Disclaimer: Bioware owns all, except what I most humbly create. While, at times, I will take verbatim from the game, I mostly use the events of the Dragon Age games, expansions and universe as a loose structure around which to construct my re-imagined tale. If you are looking for a strict canon piece, I have no desire to offend, and so I warn you upfront!
When reading this tale, I hope you can easily imagine it being told by the very best of storytellers in Varric (from DA:2). In my version of events, Varric meets "The Hero" (my Elissa Cousland) in Kirkwall during the time period of DA:2. I mention this only so that readers can understand his connection along the way, and so I don't have to mention and rehash it again and again as I make my way through the tale.
A/N: And here we have one of my favorite comic relief characters - swarthy little bastard that he is :)
Thanks as usual to my faithful, and the new readers I've picked up.
As always, I couldn't have done it without my Lady Beta artemiskat.
Happy Reading! :)
-Frayed One
Chapter Twenty-Five: Desperately Seeking Genitivi
Alistair had taken Elissa's advice and chosen to begin making an effort to conceal his own identity as they traveled the questionably safe roads of Ferelden – seeking out Leliana who had removed a section of his cloak and constructed a cowl similar to the one Morrigan had given to Elissa.
"You know, if you keep pulling it off your face like that it isn't going to do much good." Elissa chuckled, glancing at him from the corner of her eye as he tugged it away from his jaw again.
"I don't know what the one Morrigan gave you is made of, but mine is made of the same wool as that stupid cloak and it's itchy!" Alistair complained, scratching at his neck but securing it back into place all the same.
Elissa started to respond when a disheveled woman came jogging up to them from just around the bend in the road.
"Oh, thank the Maker! We need help!" she panted, frantically clutching at Elissa's arms and trying to drag her forward. "They attacked our wagons! Please… please help us!"
Elissa started to reach for her swords, but the woman insisted that the attackers were gone and she simply needed help righting the wagons and tending to the wounded. After asking Wynne and Morrigan if they would mind helping to heal anyone with major injuries – Elissa allowed the haggard woman to lead her forward.
"Watch her carefully." Sten's voice grumbled from just beyond Alistair's shoulder. "Something about this seems… off…"
Alistair nodded his agreement, and turned to continue following behind Elissa when he heard a popping and cracking off to the side.
"Elissa!" he yelled, taking off at a sprint as soon as he realized what was happening – and that the tree being pulled loose was going to fall on her before she even noticed she was walking into a trap.
The next thing Elissa remembered was Alistair scrambling off her and helping her to her feet as all chaos bloomed around them. Assassins sprung from the trees, the bushes, behind rocks and the fallen carts – they were surrounded. It had all been a ruse, and Elissa was livid.
She pulled loose her swords and tossed herself fully into battle, deflecting arrows and cutting down their attackers with ease. She stunned the one she perceived to be the leader and left him unconscious on the ground while she and her companions took care of the rest of them.
Taking one final look at the tree that would have killed her had Alistair not been paying attention, she stomped over to the unconscious man and prodded him with the toe of her boot – rolling him to his back and planting the foot firmly on his chest as he woke – allowing the blade of her sword to lay across her thigh just in case it was needed.
"Mmm… what? I… oh!" the elven man mumbled, looking up Elissa's long leg appreciatively as he came back to consciousness. "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."
"That could easily be rectified…" Elissa said, her words calm and even but still threatening.
"Of that, I have no doubt. You are most… skilled…" he said with a leer, tucking one arm behind his head and toying with the edge of her boot with his free hand. "However… if you haven't killed me, then you must have kept me alive for some purpose… yes?"
"You seem awfully glib for a man held prisoner at the end of my sword." Elissa noted, raising an eyebrow at him and holding a hand up to still Alistair's approach because he had started moving as soon as the elf had laid his hand on her boot.
"It is my way, or so I am told," he laughed, beginning to stroke at her leather covered toes. "Let's see… I assume you kept me alive to ask me some questions, yes? If so, let me save you some time and get right to the point. My name is Zevran. Zev to my friends. I am a member of the Antivan Crows, brought here for the sole purpose of slaying your fellow Grey Warden there and… retrieving you unharmed. Sadly, I have failed at both tasks."
"I'm rather happy you failed…" Elissa replied, tipping her head to Alistair as though to say 'I told you so' as the elf had now admitted exactly what she had already believed to be true – Howe wanted him dead, and her… for other things she'd rather not think too hard about.
"I would be happy too, were I in your shoes. For me, however, it sets a rather poor precedent, doesn't it?" Zevran continued, shrugging his shoulders. "Getting captured by one of your targets seems a tad detrimental to one's budding assassin career."
"Too bad for you then." Elissa shrugged, reaching a gloved finger over and toying with the point of her blade, hoping the motion relayed her waning patience.
"Yes, it's true… too bad for me…" the elf responded, seeming more turned on by her actions than upset or intimidated.
"Who hired you for this task?" Elissa asked, stopping her earlier motion and watching the elf sigh in disappointment.
"A rather taciturn fellow in the capital, Loghain, I think his name was." Zevran explained, fiddling with his chin as he tried to recall. "Yes, that was it… though I believe the idea was more his companion's than his own…"
"Shorter man, always frowning, large beak of a nose?" Elissa inquired, waving about her face as she described it.
"That would be him," the elf smiled.
"Howe." Elissa said, looking at her companions briefly in explanation and noting that Alistair was now especially worried. "When were you to see him next?"
"I wasn't." Zevran answered succinctly. "If I had succeeded, I would have returned home and the Crows would have informed your Loghain of the results… if he didn't already know, which – as I was to retrieve and deliver you to an agreed upon location… well, he would likely have an idea of my success," the elf chuckled, beginning to stroke a bit higher up her leg. "If I had failed… well, I would be dead, or should be – at least as far as the Crows are concerned. There would be no need to see Loghain then."
"If you had failed?" Elissa chuckled, raising an eyebrow at him and trying to suppress a smile.
"What can I say, I am an eternal optimist!" the elf laughed, his face completely alight with his smile. "Although… the chances of success at this point seem a bit slim, don't they?"
"How much were you paid?" Alistair asked, struggling to wrap his mind around everything.
"I wasn't paid anything." Zevran snipped, glancing at Alistair only for a moment before turning his full attention eagerly back to Elissa. "The Crows, however, were paid quite handsomely… or so I understood. The beak-nosed one, as you called him, seemed very… eager to have you back among his possessions."
"I was never one of his possessions!" Elissa hissed, dropping down so quickly it surprised everyone around her, the assassin's eyes gone wide in fear as she dug her knee into his chest and pressed the point of her blade into the skin of his throat.
"N-noted…" the elf stuttered out, his fear managing to overshadow his flirtatious demeanor - but only for a second – he soon replaced his mask as Elissa pulled back her blade and relaxed onto her heels. "Now, where was I… Oh, yes – as I said, I was paid nothing – making me as poor as a chantry mouse. Being an Antivan Crow isn't for the ambitious, to be perfectly honest."
"Then why be one?" Elissa asked, finally deciding the elf wasn't dangerous enough to warrant constant vigilance and sheathing her sword, though she kept him pinned to the dirt.
"Well, aside from a distinct lack of ambition to be anything else, I suppose it's because I wasn't given much of a choice." Zevran explained with a shrug , his eyes watching her cautiously as she put away her weapon. "The Crows bought me young, I was a bargain, too, or so I'm led to believe." He watched her note how he inspected each of her companions, all of whom remained armed though she was not. "But don't let my sad story influence you… the Crows aren't so bad. They keep one well supplied: wine, women, men… whatever you happen to fancy…" he smiled at her seductively and rubbed at her calf again. "Though, the whole severance package is garbage, let me tell you. If you were considering joining, I'd really think twice about it."
"Thanks." Elissa sighed, reaching over to remove his hand from her leg. "I'll take that under advisement."
"You seem like a bright girl…" he chuckled, allowing her to deter him for the moment. "I'm sure you have other options."
"So, after all this chatter I'm left wondering… just how loyal you could be to Howe and Loghain?" Elissa wondered, tapping at her bottom lip thoughtfully.
"I have no idea what their issues are with you… the usual, I'd imagine." Zevran noted, watching the way she worried at her full mouth with great interest. "You… threaten their… power… yes?" he muttered, completely distracted by her until she turned her piercing gaze on him, narrowing her green eyes just enough to bring him back to attention. "Beyond that, no… I'm not loyal to them. I was contracted to perform a service."
"And now that you've failed at that service?" Elissa asked, hearing the muttering begin among her companions as they began to realize where she was headed with this.
"Well… that's between Loghain and the Crows…" the elf explained, "and the Crows and myself."
"And between you and me." Elissa reminded him, pushing on his chest with her knee.
"Is that not what we're establishing now?" Zevran laughed, stroking at her calf once again.
"Why are you so willing to tell me all of this?" Elissa asked, ignoring his attempts at seduction for the moment. "I haven't tortured you or anything… I didn't even do a particularly good job of roughing you up to be perfectly honest. It usually takes quite a bit more effort on my part to have the canaries singing so sweetly to me."
"Why should I not?" the elf shrugged. "I wasn't paid for silence… not that I offered it, precisely."
"Aren't you at least loyal to your employers?" Elissa laughed, wondering if the man considered anything sacred.
"Loyalty is an interesting concept…" Zevran said, leering at her. "If you wish, and you're done interrogating me, we can discuss it further."
"I'm listening." Elissa said, moving away from his touch and walking to lean against a nearby fence, waiting for him to follow. "But make it quick… I already feel as though my time is being wasted, and wasted time leaves me very annoyed."
"Well, here's the thing…" he began, strolling over to stand in front of her. "I failed to kill you, so my life is forfeit… that's how it works. If you don't kill me, the Crows will." He moved closer still, boldly placing one hand on either side of her and bracing himself against the fence "The thing is, I like living… and you, obviously, are the sort who will give the Crows pause… so… let me serve you instead."
"You must think I'm royally stupid." Elissa laughed, refusing to reveal her hand just yet – though she had decided he would be more useful to her dead than alive some time ago.
"I think you're royally tough to kill. And utterly gorgeous." Zevran admitted, leaning forward to toy with a lock of her hair that had fallen loose from her cowl during their battle. "Not that I think you'll respond to simple flattery. But there are worse things in life than serving the whims of a deadly sex goddess."
"What's to stop you from finishing the job later?" Elissa asked, lightly shaking her head at Alistair who was furious that the assassin would dare to touch her and had started to advance again.
"To be completely honest, I was never given much of a choice regarding joining the Crows." The elf began, drawing away from her and realizing that he was going to have to lay it all out there if she was ever to believe him sincere. "They bought me on the slave market when I was a child. I think I've paid my worth back to them tenfold. The only way out, is for me to sign up with someone they can't touch. Even if I did kill you now, they would likely kill me on principle for failing the first time… so… I'd honestly rather take my chances with you."
"And I should expect the same amount of loyalty from you that your previous benefactors received, I suppose?" Elissa pressed, crossing her arms and fixing the elf with her most penetrating stare.
"I happen to be a very loyal person, up until the point where someone expects me to die for failing." Zevran replied, not faltering under her gaze the way most would in his position. "That's not really a fault, is it? I mean… unless you're the sort who would do the same thing… In which case, I don't come very highly recommended I suppose."
"Why would you be useful to me?" Elissa wondered, figuring there must be things that he was good at other than killing… or attempting to kill.
"Why? Because I am skilled at many things… from fighting, to stealth, to picking locks," he offered, watching her taking note of the things that she could already do just fine without him. "I could also warn you should the Antivan Crows attempt something more… sophisticated… now that my attempts have failed."
"And what do you want in return for these services?" Elissa asked, certain that no one did anything for free… least of all a hired assassin.
"Well… let's see… being allowed to live would be nice, and would make me marginally more useful to you." Zevran chuckled, moving closer to her. "And… somewhere down the line if you decide you no longer have need of me, then I go on my way. Until then… I am yours…" he said, smiling seductively as he put his arms on either side of her and leaned in close to her face – his nose almost touching her own. "I can also stand around and look pretty, if you prefer. Warm your bed…" he brushed his nose against hers lightly and glanced over with her at Alistair who had now decided to ignore her earlier request and stomped angrily toward them. "Fend off unwanted suitors…"
"Is this before or after you stab me in the back?" Elissa laughed, allowing Alistair to shove him away from her.
"These things you say… they must drive the men around you wild," the elf laughed, winking at Alistair who bristled angrily in response. "So, what shall it be? I will even shine your armor if that is what you desire. You won't find a better deal, I promise."
"Very well." Elissa said, chuckling a bit as she reached over to shake his hand. "I accept your offer."
"What? You're taking the assassin with us now?" Alistair hissed, glaring at him then back at her. "Does that really seem like a good idea?"
"Alistair, between you and Sten do you really think he's going to have the opportunity to get at me again?" Elissa sighed, reaching over to take his hands in hers and work her magic to soothe his nerves. "We could use him. As you have pointed out on many occasions, I am not very stealthy…"
"Ugh… all right… I see your point." Alistair huffed, tugging her closer and wrapping his arms around her waist if for no other reason than to show the assassin who was allowed to do that. "Still… if there were a sign that we are desperate, I think it just knocked on the door and said hello."
Elissa stretched up to kiss his cheek, mouthing thank you before turning back to the assassin who knelt down before her dipping his head forward.
"I hereby pledge my oath of loyalty to you, until such time as you choose to release me from it," the elf said, turning his face up to her with a smile. "I am your man, without reservation… this I swear."
Reaching down with a smile, Elissa took his hand and pulled him to his feet, getting them moving once again on their journey to Denerim.
Elissa breathed a sigh of relief as they entered the walls of Denerim, the irony of that action not lost on her. While in the city they would be in constant danger, yet Elissa was happy that her companions would also be forced to behave.
It had become apparent on their journey that Zevran and Alistair were not fans of one another. Aside from the differences in general principles (Alistair having too many built on Chantry naivete and Zevran having, well... none) – the two men both had a personal interest in Elissa – which made them natural enemies – but also seemed to make the assassin and Morrigan natural friends.
Zevran flirted mercilessly, as he had from the moment he'd opened his eyes and caught sight of her – and though Elissa noted that he would occasionally turn his attention to Leliana, Morrigan and even Wynne until she warned him away – he always returned to her. Alistair hated that, and it seemed to be all he could do to contain his temper.
Elissa had been forced to pull him aside at one point and assure him that she had no affection toward the elven assassin other than the use he could be in their quest. His flirtatious nature was just a part of who he was, and though anyone could see that his attentions toward Elissa were… different… than how he was toward just about everything else that moved, she knew that she needed Alistair to believe otherwise if they were to continue without blood being shed between the Templar and the assassin.
Eventually, Alistair caved, realizing that his possessive behavior was beginning to wear on Elissa and cause friction between them – and as their relationship was still in its infancy, he did not want to test her patience, and so he did the best he could to let it go.
As they moved into the city, an angry armored man planted himself in front of Elissa – glaring at her wickedly.
"I recognize you… from Ostagar…" he said, narrowing his eyes as he inspected her closer – and grabbing her arm when she tried to move away. "Andraste's blood! You're her… Duncan's apprentice!" he hissed, yanking her against him. "You killed my friend and good King Cailan… I demand satisfaction, ser."
"I did no such thing… Cailan was my friend as well as my king, and Duncan and the men who died along with him did not deserve what they suffered." Elissa hissed, jerking her arm free from his grasp and reaching up to tap at the hilt of her sword with twitching fingers as Alistair and Sten moved closer to her. "Now, lower your voice or I will be forced to silence it permanently."
"I have… heard of the Grey Warden's battle prowess… and you seem far more capable than you did at Ostagar…" the man admitted, eying her companions warily. "I won't throw my life away; too many depend on me… but by word and deed here, you condemn yourself, ser. A time will come when someone will make you pay for what you have done."
"I have no doubt that I will pay for the many sins I have committed and will continue to commit in the name of the greater good." Elissa admitted, her heart aching as she realized just how true that was. "But it will not be you who reaps the bounty from that. Now go, before I change my mind."
Alistair watched the way her shoulders fell as she walked away from the retreating man, as though the burden she carried had gained weight with the each of his damning words. He wished he could do more to help, to reassure her that she was not alone – and that the things that she did would not condemn her soul, but he had no idea what to say to that end.
In front of him the assassin darted over to a leaflet posted on the wall just outside the alienage, calling her attention to it.
"Don't believe the lies! Friends of the Grey Wardens assemble. The hidden pearl holds the key to resistance. The griffons will rise again!" Elissa read, tugging the poster loose and tucking it into her journal for another time. "Well, perhaps we aren't completely alone… I'm sure we'll be back in the city again; we might have to look into this. For now, let's keep moving."
Elissa patted Zevran on the shoulder thoughtfully as she put her journal back into her pack and continued to move in the direction Isolde had described Genitivi's house being.
"Wait!" Alistair called out, running to her side and laying a gentle hand on her arm. "That's my sister's house… I'm almost sure of it… this is…" he looked around, his mouth moving as he noted the surrounding house numbers. "Yes, this is the right address. Could we… go and see?"
"Wouldn't you rather meet her on your own?" Elissa asked, remembering how things had gone in his Fade meeting with his long lost sister and figuring he might want some time alone with her before being forced to introduce his… what was she? … girlfriend she supposed.
"Do I seem a little nervous?" he chuckled, running his hands through his hair. "I am. I really don't know what to expect… and I'd like you to be there with me, if you're willing." He reached over and took her hand, squeezing it affectionately. "Or, we could leave… I suppose. We really don't have time for a visit, do we? Maybe we should go…"
"Relax, Alistair, take a deep breath," she encouraged, reaching up to lay a hand against his cheek. "Let's go in and see if she's there. The others can wait out here for a moment. Okay?"
"Will she even know who I am? Does she even know I exist?" Alistair muttered, looking incredibly anxious as she moved them closer to the door. "My sister… hmm… that sounds very strange… sister… siiiiiiiiister…." He continued to mumble as Elissa guided him closer. "Now I'm babbling. Maybe we should just go. Let's go… just go…"
"Oh, no you don't." Elissa grabbed him, pulling the door open with one hand and shoving him inside with the other, then following behind him.
"Err… hello?" Alistair called out, glaring at Elissa momentarily for shoving him inside – and noting that she only shrugged and leaned casually against the wall in response.
"Eh? You have linens to wash?" a tired but still subtly attractive woman said, moving toward them. "I charge three bits on the bundle, you won't find better. And don't trust what that Natalia woman tells you either, she's foreign and she'll rob you blind."
"I'm… not here to have any wash done." Alistair explained, looking to Elissa for support when his voice faltered – and turning to continue when she smiled at him encouragingly. "I'm… well this might sound sort of strange… but are you Goldanna? If so, I suppose I'm your brother…"
"My what?" the woman hissed, eyes narrowing slightly. "I am Goldanna… yes, how do you know my name? What kind of tomfoolery are you folk up to?"
"He's telling the truth." Elissa insisted, keeping her voice even and calm – and slightly sweet because Alistair needed for this to go smoothly, and she owed him enough to help ease the process however she could. "Just listen to him."
"Look, our mother, she worked as a servant at Redcliffe Castle…a long time ago." Alistair continued, encouraged by Elissa's soothing voice. "Before she died… do you know about that? She…"
"You! I knew it!" Goldanna screeched, stepping forward angrily. "They told me you was dead! They told me the babe was dead along with mother, but I knew they was lying!"
"They told you I was dead?" Alistair gasped, moving forward himself. "Who? Who told you that?"
"Them's at the castle!" Goldanna sighed with irritation. "I told them the babe was the King's, and they told me he was dead. Gave me coin to shut my mouth, and sent me on my way. I knew it!"
"I'm sorry… I-I didn't know that." Alistair said, swallowing and pressing his eyes shut for a moment before reaching over to touch her arm. "Well, the babe didn't die. I'm him… I'm your brother."
"For all the good it does me!" Goldanna huffed, yanking her arm away before he could touch it. "You killed mother, you did, and I've had to scrape by all this time! That coin they gave didn't last long, and when I went back they ran me off!"
"That's hardly Alistair's fault." Elissa said, trying to maintain her calm though the look she gave the woman said everything the sweet tone of her voice did not.
"And who in the Maker's name are you?" Goldanna said, narrowing her eyes angrily. "Some tart following after his riches I expect!"
"Hey! Don't speak to her that way!" Alistair yelled, placing himself between them before Elissa could react to the insult the way he knew her temper would press her to. "She's my… girlfriend," he said finally, watching the way Elissa smiled at his use of the word. "And a Grey Warden, just like me!"
"Ooooh! I see… a prince and a Grey Warden!" Goldanna sneered, rolling her eyes at them. "Well, who am I to think poorly of someone so high and mighty compared to me?" She stepped forward, shaking a finger in his face. "I don't know you boy! Your royal father forced himself on my mother and took her away from me, and what do I got to show for it? Nothing. They tricked me good! I should have told everyone! But I didn't… and now I got five mouths to feed… so unless you can help with that, I got less than no use for you!"
"I-I'm sorry…" Alistair stuttered, faltering in the face of her angry accusations – never having thought that perhaps his life with Eamon and then in the Chantry could have been the better option. "I-I don't know what to say…"
"Goldanna." Elissa tried again, putting on her sweetest smile and shifting her voice to the most persuasive tone she had to offer. "Alistair only came here hoping to find his family, hoping to find some connection to his past."
"Well, he found it! And what good is that to me?" Goldanna laughed, glaring at the redhead as though she could force her to burst into flames with the heat from her eyes alone. "None, that's what, unless he can see that his family lives as it should!"
"I suppose maybe I could give her some money… for my nieces and nephews…" Alistair said hesitantly, looking to Elissa for confirmation. "Fifteen sovereigns maybe? Would you let me give her that?"
"Ugh… if you must." Elissa replied, rolling her eyes and digging loose the coin purse and tossing it to him. "But she'd better be grateful!" she hissed, glaring daggers at Goldanna who didn't even flinch. "And you'd better be glad Morrigan isn't here, she'd be livid we're giving her anything."
"Then here, Goldanna… take this money, I know it's not much but…" Alistair tried, pulling loose the amount he'd agreed upon.
"You, a prince, marching in here with your fancy armor and your pretty little girlfriend, and this is all you got to offer?" Goldanna scoffed, jingling the coin in her hands before tossing it to a nearby table. "You must think I'm very stupid!"
"No, wait!" Alistair pleaded, watching her turn to walk away. "That's not what I think at all. I want to help, if I can…"
"You want to help?" Goldanna replied, striding up to him and shaking her finger in his face again. "You go to whatever high-and-mighty folks yous run with and you tell them you got nieces and nephews ain't living like they got a right to. You go do that!"
"Let's go, Alistair." Elissa said gently, reaching for his hand and trying to lead him to the door. "There's nothing for you here."
"You're right," he admitted sadly, taking comfort in her hand lying softly within the grasp of his own. "I don't know why I came…"
"I don't know why you came either, or what you expected to find, but it isn't here!" Goldanna yelled, furious that she had lost any guilt she had once wielded to this other woman who was now leading her meal ticket out the door. "Now get out of my house, the both of you!"
"Someone ought to cut out that tongue of yours!" Elissa hissed, furiously spinning on the wash-woman who stumbled back in surprise before Alistair caught her by her upper arms, fighting to physically restrain her.
"No! Just… leave her alone… it's her house after all." Alistair said, trying to calm Elissa's temper as she fought against his grip. "Let's just go."
Elissa kicked at the door as it closed behind them, watching as Alistair waved their concerned companions away for a moment while he tried to diffuse her.
"Well… that was not what I expected, to put it mildly…" Alistair muttered nervously, watching Elissa pace and curse under her breath. "I'm sorry I gave her anything at all. This is the family I've been wondering about all my life? That gold-digging harridan? I can't believe it!" he shrugged and rubbed at the back of his neck sadly. "I… I guess I was expecting her to accept me without question. Isn't that what family is supposed to do? I-I'm such an idiot."
"You are not an idiot." Elissa said, striding over to him and grabbing his face in her hands – pulling him down to her so that his forehead rested against her own. "You don't need that woman, Alistair. You have others who care for you."
"The only person who ever really cared about me was Duncan, and he's gone." Alistair said sadly, closing his eyes against the pain of that memory.
"What about me?" Elissa asked sadly, stroking his cheek tenderly. "You know I care for you… or don't I count?"
"I… I'm sorry, I didn't think…" Alistair replied, his eyes finding hers and his breath catching when he saw how much she meant every word she said. "I… thank you, Elissa. I'm glad you were with me. Now… let's go. I don't want to think about this anymore."
They had narrowly avoided calling too much attention to themselves with the city guard twice, leaving Alistair so flustered it required almost all of Elissa's focus just to keep him from running screaming for the nearest exit and dragging her along behind him. It was for this reason that Elissa, in her distraction, ran head on into the side of the head of the guard himself.
"Let me guess." Sergeant Kylon sighed, helping to right the young woman who had just barreled into him before she toppled onto the ground in front of him. "You're here to report another crime. I swear… we should just cordon off the entire district!" He chuckled in his frustration and looked to the men at his sides who nodded their response, before his eyes finally focused in on the face of the woman in front of him. "Oh! I'm sorry… I assumed you were…" he released his hold on her, smiling slightly. "How can I help you, Warden?"
"How do you know who I am?" Elissa whispered, looking to see if anyone other than her companions and his guards had heard the label he placed on her.
"Your likeness was passed around to the senior guardsmen at the palace," he explained, allowing his eyes to appreciate the delicate features of her face hidden in the shadows of her cowl. "I must say, my Lady, the sketch did not do you justice." He noted that the elf behind her chuckled appreciatively until he was silenced by a glare from her large blonde companion – who he knew from the same sketches to be the other Warden. "Don't worry… even if I believed the official story of what happened at Ostagar, I'm no fool. If I asked my men to apprehend you, they'd all run and cry big, sobby tears in their courtesan's bosoms and leave me here to be skewered," he explained, glaring in disgust at the men on either side of him until they looked away in shame. "Just, don't disturb the peace in the market and that will do well enough for me to look the other way."
"Is the market really that bad off?" Wynne asked, the entire company relaxing when they realized the city guard wasn't the least bit interested in them.
"The lower market wasn't deemed important by the Captain of the Guard when King Cailan was alive, and it's even less so with Arl Howe in charge," the Sergeant sniffed, "so when I finally got the new men I requested, I got the delightful surprise of discovering they're Lord-so-and-so's illegitimate, untrained, moronic whelp." He noted a cringe from the blonde before the other Warden patted his arm softly. "The lords just keep sending me more of them – it's decent pay with little expectations… and they get to wear a uniform… and so now I have a legion of bastards to protect the market from pick-pocketing, stabbings and what not." He cleared his throat, watching as the large blonde Warden turned away at his use of the word bastard. "Arl Howe's specially picked lot, being the worst of the bunch."
"The Arl and I have a… rich history you could say…" Elissa muttered, trying to give a convincing smile over her gritting teeth. "I'd be curious to hear more about these men he's been sending you."
"Well, with the stupid bastards all I have to worry about is dicing, the odd bit of drool, or that I might yell at them too loudly and hurt their poor feelings resulting in my being chewed out by their noble fathers." Kylon groused, crossing his arms angrily as he thought on it. "But the Arl's men… now they are more criminal than the miscreants we occasionally arrest! Hell, some of them are the criminals we have to arrest! It's put me in the position where I have to tell the people of the city if their lifeblood isn't draining into the gutter as we speak, then it's really just a waste of their time to report it."
"Perhaps I can help…" Elissa offered, waving off the flutter of complaints from her companions. "Not at the moment, as I have urgent business to attend to, but when my travels bring me back to the city I could lend a hand?"
"What? Are you serious?" the Sergeant laughed, relaxing his pose when he realized she was. "I mean, yes… yes I could use help. I got a pretty popular establishment that's crawling with mercenaries. If I send my boys in, someone might get – Maker forbid – hurt, and then I'll have to explain to Lord-such-and-such that being a guard is, in fact, dangerous."
"What is the name of this establishment?" Elissa asked, anxious to get the details and move on.
"It's called the Pearl…" Kylon began.
"The whorehouse?" Elissa asked, raising an eyebrow at him.
"You know of it?" the Sergeant chuckled, raising an eyebrow in return. "Well… now, isn't that interesting…" he noted that several of her companions seemed to agree with that assessment before continuing. "I need you to go there and beat down any mercenaries that might be lingering, send them a message. Now I said beat down, not kill. Let me make that really clear," he stressed, watching her eyes flash something that she quickly hid back below before he could put a name on it. "Don't set them on fire, or explode them, or any other type of grisly death Maker knows you could dream up." He realized he'd gone too far when she began to tap her toe in irritation. "Sorry… used to giving orders to my incompetent boys. Just leave them alive, that's all I'm saying."
"I'll pop in when I can, and let you know when it's been taken care of," she agreed, shaking his hand and moving to take her leave.
"Thank you, Warden." Kylon whispered. "Happy hunting…"
The knowledge that they would be virtually unhindered by the city guard who had their hands full with more pressing issues, made it easy for them to take a more direct route through the market district and into Genitivi's home. A short, dark-haired man paced about inside – turning to them hurriedly as they came through the door.
"Yes? What are you doing here?" the man asked, tilting his chin up in accusation.
"I am looking for Brother Genitivi." Elissa explained, looking at him suspiciously for his behavior was shaky and unusual.
"Brother Genitivi? Why?" the man replied, his eyes narrowing as he looked over the group standing before him.
"I shall make my purpose known to Genitivi and no other." Elissa answered, crossing her arms over her chest and staring at him rigid in her purpose.
"Then I am afraid you will leave with your purpose unfulfilled," the man retorted, crossing his own arms. "I am his assistant, Weylon. I haven't seen Brother Genitivi in weeks. He sends no word, which is quite unlike him. I grow afraid something has happened to him. His research into the Urn is likely to have led him into danger."
"Why would searching for a ridiculous relic that probably doesn't even exist be dangerous?" Elissa asked, snorting derisively at his assertion.
"Ah, a non-believer, I see." Weylon said, looking at her with disgust. "Perhaps the Urn was merely lost, and with reason…" he turned his attention to her companions, trying to press his story further. "I pray every day for his safety, but my hope dwindles as more time passes. I-I tried to send help, but some knights from Redcliffe came looking for him not long ago. I sent them after Genitivi, and now, they too have disappeared…"
"If you don't know where he is and have received no word of his condition, then how do you know that the knights have also disappeared?" Elissa asked, suddenly very suspicious as the holes in the story he was weaving became more and more evident.
"Well, they… haven't returned – and they have sent no word either!" the man finally managed to sputter out.
"Why on earth would they send word to you?" Elissa huffed, shaking her head at him. "From your explanation of things, these men hardly knew you."
"I… I don't know… I suppose they wouldn't." Weylon admitted, looking away sheepishly then turning back in anger. "But after what happened to Genitivi, can you blame me for assuming the knights had suffered the same fate? Perhaps I am a pessimist… I hope I am wrong."
"So, where did they go?" Elissa asked, attempting to maintain some amount of civility while the man continued to toss lie after lie in her face.
"No, don't ask me where they went," the man insisted, shaking his head. "You'll go after them, and what if ill-luck befell you too? This search is a curse on all who take it up. Some things are not meant to be found. I know that now."
"I am willing to risk it." Elissa insisted, her tone losing most of its softness. "Tell me where he went."
"So be it." Weylon said, fluttering his hands about in a huff and going to retrieve a map for her. "He said he would be staying at an inn near Lake Calenhad, investigating something in the area."
"What exactly was he investigating?" Elissa asked, inspecting the map he had given her then passing it to Alistair so that he could plot their course.
"I don't know," the man insisted. "All I learned from going through his research was that he was staying at that inn."
"From going through his research… but you just said you spoke to him and he told you about the inn?" Elissa said, eyes fully narrowed now as she caught him in his lies. "Which is it then?"
"He told me, and then I went through his things to see if I could find other clues about what he was investigating." Weylon said, trying desperately to cover his tracks as his web of lies unraveled.
"You sound nervous, Weylon." Elissa said, her voice going sickly sweet though the glitter in her eyes betrayed it. "Are you hiding something?"
"N-no! I told you everything I know," the man insisted, backing away from her as she moved toward him – stumbling as he bumped against the table. "Brother Genitivi told us… told m-me about the inn, and that's all!"
"Us? Who's us?" Elissa pressed, worrying at the man like a mabari at a bone.
"Us? I mean me… T-there is no us… Bah! Why do I keep up this charade?" he asked, suddenly reaching to grab the sword that had been lying discarded on the table at his side. "I gave you a chance to turn aside and forget you ever heard of Genitivi, but you persisted. What happens now is on your head! Remember that!"
The man was no fighter, that much was clear from the ease with which he was disarmed and dispatched by Sten after Elissa dodged his initial blow. With a bit more careful inspection of Genitivi's home, they soon had all the information they needed to find the inn he'd last been seen at, and a working idea of what he'd gone after.
They also knew that the man they'd just put down was not his assistant Weylon, as the real Weylon's body lay rotting in a back room. A bit unsettled but still focused on their task, Elissa shuffled the group out of Genitivi's home and toward the gates of the city. She'd just about gotten them through it when a young boy came running up behind her, grabbing her hand and bringing her to a halt.
"Message for you, m'lady," the boy said, pressing something into her hand.
"Wha…" Elissa began; unable to finish when the boy turned and started to run the other way.
"More things to deliver! Goodbye," he called back over his shoulder, leaving a very confused Elissa to unwrap her missive and give it a look.
"Looks like we aren't leaving quite yet." Elissa sighed, rubbing at her brow before handing the missive over to Zevran, ignoring the look Alistair shot her when he was passed over in favor of the elf – knowing he would understand the moment the elf answered her question. "That name mean anything to you?"
"Master Ignacio… ah, I should have known…" Zevran smirked, passing the missive back to her and watching as she stuffed it into her pack and moved off toward the Gnawed Noble. "Proceed with caution, my dear Warden…"
"I always do, Zevran… I always do…" she laughed, watching as he fell in beside her, leaving Alistair trailing slightly behind.
Elissa was tired, and out of patience. She knew it was dangerous to linger in Denerim, regardless of how little the city guard cared for Howe's bounty on her head, and wanted nothing more than to be out of the city and on her way to Soldier's Peak to replenish their supplies before pressing forward toward Haven. It was for this reason she was less than polite as she barreled into Ignacio's room, full company in tow.
"Ah, I see you have come about my note," the man said, unphased by her abrupt entry or the large group of armed companions clustered behind her. "Perhaps there are some things we can talk about…"
"Just see the conversation stays civil!" Zevran warned, fingers lingering on the small throwing knife at his hip as he pressed close to Elissa. "If this is a trap…"
"Zevran, is it?" Ignacio said, sneering at the elf. "You are Taliesin's responsibility. Other Crows may try to kill you, but in my eyes, you are already dead – so you are of no notice." He spared the elf no more time before turning back to Elissa. "But the Warden here… she is of great interest to me."
"You were hired to kill me, I would think your interest began and ended in the bounty on my head." Elissa replied, crossing her arms and glaring at the man.
"I cannot stress enough that I was not hired to do anything." Ignacio insisted, shaking his head and glaring again at Zevran. "An… associate was hired for that job, and he failed – and failed badly."
"I'd like to see you do any better!" Zevran hissed, taking a step forward before Elissa stopped him by wrapping an arm across his chest – he relaxed quickly, enjoying the contact and the glare it warranted from the Templar.
"Do you take me for a fool? That's a contract I'd never have taken!" Ignacio chuckled, clearing his throat and moving back to his original point. "A client can always hire more… help, if the job isn't done properly the first time… but I'm hoping we can make sure that doesn't need to happen."
"Zevran, is this true?" Elissa asked, turning her face to the elf who had now taken the hand of the arm she'd wrapped across him and was toying languidly with her finger tips.
"I've heard of only one time the entire House of Crows was hired for a job." Zevran admitted, rubbing at the inside of her arm with his other hand as he moved his glance between Ignacio and his Warden companion. "A princely sum changed hands and an entire noble family died, not one soul survived. I suppose Ignacio has the right of it… generally it is one master, one job."
"All right, I'm listening…" Elissa said, turning her attention back to Master Ignacio.
"Ferelden is a busy place… Blight, Civil War, other… mayhem…" Ignacio explained, waving his hands about theatrically. "Lots of people not getting along… and sometimes, maybe they really don't get along. Maybe they want to do something about it…" he grinned at her conspiratorially. "The people that handle that sort of thing can get very… busy."
"So you're looking to hire help? Is that what this is?" Elissa asked, raising an eyebrow at him curiously – and feeling the rumble of laughter roll through Zevran's chest where it pressed against her arm.
"You could say that… not many people we could turn to…" Ignacio replied, shrugging his shoulders nonchalantly. "Perhaps someone who has crossed our path and lived… maybe they could help out… make some extra coin. Everyone wins."
"And, say this someone who survived were interested in making some coin… how would that sort of thing work, exactly?" Elissa inquired, playing her hand the way he had dealt it – full of metaphor and innuendo.
"I hand you a scroll, you read it, learn about something… interesting." Ignacio began, pacing a bit as he wove his offer. "If you discover something… happens to the individual you've learned about, something… unfortunate… then we would speak again, and I would give you coin for letting me know," he explained, winding his long fingers together. "You don't like what's on the scroll… you don't do anything. Maybe he has an accident that someone else tells me about."
"If I do this for you, I want no more Crows after me." Elissa insisted, narrowing her eyes on him. "And I want them called off Alistair and Zevran as well."
"That I cannot do." Ignacio said, shaking his head – and noting the look of surprise that passed over the elf's face when she had inadvertently asked for his freedom – though she did not notice it. "Another master has a contract on you and your fellow Warden, and a separate one on your assassin, and the contracts of another master are something I cannot interfere with." He watched her sigh in frustration, and knew he was losing his opportunity. "But… if you help us out, maybe those masters ask us for help in completing these contracts and gets… silence…"
"I think we can let the innuendo die now, Ignacio." Elissa sighed, having long ago lost patience with the metaphor. "We both know what this is about."
"You can never be too careful…" Ignacio huffed, crossing his arms. "Can you blame me for being circumspect?"
"Just give me the damn scroll." Elissa hissed, holding out her hand and shushing Alistair before he could fully begin to complain.
"There you go." Ignacio said, smiling as he laid it in her hand. "Makes for fine reading."
"You are a cautious little weasel, Ignacio… what's your angle?" Zevran wondered aloud, inspecting the scroll in Elissa's hand over her shoulder. "If you're playing us false…"
"My dance is not for you!" Ignacio hissed, glaring at Zevran who simply smiled in response as he continued to stroke at Elissa's arm. "I need to be real… honest sometimes. And, I can say I haven't asked anyone to do anything. I only gave someone something interesting to read."
"And you think that will save your hide when someone finally nails it to a wall?" Zevran laughed, rolling his eyes.
"I said that you're already dead in my eyes, whoreson." Ignacio spat, glaring at Zevran. "Take care that I don't learn otherwise. Now… it appears your mistress has accepted my literature, so, if that is all… then you should be going."
Elissa nodded, pulling her arm loose from Zevran's grip and moving through her group out into the hall. Alistair's footfalls were heavy as he made his way to her side, and she could feel the irritation radiating off him as he glared at the assassin.
"So now we're taking out contracts for the Antivan Crows?" Alistair hissed, glaring at her.
"If it makes you feel better, I don't intend to have you be a part of it." Elissa retorted, tucking the scroll away. "If I can get the bounty off our heads then I have to do it, Alistair. Just don't ask where I'm going if I disappear for awhile and you can continue to sleep with a clean conscience."
"You expect me to just let you wander off to kill people, Elissa," he yelled, grabbing her arm and pulling her to a standstill. "What if you don't come back?"
"I won't go alone," she replied, the slight movement of her eyes to the elf telling him everything he needed to know about her choice of companionship for these activities.
"You don't have to do this Elissa." Alistair begged, pressing down the anger that welled up in him at the bond he could already see forming between the two rogues. "We've managed this long with a price on our heads, we can…"
"They are going to kill you, Alistair – why do you refuse to see that?" Elissa screamed, shoving him so hard that he slammed against the wall of the inn and knocked a painting loose from it. "I don't care if they catch me, Howe will find a way in the end… I've come to terms with that… but you… if anything happened to you I'd…. I-I'd…" He reached out for her, but she pulled away. "I can't take the chance. Don't come with me if you want, keep your hands clean, but I won't gamble with your life. I love you too much."
With that she stormed away, pushing the door to the inn open in her frustration, and barreling out into the street with the assassin hot on her heels. Alistair stood in stunned silence for a while before gathering himself enough to follow behind the rest of his companions who were already headed out the door.
Elissa had nearly run down the man seeking entry to the tavern she had been so furious as she'd left it. She had been so upset, she hadn't even bothered to toss an apology – noting that Zevran tossed him a companionable nod.
"Another friend?" she growled, her jaw tense in frustration as the elf slid an arm around her shoulder.
"No one important," he replied, steering them toward the main gates and out onto the road where they would make their way to Soldier's Peak.