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The silence in camp was deafening. Even Nihlus sensed the tension from his position next to the campfire. Zeva and Duncan hadn't spoken a word to each other since Zevran had joined their group, and Duncan had spent much of the journey shooting daggers with his eyes at the assassin.
They had settled for the night in a copse of trees near the junction of the West Road and the North Road. Duncan and Zevran raised the tents, while Zeva and Morrigan tended to dinner; the mage remarking that at least Alistair wasn't there to kill them with his cooking.
"Zeva, I think you made the right decision in recruiting the assassin," Morrigan said as she cut the vegetables up for the stew.
Zeva laughed and replied, "Well, that would make you the only one who believes that. Duncan won't even look at me now, and I can only imagine how Alistair and Sten will respond when they meet him."
"And what exactly are you missing because the Righteous Warden Commander will not speak to you?" Morrigan asked scornfully. "Truly, your desire for that man is the one thing about you I cannot comprehend. You are a brilliant, vibrant woman and can have your pick of the companions you travel with, the bard included," she added with a smirk, "yet even now you pine for that idiot man, who cannot even tell you what his feelings for you are!"
Shaking her head, Zeva flopped down on the log next to the stewpot and placed her face in her hands. "I know, Morrigan," she moaned. "You are completely correct. Duncan has given me no reason to continue to hold onto these feelings for him, but you don't know what happened before we joined you. He was there for me when my family lay dead all around me; without him, I don't know if I would have made it out with my sanity intact.
And no matter what has happened since Ostagar, my heart still leaps whenever I see him," she continued. "Maker, Morrigan, I just spent the night with a man who would give me anything in this world, who has professed his undying love for me, and still I can't seem to let go of Duncan. What is wrong with me?"
In an unprecedented move, Morrigan placed her hand on top of Zeva's and gently squeezed. "Here is my suggestion, Zeva. I think you should put the Warden Commander from your mind. "
She saw Zeva begin to protest, and shook her head, silencing her companion. "I am not saying that you will be able to move completely past him, at least not now. But 'love', or whatever this feeling may be you have for him, will remain if it is indeed true. For now, you need to concentrate on the task ahead of you. You need to gain the support of the Circle and you need to attempt to cure the Arl; although I personally find searching for the ashes of a dead prophetess to be a complete waste of time."
Zeva laughed and stirred the stew pot. "Whenever I feel myself sinking, Morrigan, you always bring me back to my senses," she said. "We have lives to save and it is selfish to wallow in my own emotions. Thank you." With that she rose from the fireside and grabbed her bow.
"Now to find the meat to go with those wonderful vegetables of yours," Zeva said as she headed toward the woods. Duncan and Zevran had finished with the tents and were approaching as she stood up.
"Might I join you on your hunt, my dear Warden?" Zevran said, reaching for his own bow.
Duncan's eyes widened as Zeva nodded, smiling at the assassin. "Well, we have a better chance if there are two of us. However, I think Nihlus will be coming along, just to make sure you don't attempt to complete your original mission." Hearing his name, Nihlus ran to her side and growled deeply at Zevran.
"Wonderful," Zevran remarked, sarcastically. "I was so hoping to spend some quality time with the smelly Ferelden dog."
"Well, I am glad I was able to make all your dreams come true," Zeva said cheerfully and walked away from the group, the assassin close behind.
As the archers headed into the brush, Zevran was heard to say, "Believe me, my beautiful Grey Warden, when you do make my dreams come true, the dog will be nowhere in sight."
o~~~~~~~~o
Leliana came up behind Duncan and placed a hand on his arm. "Might we speak a moment, Warden Commander?" she asked, motioning him away from the campfire, to the far side of the clearing.
"Of course, Leliana," Duncan responded, smiling broadly, "and please, call me Duncan. Warden Commander is a title I have never been fond of. I tend to be a bit too informal for that, even with my fellow Wardens." He followed her over to a nearby fallen tree and sat down next to her.
Leliana let out a deep breath and turned to face him. "I hope I am not being too intimate with you, but I have seen how distraught you appear when you see Zeva with another man and I wish to speak to you about it."
Before Duncan could respond, the bard continued, "I have not known either of you for very long, but I can see how deeply you care for her. Unfortunately, and please do not take this wrong, you appear to be completely incapable of expressing yourself in a way that will win Zeva's heart. I watch you both, and I see such potential in your relationship, but never have I known two more stubborn people."
Duncan chuckled softly, nodding in agreement. "Yes, Zeva and I certainly have our own definitive opinions on everything and finding a middle ground has gotten very difficult, especially when it comes to certain areas," he stated, visions of the elven assassin floating through his mind.
"Ah," Leliana said softly, "you speak of the addition of the handsome Antivan assassin to our party, no? I can understand you would not wish such a man to be around Zeva, particularly given how lovely she is; however, she had a very valid point in sparing his life. This Rendon Howe did horrible things to Zeva and her family, things I would venture to say she has never shared with you. Believe me when I say she was deeply violated by this man."
Duncan felt his hands clench tightly as he imagined what the bard meant. "Zevran was hired to kidnap her and kill us all. The Antivan Crows are a formidable group, and they may likely resurface to take her again. If Zevran can give Zeva some comfort by being close by and protecting her, I must agree with her decision, as should you," Leliana said emphatically.
"However," she added, smiling coquettishly, "that is not to say that you should ever take second place with her. I have had some experience with men like Zevran, and I have no doubt that he will attempt to seduce her. She is a strong, beautiful woman, and men and women alike will be drawn to her wherever she goes. Surely you know this, yes?"
Duncan stood up and began pacing before Leliana. "Yes, I know that, Leliana. I am not stupid!" he exclaimed angrily. "Do you think I don't know what happened between Zeva and Bann Teagan? It is obvious that they were together the night before we left Redcliffe. It may, even now, be too late to mend my relationship with her. Yet, that doesn't change the way I feel." He lowered his voice and sat back down.
"I have a duty to the people of Ferelden to stop this Blight, as does Zeva," he explained. "There is more to that duty than even she is aware of. My head says I must stay away from her and focus on my mission; but my heart wants to run to her and take her from Teagan, Zevran, any man who would dare to look at her. I have never felt this lost, Leliana."
The bard placed her hand on his arm and smiled gently. "I have a suggestion, Duncan," she said. "I know that we have a critical mission ahead of us right now. We need to save poor Connor and the Arl if at all possible. And we must do this quickly. When we have concluded that business, I suggest you tell Zeva what you just told me. I think you may be pleasantly surprised by her reaction."
"What about Bann Teagan?" Duncan asked.
Leliana smiled at him. "Do not underestimate his affections for her. He loves her very much, of that I am sure. However, I have always had a knack for reading people, and Zeva, though quite fond of Teagan, does not return his true affections. Her heart belongs to another," she added, gazing at him pointedly.
She stood up and looked out into the forest. "I do believe I hear our companions returning. What say we go and meet them?" she asked and moved toward the campfire.
Duncan reached out and placed a hand on Leliana's shoulder, turning her round to face him. "Thank you, Leliana. I had no idea how much I needed to talk about this."
"The Maker moves in mysterious ways, Duncan," she said and laughed softly, "and I knew He sent me here for a reason. Stopping the Blight is paramount, but matchmaking is an honorable reason, as well, wouldn't you say?"
o~~~~~~~~o
Zevran and Zeva moved silently through the forest, looking for proper meat for dinner. He watched her moving silently through the trees with a sense of wonder. He couldn't believe that the beautiful girl from the portrait was really with him, close enough to touch. And he desperately wanted to touch her...
His lustful thoughts were interrupted by a sound to the couple's right. Zeva looked back at him and he nodded to her. She motioned for Nihlus to stay put, as he would alert their quarry, and quickly moved ahead toward the sound. Zevran circled around behind them, hoping to corner the creature, giving them each a better shot. As he approached the clearing ahead of him, he saw a litter of rabbits. He took aim at the biggest of the group and, just as he was about to release an arrow, he saw it drop to the ground. The others around it began to panic and he quickly picked off two more.
He stepped forward to collect his prize and Zeva met him in the middle of the field, smiling broadly.
"It appears as though we are tied, Zevran," she said and picked up the two rabbits she had killed.
Zevran grinned lasciviously and replied, "that it does, my lovely Warden. Shall I suggest a tie-breaker? Perhaps some hand to hand combat; clothing optional, of course."
Much to his surprise, Zeva raised an eyebrow and seemed to consider his proposal. "Now, what kind of woman would I be if I slept with a man on the same day he tried to kill me?" she asked, feigning innocence.
Zevran stared intently at her. "You would still be the most beautiful woman I have ever seen, Zeva," he said and moved closer to her, running his fingers down her cheek. "However, I do see your point. Allow me time to prove my loyalty to you, and then we shall revisit this discussion. What say you?"
Her pulse quickening from the closeness of the handsome assassin, Zeva nodded weakly. "Agreed," she whispered.
Zevran's heart constricted painfully as he looked into her eyes. He leaned forward, his lips barely brushing hers, when suddenly she pulled back. "Did you hear that?" she asked, listening carefully to the darkness surrounding them.
Suddenly, the woods came alive around them as a group of bandits, weapons drawn, swarmed into the clearing. There were ten men in all, and they were armed with a variety of weapons, from axes to greatswords. The obvious leader of the band stepped slowly toward Zevran and Zeva and smiled dangerously.
"My, my, gentlemen, what have we here?" he asked his companions, eyes roaming over Zeva's figure. "Such a pretty young woman, wasting her time on a filthy elf. Why don't you come over here and let me show you what a real man can do?"
"Be ready," Zeva whispered to Zevran and moved closer to the leader, slowly moving her hands toward her knives. "I was already occupied with a 'real man', you filthy pig. Now you have interrupted a most intimate moment, and you will pay for it with your useless life."
The bandit's eyes blazed with anger and he tightened his grip on his axe. "You bitch!" he exclaimed. "I will cut that poisonous tongue from your mouth and have my way with you anyway!" He lunged at her and their weapons clashed, the ringing of steel loud in the silent forest.
The fight had begun, and the bandits quickly surrounded the pair, weapons swinging furiously. Zeva pressed her back against Zevran's and they fought as a single entity, finding weaknesses in their opponents and defeating them, one by one. Nihlus, hearing the sounds of battle, rushed in and launched himself at two of the thugs, easily disarming them and ripping at their bodies with his sharp teeth and claws.
When the bandits' numbers had thinned, Zeva moved away, pressing her assault against the leader. Zevran quickly looked behind him and seeing that Zeva was a safe distance away, spun in a circle and cut down three bandits simultaneously with his Whirlwind attack.
That left Zeva and the bandit boss, and Zevran carefully moved behind the man to flank him. The leader struck with his axe and Zeva cried out, a gash appearing across her left thigh. Zevran saw red and he stabbed the man in the back and brought up his second blade, cleanly removing the man's head from his shoulders.
As the dead bandit's body fell, Zevran ran to the Warden, who was seated on the ground, examining the wound. "Crap that hurts!" she exclaimed, and looked up at the assassin.
"Thank you for the save, Zevran," she said quietly.
"Hush, my darling Warden. There is no need to thank me. Now, let me look at that wound," he said quickly and knelt next to her, pushing aside her hands so he could get a better look at her leg.
"Mmm," he said, as he tore off a piece of cloth from a nearby bandit corpse and wrapped it tightly around the area. "You will live, I think. However, walking will be painful, so I suggest you allow me to carry you back to the campsite."
Zeva laughed heartily. "Now, how did I know you would suggest that, Zevran?" she asked, and tried to stand up, wincing as she felt a pain shoot up her leg.
"Though my intentions may not have been completely altruistic, I was not incorrect in my assessment, my dear," the elf responded. "Now, stay right there while I relieve these men of any possessions which may aid us in our quest. Then I suggest we return to camp before your Warden Commander sends out a search party."
He returned a few minutes later and bent down, scooping Zeva into his arms. "Now, hold on tight, mia bellezza. I would not wish to drop you," he said as he tightened his arms around her, pulling her face close to his. For a single moment, he stared deeply into her eyes, then sighed dramatically and turned to leave the clearing.
Zeva placed her lips close to his ear and whispered softly, "Zevran?"
His skin shivered where her breath touched his neck. "Yes, Zeva?" he replied quietly.
She smiled warmly at him and purred, "Don't forget the rabbits."
His laughter rang through the woods as he carried her back to camp.
o~~~~~~~~o
Their companions looked up as Zevran entered the camp, Zeva held tightly in his arms. She had the rabbits slung over her shoulder.
Seeing the blood on their clothes, Duncan and Leliana ran quickly to meet them. "Zeva!" Duncan cried, eyes blazing in fury at Zevran. "What happened to you? What did he do?"
"Calm down, Duncan," Zeva replied as Zevran carried her toward the fireside and Morrigan. "Zevran didn't do anything. We were attacked by a group of bandits and their leader managed to wound my leg."
Morrigan rose and helped Zevran place the Warden next to the fire. She removed the bandage from Zeva's thigh and examined the wound. " 'Tis not a bad wound, but it will require some attention. Leliana, will you please retrieve my pack from my tent?" she asked as her hands began to glow.
"I will see to cleaning and preparing the rabbits," Zevran said and walked away, carrying the carcasses with him. Nihlus trotted along behind him, barking happily.
Duncan sat next to Zeva as Morrigan continued to work on her wound. "You simply can't go anywhere without attracting trouble, can you?" he said and smiled warmly at her.
Zeva laughed and shook her head. "I am afraid not, Duncan. You really didn't know what you were getting yourself into when you decided to recruit me, did you?" she questioned and his heart leapt at the sound of her laughter. It had been so long since they had relaxed in each other's presence. He had missed her smile more than he could ever say.
Leliana returned with the pack and Morrigan rifled through it, pulling out several dried herbs. "I need to go and prepare these. Can you keep an eye on our patient until I return, Commander?"
Duncan looked up at the mage. "Of course, Morrigan. Be careful in the woods in case there are more bandits."
Morrigan laughed. " 'Twill take much more than a group of bandits to hurt me," she said and smiled down at Zeva before walking away.
Leliana quickly rose to follow the mage. "I will help you, Morrigan," she said and winked at Duncan as she hurried away.
Duncan turned back to Zeva and found himself to be quite nervous in her presence. He was unsure of what to say, afraid that he might start another fight.
Zeva was the first to speak. "I wanted to thank you, Duncan, for allowing Zevran to come with us," she said quietly. "I know it seemed like a foolish choice on my part, but I need you to understand my reasoning."
Duncan shook his head and interrupted, "no, you were right and I was wrong. It never occurred to me that he could be useful in defeating Howe. All I could think of was my own anger at his attempt to harm you.
Look," he continued, "I know that things have been strained between us recently and I don't want to continue this way. I have missed being near you and having your counsel when I make decisions. I don't want to argue anymore. I apologize for my behavior over the past couple of weeks. I hope you can forgive me."
Zeva felt as though a huge weight had been lifted from her chest and she released a shaky breath, looking intently at Duncan. "I completely agree. You and I are both so stubborn, and we have each stopped listening to what the other has to say. I propose that we begin again, and this time we do things right. Do you concur?"
Duncan smiled broadly and grasped Zeva's hand, bringing her fingers to his lips and kissing them softly. "I could not ask for more, Zeva, truly. We have a very difficult fight ahead, and I would never want us to forget what we are fighting for."
Zeva squeezed his hand and smiled tenderly at him. "Then it's a promise!" she declared. "From now on, we speak to each other, not at each other. I cannot say that I will never mess up, as it seems to be in my nature to be a royal pain in the arse, but I will try my best to always listen to what you have to say."
Duncan nodded and returned her smile. "As will I, my lady," he replied quietly and held her hand tightly in his own. "As will I."
o~~~~~~~~o
Dinner passed pleasantly, with even Morrigan staying to eat with the group. The stew had turned out wonderfully, and it was decided that Leliana should definitely be in charge of food from now on, as no one ever wanted Alistair's 'Fereldan lamb & pea stew' again.
After dinner, Leliana and Zevran entertained the group with tales of their adventures in Antiva and Orlais, and the mood was light. Duncan never strayed far from Zeva, a situation which Zevran found to be quite irritating; yet his hopes were still high with regards to the beautiful Warden, as he saw the laughter in her eyes when she glanced at him.
"So this Brother Genitivi lives in Denerim, you say?" Zevran asked as the subject returned once more to the mission at hand. "That may be a problem for you, Zeva."
The Warden furrowed her brow and nodded. "Yes, I have been thinking quite a bit about that, myself," she reflected. "I know we need to go there to get the information he has on the Urn of Sacred Ashes, but I don't think I should be seen in the city."
"Definitely not. Nor should I," the assassin replied. "Howe will have eyes all over Denerim and you and I will both be easily recognizable to his men. Your companions, however, will be far safer than we would be."
Morrigan smiled slightly and spoke up. "I have an idea, if you would indulge me?" she asked and paused, waiting for a nod from Zeva, which she quickly gave. "We have two main goals to achieve right now and enough people to do both. What say we split into two groups and travel both to Denerim and the Circle Tower at the same time, then meet back in Redcliffe? Duncan, Leliana and the dog could travel to Denerim, while myself, Zeva and Zevran could head to the Tower."
"I can't say I am happy about leaving you alone right now," Duncan said to Zeva, who appeared deep in thought, as though pondering Morrigan's suggestion.
"True, and I don't relish the thought of separating, either," she replied to him and smiled softly. "However, Morrigan and Zevran both have a point. Were any of the three of us to enter Denerim, we would attract attention. Morrigan is an obvious apostate, and the problems with Zevran and I are equally plain.
However," she continued, "you and Leliana could enter the city without causing too much suspicion. That really may be the quickest and best plan, Duncan."
Duncan sat silently for awhile, considering all options. No matter how many different angles he looked at the situation from, it kept coming back to one conclusion. He sighed heavily and placed his hand over Zeva's.
"Alright, I agree," he said and Zeva's mouth opened slightly. She hadn't imagined he would be so cooperative.
"Just remember, assassin," Duncan said and stared pointedly at Zevran. "You are responsible for taking care of Zeva, and I will hold you accountable should something happen to her."
Zevran nodded. "I can assure you, Warden Commander," he drawled, "Zeva will be perfectly safe in my hands."
"Gentlemen, I am not some wilting flower that needs constant care," Zeva announced. "I think Morrigan and I can easily take care of anything in our path. And should either of you have doubts of that, I would be happy to give you a demonstration right now. My blades aren't far."
Both men chuckled and Duncan said, holding up his hands in defeat, "of that I have no doubt, Zeva. I have seen you in action and most men would run in fear were they to see you coming. Just be careful, would you?"
"Yes, Duncan, I promise not to make any foolish, dangerous decisions," Zeva replied. "Besides, I will have Morrigan with me, and you know she will chastise me endlessly should I do something she doesn't agree with."
"And on that note," Morrigan said and rose from the log she was seated on, "I think we should all get some sleep. We have a very long day tomorrow."
The companions agreed and separated; Duncan and Nihlus taking first watch. Before entering her tent, Zeva walked over to the Warden Commander and spoke softly, "Goodnight, Duncan. And thank you for listening to me. I can't tell you how much it means." She turned and opened the flap of her tent, glancing back at him once more before crossing the threshold and closing it behind her.
Duncan watched her as she walked away, and his heart felt lighter than it had in quite some time.
o~~~~~~~~o
Dawn came quickly, and after a small breakfast, the companions broke camp and headed out. It wasn't long before they reached the point in their journey where they would be separating. Each team wished good luck and Maker's speed to the others and began heading down their individual roads. Duncan and Zeva were left standing alone, the last to withdraw.
Duncan moved close to Zeva and placed his hands on her arms, looking seriously at her. "Please be careful and come back safe, Zeva," he said as he slowly ran his hands down her arms to grasp her hands. "I hate that I am leaving you with the two of them, but I realize that there should be a Warden with each group to ensure no darkspawn can attack unseen."
Zeva withdrew a hand from his grasp and placed it on his face, gently stroking his beard. "I will see you in Redcliffe soon, Duncan. Please come back to me unharmed." To his utter shock and delight, she raised up and gently kissed him, gasping at the feel of his lips on hers.
Duncan's arms encircled her and he returned her kiss passionately, gently caressing her tongue with his own. Too soon, she pulled away and gazed at him tenderly.
Placing one last kiss on his lips, Zeva turned and headed away from him, toward the Circle Tower. As he gazed after her, he gave a silent prayer to the Maker to watch over her. Then he, too, headed off, toward Denerim and whatever secret Brother Genitivi had to share.