A/N: Only two days later than I planned, which isn't bad! This is a triple POV chapter, it starts out with Aedan, goes to Alistair, and finishes with Ayla. There is also smut during Alistair's POV, so if you're not interested, stop reading at the first break and skip down to the next one. Otherwise, I hope you all enjoy!

Thanks as always to those who have read, favorited, and followed the story - I'd love to hear what you think, even if it's just a few words!

Extra special thanks to my loyal reviewers, Candle in the Night, Akakoken, WolFang1011, and Asilyessam. I always enjoy hearing your thoughts!

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Disclaimer: As always, I do not own Bioware's original characters or dialogue, just the original parts of this story.

Chapter 48: Future Plans

True to his word, Aedan went to speak to Anora the next afternoon just before supper. Morrigan had been annoyed with him to start with last night, but after he'd explained that he had only gone a short distance to speak to the Arl about the plan for the next few days, she had finally let up on him, as long as he promised to rest for the remainder of the night. He had, of course, not wanting to push her more than necessary.

She'd wanted him to remain in bed all day today, as well, and he had until she'd left to go searching for more potions and herbs along with Ayla. As soon as he was certain she'd left, he'd headed for Anora's room. He had promised to visit her today, after all, and he felt sure he could get back before Morrigan returned and noticed he was gone and once again not listening to her. He wanted to have all his plans set before he was pronounced healed and had to resume his duties looking into ways to win the Landsmeet.

He knocked on Anora's door, and when he heard the call of "Enter, please," he pushed the door open and strode inside, shutting it carefully behind him.

Anora smiled when she saw it was him, standing up and crossing the room to him. "Aedan, I am glad that you came to speak with me. How are you feeling today?"

"Much better, actually," he replied, which was true enough; even he was surprised at how fast he was recovering. He felt nearly back to normal, and was determined to get back to work tomorrow, though he wasn't sure Morrigan would agree that he was ready. He would just have to persuade her that he was. "I am nearly back to myself, and thought we should talk before I begin looking into matters tomorrow."

"Indeed," Anora agreed, continuing hesitantly, her eyes shining brightly with tears, "first, let me begin by saying . . . I am most sorry for your loss, Aedan. I know it has been some time since I saw your family, but I will miss them, all the same. Particularly your mother. I . . . what Howe did was . . . unforgivable. How fitting that he died at your hands."

He cleared his throat, trying to suppress the tears and grief that burned at him, and the rage that still wanted to swallow his heart whenever he thought of Howe. Anora and his mother had been close, when they were children; he knew Anora had admired her greatly. She had always gotten along well with his family, so he knew she felt their loss as keenly as he did, and that made it harder to suppress his own feelings.

"Thank you," he replied at last, when he trusted his voice again. "I . . . am sorry about Cailan, as well. I know it had been years since we spoke, until I saw him at Ostagar . . ." he hesitated briefly, remembering that meeting. Cailan had welcomed him with open arms, happy enough to see him despite the way they had left things years ago, and had immediately expressed his condolences and promised to make Howe pay when he had explained what had happened to his family. He was grateful that he'd at least had the chance to make things up with Cailan before he'd died. "But . . . he was still my friend, and I will miss him," he finished at last.

"I – thank you, Aedan." Her voice wavered slightly as she finished quietly, "I will miss him, as well. Did you . . . make things up between you, at least, before he . . .?"

He nodded. "We did, thankfully. It is one of the few things I have to be grateful for about Ostagar."

She inclined her head slightly. "I am glad to hear it, and sorry for my part in what happened between you."

Even though he knew now that he hadn't really loved her, not the way that he loved Morrigan, he still found himself curious enough to ask, "Did you truly love Cailan more than me? Or was it that he was going to be king, and your father wished for that match more?"

She stared at him for such a long moment that he nearly apologized for bringing it up before she answered, "I . . . loved you both equally, really. It was difficult for me to choose, so in the end, I decided on Cailan because I would have more power as his wife, be able to do more as a queen than –"

"As the wife of a second son?" Aedan finished wryly. He couldn't blame her for that answer, and had suspected it might have been something like that. It was one of the reasons he'd always been slightly bitter about being the "spare", so to speak, because he had felt sure it had cost him the girl he thought he'd loved at the time. Now, after what had happened to his family, and Fergus, and finding real love, that bitterness seemed insignificant, and he often wished he could go back to being the "spare".

"Yes," Anora admitted, looking slightly ashamed. "Still, I regret that my decision hurt you, and that it drove you and Cailan apart. You and I, as well. I should have made my decision sooner, and not been so indecisive. It caused you unnecessary pain -"

"It's in the past, now, Anora," he interrupted her gently. There was no need for her to apologize so much, as his feelings had long since ceased being hurt over it. "And in the end, it made me who I am now, so it was for the best, I think. I'd like to put it behind us, if we could. I know I said some hurtful things, as well, when you told me you were marrying Cailan, and that I do regret."

"I do not blame you for that," she assured him, crossing the last bit of distance between them. She had started to reach for him, almost automatically before she hesitated, so he drew her close, hugging her, figuring they could both use it. She continued softly, "You were hurt, and not yourself at the time. But yes, I would like to put everything behind us, and be friends as we once were. I missed you, and I was devastated when I heard what happened, because at first I believed you had perished along with your family, and I would never have the chance to make things right with you. When I heard that you might still be alive, I was so grateful . . ." her voice broke, and he felt her tears staining his tunic. "I thought I had lost both you and Cailan . . ."

"Shh, I'm still here," he murmured, holding her close as he soothed her. He realized how hard it must have been for her, thinking she had lost both of them, when they had once all been so close, and so he could not begrudge her the comfort she sought, especially when he could use some, as well. She was the only person he had left who had known him before all this, he realized, and that made him want to mend things between them more than ever. "I had actually been meaning to visit you both, and make things right for some time now, once I had gotten over my wounded pride. But . . . I wasn't sure where to begin, and so I kept putting it off. I'm sorry I was not there for you."

"It is all right. You are here now." So saying, Anora stepped back from him, clearing her throat and wiping away any remaining trace of tears, looking faintly embarrassed. He knew she hated appearing weak, and it was only because they were old friends and she had been through such a difficult time lately that she had broken down at all. And, he knew, she would do her best to make him forget that it had occurred.

True to his suspicions, she went on briskly, "Well, we should discuss the Landsmeet, now. My father must be stopped, but once that is done Ferelden will need a ruler. What is your plan, Aedan? I know you have one in mind, already. You always did have one, even when we were children trying to raid the larder. My question is, once my father is stopped, will you support my bid for the throne? Or do you intend to back Alistair?"

He smiled. How typical of her, to put everything so bluntly. "You're right, I do have a plan. And as it happens, I'd been hoping all along that I could convince you to take the throne without your father. Alistair actually has absolutely no interest in taking the throne. We've only been going along with Eamon for appearance's sake, so he would not support your father."

"Oh?" Anora raised her eyebrows, looking surprised. "What makes Alistair so determined not to press his claim, that he would actually oppose Arl Eamon?"

"Well, for one, he has no interest in politics," Aedan replied, shrugging. "But, mainly, it's because he could not marry as he wishes, if he were to take the throne."

"Do not tell me he wishes to marry that barbaric woman who threatened to kill me if he did not return from Fort Drakon," Anora scoffed, looking mildly disgusted.

Aedan just barely stifled a laugh. He could easily imagine Ayla losing her temper, and Anora's reaction, and how poorly the two of them would get on. "Actually, yes," he managed. "You will have to excuse her; she merely lost her temper because she was scared for him. She is not ordinarily like that."

"Hmmph," Anora snorted, looking at him sceptically. "I suppose I shall take your word for it, then. It was an upsetting situation. At any rate, that means you will support my bid for the throne, as long as my father is not Regent?"

"It does," Aedan agreed. "I did have another idea, if you are willing. If you are not, I would understand."

"What might that be?" Anora asked, eyeing him warily.

Well, it was now or never, he decided. Time to see if he could bring his ambitions to pass, or not. "I thought you might wish to have a strong king at your side, as well. If not, I had hoped to at least regain Highever for my family."

She was staring at him in surprise, her eyes wide, even as he could see the wheels turning as she considered it. "Aedan, I – know we used to be . . . it is . . . tempting. You . . . are of Cousland blood, it's true, despite the fact that you are also a Grey Warden. It would be unprecedented, but . . . you were the only other man I ever considered marrying. Is this what you are actually proposing? My hand for your support?" she demanded at last, hands on her hips as she faced him.

"It is," he nodded, meeting her gaze steadily. "And we would be equal partners; I would not try to take control away from you, if that is your concern. I would wish you to continue on as you have been, while I do my best to help you, and our country. I think the two of us united would be good for Ferelden."

"I believe we would," she agreed slowly, "but . . . do you not have someone else you might wish to be with, now? You and that Morrigan woman seemed . . . close."

"Come now, Anora," he replied, keeping his face as expressionless as possible. He was good at concealing his emotions, but Anora had once been very good at reading him nonetheless. "Surely you have heard the rumours about me and how my bed is rarely empty? Yes, I have been with many women over the years, but none of them meant anything to me." Which was completely true. "And Morrigan and I entered into our dalliance with the understanding that it was never going to be permanent." Which was also entirely true; they had just unexpectedly happened to fall in love later. He wasn't about to tell Anora that, however. She would never agree to this arrangement if she suspected his heart lay elsewhere. And if Morrigan would not marry him, Anora was the only other woman he would ever consider, particularly as marrying her lined up so neatly with his ambitions to help Ferelden.

"Are you certain?" she pressed, studying him carefully. "She seemed rather upset at having to leave you behind to be arrested."

He had nearly forgotten that she'd seen that argument between him and Morrigan, though he doubted she had overheard the entire thing, as they'd done their best to stay quiet. "She is very dedicated to the mission," he answered, which was also true, "and believes that I am valuable to the cause of defeating the Blight. She often argues any plan that involves me putting the overall mission at risk, which that plan did," he admitted, reluctantly. Looking back on it now, they could have lost everything if the others hadn't succeeded in getting him and Alistair out safely. "I could have gotten the only Wardens left in all of Ferelden killed if it hadn't gone well."

"That was very risky," Anora agreed, regarding him sternly, before asking, "So, she would not object to you marrying me, then?"

"No," he replied. He had been straightforward with Morrigan regarding the fact that he was likely to end up married to another woman for political gain, and that she would end up his mistress. He doubted that she knew it would happen so soon, but he had never lied to her about it, and he fully intended to keep his vow to her. "Do we have a deal, then?"

Anora regarded him for a long moment before nodding. "I suppose, yes. It is too good an opportunity to pass up, and I could use you by my side. Once the Landsmeet is finished and my bid is won, we will wed. So, we have a deal, Aedan. Now, I suppose, comes the task of dealing with my father. That will be no small feat, of course, but I am certain you already know this."

"Of course, I do." Aedan sighed as he thought of all he still had to do to make sure they came out the victors, not Loghain. "However, I did pick up some valuable information in Howe's dungeons which should help tip the scales our way. And tomorrow, I intend to go to the alienage if possible, and discover what might be going on there. I will let you know, but for now, I should be getting back. I'm supposed to be resting." He grinned mischievously at her, pleased when he got an answering smile.

"Well, I should let you get back to resting, then." She waved her hand at him. "Go on, but do come to visit me again, when you can. I have missed you, and if we are to be wed, we should get to know one another again."

He nodded. "I missed you, too," he told her, sincerely. It had been tough on him, all those years ago, losing both his best friends at once. At least he could get one of them back, now. "I will come by whenever I can manage it." He lifted her hand in his, pressing a kiss to her fingers, remembering how she had always liked that, and sure enough, her face flushed slightly. "Good night, Anora."

"Good night, Aedan," she replied. "Do be careful, when you go to visit the alienage."

"I will," he promised her, before turning and leaving the room. He hoped he would still manage to get back before Morrigan did; he didn't want to deal with her wrath more than he had to. And he would have to tell her, eventually, what his future plans were, now that they were solidified. He was hoping to put it off as long as possible, however, not wanting to put a damper on things between them right now. He could wait a few days, at least, he reasoned as he headed back to his room. He just hoped she truly would understand, once she found out who he was marrying and why.

Alistair groaned inwardly, trying to decide if he wanted Ayla to stop or not. She was driving him insane, massaging that salve into his back, but it was a pleasant kind of insanity, he had to admit.

In some ways, it was soothing and relaxing, the massage releasing the tenseness in the muscles of his shoulders and back as she went. The salve itself was also very soothing, spreading a delicious coolness along the skin on his back. But the feel of her soft hands and fingers all over his back, of her straddling him as she massaged him, was not soothing at all.

No, it was causing his whole body to tingle, and fire to race through his veins, and he was once again achingly hard for her. As far as he was concerned, he was more than healed enough to be exerting himself with her; he actually felt great, right now. The tenderness of his back was almost entirely gone, even though it had only been a day, and all the food he'd eaten and rest he'd gotten over the past day had gone a long way to making him feel like himself again. He wanted nothing more than to flip over right now and show her how much better he felt.

But he'd promised her he would behave until Wynne pronounced him fully healed, and in spite of his pestering the elderly mage earlier when she'd come to check on him while Ayla was out with Morrigan getting more herbs, she had refused to give him a yes or no answer to the question of whether he was well enough. And then Ayla had returned with this salve that she wanted to massage onto his back, and how could he say no to that? Even though he was pretty certain Morrigan had told her to use it with the express purpose of driving him insane.

Ayla chose that moment to shift a little further forward on his back, allowing her to reach the top of his shoulders as she kneaded the muscles there, and this time he couldn't suppress his groan, shifting under her. Maker, he loved those long, shapely legs of hers, and to feel them on either side of his back without being buried between them was nothing short of painful.

"I'm sorry, Alistair," she exclaimed, her hands halting when she heard his groan. "Did that hurt? I'm probably not doing this right."

"No, you're doing just fine, believe me," he assured her, trying to lift his head enough to look back at her. "It didn't hurt. I'm just . . . maybe you should stop before I break my promise to behave myself."

"Oh." She laughed softly. "And here I thought this was supposed to be relaxing; that's what Morrigan said, anyway."

"I'll bet she did," Alistair grumbled, trying to ignore the fact that she was still straddling him.

And then suddenly, he could feel her warm breath on his ear as she leaned over him, a sly, teasing note in her voice, "Do you mean to tell me you're not feeling relaxed? That you're still . . . feeling tense?"

That was it; he couldn't take it anymore, not with her teasing him like that. He flipped over abruptly beneath her, causing her to squeak in surprise and nearly become unseated before he steadied her with his hands at her waist. She was now straddling his erection, and he flexed his hips up ever so slightly, loving the sharp breath she drew in when he rubbed against her. "Yeah, I'm still tense," he growled at her. "And I'm about to overexert myself if you don't leave right now."

"Didn't I tell you?" she asked, widening her eyes innocently. "Just before I came in here, I saw Wynne. She said if you didn't stop pestering her, she was going to undo all her hard work, so as far as she was concerned, you can do whatever you like now."

"What?" he demanded incredulously, tightening his grip on her waist. "Were you planning on telling me this at some point?"

"Eventually," she replied, smirking at him as she reached down, grasping the hem of her tunic and pulling it over her head, tossing it aside. "I wanted to see how long it would take for you to crack first."

He rolled her beneath him, pinning her body to the bed with his even as he pinned her wrists to either side of her head. "Punishing me again, were you?" he murmured against her skin, nipping at her neck.

"What if I was?" she asked breathlessly as he made his way down past her collarbone towards her breastband. "Are you going to do something about it?" She gasped as he nipped her hard, grinding his hips against her at the same time.

"Maybe I will." He let go of her wrists to shove the breastband down out of his way, not even bothering to unravel it as he buried his face between the softness of her breasts for a second before suckling hard on one nipple, rolling the other between his fingers. She moaned, arching against him, gripping his head tightly in her hands. "Maybe," he raised his head just enough to look at her, loving the heat in her green eyes, "I'll see how long it takes you to crack, to beg me for more."

"Is that a promise – oh," she sucked in a breath sharply as he bit lightly at her nipple, flicking his thumb over the other at the same time. He gave her no time to recover, prying her hands gently away from his head before he began nibbling his way down her stomach towards the waist of her leggings.

"It absolutely is," he told her as he slipped the leggings off her along with her smallclothes, trailing his hands down the length of her gorgeous legs as he did so. "I want to hear you begging me, love."

"Do you, now?" Her eyes were dark with lust as she watched him toss her leggings aside, pushing her legs apart as he slowly nibbled his way up the inside of her thigh. He wanted to torment her, as she had done him; it was only fair, after all. "You'd better – oh, Goddess!"

He had reached the top of her thigh and wasted no time in losing himself in the taste of her, burying his tongue deep within her, pinning her hips down as she bucked against his mouth. He'd dearly missed that taste; she was so sweet, so intoxicating, and the sounds she made as he pleasured her with his tongue were like the most incredible music he'd ever heard. The way she screamed his name as he sucked hard on that sensitive nub of hers and she exploded around him was even better.

He kissed his way slowly back up her body as she panted, trying to recover her breath. This time, he unravelled the breastband and got it out of his way before licking at her nipple, then blowing lightly at the moisture he'd created there. "Alistair," she growled, gripping his head tightly and tugging on his hair to get his attention.

"Yes, my love, what is it?" He grinned up at her smugly, enjoying the half-dazed, half-annoyed look she was giving him, and couldn't resist cupping her, sliding a finger through her folds. She squirmed at his touch, gasping, arching against him.

It was his turn to moan, however, when she bit down hard on the juncture of his neck and shoulder to gain his attention again. His hand froze as the lust jolted through him, and he quickly tangled his other hand in her hair, pulling her head back to meet her gaze. "Please, Alistair," she said softly. "I need you. I miss feeling you inside me."

He'd thought that he was hard enough to nearly burst already, but hearing her say that made him groan aloud at the arousal that coursed through him, making him ache and throb for her. He let go of her long enough to strip off the smallclothes he'd still been wearing, before he returned to his place between her legs, thrusting deeply inside of her. She cried out, and he moaned her name, feeling as though he might go cross-eyed from the sensation of her warmth closing around him.

He kissed her hard, demandingly, even as he drove deeply into her and her legs closed tightly around his hips, as her hips and tongue met his, stroke for stroke. He broke away from her mouth when he couldn't breathe any longer, panting as their rhythm grew fast and frenzied. "Ayla, Maker, I missed this," he groaned into her neck, feeling the pressure in his body wind tighter, the fires of his desire burn hotter. "I missed feeling you all around me . . ."

"Me too," she answered breathlessly. "Alistair, I . . . was afraid I'd lost you, that we might never do this again . . ."

"Never," he growled in her ear, nipping at her earlobe as he tried to drive even further into her, gripping her bottom to pull her tighter into him, feeling her start to shudder around him. "You'll never lose me."

She clamped down tightly around him only seconds later, crying out as she clung to him, biting down on his shoulder again, and the combination of the two sensations was enough to finish him off. He thrust hard into her, one last time, before his release hit him and he drained into her, shuddering. He collapsed on top of her, his face pressed into the crook of her neck as he tried to catch his breath and think straight once more.

When he felt her trying to shift beneath him a few moments later, he quickly rolled off of her, lying on his back next to her. "Sorry," he apologized. "I was probably crushing you, wasn't I?"

She smiled, rolling over so she was tucked against his side, pillowing her head on his chest as he wrapped an arm around her. "I didn't mind, actually." She grinned slyly up at him as she traced a finger over his chest. "How are you feeling? Did you . . . overexert yourself?"

He laughed, catching her hand with his free one. "I feel great, actually. I'm ready to do it all over again."

She raised her eyebrows, looking at him doubtfully, and he amended, "After resting for a little bit, that is."

She chuckled softly. "That's what I thought. Really, though, you are feeling okay? Your back's not still tender?"

"Honestly, I'm fine," he told her, touched at her concern for him as he pressed a gentle kiss to the hand he still held. "My back is almost completely normal. The salve really helped," he added, winking at her.

"I'm sure it did," she answered wryly, looking amused. "So," she said slowly after another minute, her gaze suddenly serious, "I'm never going to lose you?"

"That's right," he confirmed, squeezing her lightly. Really, he knew he shouldn't be making that kind of vow to her before the Blight was over. But he'd decided that he would just have to do his best to keep it, to make it through no matter what, because he didn't ever want to leave her. "You're stuck with me, now. I'm sure Aedan will succeed at talking Anora into taking the throne without her father, so you're never getting rid of me."

She nodded, smiling slightly at him. "Good. I'm going to hold you to that. Now, we should actually get some rest. When I stopped by Aedan's room with Morrigan, he told me he wants to go looking around Denerim tomorrow."

"All right," he agreed. "We'll rest, for now." He did feel a little bit more exhausted than he'd expected, but if he had his way, they would do this all over again at least once more before tomorrow. She merely smirked at him in answer, and as they settled down to sleep, he thought to himself that he would have to properly ask her to marry him one of these days. He'd have to get a ring, first. He'd have a talk with Aedan when he got the chance, he decided, and see if he could help him find a good one for her.

The next day found Ayla, Alistair, Zevran, Leliana, Wynne and Oghren making their way through the streets and back alleys of Denerim. Aedan had asked them to help a Sergeant Kylon, who was an officer of Denerim's city guard, with a few favors, in hopes that it would boost the popularity of the Wardens amongst the common people. In the meantime, Aedan himself had gone to the Gnawed Noble tavern along with Morrigan, Sten, and Striker to see if he could find both Oswyn's father and the sister of the Templar they had found in Howe's dungeon, to speak to them about the Landsmeet. He was also hoping to gain the support of any other noble that he possibly could while they were there. They planned to rendezvous later in the day, and if possible, investigate the alienage before nightfall. If they couldn't make it today, they would head to the alienage tomorrow, as they only had a few days left before the Landsmeet.

Sergeant Kylon had asked them to visit a local brothel called the Pearl, where a group of mercenaries called the White Falcons were causing problems and refusing to leave. It was while they were on their way there, having to cut through a back alley as one of the main streets was currently closed for repairs, that Ayla got the sudden feeling that they were being watched. She froze, grabbing Alistair's arm; the two of them were in the lead. He halted, looking down at her. "What is it?"

"Something's not right," she whispered to him, frowning as she looked around. She couldn't actually see anybody, but she knew they were there; she could feel the hairs on the back of her neck standing up. "Somebody's watching us, maybe . . . waiting to ambush us?"

"Well, that sodding figures," Oghren grumbled from behind them. "We're on our way to have some fun for once, and somebody wants to kill us."

"This is not about having fun," Wynne admonished him in a low voice. "We are not visiting this brothel for your entertainment."

"So we're going to get rid of some mercenaries," Oghren shrugged. "Doesn't mean we can't stick around after." When no one answered him right away, he went on, "Or just me. That's fine too."

"Oh, hush," Leliana snapped at him. "What are we going to do?" she asked in a low voice.

"Well, there's no way to go around," Alistair murmured, studying the stone stairs off to the right that led up to the next street. The rest of the dusty alley was blocked off by the stone walls of the buildings on either side, which cast deep shadows through the otherwise sun-filled street. "I suppose we have no choice but to go ahead. I'll stay out front."

They made their way towards the stairs, all trying to be as casual as possible, though no one's hand was far from their weapons. They had just reached the bottom of the stairs when someone finally appeared at the top, a dark-haired man with stubble on his face dressed in studded leathers, two swords strapped to his back as he smiled down at them. "And so here are the mighty Grey Wardens at long last. Well, one of you, anyway," he added, gesturing at Alistair out in front. "The Crows send their greetings, once again."

Ayla sucked in her breath in surprise. The Crows had actually tracked them down again? She looked over at Zevran, who had come up next to her where she stood slightly behind Alistair. His face was carefully blank and cold as he stared up at the man. "So they sent you, Taliesin? Or did you volunteer for the job?"

Taliesin shrugged, replying easily, "I volunteered, of course. When I heard that the great Zevran had gone rogue, I simply had to see it for myself."

"Is that so? Well here I am, in the flesh," Zevran returned, bowing mockingly at the man.

"You can return with me, Zevran," Taliesin said, a cajoling note in his voice as he beckoned to Zevran. "I know why you did this, and I don't blame you. It's not too late. Come back and we'll make up a story. Anyone can make a mistake."

"Of course, he'd have to kill us first," Alistair replied wryly. He had not moved from his spot at the bottom of the stairs, slightly ahead of the rest of them, and though he looked to be perfectly at ease, Ayla could tell by the tenseness of his shoulders that he was ready to attack at any moment.

"He won't," Ayla said with certainty. This was her chance to finally free her friend from the Crows, and she was going to take it. "Zevran doesn't need you or the Crows any longer, and he is not going with you," she snapped at Taliesin, glaring fiercely up at him.

"Oh?" Taliesin raised an eyebrow in reply, seemingly unconcerned at her threatening tone of voice. "Does Zevran need to live?"

"I suspect I will manage just fine, Taliesin," Zevran said coldly. He stepped forward just slightly, enough to angle himself in front of Ayla, and she sighed inwardly as Alistair shifted over just a bit, too, the two of them forming a wall in front of her. Oghren had come up to her right where Zevran had been, while Wynne and Leliana remained at the back.

Taliesin smirked widely at Zevran's movement, and shook his head, clucking his tongue. "Ah, Zevran. Are you making the same mistake all over again?"

"No, I am not. I will never make that mistake again." Ayla knew he didn't mean it the way Taliesin obviously thought he did, as the other Crow began to smile slightly before Zevran shook his head, sighing. "I am sorry, my old friend. But the answer is no. I'm not coming back . . . and you should have stayed in Antiva."

So saying, Zevran drew his swords, and the rest of their party followed suit with their weapons as several assassins suddenly appeared from every direction, coming out of the shadows of the building, or from behind the barrels stacked along the walls, or hurrying down the stairs with Taliesin. Ayla quickly faced off against a man going for Alistair's back, while he blocked a blow from the front. Zevran and Taliesin were fighting on the stairs; Oghren was keeping two assassins away from Wynne with swings of his greataxe, while Leliana fired arrows rapidly at anyone in range.

Ayla quickly rolled away from the swing of the greatsword her opponent was wielding, coming back up fast and swinging at his back. He dodged out of her way, only to be struck in the shoulder by one of Leliana's arrows. His temporary stumble and distraction was all Ayla needed; she plunged one sword home in his stomach, through his leathers, before slashing his throat with the other.

She quickly turned to assess the battle, and saw that Alistair had already killed the first Crow facing him; as she spotted him, he was in the process of bashing another with his shield, sending the man flying backwards off his feet. Wynne finished him off with an ice spell before he had a chance to get back up; Oghren was just in the process of dealing a finishing blow to his second assassin as Leliana's arrows continued to fly around them.

It looked like the others had their own fights well in hand; Ayla turned her attention to Zevran and Taliesin, who were now fighting at the bottom of the stairs, trading blows so rapidly she almost couldn't follow them. She was in time to notice another Crow going for Zevran's back, and quickly flung a dagger at him, striking the man in the side. It halted him long enough for her to race forward and block the blow he was aiming towards Zevran.

This man was more skilled than the last; it took her a few minutes of fighting before she finally found an opening, striking him in the face with the pommel of one sword while cutting into the back of his thigh with the other. He went down hard, and she dealt the finishing blow mercilessly, just in time to hear Zevran grunt right behind her. She whirled around to see that he had just taken a blow obviously meant for her; Taliesin's longsword was stuck in his side. "Zev!" she cried.

"You have gone soft, Zevran," Taliesin taunted, yanking his sword back out, causing Zevran to stumble. "Deliberately taking a blow you could have avoided just so she wouldn't get hurt? And you call yourself a Crow!"

Before Ayla could go around Zevran to face Taliesin, an arrow struck him in the back, and the next swing of his sword went wide of Zevran, who was quick to take advantage of the opportunity, driving both of his swords home in Taliesin's chest. The other Crow gaped at him in shock as Zevran replied, "No, Taliesin, I do not call myself a Crow. Not anymore," before pulling his own swords out.

Taliesin fell backwards to the ground, hard, blood pooling around him, while Zevran went down on one knee, clutching at his side. Ayla scrambled over to him after briefly making sure that Taliesin was never getting back up. "Zev, what did you do that for?" she demanded, crouching next to him as she called for Wynne.

Wynne came over immediately; a quick look around showed Ayla that all the Crows were dead, and the rest of the party looked relatively uninjured, as Zevran chuckled breathlessly. "Ah, my dear, why do you think? I was not about to allow you to get injured fighting my battle. Taliesin was here for me, after all."

"And me," Alistair pointed out as he joined them, while Wynne crouched next to Zevran as well, casting a healing spell. "At least, I assume they're still after me and Aedan."

"They might have been," Zevran answered, wincing slightly as Wynne's magic passed through him, "but they are not likely to try again, now that two attempts have failed. Not unless they receive another contract for you."

"Well, that's comforting," Alistair said dryly.

"You will just have to try not to make more enemies besides Loghain, that is all," Leliana told him, smiling, as she rejoined them after having checked the bodies for anything they could use.

"How bad is it, Wynne?" Ayla asked the elderly mage, noticing that the glow of the healing magic had not yet ceased.

"It is fairly deep," the mage answered, slightly breathless, "but not beyond my abilities to heal. Give me another moment, and he should be fine to continue on with us to the Pearl."

"Bah, he'd better be," Oghren snorted as he walked towards them, cleaning off his axe. "I ain't missing my chance to go to a brothel just 'cause this swishy nug-licker got himself hurt."

"Your concern for me is touching, my fine dwarven friend." Zevran merely grinned at Oghren when he spluttered in denial, and then looked over at Taliesin's body where it still lay on the ground. "So, Taliesin is dead, then, and I am free of the Crows. They will assume that I am dead along with Taliesin. So long as I do not make my presence known to them, they will not seek me out."

He sounded almost sad about it, so that Ayla couldn't help but ask, "Well, that's a good thing, right? That's what you wanted, isn't it?"

Zevran smiled at her. "It is a very good thing, my dear. It is, in fact, what I had hoped for ever since you decided not to kill me. I have all of you to thank." He nodded at each of them in turn.

Alistair looked embarrassed, rubbing the back of his neck, as he nodded back at Zevran, before saying, "So what does this mean, then? You being free of the Crows?"

Zevran shrugged in reply, just as Wynne finished her spell and pronounced him healed as she stood up. Everyone else got to their feet as well as Zevran said, "I do not know. It seems I have options now, whereas once I had none. I have enjoyed our company, but . . ." he glanced briefly at Ayla, and she wondered what he was thinking as he went on, "I am wondering if it is not time for me to leave."

"Zevran, no!" Ayla exclaimed. The last thing she wanted was to lose any of her friends right now, especially not when they were getting so close to the end, and so much was at stake. "You can't leave us, not now! We still need help, don't we?" She looked imploringly at Alistair.

He nodded, looking the elf in the eye, as the others added their agreement as well, though Oghren's was more a reluctant mumble than anything. "She's right; we could use your help. I would ask – and I know that Aedan would say the same – that you stay on as a friend. If you're willing, that is." Ayla wondered at the way Alistair looked briefly to her, then back at Zevran, raising his brows significantly at the elf.

She didn't understand the meaning of the look, but Zevran obviously did, looking slightly surprised before he nodded in reply. "Well, who could resist such a request? Very well, I will not abandon you. Let us return to the task at hand, then. There is still much to be done, yes?"

"Right," Alistair agreed, turning towards the stairs. "We have to get going to the Pearl. We still have to meet up with Aedan later."

As they all trooped up the stairs following Alistair, Ayla fell back next to Zevran at the rear of the party, saying softly, "I'm sorry, Zev."

He frowned, looking over at her. "What for, my dear?"

"Well, you got hurt defending me, for one thing," she began, holding up her hand to forestall his protest as she went on, "but – I shouldn't have demanded that you stay like that, if you really wanted to leave. It was selfish of me. I just . . . didn't want to lose my friend just yet. I'm sorry."

He smiled at her with genuine warmth. "Do not be. I did not truly wish to leave, it is just . . . you had nearly gotten injured because of me and my attempt to get away from the Crows. The last thing I had wanted was to put you in danger, and so I thought it might be best if I left. But if you and the others do not wish me to leave just yet, then of course I will stay."

"You didn't put me in any danger, Zev," she said, shaking her head at him. "Don't be ridiculous. They were still coming after Alistair and Aedan, anyway. And even if they weren't – I did promise to help you break free of the Crows, and I meant it. So I put myself in danger, and you protected me and got yourself hurt when you didn't have to. So no, I don't want you to leave. I'd like you to stick with us until the end. There might be tough times ahead, fighting the Blight," she said softly, watching the back of Alistair's head as he led them. "I might really need a friend."

"Then I will be there," Zevran promised her, quietly. "And as I told you before, my dear, I will get both you and your Warden through this safely, if I can."

"No, that's not what I meant, you don't have to –" she protested, but he cut her off before she'd finished.

"But I will." He met her gaze firmly as he went on, "Because we are friends, yes? And I am free to do as I wish, now that I am free of the Crows."

"That's right, you are," she agreed, realizing it was useless to argue with him when he looked that determined. It warmed her heart to hear his promise, to know that she would have his help in keeping Alistair safe. It gave her even more hope for the future, that it might work out the way she needed it to.

"Well, now that is settled, shall we go see what the Pearl has to offer?" He gave her a wicked grin as they went.

"We can go fight some mercenaries there, if that's what you mean," she retorted, though she couldn't help smiling.

"Ah, well, I suppose you have no need of their services," he said, winking at her. "Perhaps I will follow the dwarf's example, and 'stick around' to see what I might find there."

"If you want," she replied, amused, and they continued on their way through the streets towards the Pearl, as she wondered who or what they might find when they got there.