Disclaimer: Dragon Age belongs to Bioware
Chapter 2
Niandra awoke to a deep velvet sky above her. The moon and its starry companions dotted its clear surface and a cool breeze ruffled her hair and she tentatively sat.
"Not too fast!" an urgent voice came before Niandra saw the Dalish weapon smith at her side.
Saura was also there and she sighed with relief as her friend sat.
"For Maker's sake, woman, take it easy," she told her friend as the weapon-smith busied himself with checking the bandages around Niandra's middle. "You had us worried."
"I can't feel my right arm…" she croaked, trying to wiggle the fingers that refused to respond.
"I would imagine not," the weapon-smith responded. "The venom is still coursing through your blood. It'll take time to leave your system completely. Until then, you'll all have to stay in camp."
"Forgive us, Master Ilen, but I might have to steal her very soon," Saura told him. "We'll make sure she stays out of commission, for the most part."
Ilen did not look pleased, but walked way to let them talk.
"What of our murderer?" Niandra asked. "I assume he's the one who finished that creature off?"
"Yup," Saura answered. "Fenris is keeping a close eye on him. He doesn't believe we can trust him yet, but we got the answers.
"His name's Zevran Arainai, a former Crow who's recently been tracked by his old adversary."
"Nuncio," Niandra supplied.
Saura nodded. "He didn't slaughter Nuncio's family and Nuncio planned to kill us whether or not we succeeded."
"Wonderful," Niandra lowered herself onto her back with a hiss. "What's the plan?"
Saura's blue eyes twinkled with vengeance. "It'll go like this…"
Niandra stumbled into the waiting camp, gasping for breath. The walk over had been torturous, her arm and lungs throbbing. If she made it back alive, Ilen was sure to kill her.
"Where is he? Where's Nuncio?" she demanded.
"What's going on?" Nuncio emerged from his tent in a fury. "What's the fuss?"
"Zevran! He killed my comrades and he's coming for me!" Niandra stumbled to a halt before him, breath coming in gasps and sweat beading on her body. "Please! You have to help me!"
"You said your party was more than capable of disposing of him," he snarled. "Since you've failed, I have no more use for you."
Niandra watched with wide eyes as he drew a dagger from his belt.
"You are dead to me," he drew back for a strike, when a foreign blade buried itself into his shoulder.
"Nuncio, my old friend, it's been a while," the elf with shoulder-length ash blond hair stalked through the camp.
Zevran had agreed long before Niandra had awoken to this plan, even helped weave it.
"Not long enough," Nuncio growled as he removed the blade from his shoulder.
Niandra took the opportunity to begin slowly backing away.
"Apparently," Zevran drew his twin blades. "I'd hoped your methods had improved, but I was mistaken; they've deteriorated. I'm not sure why the Crows keep you around."
"You dare insult me! You are but one person, Arainai! We are an army!"
"I've dealt with more experienced lots," Niandra watched as his casual demeanor took on a deadly note. "And I am not alone."
Saura and Fenris appeared from within Nuncio's ranks.
"We've heard stories, Nuncio," Saura inspected her blade, "and we are not pleased."
Fenris added, "It's time to die!"