AN: RL. It did the thing.

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The Fade was always unique when Solas explored it. No matter how many times he had wandered it's fathomless depths, it was always shifting. The slightest change in his experiences and that of those who had passed by an area could entirely reform the landscape and it was up to his will if he permitted it to do so or kept it strongly held to his own desires. Yet, every time he interacted with Twiceblooded the spirit seemed almost to both meld into the Fade as any other spirit, and dominate it at the same time. As if the very presence of the hound let the Fade grow stronger in it's own right. Yet another anomaly to the strange creature.

Meeting Flemeth whom had the scraps of his dearest friend was a bittersweet reunion that both soothed and tore open new wounds. They had plotted and planned long into the weeks, time but a footnote to the two ancient beings and it was only so much later now that Solas realized he had not seen light or sound from his most curious new friendship. So, he sought them out.

It was frustrating for Solas to realize the spirit must be 'awake' in it's mortal form for he could not seem to properly find it. Were it only on the 'living' side of the Veil it would not be so troublesome. Indeed, it would hardly be the first interaction with a spirit that had found themselves over there and confused if not corrupted. Yet in the very way that Twiceblooded dwelled in a mortal body, riding it as it were to speak, and Solas did wonder how it had found a mortal even if it was just a hound willing to give it such control at the expense of it's own, it left him unable to call to it. Very much as if it were truly mortal and awake.

Yet there was nothing for the ancient mage to do, but wait.

Being thwarted was a rare act for Solas in many of his thousands of years, and by such a young spirit accidentally? It...rather stung his pride.

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In a dingy tavern that had seen better days, which honestly was much of Denerim outside of the market and noble district, sat two of the group most commonly trailing after the remaining Wardens of Fereldan. Despite the catching appearance of the two no one was even glancing their direction anymore. Once a couple had been there for a few hours and neither overindulging in display's of affection or arguing the bystanders seemed to forget them. Waitresses and hopefuls had already approached the handsome blonde but with a charming smile and a wink, perhaps a lewd appraising glance, he had dismissed them all. Of course, considering the young cast to the features of his partner it was easy enough to understand he was playing the babysitter for a new explorer into the world of over consumption in liquor. No one thought anything of how he had upon arrival charmed and threatened in turn (and indeed, mixed the two) to empty the corner table which had been adjusted so that the two both could sit beside each other and if need be, lean upon the wall as it was benches and not chairs in that location. Flanks and backs so guarded, and the other tables adjusted just slightly so it seemed awkward to sit there, they had a section of the Pearl all to themselves.

Considering everything, it was a very good thing. Saeris could not recall how long they had been there but she felt sick. Too much red wine, flowing abundantly thanks to Zevran. His constant encouragement for her to have just a little more, just one more glass in the charming manner he breathed naturally had done the woman in. Her head was swimming to the point that opening her eyes or even holding her head up straight felt impossible. Her stomach was roiling and honestly she could not imagine keeping the contents in for much longer. What had brought this on? She fought to remember while her thoughts seemed to spin in circles ever growing more dizzying. It made her stomach weaker and worse at holding its contents in. Even if to be honest the lax sensation of her muscles was rather pleasant as was knowing she was safe being like this because Zevran wouldn't let anyone take advantage of her and his own tells were overbearingly obvious.

"Well, that answers that, my dear. Easy now.." Zevran chuckled even as he helped steady the apparently close to panicking mage who had stuck by him. It was interesting the phases of a newly overly drunken mage. She'd gone from nervously sipping, to relaxed and joking. Now after he'd witnessed her staring at a loss as her hand hovered somewhere between raising the glass and not he could tell she'd hit the point where her body wasn't doing as she expected and it alarmed her. On the positive side, she no longer was shaking and pale from what she'd helped him accomplish. While inebriated mages were generally not precisely safe should they start casting spells, the crow felt certain he could head off the worst of her problems by just getting water and a little food into her and if she hadn't hit him with friendly fire during their skirmishes with all the enemies to date he was likely safe from any retaliatory blows now. Admittedly, she had managed to partake of a lot more than he had expected for her size and relative inexperience with imbibing for the purpose of dulling memories.

"Don't feel well." Came the almost tremulous sound as she leaned into him and Zevran chuckled, fondly at the sight of the same woman who could call down all manner of storms upon their enemies, felled by an aged grape juice.

"Ah you see that's because you listened to me the first time. Now, drink this, slowly, little sips..that's a precious girl. " Zevran fought to keep his smile from blossoming into the laughter he honestly wished to let loose but again, touchy mages without their usual inhibitions. Not good for staying on the living and less than crispy side of things. It was quite pleasant though that they had been without either of the other two mages whom would certainly not have approved. Zevran felt that if you could get someone either into bed or drunk you could get a far better sense of where you stood with them. Such an attitude had kept him alive and his targets dead more times than he could count. Though, he hadn't expected such a..cuddly..nature from his companion even as she shifted so her cheek was once more upon his shoulder after drinking half the water cup. Perhaps because she was so against touch in her canine form?

"You are a wretched influence."

"Indeed, I am my dear girl. Didn't the cranky ones warn you of as much?" The same ones likely asleep in the inn. No matter, those locks he could pick easily. A door was a door, chests? Oddly tricky little things.

"They'd have left you." Saeris grumbled, glad that Zevran's shoulder made a fine pillow. Slightly shorter than her he may be but with her inability to sit up completely straight it worked out just fine. The smell of leather and sweat and whatever was in that woodsy smelling oil he liked to use on his hair was swift becoming familiar after the time they'd spent together in Denerim without the other two going along on the same 'adventures'.

"I did not blame them."

"You don't leave pack." The final word was almost snarled fervently and Zevran found his smile falling in light of the passionate declaration.

"Your bitch is showing." He tried to keep it lighthearted but after all the events of the day and evening, her sudden change in demeanor and her words were making his pulse race. He did like his women dangerous, and while he had no intentions of taking advantage of his drunken companion it didn't stop familiar reactions.

"So? Still true."

"Ah.." Zevran swallowed his own wine but fell silent, not wishing to press for further clarification. Really since they arrived in Denerim weeks ago they had been finishing all manner of silly tasks. From Wynne passing off letters between amorous nobles she had collected to looking for missing persons and items. The usual foolish actions that they were so accustomed to. They had even done a search on the man that Surana had asked them to look into, something about Redcliffe when Zevran and Leliana had been helping Saeris track down the phylactory to handle instead of all the insanity that went on there. A chantry Brother of some sort that was now missing and a pair of corpses in his home they'd dealt with. They would not leave Denerim of course until the party off to kill Morrigan's mother returned.

After a while such actions however were but trickles to the coin pouch and while Zevran earned a fair amount back gambling and cheating at cards in taverns such as they were in now -the pearl did owe him a few favors and he heard rumor that Isabella may be in town once more soon- Morrigan and Wynne had gone along with Zevran to meet with one of the crow's about some less than legal jobs. Saeris had been there at his side where she had placed herself since they set out for Denerim since it was safest considering her lack of a staff; and whilst Wynne refused for them immediately and then they left to separate again for odd jobs, Zevran had turned back.

What he had been surprised at was Saeris going with him.

"You aren't going alone." The mage insisted as she moved into step with him. Zevran started to bluster his way, perhaps only halfheartedly though as he had not done more than his signature laugh before the former crow changed his mind. No, he would not treat the storm mage as if she was a fool. He did count on her sleeping in canine form to prevent the two women who took the other two beds in the room they shared at the inn from turning him into a toad after all.

"I will be killing."

"I know."

"They may be innocent." There was no reason to sugar coat things, not to the woman following at his side now. Though he did not miss the way she paled and shuddered, the clench of her jaw was in determination.

"You aren't going alone." She reiterated and Zevran found his feet suddenly stuck to the ground, his jaw on it's way there. Such moments from his companions since they spared his life were much more common than not but they always startled him.

"My friend, truly, I have done much worse in the past. I can handle these tasks. If they are offered to those with no training certainly I am more than capable."

"It's not that." Saeris insisted before she breathed out hard, her face makeup off and the braids traded for a serviceable bun to help her blend. Oddly it had the effect of making her seem less herself to those that knew her well. Zevran idly noted he should suggest she get a partial tattoo of it such as he had, perhaps the one that trailed over her jaw? With a half growl she scrubbed her hand over her face, frustrated. "You're my friend. Even if you do something I don't agree with I am not just going to leave you to possibly walk into a trap. They saw you, they may take this chance."

Honestly Zevran was quite touched. Not that he would show it, he wasn't even certain how because flirtation was always ignored or deflected casually by Saeris for all she wasn't offended by it. "It is not the way for crows. One has my contract, the others wouldn't bother."

"Zevran are you telling me no one would try to steal that bragging right?" And it was drawled with an eyebrow up that clearly told of times that students in Kinloch hold must have stolen credit from each other. No doubt it had been a game of sorts and who knew what stories he could pull out of Surana with that train of thought. Confronted with that logic the assassin held up his hands and smiled, his heart fluttering that he did indeed have friends who could see through his actions and would not let him go alone. No doubt were Surana there he would have been insisting on going, perhaps the whole group of them. How curious life turned out.

"Promise me then, my dear, that if it becomes too much you shall tell me." He would not make her suffer,tarnish her morals any further than she was willing to do on her own merit, and yet he also knew she would at most step out of a room while he handled things. It was..novel this having people to rely on who wouldn't stab him in the back and he wasn't sleeping with.

"Okay Zevran. I promise."

She had done well. Three times without a word Saeris had not entered with him when he went to kill off those he could not promise were not innocents. At each she had guarded the exit for him and then healed him of any injuries if he had them. Usually caused by positioning himself in such a way he got a scrape here or there on a beam or nail that protruded when sneaking about or getting the best angle to discreetly end a life before he was detected. Nothing even worth a poultice and yet Saeris would risk detection to trail her glowing fingers over his skin in a dirty back alley every time, prevent a bruise from even considering to form. Zevran didn't say anything but his thanks, understanding it was her way of apologizing for not going in with him.

Corpses were helped hauled to the drop site without a word about the various fluids and smells, she didn't balk at helping him fight off brigands and bandits or even the few thefts they did. In those it was almost laughably easy as give a Fereldan a large fluffy dog to fuss over and they did not notice the blonde elf walking in and then back out with a loaded sack.

But the last one, his target had been foul and ready to fight back. Saeris had fantastic instincts it seemed because indeed, there was a trap laid for him by would be eager crows not yet making a name for themselves. While normally he did not worry for his mage companion as she could easily summon storms even indoors and prevent the building's collapse without a staff, there had been no room to maneuver for that this time. Still without a staff, it was harder for her to control her magics outside of healing or storms and the lot had been armored heavily enough her jaws as a canine would do no good. Nor did he wish her to go after them with just the knife he'd given her!

To be honest Zevran had no idea what she had done to their attackers but they had almost turned on each other in their frenzy and made it where any sense of logic and skill vanished to a massive bloodlust and recklessness. They'd handled the mess, and Saeris managed to burn the corpses carefully in flashes of blue fire that burned swift and hot leaving only ashes behind but it had also drained her reserves very low.

And when all was said and done it had been very messy. Her complexion a little green from the rampant violence that she'd witnessed them capable of was not so unlike that of the darkspawn but it was eerie seeing humans doing such things. Zevran could not remember a time when he wasn't aware of and indeed capable of the worst acts various people could commit but that didn't mean he wanted his companions to change.

The extremely long few days had a violent completion and realizing that it had all started to take a toll on his companion, Zevran had cajoled his young friend into going for a drink with him. And now he had a more drunk than not mage using his shoulder as a resting location as she spoke in a way that reminded him of her earlier declaration that he was her friend and it made him wonder, just how did she mean it? Outside of bedsport he did not have much experience with kinder emotions, indeed all crows slept with their friends but not a member of their ragtag group had taken him up on it. Mayhaps she was reconsidering? Oddly the thought made him furrow his brow as it was not...enticing. Peculiar.

"You are quiet."

"Ah, that my dear is because you baffle me."

"I'm simple."

At that Zevran laughed and ignored her grumbling. "My dear girl you-"

"Use my name."

"Oh? Not fond of endearments?"

"You use them distantly. We're all 'dear girl' this or 'dear boy' that." And she looked up at him with a pout that was more adorable on her than anything, hair falling out of it's bun and into her face only adding to her childlike demeanor at the moment. "You're Zevran, my friend, a mentor of sorts and a very bad influence. Not 'my dear boy'."

"Man. Trust me if you need a demonstration.."

"Then stop calling me girl. I'm fully grown."

"Young yet by comparison, Saeris." Zevran teased her, as if it was the first time he'd had someone almost twenty, or perhaps for all the mages were not certain of their ages she was? Insist they were 'grown'. Surana indeed could be very persistent about it, ah teasing his Warden's was such a pleasure, he missed them.

"Pfft. And I have more facial hair than you when in my other shape."

Again, Zevran found himself laughing. She did have a good point.

"Yes, very well. I shall think of something to call you then. Perhaps, 'my hound?'"

Saeris gave a crooked grin. "Think you're more a rook than a crow. Smarter, tougher."

"I'll take that as a compliment."

"You should, feathers."

"Feathers?"

"You give me a bad nickname, I give you one."

"Well you are a hound. And insisting I was pack."

Saeris finally stopped using him as a cushion and leaned against the wall proper as she waved her hand side to side before sipping her water again. The plate of cheese and bread he'd signaled to be brought over was then tugged from his place as she started to finally work at putting something in her stomach besides wine. "It means something."

"Hm, I would ask for an explanation but I do believe the wine has made it impossible, no?"

"Could burn it off."

"Burn?"

"Heal. Make it.." Saeris shrugged not knowing how to explain that with her magic she could speed up the rate her system broke it down. She'd of course gotten piss faced drunk before, by herself knowing how to access the kitchens. Just so she'd know what it felt like and see if she could remove the effects. Theoretically alcohol was a poison to the body and so the process of healing it and cleaning up the bloodstream was the same. It did create an interesting side effect though of saturating the air with the molecules she removed from her system and the small amounts of wine they were given at meals, though watered down, could still get everyone around her drunk when she experimented in using it. Not all avenues creative types explored had a purpose, but mages stuck in a tower could come up with some interesting creations nonetheless.

"After all the work I put in to helping you forget?" Zevran teased though he did make a mental note to ask about that at a later date. A handy trick, that.

"So you'd believe me."

"Try me. Well you can sample me of course but a room would be best for that."

Another laugh as Zevran dodged her clumsy swat in his direction before Saeris finished her meal.

"Pack is something like family and something like very dear friends. I guess..there's two types of pack. Maybe three.." Her forehead wrinkled as she tried to explain it. "Blood related sort of family. Those who are like that but you are not related, but feel like it. More than friendship, then you have friends that you fight beside and trust to take a blade for and would do the same for you. All of those are pack."

"And you would take a blade for me." Zevran summed up, touched by the notion for all he was aware of and indeed reciprocated the idea. "Though it is not necessarily a good idea. After all, I am certainly better at dodging than even you in your furred form my dear hound."

"..You could be family." came the voice, soft and almost nervous that made Saeris not sound like her usual self.

Zevran felt the air leave his lungs at her emotional confession, he hadn't been expecting that.

No one had ever wanted him for anything outside of his skills be it in the bedroom or dealing death. Oh, certainly, he was a fine thief, a better fighter. A fantastic assassin who was quite happy in his profession. Zevran was also always the lover, the whores son, the crow bought young and pretty to train up right. Perhaps to the little shapeshifter he was also something of a mentor teaching her to fight -and it had kept her alive in the last ambush together!- but the gentleness she said that confession in made him panic. Because it implied she wanted more and perhaps that was why she turned aside his flirtations. It would not be the first woman or man who thought that instead of lovers there was something of long sunsets and rings and forever..

"Ah, whilst I am very flattered I don't see myself as that sort." He could be gentle in his rejection but the utterly pained whine that came from Saeris made him stop. It was so peculiar how she would do that.

"..Sorry. I just..Leliana is like a sister but.."

Ah so she was looking for romance with one she was familiar with and apparently his fellow rogue was off the table. Second choice, not unusual but never pleasant. "I'm not one for serious relationships, beautiful as you are..."

"Wait..what?" Wide confused eyes and a tilt of her head betrayed her bafflement.

"Is that not what you meant? I am flattered and you're a wonderful woman, very powerful and skilled but.."

Saeris slapped her hand over his mouth and huffed, though her eyes still seemed a bit too dazed she was more coherent than he had thought.

"Brother."

Zevran forgot how to breathe and then any capability of speech vanished from his mind. A mind that seemed capable only of repeating that word endlessly. Instead when her fingers left his lips he could only mouth the word at her and she nodded.

"Family. Pack."

No one had ever wanted him as family. Even his own mother died upon his birth. There was never the chance to have a family that didn't somehow involve his other skills and he would always doubt in some way if it wasn't from the allure of being the Crow, the whore son so naturally skilled. Perhaps a lover who would wish to claim him exclusively if he lived to retirement but it would always be for what he was, could do. Not just for him. But, a brother? Him? There wasn't anything about him he thought of as 'brother' material. Admittedly most of what he knew of that was from when he was caught in various beds -on purpose of course- but..

Saeris smiled as she watched Zevran seem both entirely awed and scared at the same time as he thought over what she'd revealed. It was true though, they spent time together, bickered, supported each other as Leliana did with her too, perhaps even Morrigan. More, much more, she could not tell Zevran but ever since his words 'my mother was Dalish' it had been in her head. Oh sure, her hair was copper and fire but there had been more blonde in it once, their eyes were not so unlike each other, and Saeris could mentally admit to herself that they could be like half siblings. Honestly if she ever managed to track her mother down and introduced Zevran the odds of his being all but adopted were quite high. It was a common point they had and she latched onto it, her instincts insistent. He was of her people and yet separate from it as she was. Pack.

"I..do not think I would, you shouldn't want me as a brother my hound. I'm not, I wouldn't.."

"You're perfect just as you are. You've already been a fine one."

Zevran swallowed the rest of his wine in one shot and looked at her, fear and elation warring in his gaze so Saeris took pity, guessing it was just the word which was sending him reeling. "pack."

"Pack.. I can. Yes. Pack. What does that translate to then, packmate?"

"Yes."

A soft cough and a wry smile was sent her way then. "You know now I am experiencing werewolf flashbacks."

"It did change me."

"We wondered." Zevran stated but did not pry, and Saeris smiled at him. As she resumed eating, Zevran poured himself another glass of wine, noticing she had clearly 'burned off' her alcohol he refilled her glass as well. If he spent the rest of the night just staring at nothing looking dazed, and mouthing 'brother', it only made Saeris smile.