I don't know about you guys, but I'm getting really sick of Asleena being such a softie. We'll be hardening her in the coming chapters. Review or DIEEE! Hehe, I mean, please review!

"What are our options?" Asleena asked, heart heavy. She knew what the easiest option would be.

"He's an abomination," Alistair said quietly. "I wouldn't normally suggest killing a child, but-"

"No!" Isolde grabbed Teagan's arm, looking at him imploringly. "Please. He's just a boy. This isn't his fault!"

"Isolde, please." The Bann covered her hand with his. "We may not have much choice. Death would be..." He closed his eyes briefly, and then continued. "Death would be merciful."

"No! There has to be another way!"

"There might be another option." Jowan stepped into the main hall from where he'd been stationed at the entrance. Apparently, no amount of glaring from Alistair would cause him to spontaneously combust.

"You!" the Arlessa shrieked. "This is your fault. I trusted you."

"Lady Isolde, I'm so sorry." Jowan bowed his head. Asleena stared at the ground between her boots.

"How did you get out of the dungeons?" she demanded.

"I let him out," Asleena said, straightening. "And I stand by my decision. Jowan was a pawn for Loghain, Isolde; he simply thought he was doing what was right."

"How can infiltrating my home to kill my husband be right?" The Arlessa shook with anger. "How can summoning this demon to torment my family be right?"

"I didn't summon any demons," Jowan insisted. "But I want to help. Please. Let me try to fix this."

Isolde pressed her lips into a thin line and refused to meet the blood mage's gaze, while Teagan gave a sharp nod.

"We can confront the demon in the Fade. Normally it would take many mages and lyrium… but I have blood magic." Jowan said, trying to catch Asleena's eyes.

"No. Blood magic is not an option." Asleena stated firmly. It was agreed in the rest of the discussion that the party would travel to the Circle Tower, to gain the help of the mages.

"Also, we can get one more treaty out of the way." Alistair grinned. "I'm glad we're doing this. It really is the best option."

Asleena sent the rest of her party back to camp and they left reluctantly. She glared at Jowan, not meeting his eyes.

"Watch him, Teagan." She warned. He nodded and she left the room. Walking through a large hallway, she found the arl's study. She dug through bookcases and then opened a drawer in his desk. She found a small amulet with the holy symbol of Andraste on it. There were small ridges and cracks- it had obviously been repaired by a clumsy hand. She vaguely remembered Alistair mentioning something about his mother having one of these. She slipped it into a pocket behind her breastplate. She quickly left to get to camp. They were all eating around the fire when she arrived, as it was almost dark.

"Thank the Maker! We weren't sure you were coming!" Alistair crowed, patting part of the log he was sitting on, gesturing for her to join him. She sat beside him gladly, accepting a bowl of stew from Leliana.

"I have something for you," she said through a mouthful of un-appetizing stew. It was obviously Alistair's turn to cook.

"You have something for me?" He repeated.

"Yes." She fished around in her breastplate, until she found it. Alistair grinned wickedly at her.

"My gift is in your breastplate? I am a lucky m…" She pressed the amulet into his hand, smirking. "This... this is my mother's amulet. It has to be. But why isn't it broken? Where did you find it?" Alistair demanded.

"I found it in Redcliffe castle, in the study." She responded gently, smiling softly.

"Oh. The arl's study? Then he must have... found the amulet after I threw it at the wall. And he repaired it and kept it? I don't understand, why would he do that?" He looked confused. She curled her raven hair around her finger awkwardly.

"Perhaps you mean more to him than you think."

Alistair looked up at her. "I... guess you could be right. We never really talked that much, and then the way I left..." He paused. "Thank you. I mean it. I... thought I'd lost this to my own stupidity. I'll need to talk to him about this, if he recovers from his... when he recovers, that is. I wish I'd had this a long time ago." He looked into Asleena's lyrium blue eyes. "Did you remember me mentioning it? Wow. I'm used to people not listening when I go on about things." Asleena crossed her legs and smiled wider at him.

"Of course I remembered. You're special to me." He laughed.

"Is this the part where the music starts and we begin dancing? Because I'm game. Where's the minstrels?" Asleena giggled. Leliana pulled out a lute mischievously, obviously having heard them, and began to play a beautiful melody. Asleena glared at her good-naturedly.

DA:O

The next morning, Asleena woke up refreshed. They pulled up camp early to get to the Circle Tower. The sun was shining, the sky was blue, it seemed to be a perfect day. They walked along the road laughing and talking, at times, singing along to bawdy songs. But then, there was a scream.

"Help, please! They're attacking the wagon!" a woman came charging down the road, screaming for help franticly. Asleena ran ahead with her, good nature taking over. One blonde and tanned Elven man stood there waiting in the middle of the road as if he expected them. The screaming woman nodded at him, an evil smile gracing her features. He smirked. Asleena saw that he wore well made armour and arms.

Assassins! She thought. We've walked straight into an ambush!

There was a creak of dead wood and a tree fell over the path, blocking the way. Asleena, Alistair, Leliana and Sten jumped out of the way, just as the elf made a forward signal with his hand.

"The Gray Warden dies here!" The elf exclaimed pulling out his weapons. Asleena drew her enchanted sword and dagger and charged at him, meeting him halfway. Steel met steel as they duelled, Asleena's other companions taking out the assassins that lined the tops of the cliffs surrounding the bowl of the road. Her skill with a blade had greatly increased, from sparring with Alistair every night. However, the elf was skilled too, and the battle was long and arduous. As soon as the other assassins were dead, Alistair ran to her aid, shield bashing the elf unconscious. The four stacked and looted the corpses, before Leliana gave a shout.

"This one's alive!" Everyone ran to her side just in time to see the blonde elf stir.

"Ohhh… what? 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." He said grimly. Asleena noted an Antivan accent.

"That could easily be rectified." Asleena's face betrayed no emotion as she relayed the threat.

The assassin grinned, a flash of white teeth amid his tanned features. "Of that I have no doubt. You are most skilled. If you haven't killed me, however, you must have kept me alive for some purpose, yes? To ask me some questions?" Asleena looked at him suspiciously and remained silent, allowing him to continue. "Let me get right to the point. My name is Zevran. Zev, to my friends." He purred, looking Asleena and Leliana up and down shamelessly. "I am a member of the Antivan Crows, brought here for the sole purpose of slaying any remaining Grey Wardens. Which I have failed at, sadly."

"Who hired you?" Asleena barked harshly.

"A rather taciturn fellow, from the capital. Loghain, I think his name was..." Zevran trailed off. "Allow me to make a proposal…" The elf outlined a plan where he would join Asleena and her crew and be loyal to them instead of the Crows.

"You must think I'm royally stupid." Asleena said.

Zevran flashed her a dazzling smile. "I think you're royally tough to kill. And utterly gorgeous. Not that I think you'll respond to simple flattery. But there are worse things in life than serving the whims of a deadly sex goddess."

Asleena glared at that, Alistair positively glowered. "I could also stand around and look pretty, if you prefer. Warm your bed? Fend off unwanted suitors? No?" He looked at Alistair in a way that said plainly who he considered the unwanted one. Asleena considered this for a while.

"Very well. I accept your offer." She said finally.

"What! You're taking the assassin with us now?" He gasps, holding her by the elbow. "Does that really seem like a good idea?"

"We need all the help we can get, Alistair," she said placatingly, putting a reassuring hand over his.

"Fine," he sighed, muttering about Zevran pointedly.

"From this moment on, I am your man, this I swear." Zevran announced to her. She smiled warmly.

"Glad to have you with us." She said sunnily. "Now let's go!"

DA:O