Chapter 11: Change of Heart
9:30 Dragon Age: The mountain paths, leading back towards Redcliffe
The cold mountain winds seemed to chase the wardens and their allies as they finally left the village of Haven. Of the surviving cultists, they heard no more, which was not surprising considering that both their leader and their god lay dead before the temple of the Gauntlet, Kolgrim had died enraged, but even with all his combat skills Kalli and her allies proved to be better. Brother Genitivi had remained inside the temple while Kalli and the others had made the way out safe.
It was she that decided to end the High Dragon's life, with so few cultists left to tend to the beasts, needs, she had no desire to see it turn its fury on the temple, and the ashes had been lost for over millennia…
She had no desire to see them lost again; they had gone through too much to find the damn things.
The dragon, who the cultists believed to be Andraste reborn, fell beneath their blades. Oghren and Shale had enjoyed the fight. The dwarf sought glory, while Shale was simply eager to rid the world of anything that flew. Kalli was pleased with the way the group performed, one day they would no doubt have to face the Archdemon.
Killing the cultists' god was good practice for them.
The High Dragon's body now was just food for the crows and any other brave carrion eater. Zevran and Leliana had helped themselves to some of the blood, poison making she supposed, which made her decide to join them a few minutes later. While Oghren removed a large amount of scales from the beast's massive hide. Dragon scale was an extreme tough substance and would fetch a fine price from any merchant. Leliana had apparently met a blacksmith during her visit to Denerim, Wade had been his name.
The man had been complaining about lack of good materials.
He would likely pay well for their prize.
As for the group they were all sore and bloody. Wynne and Morrigan did what they could to repair their wounds. Between the reavers and the dragon, this stop to make camp was more than necessary.
Everyone needed some time to rest.
Kalli volunteered to take the first watch; she sat on a high boulder with only Koran for company. She wrapped her cloak tighter around herself, and pulled hard on the heavy fur cloak that they had taken from the now abandoned store in Haven. Yet even buried under her own cloak and the warm fur, she still felt chilled.
The Mabari rested his large head in her lap; he looked up at her with those huge sappy brown eyes, snuggling even closer to her, offering her his warmth and support.
She smiled at her large friend, she did not think of him as a pet, no, a Mabari warhound was no one's pet. He fought at her side like any other of her allies, and she was grateful for his strong presence.
She patted his head and leaned back, pulling the small pouch from her belt.
Such a small thing, insignificant really, a pouch of ashes, such a thing could be found anywhere else in Thedas, but this pouch was special.
The ashes of Andraste were said to be able to cure any ailment, with luck, it would cure Arl Eamon, and allow the wardens to at least try to bring the Ferelden nobility back on their side.
She shivered again, not from the cold, but from the memories that even now reached out to her from the gauntlet; the pain that she had endured to acquire this cure was not inconsequential to say the least.
She thought of her mad doppelganger, still clad in her bloody wedding dress, and then she thought of the spirit version of Shianni, it still haunting her.
It wasn't your fault.
You need to let go, cousin.
You were swept up in things, as we all were.
Make us proud out there.
She thought of Shianni, Nola, and Nelaros, especially Nelaros.
Would he still hate her, knowing what had happened that he had died saving the life of a worthless thief?
You are not worthless.
The Voice in her head sounded a bit like her Mother.
A worthless thief could not have found the Ashes of Andraste. A worthless thief could not have saved the circle from Uldred, and a worthless thief could not have crowned the new king of Orzammar.
Do not confuse your beginnings with your current worth. You are not just some thief from the Alienage anymore…you have become something else…
Something more.
What that was Kalli could not say.
Shianni had not blamed her for what had happened. Kalli had not asked for Vaughan to come to her wedding and kidnap them. She…she had not forced him to take her cousin against her will.
And Nelaros…well…had he not joined with Soris, had the two of them not brought her Duncan's sword, she likely would not have made it out of the Arl of Denerim's estate alive.
Their bodies would have turned up along the docks somewhere, just a few elven girls who had come to a bad end.
Nelaros had sacrificed his life…for her. He had given her the chance to save Shianni, and so much more.
She had been there to take responsibility for Vaughan's death, likely saving the Alienage from a purge, and in turn Duncan had saved her from the noose that more than a few elves likely felt she richly deserved.
His sacrifice inspired you that little voice in her head said, he made you grow out of simply being Kalli the thief and helped you become Kalli of the Grey Wardens.
…And that…is a good thing.
She found herself looking over at Alistair, her fellow warden was sitting by the fire speaking softly with Leliana, or perhaps simply listening to another of her stories.
Kalli smiled slightly.
Part of her wished that Alistair would work up the courage to speak with Leliana. She got the impression that he had a bit of a crush on her. The way he looked at her, it was not the look one gave a simple friend.
Like you would know, her wounded pride said coldly.
The warden sighed. It was true she was far from an expert on matters of the heart. Maker, after her wedding had ended it would be a small miracle of she ever let anyone get close to her again, not that anyone would want to.
What about Zev, my little Kalli, her mother's voice seemed to say, are you saying that you would not let him close if he asked?
Kalli's ears twitched.
Zevran? Why in Andraste's name would she want to get closer with Zevran?
She found herself watching him; the fire light glinting off his tanned skin, watched it turn his blond hair orange and his eyes to molten gold.
She found herself worrying her lower lip with her teeth.
Zevran was handsome, she did not deny that. He was fierce in combat, and had often made her smile in spite of herself.
He also tried to kill you, her pride reminded her, don't forget that little part. What is to stop him from trying again?
Her ears twitched with annoyance.
Me…she thought.
She regarded him thoughtfully; Zevran had had ample opportunities to take her life. One slip during combat and her life would have ended, and no one would have been the wiser.
He could have fulfilled his contract, returned to the crows in victory, but after what she had seen in the fade, and heard when he was speaking to the guardian…
She did not think that a fear she needed to worry about any longer.
Zevran had saved her life several times; he risked himself killing the broodmother. He had tended to her wounds in the deep roads, and had helped her hold onto her courage during the trials of the Gauntlet.
It was as if she was starting to see a new side to the assassin. He still enjoyed tormenting the group with his lude comments and innuendo, but she was starting to recognize the way he was acting for what it was.
If she was not mistaken, she was starting to see it for the mask that it was.
The only question was now, what was he hiding underneath…
And why did she want to know so badly.
She looked down at Koran.
"What do you think boy," she asked, "Should we let Zevran in. Do we finally start trusting him?
Koran sat up and snorted loudly. The look in his eyes seemed to say 'You're kidding right?"
Clearly he… did not agree with that idea.
She chuckled and gently placed a piece of salted pork in her friend's mouth he chewed contently and lay back down.
Kalli's eyes once again drifted to Zev.
She found herself thinking about his nightmare, the one she had saved him from, and…the feeling of his arms around her, his breath so warm on her face, his lips drawing closer to hers…
She shuddered.
Her body did not feel so cold anymore.
IOI
Zevran chuckled as he slipped away from the fire, he enjoyed watching Leliana try to flirt with the clueless Alistair, and how the former Templar did not recognize that she was interested was beyond him.
Zevran had always prided himself on knowing when he had caught a woman's eye.
His ears twitched as he looked over at Kalli standing watch on her boulder.
He smiled to himself.
He ambled over to her. She of course pretended not to notice, and he pretended that he didn't know that she was pretending.
He saw her shiver and wrap the furs tighter around herself, the warhound whimpered and snuggled closer.
Zev quirked his lip with amusement, he never thought he would be envious of a dog.
"Do you need something Zev?" she asked him.
Merely seeing if you might wish to find a better way to keep warm my dear," he said suggestively.
The warden rolled her eyes, but could not quite keep a hint of an amused smile from her lips. He watched as she worried her lower lip with her teeth.
Koran sat up and growled as he drew too close. He immediately backed off.
Kalli smiled and patted his head.
Zevran gave her a slightly miffed looked.
"I don't think your dog likes me," he said.
"He does not like many people," she responded, "Unless they are willing to share food scraps of course."
The Mabari woofed softly.
Zevran leaned against the boulder nearest the warden and her dog. Since she had not asked him to leave, he suspected that she might want a little company beside her large furry friend.
Her gray eyes met his, her elven ears twitched nervously.
"I never said thank you for helping me in the gauntlet."
"It was no problem my dear Kalli," he said, "Merely fulfilling my oath to you."
"Never the less, I owed you a thank you," she replied, "If you had not of stepped up I might have fled the gauntlet without having completed it."
Zevran smirked at her.
"Ah but if you would have done that, I would have missed you stripping down to your smalls and walking through fire. That was not something I would have missed for the world."
Kalli's cheeks darkened and she once again pulled her hood down over her face. He had not meant to embarrass her, merely to comment on what a beautiful girl she truly was.
It was a shame that she hid all the time under that hood and cloak.
She chuckled nervously.
"It could have been worse I suppose, at least I did not have to go totally…well…you know.
He smiled, his body stirring at the mere thought of it.
Still he knew that acting like a drooling lecher would not work on her.
He turned up the charm.
"If it makes you feel any better warden, I diverted my gaze for most of the event, at least…when I was sure that you had made it safely through those flames."
The warden chuckled.
"I doubt that Zev," she said with a shy smile, "But I appreciate the attempt to make me feel better."
He nodded respectfully.
She tapped lightly on stone, her brow furrowing with thought.
"Zevran?"
"Yes?"
Do…do you like being an assassin?"
The question took him by surprise. He tried to give her more than a flip answer, that would likely only make her angry, and he did not want to do that.
She was letting him in, if he wished to complete this conquest he had to be willing to go where she led.
He sighed.
"There are many good reasons to like being a crow in Antiva," he responded, "You are…respected, fear, the authorities overlook your trespasses, and the rewards are nothing to turn your nose up at."
"So the crows did try to keep you happy?"
"Within reason," he shrugged, "Being a crow in Antiva has many advantages, it gets you wealth, it gets you women…or men…or whatever else you happened to fancy."
His ears lowered slightly.
"What I did not like was being treated like an expendable commodity, staying within the boundaries of the order, and the rules…oh so many rules."
His smile returned quickly.
"But as for being an assassin, I like that just fine. Seriously can you see me doing anything else?"
She shifted slightly, crossing her legs, a warm look on her face.
He almost chuckled.
That is it my dear, he thought, think about what you would like to have me do.
"You…um… you could do whatever you wanted I suppose," she said.
"Perhaps," he shrugged, "Me…I prefer to stick with what I am good at. I…"
"TIS NOT YOUR GOD THAT FOUND THE ASHES LITTLE MAN!"
Morrigan's angry voice made the two elves jump. She stood glaring down at Brother Genitivi, who they had agreed to escort back to Redcliffe.
"Twas the will of the Grey Wardens, and their desire to end this Blight, remember that."
Zevran almost cursed.
The intimate spell of words he had been weaving around Kalli had been broken. The warden leapt from the boulder, a stern look on her face.
He shook his head. Morrigan's interruption had not been appreciated.
Kalli snorted angrily, as she made her way over to the fire, hoping to stop the witch before she did something to the brother.
"Excuse me," she grumbled.
Zevran took up his position on watch.
If Kalli asked he could at least say he did that for her.
Another opportunity wasted.
Alistair had slipped away from Leliana and had come to the Brother's rescue that at least gave her a chance to pause. She stopped not really looking at him, but not losing sight of him either.
"What did you fancy Zevran?" she asked.
He tilted his head curiously.
"Pardon?"
He could just see a hint of moonlight glinting off her elven eyes; they were a shade darker than he was used to.
"You said that the crows provided you with things you fancied, what were they?"
He smiled slightly.
Perhaps, their conversation had not been wasted after all.
"I fancied many things," he said, "Things that were both strong… and beautiful."
She paused, a hint of a smile on her lips.
"Interesting," she purred.
She headed over to help Alistair, hoping to stop Morrigan from turning Brother Genitivi into a toad.
Koran sat down near where Zevran was perched.
The Mabari growled at him…
…The dog's intentions quite clear.
"Stay away from my mistress!"
Zevran grinned at the dog.
"Only if she wishes me to my fuzzy friend," he said.
The dog snorted, and headed off.
Zevran said nothing more, content to watch Kalli work her will on their companions.
Interesting, she had said.
It seemed that he had won this round, even with the witch's interruption…
He had taken a step towards his goal.
It was a small victory, but a victory none the less.
He would take it.