It's day twenty-three of Alistair's deep road vigil. It's been over three weeks since Eriana's party left Orzammar, and they should be back any day now. The dwarves who are guarding the entrance to the deep roads have long since stopped being annoyed by Alistair's presence; in fact, they all but ignore him anymore. But today is different. Today Alistair isn't alone; he is joined by an agitated mabari.

Ramoth looked up at the man in shinny armor, irritated by his irrational fear. "My master is alive," he tries to tell the knight, "I would know if she wasn't, and she's coming back. I can feel her. Can't you? Silly human. I thought you were close. If you were close, you would be able to sense her." Ramoth dislikes the human who teases him about feeding human flesh to mabari, and this knight makes his elf unhappy. Even a dog can feel that. The knight is not right for his elf; he makes her uneasy and angry too much. But right now, the knight cares for her and wants her to come back safely, so that makes Ramoth feel better. Ramoth is glad that his master is with the other elf, though, the one who smells like spices and leather; the spice elf will take care of his master. He didn't trust the spice elf at first because he tried to kill his elf; he used to watch the spice elf very carefully, even when his elf didn't. But that was a long time ago. Now his elf lights up and relaxes when the spice elf comes near; she feels happy, and that makes Ramoth happy. Plus, the spice elf always has pieces of dried meat for him, and that makes Ramoth very happy.

Ramoth yawns and stretches; he is ready to leave this place of steel and stone and shadow. He wants to run in the trees and chase rabbits. Nugs are no fun to chase; they don't even run. He isn't even allowed to eat the nug that sleeps in their den, the singing lady hit him on the nose when he tried to. He used to like the singing lady. The giant has taken him hunting a few times as they waited for master, but even he seems uneasy now and doesn't want to leave. So Ramoth has to stay and wait like a good dog.

Suddenly, a familiar smell hits him, and he barks happily. "My elf! My elf! She is coming; I smell her;" he looks up at Alistair, wagging his nub of a tail, "Do you smell her? She smells like darkspawn and spiders, but that is her smell. She is back." Alistair tries to hush the dog, but Ramoth bounces in a circle and takes off past the guards into the deep roads.

"Hey! Dumb dog, get back here." Alistair grumbles as he gets up to go after him. "Eriana will kill me if anything happens to that dog." Then, out of the shadows, the dog reappears bouncing happily in front of an exhausted looking party. Ogren was in the front followed by Morrigan; behind both of them were the two elves. The sight of Eriana stopped Alistair in his tracks. It's the moment he'd been waiting for for three weeks, but somehow he wasn't prepared for what he saw. She looked like she could fall over at any minute, and Zevran seemed to be the only thing keeping her upright. She had also lost a lot of weight; her cheeks were gaunt, and her armor seemed to hang off her in places. There were dark circles under her eyes which looked duller than he had ever seen them. She was paler too than he remembered, but there was still a focus and determination in her step.

"Eriana? Are you okay? What happened?" he asked as he ran up to them.

"We found Branka, but she decided to stay in the deep roads with the Anvil of the Void. She did make a crown for the new king, though."

"No what happened to you? You look like you're about to pass out."

"Oh, that," she said waving her hand dismissively. "It's sodding impossible to sleep in the deep roads. Too many darkspawn nightmares. Oh, and we saw the archdemon, too, that was fun." She sighed wearily. "Come on, let's crown a king so we can get out of here," she said as she headed toward the entrance of the Diamond Quarter.

Ramoth turned and looked up at Alistair. "See, I knew she was okay, no reason to worry." Then he trotted off after them.

"Sleep, Blessed Andraste, how I missed sleep," Eriana thought to herself as she turned over in the small bed. She rubbed her eyes and sat up, her limbs weary and heavy from a long sleep. Leliana was sitting at her bedside, reading a book called The Rose of Orlais. "Hey, Lil. How long was I out?" she asked when Leliana put the book down.

"Two days, I didn't have the heart to wake you; you seemed so exhausted." She got up and brought her a tray of food. "Eat, you look like you're about to waste away into nothing."

Eriana began to eat slowly, the food feeling heavy on her empty stomach. As she ate, she glanced around the room. It was a lot nicer than the rooms they had stayed out before they left for the deep roads. "Where are we?"

"The Royal Palace, at the insistence of the King, no less. He was quiet pleased that you chose to side with him, so he insisted that we reside here for the rest of our stay."

"Nice. I did say Bhelen's name didn't I?" Eriana glanced over at Leliana who nodded, laughing slightly. "Good, I was so exhausted, I don't remember exactly what happened. I'm actually surprised I didn't try to crown Raymoth or something like that." She continued to eat, telling Leliana about Branka, the deep roads and the Legion of the Dead. Leliana was particularly fascinated by the Legion.

"Oh, their story would make a fantastic ballad, so tragic and sacrificial," she gushed.

"Leliana, you think everything would make a fantastic ballad. I'm surprised you've not written a song about nugs yet," joked Eriana with a laugh.

"Who says I haven't. Oh nug thou creature of the underworld. Humble and tasty purveyor of joy. Our hallowed halls would be dark without thee!"

"Hey that's good; you should take that one to King Bhelen." Eriana managed to say after she stopped laughing. "So do you think I could get someone to heat up some water? I find myself in dire need of a bath."

Leliana jumped up, suddenly excited. "Oh that's the best part of the palace." She grabbed Eriana's arm and pulled her into the necessary. "Look," she said pointing to the empty tub. She pulled a lever beside the tub and steaming water poured from a crevice on the wall into the tub.

"Impressive dwarven architecture," said Eriana with nod. "That's a trick we could use on the surface." She intended on taking a quick bath, but the warm water seemed to melt the tension from her shoulders so well that she found herself relaxing, lounging in the water till Leliana came to see if she had drowned in the tub.

After her bath, Eriana let Leliana brush and braid her hair. It wasn't until her hair was almost completely dry that she realized that she hadn't seen anyone but Leliana since she woke up.

"So where is everyone else?"

"Morrigan is tending to some sick nobleman; Sten took the dog hunting; and your two young men are probably pacing outside the door, trying desperately not to tear each other's throats out."

Eriana raised an eyebrow, "They are what?"

"Trying not to kill each other, I'd imagine; I don't know," said Leliana. "I kicked both of them out after the first day. The last thing you needed to wake up to is that kind of tension, especially after everything you've been through here lately. They were both strutting around you, making manly shows of concern, each trying to outdo the other. It was quite amusing actually."

Eriana winced, feeling slightly sick, "Yeah, I've kind of made a mess of that; haven't I?"

Leliana shrugged, "That's what men do, they fuss and fight over women. Though I do think it has reached a critical point with both of them. Have you decided what you're going to do?"

Eriana buried her head in her hands, "I don't know, Lil. I like them both, a lot more than I realized. I've never had to deal with anything like this. I've never been in a real relationship before; I have no idea what to do. I just have a feeling that no matter what I do, I'm going to hurt one of their feelings."

"But if you do nothing, you hurt them both, yes?" Eriana nodded her head still in her hands. Leliana continued. "Well, let's look at them both objectively. What do you like about Alistair?"

Eriana leaned back against Leliana's legs and sighed. She started naming off attributes on her fingers, "Alistair. Well, let's see. Alistair is handsome, he's kind, noble, honorable, sweet, funny. I know he loves me, and he's loyal as a mabari."

"Negatives?"

"Negatives," Eriana thought for a second. "He's naïve and way too emotional. He has no idea the way the real world works. He's also, um," Eriana blushed for a second, "well, he's inexperienced in certain areas." Leliana chuckled. "He's a human; I'd be lying if I said I was over that completely. And then there's the main problem, there's no future with him. He's going to be the King."

"True, that still hasn't changed, and you still refuse to be a clandestine lover, no?" Eriana nodded. "Okay, now what about Zevran. Why do you like Zevran?"

Eriana sighed, "Zevan," she almost breathed his name, "Zevran is a hard man to resist. He's alluring, suave, funny, incredibly sexy, and ridiculously handsome. But that's just the surface stuff. There is an amazing depth to him that he tries to hide. He's perceptive and wise, and definitely experienced," she added with a laugh. "Plus, he's an elf. I'd be lying if I said that didn't matter, but it's definitely nice."

Leliana grinned, "Negatives?"

"Well, he's experienced, and very secretive. I'm not sure if he's genuinely interested in me, or I'd just be another of his many conquests. He could have me completely fooled, and I would have no idea."

"Do you think that there is a future with him?"

Eriana shrugged, "I don't know, maybe, but I don't know if he'd even want a future. And I guess that's the problem isn't it. I have two men who care about me; two men who I care a great deal for. But neither comes with the promise of a future."

"So don't make the decision based on your future. If neither can guarantee you a future, you have to ask yourself which one gives you what you want now? Do you want the sweet, dedicated Prince, or do you want the suave, sexy bad boy assassin?"

Who does she want? Which of these two men could give her what she wanted? What did she want anyway? She thought back to her past, before Duncan and the Wardens. What did she want then? She looked down at her left hand, at the simple silver ring that she never took off, a constant reminder of the future she wanted and lost. It wasn't just a husband that she had wanted, one who would give her a family, children, a stable future. That's what her father wanted for her, but deep-down she knew what she had wanted. She wanted someone who made her feel safe, someone who would protect her, someone who would stand between her and the world, someone who would be strong so she didn't always have to be, someone who would stand up for her, no matter not. That's what she wanted, what she needed, what she had lost once her mother died and she was forced into the world to provide for her family. No one had ever stood up for her until Nelaros. She quickly shoved that thought from her memory; it was best not to think about him now. Would either Zevran or Alistair take that kind of stand for her?

Eriana was about to respond where there was a knock on the door, and a smiling Antivan casually strolled into the room. "Ah, I see our Warden has finally returned from the realms of the fade, excellent. I was afraid we were going to have to send Morrigan in after her," he said with a grin. "Leliana, my dear, do you think you could spare our lovely Warden for a bit?"

Leliana glanced over at the elven woman who gave her a quick nod. "Alright, Zevran, please remember though, she's had a rough week, be careful with her."

"I'm right here, geez, and Zev was with me, remember? Plus, I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself, when I'm conscious at least." Eriana said with a smile as Leliana gave her a brush on the cheek and flitted out of the room.

"I thought you would want some fresh air, my dear; after all, it has been several weeks since you've seen the sun, and I distinctly remember you asking for fresh air while we were in those terrible caves, no?"

"Sunlight and fresh air would be great. Just let me get my armor on, and we'll head out," she said, getting to her feet.

Zevran raised an eyebrow, "Do you expect to be attacked between here and the surface?"

Eriana shrugged, "Better safe than sorry. I never expect to get attacked, yet it seems to happen to me with great frequency."

Zevran laughed, "True, true, but before you are fully armed up, I have a gift for you," he said, holding out a package for her. She sat down and unwrapped it to reveal a dark hooded cloak. "It is fur-lined, top of the line, I assure you. Perfect for our little trip down the mountain and any other trips where we find ourselves trudging through snow. This should keep you rather warm, I think," he said with a grin.

"Zevran," Eriana said, looking up at him, surprised. "I don't know what to say; this is so thoughtful, thank you."

"Think nothing of it, my dear. Elves such as we are not cut out for this harsh Fereldan weather; though it is a shame that you will now be hidden under such a large cloak. Perhaps I have made a mistake," he said with a sly grin.

Eriana stood up and gave him a quick hug before slipping the cloak over her narrow shoulders. Taking his arm, she said, "Now let's go find us some sun light."

The pair walked for a while in the cool air of the Frostback Mountains, Eriana reveling at the fact that she was out of the caves, back on the surface where she belonged. They walked through the vendors and surface dwarves who set up shop by the city's gates, quietly enjoying the sunshine and fresh air. They found a small grove of trees just on the edge of the make-shift market, just out of sight of those going about their business. Zevran sat down beside Eriana, his arm resting just slightly behind her.

"Zevran, why do I get the feeling that you didn't just bring me out here to look at the trees?" asked Eriana, breaking the comfortable silence between the two elves.

"Hum, yes, well I did want to talk to you about something. I have known for a time that you and Alistair are quite close. That was evident to me the first day joined your little group. I also know that you have had some concerns about the direction of your relationship for some time now. It has made me curious, however, as to the nature of your relationship."

Eriana sighed, "It's complicated. Yes, Alistair and I are quite close, but I am afraid that in and of itself may not be enough to justify a relationship. We are different, Alistair and I, in more ways than he would care to admit. It makes me wonder that if we weren't thrown together like we are right now, would he feel the same. Probably not. But you know this, why are you asking about it now?" She grinned up at him, "Are you jealous?"

Zevran laughed, "Jealous, not I no, But one does not need to be jealous to be leery of rushing headlong into…complicated situations. You and I have had some fun, and there is no doubt that more could be had, but if this thing between you and Alistair is leading somewhere…" Eriana tried to stop him, but he shushed her and continued, "No, my dear, you said over a month ago that you planned to end this thing with Alistair, and yet you have not been able to bring yourself to do it. You care for him, this much is certain, so perhaps there is a way to make your situation work. If that is the case, if your relationship with him is leading somewhere, I'll happily step aside. Complication avoided. Everyone's the happier, yes?"

Eriana was taken aback; was he suggesting what she thought he was suggesting? Zevran was willing to step aside for Alistair's sake, surely not. That wasn't the Zevran she knew. After all that he had done to win her affections, he was offering to step down; it didn't make sense. What had changed? Had she done something wrong, hurt him in some way? Struggling to maintain her composure, she looked up at him. "If that's what you want."

"What I want? If it were so simple." Eriana sensed a hesitation, a pain in his voice for a moment, like he had for a moment let the cool mask of the assassin slip.

Zevran turned to face her, brushing the side of her face with the back of his hand. "I make no claims on you, nor would I dream of such. You are free to pursue your fancies as you desire, and I would have it no other way. I suspect Alistair, however, would not feel the same way. If there is something between you and I, to string him along would only hurt him deeply. Surely you know this is true."

"So you're doing this for Alistair's sake," she said, closing her eyes, trying to fight back the tears that were welling up inside of her. "Since when do you care about him?"

"I care nothing for Alistair. But he cares for you, deeply, and if you feel the same…You should do what makes you happiest."

There it was, the definitive moment that she needed. A moment of selflessness for her sake. She could barely see the pain hidden just beneath his coy smile, the fear of rejection that he tried so desperately to cover up. Zevran was willing to give up what he wanted to make her happy. Eriana reached up and traced the tattoos on his left cheek. "And what if it isn't Alistair that would make me happiest?"

"Oh," he said, glancing down at her, his eyes brightening a bit, "Ogren then?"

Eriana chuckled, "Oh yeah, I just love that red hair and those short legs." She moved her hand to the back of his neck and felt his arms move around her, drawing her close. She looked deep into his eyes for a moment, carefully reading his expression, "You Zevran," she said quietly, "You would make me very happy."

"Ah, mia cara, of that you can be sure," he said as she pulled her into a passionate kiss, his lips moving deftly over hers. From where they were sitting, she could still hear the bustle of business being conducted, but for a moment she didn't care. For the first time in months, she felt content, no, not content, she felt like she was on top of the world, soaring in the arms of her crow. Zevran's lips moved from her lips and began to travel down her jaw line to the base of her neck. Her hands worked their way into his hair as she began kissing his ear; she grinned to herself for a moment then gave the tip of his beautiful ear a sharp bite. Zevran jumped back for a moment, a bit startled.

"What can I say? I told you I wanted to bite your ears didn't I?," she said with a sly grin.

Zevran chuckled, "That you did my dear, that you did."

I've always wanted to do something from the dog's POV. Even though Eriana's decided, our love triangle isn't quite over. Hope you enjoy it.