and Lelianna clammed up as well. Morrigan threatened to use her magic on him if he spoke to her. Wynne he looked at and she covered her mouth with her hand and looked down, knowing what he would bring up.

He didn't even get to speak before Ogrhen stopped him to admit his guilts.

I flinched as he spoke my name.

"Zevran Arainai. The assassin Crow. How is it now that you failed the last woman you cared for so completely yet think that you won't stab this one in the back? That all the blood on your hands won't come back to haunt you?"

I looked up at him.

"Rinna was different. I cared, yes, but nothing like now. I don't miss Rinna. And I live with my past every day. I live knowing that even someone like me deserves a second chance when they find it."

He seemed to smile. "Enjoy your challenges. May you make it through them alive."

He vanished in a flash of light.

I looked down at Rykah.

"Maybe he's right. Maybe I didn't try hard enough."

I scoffed. "Bullshit." She looked up at me. "You did the right thing, leaving with the old Warden. Your father was a dead man as it stood and your mother would have wasted away at losing him. It is better they went together. And no parent would sit by and watch their child die." I said.

She nodded. I looked over at Alistair. "Don't stress it. Wishing for things like that is normal. He was your King, and your younger brother. It is an older sibling's job to try to protect the younger. You were doing the best you could given the situation you were put in by the previous generation."

He nodded.

"Are we going in or not?" I asked.

Rykah nodded. "I think only a couple of us should go in."

The others nodded and she pulled Alistair, myself, and Fenrir aside to go in.

No one took it as a sign she didn't trust them.

Everyone knew she only thought of the best interest.

"On second thought..." She looked at me. "I'm sorry, but I think Lelianna should come instead."

I sighed but nodded.

As she turned to leave, I snagged her wrist.

"You be careful, alright?" I leaned in to look her in the eyes.

"Of course." She nodded.

I looked up at Alistair as she turned away and the man nodded.

He'd keep her as safe as he could.

I caught the soft look on Morrigan's face as I turned away from the leaving group.

xXx

My nerves were about shot when Rykah and the others finally came back.

She had a scrape across her left knuckles and a cut on her right cheek.

I rushed to her, uncaring how it seemed to the others.

Alistair and Lelianna excitedly relaid their trip and I ignored it in favor of pulling my kit from my bag.

I put several drops of the pain numbing liquid on a small cloth to put over her knuckles before tightly wrapping her hand.

I found a piece of sticky bandaging and tore off a small strip from the roll. This was what I had once used on my own hard to wrap wounds.

I dabbed a couple drops onto the center and carefully covered her cut with it.

She looked up at me.

"You said you'd be careful." I softly chided her.

"I...I was. I had to fight a shadow of myself. It was...harder than I thought."

I sighed. I moved to put my kit away and stood up again.

She looked almost sad.

I reached to cup her uninjured cheek in my palm.

"You did it though. Now the Arl can be saved."

She nodded.

"Lets head back to Redcliff." She said.

I nodded.

xXx

Our trip out of Haven was uneventful.

No one disturbed the Dragon, the town was barrenly quiet, and no one attacked us.

We came into Redcliff at nearly sundown.

Just in time to catch a night of sleep.

Rykah passed over the ashes and the Arl was revived.

His brother filled him in as we collected ourselves in guest rooms for the night, exhausted from traveling.

I shrugged out of my armor and hung it on the rack provided for it and Rykah put hers up as well.

I was just getting ready to pull my shirt off with her hands snaking around my waist when the knock sounded on the door.

I made a low growl as I pulled away from her to open it.

The Bann stood there with his brother.

"Sorry to disturb you." He started to turn away.

"Looking for the Warden?"

He nodded.

I pulled the door fully open.

"I wasn't aware she was there with you."

"I'm good at relaxing sore muscles. I was going to give her a massage and then leave her to sleep." I said as both men stepped into the room.

"Don't lie Zev." She said. "These men are my peers." She looked at them both. "Zev and I are together. Does that bother you?"

The Arl looked at me and laughed before coughing.

He looked back at her.

"You're as headstrong as your mother. Your parents would be proud of you. And I don't think they would mind your choice nearly as much as others would think. I think I would know love when I see it. I just wanted to thank you personally for everything. Teagan told me Isolde offered herself to save our son. He said that you tried to sway her from it, but that there just wasn't time for another tactic. I'm glad she is still alive and slowly getting better. All thanks to you."

Rykah had a pained expression for a moment at the mention of her parents and I moved to stand beside her.

The two men looked at her. "I'm extremely grateful. I'll talk more with you in the morning. Please get some rest."

She nodded and I moved away long enough to close the door.

She sat on the large bed and I eased in behind her.

I started massaging her shoulders and she slumped against me.

"I...would my parents accept you?" She mumbled.

"I would like to see them tell you no if you chose me." I said.

She smiled.

Her face lit up and she bolted up.

I frowned as she went to her bag.

"Close your eyes." She said. She looked at me. "And no peeking."

I obeyed.

I heard her rustling in her pack before I felt her put something in my hands.

"Look." She said.

I opened my eyes as I ran my fingers over the faintly familiar leather.

My mind was blown as I gaped at the newest gift.

"I saw them in that shop in Haven and I don't know how they got there, or why they were still there when we walked in, but..."

I stared down at the deep brown Antivan leather boots. Sturdy enough to be dependable in a fight, soft enough to be comfortable walking for hours.

The plush feel of the leather was amazing.

I brought them up to my face.

They even smelled faintly like home.

She sat beside me. "Do you not like them?" She sounded unsure.

I shook my head. "This is wonderful my love. I didn't think you'd even remember me talking about the ones I'd wanted before."

She blushed slightly.

"I just...I saw them and the man was more than happy to hand them over for a couple silver to get me out of there. I think he might have given them away if I'd been there longer or tried to barter with him." She reached to trace over the fine stitching. "I liked the look of them. And they'd fit so well with your armor."

She looked worried. "Will they even fit?"

I kicked my boots off and slid the new ones on.

They were so comfortable, and they fit perfectly.

"I love them." I said. I moved to kiss her after taking them back off. "Thank you."

She nodded.

"I know you miss Antiva...so I thought maybe these would help." She said.

"They are perfect Rykah. You spoil me."

She smiled. "It's just nice to give you things you'll like."

I set the boots on the floor and reached to pull her close.

She pushed my shirt over my head as I eased her clothes off.

We made love gently and quietly.

I loved it.

Never doing the same thing twice in a row.

Every time was just as good as the last.

I just had to love the way she felt in my arms.

I loved her.

As I spilled into her with that thought in my head, I forgot to keep her quiet.

Her cry was muffled by her pulling me down for a kiss herself.

She sighed as I moved to lay on my side.

I wrapped the blankets around us as she curled in against me.

I looked at the window on the far wall.

How could I have fallen so hard so quickly?

I could admit to being an easy lover, but I never loved anyone.

But this...this feeling of never wanting her hurt, of wanting to wake up with her in my arms every day, of wanting to be at her side forever...it was love.

I just knew it.

And it made my heart ache to think on how much longer we'd have together.

Her fight with that monster would likely kill us all.

I held her close and listened to her even breathing.

She always slept so easy in my arms.

I buried my face in her hair and tried to sleep.

xXx

The Arl met us for breakfast, quickly regaining his strength.

I let the talk go over my head as I mused on my revelations from last night.

I glanced at Rykah in a heated discussion with the Arl at the end of the table.

Her gray eyes glittered in the morning light filtering through the windows.

She looked full of energy.

Alistair nudged my boot under the table.

"What's up Arainai? You're awfully quiet today."

"Sorry. Just don't feel so good today is all."

He shrugged, but I caught the worried look from Rykah as she listened to us.

I stood up and went to head for the library.

I closed the doors behind me and sank into the soft chair beside the window.

I stared out over the town below until I heard footsteps coming closer.

"Yes?" I spoke up.

"You said you weren't feeling good." Wynne sat in the chair across from me.

"It's not anything to heal." I said.

"Ah." She nodded. "It's something you're not sure how to handle. How novel I would think."

I scoffed and lowered my hand from my chest where I'd been rubbing over my heart.

"Zervan, you are a man, and men do occasionally fall in love with the woman they choose. You care quite a lot for the Warden, I've seen it. And now you must face the fact that you love her."

"I'm an assassin, we don't do love."

"But you aren't anymore. You're the Warden's partner, her confidant, and her lover. You haven't killed anyone lately."

"Hasn't been worth it. But I'll find another job eventually."

She laughed. "No, you and I both know you've changed since meeting her. If how your old partner reacted was any indication, you were once one of the best the Crows had."

"Still am one of the best." I mumbled.

"I've no doubt in that. But now you're more than just a killer for hire. She loves you as much as you love her, believe that. She'll keep it from you, thinking it would just tie you to her and she knows how much she'd hate that being done to you."

I frowned. "How do you know this?"

Wynne laughed again. "I'm old Zevran, I listen when people talk and they come to me for advice. She sought my advice recently on how to approach the subject with you, given you had said something before about not loving anyone."

"She...wants to say it to me?" I sighed.

"I'm sure it is bothering her as well. Perhaps you should talk to her about it."

I sighed.

She stood up and went to leave.

She touched my arm. "Really boy, I'm sorry your past was so filled with pain, but you have a future to look forward to."

I listened to her leave.

xXx

It was almost mid day when Rykah came to find me.

I'd curled myself up with a book hidden in a dusty corner.

It must have been something no one had found since this place was built, it was so covered in dust.

It was the collected scribblings of numerous young Grey Wardens who had watched their master and mentor kill the last Archdemon.

I snapped it closed more forcibly than I'd intended when I heard her coming.

Rykah gave me a soft look as she moved to lean against the chair.

"We're getting ready to head for the Arl's estate for preparation for the Landsmeet.."

"Ah. Alright. I'll gather my things." I moved to stand up.

She leaned in before I could fully get up and kissed me.

I settled back again, but she leaned away.

"I'll...be waiting with the others."

She looked unsure of herself as she turned to leave.

I held on to the book as I headed for the room I'd shared with her here and collected my bag and put on my armor.

I set the book inside my small pack and closed the door behind me.

xXx

It was a two day trip to the city and I felt slightly bad about leaving her alone in her tent when we camped.

I sat against the tree next to it and listened to her toss for over an hour.

It almost made me break down and join her.

But I needed to think on what I had read from that book.

We walked into the gates of his estate and everyone hurried to make the place presentable.

The Arl and his brother immediately set out requesting his allies to come and stand on our side.

I found a suitable place to finish reading the book as Rykah tried to talk to Alistair at the other end of the room.

Sometimes assassin hearing had an advantage.

"I don't really want to be King."

"Alistair, you need to. Ferelden needs someone who is strong of heart and character."

"And what's wrong with its Queen?"

Rykah sighed. "She is not of royal blood and eventually, especially with how Loghain has been acting, she'll get turned on by the very people who once supported her thinking she is exactly like him."

Alistair made several other attempts to deny his birthright.

He needed to face it. Rykah was relentless and persuasive and his beloved Ferelden did need him. As a King.

When they left, I stood up.

It was nearing dinner and I needed to talk to someone about this book. Someone who wasn't a Warden.

xXx

I found Morrigan in her room and abruptly sat across from her at the table.

"Did I invite you?" She snapped.

"Look, hate me if you want, but you need to listen." I said. She gave me a blank look. I flipped the book open. "This is a record of what happened to the last Archdemon and Warden who killed it."

She frowned as she scanned the page I had selected. It was the most concise piece I could find.

"I see." She said.

"Can you find some way to prevent it?" I asked.

"If you don't want Rykah dying, perhaps you should arrange it so Alistair does the deed." She said.

"He can't. He's a good soldier, but he doesn't have the heart of a killer like I do. That thing will mentally overpower him through the Taint and Rykah will still end up having to kill it."

She sighed. "I can look through my things and perhaps find something about it."

I stood up. "Thank you."

"You do love that woman, don't you?"

I turned away from her. "Maybe, but she'll have to find someone who better suits her eventually."

Morrigan laughed. "And you don't? I've watched everyone in this group. Believe me Arainai, you suit her very well. And if she honestly cared about status, she wouldn't have become a Warden."

"I just want her to be alive after she kills that monster." I said as I headed for the door.

xXx

It wasn't even an hour past dinner when the Queen's maid was shown into the estate.

I looked at the elf. She seemed terrified.

Rykah listened and quickly decided to rescue the Queen from Howe's hands.

She collected together Alistair, myself, and Fenrir to go in as a small team.

I could understand picking myself and her dog, but Alistair was dead weight.

I didn't say anything as we geared up in our room.

As we came to the gates of the estate, Rykah pulled me aside.

"What's the matter Zev? You've been really quiet lately."

I shook my head. "I'm just thinking about the things that could happen soon." I said. Close enough to the truth to not feel like a lie. Just a bit obscure.

She sighed. "My mother used to say: don't think about the future that could happen, think about what will happen if you make your choices."

I nodded. "If I have my choice, what I fear will never happen."

"And what is that?" She asked.

I reached to touch her cheek. "Losing you."

She smiled as her hand covered my gloved one.

"You'll never lose me Zev."

How little she did know.

I could only hope Morrigan could find something to save them both.

xXx

We snuck in with a bit of help from the girl.

Our sneaking was fruitless as we came to the magically barred door.

"I'm afraid there has been a bit of a setback." The Queen said.

No shit?

My face must have been saying it because Rykah cracked a smile and Alistair almost laughed.

"We'll find the mage, and make him drop this spell."

Morrigan probably could have broken it. But that would have given away our sneakiness.

I followed Rykah down to the lower level and we made our way past traps and guards.

She was just too adorable as she tried to sneak around.

When we came across a room where Howe was torturing a young man, I watched her tense up.

"Seems our plan rather failed." Howe said. He sneered at me. "Should have expected it from an Elf."

"Don't blame me. You lot never told me she was a beautiful woman. I don't make a habit of killing beautiful women." I said.

He spat at me. "Useless."

"Why did you kill my parents?" Rykah asked.

"Your father was weak."

I pushed myself to not listen to him goading her.

It would have made me too mad to fight calmly.

She rushed him as she drew both swords and Alistair and I took on the four guards with him.

Fenrir helped his master and it wasn't long before the man was laying at his feet.

He spat out some more foul words and even called Rykah some bad names.

I put my sword through his heart.

She looked extremely emotionally hurt, but physically she was safe.

I reached out to pull her close as Alistair set the young man free.

He thanked us and said he'd get his family to support the Wardens.

Rykah shuddered and I moved to lead her out.

xXx

Finding the mage was easier after that.

We set numerous people free, including another Warden.

He claimed to need a bit of rest before he could fight with them, so Alistair told him to head for the estate.

When we found the mage and took out his guards, he just about pissed himself in fear. Rykah intimidated him into dropping the spell and the moment he did, I knocked him out.

We hurried back up to the room and I picked the lock on the door deftly.

"Good thing I've never tried to lock you out." Alistair joked.

"Indeed, it wouldn't be much of a deterrent now would it?" I pulled the door open.

The Queen was a woman of my height, but dressed up in the same guard uniform as us.

We followed Rykah to get out of this place.

xXx

I should have known shit would go south.

That sinking feeling had gotten stronger since reading that book and now it was happening.

Loghain's men blocked our path and the Queen claimed kidnapping.

I stepped forward as the guards moved to attack Rykah and Alistair.

Anora grabbed my arm and tried to pull me away.

Her maid attempted to take hold of Fenrir's collar, but he snapped at her.

I understood what they were trying to do now.

This wasn't a battle any of us could win. Not in this setting.

Rykah was going to be captured regardless.

The Wardens would be taken prisoner.

I reached to grab hold of Fenrir's collar and he hesitated at snapping when he realized it was me.

I yanked him away and let the Queen lead us out.

No one stopped us during that commotion.

We made it out to the streets and hurried through the alleys.

I stumbled as we caught sight of the gates of the estate.

Anora pulled me inside and I shoved her away.

"How could you leave them behind like that? We should have fought." I said sharply.

"I need to see Eamon before dealing with your bickering." She snapped.

Fenrir growled at her.

The Arl came to us in the entry.

She tried to explain the situation.

"I don't know why I don't just cut her throat and throw her in the river." I said.

"Because she is still the Queen and this can be fixed." The Arl gave me a sharp look.

I clenched my fists.

"And we should be preparing for the Landsmeet."

"We need Rykah and Alistair." I snapped.

She tried to glare at me. "No, he's right Anora. Some of our allies are only coming because of the Wardens. Without them there, they might default to your father anyway."

"But..."

"No. Zevran, choose someone to go with you and bring them back. You can sneak in easiest, I'd recommend Lelianna as another stealthy person."

"Fen and I will go." I said.

The Mabari gave a sharp bark of approval.

I sighed as I turned for the door.

"Wait. I can provide the layout for you. In my archives is the maps for almost all royal buildings in this city."

I nodded.

He turned to lead me to the library and pulled a large, dusty, leather bound book from a shelf.

I watched him flip it open and saw detailed drawings of the floor plans for several buildings.

He opened up to the ones he wanted and I looked at it.

I studied it for a moment.

"Alright. I've got it." I said.

"Good. Then come sit down and calm down for a minute."

"They could be being tortured." I said.

He put his hand on my shoulder.

"And you being hasty and reckless will help how? Rykah was telling me how you were a master assassin. This attitude does not fit that at all."

"The woman I care for is imprisoned by a madman and possibly hurt."

"I understand you love her, but you need to be the level-headed one. I'm sure her warbeast will only be calm as long as you are."

I reached to pet Fen's head.

The Arl was right. Fenrir had turned to me as the leader once away from Rykah.

I took a deep breath.

"Alright." I sighed. "I'll be calm by the time I leave." I said.

He nodded. "Good. It will help more for you both to be able to sneak inside."

I nodded.

xXx

Honestly, getting in wasn't hard.

Fen put on a good show as a trick dog.

The guards were more than alright to let us in for a 'birthday' show.

It didn't surprise me in the least.

They thought they won. Since Rykah was locked up.

I felt uneasy without my weapons or armor, but if I got in trouble, my knives would see me through.

We snuck around, setting off timed traps as needed for distraction.

I did finally come to a corridor that was more heavily guarded.

And these ones wouldn't budge for a distraction.

"Now listen Fen." I knelt beside him.

He tilted his head at me.

"There are four of them. You try to keep at least two of them occupied and I'll deal with the other two."

He snuffed a nod to me.

I glanced carefully around the corner.

I held out my hand and counted down silently.

When I closed my fist around my knife, he launched around the corner, a snarling, frothing mass of muscle.

I followed right behind as the guards didn't get a chance to yell out.

Fenrir was on the closest one and bit into his neck.

The man pushed away, holding his throat.

If he got help now, he might just live.

Not that I cared.

I rushed under the blade of one of my targets and put one knife in his side through a chink in his armor.

The other caught his blade on my sleeve and I moved before it could cut me too.

Fenrir put the other out of his misery as I slammed the hilt of my knife into my opponents jaw.

He went down like a wet sack.

We stepped past them into a prison room.

I looked across the room to see their cell.

Fenrir snatched up a cloth in his mouth and I reached to take it.

It was Rykah's shirt.

I turned to the table and saw their armor and clothes and weapons.

I gathered it up, making him carry Alistairs clothes at least.

I honestly didn't want to touch them.

We hurried over to the cell and I dropped everything to pull the pin from my boot and unlock the door.

I yanked it open and pulled Rykah into my arms.

"Hello my beautiful Warden. Did you miss me?"

She made a laugh.

"Of course I did." Alistair reached for his clothes from Fenrir and Rykah stepped away to collect her own.

They dressed and I looked at Alistair. "Did they..."

"No. Stripped us both to this and left us in here."

"I could have handled it if they had tried to force me to do anything." Rykah said.

I sighed. "Not if there were too many. I know you'd fight, but there is a limit."

I pulled her close again as she finished putting her armor on.

She put her head against my shoulder. "I knew you'd come for me."

"Always." I mumbled against her hair.

"Come on." Alistair said as he gripped his sword and shield again.

Rykah held out one of her swords to me.

"I've got my knives." I said as I pulled them from my boots again.

She nodded but I could still see the worry in her eyes.

"I'll be fine love, I got in here didn't I?"

"But..."

"He's right. He can handle himself. Now lets get out of here." Alistair hissed at us.

I nodded.

I let Rykah take the lead and pointed out where to go.

Nothing stood in her way this time.

xXx

We made it back to the estate with no problems.

I headed for the room the Arl was going to let Rykah use.

I'd left my clothes and armor in there to wear this getup.

Rykah shed her armor as I changed.

We went to meet with the Arl.

Alistair was talking to the Warden we'd freed from Howe.

I hugged Rykah again and she put her arms around me.

"You talk with them. I'm going to go relax now." I said.

She nodded. "Alright. I'll...see you at bed?"

I nodded as I stepped away.

I left her with them.

I hurried as I went to go find Morrigan.

xXx

The witch was in the library looking through several of her grimoires.

I sat at the table.

"Must you bother me elf?"

"Have you found anything?" I asked.

"I think so. I'm looking to see how exactly my mother wrote it to go, but it should work if I can find the things I need."

I sighed. "Thank you."

"Yes, go bother someone else."

I stood up and headed for the door, that sinking feeling a little lighter.

Maybe I wouldn't have to lose her after all.

xXx

'Someone else' turned out to be Wynne in the kitchen.

I sat at the counter on a little stool as she helped the cook make up something for everyone to drink now that things had settled down.

"I'm sure you're her hero now."

"I'm just me." I said.

Wynne laughed. "You? I can't see you being ordinary in any way." She pulled a tray of bread from the oven and the warm scent filled the room.

"I'm not a hero though."

"I'm pretty sure to Rykah, you're a different kind of hero, but you still are one to her."

I scoffed as I snatched a roll from the pile she was making.

I juggled it for a moment trying to cool it.

"Serves you right." She huffed. "Take a couple and these mugs and go find your love."

She pointed to the small tray with two mugs on it and I put several meat and cheese stuffed rolls on it to take with me.

"And for goodness sake Zevran, tell the woman how you feel. Before she goes off crazy against a monster."

I nodded and took the tray with me.

Sometimes Wynne did have good advice.

xXx

I found Rykah as she was heading inside our room.

I followed her in.

"Wynne made the rolls, the cook made the hot cider." I said.

Rykah sighed as she took the mug I held out.

"Well...today was definitely different."

I moved to sit beside her on the bed.

"I don't ever want to lose you again." I said.

"I'm sorry. You were probably pretty worried."

I nodded. "I was. I even threatened to kill the Queen."

Rykah laughed. "I wish I could have seen that."

"I'm glad you didn't. I was very angry at her." I took a drink of the cider.

It was quite good.

She pulled a small bottle from her sleeve and held it up.

"The Arl pulled this from his shelf before I left. He said you might be wanting it tonight."

I took it as she held it out to me.

I popped the cork off and sniffed.

"Where did he get this?" I asked.

"No idea. What is it?"

"Antivan Brandy. I'm actually surprised he'd have it."

"Why?"

"It's not the best to drink out there. In fact, unless you have a taste for it, it's not that good." I took a sip of it and held it out to her.

Tasted just like I was used to.

She took a tiny sip and scrunched up her face.

"Give me your mug." I said as I took the bottle back.

She held her mug out, slightly confused until I poured some of the brandy into it.

She tasted it.

"That...isn't so bad."

"It really can't be drunk straight unless you're used to it." I said.

She nodded.

I watched her take a roll from the tray and bite into it.

"This is good." She mumbled.

She held it up and I took a bite from it.

It was good.

I finished off my cider and set the mug on the bedside table.

Rykah cleared up the roll she held and another before finishing her drink.

I reached up to touch my earring.

I often told others they were a souvenir from my first job, but they weren't. I bought them with the pay from that job, but I had just been passing the shop window when they caught my eye.

I'd liked them. The simple gold earrings were somehow stylized, yet still plain enough to not be noticed.

I started to pull my right one off.

Rykah looked at me as I held it.

"I...want you to have this."

She frowned. "But, isn't this something special?" She asked.

I nodded. "I got it from my first job and these earrings have been with me ever since."

"I couldn't take something so important Zev."

"I want you to have it. You...are even more important to me." I said.

She took it hesitantly.

I watched her carefully remove the tiny silver loop in her right earlobe to replace it with my gold earring.

She held the silver one out to me.

"These were the very first earrings my mother bought me. They're some of the oldest things I have and they mean the most to me."

I took it carefully and put it on.

She cracked a smile.

"We look like idiots. Mismatched earrings."

I smiled. "No, there are two matches, but we have to be together for them to be whole."

She blushed.

"Zev...are you..."

I turned to look away.

"I...I don't want you fighting the Archdemon. Or getting into any kind of danger Rykah." She went to speak but I put my finger over her lips. "I just want you safe because...I love you."

I watched her tear up.

She reached to pull me closer to her.

I didn't resist when she kissed me. Instead I held her against me.

"I love you too Zevran."

xXx

I'm not sure if it was the brandy or if saying she loved me finally made her feel free, but I wasn't going to complain.

She was absolutely stunning as I made love to her, slow and sweet, using every skill ever drilled into me as a Crow.

She didn't seem reserved at all, crying out at my touches and touching me in turn.

I finally didn't feel that sinking feeling that I would lose her.

She wasn't going to just up and marry someone on me. And I'd do whatever it took to not let her be ridiculed in society because of my being an elf. Even if someday that did mean making myself seem human like Taliesen had once tormented me about.

I know she'd hate it, but if others made fun of her for my elf looks, I'd remove them. The people or my elven looks were still on debate.

But I would never let anyone shame her for her choice to love me.

I worshiped her body and made her scream my name without even being in her.

"Please Zev...I need you."

I growled at the look on her face. So filled with lust and love.

I wanted to see it more. No one had ever looked at me like that.

No one other than her.

I slid into her welcoming body and she wrapped her arms around my shoulders.

I pushed her into a faster pace than I'd ever taken her before, but she didn't seem to mind it.

In fact, she seemed to like it.

"Rykah?"

"Hmm?" She moaned.

"Promise me you'll try to keep yourself safe." I kissed her.

She looked up at me. "I'll try." She sounded breathless.

I liked it.

I reached to rub her center and sent her over the edge.

She cried out and I groaned her name as I came with her.

I pressed my body against hers to feel every inch of her against me while we caught our breath.

I eased to lay beside her and she cuddled up against me.

I wrapped my arms around her and listened to her heartbeat lull into a sleep rate.

It was relaxing.

I touched the tiny gold loop on her right ear as her cheek settled on my shoulder.

What did she take this as a sign of?

If Morrigan could make sure the Wardens survived, then I wanted to stay with Rykah.

Forever.

I'd make sure no one ever hunted her again. I would take out the entire Crow organization if I had to in order to keep her safe from them.

Nothing would take her from me ever again.

It had terrified me thinking about the thought of her being tortured, mutilated, raped...it still made me shiver to think of her being gone.

Like taking a lighthouse out on the coast.

Some might not think about it, but those of us who followed that light like the beacon it was would sink back into their old lives.

And hell knows if I returned like that to the Crows, even the top of the tier would fear me going off the deep end. Taliesen had seen it once and admitted fear of me.

The day they had taken the one thing I'd had left of my heritage, I snapped.

My next mission was nearly a single handed massacre of all nine targets.

And I had been thirteen.

I was stronger, faster, and even deadlier now that I was older.

I looked at the window.

No, no one would take her from me. Where my heart once wanted the darkness of death, I craved her light.

I held her close and listened to her breathing.

It eventually lulled me into sleep.

xXx

It was two days of helping settle things around the city the way Rykah was good at before the Landsmeet was in order.

We'd found evidence against Loghain of smuggling elves as trade.

Rykah had been suitably pissed off.

I still grinned at the sight of her confronting the trader.

He'd acted cocky, up until he tried to bargain with her for me.

She had single handedly grabbed him and yanked him down.

Her gray eyes were steel then.

Right in front of our entire group, she had admitted to loving me.

She had threatened him with death then and there if he didn't release all the elves he'd taken prisoner and hand over the documents incriminating Loghain and leave to never return to these shores.

I think the man just about wet himself at how cold she had been.

My grin probably didn't help then either.

When he saw it and Alistair's smirk and Lelianna's smile, he knew he'd pulled the wrong straw.

Never take a bone from a warbeast. It was a saying even in Antiva. To Rykah, I was her bone.

It did make me happy that she had claimed me as hers finally.

They all knew she was my only love for a bit now apparently.

I woke up the morning of the Landsmeet to Rykah toying with my braids.

I looked up at her as I turned to my back.

"Did you finish your little mission last night?" I asked.

I had gone to bed without her beside me after she said she'd be up late playing matchmaker for Eamon.

She nodded. "Alistair has agreed to marry Anora and become...well, her pawn really, but he gets to keep being a soldier too, so that makes him happier. She's satisfied to marry him as long as she remains Queen and the people love her. She rules, he fights, it'll work out."

"Good." I sighed. "We have to go to this thing, don't we?"

She nodded.

"I really can't just lay here in bed with you all day?" I asked as I pulled her against me.

She sighed.

"As much as I want to, no."

I made a low laugh. "But you do want to."

"Of course Zev." She pushed away. "Perhaps later. We'll come hide and just stay in here, all day tomorrow."

I laughed as I let her up.

"You know that'll never happen. You're too much in demand to sneak away." I said.

She pulled her clothes and armor on and settled her swords properly as I got up.

"I'll tell everyone I'm sick." She said as I pulled my things on.

I laughed. "That'll never work. You know Wynne can see through that."

"She'll understand though. She always does."

I moved to pull her close after settling my swords.

I leaned in to kiss her.

"Do we really have to show up?" I asked.

"You are free to stay here. I do have to show up."

I sighed as she opened the door.

I pulled her close again.

"We. I'm staying with you until you tell me to leave." I said.

"I'll never say it." She mumbled.

She pushed away to head for the main doors.

I shook my head as I followed her.

Someday, I wouldn't be the one she loved and slept with.

I'll always love her, and always protect her, but eventually she'd find a human man who suited her.

xXx

We walked in with Alistair as Loghain was arguing with the Arl.

"And there is your puppeteer."

I moved to stand behind Rykah to the right as she stepped forward.

I ignored his words, knowing how false they were.

I kept my eyes on the men he had brought.

It didn't matter what happened here today verbally.

He intended to kill us all.

When he challenged to a dual, he asked who on our side would be the champion.

I started to volunteer, but Rykah stepped forward.

"I will fight." She said.

Everyone stepped back to give them room and I clenched my fists.

I'd asked her to try and stay safe.

Why couldn't she just listen and let Alistair fight?

No, that wouldn't work.

If he killed Loghain, Anora would never marry him and all Rykah's hard won plans would go south. And I knew how much she hated not saving people.

But watching her fight both terrified and amazed me.

She moved so fluidly.

It was beautiful to watch her.

I caught a glimpse of one of Loghain's men gripping his sword to draw as it seemed Loghain was going to lose.

I was a flash of glinting metal before putting my own sword at the guard's throat.

Loghain hit the floor on his knees behind me.

"I...I concede defeat." He said.

Rykah sighed.

One of his other guards tried to pull out his sword and my other aimed at him.

"Don't even think on it."

Loghain stood and left his sword on the ground.

He looked at them for a moment and me before turning back to face Rykah.

"I haven't seen your kind of strength and conviction since...Cailan's father."

That was a good compliment.

I watched the two guards let go of their swords and sheathed my own again.

"Please, finish this." Loghain said.

"But father..." Anora started.

"Hush. I have lived long enough. And I know I did wrong things. But I did raise you, and I suppose this stupid young Warden does have a few traits of his father." Loghain admitted.

I looked at Alistair.

"He'll be good enough to support you as Queen." Loghain said.

He looked at Rykah.

"Now, please end this."

I looked up as Riordan came in.

"Wait." He started.

I listened as he tried to convince Rykah to put Loghain through the Joining.

Alistair gaped at him.

"After what he did to the Wardens, you'd want him to join us?" He looked at Rykah. "He joins, I quit."

Rykah shook her head as Loghain shook his head as well.

"I am not worthy of that." He said. "I accept my death."

Rykah held up her sword.

Would she do it?

Anora turned away as Rykah brought it down.

For all her dislike of killing, she did make his death quick and painless.

She looked sick as she turned away and headed for the door.

I moved to follow her.

The moment the doors closed behind us, I pulled her close.

She gripped my jacket and cried.

"That was...so hard." She mumbled. "Even...after all he did, I..." I shushed her as I heard the doors opening again.

She tried to pull herself together as I urged her into a side room.

Alistair and Anora followed.

The Queen looked mad.

Alistair seemed to be trying to get her to calm down.

Rykah's breathing was ragged as she couldn't stop crying.

I moved to the couch in the sitting room and pulled her close.

"How could-" Anora started as she pushed into the room.

She caught sight of Rykah curled on my lap, crying.

"See, Rykah isn't a killer Anora." Alistair said.

I felt Rykah trying to stop shaking as he closed the door.

"She..." Anora started.

"Rykah hates killing." I said.

Alistair moved to kneel beside the couch and touched her shoulder.

She shook harder and I saw the pain and understanding stay on Anora's face even as the anger left.

"Just let us be." I said to Alistair.

He nodded. "Take her back to the estate. I'll try to settle things out for her." He said. "And...I'll arrange a proper funeral for Loghain. I think...he was under the influence of a Demon. Like Eamon's son."

I nodded. It made sense how he went crazy after so long being a good man to everyone.

Alistair urged Anora out of the room.

Rykah still hadn't spoken as I lifted her in my arms and moved to carry her out.

I ignored the few people in the entry as I left.

xXx

As we walked back to the estate, I kept her hand in mine.

She was still quiet when we walked into the estate.

I led her to our room and closed the door.

"Baby, please talk to me." I said.

She shook as she stood in front of the bed and I carefully removed her armor and set it to the side.

I shed my own and hung them both up as I finally heard her take a deep breath.

"Zev..." I turned to face her and was at her side in two steps. "Did I do the wrong thing?"

I sighed. "No." I pulled her close. "Alistair is probably right. Being controlled by a Demon does seem to be the most logical explanation for his crazy behavior. And we all know that instances like the Arl's son are few and far between. That boy being a Mage is probably the only thing that will save him from being forever altered."

"But...why did he make me do it?"

"Because you have honor, compassion, and I think at the end, he realized how he'd been driven mad. You did very well. I'm proud of you. You might hate killing, but I'm glad you did it quickly. He didn't suffer or feel any pain."

"I don't ever want to do it again." She gripped my shirt.

"You only have one last thing to kill and then you'll never have to again."

"Right...the Archdemon." She mumbled.

I nodded. Maybe...if Morrigan did her thing, Alistair could be the one to kill it. Then Rykah could be spared from it.

"But at least that thing isn't human." I said. "And it needs to die."

She nodded.

"Lets go get something to eat. Alright baby?"

She looked up at me.

Her tears had finally dried.

"I like that." She finally smiled again. "You calling me baby like that."

I sighed. "You don't mind it?"

She shook her head. "It's nice. Endearing."

"I'll only say it when we're alone though. I don't want others getting the wrong impression."

She nodded and I started to lead her to the kitchen.

xXx

It was several days before everything was settled out.

We headed back to the Arl's home to prepare to face the Archdemon.

It was then that we learned it was heading for Denerim.

We would never make it in time to beat it there.

I listened as everyone panicked.

The troops quickly gathered and prepared to leave out at dawn.

Rykah and Alistair met with Riordan and I listened at the door.

Hearing the sound of her gasp as he told her that one of them would die from killing that thing hurt me so much.

I stepped away from the door as she as Alistair came out.

I followed behind her as she headed to our room.

"Zev...I..." She started. I pulled her close before we reached the door.

"I won't let you die Rykah."

She shuddered as I opened our door.

Morrigan stood in front of the fireplace.

"What did you need?" Rykah asked her, her voice slightly cracking.

"It's not what I need. It's what you need." Rykah looked confused. "I know you'll die fighting that thing. I've found a way to prevent that."

"But..."

"It is complicated. It involves Blood Magic from before it was called that. I can draw the Archdemon's soul from you when you kill it."

"How?"

"By taking it in myself. I know of a ritual that will cause my to conceive a child with the Taint, a Warden before even being born if you will, and the soul of that monster will go to my child instead of one of you. And I have high belief that not only will my child survive, but it will have the untainted soul of the Old God."

Rykah moved to sit on the bed. "And the price for this?"

"I only need you to convince Alistair to sleep with me tonight."

Rykah huffed a laugh. "Sounds so simple."

"It won't be. The ritual itself has already been done, but unless completed by conception, one of you will die." Morrigan said.

"I don't know. Blood Magic is dangerous." Rykah said. "And you'd be putting yourself in a lot of risk..."

Morrigan stepped towards her and kneeled with the softest expression I'd ever seen on her face.

"I know what I'm doing. If not for your own survival, do it for him." She motioned at me. "Could you really leave Zevran alone like that?" Rykah looked at me. "I will survive regardless. And so would all of you. I'm willing to sacrifice my own unborn child to see to it that you all survive. I know, very selfless of me, but I have come to care for you all during this little adventure."

Rykah sighed. "Alright." She said. She stood up. "I'll try and convince him. But what about Riordan?"

"I'd rather do Alistair. No offense, but I don't know your other Warden." She said.

Rykah nodded and she hurried out of the room.

I looked at Morrigan. "Thank you."

"I did this entirely for selfish reasons, I assure you." She shrugged as she headed out of the room.

I moved to sit on the bed.

xXx

It was a few minutes before Rykah came back.

"He didn't like the idea, but he'll do it." She said.

"Good. Because I don't want to have to force one of them to do it." I said. "And I would. It might be Blood Magic, but if she can save you, I'll do anything."

She came to sit beside me.

"You would too."

I nodded. I reached to cup her cheek. "I love you Rykah. And I don't ever want to lose you. I don't want to be a heartless killer again. Not now that I've had you in my life."

She moved to kiss me.

I sighed and let her push me back onto the bed.

"I don't want that either." She said.

I scooted back a bit and let her straddle me.

As her hands worked at removing my shirt, I slid mine to settle on her hips.

She gasped when I turned us both over to put her back on the bed.

I pushed up to shed my clothes and then moved to pull hers off as well.

We touched as if this might be our last night together still.

There was no telling what would happen tomorrow.

Even if she didn't get killed by the Archdemon, there was still a chance of me dying during a battle.

Rykah kissed me again as she seemed to sense me worrying.

"I'll keep you safe Zev."

I huffed a laugh. "Isn't it usually the other way around?"

"Yes, but sometimes I want you to be safe too."

"Only sometimes?"

She flushed. "All the time, but you normally handle yourself fine."

I nodded and slid into her.

"I'll still watch over you." I said.

I braced my arms beside her head to push into her hard and fast.

She raked her nails over my back, careful to not actually scratch me this time.

We didn't want to be injured going into this fight.

She screamed my name as she came and I growled hers as I followed.

I fell to my side and she curled up to me.

I wrapped my arms around her and held her close.

"Zev?"

I looked down at her.

She kissed me. "I love you. I always will."

"I love you too. Forever."

She closed her eyes and snuggled against me, her head on my arm and her hands on my waist.

xXx

The city was in ruins almost when we finally arrived.

We led the charge against the Darkspawn.

Our tiny army was more effective than most of the soldiers.

We fought our way to the palace, where Riordan broke off the find the Archdemon himself, against all wishes otherwise.

Alistair was like a madman as he cut down enemy after enemy to get inside.

We found Anora, locked up in her room.

He actually held her as he admitted to being worried.

She seemed more than a little relieved to see him.

If the beasts outside the door had been any indication, they knew she was in here.

"I'll help fight." She said.

"No." He snapped. "Ferelden needs its Queen alive."

She started to argue.

"He's right." Rykah said. "Alistair hasn't taken the throne yet, so we need you safe. Wynne and Morrigan can make sure nothing can get at you in here."

The two nodded.

"We'll be back after we kill that thing." Alistair said.

Anora nodded.

I watched the two Mages cast a very powerful protective barrier over the whole room once we were out of it.

We fought our way to the Fort and I looked up as the Archdemon crashed into it.

I saw a body fall from the sky as the wing was torn nearly in half.

It wouldn't be flying around anymore.

Riordan had tried his hardest to not have the two younger Wardens kill it.

We'd find his body later and give him a proper burial.

I followed Rykah into the Fort.

Memories of having to rescue her popped up.

But this time she wasn't trapped.

Our group pushed through the Darkspawn as if they weren't even there.

I undid the traps laid out before anyone could set them off, aiming to keep Rykah safe.

As we came out to the roof, I saw that monster again.

Alistair led the charge with the soldiers we'd collected from the fights we'd interrupted as Rykah and I hurried to the ballista.

I loaded it as she aimed for the Archdemon and the thing roared in pain with every shot.

The fires it breathed out were terrifying.

We raced to another as it charged the crossbow we were at.

It was almost fun to fight at her side like this.

When it crashed to the stone, she ran for it.

I watched a sweep of its wings clear the men attacking it.

I felt terrified as I watched her duck a claw before jumping on its neck.

Its tail caught Alistair and threw him to the wall.

He slumped to the ground.

I was torn slightly as I watched several Darkspawn move for him.

I watched Rykah raise her swords, aimed for the Archdemon's head.

I chose to go protect Alistair.

My swords caught the three Hurlocks off guard and I slaughtered them as she drove her swords deep into that monsters skull.

Even from here I heard the cracking of bone.

It threw her off with its last act and her swords broke off in it.

She rolled on the ground and I raced to her side as the monster died.

I dropped to the ground beside her as Wynne hurried to Alistair to heal him.

I moved to pick her up.

She wasn't breathing.

But she wasn't bleeding either.

At least, not externally.

I held her close, fearing Morrigan's attempts had still failed.

I buried my face in her soft brown hair.

"Come on baby, please come back to me." I whispered.

I kissed her gently.

My hand shook as I brushed her hair away from her face.

Morrigan knelt beside us.

"It..."

"It was a success." She said. "Perhaps...the blow..."

I held Rykah closer.

I put my mouth over hers and breathed into her.

As I pulled away, she coughed and gasped.

"I guess it just knocked the wind from her." Morrigan sighed. "I'm going. Don't let anyone follow me."

I nodded as Rykah took a deeper breath.

Her gray eyes met mine and she gave me a faint smile before putting her head on my chest and closing her eyes again.

I could still feel her breathing as she passed out.

I scooped her up, swallowing thickly.

I took a deep breath to calm my nerves.

As I turned to face Alistair, he was getting to his feet with some help from Sten.

"Is she..."

"Alive." I said. "The ritual worked."

I held her tight as we listened to the Darkspawn flee the city.

Without the big boss, they were nothing.

Alistair moved to stand in front of me.

He touched Rykah's cheek.

"She's so damn stupid, but so much stronger than me."

"She'll be fine after some rest. I think a couple of her ribs are cracked from that last blow, and I know her wrist is dislocated from it." I said.

Alistair nodded. "Then, I guess we should gather the survivors and fix this place back up."

"I'll take her to a place she can rest." I said.

"I'm sure Anora knows a good room in the palace." He said.

We followed the rest of our group back out to the street.

The soldiers who had survived cheered for us.

Wynne hurried to join the other Circle Mages who had begun to heal the wounded and ensure more survived.

Alistair and I headed for the palace again.

xXx

I looked down at Rykah as she started to wake.

Anora had given us this room, normally reserved for visiting family of the royal family.

Alistair had stated that to him, Rykah and I were pretty much his family now. She was a sister closer than his own by blood.

I had spent the past few hours cleaning it up from the wreck the Darkspawn had left it in.

I'd also helped clean up the other rooms on this hall for the others.

Anora and I even apologized for our differences as I helped clean up the royal bedroom with her and her maid.

Rykah opened her eyes.

"Hello my beautiful Warden." I said as I put my hand over her cheek.

She smiled. "Hello my handsome assassin."

I laughed. I leaned down to kiss her.

"How are you feeling?" I asked.

"Like I was run over." She winced as I helped her sit up.

"Be careful. I wrapped you tighter than normal because a couple ribs on your right side are cracked." I said.

She nodded. "No wonder."

She rubbed her once dislocated wrist.

I'd set it back again after carefully testing how much it might hurt her.

Luckily she hadn't come awake for anything in the past eight hours.

"It's all over now." She said.

"Yes." I nodded. "Some of the soldiers got the Archdemon burned where it was and all over the city, the Darkspawn are being burned to get rid of them."

She sighed. "And everyone else?"

"Wynne is leading the Circle Mages in healing the injured, Sten is helping get things cleaned up, Ogrhen and Lelianna and Fen are helping him. Alistair and Anora are taking charge quite well. She's planning how to go and he's issuing the orders for her to each group." I said.

"And Morrigan really left?"

"Said not to let anyone follow her." I nodded.

She sighed and winced.

"Just rest for now baby. I'm going to go let them know you're alright."

She nodded and I helped her lay back down again.

As I headed for the door she spoke again.

"Zev?"

"Hmm?" I turned to look at her.

"I love you."

I finally felt the worry about her not waking up and being okay fade. "I love you too." I said.

She closed her eyes and I quietly closed the door behind me and locked it.

I went to go find Anora and Alistair.

xXx

It was a couple days later that I cleared her to get up and actually move around again.

A lot of the cleanup was mostly done. The buildings were being rebuilt and repaired.

The palace was fully operational again.

I pulled out the clothes Anora had picked out for me as Rykah held up the dress with disdain.

We both huffed a laugh and pulled our normal gear on.

Anora might see it as distasteful, but Rykah's comfort was all that mattered to me.

She winced as she pulled on her jacket and I helped her do up the hooks properly.

We both looked ready to fight again as she settled her swords.

I moved for the door and followed her out.

We headed down to the ceremony where Alistair would finally be marrying Anora and taking the throne.

I stayed at the side as I watched.

When Rykah was called up to accept the accolades for saving Ferelden, I felt proud of her.

Everyone cheered and clapped for her.

A party started up among the nobles in the room and I could hear one starting outside too.

Rykah made her way down to me and I looked at her.

"So, what are your plans?" She asked.

"You have to ask?"

"Well, like I told Alistair, I want to get the Ferelden Wardens reestablished."

"Then I guess I'll be teaching young Wardens the art of killing Darkspawn." I grinned.

"You'll join the Wardens?" She asked.

"No. But I'll stay with you love. And I'll help you lead them. Plus, Alistair wants to make me an advisor."

She laughed.

"You?"

"I know right. But he is right. I'll help him when he needs advice and help you."

She sighed and moved to hug me.

"Thank you Zev."

"Of course love. I told you I wouldn't leave."

She pulled away and I watched as a man came from the doorway.

I reached for my sword as he headed for Rykah.

She faced him and the look of surprise on her face wasn't that of a bad one.

She held out her arms as he hurried to her and he pulled her close.

"Thank the Maker you're alright." He said.

"Oh get off Fergus." She pushed him away laughing until she winced from the still healing ribs on her side.

I reached for her and she clenched my hand.

I pulled a small bottle from my pocket and held it out to her.

"Thank you Zev." She said again as I popped the cork and she drank the water mixed with the pain suppressing liquid I put in it earlier. "I thought I could do without it."

"What's wrong Rykah?" The man asked.

"It's nothing Fergus. I cracked a couple ribs in the fight."

"You didn't have them...right, you're unaffected." He sighed.

"Zevran has lots of things to help though. He takes care of me as best he can."

Fergus looked at me. "How stupid I am, I've lost my manners at seeing her alright." He held out his hand to me. "Fergus Cousland."

I accepted it. "Zevran Arainai."

"Zev, this is my brother." Rykah said now that the pain was lessening. I took the empty vial back and corked it again to put back in my pocket. She faced Fergus. "Fergus, this is Zevran, my..." She looked unsure for a moment. "My fiance."

I tried to hide my shock.

We hadn't talked about it seriously yet, but she did joke yesterday that after everything was settled down, she wanted to marry me. The scandal of it didn't matter as long as she was happy.

Fergus looked shocked. "But...he's an elf." He whispered to her.

"I don't care. I love him Fergus, and nothing you say will change that."

I heard it as Alistair came down the stairs towards us.

"You might as well give it up Cousland. She does intend to keep this crazy bastard around." Alistair put his hand on my shoulder.

I scoffed. "As if any of you could get rid of me that easy."

She smiled as she took my hand.

Her brother sighed. "I...suppose I'll have to like him then."

"You will Fergus. Zevran is the best man I've ever known."

I squeezed her hand lightly.

"Come on now Rykah, everyone wants to see the Hero of Ferelden." Alistair said.

I nodded. "Go on, it'll do them some good to see you. I'll catch up with you afterward."

"But you're one of the heroes too."

I shook my head at her. "No, I'm just the one who kept you safe. I didn't kill that monster."

She looked like she wanted to argue.

Instead, she reached up to touch my cheek.

"Alright." She tugged me down slightly to kiss me. "I'll expect to see you when I get back."

"Of course." I grinned.

I watched her leave with Alistair as Anora came to stand beside me.

"It's nice to know Alistair has such good friends." She said. She looked at me. "And...thank you for saving him that day. It must have been hard to choose between saving him and keeping her safe."

I shrugged. "She was safe at the moment, he wasn't."

"Still, thank you. I've actually grown a bit fond of him."

"I'd hope so." I laughed. "You're stuck with him."

"Unless I hired an assassin to kill him." She laughed. "Not that I would, but I know where to go."

I huffed a laugh. "You'll come to like him. He's like mold, he grows on you."

She laughed.

I sighed as I looked at Fergus.

"So, you intend to stick around?" He asked.

"For as long as she'll keep me." I said.

"And you'll do right by her?"

"I'll always take care of her." I nodded.

"Then I guess...welcome to the family." He said.

I looked at the window where I could see Alistair and Rykah greeting people outside the palace as they wandered the crowd.

I'd never stop worrying about her, but she'd be safe with the King.

I turned as Anora invited me to join her in talking to some of the land leaders around Ferelden.

As Advisor to the King, I should get to know these people and their positions.

I sighed as I walked with her.

Now I had a wedding of my own to plan.