I kind of like Zevran, especially because he thinks he's irresistible, which he isn't! *giggles* I think that Alistair would have taken an immediate dislike to him, not only because he threatens his 'territory' but because he throws innuendos at the female warden from the get go. In my best Zevran imitation: "We have to remind ourselves that these are medieval times, no?"
I want to thank PurpleCandyCorn for her review! Made my day! *grins*
I don't own anything, but lucky Bioware does. :)
Chapter 12 - Alistair and Zevran
The fight hadn't been all that hard. What surprised Alyssa was that she had somehow gotten hurt. The elf was still breathing and she wanted to question him. Fortunately since everyone had a great deal of blood on themselves, she knew they couldn't tell that the blood on her was her own.
The elf was very talkative. He gave information freely while directing innuendos at her. She frowned. Alistair stood beside her clenching his fists menacingly. The elf, however, seemed oblivious to this, or maybe he just didn't care.
He told them his name was Zevran, Zev to his friends, and that he was a member of the Antivan Crows.
"And what exactly are the Antivan Crows?" She asked, starting to feel a little dizzy because of the loss of blood.
"I can tell you that!" Leliana piped in. "They are a group of assassins, based out of Antiva and very renown for getting the job done. Someone went to great expense to hire this man."
She quickly found out through further questioning that it was, of course, Loghain who had hired him. Then she discovered that the elf had been sold in the slave market when he was very young and bought by the Crows who raised him. She felt sorry for him.
When she decided to take him along she surprised even herself.
"What!" Alistair's voice boomed beside her, making her head ache. "You're taking the assassin along? Do you really think that is a good idea?"
She felt a wave of nausea to accompany her dizziness and answered him, still not taking her eyes off the handsome blond elf who looked smugly up at Alistair. "Don't worry about it, Alistair. He could be of some use to us."
"All right, all right. I see your point," Alistair gave in reluctantly. "Still, if there was a sign marked 'desperate', I think it just knocked on the door and said hello.
As soon as the elf was helped up by her he gave his oath that he would follow her and continue to do so until she decided to kill him or cast him aside. Alyssa looked at him, then threw up all over his boots.
The elf jumped back and everyone saw her double over and fall to the ground on her hands and knees where she continued to heave and vomit till there was nothing left to vomit. Then she fainted.
Alistair stared and then panicked.
"What have you done to her, assassin?" he roared at Zevran who blinked.
"Alistair, she is hurt!" Wynne cried out and he followed her gaze to a gash on Alyssa's side that ran all the way from her armpit to her waist.
"Maker's breath!" Alistair swore and dropped down on his hands to take her in his arms.
"Let me work on her. Better yet, let's walk a little further and set up camp around here, she must be attended to and fast. She's lost a lot of blood," Wynne pursed her lips.
Alistair picked her up and took her a bit farther away. There was a stream up ahead, and the place seemed to be perfect for setting up camp. He laid her gingerly on the ground and took his bedroll from his pack, already spreading it out. Then he laid her on it. Wynne was already working on the wound.
"I need some space, please Alistair," Wynne spoke kindly. Alistair mumbled something then began barking orders at everyone to set up camp. They all worked together, casting worried glances from time to time at Alyssa's still form and Wynne working over her.
After some time, Wynne approached Alistair, who was standing in front of a fire he had just finished building. He had taken off his armor and looked disheveled and lost. His worried gaze fixed on Wynne. "Will she be alright?"
"Alistair, the blade that hurt her was poisoned. I think you should question the elf on antidotes. If we don't give her the antidote, she will die," Wynne said softly.
He opened his mouth then closed it quickly. He felt it difficult to breathe and nodded. He spun around and approached Zevran who was looking at all this calmly, sharpening his twin daggers as he approached.
"I need the antidote to save her life," he told Zevran, who raised his eyebrows as he looked at Alistair up and down. "I don't know if you will give it to me, seeing as your job was to kill us, so I'm going to make it really easy for you. If you give me the antidote, I won't kill you."
Zevran stood there looking at Alistair. He knew that he should and probably could take advantage of the opportunity that was before him. He knew he should probably fade out, stand behind this warrior and stab him using the same crow poison he had used on the girl, but he found himself intrigued by the girl herself, and even this man. And Zevran was not easily intrigued by anything these days.
She had chosen to spare him, even though she had been mortally wounded by him, why exactly was that? And why was this fool talking to him when he knew that he could probably do the same to him? Oh, he could tell that this big oaf was quite taken and possibly in love with the girl, she was attractive enough, that was certain.
So, instead of making any move whatsoever, he smiled up at Alistair and said, "So, is it love you feel for her or lust? Lust I would understand my dear friend, she is delicious..." Alistair punched him in the face before he could continue and he felt blood on his lip.
Instead of being angry, however, he was amused. 'Ah, so he does have feelings for her,' he thought. In the meantime, Alistair had taken hold of Zevran's daggers. Zevran suddenly realized this man wasn't as stupid as he seemed to be. He grinned at him.
"Alistair, please, the antidote," he heard Wynne's voice yell out to him in despair. He turned back to Zevran who already held a vial in his hands.
Alistair took it, fastened the daggers on the side of his belt and ran back to Wynne. "Help me get her inside a tent, I will need to undress her and wash her, she is filthy." He nodded and did what she asked. Then he left the tent and sat down in front of the fire and felt the tears coming. He bowed his face and wept silently.
Zevran saw this and was puzzled at the tableau before him. Leliana walked past him and quietly informed him that if she died, she would kill him. He looked up at her and took in her figure and smiled to himself.
He turned around and began to study each person in the group carefully. So, this woman had recruited all these people who were so different from each other? A Qunari, a delicious redhead bard, an elderly mage who was trying to save her life, another mage, or rather a witch, he laughed softly to himself. Then he saw the mabari who was lying in front of the tent, sad eyes on the flap, watchful and alert. He turned back to Alistair who had stopped crying and saw him kneel to pray. If this woman was capable of inspiring such devotion from such a mismatched group of people, then there surely must be something more to her?
The witch was approaching him this time. She did nothing to hide her dislike for him and he felt the urge to giggle. He held a blank face and waited for her to speak.
"So what is going to keep you from poisoning your target or all of us for that matter, now that you have been allowed to accompany us, I wonder? Do you not realize that if she dies, you die?" Morrigan said slowly.
Zevran flashed her a smile, taking in her luscious body, his eyes resting on her breasts which taunted at him from the folds of her ragtag top. Morrigan's eyes narrowed.
"You are. You will be watching me ever so closely to make sure I attempt no such thing," Zevran purred.
"And why would I do such a thing? Sneaking into our good graces in order to make another attempt is what I would do, were I you."
"And here I was becoming rather fond of the idea of you watching me closely," Zevran licked his lips.
Morrigan resisted the urge to cast a crushing prison spell on him and smiled. She persisted. "It would be a simple enough matter to poison the food in camp. Or cut our throats while we sleep."
"You seem rather charmed by the idea," he laughed.
"It would seem an appropriate result of sparing your life."
"Oh? Well, I'm sorry to disappoint you then. The next time I am spared, I'll be sure to immediately turn upon my benefactors. Will that do, my dear?"
Her yellow eyes flared up with fury at this, and she turned and abruptly left him, heading back to her tent. He followed her with his gaze when another figure obscured his view. He saw that Alistair was now standing over him, his fists clenching and unclenching repeatedly.
He looked up at his full form. He was handsome enough. Maybe he could have some fun with him later? He decided to test the waters, thinking that maybe this gorgeous hunk of a man wasn't inclined to having that sort of activity with other men.
"Ah, your figure is truly amazing, my dear man. Such an attractive, strong Grey Warden you are! Perhaps we could get to know each other better, no?"
Alistair blushed and looked at him, plain disgust registering in his face and eyes. Zevran quickly - and sadly, concluded he would never have him so he waited for Alistair to recover and talk to him.
"I don't know why she allowed you to come along," Alistair said finally, "but I want you to listen very carefully. I have my eye on you. Should you try anything, anything, I swear I'll kill you, after beating you up first."
"Anything? Then I must conclude that you two are...ah, how should I say it? Together? Are you bedding her?"
"Of course not!" Alistair claimed indignantly.
"Oh?" Then the elf grinned wickedly and said, "Then it looks like there is hope for me after all."
Alistair punched him, and caught him square in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him. He was about to punch him again, he didn't care about hurting him, all he wanted to do was reduce him to a bloody pulp and wipe that sensual grin off his lips.
"Alistair, she's awake!" Wynne's voice interrupted him, and he stood there catching his breath, his anger dissolving quickly. Before he ran off to the tent where Alyssa lay, he turned to Zevran and said, "Just remember: I'm keeping an eye on you!"
