"Anders," Nathaniel said under his breath. "Will you please shut up." Nathaniel peered around a corner. Indicating it was safe, he made the turn and we followed him.

"But Nathaniel. Just look at her." He gestured at me.

"I am aware, mage, that she looks absurd. But you need to shut your mouth."

"Don't call me mage. I have a name you know."

I sighed and pushed Anders' shoulder against a wall. "Look, I understand that you think I look silly. However, we are sneaking through the city and you need to be quiet. Otherwise we'll have to come up with something else to call you. Like Anders the Tongueless. Or Anders the Bald."

He squeaked in alarm and nodded his head. I ran my hand over my hair, sighing. We had left the brothel in search of this Pietro Zistri's home. Being out in the open made me nervous. However, Anders was right. I did look ridiculous.

I had one of the girls help me braid my hair and twist it into a bun. Edan had made me an outfit that was reminiscent of what most of Ferelden's noble women wore, except that it had pants instead of a skirt. Yes, it was ugly, but I wanted to look harmless and stay mobile.

Initially, I had some vague plan that included Nathaniel turning me over to Zistri. Now that we were here, I wasn't sure about my original ideas. Just being in Antiva made my palms itch and the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.

Antiva City was a maze of blind alleys and dead end streets. Nathaniel had looked at a map and was guiding us. Even with his skills, it took us over two hours to find our destination.

Nathaniel looked at me in the torchlight. "Are you sure about your plan?"

I nodded. "Too late now to do more preparing or research. Let's go."

Nathaniel pushed the gate open. He grabbed my arm and dragged me through. I scrambled to keep my feet under me as he strode to the door. Anders trailed behind us.

Pounding on the door, Nathaniel shouted, "Pietro Zistri! We have business, you and I."

The door swung open to reveal a well appointed interior. A servant, who had actually opened the door, led us in. We followed him into a study. The room was brightly lit; overly so, there were a multitude of candles, lanterns, and a roaring fire.

Anders sat in a chair. Nathaniel stood, keeping his grip on my arm. After a few minutes a man entered. I could tell he was important, at least in his own mind. He dripped with velvet, furs, and gems. His beard was absurdly pointy, and he stroked the end as he surveyed us.

"What is this?" His voice was heavily accented. "I am trying to have supper when I am interrupted by a dog lord. So. What business do dog lords have with Pietro Zistri?"

"Rumor has it that you wish the death of a certain Grey Warden," Nathaniel said, pushing me forward. "She killed my father, took over my family home, and forced me to become a Grey Warden." He gave my arm a jerk and I went down on my knees.

Zistri's hooded eyes glittered. "So. One woman to create such havoc. What is your price for such a prize?"

"Peace of mind. She is beautiful, yes, but dangerous and fickle." Nathaniel released my arm and sat. I shot him a look of confusion that had nothing to do with the plan.

"Ah, I see." Zistri strode toward me, and I couldn't help but recoil. He tipped my chin up, forcing me to look him in the eyes.

What I saw terrified me. His eyes were blank. Even Howe's eyes held hatred. Zistri's eyes were entirely devoid of emotion. I was looking into the eyes of a madman.

I slid my eyes up and down his body. I wasn't armed in the usual sense, and I was looking for any weapons he had on him. Nothing. I glanced around the room. No armaments decorating the walls. No guards, either, from which to obtain equipment.

I began to fear.

Zistri finished his inspection of my face. He stepped back and clasped his hands behind his back. "One little woman. Do you know why, little warden, I have invested so much time, money, and lives on you?"

I shook my head, not daring to speak.

"From when I was a boy, I have dreamed of being a great Crow Master. One day, I found an elven boy. He was for sale, you see, from the brothel. He had a great fire in his eyes, and never flinched when I beat him."

Zistri had begun to pace. I wondered if he meant Zevran. Poor Zev. The entire Crow system was abhorrent.

"So. This elven boy. I raised him up to be the greatest. He wasn't the best, but he was successful. He took a commission in Ferelden and failed. Now, failing from time to time is not unexpected. What I did not expect was for him to betray the Crows."

I got the feeling that Zev's betrayal of the Crows ran deeper than I knew. This man, this lunatic, placed much more than loyalty on Zev. I wondered how fast I could get to my feet.

"You ruined him, my greatest creation. You brought shame to my Crows." He looked down at me. "And now, I will kill you."

"Where is Zevran?"

He waved a hand dismissively. "He is in my dungeon, where he will stay until he comes to his senses."

That was something. Zevran was alive, and now it was time to finish this. I brought my hands to my belt buckle. I sent up a quick prayer to the Maker that Wade's design was good.

Zistri continued on his tirade, enumerating on the various ways he would kill me. I slipped the t shaped buckle in between my right index finger and middle finger. I realized that he was lost in his delusion that I had somehow ruined the Crows. He wasn't paying attention to me as I eased into crouch. I flicked my eyes to Nathaniel, who nodded almost imperceptibly.

Zistri turned his back, arms flailing. I launched myself up. In the blink of an eye, I yanked out the blade from my belt buckle. Before he turned around, I was on him, opening up a small cut on his neck. The blade was shorter than my little finger, but it cut deep enough to open an artery.

He grabbed his neck as he gurgled and died. Anders and Nathaniel sprang up. We stood back to back, surveying the room. I strained my ears, listening for guards. The entire house was silent.

The side door opened. The three of us turned, prepared to fight. Instead, four men and one woman entered the room. They looked at Zistri's body and nodded to each other. They huddled together, murmuring. They came to some consensus and turned to us.

One of the men stepped forward. He glanced at the body again. "We thank you for dealing with this... distraction."

I shook my head. "What? He was just a distraction to you? Who are you people?"

"We are the other guild masters. You now have the full assurances of those present that no Crow will ever take a contract out on you again."

I felt Anders and Nathaniel shift at my back. "Oh, no more contracts out on me then. No." I clenched my fists. "That's not good enough. If I so much as hear a crow fly overhead, I will return. I promise you, if I do, I won't leave a member of your little assassin club alive. I will burn Antiva City to the ground." My voice rose as my pulse pounded in my ears. "I will hunt you all down if one of your Crows so much as sets a foot in Ferelden."

The spokesman looked at the other leaders. They all nodded. "As you wish. No more Ferelden contracts."

As a unit, they turned and left. We searched the house, finding the dungeon. Anders lit the torches as Nathaniel and I looked in each cell. It was damp and rank.

When we found Zevran's cell, Nathaniel picked the lock. I peered in as the door swung open. It wasn't so bad, considering it was a dungeon cell. I had certainly seen worse in Rendon's Howe's basement. There was a central pillar with iron rings dangling around it. One ring had chains through it. The chains met at the manacles on Zevran's wrists and ankles.

He was curled up into a ball and only wearing smalls. I knew it was him because of the tattoos. Otherwise, he was so filthy, I didn't recognize him. I knelt at his side and touched his shoulder. I nodded to Anders, who also knelt. His hands glowed blue as he check Zevran for injuries.

Zevran rolled onto his back, knees up. He held out his arms for Nathaniel to begin unlocking the manacles.

Zevran licked his cracked lips. "Ah, Querida. You have come for me at last."

"Zev, what in the Maker's name is going on?" I sat back on my heels and appraised him. I heard the click of the manacles unlocking and the clank of them hitting the floor.

Anders brushed off his hands. "He's underweight, but he looks good." Zevran smirked at him. "I mean he's healthy, more or less. I'll wait in the hall."

I watched Anders stride off, shadows bouncing off of the walls. Nathaniel moved to the manacles at Zev's ankles. His hands moved deftly and I turned back to Zev.

"Is Zistri...," Zevran asked?

"Very much dead. What is going on? I rushed here, expecting a major battle, and all I find is a lone crazy man."

"My dear Warden. Welcome to Antiva and it's politics." He sat up and rubbed his wrists. "I approve of your new companions." He eyed Nathaniel, who folded his arms and stared back. "You always did travel with the pretty ones."

"Shut up, Zevran." I stood and held my hand out to him. He wobbled a bit, but managed to stand. "So do we need to sneak you out of here or what?"

"I think I am free to go." He looked down at his filthy body, the tattoos that swirled down his body nearly hidden by dirt. "I would like a bath at some point."

"Of course. I have a room at Cuevas Pintores."

Zev threw his head back and laughed. "Ah, of course you do. Lissa is still the madame, yes? Good good. We shall go there."