A.N.: Since it has been so long since I posted, I figure a little review is in order. Briana and Ser Alec Fraser (her guard captain) have been captured outside of Stormgard, Bann Alfstanna's estate. Alistair has asked Zevran to find her. The Wardens, on finding out Elandria was alive, have come to Denerim to question her about the events surrounding the Archdemon's death and the past four years. With the Wardens came a young Dalish elf, Rhedyn Altanori, a woman with a mysterious past but superb hunter skills. She has agreed to accompany Zevran on his search for Briana. Commander Gerod and Elandria did not hit it off well and Ashalle, a Dalish Warden, is to handle Elandria's questioning. Eamon had located a nanny for Kellin, whom he did not react to well, and Elandria told Eamon that the nanny would have to go. Torin has promised to teach Zynalla to read.

Briana and Ser Fraser had been riding for a few days since their capture. She learned the leader's name was Fox, or at least that was what his men called him. Ser Fraser was being held bound and under strict guard, a hostage for Briana's behavior. She spent her days riding as close to him as she was allowed, and it was at one of these junctures that he managed to whisper to her without the guards hearing, "I do not believe they know who you are. Do not tell them, my Lady." Briana had figured out the same thing herself simply by the manner of how she was treated.

At first, she was afraid that with the rough men of Fox's troupe and she being the only woman that she might be accosted. Fox ruled his men with an iron fist, however, and he made her off-limits. Briana wasn't taking any chances though and bedded down for sleep as near to Alec as she could. His presence alone gave her strength even if he was kept tied at nights. Briana had to admit that Fox wasn't totally inhumane; he allowed Ser Fraser small amounts of time twice a day in camp to be unbound (with extra guards) and to move around, usually in the morning and evening.

They and their captors had ridden around the outskirts of many smallish villages, but now they seemed to be making directly for what Briana was pretty certain was the town of Homestead. It lay just south of the deepest inlet of the Waking Sea and The North Road went through it. Briana had been through there herself just recently when returning from Denerim. As they rode closer and closer to the town, Briana began to feel a flare of hope. Perhaps they would enter the town itself and she could find some way to get help. Her hope was soon proven to be in vain as the group split up. Fox sent three of his men and two of the extra horses into town. From what Briana overheard, they were being told to fetch supplies. Fox and the other five men surrounded Briana and Ser Fraser and shepherded them towards a farm on the outskirts of town. Fox broke away from the group and Briana saw him approach the farmhouse. He entered and then exited the house a short time later. He returned to where the rest of them waited and then the group moved to follow him. Briana turned around to look at the farm house and noticed two young boys watching them. For no particular reason that she could think of, she waved to the two boys. Neither waved back, but she knew they had seen her.

Fox led them to a barn. He indicated everyone was to enter. Briana dismounted and rushed over to help Alec off his horse. She led him to a small mound of hay in the barn and had him sit down. She lobbied Fox for Ser Fraser to be untied. He reluctantly gave permission as long as they both sat in the hay. Briana agreed and so it was done. One of the men handed them cold rations, dried meat with a slab of cheese and a small canteen of water. Briana and Alec weren't able to converse freely because the guard Fox had set on them was standing too close. After they ate, Briana took advantage of the break to take a short nap. She leaned against Alec's shoulder and slept while he watched over her. After a couple of hours, the others returned from town with the supplies. They were roused and back on the horses moving once again.

Briana asked Fox more than once what he wanted with them, but he refused to say. She wasn't sure he even knew why they had been taken. It was obvious to Briana that Fox was just performing a duty he had been paid to do as he didn't seem aware of who she was. A few days after the stop for supplies, they were riding through some beautiful landscape. The land was gently rolling with open meadows and gurgling streams, and there were large stands of trees. They broke through one of these stands into a cleared hilltop where a building sat by itself. Fox headed the group right toward it.

When they arrived at their destination, Ser Fraser was taken off his horse. Briana was allowed to dismount and move under her own power. As they rode up, a man came out of the small estate house. Fox gave orders for Briana and Alec to be watched and then he pulled the man aside. Briana couldn't hear what the man told Fox, but whatever it was, it didn't make him happy. Fox turned and looked at her before walking over to her and Ser Fraser. "Lady, is it true you are a healer?"

Briana answered him with a short, "Yes."

"I have a patient for you," he replied. "Come with me." He started walking towards the house.

Briana didn't move. "Fox," she said. He turned to look at her. "I'll take a look at your patient, but I want Ser Fraser along as well, and I would like him unbound." Briana turned back to her horse and untied her traveling satchel that she carried with her whenever she had to go out and see a patient. It contained her medicinal supplies.

Fox just looked at her a moment and then he jerked his head at three of his men. "Follow me," he said. Briana and Ser Fraser followed Fox while the other three men fell in around them and they entered the house. Briana looked around trying to get a feel for where she was. This place reminded her of a hunting lodge Bann Alfstanna kept. There were trophy heads of different animals and various bows and spears displayed on the walls of the large main room they entered into which had two large fireplaces, one at each end. Fox kept moving and started ascending a flight of stairs at the back of the room. The rest of their little party followed like ducklings behind momma. They took the steps to the next floor where Fox led them to a room that another of his men stood in front of it. The man turned and unlocked the door at a nod from Fox and then stepped aside.

Fox turned to her and said, "In here," before opening the door.

Fox entered the room and Briana obediently followed him. Briana stopped when she came through the door and then rushed to the bedside. There was a young man in the bed. He had dark brown hair, but Briana couldn't see his eyes because they were closed. The man was shaking but drenched in sweat. She put the back of her hand to his forehead and he was burning up with fever.

"How long has he been like this?" she barked.

Fox motioned for the man who was standing guard outside to enter the room. "Answer her questions," Fox ordered him.

The guard told Briana that the sick man had been like this for the past few days going in cycles between fever and chills with some cough interspersed. Briana asked for some clean water and honey and then began rummaging in her bag.

Fox motioned Ser Fraser over and freed him from his bounds. He pointed to a chair and told him to sit there. By this time, Briana's water and honey had arrived and she found the dried willow and cinchona bark she had been searching for. She quickly mixed up a tonic for the sick man. "Alec," Briana said. "I'm going to need your help."

"What would you have me do, my Lady?" asked Ser Fraser.

"Sit him up and hold him so I can get some of this into him," Briana replied. She looked over at Fox. "What's his name?" she asked.

"Camden," came the reply. "What's wrong with him?"

"It could be a number of things, but what I'm giving him will do him no harm and hopefully much good," said Briana. She moved to the side of the bed with Alec beside her. "Camden, can you hear me?" Briana asked as she used a damp rag to wipe some of the sweat off his face.

At the touch of the coolness against his face, Camden's eyes opened. Through the blurriness and dizziness caused by the fever, he thought he saw a dark-haired woman. He tried to focus on her face, but her image kept blurring. All he could see was blue-black hair that reflected the light that hurt his eyes so he closed them once more.

"Camden?" came the melodic soft voice once again. Camden wasn't sure where he was anymore. He had been traveling when he was captured, and that was the last thing he remembered. The beautiful voice started speaking again pulling his consciousness back to the world, "You need to drink this. Please try. Can you hear me?" He felt his body being pulled into a sitting position and supported by a pair of strong hands followed by the feeling of a cup being placed to his lips. "Try and swallow." Camden felt cool liquid run into his mouth. Without consciously thinking about it, he began to greedily swallow. It seemed like forever since he had last had anything to drink. "Easy now," came the voice again. "Not too much at once."

"Hold him," Camden heard the voice say as it turned away. A few moments later, he felt another cup held to his lips. "Drink this, it's just water." Camden drank and felt the scratchiness and dryness in his mouth and throat decrease. The cup was soon moved away.

"Lie him back down, Alec," the female voice came again and he felt himself moved so the bed was once again supporting his body and the hands released their grip on him. Camden was happy to lie there with his eyes closed.

Camden was aware of the woman turning away from him to make some demands of another person. "I want plenty of cool water to bathe him. I want a change of clothes and new sheets for this bed."

Camden heard the drone of a male voice in reply, but the words were lost as he dropped back into unconsciousness.

Zevran and Rhedyn spent the first hour out of Denerim in silence. Rhedyn because that was the way in which she normally traveled; Zevran because he was observing the other elf and trying to get a sense of what made her tick. He tried to watch her unobtrusively, but Zevran figured she was aware of his looks. The two walked side by side as they were just following the road heading for Stormgard, Bann Alfstanna's manor house. They were planning to locate the original tracker who had followed Briana and then have him take them to where he had lost the trail. From there it would all depend on Rhedyn to find a track many days old. Finally, Zev decided to break the silence.

"So, tell me, my dear, what brings you out here on this search," Zev asked in a neutral voice.

Rhedyn looked suspiciously over at Zevran, but she assumed this question was innocuous enough. "I came because my cousin asked me to," she replied coolly, hoping he would take a hint and end his questions there.

Zevran being Zevran, of course, that wasn't about to happen. "So, mi bella diosa de la tormenta, you leave your cousin behind. Is there anyone else you've left pining for you while accompanying me?"

Rhedyn gave Zevran a blank stare of incomprehension.

Zevran let out a small sigh, but took pity on her. "I meant are there any men… or women who are missing you and await your return?"

Rhedyn still looked puzzled for a moment or so, but then she flushed red as she figured out what Zevran was asking. "No," she snapped before lengthening her stride and marching off ahead of him. Zevran let a small smile play around his mouth as he watched her walk in front of him. "Now that is a fine view, is it not, my caballo friend?" Zev said appreciatively to the pack animal he was leading. The horse didn't answer.

Rhedyn walked, well stalked really, in front of Zevran for about the next hour. Eventually, she slowed her pace and allowed him and the horse to catch back up. Zevran wisely kept his mouth shut, but continued to watch her out of the corner of his eye. They traveled in silence until they stopped for a lunch break. Zevran broke out some sandwiches he had retrieved from the palace kitchens before they left. They did speak a little during lunch, and Rhedyn informed him she would hunt that afternoon in the woods beside the road to supplement their supper. Zevran told her it wasn't necessary; they had plenty of supplies. Rhedyn just shrugged her shoulders and said she would do it on the move and catch up with Zevran that evening. Zevran thought she just wanted a break from his company. Shortly after that, they were back on the road heading west. Zevran watched Rhedyn move off for her hunting with her bow in hand. Ah, you are a puzzle, my skittish beauty, but with a little time and effort, I've always excelled at figuring out just what pieces go where.

As Alistair had a full day of meetings and audiences, Elandria spent the morning with Kellin, Torin, and Zynalla since her meeting with Ashalle was not until later. Alistair was able to join them for a quick lunch, and Elandria's heart sang at watching Alistair and Kellin together. She could see and hear the pride and joy Alistair took in his small son's presence. Elandria loved Kellin fiercely and had from the moment of his birth, but she knew Alistair still had a hard time believing his long-cherished dream of a family and a child had come true. Elandria knew that Alistair would do anything to keep Kellin safe.

Later that afternoon, Elandria made arrangements with Ciannata to bring everything to the meeting room in order for her and Ashalle to have Da'Vhenan tea. Elandria was sure Ashalle wouldn't have had a chance to perform the Dalish ceremony often since joining the Order.

Once again she arrived early, but today she was much less nervous than she had been the day before. She was looking forward to spending more time with Ashalle. After the past days in Denerim, it was soothing for her to be around a man of the Dalish. She hadn't realized until she left the elven community just how much a part of her that lifestyle had become and how easily she had fit into it. When Elandria first joined with Lanaya's clan she had never meant to stay as long as she did, but for the first time that she could remember, she felt like she was part of a real family. In the mage tower, she had only had Jowan and even he had left her in the end. The small group of friends that had fought the Blight together had a completely different dynamic, which all came apart in the pain that had overtaken her with the loss of Alistair. Elandria was the glue that held them all together, and with her heart broken and she unable to bind anyone, much less herself, the ties that had held them all to each other came undone. It didn't surprise her that Wynne and Zevran were the ones who remained closest to her and Alistair now as so many of their adventures during that time had only comprised the four of them; Wynne, Zevran, her, and Alistair. They had bled for each other countless times; they had saved each other numerous times. Their shared experiences during the Blight would never be forgotten.

Ashalle arrived soon after Elandria, but before Ciannata. They were talking about their clans and searching for mutual acquaintances among those elves that remained wild and free in the forest while their destines tied them to the Wardens and the taint. Ciannata knocked on the door and at Elandria's soft call entered carrying a tray with the necessary ingredients for the ceremony. Ciannata set it on the table with a nod to Elandria before just as quickly leaving the room once more. Ashalle turned and looked at Elandria almost with wonder in his eyes.

"Is that what I think it is?" he asked.

"Yes," Elandria said. "Lanaya was kind enough to gift Torin and me with a supply before we left. I find after my years with the clan that the ritual responses and the tea itself are a great stress reliever and help to clear my mind. I take it you haven't had Da'Vhenan tea in a long time."

"Creators, no!" replied Ashalle. "Not for years, the last time I was home actually."

Elandria looked at him with a small smile, "Shall I begin?"

"Please," he replied.

Elandria reached out to pick up the first ingredient and said the formal words that began the ceremony. Ashalle joined in as they solemnly mixed the ingredients and performed the ritual gestures that accompanied the tea making. Elandria sighed deeply when they finished and set the tea into the container suspended above the flames. A comfortable, relaxed atmosphere now permeated the room, aided in no small part by the scent of the brewing tea. She glanced over at Ashalle seated beside her and saw he felt the same release of tension that she experienced. She smiled at him and was just about to make a comment when the door slammed open.

Commander Gerod marched his way into the room. Both Elandria and Ashalle looked at him in surprise. Ashalle thought he was handling Elandria's questioning. What was Gerod doing here? "Commander," acknowledged Ashalle coolly. "I did not expect your company today. Is something amiss?"

Elandria nodded at the man, but gave him no other greeting.

Gerod self-importantly pulled out a chair and sat himself down, crossing his legs and casually tossing his gauntlets on the table. "No, everything is fine. I just realized I had some more specific questions this morning and I didn't have the opportunity to catch you, Ashalle," replied the man.

Elandria really disliked this man intensely, but she forced herself to a neutral tone of voice as she asked, "What exactly is it that you wish to know?"

"My questions concern the boy."

At this Elandria drew herself up stiffly, warning bells sounding in her head. "Ask," she replied simply.

"Has he exhibited any unusual behavior? Any special .. skills?" asked the commander.

"He's only a little boy," replied Elandria. "What do you expect him to do?"

Gerod drummed the fingertips of one hand on the table as he answered her, "No one has ever survived the Archdemon before. I'm wondering if there were any side effects so to say."

"No," said Elandria firmly, putting all thoughts of Kellin's behavior over the nanny out of her mind. "He's a normal, healthy, happy 3-year-old."

Gerod looked shrewdly into her eyes. "And how would you know normal? The mage tower in Ferelden must be different than the ones in Orlais. I didn't realize they had little children there."

Elandria jumped up out of her chair on the pretext of removing the tea from the heat as it had begun to boil. She could feel her control slipping as her anger began to climb, "My son is not open for discussion. I will answer any questions you have about the Archdemon and what happened that night, but leave him OUT of it."

A small smile played around the corners of Gerod's mouth that Elandria did not see as her back was to him as she took care of the tea. Gerod was satisfied that he had managed to needle her. "I want to see the boy," he announced.

Elandria spun to face him as tiny sparks of lightening began to play between her fingers. "Absolutely not!" she declared.

Ashalle, having spent the last few years around Anders, knew what the sparks meant and immediately moved to diffuse the situation. He wasn't quick enough, however, as Gerod spoke before he could interfere.

"I could order you to bring him before me, you know," Gerod said in a softly menacing voice, almost empty of inflection.

Ashalle was surprised when Elandria answered him coolly. "You could try, you mean," she said as she just looked at the commander, and to Ashalle's surprise the lightening died away.

Ashalle remained quiet as he watched the battle of wills play out in front of him. Gerod continued to sit in the chair, the picture of a man at his ease, but his fingers continued their tap, tap, tapping on the tabletop. Elandria remained standing not moving a muscle, her gaze locked on Gerod. The tension drew out as the two just continued to stare at one another.

Finally, Gerod pushed himself out of the chair and to his feet. "Fine, have it your way for now," he said harshly picking up his gauntlets in one hand. "But someday, these questions will be answered," he stated before spinning on his heel and leaving the room.

Once he was gone, Elandria let out a shaky breath. She turned a questioning look on Ashalle. "What is his problem?" she asked him.

"You scare him. He worries what you will do," Ashalle answered her honestly.

"Me? Why?" Elandria asked.

Ashalle slipped back into the chair he had been seated in before the commander had entered the room. "I don't think you appreciate the reputation you have with all the Ferelden Wardens. You are a hero to them, Elandria. Gerod is afraid if you come to Amaranthine you will displace him. He is not a popular figure there, and he has burned his bridges in too many other Warden posts. This is his last chance for command."

Elandria looked at Ashalle in confusion. "Why would I go to Amaranthine? My life is here, with Alistair and Kellin."

"I think that is what this little visit was all about. He was testing your devotion to your son."

Elandria just shook her head. "Politics again. I can't get away from them. He could have just asked me."

Ashalle shook his head with a rueful smile, "That is not his way."

Elandria moved to the glazed container that held the tea. "Shall we try this again?" she asked

Ashalle's smile was all the answer she needed.

Since it was early winter, the days were short. Zevran stopped shortly before sundown to start getting a camp set up. He had just hobbled the horse, unloaded it for the evening, and was thinking about starting the search for firewood when Rhedyn came striding up to him. She carried a small branch over her shoulder with a few squirrels cleaned and skinned hanging off of it.

"I see you had some luck, mi amiga," Zevran commented. "Would you prefer to gather wood or put the tent up?" Since there was only the two of them, they only needed one tent. One would sleep while the other kept watch. Zevran did have another tent in the gear that they would break out for Briana on the return trip, but since speed was of the essence, they would only set up one until then.

Rhedyn gracefully squatted in the area where the fire would go and propped the stick up so the meat stayed out of the dirt. "The wood," she said before turning and leaving their small camp.

Zevran looked at the horse as he began to pick out the pieces of the tent from the gear he had unloaded. "She doesn't waste words, does she? See what it forces me to do, talk to you for company," Zev said with a rueful shake of his head as he moved to set up the tent.

Later, as they sat quietly eating their supper, which had been added to with the supplies the pack horse carried, Rhedyn broke the silence between them, catching Zevran by surprise. "Why are you here?" she asked without looking at him and for once in a tone of voice that didn't drip contempt.

Zevran took this as a form of peace offering and so answered her readily enough, "I'm here because my friend asked me to come and find someone he still cares about."

Rhedyn grunted in reply, her eyes still held by the flickering flames. "So it is for the shem king, then?"

"I am doing this for Alistair, a man who has earned my trust many times over, and not for the king," Zevran replied but without any heat in his voice. Zev didn't want to push her away now that she seemed to be making a small gesture in his direction.

Rhedyn dropped her eyes to her hands in her lap. "I find the idea of trust between elf and she-human to be a disquieting idea," she admitted. "However, this king of yours seems to surround himself with our people, even going so far as to marry an elf, so perhaps it is not a bad thing, just strange and different, for one such as me."

Zevran had all kinds of questions he wanted to ask her, but he thought caution was the way to go with Rhedyn. He would have to earn her trust just like he would one of the wild animals of the forest she had called home most of her life.

"Well, it wasn't always such," Zevran admitted. He grinned at her. "Would you like to hear an amusing tale about two Grey Wardens and the Antivan assassin hired to kill them?" he asked.

Rhedyn raised an eyebrow at him, so Zevran launched into the story of how he came to meet Elandria and Alistair and how Arl Howe had hired him to kill the Wardens for the regent. She even smiled a little at the part where Alistair protested Elandria's decision to keep him alive. When he finished, he offered to take the dirty dishes to the stream nearby and clean them up. By the time he returned, Rhedyn had settled down for the night in the tent as Zevran was taking first watch. Zevran paced the perimeter of the quiet camp. When he passed near the tent he could actually hear the soft sounds of Rhedyn's breathing. When Zevran finally sat down to stare into the dark, his thoughts were filled by the young elven woman who accompanied him and the mystery that surrounded her.

Zevran woke the next morning shortly before dawn, and he could still smell her scent on the bedroll they had both used. It was the scent of woman mixed with a woody clean smell. He took one last sniff of the blanket holding the aroma in his lungs as if to lock it in his memory. He then climbed out of the bedroll to begin another long day of travel.

The next day or two passed in much the same manner as the first except that gradually Rhedyn was becoming more comfortable around Zevran. Even though Zevran's conversation was normally full of innuendo and he was always willing to flirt, he was also a patient man and able to abandon his normal mannerisms when necessary. He quickly figured out that his normal ebullience would push her away. Zevran found Rhedyn such a dichotomy. There was a part of her that was so strong and capable. After watching her with her bow, there wasn't a doubt in his head she could take care of herself. However, there also seemed to be a youthful innocence about her. That was the part that reminded him of an injured fawn and made him want to scoop her up and protect her from harm. When these fanciful thoughts went through his head, Zevran called himself a fool and forced back to the forefront of his mind the reason they were here. The job, Zevran, keep your mind on the job…not the woman!

The last night before they expected to reach Stormgard, they were camped once more by the roadside. Rhedyn had again contributed to their supper. Zevran was done eating before Rhedyn, and as she was sitting across the fire from him he watched as she was finishing her meal. His eyes were drawn by the graceful markings on her face. He had seen many different patterns over the years when he had encountered the Dalish, but he had never seen the curling and twisting shapes like Rhedyn bore. She looked up quickly when Zevran was not expecting it and caught his eye.

"What?" she asked defensively.

Over the past few days, the relationship between the two elves had reached an even keel. Zevran wouldn't exactly say they were friends, but she seemed to have lost the animosity she had displayed for him at the beginning of their journey.

"I was just admiring your vallaslin," Zevran said.

Rhedyn's whole body stiffened and she pulled herself up straight. "Admiring?" she said disbelievingly.

"I have never seen ones such as yours," Zevran replied.

Rhedyn sat the bowl she was eating from down on the ground by the fire. "Nor will you," she spit out before leaping off the butt end of the log she had been sitting on and striding off into the dark.

Zevran didn't make a conscious decision, but he immediately started moving behind her. Zevran might not be the most expert at woodcraft, but one thing he did know how to do was to move quietly no matter where he was. He called on his stealth abilities and faded from view as he followed Rhedyn into the trees by their campsite. Rhedyn didn't go far, but Zevran was easily able to trail her in the light of the full moon. Zevran could see the tension in her body that caused her to move stiffly, not in the fluid manner in which she normally carried herself.

Rhedyn stopped at a small pond not far from the camp. It was more a large hole filled with dark, still water than an actual pond. Zevran had caught snatches of words that she muttered to herself after leaving the campsite, but he hadn't been able to make out anything coherent. She squatted down now, and Zevran could see her staring intently at herself in the dank pool. He moved closer, closer than he probably should have. He wasn't certain how far to push his luck. Rhedyn was too good in a natural setting for him to remain hidden from her awareness for long even as distracted as she was.

Rhedyn stared down at the dank water. It didn't make a very good reflecting surface, but that didn't matter. She had stared at her image in still water so many times since her vallaslin ceremony that she didn't need the reflection. The marking on her face was branded in her mind and reverberated through her veins with every beat of her heart.

Zevran watched as Rhedyn squatted by the pool of water. She seemed almost mesmerized and was still for long minutes. Suddenly her arm went flying as she plunged her hand into the pool, sending ripples racing across the surface. He could hear her self-contempt in the one word she spoke, "Murderer."

Zevran stayed perfectly still as Rhedyn rose and continued on, disappearing through the trees into the forest that surrounded the road they were following. Zevran waited for a few moments before starting to move back to camp to reduce the chance of her hearing him as he thought about what he had just witnessed. Zevran recognized the self-loathing and mental anguish displayed by Rhedyn tonight. They were familiar feelings to Zevran, since they were similar to what drove him before Elandria's acceptance and friendship had helped heal him. Another piece of the puzzle that was Rhedyn had fallen into place for him.

Rhedyn travelled, moving quickly and lightly through the quiet trees, but she couldn't outrun the tumult of feelings roiling inside her. No matter how fast she pushed her body or how far she went, she carried them, as much a part of her as her hand or her voice. She made a large circle in the forest and eventually felt calm enough to return to camp and to Zevran. The assassin caused conflicting emotions inside her. At times during the day when they were moving in tandem, both working toward the same goal, her self-loathing was held at bay by the quiet acceptance the other elf seemed to give her. That was a new experience for her, and she had to constantly remind herself that it wasn't real, that as soon as he knew his features too would wear the repugnance and disdain that her kin had felt toward her for the past five years. Only Ashalle knew what she was and loved her regardless.

When Rhedyn arrived back at camp, she felt a flush of embarrassment as she realized Zevran had performed all the camp chores for the night and was sitting quietly by the fire waiting for her. Rhedyn bowed her head and hurried by him, heading for the tent as Zevran always took first watch.

Zevran had been conscious of Rhedyn when she entered the perimeter of the camp. When she hunched up and prepared to rush into the tent, he spoke very quietly to her, deliberately not looking at her, trying not to spook her, "Rhedyn, I'm sorry."

At his soft words, she froze, barely breathing.

"I did not mean to touch on any painful areas of your past. I know what it is to carry a burden that seems too large to set down."

Rhedyn felt another flush of embarrassment that her anguish was visible to others. Not knowing what else to say, she settled for simply, "Good night, Zevran." She then lost no time in escaping into the privacy of the tent.

Zevran softly chuffed out his breath. That certainly had not gone the way he had hoped. Zevran quietly rose and began his first circuit of the camp for the night. He pretended not to hear the muffled sounds of crying that came from within the tent. Zevran felt guilty about stirring up the feelings that Rhedyn was experiencing. What he really wanted to do was to comfort her, but he knew she wouldn't accept it from him. Zevran didn't know what secret Rhedyn was carrying, but he did know that whatever it was, the weight of it was close to breaking her.

A figure sat in a darkened room illuminated only by the light coming from the flames burning in the fireplace. He reached out and refilled his goblet with the wine that his steward had purchased on a recent trade mission to the Free Marches. He rolled it around in his mouth savoring the flavor. Not bad. Still not what I deserve, though. The man sat back as he considered the current situation and how his plan was progressing. It hadn't all gone smoothly of course; these things never did. One had to be prepared for that and ready to make quick adjustments, but overall he was pleased with all the elements he had in play.

His eyes roamed the smallish room. It was comfortable and well appointed, but certainly not grand. Someday, when all the elements of my plan come together, everything that should have been freely given to me, and more, will be mine!

A.N.: So here it is finally, I hope no one had heart failure from shock when they saw that the story had been updated. This was the chapter that REFUSED to be written; I have been working on this monster for weeks. Part of the reason I haven't updated in a while has been because HEART'S RECOVERY, my Ser Perth/Alistair/Tabris story, sidetracked me, but I intend to turn my attention back to Lanie and crew and get this story finished. Those of you who can write more than one story at a time and keep updates within reasonable timeframes really have my admiration. I've learned not to promise, but I sincerely hope the next update doesn't take as long as this one did. I have family coming in over the weekend so that means I probably won't even get to start the next chapter until after that.

That being said, special thanks go to Mapachita for the Spanish 'mi bella diosa de la tormenta,' which means 'my beautiful storm goddess.' She saved me from depending on the online translator which was so wrong before. Thanks, my friend!

Thanks also to my two wonderful betas, melisomo and ladyamesindy, especially ladyamesindy for the "de-had-ification!"

Finally to everyone who continues to follow the story, alert, favorite, and review, even with my uneven updates, thank you so much. I appreciate each one of you!