Was mistress still behind me? Sniff. Yes. Sniff. The elf mate is this way.

Fluke's paws padded towards the entrance of a cave and stepped inside, allowing the brief moment for his eyes to adjust.

Fluke thought it was stupid of the elf mate to leave his mistress, it just didn't work that way in his world. A mabari would never leave like he did.

Uprights were strange creatures sometimes.


Leelou stepped into the shade of the cave after her faithful friend.

The smell of Antivan leather and spiced orange filled the entrance enveloping Leelou's wolf like senses.

Raven…

Fluke led the way, stopping and sniffing occasionally, snapping his teeth whenever he found a trap and deftly walking around it.

Leelou followed the steps Flukes paws exactly, walking around a large hidden claw trap realising how the mabari had noticed them, they smelt of trap grease and Zevran.

Leelou's heart was in the roof of her mouth, what if he wasn't alive? What if the crows had captured him? He shouldn't have gone out here all alone…

Leelou mind filled with a mixture of images, a flurry of words she wanted to say once she set eyes on him, she didn't know whether she wanted to kiss him or kick his elvan butt for using the workers of the blooming rose. Most likely both.

Leelou's heart and mind raged a war.

Leelou soon found the camp with flukes guidance and she trod her paws lightly on the ground so not to disturb the lovers by the fire.

Is it him?

All she could see was the back of a woman with long dark curling hair, her body covering the lover beneath. Leelou signalled Fluke to hold back.

Creeping around a rock to get a better view, her nose was filled with the perfume of the air, spiced orange, Antivan leather, sandalwood, the wood burning on the fire, the sweat of the bodies frantic exertions. Her wolf nose could pick each one out. It was starting to give her a headache.

Leelou let her body melt back into its own, her staff and clothing appearing by magic along with the rest of her human form and she came face to face with her lover, his eyes closed under the writhing figure.

"Raven…" The name escaped her lips as all other words failed her.

Leelou saw the face of the woman above him, and recognised the pirate captain from the pearl. She was betrayed.


Zevran closed his eyes as Isabella continued to ride him, his body reacting and rejoicing at being held but his heart just wasn't in it. Zevran's movements had almost become mechanical, put your hand there, arch you back like this, suck here. A thousand lessons with countless lovers, Zevran was indeed and artist. He knew Isabella's body, knew how to please her and Zevran felt the enjoyment of a job well done as she moaned above him, her orgasms cramping around him.

Zevran's heart replayed a memory.

The night before the attack on Denerim, the night before she felled the arch demon, Leelou had given him the scar on his neck.

Leelou was on top on him, just as Isabella was now, but she had marked him that night forever, her teeth baring down into his skin as she came, wetness poring from between her thighs as she pulsed around him, causing him to loose all his hard won control inside of her as she was still moving on top of him to the guidance of his hands….

"Raven…"

Zevran's eyes flew open as the voice in his head seemed to be echoed in the room.

Zevran's amber eyes met the jade green orbs of Leelou's fury. He froze, his eyes not believing what he was seeing.

Leelou's face was screwed up in a furious snarl as she stepped forward into Isabella's line of sight, Zevran watched transfixed, twisting his neck to see as Leelou spread her feet into her fighting stance and deliberately lit flames on each of her hands in turn. Isabella stilled above him, her dark eyes meeting Leelou's, whose face was now glowing with the light from her own flames.

"GET OFF HIM NOW. SLOWLY" Leelou's fury reverberated in the room.

Zevran's chest imploded, the hole that had been living in his heart filling in like water bursting from a dam and he smiled up at her, his grifone, and she was here in the cave with him, furious and ready to fight. Zevran could already feel the heat from her hands from three feet away, raising his temperature, and she wasn't even touching him. His smile spread to a grin.

Isabella slid off of his body, with a gentle push of encouragement from his hands. Zevran rolled over to his front and put his hands on his chin, delighted to see his love again.


Leelou watched as the pirate wench got off her lover and the look on Zevran's face hurt her to the core. He positively beamed.

How dare he rub her nose in it like this? Laying there grinning like the cat who got the cream as he dripped in Isabella's sweat? Did his promises to her mean nothing?

Isabella tried for her clothing and arms.

"NO. Fluke, don't let her move." Fluke appeared from his hiding place snarling at the naked woman. It became clear that Isabella was now stuck between a rock and a hard place.

"Hello warden. A pleasure to see you again." Isabella said, placing her hands nonchalantly on her bare hips, her face bemused.

"Wish I could say the same Isabella." Leelou growled.

Zevran just stretched out, showing off his body to the women in the room, his eyes never leaving Leelou's face, his trademark grin slapped into place.

Leelou wanted to kick him.

"Oh, come now. Me and Zevran were just having some fun, weren't we Zev?"

Zevran chuckled from his bedroll. "Si, but what was it you said to Hawke my dear? You've had better, Yes? Well the beautiful warden right here is my better." he smirked and turned back to Leelou. "My Grifone." he whispered, purposely letting his hair fall to one side, so the half moon scar showed. His eyes softened at her, the golden locket Leelou had commissioned for him hung around his neck. Leelou's core ached at the sight, feeding the flames of her fury.

"Don't talk to me right now." Leelou snapped at him. "And put some trousers on."

Zevran grinned and nodded his head, obviously finding this all very amusing.

The flames on Leelou's hands leapt along with her anger.

Isabella tried for her back pack again only for Fluke to nip at her heel.

"That was a warning Isabella. I wont use my hound in this fight, but I will use my magic."

"Fight?" Isabella asked.

"You like duels don't you?" Leelou spat.

"If I remember correctly, I told you its best to avoid duels, sweet thing." Isabella licked her lips at the mage.

"Well, you don't have a choice over this one. Zevran, throw her some blades."

"Really Leelou? Are you sure this is wise?" his brow frowned in worry, going from one face to another.

Leelou shot a fire bolt over his head blowing a hole into the rock.

"As you like." Zevran handed over his own blades to the naked pirate.

Isabella looked down at them in disgust.

"Really warden, you intend to duel me like this? Using someone else's arms? And no armour? Hardly a fair fight."

"I am sorry to say my dear friend, this will not be a fair fight, even with your equipment." Zevran said. He looked at Leelou warily.

Leelou met his eyes and saw the worry there for his friend, and the fire inside her fought for dominance, but the truth of his words found her. Leelou let her hands dim.

"Fine. Get dressed. Fluke, down." the mage said to Isabella, her voice clipped.

Fluke moved to greet Zevran.

"No, Fluke." she said quietly but commanding as she leant against the rock face. Fluke stopped in his tracks and went to sit at his mistress's feet.


Zevran stopped in mid crouch, pulling his hand back up from mabari height, transferring` it to his knee and slid down to sit upon the ground, his eyes trying to see Leelou's face. She was leaning against the rock wall across from him, her arms crossed, showing Zevran her profile and her face pointed towards the dressing pirate, her body stiff and full of restrained anger.

Zevran's heart sank. His love was here, finally in reach of him and for a brief moment he had gotten so close to her that he could smell the lavender of her soap, feel the warmth emanate from her skin, but right now she may as well be a thousand miles away back in Fereldan. Zevran wondered if this was the end for them, if all those promises spoken and unspoken had been broken.

The taste of Isabella's skin turned bitter in his mouth.

Zevran sat there silently, watching the now Warden Commander Amell and Arlessa of Amaranthine, wondering what could have happened to her in those months they had been apart and doubt filled his heart, asking himself if she still wanted him in her future.

Just at that moment Leelou did that gesture, the one she did all the time, tucking her bobbed red hair behind her ear. Zevran's earring glittered on Leelou's lobe in the firelight as she fiddled with it distractedly. Leelou Amell still wore his gift.

"That almost sounds like a proposal…" "Only if you want it to be…."

Zevran brought his knees up to his chin, crossed his arms upon them and hid the smile there as words remembered echoed in his head.