On his way back from the palace, Zevran stopped by the armorers. He realized he'd never gone to pick up the armor that he'd been going to get when Jessimyn was injured. When he got the large bag of equipment back to the compound, he began going through it. Most of it was stuff that had simply needed to be repaired, but there were a few new items he'd collaborated with the armorer on. Specifically, there were two sets of gauntlets he'd had made, and he tried the first set on. Happy with the results, he picked up the second pair to take them to Jessimyn, who would be their new owner.

He went into her barracks, to her office, but she was not there, so he knocked on her sitting room door. After a moment, she opened it just a crack and stuck her head out. "Yes?"

Zevran raised his eyebrows. What was she trying to hide? "I have something for you," he said, holding up the gauntlets.

She looked confused. "Those aren't mine."

He nodded. "They are now. Come, I want to show you how they work."

Jessimyn stepped out into the hallway and pulled the door shut behind her. "I'm aware of how to wear gauntlets, Zev."

Zevran smiled. "Of course, but these are no ordinary gauntlets." He beckoned her to go outside with him, and she followed. Once outside, he handed her the set he'd been holding so that he could demonstrate his own. "I've had the armorer working on these. Watch." He held up his arms, and then with the slightest movement of his thumb, blades sprung out from his wrists.

"How... did you do that?" She asked.

He turned his hands over so that Jessimyn could see the undersides of his arms. "There's a spring, and a catch." He caught a fingernail on a tiny protrusion and slid it back, once again concealing the blades. "See, right here? If you trigger this with your thumb, they'll pop out." He pressed the catch again.

Jessimyn furrowed her brow. "That seems... dangerous, Zev. What if you accidentally press it when your fingers are in the way."

He smiled. "That would be a mistake I'd only make once, I'm sure. But see how the catch is set? It would be nearly impossible to hit it accidentally. Try yours on."

She seemed reluctant, but she strapped the gauntlets onto her arms. "It's not a very long blade," she said.

Zevran laughed. "Well, it's not meant to be a primary weapon, obviously. It's for... tight situations, when you've lost your sword or dagger, or if you don't want someone to know you've got one. Try it."

Jessimyn turned her arms over and caught the catch with her thumb. "It's a little hard to... oh!" She startled when the blades popped out. "Hmm... interesting. I think I'm going to have to practice with these a little." She looked at him. "You had these made special?"

"For you and me, yes," he said. "What do you think?"

"I think I shouldn't be surprised that your assassin's mind came up with this. It seems a little unwieldy, though. You'd have to stab with your wrist rather than your hand. And there's no way to change the angle of it. Oh, and..."

Zevran cut her off. "Well, if you don't like them, give them back."

Jessimyn pulled her arms to her chest, smiling at him. "I didn't say I didn't like them. They'll just take some getting used to. Maybe we can get a few practice sessions in with them before I..." She cut off abruptly and looked away.

"Before you what, Jess?" He peered at her. "You've been acting very strangely the past couple of days. What's going on with you? What have you got hidden up your sleeve?"

With a smile, she held her arms up. "You mean besides these?"

Zevran grunted at her.

Jessimyn sighed and removed the guantlets. "Let's... go inside." She led him into her office, and they sat down. "I've decided to send Tivven on to Amaranthine."

"And the others?" Zevran asked.

"I've decided not to send them. In fact, I was planning on telling everyone tomorrow. Tivven is going on, and the rest are going home."

Zevran nodded. "I can see why you might keep that from them, until you're ready to tell everyone, but why keep it from me?"

Jessimyn wouldn't quite meet his eye. "Well... I'm going with him. Kyran and I will escort Tivven to Amaranthine."

"Well, that's not too shocking. You haven't been to Amaranthine since you sent the other Wardens there, yes? It's probably about time you paid them a visit."

"Not a visit, Zev," she said. "I'm going there to stay."

Zevran just looked at her, and Jessimyn shifted uncomfortably. "For how long?" He asked.

"I... don't know. A while, though. Maybe for good. I... need to get out of Denerim. For everyone's sake."

Zevran moved close to her, touching her arm. "What brought this on?" He asked.

Jessimyn shook her head. "I don't really want to talk about it. I've been neglecting my duties for too long now, allowing myself to get sidetracked by... things. Let's just leave it at that, shall we?"

"I'm going with you," said Zevran.

"No, Zev. You should stay here, continue with the training..." she began, but Zevran shook his head.

"I am not one of your Grey Wardens," he said. "So you cannot order me to do anything, nor am I obligated to stay here or go anywhere else. I do what I do because I choose it. I chose to stay here and help with the training, but if you're leaving, then I choose to go with you."

"And if I forbid it?" She asked.

Zevran shrugged a shoulder. "You can forbid me from traveling with you, but you cannot stop me from going. If I have to follow a suitable distance behind you and camp by myself, so be it. But I'm going to Amaranthine."

A slow smiled crept onto her face. "You would really do something like that, wouldn't you?"

Zevran grinned. "Just try me."

With a sigh, Jessimyn nodded. "Very well, then. I can't guarantee what you'll find when we get there, though. There may be no place for you there, and there may be nothing I can do about it."

"We'll deal with that if it happens that way," he said, watching her. After a moment, Zevran said, in a light tone. "So... I suppose you haven't told Alistair about this, have you?"

"I... no. Not yet. I was going to wait until right before we're ready to leave, so that he... won't try to stop me."

"That's hardly fair," said Zevran.

"It's not really your place to decide, now is it?" She asked. "Look, I'm doing what is best for everyone here. It well may be that not everyone agrees with that assessment right now, but in time... it's what I need to do."

"I'm not arguing that with you, my dear Jessimyn," he said. "But... don't spring this on him." He grinned at her. "Give him a chance to offer a suitable farewell."

Jessimyn groaned. "I think we're done here," she said.

Zevran laughed. "As you wish."

He left her office and walked down the hall. When he saw that Jessimyn wasn't following him, Zevran peeked into her sitting room. As he expected, it showed all the signs of someone leaving, someone who wasn't planning on returning. All of the little things she'd had spread out had been packed away. She was quite serious about leaving, then. He wondered how serious she would be about staying away, once she got to Amaranthine.

Later that day, after Zevran had finished what he realized would likely be his last training session, Leliana showed up at the compound. She waited as he cleaned up, then pulled him away from where anyone might overhear.

"I heard you were summoned by the king this morning," she said.

"News travels fast, I see," said Zevran. "Yes, he did. We both knew it was going to happen."

"What did you tell him?" She asked.

Zevran shrugged. "The truth. There's no reason why he shouldn't know. In fact, it might be better this way. If Fergus proves an even worse threat in the future, well, then it might be good if at least Alistair is aware of what the man is capable of. Besides, he didn't buy the excuse you'd come up with, that I was visiting a woman in the palace."

Leliana scowled. "It was a good story. You must have told it wrong."

"Maybe I did," he said with a smile. "Either way, now he knows. There's something he doesn't know, though."

Leliana's eyebrows rose up. "Oh? What is it? You have gossip I don't know about?

"Jessimyn is leaving." When Leliana gasped, Zevran nodded. "She's going to Amaranthine, apparently to stay. From the looks of it, she's serious, and she's planning on leaving in a few days."

"And Alistair knows nothing of it? Oh, but... he'll be heartbroken. Why is she leaving? She didn't find out about Fergus, did she?"

Zevran shook his head. "No, I'm sure she knows nothing of that."

Leliana scowled again. "Well, I'm going to tell him."

"I'm not sure she would appreciate that," Zevran said, an amused look on his face.

"I'm sure you're right," Leliana agreed, grinning mischievously. "But if they can't have a happy ending, at least they deserve a tragic confrontation."