Zevran had spent his days resting and planning his next move back to Antiva, trading with the local Dalish clan and avoiding the crow cell that had been sent after him.
Zevran had been missing the warmth of Leelou's hands terribly, each day the ache in his chest had grown, his body screaming to be held. Eventually it got to the point were he could no longer concentrate, his mind no longer the sharpness it needed to be and entertaining himself with images of his love had become more of a torture than pleasure.
He lay there in the dark, his hands fingering the lock of hair he had pulled from within his locket, and lifted the gold beaded braid to his nose breathing in the fading scent of her lavender shampoo fading upon the russet strands.
Suddenly there was noise outside his cave, the shouts and cries of battle filled his elfin ears causing Zevran to jump to his feet, gearing himself to fight.
Creeping silently in the shadows he slinked towards the noise poised to strike only to find a group of decidedly not crows fighting the now screaming Varterral. Zevran ducked as a flame bolt missed the Varterral and hit the rock behind him, scorching a hole into the wall's face.
The Varterral screamed its dying breath.
Zevran stood and greeted the gang in front of him, his eyes scanning the group for the source of the achingly familiar fire spell. A familiar face stepped forward, but it wasn't Leelou.
"I thought I smelt Antivan leather" Isabella quirked.
Zevran face lit up at the sight of an old friend. "Isabella! Well isn't it my favourite pirate wench?"
She giggled. "Shouldn't you be dead by now?"
"I could say the same to you. It seems we have been both lucky to find such powerful friends no?" he chuckled.
The elf turned to his other guests.
"Greetings. I am Zevran Arainai. Adventurer and occasional assassin." Zevran bowed his head in welcome.
Beside Isabella was the mage Hawke, who Zevran recognised, her mabari, a blonde man in feathered robes, and a brooding tattooed elf with glowering eyes.
"I heard about you…. You helped the hero of Fereldan stop the blight." Anders said, his face full of wonder, looking him up and down.
Zevran bowed, "At your service my friend." .
"The Warden Commander wouldn't stop fiddling with that earring you gave her." Anders quipped rolling his eyes.
The hole in Zevran's chest grew at the mention of her name. "You know the Warden?"
"Oh, uh… yes. She was at my joining." Anders said, obviously avoiding the question.
"Ah, so you are a fellow Grey Warden, yes?" Zevran ached for news from Leelou, not even knowing if she had received the one letter he had been able to send.
Anders just nodded silently, silently refusing to answer any more questions. The assassin briefly wondered what this blonde mage was to Leelou, but he knew when not to push.
He turned to Hawke.
"I must admit I was awaiting an assault by the crows not Hawke, the mighty Champion of Kirkwall."
Zevran stared longingly at Hawke, her eyes the same shade of jade green as his love.
"How do you know Isabella?" Hawke frowned.
"How does anyone know Isabella?" He grinned, undressing the pirate with his eyes.
"Yes well, you'll never know Isabella again if you keep that up." She snapped.
Zevran grin just spread wider, teasing.
Hawke gave Isabella a warning with her eyes.
"How do you know who I am Zevran?" Hawke asked suspiciously.
Zevran smirked. The truth was he had seen her in the Blooming Rose, the last time he had unsuccessfully tried to sate his yearnings for Leelou with a couple of butter face whores. The truth was, even when he tried to satisfy his body's needs as casually as he would eat, his mind still wondered towards Leelou. No one but her could know that.
Zevran was very good at listening in dark corners and getting the working girls of the rose to sing. Sometimes they even sung useful information. Like Hawke's mother was named Amell, just like his Grifone d'oro.
"Slayer of qunari, explorer of deep roads and a beauty to make the gods jealous? You underestimate your fame." he purred at Hawke.
Leelou's green eyes stared back at him from Hawke's unfamiliar face, and Zevran wondered how closely they were related. He wondered if Leelou even knew.
"I thought you would be taller." Hawke stated, her green eyes cold.
Zevran realised this was no chance encounter. Nuncio had finally sought outside help.
Well, he had killed the guild master.
Leelou got off the boat and her head swayed, her knees threatening to give out from under her.
"Woah, there honey." Samuel caught her under her arm before she fell.
"The first step on dry land is a doozey." His muscles bunched as she leaned on him, his patterned tattoo flexing on his skin.
"Sorry Sam, that was my first boat ride." Fluke sat down beside Leelou, a pitiful whine coming from his throat.
Leelou smiled at her constant companion. "I think Fluke is as glad as I am to see dry land, and feeling just as bad." she fussed the top of the mabari's head and offered him a biscuit, the dog lent forward his black nose twitching warily and sniffed a refusal at her.
Leelou nodded and put the biscuit back in her belt pouch.
"How long are we going to be here for Sam?" Leelou asked as he watched Samuel secure the boat's ropes.
"Don't know Warden. Pa says three days at most… but you never know with my Pa."
Leelou nodded, remembering meeting the merchant at Highever Port, standing there on the dock shouting at the dock master over prices. Leelou had managed to pay the captains docking fee and bartered herself her own cabin aboard the ship. Samuel Senior was one hell of a haggler, even Leelou's practiced silver tongue got her next to nowhere, leaving her to agree to this route of stopping at every port along the coast of the free marches and up to Antiva simply because she was unable to get the man to change his mind. The last time she met a man this stubborn and bull headed she had gotten him killed, but then again Logain had deserved it.
Leelou took in her surroundings, seeing large grey stone slabs dominating the architecture, looking as depressing as the giant slave and templar statues everywhere in sight. Her heart sank to the pit of her stomach as an irrational fear seeped into her bones.
"So, this is Kirkwall. Is it me or is it….." Leelou trailed off pointing at the giant templar statues. For some reason, she felt those giant stone and metallic eyes judging her.
"Ruled by Templar's?" Sam said.
Leelou nodded, the apprehension clearly on her face. It had never occurred to her to learn anything about any of the cities she would be making port in, and just had concentrated on Antiva.
"Sorry Warden, thought you knew. The knight Commander Meredith basically has been ruling the city since the death of the Viscount. " Sam said dismissively.
Leelou suddenly felt being a Grey Warden wasn't so bad after all, especially if the title stopped her getting locked up under the Knight Commanders gaze. Leelou took a big breath composing herself and kicked her legs back into life against the stone floor.
"Can I buy you a drink Sam?" Leelou said cheerfully, eager to get her land legs back before the next part of the journey.
As it turned out, Hawke didn't like being lied to and decided not to complete Zevran's capture. Preferring instead to face Nuncio herself. Zevran had put it down to his high cheek bones and pouty lips, and had enjoyed the banter that came with the pair of familiar lovely green eyes. With a bit of encouragement from Isabella and a good use of his own charms, Zevran found himself once again with an unlikely but powerful ally. He must have a gift with Amell women, he chuckled to himself.
Sam said he knew just the place to drink, if Leelou didn't mind working girls that is.
Leelou stood staring at the sign, wondering why she had let the sailor choose the tavern.
"The Blooming Rose? Why do all these places have search corny names?" Fluke sniffed in agreement beside her.
"The ale is better here than at the hanged man, and that's the only other choice. Be kind Warden, I haven't seen a pretty face in weeks and you did promise a sailor a beer, which by the way is binding." He flashed her a grin, crossing his arms across his bulk.
"Pretty face, right here." Leelou said, not wanting to walk inside and see another Zevran look alike and find it wasn't him. They never really did look like raven, but for some reason the gods had decided to tease and play with her heart by making blonde elves walk past her vision just so thatshe only saw them in the corner of her eye, causing her to spin around to find some stranger. This had happened more in taverns that Leelou would like to admit to herself.
"Aye, that is true, but when I asked for a kiss from The Hero of Fereldan all I got was a look, and a mighty fine one at that." Sam mock punched her on the arm.
Leelou gave him the look.
"After you honey..." he said his hands going up in a 'Look I'm unarmed' gesture, even though Leelou was well aware of the long dagger hidden in his right boot.
Inside was actually rather pretty, a single bar was to the right in a large open room full of tables and each table had a vase of roses in the centre. The wine was good too, cheap and sweet, just the way she liked it.
A large staircase led up to private rooms and Leelou and Samuel watched the procession of customers walk up and down them, with workers on their arms giggling and clinging.
"Well, I must say Sam, I've seen worse places than this." Leelou lifted up her glass.
"I knew I'd get you in here eventually honey. As much as I love the sea, its nice to have a change of view." his eyes followed a blond human girl serving drinks around the room.
Leelou smirked, finding just being here was reminding her of how much Zevran would be enjoying this place if he was here. At the thought she got out the bloodied bedraggled letter from within her robe and read it once more, even though the words had been committed to memory. It was a good thing she had, the letter had been through a lot and the ink was beginning to fade.s.
"Not even sharp razor blades will be able to separate us."
The blonde wondered over to them.
"Hello there lovely…" she giggled settling in Sam's lap. Her fingers playing down his bulging chest and snaking inside his shirt showing off the fact Samuel actually had a lot of chest hair.
Leelou stroked her earring and put the letter safely away.
"Hi" she said smiling at the working girl. "What your name?"
Her pale grey blue eyes went round. "Cecilia. Is this tanned sailor yours?"
"Depends on what you mean by mine…." Leelou teased fiddling with her earring.
"Well, it will cost more for both of you,…" Cecilia gave her the eye. "But for handsome 'ere I'll work cheap." she giggled and wriggled her bottom lower down into Sam's lap.
"Err, honey…." Sam ventured at Leelou, his face saying it all.
"I said I buy you a drink, not entertainment Sam." Leelou grinned, finding this all way too funny.
"Sam? that's a nice name…." Cecilia purred, running her fingers through Sam's short dark hair. Sam threw Leelou a pleading look.
Leelou laughed and waved her hand.
"Go, ill be fine. I'm not some gentle flower you know." She smiled at her own private joke.
Cecilia and Sam disappear up the stairs, they passed a pair of twin girls walking down and they giggled at Cecilia with Sam on her arm.
"Ooh look at that tan, just like Z's"
Leelou's head whipped round so fast she was surprised it stayed attached.
