Chapter five of Age of Shadows is up on FictionPress! Enjoy!

Chapter 85: A Murder of Crows

We are in danger, friend. Two of the seven Guildmasters are already in Zevran Arainai's pocket, and the Guildmaster of Rialto is dead. While no proof exists, we both know he was involved whether he claims the deed or not. They should have released him when they discovered he lived, "honor of the Antivan Crows" be damned. What option do we have now? After centuries of unity that have led us to rule a nation from the shadows and have placed kings and queens in our pockets, we are being torn apart from within by a single elf who didn't even succeed in his mission to kill the so-called Hero of Ferelden.

The Guildmasters dismissed Zevran's threat without considering just how many assassins were similarly disaffected. Too many of our numbers have been cheated out of their rightful tithes, driven into hiding, or intimidated into silence... and somehow, Zevran is finding them all. You report that he is not in Antiva, but that isn't always the case. He appears in a city until our operatives find him and chase him out into Rivain or the Free Marches—and then we never hear from them again. We have both spoken to the remaining Guildmasters, and they have denied us. They are blind, and it makes me think maybe Zevran is right. Perhaps it is time for a change. —From a half-burned letter found in a Treviso warehouse, 9:35 Dragon.

The Hanged Man

Isabela was at the bar gulping down the tavern's hardest bottle, it as usual tasted awful but that wasn't important as all the pirate wanted to do was get very, very drunk. That's what she liked to do when her conscience decided to catch up with her. "Oh, that looks like the house special! Whiskey flavored with rat droppings!" Isabela groaned, usually that joke was answered with a laugh or a sarcastic remark, but she was in no mood for Ericks' remark. Isabela's return during the Qunari crisis was surprising, most of all to Isabela, herself. She blamed Ericks for inspiring her to such foolishness and seemed to regret exposing herself to danger. After the Arishok was killed, Isabela was seen in deep conversation with Ericks. The exchange ended as Isabela walked off, saying, "You're reading too much into it."

That was the last anyone in Kirkwall saw of her for some time. Many believed that she had left the Free Marches for good. Then, as abruptly as she had departed, Isabela appeared one day in her usual spot in the Hanged Man, drinking as though she had never been gone. "You don't have to keep checking up on me. I'm fine"

"I'm just here for rat-flavored whiskey," Ericks said sitting beside her. "The stuff in Hightown is too rich for my blood."

Isabela rolled her eyes. "Right" After a minute of silence that felt like forever, the pirate sighed. "Remember what you said after the mess with the Qunari?"

Ericks raised a brow. "I don't remember saying anything, you must have me confused with Avi," he said. "Now she had plenty to say about you, a lot of which I can't repeat in polite company."

"Maybe you didn't say anything…but that look you gave me" Isabela said. "That look that said you were proud of me for coming back…I didn't know what to do with that."

"You realize I was this close…this close to giving the tome to Castilion, all I had to do was walk into his camp and I would have been rid of him for good."

"And yet you were the one who saved Kirkwall." Ericks said. "If you didn't come back with the tome as you did, I doubt it would have ended well as it did."

"Bullshit, I've seen you fight. You've taken on a whole hideout worth of slavers and blood mages and barely broke a sweat" the pirate said. "You and Aveline. I mean, look at her-she's a woman shaped battering ram" She then got up and faced the rogue.

"Look, the fact is…you and I have nothing in common anymore" she said. "You're a Champion and I'm the lying, thieving snake that almost burned Kirkwall to the ground."

"Well, it's a good thing I like snakes then" Ericks said dryly. "You know me, Isabela, I look at actions, not words. What you did was not easy, and I appreciate it." The rogue then smirked. "Face it, you're stuck with me, for better or worse."

Isabela shook her head with a small smile. "Fuck, you are a crazy bastard, you know that right?" she said. "But you are entertaining, I'll give you that."

"I'll drink to that" Ericks said. "Corff, a round of rat piss for me, I'm in a good mood today." As Ericks and Isabela were drinking, two men dressed in brown clothing with the crest of Antiva on their sleeves came into the tavern and scanned the area. Dark skin, red hair and piercing silver-blue eyes, just like their description said. They headed towards the bar towards the Champion.

"Ah, the Champion of Kirkwall. Your reputation precedes you."

"If you're coming to me with a dumb-ass business venture, go away" Ericks said. "I had to deal with five of you people yesterday."

"Forgive me, I should introduce myself properly" He said with a bow. "My name is Nuncio Caldera Lanos, I am a noble from the beautiful country of Antiva"

"Quite the mouthful, I'm sure it's a pain to practice that in one breath."

"It's mostly to impress the ladies, I assure you" Nuncio said. "Forgive my intruding but I am in need of your help, Champion. Hiding among the Dalish is an elven assassin I have been chasing for months."

"He is a master at manipulation who will endanger even his own kind to ensure his survival."

"A noble hunting an assassin…that's new. How much did he piss you off, I wonder?"

"It was merely duty to Antiva at first, but I have lost so many good men…some of them friends," Nuncio said. "It is very personal, he is nothing but a murderer, a thief and a liar."

"And I can guess what comes next, you want to know where the Dalish are hiding this elf?"

Nuncio nodded. "That is part of it, yes. This elf is extremely dangerous, and he must be brought in before he kills again" he said. "I've heard of your dealings with the Dalish. I was hoping you could go where my men could not."

Ericks sighed. "Never a dull moment around…I'll see what I can do" he said. "Anyone I should talk to?"

"A Dalish woman named Variel, somehow she has befriended the assassin." The Antivan said. "We won't be here when you get back. We got a campsite outside the city. Look for us there." And like that they were gone.

Sundermount

The gang head out to Sundermount to talk with Merrill's clan about the elven assassin. Ericks had decided not to tell Aveline what Nuncio told him. An elven assassin running around near Kirkwall could easily get the attention of Aveline and her guards. Since the guard captain wasn't exactly known for her subtlety, the assassin would see her coming a mile away. Plus, it was a bad idea to look like an advancing army to the Dalish, Kirkwall had enough tensions between the mages and templars, the city didn't need to see more bad blood. They made it to the Sabre clan's camp, it was much bigger than before. When the Qunari ransacked Kirkwall, some of the city's elves found a way to escape rather than be converted to the Qun. Marethari welcomed the elves of the city and thanks to their knowledge the camp became a small settlement.

Though this growth didn't come without its problems, the Dalish had been catching the attention of highwaymen and slavers looking for easy prey since Knight-Commander Meredith and her Templars had locked down the area around the city. Thankfully the Dalish hunters were more than enough to run them off but a storm of discontent was brewing within the camp. The Sabre clan has stayed in Sundermount for seven years now, the longest the clan has stayed in one place. Some of the Dalish have questioned Marethari's wisdom in staying in these mountains as the Keeper's debt to Asha'bellanar has been paid. The Sabre Clan was their usual welcoming selves with their glaring and air of hostility towards the gang though they tolerated their presence just barely. They met with a young elf in tan loose dress, her light brown hair tied in pigtails.

"Greetings, Champion. That is what they call you in your city, isn't it?" Variel asked. "Did you need something?"

"I hear there is a criminal hiding among the Dalish," Ericks said.

"He is not among us. This criminal of yours is set up in a cave away from our camp" she said. "He said there would be people looking for him, and to tell anyone who asked where he was."

Ericks raised a brow. "He's not very good at this, is he?" he asked. "I thought the point of hiding was not to be found."

"He said he didn't want to endanger our people by asking us to lie for him," the elf said. "Not something expected of a cruel and evil murderer, is it?"

"Hmm, no its not"

"He'll be waiting for you at the cave. Good luck trying to reach him, however" The gang headed for the cave entrance, but what Variel said still stuck with them. According to Nuncio, this assassin was a murderer and liar that would even endanger his own kind and yet he's away from the Dalish so innocent people won't get caught up in this cat and mouse game with the Antivan noble. Something was not adding up.

"It's strange. Why would the assassin want the Dalish to give away his location?" Varric asked. "He has a death wish or something?"

"That or he's very confident about his chances" Isabela said. The gang headed into the caves where they were attacked by the usual undead and giant spiders. Along the way, they spotted the assassin's handiwork, well-hidden traps and the unlucky souls that activated them. It was no wonder Nuncio was having trouble, this assassin knew his stuff. Eventually they made it to the center shaft of the cave where they found a varterral along with a multitude of traps and dead bodies. They took care of the varterral and went forward until they heard a voice.

"Now you I wasn't expecting" Ericks turned around and spotted a young elf in forest green armor with a crow insignia.

Isabela came forward with an amused chuckle. "I thought I smelled Antivan leather."

The elf gave a hearty laugh. "Isabela! If it isn't my favorite pirate wench!"

"Shouldn't you be dead by now?"

"I could say the same about you, my dear. It seems we were both fortunate to find powerful friends, no?" The elf looked at Ericks with a lecherous smirk. "And very attractive friends at that"

Isabela looked at Ericks and then back at the elf. "Eh, he's okay."

"Okay one, rude" Ericks said in slight offense. "And two, is anyone going to tell me just what the hell is going on? You know before we turn old and grey."

"Ah yes, we should clear things up, shouldn't we?" the assassin said. "How do you? My name is Zevran Arainai, adventurer and occasional assassin."

"I've heard about you, the former Crow turned companion to the Hero of Ferelden" Varric said. "What are the odds?"

"At your service, my friend!" Zevran said. "I must admit, I was waiting for an assault by the Crows, not the mighty Champion of Kirkwall" Ericks then groaned and rubbed the bridge of his nose. Nuncio was not a Antivan noble as he said, but a Crow contracted to kill Zevran for his failure as a Crow. The Champion cracked his knuckles, it was payback time.

"Zevran, how would you like to help us clear up this little headache?" Zevran gave a large smirk. "I'll take that as a yes."

The hunters become the hunted! Next Time! As always Review and Comment!