Denerim

Arl of Denerim's Estate

"Are you really sure you need me here?" Leliana cast her eyes down "I could talk to Marjorlaine. I know her-"

"Exactly." Elissa interrupted "She'll manipulate you and betray you again. Better to leave the interrogation to us. Besides, right now, it's better that you're away from Loghain-"

Elissas' body collided into another, who staggered, but recovered.

"I'm sorry!"

A woman. Elvish. Red hair was pulled back into a ponytail. Her eyes were a very alluring green, yet at this moment, they were filled with anger. She was dressed in combat leathers, but no weapon.

Another elf was with her as well. A bit taller, and lanky. Unarmed as well, wearing dirtied clothing.

Elissa felt a better apology was necessary "My pardons. We're here on behalf of the Queen. Time is short."

Soris raised an eyebrow "The Queen? She heard about what happened in the Alienage?"

Alistair frowned "Wait, what?"

"What has happened in the Alienage?" Elissa felt immediately uneasy. Was this another plot of Eamons?

Soris and the woman exchanged glances, then she spoke "We don't know you, shem, and we can't-"

"Wait, Kallian!" Soris pleaded "Maybe they can help. Maybe-"

"HELP!?" she roared "I think the fucking shems have helped quite enough, Soris! Look what happened today!"

"Please!" Leliana soothed "None of us here know what is happening in the Alienage! But if there is a way we can help, surely we will."

The woman hissed, squeezing her fist into a ball, but relented "Look, a bunch of your friends just crashed my cousins wedding party. Not only did they take her and a bunch of women to the Arls estate right there," she pointed "but another group of shems started knocking down doors and dragging my friends out into the street!"

Kallian considered herself extremely lucky. She was out pickpocketing in the Market when all of this was happening. She wasn't getting married, but a little extra coin for her cousin would help her in her new life.

Elissa shook her head "This doesn't sound related to the Kings assassination at all."

Soris' eyes went wide "T-the King is dead?!"

Even the elven woman was taken aback.

"Yeah. We're here to get Arl Uriens help to find the bastards, and to keep things in the city ok." Alistair took a step forward "But are you saying he just walked into your home, and started picking fights?"

"It was his son." Kallian sullenly replied "Look, we don't have time to explain. My friends are in there, and...I guess we could use your help."

Elissa looked to the door "It seems our paths align."

It took a while to reach it, but as soon as she was within distance, a guard stepped forward

"Hold. The Arl isn't taking any visitors."

Elissa drew herself up to her full height "By order of my father Teyrn Bryce Cousland, Teyrn Loghain, and her Majesty the Queen, I demand you grant me entrance! The King has been assassinated, and we require the Arls' aid at once!"

The two guards looked at eachother "Y-y-you think she's tellin the truth?"

"That's definitely the Teyrns daughter! I saw her in the tournament!"

The first guard shook his hands nervously "Look, I know this sounds bad, but you can't go in there!"

"You DARE!?" Elissa growled "You would dare to defy me!? Our King is dead, and from what our new companions tell us from the Alienage, Lord Vaughan is in for a world of pain and suffering!"

"SHIT!" the guard drew back, looking at the elves.

"You have TWO choices." Alistair crossed his arms "You can either give our new friends your weapons and surrender, or...my Lady here can just do her whole death-murder-kill thing and just take them from you afterwards."

"I've seen her do it, gentlemen. And trust me:" Leliana knocked an arrow and drew the bowstring back "It's not pretty."

The swords and shields clattered on the ground. Two concealed knives from their boots were also taken, along with their sheathes, which the woman took.

"Thank you. Name is Kallian by the way. Now let's go get my friends."

Entering into the estate, more of the Denerim guards took notice of their unwanted presence.

"I dunno who you lot are, but you can't be allowed to leave here alive!"

Nine guardsmen surrounded the two elves, three humans, and mabari defender. Dagonet growled, inching himself closer to Elissa. Again, reasoning with them would be the best answer. Killing her would earn a death sentence for these soldiers.

Yet before she could even speak, two daggers whirled into the air, and embedded themselves into metal and flesh. The guards collapsed with a gasp, and the other seven turned their attention to another figure down the hall.

Another elf in leathers, but this one bore strange tattooes, with a pair of exotic, dangerous looking daggers.

"Shall we dance?"

It was decided. The desperate guards fought against the well trained individuals, but they were no match. Elissa scored two kills with a single swipe of her claymore. The room wasn't ideal for marksmanship, so Leliana pulled out her daggers and joined Kallian and the unknown fighter in the brawl, who killed yet another. Even Soris scored a kill.

Alistair killed the last combatant.

Elissa shook her head. "What a waste."

"Indeed. Almost unnecessary." the elf shrugged "But, death happens."

"Who are you?" Kallian furrowed her brow "You're not from here."

He smiled "Alas, I hail from Antiva. My name is Zevran. A pleasure to meet you, mi bella dama."

Kallian didn't speak a word of Antivan, but the smooth tongue and expression explained it all to her.

"I appreciate your assistance in all of this, but now it is time to return to my task."

Zevran flashed a smirk to all of them, before dashing down the hallway to find his mark.

"Wait!"

Zevran dashed into the Arls bedroom. The sound of battle behind him meant that his diversion worked. The group of strange warriors would battle the guards for him, and he would deal with his marks.

A swift boot into the door, and it shattered. Zevran entered, daggers in hand, a smirk on his face...

The smirk however, quickly faded.

"HELP ME!" Shianni screamed.

Vaughan, filled with rage, slugged her, and scrambled off the bed. Braden and Jonaley, who were holding her down, immediately stood close to their lord and drew their swords.

"Another bloody knife ear." They growled.

Vaughan angrily retorted "Shut your mouth! This one's covered in enough blood to fill the hallway."

Finding his voice again, Zevran returned to his confident tone "It comes with the job, unfortunately. And I assume that you are Vaughan, yes?"

"Lord Vaughan." the noble corrected him. "Before you do anything rash, I have a deal. If you kill me, my Father will hunt you down, and burn your Alienage to the ground. But if you take forty sovereigns and leave Denerim immediately, AND keep your mouth shut about this, we'll be even."

The tattoed elf laughed, lifting his head into the air "My dear friend, I am afraid that you are gravely mistaken. I do not hail from this cities Alienage. Oh no, I come all the way from Antiva you see."

The expressions on the mens faces changed as that sunk in.

"Yes," Zevran grinned "We have a mutual understanding, no? Good. Seeing as how my contract was for your Father as well, I do not think he will be doing much to avenge your death. So let us begin!"

All three men charged at the assassin, but Shianni looked on with amazement as the attacks were deflected or dodged with grace. And the entire time, this...Zevran? Was smiling...

"Hahaha!"

A dagger drew itself across Bradens throat, and he gasped, both hands flying to his throat as he thrashed impotently across the floor.

Jonaley tried to cut off the elves head, but Zevran ducked nimbly, sinking both daggers into his belly, and ripping them out to the sides. Shianni saw the carnage, and nearly threw up. Jonaley staggered back, looking at his exposed insides, before looking back at his opponent, who threw both daggers into his eyes. They were the last things he ever saw.

Vaughan stared at the dead bodies of his friends, then charged at the now unarmed Zevran with fury.

Zevran, unarmed, continued to smirk as he merely dodged the swipes of his opponent. Normally he did not toy with his prey, but...this was different. It shouldn't be personal, but it was.

Finally, Zevran slammed his foot onto the ground, causing one of Bradens swords to fly up into Zevrans hands. A few swift parries, and Vaughan was now unarmed, and defenseless.

A few non-fatal slashes onto the mans arms, and finally a shallow cut onto his torso, and Vaughan flew back into the wall with a scream. The blade was at his throat.

"Hmm..." Zevran mused. "Quite a predicament. You see, normally when I am certain my prey is in my grasp, I deliver a quick kill, a clean death. But," he turned to a stunned Shianni "I am willing to consider an opinion. What say you, pretty one? How shall I dispatch of him? An artist is always open to interpretation."

Shianni, who was pretty much stripped of her clothes, and had unspeakable things done to her, darted eyes between that piece of SHIT on the ground, and her mysterious, smooth rescuer. Finally, an immense rage answered, her tears welling up "Make him SUFFER! Make him know what it FEELS like! Make him PAY!"

"As you wish." Zevran nodded solemnly.

Vaughan scrambled on the floor, but Zevran had him in his grasp. A series of petals were taken from a pouch, and shoved forcefully into Vaughans mouth. He did not have to swallow them, but Zevran made certain it was done anyway.

Finally, Vaughan was released, and started coughing immediately "You'll both pay! You won't get out of her-"

The coughs came faster, and blood started to drip out of the mans eyes, ears, and nose. His body tensed, as if an invisible rope had been tugged inside to his core. The convulsions came, along with Vaughans pained screaming. The forced release of excrement only added to Vaughans humiliation. Finally, when he was nothing more than a pale, shaking body lying down in a pool of his own blood, Vaughan finally died.

Zevran, satisfied, immediately took out a silk bedcover, and walked to Shianni, wrapping it around her as she sobbed.

"It is all done, my lady. He can harm you no more."

"Who are you?" She shook her head.

Zevran shrugged "Right now? I am confused. I was wondering where the Arl of Denerim was going to be. Clearly he is not here. But, that is not a proper answer. I am Zevran. Zev to my friends. And you are?"

Shianni lowered her head "Shianni. Did you come alone?"

"Not exactly." Zevran turned around "I had some unexpected help from a few visitors. They seemed very anxious to get inside. Perhaps they came for you?"

Shianni shook her head "That'd be my cousin. I don't want her to see...to see me like this. Can you take me home?"

"Of course, my lady." Zevran whispered softly.

As Elissas' party was finally reaching the bedroom, Zevran was carrying Shianni in his arms, bed cover and all.

"Shianni!" Kallian screamed.

"Help them." Shianni shook her head "I'm...I'm fine. There's more down there. Help them, cousin."

Elissa ran inside and saw a grisly scene before her. Two men whom Elissa remembered as some of Vaughans friends. Along with...

"Andrastes' Grace!" Leliana gasped.

Elissa slowly walked toward what remained of Vaughan. A single glance at the bloodstained bed, and the image of an elven woman, wrapped in bedcovers, in the arms of a savior...

She felt a deep, primal anger stirring.

Kallian, who had also put it all together, felt her knees growing weak. The tears came next.

"What happened...Oh Maker." Alistair walked up to Elissa, and tried to put a hand on her shoulder "Elissa..."

Losing her self control, Elissa kicked the corpse before her, which immensely surprised Kallian "THATS BETTER THAN YOU DESERVE YOU PIECE OF SHIT! GOOD RIDDANCE!"