hey guys. got a new chapter for all. Hey, did you know that the creaters of DA:O based Zev off of Puss in Boots from Shriek 2. interesting huh. anyways, enjoy the chapter.

"Hey Morrigan, give me your staff."

"What for?"

"Umm, I don't want to be in the same, dark room as the assassin with Alistair only a few doors down the hall."

"You worry too much."

"Just give me the stick."

"Staff."

"whatever."

Morrigan rolled her eyes and removed her staff from her back and handed it over to Theresa.

"Why do we need him again?" Liliana asked. "I mean, the three of us can handle this."

"I know," Theresa said, "but we can get more done if he helps."

Liliana nodded her head and agreement. Theresa slowly pushed open the door and was looking for Zevron in the room. There was one candle lit in the middle of the room that threw shadows over the entire room. His daggers were on the table. She looked at the bed. From the door she was able to poke him in the foot with the staff. He didn't rouse, grunt or anything. Theresa poked him again. He grabbed the end of the staff and pulled Theresa into the room. Zevron was quickly in front of her, his hand against the door holding it shut while the other was holding a blade to her throat.

"Hi Zev."

He was quite for a moment. Theresa could hear the smirk slowly appearing on his face. "I was hoping to her a good nights sleep but I could…stay up, for you."

"How kind."

He pulled back on the dagger a little bit. "I'm a very accommodating person warden. If you'd like I could show it to you, yes?"

"No I have something else in mind."

He raised an eyebrow at her. "What can I offer you here in my room?"

"To be blunt, I could think of a few things."

"Starting with…" Zevron moved closer to her. Slowly dragged the dagger down her armor.

"We're going to go steal some stuff, wanna come?"

Zevron stepped back from her and hung his head. "You woke me for that?"

"Yes."

Zevron shot her a skeptical look. "Where's Alistair?"

Theresa pointed her thumb behind her. "He's in Wynnes room. He insisted that he take his shift with her. He said that because of all the lerium dust in the air, it's kind of like a leryium over dose for her. But she should be fine when we leave here." Zevron nodded and crossed the room to his armor. "How is the dragon scale anyways."

"Great. I'm shocked that you gave Lili the drake scale."

Theresa chuckled. "You're stronger than she is. Besides, I know you'll take good care of it."

He was quite for a moment. "Back in Antiva, I was the highest paid assassin. And here in Ferelden, I am no more than a common theif."

"Yep."

"You don't have to agree so quickly."

There was a knock on the door. "Theresa, are you okay?" Liliana asked.

"No, I died." Theresa called out to her. She turned to look back at Zevron. "You coming or what?"

He gave a heavy sigh. "I'll be right out."

Theresa smiled at him and nodded. "I'll be waiting." She opened the to leave and saw Zev return her smile.

She closed the door behind her and wished that she could go back in there. "Hi Alistair." She passed the staff back to Morrigan and looked at Alistair. He wasn't wearing his armor but the way he stood and crossed his arms over his chest still made him look bulky. His face was the portrait of cooling anger and unamusement. Even the usual lightness in his eyes was gone.

"What's going on Thess." He said slower than usual.

"Oh, you know, same old, same old. How's Wynne doing?"

"Fine. Why is Liliana and Morrigan outside the Antivans room with you in it?"

"Because their sick and twisted."Theresa gave a huge smile and saw that he didn't think it was funny. Theresa cleared her throat. "well, we are in a new area and require some money. So I'm going to go commandeer everything I can get my hands on." His expression didn't change. "I need Zevrons help. Master of Shadows and all." It would appear that his anger increased. "Liliana and Morrigan will be helping me." Safe effect. "I'll get you a huge cheese wheel again." Theresa gave a sheepish grin.

The same grin that melted his heart every time. He couldn't help but smile back. "You know me too well." He lowered his head disapprovingly shook his head. He looked back into her eyes. "Be careful. No need to make enemies before we need allies." He kissed her forehead and went back into Wynne's room.

"Love you too." She whispered to the closed door.

She heard the door click behind her. "Aww."

"Shut up, Zev. Let's go."

The small thief group made their way around all of dust town, the commons and most of the Diamond. It was darker in the Diamond Quarter. This must be their version of the night time. Theresa thought to herself. They slowly made their way around the area looking for lost treasure, or at least treasure that was lost to less efficient thieves. This proved to be a bit difficult than necessary. Theresa kept running into walls, door frames, and tables. It wasn't until Zevron took lead that things actually got a little bit easier.

They had just broken into Harrowments home when Theresa finally decided to ask. "How do you do that?"

Zevron turned to look. "Do what?" then a smirk appeared. "Look so devilishly handsome without trying? Woo more women in a day than the maker takes in a week. Or how about…?"

"The fact that you can see just as easily in the dark than in light."

"Ah." He shrugged and continued to lead. "It is said that we elves were once nocturnal creatures. There is a legend that a wolf gave us his ears so that we may hear better to protect the forest. But these are but legends."

"What about taste?"

Zevron turned around and gave her a puzzled look. "There are a few tastes that I adore more…?"

Theresa rolled her eyes as she picked the lock on a closed chest. "No, I mean, for example, if a man was to be blind, his other senses are heightened. Is that the same with you or is it just eye sight and hearing?" She placed the heavy armor in her pack.

Zevron raised a brow and smiled. "If you'd like I can show you." He held his arms out for Theresa to take.

"I'd prefer if you just told me." Theresa said as she placed her bag onto her back.

Zevron dropped his arms to his side and dramatically sighed. "You are so callous my fearless leader."

"So which is it."

He sighed as they walked toward the door. "Everything is heightened, but I have learned to dull the sense of touch and due to Alistair's cooking, I have also dulled taste."

Theresa nodded and stopped in her tracks. Zevron looked at her. Her eyes were wide with realization. "That's how you know if females are horny." She turned to look at him. He gave a coy smile. "That's sneaky."

He shrugged his shoulders. "It works, does it not?"

"That's fucked up."

Zevron winked at her and then made a small bird noise. "They made their way to the entrance and waited for Liliana.

"Soo…" Theresa wanted to know so much but as always was awkward about asking it. "You can like sniff the air and know who is sexually frustrated?"

Zevron shot her an annoyed look. "I'm not Ali, Theresa." He went back to watching the entrance. "But yes."

Theresa was quite for a moment. "That's awesome." She whispered to herself.

"Sometimes."

Theresa gave a small laugh. "I'd imagine. Walking into a brothel must be the equivalent of walking by a fish market."

"Not really. Fish are much more sour while the brothels are sweeter. Besides, they use heavy incense to cover up the smell even for elves so, it's not so bad."

Theresa looked over at him. His arms were crossed over his chest. The only time that they could talk is when Alistair isn't anywhere nearby. Pity, Zevron was beginning to grow on her. "When is it not awesome?"

Zevron was quite for a moment. "Random intervals during the day."

"Why are you two speaking of brothels?" Liliana asked as she approached them.

Theresa turned to face her. "Did you know that Zev can smell when women want sex?"

Liliana looked over them for a minute. "Wow." Liliana turned to go pick up Morrigan as they left the estate.

"So the only reason I am here is to be the alarm if someone is to come by?" Morrigan asked as they left the estate.

"Pretty much." Morrigan gave a sour look to Theresas comment.

"What is left here?"

"The palace." Theresa said as she turned toward it. Zevron quickly took back up his place as lead.

"oh, goodie. Perhaps we can find something of use there." Morrigan said flatly.

"Well, as long as I can buy you stuff I don't see why you have to be so cold about it." Theresa retorted.

The group quietly made their way up the steps of the palace and entered. "Seeing as how I am the alarm, I will stay here." Morrigan announced from the entrance hall. She crossed her legs and sat down on the stones.

The group kept walking into the throne room.

"Oh, look at that." Liliana whispered. She crossed the room to see the painting. Theresa noticed it. It was of a beautiful day in an open field. Odd that the dwarfs had that down here. Zevron was also drawn to it. Theresa shook her head in shame at them and continued to look over the room. All great kings kept personal belongings near them at all times. Perhaps the last king forgot to grab something before he died. Theresa laughed to herself as she inspected the throne.

Something mechanical began to move behind her. Theresa looked out the corner of her eye and saw lightening coming from the four corners. Then she heard it. The same echoing scream that she heard so long ago. She saw the head and wings of the beast. It watched the group with dark eyes. It opened its mouth to release a thunderous roar. The mouth was filled with teeth shaper than any man made blade. "Fuck my life." Theresa said to herself. "Any advice?" Theresa called across the room.

"Yea, don't get eaten." Zevron chided as he withdrew his daggers.

"Thanks Zev." Theresa withdrew her weapons. The dragon gave one last look before starting it's reign of terror. "Everyone, shroud, now!"

The dragon watched as they all turned into shadows except for the mage that was within its sights. It took a deep breath. Morrigan was preparing a spell of her won. If she moved, her concentration would be lost but she would be dead. She waited until the last moment before she dodged the dragons fire breath. The dragon opened its mouth for another attack. Morrigan quickly used lightning into its mouth.

Theresa and Liliana both stopped dead in their tracks to watch the lightning leave her fingertips. Morrigan kept pumping electricity into the dragon as it opened and closed its mouth like a dog eating peanut butter.

Morrigan could feel the end of her manna getting closer and closer. "Open your mouth." Zevron was at her side, flask of leryium in his hand. He removed the quirk and placed it to her lips. Morrigan kept her concentration but the spell was getting weaker. Zevron removed the flask from her lips and prepared for when she would be finished. Morrigan felt her power increasing and pumped the lightning one more time.

The dragon closed its mouth. It's body couldn't hold the electrify any more. The group watched as the eyes exploded out of its head. The dragon released a loud growl and retook its stance. Theresa was getting ready to take the killing blow. She ran up the throne and jumped to get more momentum and depth from her blade.

The dragon dropped its head before Theresa could make contact. She rolled away from the dragons form. It ceased to move. It's breathing stopped. It's tongue was lulled on the floor.

Theresa slowly turned to face Morrigan who was looking at her hands intensely. "Have I told you today how beautiful you are?"

Morrigan dropped her hands and met Theresa's gaze with her usual emotionless stare. "No, you have not."

"So beautiful." Theresa remarked as she put her sword and dagger up.

"How did you do that?" Liliana was slowly approaching Morrigan. Scared as if she wasn't done yet.

"It's called magic, Liliana. Any mage can do it. Well, except for the old maid who thinks she is a mage."

"BY the stone! What is going on here?" a dwarven guard ran into the throne room and looked at the dragon. "What happened?" He looked right at Theresa for his answers.

"Umm. We got lost and came in here looking for directions and like tourists accidently caused a bit more trouble than necessary." Theresa gave out a fake laugh, hoping that the guard would by it.

But he wasn't, mostly because evidence of the real reason was hanging out of her pack. "Uh huh. Listen human."

"Warden."

"Thief." Theresa shut up real quick. "The fact that you have treasures hanging out of your pack and the fact that you just killed a lower dragon, I think even each other out."

"You sure? Because killing a dragon anywhere else usually will result in, I don't know, more money than we can make off of this stuff."

"Stealing from the crown and noble chaste is punishable by beheading."

Theresa's eyes got wide. "Got it. We'll just be going now." The dwarf grunted and lead them toward the door.

As they exited, Zevron was the first to make a joke. "I can't believe that have the loot hanging out of your pack."

"Shut up, I didn't think that we would get caught."

Zevron rubbed his temples. "You are an amature." Theresa just shrugged her shoulder.

"So what happened back there Morrigan?" Liliana asked.

"I am not sure. The dwarf said it was a lower dragon, so it may have been easier to take down as opposed to the one in Haven."

Theresa thought about it for a moment. "Does it have to do with that blood you drank while we were out there?"

"Possibly, but I am uncertain."

They traveled in silence back to their rooms. Theresa spoke first. "We start our actual mission tomorrow, so get plenty of sleep tonight. I'm going to go relieve Alistair and MAKER I FORGOT HIS CHEESE! Agh, he's going to kill me."

Liliana giggled and reached into her pack and passed Theresa a small cheese wheel. "Here, he's easier to get along with when he's happy."

Theresa took it and hugged it to her chest. "You are a life saver. Thank you so much." Liliana gave another giggle and headed toward her room. Theresa gave a head nod to the other two for them to head to their rooms as well. Theresa went to put her pack in her room and left with the cheese close to her chest. She looked down the hall and Zevron and Morigan were talking. She looked troubled while he looked cocky. He said something and she went to anger. Zevron bowed and left her alone in the hall. Morrgian left and went into her room and loudly slammed the door. "Okay" Theresa said to herself and she opened the door into Wynne's room and woke up Alistair and Ali.

They've been in the deep roads for two days. It has been silent between the companions only saying something about 'watch out up ahead' or 'did you hear that?' Theresa was growing board of the metonymy of killing dark spawn. At least Jarvia had real people who could think for themselves. It wasn't the same three attacks that the dark spawn were trained with. Theresa trudged on in silence. At least for a while.

Behind her, she heard Ogren relieve his bowels. Theresa tried as she might, she tried not to laugh, tried to be professional, but the break in silence by the breaking of wind was more than she could take. She started to laugh at Ogren. She laughed at the whole situation. The fact that she has to pick the new king, kill the bad guys of Orzammar, she had to do all these trivial tasks just to get what she needed. It may look like kindness but the reality was, she was being selfish and had to grind her teeth just to get what she needed.

And then she heard it. Everyone behind her started to laugh as well. Te laughter was carefree. No one worried that darkspawn may hear them, no one worried that there won't be enough time to get what they need. It was a good to laugh without worrying about their lives.

"Ogren." Theresa called over her shoulder.

"Yea warden?"

"Thank you. I think we all needed that." She heard his little legs jog ahead to join her.

"Well, give me another bottle of ale if you ever need me to do it again."

"No!" Everyone behind her exclaimed in their own way.

Theresa laughed again. "Why not?"

"Theresa," Alistair whined "You weren't down wind."

"I quite agree." Morrigan chimed in. "T'was horrendous. Dwarf, if you do that again, we will test your immunity to magic."

Ogren turned to look at Morrrigan while keeping pace with Theresa. "Heh heh, I'd rather test the strength of your robes against my hands, if ya know what I mean. Heh heh." He smiled widely as Morrigan scoffed in disgust at him.

Theresa heard Alistair snicker at Morrigan but nothing of it. "So Ogren." He turned back around and focused back to the mission. "See any signs of Branka yet?"

"Nope."

Theresa nodded. "So have you done any campaigns down here?"

"Ehh, a couple. Mostly just guarding the town and thigs. But other than that, nah. Why you ask warden?"

"Just courious. So would that make you a member of the army or something?"

"Nah, it's different for us down here. Our 'army' is much different. We warriors are born into war. We don't get to choose it like your soldiers do. We spend our lives fighting to defend the city. It's difficult to explain to someone who is from the surface. But trust me, it sodding works out." Ogren took another swig of ale and belched.

Theresa furrowed her brow and looked down on Ogren. "You don't believe that, do you."

"Heh, it's not about what I believe, it's just the way it sodding is, Warden."

"Harrowmont wants to get rid of the chaste system, to create more work for the casteless. You think that will work out for Ormazzar?"

Ogren scratched his head. "I don't know warden, I'm just a berserker, I do as I'm told."

Theresa smirked. "Like pestering all of Ormazzar to find Branka."

"Heh, good point." He looked up and met her gaze. "I've heard that's how it is on the surface, is it true?"

Theresa nodded. "Yep, everyone creates their own future and fortune either through hard work or killing everyone in their way."

"It is an ineffective way to run a country." Sten rebuttled from the rear.

Theresa turned to see him. He looked good in the juggernaught armor. "How so?"

"Your people are lost. Your peasants want to be farmers, your farmers want to be merchants, your merchants want to be nobles, and nobles want to be warriors. No one has a place here. They live their lives day by day."

"But ah." Theresa said, "It is the opportunity for opportunity that gives people hope. I mean, on the grand scale of things, people will often do what their parents did. The son of a farmer only knows how to farm. The son of a merchant only knows how to persuade and haggle, in doing so, people never really leave that particular way of life. But like I said, it is the opportunity for opportunity."

"It is that kind of thinking that makes people becomes lost warden."Sten said.

"Either way," Ogren interrupted, "People will not change because a king says so. The old ways will always be there. And besides, even if he does get rid of the chaste, I'm still a warrior, so I sill continue to" Ogren shuddered "defend Ormazzar."

"I agree with Ogren." Alistair said. "Let's stop talking about this."

"Why?" Ogren asked.

"He's the future king of Ferleden." Theresa told Ogren and heard Alistair gag.

"Ugh, I think I just threw up a little." Alistair said.

"Just a little? Hmm, I must be loosing my touch." Morrigan smirked at Alistair. She folded her hands behind her head and waited for a remark.

"Yes, well, it would appear that I'm growing accustomed to your face. Even if it is a little at a time." Morrigan opened her mouth to say something but Alistair cut her off. "The good news is, that here in a few years, you will look like Flemeth and it will be horrible all over again. So keep your hope up, maybe one day I'll get to vomit all down your front. "Morrigan marched ahead and sucked her teeth. Theresa couldn't help but laugh at the attempt of trying to silencing Alistair. She heard Zevrons voice in her ear.

"Warden, there's a woman up ahead. I think it's the creature that the last woman tired to warn us of."

Theresa furrowed her brow and turned to look at him. He wasn't shrouded anymore. His mask was on but his eyes were worried. "What does it look like?"

"You wouldn't believe me even if told you." His voice was joking but she couldn't remove her gaze from his eyes.

"so, what are we looking at?"

"Wait and see, it's around this corner."

Theresa slowly crept up to the turn in the road. The beast was hideious. It had like six sets of breasts, fat, bald, long tongue, and breath that could kill a sea beast. And it was… fondling itself? Sad.

"Brood Mother…" Theresa heard Hespeth say. Theresa couldn't hide the disgust from her face. It was so "Nasty!"

Everyone came up behind her to take a look at it. She heard the five others gag. "Okay. Morrigan, stay in the back and cover us, warriors, distract her by attacking the tentacles, Zev, shroud. Move." They all took their positions and Theresa and Zev shrouded and went for the mother. All the mother could do was attack the only ones she could see. Zev and Theresa tried to parry her arms and tentacles as much as they could but with all the fat, it was hard to find a vulnerable spot.

Then she heard it. The growl of the hurlocks. She turned and saw that Morrigan was on her last leg of strength. Theresa left her post to help her. She quickly sliced down the Hurlocks and reached into her pack and fished out a health politerice and a leryium polterice and turned to get back to the mother but was already too late. Alistair was taken up in the Mothers grasp and she was squeezing his ribs. Theresa fell to her knees in pain. She couldn't breathe. She could feel the acid of the mother's breath on her face. Theresa called out to him.

Ogren took the opportunity while the mother was distracted and took advantage of the ledge behind her. He jumped and Theresa saw the rest in slow motion. He jumped and landed in front of her face as he thrust the whole of his axe into her head and twisted to insure death. Then he jumped down as if nothing had happened. Theresa saw as Alistair rolled and hit the ground.