Chapter 2: The Pearl

The mercenaries hadn't presented any real challenge to them. A combination of Morrigan's freezing spell, Alistair's swordplay and her and Zevran's dancing blades had quickly made them see reason.

Sanga, the proprietor of the establishment, was only too grateful to be rid of them. "What can I offer you in return?" she asked. "Are you interested in men? Women? A combination of both?"

Cat declined politely, though she felt momentarily intrigued by the proposal. "Not at the moment, thank you. There is, however, a favour that I'd like to ask of you. I've noticed you have some rather well-appointed bathrooms back there and our inn is none too clean..."

"Of course!" Sanga exclaimed. "I'll have the maids draw both tubs for you and your companions, one for the gentlemen and one for the ladies. Unless you'd all prefer to share..."

Cat quickly shook her head, suppressing a giggle when she saw Alistair blush violently and noticed Morrigan's icy stare. Leliana uttered a small shriek, pretending to be shocked, but fooling no one. Sten obviously didn't care, one way or the other. And Zevran... well, he would have been only too happy with such an arrangement, she thought wryly, but he'd just have to deal.

Once Sanga told them the tub was ready and waiting, the three men wandered over to their bathroom. Sten threw a contemptuous glance at the perfumed hot bath and walked straight over to the buckets of ice-cold water waiting to be heated for the next customer. He quickly stripped down, washed with a few economic movements, dried his massive frame with a huge towel and was out of the door again before the others had even completely undressed.

Alistair was sinking into the water with a sigh of pleasure, though, and Zevran joined him eagerly enough. A hot civilized bath like this was a rare luxury in Ferelden, and he enjoyed it thoroughly.

With a happy sigh, he leaned back and let his mind wander to the beautiful warden, the way she had looked at him a few days ago at the campfire. What an innocent she was! Still, there had been passion in her eyes, and it was easy to imagine her in his arms, flushed with pleasure, her breath coming in quick little gasps...

He was torn out of his reverie by Alistair cleaning his throat ostentatiously. "You might want to... cool down a little," the tall knight growled, with a pointed glance at Zevran's groin, his ears tinged pink with embarrassment.

"Aaaah, but that is the point of a hot bath, is it not, my friend," Zevran replied mischievously. "And besides, don't tell me that you aren't busy imagining what's going on next door, with our three beautiful ladies all together in a tub..."

Alistair's eyes widened in shock at the suggestion and he started to say something, but Zevran continued unabashedly. "Just think, beautiful Morrigan with her pale skin and her perky little breasts, her soft white skin flushed by the heat, Leliana stretching voluptuously in the hot water, moaning with pleasure, and of course our pretty Catalina, all wet and relaxed..."

"Really, Zevran, you go too far," Alistair sputtered, now genuinely angered, even though it was obvious that the picture painted by the assassin's deep sultry voice hadn't failed to excite him. With a furious groan, he got out of the tub and walked over to the buckets, letting the cold water quench his impure thoughts. As he dressed and stomped out of the room, Zevran grinned impishly, settling back into the fragrant water. It was really far too easy to provoke Alistair, he thought lazily.

When the pretty little bathroom attendant came in to ask him, if he needed anything, he gladly took advantage of the opportunity and threw her an explicit glance. She giggled as she helped him out of the tub, softly rubbed him down with a towel and massaged a scented oil into his body.

As she carefully took him between her lips and he felt her practised tongue slide along his hard length, Zevran sighed languidly, only too content to let her take care of his needs. Yes, it had been a very good idea to come to the Pearl, he decided.