Elanna sat on her bed staring at the wall opposite. Night had long since fallen. Her hand rested on her pack, filled with the accoutrements of her employment. She wore her travelling leathers and a battered old cloak sat ready beside the bed. She had one more person to farewell before leaving.
The knock on Ari's door was sharp.
Ari mumbled sleepily and nudged Nathan with her elbow. Before sitting up and running a hand over her face. "You get it since you refuse to let me get out of bed." She grumbled as Nathaniel wrapped a sheet around his bare waist and opened the door.
"I'd put my hands up but as you can see...it might not be a good idea." He said with dry amusement as he stared at Ela.
Ela's nostrils flared, and she scowled. "Not that it would make a difference." She hefted the pack on her shoulder. "If you would be so kind as to pass on a message for me. I'm going after the target. I will be in contact after the mission."
Ari wrapped her robe around her body and peeked around Nathaniel's side. "Does Alistair know?" She asked as she ignored Nathaniel's grumble about her remaining in bed. "Not exactly sure if I should tell him that his 'betrothed' went to assassinate the former Queen."
"He knows I have gone to take care of the person who hired the assassins. If he isn't an utter moron he will work it out when news comes of her death." Ela shrugged, attempting and failing, at nonchalance. "I also informed him of the truth about the betrothal. I suspect when the mission succeeds, it will be called off."
She paused and fidgeted with the straps of her pack. "I feel somewhat ... bad that I did that to him. He deserves better." She chewed on her lower lip.
"He deserves you but you won't listen to reason." Ari let out an exasperated sigh as she leaned against Nathaniel's chest for support. "But the mission must succeed. Right now she is the biggest threat that he doesn't even notice." She turned her head slightly and looked into the shadows.
"I listen, Ari," Ela said softly. "And I have heard clearly." She glanced at Nathaniel and back to the mage. "I won't be back."
She nodded at them both and turned to go. She raised her voice sharply.
"Get some good gossip?"
And headed down the corridor.
Ari held her palm out letting a small ball of flame erupt as she tossed it into the corner. Watching in amusement as Zevran danced out of the shadows.
"You need a hobby," Ari said as she shook her head, feeling Nathaniel's chest rumble under her head.
"I do have one! It is to see how long it will take you two to let me join you in bed!" he said with a saucy grin. "But in all seriousness, should I shadow her?" He asked as he turned to stare at Ela's retreating back.
"No. She needs to prove to herself that she didn't fail the mission. And you did say that she is the best. We have nothing to fear." Ari turned to look at Nathaniel, as he hid a yawn behind his hand.
"No Elf you are not invited." Nathaniel reached down and with a quick lift of his arm he had bent down picking Ari up and slinging her over his shoulder while maintaining his grip on the sheet around his waist. He sketched Zevran a small nod before closing the door.
He let out a gasp as he felt Ari place an open mouthed kiss on his back. In retaliation he slide his hand up under her robe and pinched her bottom. "Bed. Stay this time. We can uh... talk?" He carefully deposited the sulking mage on the bed and settled down next to her. "So shapeshifting is something they don't teach in the Circle I'm guessing." He paused and stared at her face.
"No they don't. A friend wanted me to have options. On the off chance I get sent back to the Circle." She looked down at her hands. "Freedom is a gift, one that is rarely given to a Mage." She sighed and rested her head against his shoulder. "She wanted me to have a chance to keep my freedom."
"Good friend to have." He nodded as he lay back onto the bed and tugged Ari onto his chest. Tucking her head under his chin he ran his hands up and down her back. "I don't want to imagine the possibility of losing you to the Circle." He said as he tightened his arms around her.
"Oh so you wouldn't come rescue me?" She teased, slapping a palm lightly against his bare chest. She soothed the slap by lightly rubbing her cheek against it.
"You know I will." He said fiercely. "But right now, it isn't a possibility, let us get some sleep. Tomorrow you have a meeting with the King and the job to explain to him who the target really is." He felt Ari's head nod against his chest and continued to run his fingers along her back. Her breathing evened out into sleep before he closed his eyes a smile on his lips.
Ari sat behind her desk, a quill in her hand as she lightly tapped it against the paper in front of her. A small smile on her lips as she looked out the window. A light knock on her door drew her attention towards Alistair who scowled at her.
"She's gone."
"She has a job to do." She replied, calmly as she studied him from head to toe. "How are you feeling?" She asked as she gestured to his chest as she stood and slowly walked around the desk. "Let me see." She reached for his shirt as his hand came down to grab hers.
"Who is the target?" He asked, his voice soft as he ran a thumb over her hand.
Ari raised her eyes to meet his, her face carefully blank. "Do you really want to know?" She asked, watching the thoughts that drifted across his face. She watched as his jaw tightened and his hazel eyes darkened. "Alistair, you're hurting me." She said softly trying to pull her hand from his grip in vain.
"Ari, who is the target?" He asked again as he released her hand and rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. She took a step away from him and leaned against the desk, hands wrapped around her waist.
"It's Anora." She said softly. Carefully watching Alistair's expression go from hurt, shock, and finally anger. "You. You're the one that had Zevran send her to me." He stared at her in shock. "Why?"
Ari her expression slightly angry. "Anora is a ruthless cut throat bitch that should have died with her traitor father. She would have gladly served your head on a platter to him. You, decided to just lock her up in a tower." She said bitterly as she began to pace. "If you won't protect yourself, someone else has to do it. Someone like me, like I've always done since we first met."
Alistair stumbled back from Ari's ire. His eyes wide in shock. "Ari...I" He paused as she whirled and advanced on him. A finger pointed to his chest.
"No Alistair, you listen. You thrust the role of leadership on me! A Mage from the Circle who never had stepped out of the bloody tower since I was brought in as a young child. Every single decision that had to be made, I made it. Every move that had to be done, it was me who moved first." She poked him repeatedly in the chest, her eyes glowing with her magic. "And after everything I did, keeping you alive, gathering help from everyone. And ensuring our survival after the Archdemon was defeated. You were perfectly willing to throw it away, by locking the biggest threat on your arse in a tower."
She pushed him back slightly, glaring at his face. "I will not let my sacrifices end in vain." She whirled away from him and headed to her desk, grabbing a pile of papers off her desk, she threw them at him. "Each and every single one of these is a Crow bounty on your head. Signed with Anora's seal. Each one with prices slowly going up. Each one of these intercepted by Zevran and his connections. There have been a number of attempts on your life even before Ela agreed to the betrothal. The assassin on your roof? That was meant for you, if Ela wasn't there they would have succeeded. The attack where you got that?" She gestured to his chest. "Anora."
Alistair looked at the pile of papers in his hands, noting the seal and the prices of gold. "So this is how much I'm worth dead?" He asked attempting to break the tension with his usual sense of humor.
"Maker's Breath Alistair!" Ari growled out in frustration as she sat on her desk. "The job will be done. Ela has already left. And I believe Bann Teagan is on his way here to bring you back to Denerim. Where you will pretend you have no knowledge of why someone would part dear Anora's head from her body." She glared at him and waved a hand out the door.
"You're kicking me out?" Alistair asked his shock slowly fading.
"You have a country to run." She said with a brow raised. "And if you don't leave, I will set your boots on fire."
The missives that winged their way to Amaranthine and Denerim two weeks later were brief. Merely notifying that an unknown assailant had tracked down and entered the secure tower where Anora Mac Tiernan had been kept under arrest and killed her.
There was no word from Ela. As promised, she did not return.
A/N: I want to say a huge huge thank you to Maya for working with me on this. She makes my word jumbles look prettier. *heart emote*