Leilani had witnessed this exchange from the hillside against the rear of the establishment. She used her 'eye of eagle, ear of bat, nose of bear' magic and could see through the windows of all eight rooms of the L-shaped building from her vantage point in between two fig tree. Fergus and the knights were still at a tavern next door, insisting that the boy wasn't drunk enough yet if he felt nervous. So she started climbing back down the hillside and silently made her way up the same trellis to the brothel's roof, following in Zevran's footsteps.
She found the boy staring up at the stars, arms folded across his chest with his head resting on a towel. Torchlight flickering up from the courtyard below illuminated him just enough so she could see the large welt on the side of his face. Leilani frowned, then decided she would reveal herself to him after all.
Not wanting to startle him too much, she moved back a few steps before releasing her Cloak of Shadow. "Hello, Zevran."
The boy swore, then relaxed as he realized it was the same strange Ferelden girl from earlier that day. "Hello to you, too. I was just thinking about you, and here you appear like some witch of the wilds. What are you doing here, and up on the roof, no less? I'm beginning to think you are perhaps not a normal human child after all." He continued laying on the roof.
"Well, you're certainly more observant than most adults. But no, I really am a child. At least in body. It's strange though. I can remember things that no one has taught me, and do things that my auntie says even mages don't do." The girl shrugged, then reached into her pocket to retrieve the cookies. She gave one to Zevran, who nibbled on it slowly, trying to savor the rare treat.
"I decided to come along and make sure my brother and his knights make it safely back to the Farinno estate. Father was worried that they might be robbed and left for dead or something." Leilani continued, munching her cooking thoughtfully.
"Oh? And what could a little girl do….never mind. I don't want to know." He replied.
"I once killed a man for trying to rape my Auntie Lenora. So I suppose I will do whatever it takes to help defend my brother, too." She added.
The elven boy stilled. "Lenora. Wasn't that the name of the elf woman you were travelling with today? How can she be your aunt?"
"She's not really my aunt. She's my great-aunt. My grandmother's sister."
"Oh." Zevran had no idea what it would be like, to actually live with family members who cared about you. But if this girl had to defend one of them from being raped; well, perhaps her life was not that much unlike his own.
"So, who struck you today?"
"Huh? Oh, that. Eh, it's nothing. The woman who supervises the house where I live…"
"The other whore house."
"Yes, the other one is called The Veil and it works with girls at this one too. Anyway, that woman is crazy. She beats us kids all the time. But now everybody says I'm getting too old and will be sold off soon."
"Sold off? What do you mean, she…this woman can just sell you? Does she really own you?" Leilani scooted closer to the boy.
"Little girl, I am an elf, or haven't you noticed?" He pointed to his ears. "My mother died when I was born, like so many other mothers. That woman has let me stay in her house for this much time, and she can sell me off whenever she wants to. I suppose I'm lucky to still be alive. And I can't play music like Torrodo can. The occasional beating is not so bad, no?"
"I…I guess not. But it still seems terrible to beat on somebody who can't fight back. If anyone ever tried to beat me, I would fight them back and make them hurt so bad, they wouldn't want to ever try again."
"Yeah, well, I don't know anything about fighting. Not yet."
Leilani decided that she would heal his face. The golden-haired boy was handsome and smart, and interesting, after all. She reached out and briefly touched his cheek, her palm lighting up for a second to indicate the channeling forth of healing energies. This being the second time she healed someone, she instinctively reflected on the finer points of the magic involved and realized that she would not have to actually touch someone to heal them again.
Zevran sat up, surprised and confused for a moment. "Hey, what did you do?" he asked, feeling his face for a moment.
"It's a healing, silly."
"Oh, is that what it feels like? Nobody heals an elf. You Fereldens sure are weird!" This girl was definitely crazy and dangerous. Only a desperate fool would try to rob her. And he was no fool.
"No, you Antivans are weird!" she protested. "How can somebody own somebody else? Everyone is equal in the Fade. It almost makes me sick, being in such a beautiful place with such ugly things going on all the time. It doesn't matter to me if someone is a human, or elf, or anything else. One day, when I become a Great Power, I will make sure that this thing never happens again. Not in all of Thedas!"
The boy stared at her, surprised at the fierceness of her remark. "Really? No slaves in all of Thedas… even the Tevinter's lands? I don't know if the Maker could even do that."
Leilani sighed and sat back down on the warm roof tiles. The night air had grown cool, and there was a light breeze blowing across the bay. "This just seems too terrible sometimes. I almost cannot stand it." She added, softly.
"There, there, little one. It is not all bad. There are cookies, and cool drinks, and scented baths, and… and kisses!"
"Kisses? What do you mean?"
"You know, kisses. Like when the nobles pay me to give them kisses while they wait for the whores in the lobby."
"What? They pay you to give them…but you're just a boy!"
Zevran laughed at his companions naïveté. "Trust me, I could be forced to do far worse, I'm sure. Why last year, my friend Torrodo was given to one of the nobles for two nights. When he returned his bottom was sore and bleeding, and he had trouble sitting down for a week. But we ate very well that week, yes we did." He stopped chuckling when he noticed her serious expression.
Once again, Leilani was shocked to silence. A little boy had been forced to have sex for money? Leilani remembered observing the act of sex a couple years ago while lurking around the servant's side of her castle. Two elves were copulating in a broom closet while they were supposed to be washing some linens. She had been curious, and watched the entire performance with detachment. She knew what sex was, and had even asked Lenora a few questions about it, which of course she answered with straightforwardness. But this Antiva was indeed a terrible place, if even children could be forced to do things like that. Things that should give pleasure, not pain.
She looked towards the street and noticed her brother and the knights making their way towards The Oasis. Ser Lawrence was staggering unsteadily, but all of them were laughing heartily, clearly having fun. They were oblivious to the horrible things happening all around them.
"And by the way, thank you for the sovereign. I am saved from having to kiss any drunken men tonight." Zevran interrupted her thoughts.
"Don't worry, you wouldn't have to be kissing any of MY people." She retorted.
The elf laughed. "Oh? Are you sure? What about you, my young friend…would you pay me a few coins for some soft kisses?"
Leilani suddenly felt embarrassed, and didn't know why she couldn't stop smiling foolishly after he asked her that. He took it as an invitation, and lightly kissed her on the lips.
"See, that's not so bad, now is it?"
"No, I guess not. But I'm not paying you for it!"
"Ouch! You wound me, harsh temptress!" he teased her further.
"Hmmmph. Actually, can I hire you to do something for me?"
"Sure, what is it?"
"If you're going to be up for another hour or so, could you please make sure my brother and the knights get back to the Farinno's guest villa? You know, the one up on the hill with the blue window shutters, about half a mile from here?"
"Huh, that was the Voltoro estate just last month. Sure, I have nothing better to do."
"Great! I'll give you one sovereign now, and the other when they get home safe. My room is at the far right on the back side of the house, and there's a trellis near there too. I'll leave a sheet hanging out the window so you'll know it's okay to come in. Is that alright?"
"Yes, no worries. It's cooler now. The walk is uphill, but not too bad, even for drunks. Where are you going?"
"I'm getting tired, and it doesn't look like any unsavory characters are about. At least not in this area of town. So I'm heading up now. But I have one more question."
"Yes?"
"Do any of the whores here not really want to sell their bodies? Are they being forced to perform?"
Zevran wrinkled his brow for a moment, trying to figure out the best way to answer that question. "No, I don't think so. Maybe when they first started doing it, but not now. Besides, what else is there for them to do that makes so much money and let's them live in elegance here on the waterfront?" He took a deep breath of the salty sea air.
Leilani shrugged, pressed a gold coin into the boy's hand and left the comfort of the roof.
