As always, I am completely indebted to Kira Tamarion for her patient beta skills, her grammar fixes, and her general awesomeness

Hunted

I swear on the Creators, this is the last time we trust that Leliana knows where to go. Ashara crossed her arms impatiently and glared at Alistair and Leliana, who stood with their heads together, trying to figure out that damn map that Leliana had sworn would get them to the Circle Tower. But either the map was wrong, or Leliana had been overly confident in her abilities to read it; they had been lost for almost a week now.

"I think we should go that way." Alistair pointed to the north.

Leliana tilted her head. "Should we not travel west? Then, at least, we'll run into Lake Calenhad; if we follow that north, we should be able to find the Circle Tower."

"Let us hope the Archdemon is the patient sort," Morrigan scoffed. "Else it will destroy Ferelden before we even gain our first ally." Ashara couldn't help but agree with the witch. At this rate the entire country would be destroyed before they managed to find their way to the Tower. Wouldn't that be something? Grey Wardens, heroes of Ferelden, completely lost while a Blight claws at the land. If she wasn't so annoyed, she might have laughed at the irony.

Sten swept his giant sword over his shoulder and turned to confront Ashara. "Parshaara!" Ashara didn't need to understand the Qunari language to recognize a curse. "Why are we wasting our time when we should be fighting the Blight?"

Ashara sighed and put a hand to her throbbing temple. Is that really a question? He knows damn well why we need to gather allies. "Well Sten, I thought this would be a fun adventure." Mythal, she should have just left these annoyances in Lothering. "Forgive me wishing to gather an army to fight a horde of thousands. Whatever could I be thinking?"

Sarcasm was lost on the Qunari; he stomped up to her, his violet eyes angry. "I agreed to aid you against the Blight, not waste time running in circles."

Ashara lifted her chin and narrowed her eyes. One more comment, and I swear on Elgar'nan that I will kill him. "Part of fighting this Blight means gathering an army large enough to withstand it. Or did you think the seven of us would just take on the whole horde by ourselves?"

She was almost positive she saw a vein throb in Sten's neck, but he tried to relax his stance. "Then lead."

Ashara turned from Sten and rolled her eyes. Tamlen caught her look and nodded. She knew they were thinking the same thing: she certainly didn't need permissionto lead anyone. But Sten was quiet, and it probably wouldn't be a good idea to antagonize him any further. It was enough that she had to deal with the two stupid humans who got them lost.

Kali and Drake pranced up to her, and Kali lowered her voice. "Could you do that tree thing that you did in the Wilds?" She glanced nervously at the shemlen; Ashara had told her that Keeper magic must be kept from humans at all costs. But Morrigan was muttering under her breath, and Alistair and Leliana were still distracted by the map. They weren't paying attention to the two women.

Ashara shook her head. "It won't work here." Kali looked confused, so she tried to explain further. "A tree can sometimes allow me to see its history, but it can't tell me what it doesn't know." She pointed to a large tree. "Do you see this oak here? If I asked, it could only give me memories of this forest that we're in, which is, apparently, nowhere near the Circle Tower." She sighed.

Kali's eyes widened. "Magic like that must be very helpful when you're traveling! Can all Dalish mages do that?"

Ashara smiled sadly. "It's all that's left over from Arlathan; our ancestors could do much more than just listen."

"Your ancestors must have been powerful."

Ashara frowned. "They are your ancestors too." Despite having turned their backs on their history, the flat-ears were descendants of the immortal elves, just like the Dalish. The difference was that the Elvhenan never allowed themselves to be tainted by shemlen.

Before Kali could say anything, a sharp whistle pierced the leaves. Ashara barely had time to recognize the sound before she was knocked onto her back with a stabbing pain. She hissed sharply, and pulled herself up enough to see an arrow sticking out of the left side of her stomach. A group of shemlen appeared out of nowhere, brandishing weapons and rushing towards the group.

"Ashara!" Tamlen's look was one of panic as he grabbed his bow.

"I'm fine!" She scrambled to her feet, wincing at the pain, but didn't try to pull the arrow out. She could feel blood trailing down her stomach, but if she withdrew the arrow the blood loss would be worse. Instead, she cast a silver spell shield around herself to block any other arrows; while around her everyone went into action. She could see Kali blocking the attacks of one of the shemlen; Sten and Alistair stood back to back as they fought the attackers. Tamlen climbed up to a fallen log for a better vantage point, and Leliana stood below him; both had their bows out, rapidly firing arrows. Morrigan stood within her own spell shield, casting spells at an incredibly fast rate.

There had to be at least twenty of these attackers, all coming at them from different directions, and one of them was shouting something. Ashara knew she had to do something to reduce the number of attackers, or else her group would be overwhelmed. She dropped her father's staff and lowered herself to the ground, ignoring her sharply protesting stomach muscles, and pressed her palms flat on the ground. She pulled at the warm energy of the soil, and grinned as the area around them began quivering and shaking, knocking everyone off balance. She saw her own companions struggling to keep their footing, but she wasn't too concerned with it. At least, for the moment, the enemies couldn't attack.

With the ground still shaking, Ashara snatched her staff and attacked the bandits, one at a time. One of the men was knocked senseless by a Stone-fist, giving her a fierce joy as he went flying. One at a time, she attacked the rest with lightning. By the time the quaking ended, only a few shemlen were left; it was easy for Tamlen and Leliana to pick them off.

Once all the attackers were dead, Ashara lowered her spell shield and slowly sank to her knees, sitting back on her heels and inspecting the arrow still sticking out of her side. The excitement of the battle was receding, and she could now feel the full force of pain twisting in her torso. She was going to have to yank the arrow out but, Mythal help her, she didn't think she had it in her. Dealing with pain was one thing. Inflicting it upon yourself was quite another.

"Ashara!" Tamlen dropped his bow and came rushing up to her, trailed by Kali, Alistair, and Leliana. Sten was wiping his sword off, and Morrigan had started rifling through the dead bodies, searching for useful items, or coin. Everyone else hovered around Ashara, as if afraid she might die.

She frowned at Alistair and Leliana, and waved her right hand towards the witch. "Go help Morrigan search the bodies." She didn't like their pitying looks.

Alistair and Leliana reluctantly agreed; Tamlen fell to his knees beside her, but Kali nervously twisted her hands together. "Do you want me to go too?"

"You can stay, if you want." Ashara met Tamlen's eyes, and saw the worry in them. She tried to smile, but had the feeling that it was more like a grimace. "You're going to have to pull out the arrow."

He frowned. "I know." She saw the hesitancy in his eyes, and knew that he didn't want to hurt her. But the sooner the arrow was out, the sooner she could heal herself. He lightly grasped her upper arm, and as gently as he could, grabbed the arrow. Even though he was gentle, she felt a sting shoot through her stomach, and gritted her teeth. Then, with a searing pain worse than anything she could have imagined, the arrow was suddenly yanked out of her flesh.

Kali knelt down beside her while Ashara bit the inside of her cheek to keep from crying out, and held her hands over the wound. She had to focus, to push past the pain; otherwise she wouldn't be able to heal herself. It took what felt like forever, but eventually she was able to slowly heal the wound. Once Tamlen showed her that the arrowhead was intact, she forced her skin to slowly knit back together, secure that no shard remained in her body.

Blood was caked on her stomach, sticking to the inside of her top by the time she was done, but it didn't matter. She'd wash everything later, and maybe Kali could fix the tear. What did annoy her, was that when she tried to stand, she almost fell right back down. Between the blood loss, and the effort to heal herself, her body felt drained. They'd have to set up camp early so she could rest. If they kept going, and she pushed herself too much, she was likely to collapse. That thought didn't sit well with her.

Tamlen and Kali had to support her on each side as she slowly got to her feet, and she hated every moment of it. But once she was standing, Kali handed her her staff, and Ashara was able to use it to support herself. At least she wouldn't have to be held up like a sickly hahren.

Leliana was bent over one of the bandits; suddenly she stood up with a gasp, "This one is still alive!" Alistair swiftly came over, pulling out his sword, ready to finish him.

Tamlen's look was dark. "Kill him."

"No, not yet," Ashara countered. Thank Mythal her voice was steady, at least. The wound wasn't as painful anymore, what with the healing magic she had used, but her entire body felt weighed down by stone. "I want to know why they attacked us." She could be wrong, but as the bandits attacked, she thought she heard one of them shout something about the Grey Wardens. Someone could have sent them.

Tamlen twisted to look at her. "They're bandits, what other reason do they need to attack?" Behind him, Alistair nodded in agreement. This had to be one of the first times they ever agreed on anything.

"We'll kill him once we're done questioning him." She managed a small smile. "Of course, if he tells us that he found some ancient ruins deep in the forest, this time we won't go running off in search of it."

Despite his anger, Tamlen let out a harsh chuckle, "Alright, question him if you want."

Leliana smiled. "We should bind him first." She rifled through the pack on her hip and brought out a length of rope, which she used to turn the stranger over on his stomach to tie his hands and feet. When she roughly shoved the stranger into a sitting position against a tree, Ashara was surprised to discover that he was, in fact, an elf.

Once Leliana stepped back, Tamlen swiftly kicked the elf in the stomach, and he groggily came to his senses. "Mmm...wha-?" He struggled to open his eyes, blinking rapidly as he saw them standing in front of him. "Oh, I rather thought I would wake up dead. Or not wake up at all as the case may be. But... I see you haven't killed me yet."

Tamlen crossed his arms. "We thought we'd torture you first."

The elf looked at Tamlen and tried to chuckle, but it sounded more like a cough. "Oh, so you kept me around for a bit of fun, eh? But the purpose for torture is to gather information, no?" His voice grew stronger with each word. "So, despite the potential for fun, allow me to save you the trouble." His eyes traveled over them, and flickered between Ashara and Kali. "My name is Zevran. I am a member of the Antivan Crows, sent here for the sole purpose of slaying any surviving Grey Wardens, which I have failed at, obviously."

Ashara gripped her staff tightly; she was growing tired. But at least she had been right; this elf had been hired to kill them. "I've never heard of the Antivan Crows. What are they?"

Leliana's eyes were wide; she seemed almost excited. "They are an order of assassins based out of Antiva. They are highly skilled, and are only hired at great expense. Someone went to a lot of trouble to hire this man."

The elf, Zevran, smiled. "Quite right. I'm surprised you haven't heard of us. Where I come from, we're rather famous."

"For what?" Ashara asked. "You're obviously not famous for your skill at assassination." Petty of her, but she couldn't help but insult him. She was tired and irritated, longing for a chance to sit down. Besides, she didn't like how this flat-ear, bound and at their mercy, watched them all with such amusement. One word from her, and Tamlen would kill him. Didn't he realize that?

"Oh, is that what you Fereldans do? Mock your prisoners?" He shook his head in overly exaggerated sadness. "Such cruelty."

Kali laced her fingers together and tilted her blonde head. "Who would hire you to kill us? Was it Loghain?"

Alistair inhaled sharply. "Loghain?"

Kali looked at him. "Well, he's the only one who wants us dead, isn't he? Or did we make someone else mad?"

Ashara let out a hard laugh. "I don't think we're making any friends on this journey, but I can't remember angering someone else that badly."

"It is not often that the target knows who wishes them dead," Zevran commented. "But you are quite right; this man called Loghain is the one who hired me."

Alistair threw up his hands. "Sending assassins, how low can a man get?"

Ashara studied the flat-ear. "So this means you're loyal to Loghain?"

Zevran laughed, as if the very idea was amusing. "I have no idea what his issues with you are." He tilted his head and smiled brightly at her. "The usual, I imagine. You threaten his power, yes? But I am not loyal to him. I was paid to perform a service, that is all."

Ashara nodded, gripping her staff so hard that her fingers ached. Even the effort of holding her head up seemed to be almost beyond her. "I see...so what happens now that you've failed that service?"

"Well that is between Loghain and the Crows. And the Crows and myself."

That was all Ashara needed. With this failed attempt, she felt that Loghain would just try something different, again and again, until they were dead. But right now, she just wanted to find a new spot for camp, to sit down and regain her energy. "Very well. We need nothing else from you." She glanced at Tamlen. "Kill him."

Tamlen nodded and reached for an arrow, but suddenly Leliana was standing in front of the flat-ear with her hand up. "You would kill him now?" She stared at Ashara.

Ashara narrowed her eyes. "Is there some reason we should leave him alive? He would have killed us, and if we let him go he'll just try again."

"He is an assassin, and his skills could be quite useful." Leliana crossed her arms. "If you spare his life he would owe you a blood debt. We could use him in our battle."

Mythal, she was surrounded by trusting fools. "You can guarantee his honesty, can you?"

Kali lowered her head, and her voice grew quiet. "Um, I've known men in the alienage who have done horrible things, but that didn't mean they were bad people." She glanced up at Ashara. "They just... didn't have a choice. But if they were given a chance at a better life, they could have changed."

Ashara studied the girl thoughtfully. There was something so earnest about her words, almost as if she was desperate to see the good in people, but they would be idiots to just trust this assassin. She glanced back at the flat-ear, hoping for some sign of what she should do.

Zevran smiled at her, seemingly undaunted by the knowledge that Ashara wished to kill him. He indicated his head towards Leliana. "She has the right of it. Spare me, and I will serve in whatever task you wish me to perform. I am skilled at many things, from fighting and stealth, to picking locks."

Ashara frowned. "We are tasked with ending this Blight that threatens Ferelden. It will probably lead to our deaths."

Zevran shrugged as well as he could with his hands bound. "The life of an assassin is not one of leisure, I assure you. Death does not frighten a Crow."

She narrowed her eyes. Very well, she couldn't argue that point with him. "But what is to stop you from finishing the job later?"

The failed assassin sighed wistfully. "To be honest, I was not given much of a choice in joining the Crows. Besides, the law of the Crows states that since I did not kill you, my life is forfeit. Even if I killed you now, they might just kill me on principle for failing the first time." He smiled. "The only way out is to sign up with someone the Crows can't touch. I'd rather take my chances with you."

"And can we expect the same amount of loyalty that you show these Crows?"

Zevran's eyes widened. "I happen to be a very loyal person, up until the point where someone expects me to die for failing. That's not really a fault, is it?" He tilted his head. "Unless of course, you're the type of person who would do such a thing. In which case I," he laughed, "I don't come very well recommended, I suppose."

Ashara watched him carefully. There was no flinching, no twitch of the eyes, nothing to indicate he was lying. It could mean he was a skilled liar, or that he was telling the truth. But they did need all the help they could find. "Very well."

She knelt down and grabbed the front of his leather cuirass so that her face was inches from his. "But understand this, if you make one move that I even consider to be threatening, I will kill you slowly and painfully, then bind your soul so that you will never find the Beyond. You will be doomed to wander aimlessly without peace, forever." Her soft voice whispered around him, power laced with each word. It took more of her energy, energy that she didn't really have to spare, but she wanted him to know how serious she was. He'd never know that she was bluffing. Well, about binding his soul at least.

Yet instead of feeling threatened, he merely laughed provocatively. "Do not promise such things, my dear. The offer is too tempting." She thrust him away as he continued to chuckle. "I think I will enjoy working with you. There are worse things in life than following the whim of a deadly sex goddess."

Ashara sighed and rubbed her temples. I'm going to regret this; I just know it. Tamlen narrowed his eyes and turned to her, clearly annoyed. "So we're going to take the assassin with us?"

Even Alistair looked angry. "Does this really seem like a good idea?"

Ashara looked at Tamlen. "He could be useful, and we certainly haven't turned any other useful person away. If we got rid of everyone that annoyed us, we'd be left with you, me, and Kali." She ignored Alistair's protest and lowered her voice. "But we will watch him." We will watch him very closely.

Tamlen glared at her for a moment, and nodded curtly. He might be angry, but he trusted her decisions. He knew she wouldn't make such a choice, lightly.

Kali bent down to untie Zevran, a sweet smile on her face. "Welcome, Zevran. Having someone with your skills will be very helpful."

Zevran raised an eyebrow as his eyes flicked over her. "Oh? You are another companion to be, then? I wasn't aware such loveliness existed amongst adventurers."

Ashara saw the girl's face slowly redden, until even her ears were scarlet. We will watch him very, very closely.

Once free from the ropes, Zevran stood up, dusted himself off and bowed to Ashara. "For sparing my life, I am in your debt until such time as you see fit to release me. Until that moment, I am your man through and through."

Ashara looked down her nose at him. He had better live up to that promise, or not even Mythal would be able to protect him. "Good. Your first job can be to help us find a place to camp, since it's your fault we need to rest early."

Zevran smiled.

oOo

Kali hovered near Ashara, in case she should need anything. It had been a few hours since their attack, but that arrow had pierced Ashara right in the side. It could have killed her!At first, Ashara laughed at her worry, claiming that all she needed was to relax and regain her energy, but Kali was still concerned. For a while she wouldn't even let Ashara get up to fetch anything, and ran around the camp trying to get her food and water. Finally, Ashara had had to threaten to cast a sleep spell on her if she didn't calm down.

The two women were sitting next to one of the campfires, enjoying the warmth while Ashara talked about the history of the elves. Kali was fascinated to hear of her ancestors, and Ashara had such a knack for bringing the past to life that Kali was happy to pass the time in such a way while they busied themselves with different tasks.

Ashara was bent over a wooden bowl, using a rounded piece of wood to grind a mixture of herbs that she said would make useful potions, while Kali mended some of Alistair's torn socks. She had no idea how he managed it, but all of his socks were full of huge holes. Thankfully, Bodahn had plenty of supplies for her to use, and even though Alistair said she didn't need to mend them, it gave her something to do. Besides, she loved sewing.

Footsteps approached the two of them, and Kali lifted her head to see Zevran standing in front of them, a wide grin on his face. "Ah, the two lovely Wardens hard at work, even in camp." He shook his head. "Such an inspiration to the rest of us!"

Ashara didn't bother to look up from her herbal mixture. "Is there something you needed, or have you come simply to irritate us?"

Zevran laughed. "Such cruel words, from such a beautiful face. I simply saw two lovely women sitting alone, and wished to offer my company."

There was a harsh whistle, and before Kali had time to react an arrow lodged itself in the ground, right at Zevran's feet. Kali almost dropped her sewing and looked around frantically; were they under attack again? But then she noticed Tamlen, standing near his tent with a dark look on his face as he glared at Zevran. He slipped his bow back over his shoulder and walked over towards Bodahn.

Ashara held the wooden bowl filled with herbs in her hands, and slowly stood up. She lifted her chin and smiled at Zevran in a way that made Kali nervous. "I suggest that you keep your distance." She glided off towards the tent she shared with Tamlen.

Zevran laughed and sat down. "Ah, he is the protective sort, yes?"

Kali nodded. "Yes, Tamlen likes to take care of her." She smiled. "Its rather sweet, actually." During their time trying to find the Circle Tower, she had learned that Tamlen was not really as mean he pretended to be. Ashara had told her that he was just angry at the circumstances around them, but that he was a good man.

Zevran watched as Tamlen spoke with Bodahn. "I see that they are Dalish." He looked at Kali. "What about you? Are you Dalish as well?"

Kali shook her head. "Oh no!" She almost laughed at the thought. "I'm from the alienage in Denerim." Zevran nodded and turned to look into the fire, frowning slightly. She tilted her head. "Is something wrong?"

He shook himself, and gave her a dazzling smile. "Nothing at all, my dear. I was simply reflecting on my luck at being around such a beautiful woman."

He was clearly referring to her, strange a thought as it was, and Kali felt her ears redden. No one had ever called her beautiful in such a way before. Jandar had complimented her plenty of times, but it had been exactly that, a compliment. Zevran said it as if it was a simple fact.

She suddenly felt nervous and gathered up the mending, trying to smile. "I should... get these back to Alistair."

Zevran looked at her, and a slow smile spread across his features. It almost seemed like he had come to some decision. "Then I will speak with you another time, my little Warden."

Kali's ears were positively burning and she mumbled something, she barely heard herself, before darting off. Her thoughts tumbled around in her mind; Zevran had called Ashara beautiful too, and it confused her. Certainly Ashara was a beautiful woman, with her thick, inky hair and startling violet eyes. But it was more than just her looks. Ashara held herself with such confidence that it was impossible not to notice her. Kali could easily understand why men stared at her.

But, Kali didn't really consider herself an attractive girl, worthy of any sort of notice. It wasn't that she thought she was ugly; she just never really cared about how she looked. Not since Mama died.

When she was alive, Adaia was called one of the most beautiful women in Denerim, and that wasn't simply a compliment. She was light and lithe, with wide green eyes that sparkled mischievously. But it was her hair that was her best feature. Mama's hair was bright blonde, with streaks of pale gold, and there had been something about it that shimmered whenever she walked; even human women envied it.

When Kali was little, she did everything she could to make her hair like Mama's. She let it grow long, and stood out in the sunlight for hours to lighten it. Mama would laugh, and call Kali her golden little daughter. Kali loved nothing more than for Mama to pull her into her arms, and call her that.

But then Mama died, and suddenly Kali couldn't stand to look at her hair anymore. So she cut it short, and never let it grow out.

Kali shook her head and tried to clear her thoughts. She didn't want to think of Mama anymore. Life had become increasingly difficult since she died, and Kali was weary of it. Strange as it sounded, she was so tired of being sad.

She walked over to Alistair, who was sitting by his tent with a bowl of Leliana's stew in his lap. He looked up as she approached, and gaped at her. He set the bowl aside and took his newly mended socks. "You didn't have to mend these! Thank you!"

She ducked her head and sat down a few feet away from him. "It gave me something to do." Drake padded over from his spot by the fire, and she scratched his ears.

"Still, thank you. You really didn't have to." He watched Kali for a moment, and sighed. "I saw you talking to Zevran. Do you think Ashara was right to trust him?"

Kali giggled. "I don't think Ashara trusts anyone. Well, except for Tamlen, maybe." She glanced at Zevran, who was now sitting next to Leliana. By the laughter coming from the two of them, it seemed they were getting along rather well. "But, she thinks he could be useful, if he keeps his word." She didn't add that Ashara had also said that she would rather have dangerous elves than stupid shemlen.

Alistair watched her. "What do you think about him?"

Kali felt heat creep up her face. "He's very nice."

Alistair nodded and grew quiet. He lowered his head and closed his eyes while Kali watched him. Something was wrong with him; he looked like he was fighting back the urge to cry. But then, with a sudden insight, she realized what it might be. Duncan. Alistair had said that Duncan had been like a father to him; he was probably still mourning his loss. Kali felt that she should help him. "Do you want to talk about Duncan?" She was hesitant; she never knew what to say when someone was sad, but that didn't mean she wasn't going to try.

Alistair slowly opened his eyes and clenched his fists. "You don't have to do that. I know you didn't know him as well as I did."

"But he was someone important to you." Kali looked at Drake, who was trying to get her to keep petting him. "I didn't have to know him to know that he was a good man." She would never understand why Duncan had killed Jory, but he had saved her life. Those guards at the alienage would have tortured and killed her if Duncan hadn't conscripted her.

"I just... I should have handled everything better." Alistair's shoulders were slumped. "Duncan warned me right from the start that any of us could die at any moment. But... I can't believe he's gone. Then, when the darkspawn attacked the Tower I was no help to anyone. I... I'm sorry."

Kali shook her head. "There's no need to apologize, Alistair." She was well aware of how the death of a loved one could affect someone.

"Have you had someone close to you die?" Alistair's cheeks were flushed. "I... I don't mean to pry or anything... I just wondered..."

She inhaled. "My mother."

"May I ask what happened to her?"

Kali wouldn't look at him. "She was killed by human guards."

Alistair paled. "I'm... I'm so sorry."

She gave him a small smile. "Thank you." She exhaled heavily and slowly got to her feet. She didn't want to talk about Mama anymore, or death for that matter. She was tired of dwelling on the past. "I'm going to see if Ashara needs any help."

Alistair looked up at her. "Thank you. It was good to talk, even for only a moment."

She ducked her head and walked over to Ashara, who was sitting by her tent, still mixing the herbs. She was more than happy to let Kali help her bottle up the potions, and even explained what each of them did. Kali felt strangely relieved to be around her. Ashara was always busy, always ready with something to say, or something to snicker about. Just by her presence, she somehow banished the ghosts of the past, and Kali was grateful for it.

She was already starting to see that Ashara had plenty of reasons to be angry. There were times when Kali caught her staring into the fire when she thought no one was watching, and there was such a sad look in her eyes. But she never talked about it, and didn't like questions about her past. All she said was that there was no point in dwelling on the past, that all one could do was move forward. Maybe Kali could learn to do the same thing.

The two girls chatted about inconsequential things, and after a while Tamlen, and eventually Zevran joined them. Tamlen was irritated by the assassin's presence, but when it became clear that Zevran kept his distance from Ashara, the Dalish man relaxed a bit. Zevran even apologized for Ashara's wound, but she smiled and told him she was grateful that his aim was poor.

It was nice to be around a group of what was starting to feel like friends. Ashara and Tamlen might not trust Zevran, but even Kali could see that he was eager to leave the Crows. He talked about Antiva, and how long he had been away from home. Kali decided that he had been honest when he promised to help them. She didn't know why, he did try to kill them after all, but for some reason she believed him.

After a time, when it was starting to grow dark and Tamlen was talking about different types of arrows, she picked her head up and glanced around the camp. That was when she noticed Alistair sitting next to his tent, watching her with a look that she didn't quite know how to read.

Translations:
Parshaara - Enough
Mythal - Goddess of Protection, also the Mother of the Creators
Elgar'nan - God of vengeance, also the Father of the Creators
shemlen - humans
Arlathan - main city of the elves before the humans arrived
hahren - elder

A/N: The talk with Alistair about Duncan was cut a bit short, simply b/c Kali is the type of person who wants to change herself. She doesn't like how sad she always is, and wants to grow, and to do that she needs to stop thinking about how her mother died. But that doesn't stop her from being concerned about others, even at the expense of her own sadness. She might stop the conversation, but she still wants to make sure he's okay. And I figure Alistair would kind of understand that.

Many, many thanks to Legionary Prime, Prince of Madness 54, Shakespira, Sharem, and Merilsell for the reviews :D And to all of you requesting alerts, marking as favorite, or reading.