We'll Bleed For This Cause

A/N: Sorry for the wait between chapters everyone, life got a little busy. Also, I've noticed a few horrific typos/errors in earlier chapters so I'll be fixing them up over the next couple of days :)

Chapter 8: Bleeding

Elissa's eyes were narrowed in concentration, watching Zevran for the slightest hint of what he would do. The fingers of his left hand tightened on his dagger and Elissa felt her left hand twitch in response. Her gaze flicked to his mouth and she found him smirking.

"Don't do that."

His raised his eyebrows and she might have bought the look of surprise if he wasn't still smirking. "Do what?"

"Smirk like that." Elissa shifted her feet slightly, feeling her hands beginning to sweat where they gripped her twin daggers. "It's putting me off."

Zevran twirled the dagger in his right hand, drawing Elissa's eyes to it. "Are you going to ask your opponent to stop doing what he is doing in the middle of fight because it is 'putting you off'?"

Elissa rolled her eyes and that was when Zevran lunged forward. She was embarrassed by the squeak of surprise that escaped her mouth but was glad she at least managed to block his first dagger, and then the second. She wasn't so lucky with the third.

Zevran's dagger sailed past her defenses and he slapped her on the side of the neck with the flat of the blade. He chuckled. "Dead."

"Yes, thank you, I know." Elissa pushed his dagger away from her neck and took a step back. She shook her arms out, loosening her muscles, and drew in a deep breath before letting it out slowly.

"You did ask me to teach you." Zevran took his own step back, his eyes roving over that camp while he waited for Elissa to be ready.

Elissa scowled. She directed it in Zevran's direction but if she was honest it was herself she was getting frustrated with. "I did beat you once before, I don't understand why this is so difficult for me to get the hang of now."

Zevran turned back to her with a grin. "You worry to much, Warden. Think too much."

"You're such a helpful teacher."

"Here," he beckoned her towards him with one hand, "try to strike me. Don't hold back."

Elissa hesitated. "Are you sure?"

It was Zevran's turn to roll his eyes. "Elissa."

"Alright!"

Elissa took a another deep breath and then struck. She feinted left before spinning on her heel to strike out at Zevran's right. He saw right through her feint and blocked both her daggers with his own. Elissa pulled back but lunged forward again just as quickly, aiming her daggers lower this time. Again Zevran easily avoided the attack and slipped behind her. Before Elissa even had time to turn he had one arm wrapped around her middle, pinning her arms, and the other brought a dagger to her neck.

He pressed the flat of the cool blade against her throat. "Dead. Again." He held her for a moment before dropping his arms, leaving Elissa to stumble forward slightly.

"I don't know what you are trying to prove," Elissa grumbled. She tossed her daggers to the ground, one landed tip first and upright while the other hit the ground on the wrong angle and fell over. Then, with a huff, she plopped herself down on the ground.

Zevran sheathed his daggers and walked up to where she sat, crouching down in front of her. "I hope you are not giving up already, Warden."

"And if I am?" Elissa shot back. "I thought you were going to help me, what is this achieving?"

Zevran laughed. "The way I see it, we are achieving multiple things. You are learning that you are not infallible, I get the opportunity to be close to a beautiful woman…"

"If you know what's good for you you'll stop right there."

"You do not like complements? Because you are a beautiful woman, Elissa."

The way he practically purred her name had Elissa fighting down a blush. "What does this have to do with weapon training?"

"Nothing. I just like making you blush, and the faces your fellow warden makes when I do are most enjoyable." Zevran smiled and tipped his head slightly in the direction of the camp. Elissa glanced over and sure enough Alistair was sending a seriously displeased look in their direction.

"He really doesn't like you, does he?"

Zevran just shrugged. "It is not his opinion I am concerned with, but back to our spar. What do you think I am trying to show you?"

Elissa frowned. "That I got really lucky when I bested you that time you tried to assassinate me?"

"Not quite." Zevran chuckled. "As an assassin I perceive my body as a weapon, and a weapon is most effective when you know how to use it, no?"

"So you're saying I don't know how to use my body?" Elissa pulled a face. "That sounded wrong."

Zevran just smiled at her with knowing eyes. "I have fought with you in the heat of battle and you are quite talented. You are… intuitive. You act on instinct in a fight and your instincts are good. As you pointed out before, you were able to best even me in combat."

Elissa ducked her head at the complement before looking back at him with confusion. "If that's the case, why can't I do that now?"

"Ah, that is simple." He tapped her on the forehead with a finger. "Here you know you are among friends, it makes you comfortable. When you are comfortable, you over think."

"I over think." Elissa hummed in thought. "That makes sense. I need to start working off my instincts again, right?"

"Exactly." Zevran stood and offered her a hand. "Don't think, just act and react."

Elissa smiled as she took his offered hand. "I think it's time I gave this another shot." Zevran hauled her to her feet and she bent to pick up her daggers.

"I am not going to go easy on you this time, Warden," Zevran said as he re-drew his daggers.

"Warning duly noted." Elissa widened her stance slightly, weight on the balls of her feet as she got ready to move.

"Remember, no over thinking."

Elissa nodded and then the spar was on.

Zevran circled slowly and Elissa followed his movements. When he lunged for her she was able to quickly dance out of his way before turning to slash at his back. Zevran anticipated this move however and had tucked himself into a forward roll, carried by the momentum of his lunge. He turned as he rose gracefully to his feet and they were at a standoff again.

This time it was Elissa who made the approach, though it was much slower. She snaked forward, eyes watching Zevran for any sign of an attack. It was like a game of chicken except involving sharp weapons and the threat of real injury.

It was Elissa who broke first, slashing high with one dagger and low with the other in opposite directions. Zevran deflected the high dagger easily but had to step back quickly to avoid the one aimed at his stomach.

He darted forward again then, bring the fighting into very close quarters. He lashed out with a barrage of swipes and stabs aimed to distract and tire but Elissa was quick enough to deflect every single one. Then she got caught up in the exact thing she wasn't meant to do, over think, and made a poor deflect attempt on Zevran's forward thrust with his left dagger.

Elissa's blade had been in position enough to stop Zevran from skewering her stomach but not enough to deflect the blow completely. She let out a pained gasp as his dagger cut clean across her side, just below her ribs, and both of them froze.

It was deep, Elissa figured that out from the amount of warm blood she could feel running down her side and pooling on the flat of the dagger, but she was positive it hadn't gone near anything vital. She glanced to Zevran's face and found him looking at where the edge of is dagger was still pressed into her side with wide eyes.

"I hope you're not trying to assassinate me again," she said, watching his eyes flick up to her face. Then, finally, a small smile graced his lips.

"You would know if I was trying," he replied before looking down at the wound again. "You might wish to put pressure on this when I remove the dagger."

Elissa carefully tossed her own daggers to the ground so her hands were free and when Zevran pulled the blade away she quickly covered the wound. Zevran's hand appeared on top of hers a moment later, pressing down hard and causing her to gasp in pain again.

"Wynne's going to want to look at this," Elissa said as soon as she had her breath back.

Zevran looked over to the camp. "It appears the surly warden is already fetching her."

Elissa couldn't help a small, amused snort. "Don't call him that. You realize he's going to hate you even more after this."

Zevran began leading her back towards the center of their camp. "As I said before, it is not his opinion I am concerned with."

Elissa winced with every step she took, feeling the wound pull. "I guess this means we're done for today."

"I would think so." He paused before adding, "You were much better that time."

Elissa's laugh was cut short by the pain that ran sharply up her side. "Right up until I let you stab me, yes?"

He chuckled. "Right up until you let me stab you."