They were making their way into the valley when a woman rushed over to them. "Oh, thank the Maker! We need help! They attacked the wagon; please, help us!" The woman gestured to the wagon. "Follow me! I'll take you to them!"
The woman ran off before either of the Wardens could react.
"I don't like this." Faren said.
Sereda nodded as she turned to the group. "Theron, Kallian and Leliana are going to circle around from one side. Daylen and Morrigan and Elissa are going to circle around from the other side. The rest of the group is coming with me."
They nodded as Sereda and the party advanced in the direction the woman had gone.
They had almost reached the caravan when the "bodies" began to rise from the ground, pulling out weapons. An elf with a strange accent held up a blade. "The Grey Wardens die here."
Leliana, Kallian, Elissa and Theron picked their bows, firing arrows, while Morrigan and Daylen casted spells. A fireball from Daylen burned some archers as the rest of them screamed in pain and panic, either dying and falling to the ground or running off in fear.
"They knew what they were doing." Kallian said as she saw some traps hidden on the ground. "These are no ordinary bandits. If we hadn't been more careful, we would've been caught in their traps. A little help here?"
Leliana and Elissa nodded as they knelt down, disarming the traps around the wagon. Barkspawn let out a woof. He appeared to be sitting on the elven assassin.
Sereda walked over. An arrow had taken the man in the shoulder, but he appeared to still be breathing. "Bind him. Might as well see who hired these buffoons."
"Mmm... what?" The elf woke up as Daylen healed him back to consciousness. "I..." He looked up at him. "Oh." He sighed. "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."
"You're an Antivan." Elissa said, recognizing the accent as everyone raised an eyebrow at her as the elf nodded.
"How do you know that?" Faren asked.
"His accent. My sister-in-law was from Antiva too. Her dialect was similar from his." Elissa explained as they nodded.
Sereda stepped back to let Kallian handle the matter. Theron and Elissa were already salvaging what supplies they could from the wagon. Daylen and Morrigan remained at their vantage point, keeping an eye out. Leliana was watching the interrogation, and Sten just looked annoyed by the delay. She couldn't blame him.
"We have some questions." said Kallian.
"Ah!" He shrugged. "So I'm to be interrogated. Let me save you some time." He smiled at her. "My name is Zevran. Zev to my friends. I am a member of the Antivan Crows, brought here for the sole purpose of slaying any surviving Grey Wardens. Which I have failed at, sadly." He shrugged again.
"Who hired you to kill us?" Kallian asked as she examined one of the traps. She fiddled with it a bit, then shook her head and just looked annoyed.
"A rather taciturn fellow in the capital. Loghain, I think his name was? Yes, that's it."
"Does that mean you're loyal to Loghain?" Sereda asked.
"I have no idea what his issues are with you." Zevran sounded completely indifferent. "The usual, I imagine. You threaten his power, yes?" He shrugged again. "Beyond that, no, I'm not loyal to him. I was contracted to perform a service."
"And now that you've failed that service?" Kallian asked. She tinkered with the trap a bit more, and it finally snapped shut. She put it in her pack.
"Well, that's between Loghain and the Crows." Zevran sounded amused. "And between the Crows and myself."
"And between you and us?" Kallian asked.
"Isn't that what we're establishing now?"
"I think that's all we needed to know." Kallian glanced at Sereda, who just shrugged tiredly.
"Then unless you're quite stuck on cutting my throat or something equally gruesome, perhaps you'd care to hear a proposal?"
"I'm listening. Make it quick." Kallian said, reaching for her dagger.
"Well, here's the thing. I failed to kill you, so my life is forfeit. That's how it works. If you don't kill me, the Crows will. Thing is, I like living. And you are obviously the sort to give the Crows pause. So let me serve you, instead." Zevran said.
"What do you want in return?" Kallian asked, seeming honestly amused by the entire situation.
"Well… let's see. Being allowed to live would be nice, and would make me marginally more useful to you. And somewhere down the line if you should decide that you no longer have need of me, then I go my way. Until then, I am yours. Is that fair?"
"Very well. I accept your offer." Kallian said.
Sereda turned back around and just stared at him. He shrugged. Zevran smiled at Kallian cut the ropes that bound him. "Are you crazy? You're hiring the assassin that just tried to kill us."
Kallian shrugged. "Don't worry about it. We could use him."
"You know, if there was a sign we were desperate I think it just knocked on the door and said hello." Alistair muttered..
Morrigan expression was unreadable. "A fine plan. But I would examine your food and drink far more closely from now on, were I you."
"That's excellent advice for anyone." Zevran said cheerfully.
Leilana smiled. "Welcome, Zevran. Having an Antivan Crow join us sounds like a fine plan."
Zevran ran his eyes over Leliana. "Oh? You are never companion-to-be, then? I was unaware such loveliness existed amongst adventurers, surely."
Leilana smile vanished almost at once. "Or maybe not."
"Thank you, my lady. You won't regret this." Zevran said as he got up on his feet and bowed. "I hereby pledge my oath of loyalty to you, until such a time as you choose to release me from it. I am your man, without reservation… this I swear."
They set up camp not too far away from Denerim, but far enough for them not to be seen. Sereda was having a few choice words with Kallian about the new companion.
"You must have lost your mind." Sereda shot her a mix of an incredulous and disapproving look.
"You're worried about our new friend?" Kallian asked her.
"Not a friend. An assassin." Sereda corrected.
"He becomes a problem, I'll put him down." Kallian said. "We need all the help we can get."
Sereda sighed. "He's your problem."
Kallian laughed. "That's what you told Theron about Leliana, and she seems to be working out all right."
"She didn't try to kill us." Sereda reminded.
"If it makes you feel better, I'll talk to him to see where his true loyalties lie." Kallian said, smirking.
Sereda shook her head. "Why do I get the feeling that by loyalties you mean who you can bed?"
Kallian's smirk widened. "Well, it's one way to get to know a person."
