Thank you to everyone who had added and reviewed. I am a teacher and my summer is over as of next week, so my updates will be coming at a slower pace now that I'm back to work full time. Hope you all enjoy. Please let me know what you think!

Eriana was happy. Her quest to build an army to fight the blight was going as well as could be expected; she had true friends who cared for her; and she had Zevran. The things that had caused her pain in the past seemed to remain just there, in the past, and for a moment, it seemed like she could finally put it all behind her. Perhaps now she could put behind the pain, the loss, the abuse, and just be happy. But the past has a way of catching up to you when you least expect it. Little did she know that just inside the gates of Denerim, her past, Zevran's past, Leliana's past, and Alistair's past all awaited them.

Leliana's past had been relatively easy to reconcile. Her former boss, Marijolaine, had sent a team of inept assassins to ambush them, so they confronted her and inevitably had to kill her. Alistair's past was easy to rectify as well, but in a way, meeting with his shrew of a sister was almost messier than killing Marijolaine. It would have been a lot messier if Zevran hadn't held Eriana back when Goldanna suggested that she was Alistair's elven love slave. Alistair looked so completely crestfallen when they left the small house that Eriana decided it was time to pay Braxton in the Gnawed Noble Tavern a visit. She sent Leliana and Zevran to check on Genitivi while she and Alistair entered the tavern. Braxton greeted her with his usually exuberance, enveloping her in a huge hug as soon as she walked up to the bar.

"Ana, my dear, what can I get for you," he asked, with a big smile on his face.

"Well, my friend here needs a strong drink, and I need a favor."

Alistair and Eriana took a seat at the bar while Braxton poured them some mead. Alistair quickly began nursing the drink, trying to drown his sorrow over his shrill sister. "Now, Ana, what can I do for you?"

Eriana glanced around before she began speaking in Antivan. "We need a place to lay low for a few days. I have some armor being built, and I'm doing a few odd jobs for Kylon while we're here. Is there any chance your back rooms are available, you know, the ones you get to from the alley?"

Braxton nodded, "Sure, how many do you need?"

"Three if you've got them. One private room and two others with several beds would be perfect." Braxton glanced over at Alistair and raised an eyebrow. Eriana shook her head, "Not quite. He's a fellow Warden; the only fellow Warden, actually."

"Sure I can do that, no problem. I have a few other guests staying here, but they shouldn't give you any problem." Eriana smiled up at him and took a quick swig of her drink as Zevran and Leliana came into the tavern. She gave them a quick nod to wait for a moment before the turned back to Braxton. His eyes were narrowed and he was looking intently at Zevran, almost like he was apprising him. "Is that him?" he asked nodding toward Zevran. Eriana nodded, taking another drink of her mead. "You know he's a Crow right?" he said in Fereldan, making sure Alistair heard and understood him.

Eriana rolled her eyes, "Yes, I know and so does he. How do you know anyway?"

Braxton looked down at her, "I can tell; I know what to look for. Eriana, what are you doing? You should know better than to get mixed up with the Crows."

"Not my choice," she said with a wave of her tankard. "The regent sent that one to kill me a few months ago."

"And you kept him around. Eriana, I thought you were smarter than that?" Braxton said, as his eyes flicked to the guest rooms down the hall. Eriana turned to follow his glance.

"Yeah, I tried to tell her that, too," Alistair muttered beside them.

"Oh, you stay out of this; just finish your drink." Eriana turned back to the bartender. "Look," she said in Antivan again, "He may have tried to kill me, but he's saved my life a score of times since he joined up with us. I trust him, but I have a feeling that there is more that you aren't telling me. What's going on?"

Braxton looked down at the bar, "Look," he said, "I can't tell you just now, but watch yourself. And make sure you use the alley entrance, okay? Don't come in the front."

Something was up, but Eriana wasn't going to press it. He was too good of a friend to risk angering him, and they didn't have enough friends in the city to risk pissing one off. "I got it. I'll see you later then," she said finishing the rest of her drink and giving him a quick hug. "Let's go Alistair."

Once they were outside, Eriana sent Alistair and Leliana back to the camp to retrieve the others while she and Zevran waited in the market. "I have something for you, my Warden," Zevran said once the two had finished purchasing supplies and had sat down to rest in the shade of the Chantry, "It is an Orlesian delicacy called chocolat."

Eriana hesitantly took one of the small brown squares and took a bite. "Oh, sweet Maker, this is divine," she said, eating the rest of it and reaching for another. Zevran laughed as he helped himself to a piece of the candy. "It's a wonder Leliana ever left. I don't think I'd ever abandon a country that could produce something so amazing."

"Well, Fereldan has its charms," said Zevran, running his hand down her arm. "I mean, it produced you, no?"

She grinned up at him, about to reply when a young boy ran up to them. "I have a message for you my lady."

Eriana was startled, "For me? Who is it from?" But the young boy scurried off and disappeared into the crowd. Eriana turned the sealed letter over and examined the seal on the other side. It was an image of a flower embossed in wax, a familiar flower. Instinctively, her hand went up to the chain around her neck where she wore the coin that Zevran had given her months ago. It has the same flower printed on it. She showed the seal to Zevran who cursed softly in Antivan.

"Ignacio," he murmured, looking suddenly pale.

"A Crow?" Eriana asked tentatively.

Zevran nodded, "A master, but not my own." Zevran tore open the letter, reading its contents quickly before handing it to Eriana. "He requests an audience with you in the tavern."

"With me? So that's what Braxton was so jumpy about." Eriana glanced over at Zevran, "Could this be a trap?"

"I doubt it. Ignacio does not hold the contract for you, therefore he would gain nothing through your death; he would just anger another master."

Eriana began to twist the ring on her finger, her old nervous habit. "Could he be after you?" Zevran shrugged. "It would be unwise to ignore this," she said with a sigh, "I'll go talk to him, see what he wants." She moved to stand up, but Zevran was quickly on his feet beside her. She shook her head, "No, you are not going with me. There's no way I'm alerting them to your presence. It's me he wants to see, not you."

Zevran's hand was firm on her arm. "Do you honestly think he is ignorant to my presence with you? Come now, my dear, be sensible. He already knows that I am here; to go in thinking anything else would be foolish. You are not going in there alone, and you are not leaving me behind."

"Zevran," she said sternly.

"Don't Zevran me. He would not contact you if he did not want something from you. If he wanted to kill you or me, believe me, we would already be dead. You do not become a master of the Antivan Crows without being good. There is something he wants from you, and you are not finding out without me."

Eriana sighed. There was no keeping him back once his mind was made up; she just hoped that she wasn't putting him into unnecessary danger by bringing back into such close proximity to the Crows. Part of her wanted to run, to leave Denerim and never return, but the sensible side of her agreed with Zevran. This Ignacio obviously wanted something from her; why else would he have bothered to make contact. Perhaps she could use this to help them both. Taking Zevran's arm, together they moved through the market, back to the tavern.

"Ah, my dear Eriana Tabris, truly it has been too long. You have grown into quite a Fereldan beauty," Master Ignacio said with a suave Antivan accent as the pair entered his rooms.

Eriana stiffened a bit at the use of her full name, "You say that as if we have met before, ser."

Ignacio smiled knowingly, "Ah, but of course you would not remember. You were quiet distracted when we first met. It was, after all, your mother's funeral."

Eriana's eyes narrowed, "You were at my mother's funeral, why?"

"Because she was an old associate of mine; quite a shame, too. She was an exquisite assassin, you know."

"No, I didn't. My mother was an assassin? Was she a Crow?" Ignacio nodded.

Eriana was floored. Zevran was right; her mother had been a Crow. Everything started to make sense to her suddenly. No wonder she fought like a Crow; her mother had trained her as she had been trained by the assassins. She suddenly wondered if her mother had been killed by bandits at all. She felt Zevran's hand lightly touch her arm, bringing her back to the present. Questions can wait till later, she reminded herself. She had business to attend to now.

Ignacio was talking, "But now is not the time to reminisce. I know little of what happened to her after she fled Antiva; your bartender friend would know better. But for now you are here about my note, yes? Maybe we have some things we can talk about, then."

"Let's just make sure the conversation stays civil," Zevran said. "If this is a trap.."

But Ignacio cut him off in a dismissive way, "Ah, yes, Zevran. You are Taliesin's responsibility. Others may try to kill you, but in my eyes, you are already dead. You are unimportant, but the Warden here, she is of great interest to me." Eriana felt Zevran stiffen beside her, she wasn't sure she liked where the conversation was headed either.

"Why would I interest you?" Eriana aked.

"Fereldan is a busy place, Blight, civil war, other mayhem. Lots of people," Ignacio smiled, "not getting along. Sometimes they really don't get along; sometimes they want to do something about it. The people who handle this sort of thing can get very busy."

"And that's where I come in?"

Ignacio smiled and gave a slight nod. "It is hard to find good help in this line of work," he said, glancing over at Zevran for a moment. "When someone has crossed out path and lived…well, maybe they could help out. Make some coin. Everyone wins, no?"

Eriana crossed her arms, "But you were hired to kill me, why should I trust you?"

Ignacio nodded, "I could see your hesitation, but let me make it clear to you. I was not hired to do anything; an associate of mine was, and he has failed." He glanced at Zevran, disgust evident in his face, "failed miserably."

Zevran scoffed, "I'd like to see you do any better."

"You take me for a fool! That is a contract I would never take. The client can always hire more help if the job isn't done the first time, but I'm hoping to make sure that doesn't happen."

Eriana glanced over at Zevran. "It's true," he said. "I have only heard of one instance where the entire House of Crows was hired to do a job; an entire noble family was killed in the process. What he says is true, it is generally one master one job."

"So if I help you, can I get you assurance? No more trouble from the Crows. No one else comes after me."

Ignacio shook his head, "That I cannot do. One master already has a contract out on you. Maybe if you help us, when that master asks for help, all he gets is silence."

Eriana twisted her ring for a moment and glanced at Zevran who merely shrugged. "Okay, I'll do it," she said, a sick feeling growing in the pit of her stomach. Deep inside she hoped that this would garner them some added protection, that she wasn't walking blindly into a trap.

Careful not to wake Zevran, Eriana slipped from their room and down the stairs to the small kitchen of the tavern. She knew the bar would be closing soon, so she would get a chance to speak with Braxton alone. Ever since they left Ignacio's room, Eriana had been mulling over the revelation about her mother. Zevran had once suggested that her mother was a Crow, but Eriana had never given the thought much credence; it had just seemed too farfetched. She tried to imagine her mother slinking through shadows, stalking some unsuspecting victim, but she couldn't. All she saw when she imagined her mother was her standing over the stove, dancing with her father, or coaching her with the practice daggers. She needed to talk to Braxton. Quietly, she opened the door to find Braxton already waiting for her.

"Somehow I knew you'd be coming down tonight," he said, handing her a tankard of ale. "So you spoke with Ignacio then?" Eriana nodded. "Then I guess you're curious about your mother."

"Are you a Crow, too, Braxton?" Eriana asked hesitantly.

"No, I am just a contact. I was moving here from Antiva to work for the Crows here when your mother chose to escape from Antiva. She was known as Danella then, but she was not a typical Crow, you see. She was an infiltrator, a bard more or less. The Crows often used her to scout out some of the more high profile marks; rarely was she called on to actually kill. She would provide access to their homes and pass on information to those who would actually go in and do the job. It seems that she was given a contract that she refused to carry out, so she asked to accompany me to Fereldan."

Braxton sat back and took a drink before he continued. "I smuggled her onto a ship bound for Highever and intended to hide her in the ailenage there; when we arrived, the elder agreed to help us, but he was afraid of the ramifications should the Crows discover that he was harboring her there. He had an idea that would allow her to move into Denerim without suspicion. A young tailor in the ailenage had recently lost his wife in childbirth. He was going to move his young family to Denerim because the ailenage here was in need of a tailor."

"My father?" Eriana asked. Braxton nodded.

"Cyrion agreed to take your mother in. Once they arrived in Denerim, everyone in the ailenage simply assumed that she was his wife and the child's mother, Alissa. She cut and dyed her blond hair and quickly lost the Antivan accent so she wouldn't stand out."

Eriana was stunned, "So my brother wasn't really my brother then?"

"He was your half brother. Your parents did come to love each other, and you mother loved your brother, too. She was happy with her life here." Braxton smiled, "She once told me that leaving the Crows was the best thing she ever did."

"But eventually, they found her, right? Ignacio said he was at her funeral."

"Yes, Ignacio was coordinating the Crows in Fereldan at the time your mother was killed. He did not order her death, but the Crows did discover her eventually. You can't hide from the Crows forever."

"But how, how did they find her?"

Braxton shrugged, "The Crows have eyes and ears everywhere; it was only a matter of time, she knew that. Your father never knew the truth of her past; all he knew was that she was escaping from some trouble and needed to hide." He reached out and tucked a stray hair behind her ear, "She didn't tell you because it was safer that way. If they thought your father or you knew of her past, they would have probably killed you on principle. Ignacio was probably there to assess just how much you knew."

Eriana sighed, her head in her hands. "I'll never be free of them, will I? I will always be looking over my shoulder, wondering if there is someone in the shadows waiting for me."

"Especially if you stay with that Crow of yours," he said, lifting her chin to look in her eyes. "They don't let their assassins go, Ana; I'm sure he's told you as much." She nodded. "So long as you know this; the longer you are with him, the more danger you are in."

"He wouldn't hurt me, Braxton; he won't betray me."

Braxton kissed her gently on the forehead. "It's not him you have to worry about."

Zevran lay in bed, pretending to be asleep. He knew that Eriana would want to talk to her bartender friend; after learning about her mother, how could she not want to. She was predictable, his lovely Warden, so he waited for her to steal from their bed and disappear into the hallway. He waited a few moments before he pulled on his cloak and disappeared out of the door and headed for the rooms at the front of the tavern. He needed to talk to Ignacio, that much was certain. Hesitantly, he knocked on the door to Ignacio's quarters. He was greeted by one of his body guards and shown into the back room where Ignacio was waiting for him. "Ah, Zevran, I am not surprised to see you; do come in."

"Cut the pleasantries, Ignacio, what is your angle here?" Zevran asked as he entered the room. "I find it hard to believe that the Crows would so easily give up on a contract taken out by the would-be king of Fereldan."

Ignacio smiled, "Perhaps we simply believe that it is in our best interest to keep the country in turmoil; civil war is good for business after all. Or perhaps we see the winds of change coming and wish to find ourselves on the winning side. Whatever the reason it should be little concern of yours, whoreson. What should concern you is that pretty little Warden of yours."

Zevran lifted an eyebrow at this, "Oh, and here I thought you were a man of your word. Did you not tell her the Crows would back off if she agreed to help?"

Ignacio laughed, "You doubt my integrity, then. No doubt, for you are a man of little integrity, after all. Rest assured, your Warden has nothing to fear from me. Should she help, the Crows will take out no new contracts on her and old ones may be met with silence. You, however, may bring danger on her yourself."

"I don't know what you mean."

"Oh, Zevran, I don't mean to suggest that you would hurt her. It is apparent that you have gone far too soft for that." Zevren bristled at the implication, knowing full well it was true. "But what will you do when the Crows come for you, when Taliesin decides the collect. You do remember Taliesin, don't you, Zevran. If I remember correctly, you two were quiet close, yes? You share a…history with women."

"I can handle Taliesin," said Zevran, "but what will happen after that?"

"Should Taliesin fail then the Crows put an open price on your head. Any Crow who wants can come after you once that happens. The more who fail, the higher the price gets. It may take some time, but eventually we will get you, you and anyone who happens to be with you."

Zevran glared at him, "Are you threatening her?"

Ignacio shook his head, "It is the simple fact of the matter. As long as you are with her, you bring her danger. Right now with the blight and the trouble in the nation you may be just fine, but once things settle down, they will come for you. You have been a Crow long enough to know this. You won't be able to protect her from everything."

"So why don't you just kill me now, save the Crows the trouble?"

"Because you are not worth my efforts, whoreson. You are dead to me. Taliesin must deal with you first." Ignacio waved his hand at Zevran as he turned to leave. Ignacio stopped his as he reached the door. "You have always had a weak heart, Zevran, that much is obvious. Pray that it does not cost another her life."

Zevran lay in bed, waiting for Eriana to return, Ignacio's parting words echoing through his mind. Pray that your weakness doesn't cost another her life. In his weakness, he had fallen for Rinna, and it was his weakness and arrogance that killed her. He had allowed Taliesin to kill one lover, could he bear to watch him kill another. Zevran closed his eyes, trying hard not to imagine the picture that was running through it. Eriana lying at Taliesin's feet, her deep blue eyes glistening with tears, begging Zevran for mercy as his associate slit her throat. The image made his stomach turn. He could not lose another to the treachery of the Crows, but Ignacio was right. Whether it was Taliesin or someone else, the Crows would come for him eventually. How could he protect her from them? From his own weakness?

Out in the hall, Zevran heard her light footsteps as they approached the door. Zevran swallowed the lump in his throat. Quietly she opened the door and moved gracefully into the room. Zevran waited to feel her slip back into the bed, but she never came. Instead he found her sitting before the hearth, staring silently into the dying fire, her knees pulled tightly to her chest. Grabbing a blanket from the bed, Zevran moved beside her, covering her narrow shoulders with and pulling her shivering body close to him.

"My dear Warden," he said, drawing her back to look into her face, "there is something you should know about me, about my final mission." Zevran began to tell her about Rinna, how he fell for her, how he believed she had betrayed them, how he let Taliesin kill her. "You see, I came to Fereldan not seeking fame and glory or even freedom from the Crows. I came to Fereldan seeking my death, and what better way to go than at the hands of the fabled Grey Wardens. How was I to know that you would spare me?"

"Do you still wish your death, Zevran?" Eriana asked, looking up at him tentatively.

"No, my dear, what I want is to begin again. Whatever it was I sought by leaving Antivia, I think that I have found it here. It seems that joining you on this quest has given me purpose, something to live for once again," he said, pulling her more tightly to him. "I owe you a great deal, my Warden." Much to his surprise, his response made her begin to cry. He had only seen her cry once and that was in the deep roads when she was exhausted and plagued by nightmares. Seeing her break down and cry startled him; weakness and tears were not her thing. She was usually so strong. "What is it, Ana?"

"Twenty years," she said softly to him. "My mother tried to begin again. She hid from the Crows for twenty years and they still managed to find her. She was living in the alienage, bringing no attention to herself, and they still found her." She looked up at Zevran with fear in her eyes, "Do you remember the oath that you made to me when I spared you?" Zevran nodded. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath like she was settling herself. "I release you from your oath, Zevran. You are free do to as you choose."

Zevran was stunned, was she sending him away? Why? Was what he told her about Rinna too much for her to handle? He pulled back and looked down at her. "You wish me to leave, then?"

Eriana shook her head desperately, "No, oh no Zev, not at all. It's just. Look, the Crows hunted my mother for twenty years because she refused a mission and ran away. They will be more desperate to find you, I'm sure of it. And if you stay with me, they will know where to find you. If Alistair becomes King, then I will be the only Warden in all of Fereldan; it will be easy to find me." She looked deep into his eyes. "I don't want you staying with me and putting yourself in danger because of some oath that ties you to me. And whether it's the Crows or darkspawn or something else, it seems my fate to be always fighting for my life, and I refuse to force that on you."

Zevran was shocked. She was worried for his safety, not her own. He had never known this kind of devotion before, the idea that someone would place his safety before their own was completely foreign to Zevran. "My warden, are you afraid that my staying with you would endanger me?" Eriana nodded. "Are you not afraid of the danger I may bring to you, that my mere presence may bring the entire House of Crows down around your head?"

"No, of course not, I…" and that was all Zevran needed to hear. Without reservation, he pulled her close, claiming her mouth with a passionate kiss, a new and unfamiliar feeling washing over him. She cared for him, cared enough to risk danger to be with him, enough to release him so that he could be safe. She was willing to let him go so that he would be safe. Would he be able to do the same in return? Could he leave her if it meant saving her? Was he strong enough for that? He looked down at the elven woman in his arms.

"My dear, as long as you are willing to have me, I am your man; without reservation, even unto my own death. This I swore to you before I even knew you, and now that I do," he ran his hand down her cheek, "how can you imagine that that would change?"

Eriana smiled up at him, "You are my man, Zevran so long as that is what you choose to be not because of an oath. And I will face whatever the Crows throw at us. I mean, I'm chasing down a giant sentient darkspawn dragon, what are a couple of assassins, right?"

Zevran gathered his arms and carried her to the bed, "Right my lovely. Now, what do you say we take advantage of this actual bed and actual privacy while we still have access to it, no?"