Zevran saw the man falling and quickly caught him pushing him violently against the wall. He dropped one of his daggers and snatched the sword from the mages weak grip. He saw the silver vines that intertwined with each other around the pommel, the Antivan words etched carefully into the blade itself, the perfect curl of the tip. He was right, it was the sword he himself had carried for many years before giving to his warden. the sword he had given to his warden the day he left Ferelden. He dropped the sword, pushed the hood back from the mans face and stepped back as a look of horror twisted across his features.
Those piercing dragon green eyes, his warden's eyes. But no, they were not his wardens eyes.. His warden's eyes were deadly no doubt, but soft and loving. These were the eyes of a demon, a feral vicious beast consumed by his own hatred and bitterness. Barely three seconds later those eyes rolled back to whites and the man fell forward. Zevran caught him and cradled him as he sunk to his knees. The mages head fell back as Zevran stared unbelieving at the unconscious man in his arms.
His hands touched the now blood splattered face of his warden, it was to pale, to thin. His clothes were ripped and dirty, and those eyes. This was not his warden, not the man he remembered, the man he loved. This was a feral thing, lost within it's own hatred. What could possibly have happened to send the warden over the edge like this? Over the year he had longed to see his warden again, and now he feared he never would. But as he stared into that calm unconscious face he thought he just might have a chance.
The mages face was splattered with fresh blood, but below that was a clean face, no dried blood, no grime, not a spec of old dirt, and he wore his eye makeup. His lips were clear of its normal dark pigments, but his eyes were carefully shadowed with his usual black. Zevran also noticed the earring, worn near the tip of the young mages right ear. The very earring Zevran had given him, binding them together forever.
Just then two people came running around the corner. The elder man looked less then happy to see Zevran alive, Zevran would have to remember to put him in his place later. The younger was still an apprentice and was much happier to see the guild master.
"Is he dead did you get him?" the young crow chimed.
"No." The older one behind him said before Zevran could answer. Zevran stood, picking up Meryn and winced. He was far to light, and his arm was still bleeding.
"Get a healer." Zevran said as he brushed past the other two.
"Guild master are you sure that's.."
"NOW!" Zevran yelled as he disappeared around the corner with the unconscious boy in his arms. The older man grunted and went off to find one of the crows healers.
..
The younger was left standing there confused and bewildered. He looked around at the scene his eyes wide at the amount of blood splattered everywhere before his eyes fell on three weapons that had been left behind. Two he recognized right away as the masters daggers. Which confused the poor boy even more, the master had abandoned his prized weapons to carry his enemy to safety.
He slowly moved to gather them up, hesitated, and then picked up the sword too. He cradled them carefully in his arms and looked around. He was about to vacate the alley when his eyes fell on the bag of oranges. He knew master Zevran liked fruit and maybe if he brought the bag back to him, he would be grateful and hand one over as a reward. With the thought of an orange reward on his mind he carefully scooped up the bag and headed back toward the guild hall. Master Zevran would be happy with him.
When the young boy returned to the guild hall he cautiously approached Master Zevran's rooms to find the healer fixing the unconscious mans arm. He quietly slipped in and stood just inside the door until Zevran noticed him. The blonde man approached and took the burden from the boy with a smile. He went to his desk, deposited the items and grabbed a few silver and an orange from the bag. He gave these prizes to the young boy who grinned happily and scuttled off.
..
When the healer had finally done what she could she gave Zevran a few lyrium and healing poultices explaining they might be needed. The lyrium if nothing else, the boy wasn't regenerating his mana stores as he should and would need a little boost. He nodded and thanked the woman giving her a few extra silver for her continued discretion.
Zevran sat on the edge of the bed burying his face in his hands and waited. He wondered what would happen when the young mage woke, would the beast still be there? When he had looked into those green eyes, he saw nothing but rage, pure hatred for the him. He saw nothing of his beloved warden. But there was the face, the carefully applied eye shadow, and his earring. The boy cared enough to still wear the earring. Zevran's mind drifted back to that wondrous night at camp.
"I still have the earring, Warden. I would like to give it to you, as a token of my affection."
"Oh my dearest assassin, that sounds like a proposal." Meryn had said, half teasing, half serious.
Zevran stared deeply into those green eyes bearing his very soul to the boy, his voice as serious as Meryn had ever heard. "Not unless you wish it, Meryn Surana."
Meryn had barely been able to keep his feet as his knees went weak. "With all my heart, Zevran Arainai." He had said barely above a whisper. Zevran had pierced the boy's ear that night binding them together forever.
The mages eyes fluttered open and Zevran tensed as he saw the confusion in those eyes. He watched closely as the boy looked around. Those dragon green eyes fell on his face, a brief moment of recognition, a softness, and then they blazed with an untold fury. Zevran sighed as he placed his hand on the boys chest to keep him from sitting up.
"Please warden, stop. I do not wish to hurt you." He kept his hand firmly on the boys chest. He could feel the heart under his hand beating too fast and too hard.
"A little late for that don't you think, Assassin" It was the first time in nearly two years that word had come from Meryn with such venomous contempt.
"What has happened to you Meryn, do you really hate me so?" He wondered what happened that could ignite Meryn's anger so much. There was something more to this anger then it seemed.
"I could ask the same of you, you told me you loved me once, but that was all just another lie wasn't it!" He jerked under the other elf's hand as he yelled.
Zevran sighed, it was so easy to forget how young the boy truly was, and how innocent he had been in the ways of true love. Zevran stood and walked across the room as Meryn slowly slipped from the bed. He was standing when Zevran turned back toward him. His eyes flicked to the blade in the Antivan's hand and a small nasty grin pulled at the side of Meryn's mouth.
"My dear warden, I did not betray you. Long have I wished to return to your side. Every word I said to you was true and still is to this very day, this very moment." He grabbed the sword by the blade holding it tight enough not to drop it, but loose enough so he didn't cut his hand open.
Green eyes narrowed as they glared unbelieving.
Zevran sighed. " I told you, I didn't betray you. I stayed to protect you, I came to end the hunt for us for good. But in doing so I may have made it worse. They have named me guild master, I had no choice." That was not completely true. Sure they would have continued to hunt him until the last of them fell, or until they finally figured out it was futile. But there was no denying part of him did indeed want this.
"That is not entirely true, forgive me. But I never wanted to abandon you. I never forgot about you Meryn, and I longed to have you by my side. You don't understand how dangerous it was for me to try and return to Ferelden, or how dangerous it was for you to come looking for me."
"So you chose to be a crow leader over being with me." His voice was toneless. "I should be surprised but I'm not." Flat and toneless, there was no emotion in the boy except what his eyes showed. Those vicious eyes which narrowed accusingly. "Is that why you allowed the assassination attack on vigil's keep?"
Zevran took a step back as if slapped, his eyes clearly showing the pain this accusation brought. "How could you even THINK that Meryn! Do you truly think so little of me after all we've been through together? Had I the power to stop it I would have, you of all people should know that!" He took a step forward wanting to take the boy in his arms, to comfort him but stopped himself. "Meryn, believe me when I say that was not my decision, I would never have allowed it."
"Oh so I am to believe you didn't want to be Guild master, and you didn't want me dead, AGAIN!"
Zevran sighed heavily trying to mask the pain Meryn's word shot through him. "I did not, do not wish you dead Meryn. My only regrets are that I couldn't get to the guild master before that contract was given, and that I couldn't bring you with me. As for being the Crow Master, I had little choice in the matter, had I refused every crow in Antiva would have come down on me, and perhaps you my... Meryn. The only thing I could do for now was go along with it, and hopefully someday..." his voice trailed off.
He longed to touch the mage, trace the lines embedded in his face, his neck. Retrace the lines he himself had drawn on the rest of the boys body. He held is ground.
The boy said nothing just stared.
Zevran sighed. "my feelings for you have not changed Meryn." That name again, he couldn't remember a time he had ever used the boys name so much. But he had to get through to him, save him from the beast he had become. His Meryn was in there and Zevran desperately longed to bring him out.
He had the burden of Guild master, charged with ruling the entire assassin society of Antiva. Meryn had the weight of the known world upon him. Warden commander, hero of Ferelden, destroyer of Amaranthine, savior of the vigil, protector of Thedas. Yes he had heard all the tales being told in the market and the taverns. Even the crows spoke of the warden and much to his amusement, spoke of the time Zevran himself was thwarted by the boy. The burden the young boy carried was more then any man should ever have to carry.
And now Zevran had learned the young warden had felt betrayed by the one man who dared to love him, dared to see him as Meryn, just Meryn Surana of the circle of Ferelden. The poor boy was unraveling at the seams, wound so tight he was about to snap. He could see it and it would not be long before he was completely lost. Again he wondered what could possibly have pushed him this far. He truly believed there was something else that had fueled his ire, pushed the right buttons and sent him over the edge.
"My feelings for you are true Meryn, I bound myself to you once Meryn and that promise holds as strong today as it did back then. If you truly have lost the love you had for me..." He paused holding the blade up, offering the hilt to Meryn. Meryn's fingers snaked around the hilt and took it, it was the blade Zevran had given him before leaving, his prized sword. He had carried it for many years before meeting him, and had given it to him to remember him while he was away.
Meryn held the sword out, looking from it to Zevran.
"If you truly feel nothing for me Meryn I am here. I told you my heart belonged to you for all time. Claim it now if you must, I'll not stop you."
He stared into those dragon green eyes, those eyes that flashed with so many emotions in a matter of seconds. His warden was in there but did he have the will to fight whatever it was that pushed his hate to such heights, to fight the beast he had become?
It seemed like hours passed, but it was only seconds before the sword faltered and those green eyes softened and filled with tears. The sword dropped from his hand as his legs gave out under him. Zevran quickly stepped forward to catch him, the young warden fell against him and broke out into silent sobs.
Zevran wrapped his arms tightly around the warden and gently petted his dark locks. The boy reeked of weeks in back alleys, sweat, blood and grime. Zevran held him tightly until he felt the boy go slack in his arms, he was unconscious again. Whether he fell asleep or passed out from exhaustion, he didn't know. He laid the boy back on the bed and ran his fingers softly over the earring in the boys right ear before carefully stripping the grime encrusted clothing off. He made a mental note to burn the sheets later. He smiled.
...
Meryn's eyes fluttered open, he could smell rose hips and, something, it was an herb but one he had never smelled before but he found it quite pleasing. It was another few minutes before he realized the smell was him. He didn't know how long he had been asleep but he was laying in a warm bed, his skin and hair had been cleaned of all dirt and grime and had been oiled down to sooth his dry skin. Had he really slept though all that?
He slowly sat up and looked around the dimly lit room. There in the chair beside the bed was Zevran bare chested dressed in his battle skirt, boots and bracers. He had fallen asleep tired from watching for who knows how many countless hours. Meryn slowly slipped from the bed and crawled over to the sleeping elf. He laid his head gently on the mans thigh and began stroking his shin. His skin was warm beneath the mages fingertips and cheek.
After awhile he heard Zevran stir and then felt long fingers comb lazily through his onyx locks.
"I am sorry, Zevran" He said in a voice too low to hear. Meryn looked up into the sleepy face of the Antivan His green eyes were soft again and filled with un-shed tears.
"Hmm?" Zevran said sleepily looking down into those sad eyes.
"I am so very sorry," He said in a voice just loud enough for Zevran to hear. "I was wrong to doubt you. I was wrong to come here seeking you. I have wronged you in so many ways and I have put you in danger. I was the one who betrayed you, no the other way around. I deserve no forgiveness" His voice hiccuped as he babbled on. He looked down at the bandage on his left arm then rested his cheek once again on the older elf's leg. "Tell me to go back home, and I will. Tell me to go back to Ferelden. Tell me to leave and never return and I shall. I deserve nothing less for what I've done. I allowed it, I allowed myself to..." His voice broke off suddenly and his jaws gave an audible click as his mouth clamped shut.
Zevran felt the mage tense under his hand as he spoke. He heart breaking at the sadness in those words. His had long since made his decision on what to do but he let the boy continue to speak. He felt the boy needed to speak, for himself more then Zevran. He frowned slightly at the unfinished thought, but decided to save that for another day. When Meryn had finished Zevran pulled the young mage into his lap slightly amused that he hadn't even bothered putting anything on first. Then again he had thrown out the boys clothes so it was his fault, wasn't it.
"My dear warden, I could no more banish you from my side then I could tear my own heart out and watch it beat its last. This is not how I had imagined it but it is done and you are here with me. And I shall keep you with me, should you wish to stay." Zevran gently ran his fingertips over the boys cheek, tracing the black lines embedded under the skin.
Meryn gently took Zevran's other hand and pulled it into his lap. His fingers began nervously fidgeting with Zevran's hand, lacing and unlacing their fingers together, stroking his palm, tracing the vein down the back of his hand. And then repeating it. Zevran couldn't help but smile, the gesture was just too cute.
"You mean it?" Meryn asked softly, his eyes cast at his lap as his fingers fidgeted with the Antivan's hand.
Zevran's hand wandered to the earring and gently brushed against it as if emphasis his words."with all that I am, Meryn Surana, all that I am and more." Meryn latched onto Zevran like a child at a feast day celebration who had just received the very gift of his hearts desire.
