The next evening she met Carlo and brought forth all her findings. Needless to say, he was furious. He actually even asked her if she would be willing to kill his wife for him.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, Ser, I appreciate the business, but contrary to what you may have heard. I am not and assassin(at the moment she added internally to herself) Following your wife for a week, I can honestly say I would not mourn the death of her offensive screeching. However! if you feel the need to end her life, I would suggest you contact the Crows. Or you could Annul the marriage, strip her of her title and have her arrested as an alternative." He seemed to consider her words and honestly be torn. He payed her and she concluded her business. She then headed usual way she traveled was being blocked by bandits...again. These people never learn. She huffed.
"That was what I was missing! someone trying to murder me and ransack my corpse...and now my day is complete" She said quite flatly, she sighed and trudged ahead pulling out her weapons. When she got home she was again...more or less splattered with blood and just wanted a bath and bed...Creator's Divine chest hair it's been a long week."
Flashes of lightning parted the darkness. Rain pelted her face. She could feel her back scraping against the grass, she could feel someone gripping her ankle. She opened her eyes and realized in horror, that it was not a person gripping her ankle, but a hurlock. She started to panic, the only reason she would still be alive and being dragged feet first into the deep roads was because they were going to turn her into...a...brood mother. She struggled, but couldn't free herself. She could hear whispers in her head...
"Join ussssss...join...ussssss" It hissed.
"No!" she cried, over and over again she screamed
"NO!" She felt herself wrenched from her sleep and sat up. Her heart pounding in her ears, the terror finally starting to dissipate as she realized she was in her room. She was panting, tears running down her face, she was covered, saturated with sweat. Sobbing at the overwhelming relief that it wasn't real.
The dark spawn dreams, never really relented. Not even after the Archdemon was slain. They just changed. She almost welcomed those dreams back, it was better than the dreams about the brood mothers. Instead of the usual flashes of horrors they turned into terrifying visions that would even turn the toughest quinari into a whimpering, mewling mess. The only respite she had was when she was with Zevran, his presence calmed her sleep. She wasn't sure what it was about him.
Ever since they encountered the brood mothers in the deep roads, back when she recruited Oghren in Orzammar and found out that it's what happens to you if you are a female and are unlucky enough to be captured by the darkspawn. She was terrified, that one day when she heard her calling, that she would be dragged off and turned into one of those things. It was by far her worst fear. The assault on her senses after a nightmare as powerful as that left her reeling for days afterwards, it left a physical effect on her, like a bruise. One that took a while to recover from.
She got out of bed and drew herself another bath. She slipped Aria out of it's sheath and placed it by the tub. Even though she was alone, it was just habit for her, she felt more comfortable being naked when she had a weapon close at hand. She got in and splashed her face with the warm water. She layed her head on the edge of the bath and stared up at the ceiling, she heard something in the air shift, like breathing. Alexis then realized she wasn't alone. She wa not in the mood for this...With a resigned sigh she picked up the sponge and started to wash her skin.
"Didn't anyone ever tell you that watching a lady bathe while lurking in the shadows is very creepy?" She shot a glare in the direction of her stalker. The man emerged from his hiding space. He was an elf, had long red hair, and dark eyes. Tanned skin, dressed in crow armor. Alexis realized any attempt to defend herself would be silly, he was obviously there before she awoke. If he wanted to kill her he could have done so already. The elf had a serious expression on his face.
"Just who are you really?" She tensed. This question alone told her more about the man than any statement ever could. It told her that he's been following her for some time now, that he has seen her in action, and that she obviously wasn't on his target list. She continued too bathe and chanced a glance at him. He obviously would have seen her having that nightmare. Which was more disturbing too her than the fact that she was naked and bathing in front of him. She hoped she didn't say anything incriminating.
"You really broke into my room and invaded my private space to ask me that?" She scoffed.
"And I thought Fereldan people had no manners...What makes you think I am any one other than who I say I am. Hmm?" The elf then approached her and leaned on the bath's edge and smirked at her. He leaned closer to her catching her eyes in his scrutinizing gaze.
"Because you move...like a crow." She resisted the urge to move away, she was uncomfortable with the way this man had invaded her personal boundaries and she was still very unsettled from her nightmare. She resolved to just play it off with nonchalance. He was obviously trying to provoke a reaction of embarrassment from her, and she would not give him the satisfaction. She shrugged at his previous statement.
"My father originally taught me to fight, I picked up a lot of skills on the road." He still looked suspicious.
"Is that so..."Then let his eyes wander for a moment over her form considering what she had then went to touch her hair, she recoiled and he paused.
"I suggest you keep your hands to yourself...unless you want to loose those fingers." He smirked rather pleased with himself. She then glared at him.
"Was there anything else you wanted?" He chuckled.
"Oh...there are many things I want right now..." He raked his eyes over her body.
"But I am here at the whims of my master. He is interested in your services. Meet him at this address a week from tomorrow at around mid day" He placed a piece of parchment on the edge of the tub then stood up
"...He had me follow you to ascertain whether you would be useful to him. You pass." She snorted
"I'm honored" She said sarcastically.
"Now if you are quite done gawking...Get out." He bowed to her.
"I apologize for the intrusion" And he left.
"Patronizing bastard" she muttered to herself. She sagged into her bath and let out a heavy sigh. Worst night she's had in a while she thought to herself and finished her bath. She dressed and went out for a walk seeing as sleep was no longer an option... She let her thoughts wander and on a side note she wondered about what the deal was with all these men practically humping the air soon as they see a woman...She never had this kind of reception in Fereldan...must be something in the water...
Zevran
When he spoke too Varro and Castelle about their contract. They were all smiles, telling him about the job. After Varro finished his story, Zevran just smirked and said.
"OK, so what actually happened?" He was no fool. They could not have done this contract alone. Castelle looked a little sheepish and let Varro tell him the story.
" When we took on the contract, we decided to follow up on a rumor about the fearsome Alexis Amelle, The Antivan Shadow. We got in contact with someone who claimed too know her. It took quite a while, because she was apparently on another job. When we finally met her, well, most of the rumors were true. She was agile, sexy and wicked." Zevran tutted.
"Come now Varro, you know better than to let a pretty face go to your head." Varro just chuckled.
"Oh, but she was so much more. She was dangerous and fierce. When I gave her our plan she all but threw it back in my face. Heh, gave us a scathing glare and took over the planning process. She said
"I will not allow myself be captured or killed, just because you two took on more than you were ready too handle." When she set up the plan we met her again after about a week. We then executed the plan with little problem. She set the guard dogs on her while we scaled the walls to get to our entrance points on the second story balconies. We shadowed her inside while she lead the way. She was disguised as an elven servant, and we met at the master bedroom. She let us slip into the room while she distracted Lucio, it turns out Lucio had a physical relationship with the owner of her disguise. She kept him busy while Castelle moved in to deliver the killing blow." Castelle was getting exited, when Varro recalled their daring escape. He elaborated on the giant guard she had felled with amazing grace.
Zevran had a lopsided grin on his face, enjoying the story. Pleased that he was rid of the bothersome Merchant.
"That's more like it. You fulfilled the contract, so the spoils are yours. However, a good assassin, knows his boundaries and his abilities. When you over reach your limits, you will get yourself killed." Castelle nodded and grinned.
"Yesand I do believe our Antivan Shadow, would be very helpful in the future. She said she would happily accept business from the crows. We must have redeemed ourselves on that mission"Zevran nodded.
"I will consider it" The more allies he had the easier it would be too seize leadership. He made his way back too his study, thinking of his next move. Getting rid of Nuncio secured him enough support to openly go after the last of the Crows who opposed him. He needed too plan how to get to their leaders.
Alexis
Being disarmed, and thoroughly searched was not what she was used to. But apparently meeting an unknown guild master warranted nothing less. When she was let into the room she saw a middle aged looking human man, blond, in gilded Crow armor waiting for her.
"I apologize for the body search, but one can never be to careful." She shrugged. "Let me introduce myself. My name is Giorgio. I am a guild master for the Crows, in desperate need of your specific set of skills." She sat on the chair and leaned back comfortably.
"Do tell." Giorgio went and sat opposite her.
"I believe the information I have received, details that you are skilled in stealth and lock picking?" She nodded.
"Yes I am, but so are most of the Crows, the one you sent to follow me is particularly good at stealth." Giorgio smiled at her.
"Yes indeed he is, a lot of the experienced Crows currently in Antiva city are experts at lock picking. The locks I need you for are very special though. I believe they are dwarven puzzle locks. I have not come across any Crow with this skill. I was hoping you could help. The target is also meeting in a large safe house, two days from now. We have reason to believe he is selling Crow secrets." She listened to Giorgio's explanation, considering his words.
"So what exactly do you want me to do?" Giorgio went to his desk and removed a leaf of parchment from a drawer. He handed it to her, it had the layout of the building and all the entry points detailed on it.
"Your job is simple, I need you to unlock the entrance and provide ranged support once you are inside. Nothing more." She looked over the layout.
"I am curious, how did you know I was able too unlock dwarven made locks?" Giorgio glanced at her.
"I was merely exploring all my options, it is not such a readily available skill. I was given Azzo's opinion. He observed you unlock several difficult locks when he was following you, he deduced that it was highly likely you would posses such a skill. So I thought I would try my luck." She regarded him for a moment. Then turned back to the issue at hand.
"No windows I assume" Giorgio shook his head.
"No only the main entrance and the side entrance. She nodded in understanding.
"Very well I will take the assignment. I will unlock the side entrance and wait for you inside. She made a point not to question a client, well...usually. Giorgio didn't divulge any information about the force they would be facing, or who the target was. She assumed it was because she was just there to provide the way in. Though the fact he was hiring outside help for an internal Crow affair, told her things were a lot more grim within the Crow hierarchy than she originally suspected...Good, let them kill each other. It will make her job later on so much easier.