Zevran wasn't sure exactly how long he knelt there beside the fallen Crow, staring at the missive with his name on it, contemplating the implications of this new information. He and Eriana had both known that the Crows would be coming after him eventually; this new development was no surprise to Zevran. What did surprise him was the fact that it had come so quickly. It had been a mere six months since the archdemon fell; leaving Ferelden with a modicum of peace and stability, and it had only been seven months since they had defeated Taliesin. The Crows had all but pulled out of Ferelden toward the end of the Blight, so they weren't expecting any attacks for several more months. Not only had the Crows moved quickly, but they had sent one of their best after him. Though Zevran didn't know that assassin who had attacked them, his tattoos indicated that he had nearly fifty solo assassinations and was likely well on his way to being a Crow master. The final piece of information of the paper, however, was the one that bothered him the most. The assassins knew exactly where to find him. Not only that, but they were attacked on their first night in the city, which suggested that they were being watched closely.

Zevran felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to find the innkeeper's wife standing beside him with one of his tunics in her hand. "Here dear," she said gently as she handed him the shirt. He had been so focused on Eriana and these revelations about the Crows that he had forgotten that he had used his top to try to stop Eriana's bleeding. He gave a muttered thank you as he pulled the tunic over his head. "We have another room for you whenever you're ready." He turned to look at Eriana who was still lying on the ground. The innkeeper's wife smiled. "Her bleeding has stopped, and her breathing has returned to normal, but she's not quite awake yet."

"No," Zevran said, walking back to the fallen elf's side, "no, I would imagine not. The poison and antidote are fighting in her system. I don't expect her to wake until later tomorrow." He knelt beside her, running his hand over her forehead with one hand while taking her pulse with the other. It was strong and steady. He glanced up at the human woman, "Thank you for your help Mrs…"

"Just call me Gloria, love, and it was my pleasure. We all owe that woman a greater debt than we could ever repay." She gave Zevran another pat on the shoulder. "Just let me know when you're ready to move to another room, and I'll have one of the guards carry her while you get your things."

Zevran shook his head and gently reached under Eriana and lifted her, cradling her against his chest. "I'll go ahead and take her, Gloria. Thank you."

"But ser, what about your valuables?"

Zevran glanced down at the woman resting against his chest. "I have the only thing I value right here." And the only thing he would never be able to replace.

Zevran knew that the rest of the night would not be easy, neither for him nor Eriana. Yes, her breathing had been stabilized, but the poison was no were near done running its course. Quiet death often caused uncontrollable chills and left the victim weak for several days; that is, of course, on the rare occasion that the initial phase doesn't kill him. Most people who are poisoned usually suffocate before an antidote is administered. Eriana was lucky that they had one on hand, or she would have likely died on the dusty inn floor. Zevran shivered at the thought. His Warden had survived dragons, broodmothers, and demons, but she was almost done in by a dagger and a concoction of herbs.

Zevran sighed and wrapped her tightly in several blankets as Gloria and her husband came in with their weapons, armor, and packs. "We will leave a guard on this hall in case you need anything," the innkeeper said as he put their things down. "I am so sorry that this happened to you in my inn, and I will do whatever it takes to keep you safe while you're here." Zevran nodded, thanking the man before returning his attention back to Eriana.

Once the humans left, Zevran locked the door and crawled into bed beside Eriana, pulling the blankets up around her as he drew her closer so that her head rested against his shoulder. Looking down at her as she began to shiver, the events of that night finally began to sink in. She had very nearly died there in his arms at the hands of his former employers, at the hands of people who were after him. One part of his mind screamed to him, "You both knew this was coming; don't panic," while the other part whispered, "Your past damn near cost you everything. The woman you love nearly died because she was between you and those who wanted to kill you." If this was to be the end of it, Zevran was sure he could deal with it, but he knew that there would be more. The Crows were not ones to give up so easily, and they were very nearly successful on attempt number one. What was going to happen when they sent someone stronger, someone with more experience, more luck? Zevran couldn't bear the thought of something happening to her, especially when it was him that they were after. He had vowed to protect her at any cost, but did he really mean it. Was he willing to pay the price, the ultimate price to shield her?

He tightened his hold on her as her body trembled in response to the poison. She still looked to frail, so weak in his arms, and he knew that there was nothing he wasn't willing to do, no price he wasn't willing to pay to keep her safe. His stomach when he realized what he was truly considering. Was he strong enough to do what it takes to protect her from the Crows; was he willing to make that kind of sacrifice?

The remainder of the night passed slowly for Zevran as he contemplated what he was going to do, all the while watching Eriana carefully to make sure that she was recovering. Gloria returned once the sun was fully up, carrying a tray of food for Zevran. She informed him that the sergeant in charge of the Highever guards was requesting a meeting with him and that she would sit with Eriana while Zevran met with him. He was reluctant to leave her, but he felt that the sergeant needed to be aware of the situation, so he begrudgingly left Eriana under the woman's watchful eye.

The meeting with the guard was rather straight forward. Zevran informed him of everything that he knew, and the guard ensured him that security would be tightened while he and the Warden remained in the city. When he returned to the room, he reclaimed his space beside Eriana as Gloria went about her business, promising to return with lunch and dinner.

It was nearly sunset before Eriana began to stir. By that time, Gloria was almost frantic with panic, offering to send a messenger into the country to find the city's healing mage, but Zevran managed to calm her down, assuring her that it was a normal reaction to the poison. He was sitting beside her, deep in thought, lightly stroking her arm when he felt her begin to shift beneath his hand.

"You're thinking," Eriana said as she looked up at him.

"It's been known to happen from time to time," Zevran said as he stretched out beside her. He cocked his head to the side and examined her. "You gave us quite a scare back there, mia cara. How are you feeling?"

Eriana stretched, wincing a bit at the movement. "A little sore, I guess." Then she tried to push herself up into a seated position. "And weak as water. What happened, Zev?"

"What as the last thing you remember, my Warden?"

She closed her eyes and leaned back on the pillows. "I remember killing someone who was in our room and then…" she opened her eyes wide, "then I was stabbed. Zev, there was a third person in the room."

Zevran nodded, "It was a clever rouse. He sent in the two novices as decoys, hoping that they would draw our attention while he moved in behind us."

Eriana nodded, "A good plan; it nearly worked. I didn't even think to check for anyone else, I was so focused on the two in front of us. And he was there the whole time, not three feet from me, and I didn't see him. I am so stupid, Zev; it's like I've learned nothing from you."

Zevran sighed and shook his head. "I can't believe you are blaming yourself for this."

"I should have seen him, Zevran; he was right there! You were right; I get lazy and don't pay attention to what is going on around me. Stupid, stupid, stupid."

"Stop," Zevran said, his voice cold and hard. "Don't you dare start to blame yourself; I didn't protect you. And they weren't after you anyway; they were after me."

Eriana took his hand and held it to her chest, "If they were after you, then they were after me too; I go where you go, remember? We knew this was going to happen, Zev; it may have happened a bit sooner than we had anticipated, but so what? We adjust and move on. Now that we know that they're after us, we'll be ready for them."

Zevran stood up, releasing her hand, and began pacing beside the bed. "Ana, this was their first attack, and it was almost successful."

"We weren't ready; they caught us off guard, that's all."

"Well, what about the next time?"

"The next time we will be in Amaranthine, surrounded by Grey Wardens; they won't get this close again."

"So, we'll have Wardens to protect us then, since I can't do it for you," Zevran retorted bitterly.

"Zevran!" Eriana shouted, surprised, "I'm sitting here, alive, aren't I? You did save me. We were just a bit unlucky this time. Had Ramoth been with us, then things would have been different. He would have alerted us the moment they set foot in the room. The Crows just hit us at a vulnerable moment."

"But don't you see, Ana?" Zevran said as he sat back down on her bed, "They weren't lucky in this. They knew exactly where we were going to be. Don't you see what that means? There's someone feeding them information about our whereabouts."

"Zevran, most of the nation knows that I was headed to Amaranthine, and it was no secret that we were going here first. Any small amount of seemingly harmless questioning would have revealed that." She reached up and traced the tattoos on his face. "I know you worry for me, but Zev, this has to stop. First, you went ballistic when we were fighting those darkspawn with Aedan and I got a little cut, and now you are panicking about an assassination attempt. When did you become such a mother hen?"

"Since I lost you!" Zevran barked.

Eriana looked up at him, confused. "What are you talking about? You've never lost me, my love."

"Yes I did, at the Battle of Denerim. I was standing down at the gates, waiting for you to walk through and return to me. Then I saw you cradled in Brendan's arms; I thought you were dead, that I had lost you forever. For those five minutes, from the time I saw you until Wynne got to me and told me that you were alive, I truly believed that I had lost you forever, and in those five minutes, my life fell apart." Zevran pulled her into his arms and kissed her forehead as he cradled her against his chest. "I don't know if I could bear to lose you again. That is why I've grown so protective of late." He looked down at her. "I lost you once, and I will not lose you again."

Zevran felt Eriana's arms tighten around him. "I know you're afraid of losing me, but, Zev, you have to face reality here. With what I do, there is always a risk of something happening to me; it's part of life, part of my life. I mean, you're an assassin; you of all people should know how fragile life is. We never have the promise of tomorrow." She pulled his head down to her, capturing his lips in a tender kiss. "That's why we must make the most of the time we're given and savor those moments while we have them. Isn't that what you always taught me?"

"That was before, mi amora. Everything is different now. Simply savoring the here and now is not enough for me; you are too dear, too precious to only be savored for a moment. I have sworn to protect and shield you, and now I discover that, once again, I have placed you in harm's way. It's just…" He pulled away and walked over to the window, watching as the sun set over the city walls. They were both silent for a long time

"Zevran, please, what's going on?" Eriana finally said, breaking the silence. "You're making me nervous; please, talk to me."

"It's nothing, my dear; I'm just thinking, that's all." Zevran said as he stared out of the window, unable to bring himself to turn around and meet Eriana's eye, afraid that his face would reveal far too much.

The next four days passed in relative peace for the two elves, but it was a false peace, a peace that is found in the eye of some massive storm. While you're grateful for the relief, you know the worst is yet to come. Though neither of them would address the new tension that the Crow attack had caused, it was never far from either of their minds, and the fact that they had not come to a definitive agreement on how best to handle it weighed heavily on them both. Zevran kept Eriana safely ensconced in the inn while she made up for the massive blood loss and purged the poison from her system, letting her venture out only on their final day in the city, once he was completely sure that she was fully recovered. He knew he was being a bit overprotective, but there was a good chance that there were other Crows in the city, and he wanted to make sure she could defend herself properly should they run into any trouble.

They returned to their room after a fantastic dinner at a little seafood restaurant near the wharf. Eriana said that she had a craving for some fish chowder, and Zevran was more than happy to oblige, though what passed for fish chowder here was a poor comparison to the kind he was raised on. As he watched here sitting there eating it, the smells and sounds of the sea wafting around reminding him so much of home, he couldn't help but imagine what it would be like to have her with him in Antiva, to lie with her on the beach, soaking in the warm Antivan sun.

"So, according to Varel's letter, a Warden recruit named Mhairi is going to be meeting us here around noon to escort us Amaranthine. Apparently, she is visiting some family that lives on the outskirts of the city," Eriana said as she crawled into bed.

"So back to work tomorrow then," Zevran said, crawling in beside her. She nodded as she rolled over to turn down the lamp sitting on the nightstand. When she turned back to him, Zevran examined her face in the dull light of the room. Gently he stroked her face with his calloused hand. "You are beautiful, mi amora, and I am so lucky to have found you." She smiled and wrapped her slender yet strong arms around his neck, pulling him down on top of her. Zevran quickly captured her mouth in a passionate, almost desperate kiss as his hands traveled down her beautiful, limber body. He savored everything about this moment, the smell of her hair as it danced across his face, the taste of her skin under his lips, the feel of her body as it quivered around him, the sound of her voice as she purred his name, and the way she looked as she closed her eyes and threw back her head in ecstasy. This was home; this was where he belonged, beside her, always. And that was what made what he was about to do all the more painful.

For a long time that night, long after she had fallen asleep, Zevran lay there just watching Eriana as she slept, tucked neatly beside him. He knew what he had to do; he had to leave her, to deal with the situation with the Crows before they could harm her again. The plan had been stewing in his mind since the night of the attack. It was an ambitious move, a dangerous and potentially deadly plan, to attempt to take control of the Order. He realized that there was a good chance that he would fail and be killed, but at least it would keep her out of danger. Without him in the picture, the Crows would leave her alone; it would be one less threat, one less problem that she would have to worry about. And, to Zevran, that was all that really mattered. He couldn't care less if he actually managed to take control of the Crows, but doing so was the only way they could be together in any kind of peace. That was why he was leaving; that was why he had to go.

But there was a problem with his plan; in order to actually carry it out, he had to leave her. And that was, without a doubt, the hardest part of the entire scheme. Far more difficult than overthrowing an order of elite assassins. Looking down at the woman that he loved, his world, his life, lying beside him, Zevran began to doubt whether or not he could actually do it. The thought of being separated from her made him physically ill, but it wasn't about him, not anymore. He knew that waking up in the morning to find him gone would be devastating to her, and he wished that there was some way to spare her from this pain. But there was no way he could simply talk to her about what he was planning to do. For one, she would try to talk him out of it, try to convince him to stay. It wouldn't take much; as it was, his resolve was only hanging on by a thread. He knew his Eriana, and there was no way he would leave if she started begging him to stay. There was another option, though, one that was even more unbearable. She would want to go with him. He knew that all he needed to do was ask, and she would follow him to Antiva just as he would follow her anywhere. If he told her where he was going, what he was doing, she would insist on following him, on throwing herself head-long into danger beside him. There was no way in Thedas he was allowing that.

So, that left him only one option, escaping in the night, leaving her with no warning and only a letter as means of solace. Zevran knew it was a cowardly move, stealing away in the dead of night, but it was the only way he could be assured of her safety. He was finally manning up, doing something completely selfless, sacrificing his happiness to ensure her safety, but he knew his noble intentions would crumble if she so much as asked him to stay.

As stealthily as possible, he crept out of their bed and collected his things, pulling a letter out of the pocket of his cloak. The hazy light of dawn was starting to grey the sky over the harbor; the time had come for him to leave. He reached out to her with a shaky hand and brushed the contours of her face one last time. She moaned and turned toward him in her sleep, and he was nearly undone. He nearly threw down his pack and crawled back into bed with her, future and Crows be damned so long as he was able to hold her in his arms. But he didn't. Placing the letter on his pillow, Zevran silently made for the window, pausing only to savor one final look at her before disappearing into the misty morning.

So here it is; the chapter I've been dreading because it means no more Zev (sad face). I hope my Zev fans accept his noble reasoning, not that it will help Eriana that much. The Zev leaving storyline was what actually prompted me to write "Just Follow My Lead" in the first place. I guess I just felt betrayed through the whole plot of Awakening. Ah well, I hope you all enjoy where this is heading.

As always, thank you to my awesome reviewers, Envinie, BubblesScream(good to see you back!), Witchy Bee, Zeeji, Jen, and Eva Galana. Your reviews make my day. And thanks to those of you who added alerts and favorites, DemonicDragonMutt, Claret, and Grannaah, welcome aboard!