The run turned into a walk on the rest of the way. She was heading back to her appointed room in the shared apartments without reporting her success yet; it was not a pressing mission after all and they would not expect her until the next morning anyway.

On her way she went through an open square and laid eyes on the communal well in the middle of it. Giving in to temptation and trying to rub off the last persistent dark red crusts on her hand she left the shadows to cross the moonlit pavement. The thick, wooden lid was heavy to prevent younglings from possible pranking. It seemed some were oblivious many a year that it held the water everyone in this quarter was to drink from.

She managed to push the lid far enough to fit the bucket though the hole and hear the slash from where it hit the surface, then she started turning the winch as the Chantry bells rang five times. She pulled the well shut again before she proceeded to wash her hands and arms free of any excessive blood.

Then she resumed her trip home but before she reached it she came to a standstill beside a familiar window. It was small, set in the height of her head, the hinges were on the topside of it and the frame was worn in an area in the middle of the lower plank. This window had been visited times before her intrusions.

Her hand found its way into the new, stained pouch on her hip, searching for a content she remembered from her quick examining of its depths. Finding it, she withdrew a lock-pick, put it into the slit and pulled it along the worn mark, pushing the latch on the inside out of place. With her other hand she dug her nails into the frame and jerked it to get it open. She succeeded on the second try and put back the slender tool again before she ducked her head into the window. At this time the warmth inside was welcome and it battled the cool around her neck.

"Zev?" she whispered, into the dark beneath the window. He was already moving, sitting up.

"Ah, I wondered just who it might be to break into my home," his voice answered. The slight tinge of sleep around the usual edge made it even more endearing. "To what do I owe the pleasure, my dear?"

She heaved herself up to sit in the window frame, blind until her eyes left the blue light outside behind.

"I happened to pass by and thought I might visit. If you do not mind." She added a warm smile, even if he would not see it in the dark, and held out her hand to him. Shifting his weight on to his knees he chuckled deep in his chest as he took it.

"Who could mind such an inviting presence? I do not," he answered, tone more alert by the second, as he steadied her descent to the bed beside him. A sliver of moonlight moved over his full, curved lips as he re-latched the window before turning to her. Even in the dark she could make out his features turning into a full smile regarding her. He did not give many such a charming view of his teeth, and even though it was as simple an act as could be she dearly appreciated it. It stilled her craving of life and joy, not in the way of pleasure and success, but a way alien to the rest of her life. It made her mind feel elevated beyond the lightweight she usually thought she kept it to.

Seeing as she just smiled back at him Zevran continued, he was like that, never dared silence as a way to let anyone know him. It was not necessarily a bad habit, to never let anyone pinpoint your intentions, your ability, your fear. He had learned well.

"It seems you have had a rough contract," he said, stroking a finger over the scratches on her arm, the arm of which hand he was still holding. "I shall help you with that, my dear.''

"As long as the "help" is quiet." Another, grumpy, voice made way from across the room. Someone sharing it had woken up. They both turned in the direction, both bringing out amused smiles. She watched Zevran's in the corner of her eye and it was not the first time as of late.

"I will do only what is required. You, I am sure, would do the same," he answered.

This was one of the rooms for the newest crows, those that had not yet gotten a room of their own. She had gotten hers only weeks ago and was thankful for finally being able to shut other eyes out. Privacy was not to be given the recruits within the ranks of the Crows but the ones that survived grew used to that, more or less.

"Don't worry about it, honey, just fall back asleep," she purred to the shadows before she turned back to lean close to him and bring her hand to a marked cheek, she caressed up the black adornments. Her other hand let go of his and followed the flow of his abdomen up and to a new mark curving over his chest. Sleek lines still protruding slightly went in style with his previous ink. He had not chosen to get this by his own will, few of them did.

"You earned this, or is somebody simply bored?" she had to ask.

Often the masters said it was a given reward for extinguishing services but the fact that everyone got them, even the ones who never did the greatest of acts, was glaring. It was a reminder to them that they do no longer own themselves, no matter what they claim. She did not mind working as she did and the designs were never ugly, but to not have a say in what is to happen to her own skin, in a permanent change. She resented it. Knowing that the humans deprived her of a future and lifetime, free as they were, made her want to kill them, not kill for them. That was a thought she would never say out loud but it was too personal to ignore when faced with.

"Well it is a rather exciting process, no? Or do you not like it?"

It would do her no good to dwell upon, but she felt herself dangerously close to serious when she looked back to his eyes again. She simply stared at them, through them, and met the hardened wall of thoughts that was folded within the warmth of the dark circles. A decided shake of her head was all she gave and saw the thoughts shift with his eyes.

He got it, he had to get it. He knew she knew and they felt the same about it, it was all she needed to see and not worth discussing. She leaned back slightly to bring herself back out the depths in his mind again. It felt right to pull herself back up with the corners of her lips.

"But there is still a lot of you left for me to… admire."

Running her hand down over his skin again was as natural as the anticipation stretching across his face was immediate. His low chuckle returned as he came up with a reply but he was cut short from the other side of the room.

"Terribly sorry to interrupt again but… no, not sorry at all actually. Shut it."

Someone did not possess the best temper in this cell. Must be a really fresh, lucky recruit to come here. She shook her head smiling as Zevran closed his arms tighter around her waist.

These moments were to be cherished; both could be dead tomorrow for all they knew. She deeply breathed him in and felt him do the same by her ear before his soft lips started brushing her neck. He breathed her name and she felt a warm shiver of it travel every segment of her spine before it spread out to the rest of her body. It was a pleasant but unfamiliar sensation. He had done this to her only a couple of times before, but it seemed to be getting stronger. Which was a good thing, because she liked it.

"Rinna."