BioWare owns all except for all that I made up. : )

I know 40 was a small chapter and a little of a filler, I admit. I was not feeling well at all, but I didn't want my fans to go without a chapter, and I had Keiron in mind for a future plot device already. But it seemed right to fit him in now and give Zevran a little competition, no?

So, we get word from Zaeed in this chapter. And Kai gets closer to finding out what it is that Anora has been doing to get all that money. She gets to fend off the affections of the newest recruit to the rebel cause against Anora, while trying to get back in Zev's good graces. Let the fun begin! : )

And now it is time for a moose. My sister was bitten by a moose... Oh, wait that's Monty Python. : )

And my personal, can't go a chapter without it, thank you! Really, you guys keep the muse singing and I just love the little emails, the traffic, the reviews. And I love trying to get a chapter out every day for you all, but it is nice to read that you appreciate it. : ) You all rock my world.

Blessings! : )

After the battle at Swallow's Point, Keiron Ceorlic was now a part of the cause. He proved a very able warrior, and even with his laissez faire attitude toward life in general, he took Ferelden and getting Anora off the throne very seriously. Despite his rather obvious attempts to charm Kai, he was a rather pleasant addition to their growing group of troublemakers.

His constant innuendos reminded her of the way Zev used to be towards her. In a way, it was a painful reminder of their damaged relationship. But aside from the innuendos, he was not like Zev in the least. He always made Kai think of a big enthusiastic Mabari puppy – overly friendly, but good in a fight. She was sure he fancied himself a bit of a knave or a highwayman or a pirate. She suspected his nanny raised him on such tales as a child, and he had taken the "dashing hero" bit to heart.

Zevran seemed less than thrilled with him outside of a fight. Whenever Keiron was in the same room with Kai, he would watch him with wary amber eyes. But as he still seemed embroiled in his internal struggle, Kai wasn't going to read too much into that. He seemed just as wary looking at her anytime she caught his eyes on her. He wasn't freezing her out, neither was he warming at all. Kai didn't know what she could do to start building a bridge back to what they had been. Kai and the Scath had been informed by Zaeed via the procul globe that the negotiations had finished and she had gotten what she wanted, all of it and then some. What "some" meant she didn't know, as Zaeed had grinned and said it would be better if she saw it. The rest of the Scath and all of the money, weapons, armor and anything belonging to House Vimaro would be packed and coming to Kai and the Scath in Ferelden. Zaeed had already started the packing process at their headquarters. He told her they would all be coming with Master Ignacio. That ought to be a fun trip, Kai thought.

Kai's wound had not completely healed when she went on her little foray to Swallow's Point. So, she was spending time having Wynne fuss at her while redressing it. Secretly, she thought that Wynne enjoyed having a reason to cluck over her like a mother hen. They were interrupted by Zevran coming in to get out some of his daggers for target practice. Today was his day to see to the Scath's training and practice sessions, and since Kai was forbidden to do anything that would open up the wound again, she couldn't partner up and help. Zev went to one of the chests along the wall that held armor and weapons.

Wynne finished bandaging Kai and helped her slip on a cotton tunic shirt over her leggings. "No helping Zev train the Scath, I am serious, young woman, you may watch, but no helping." She looked at Kai with her lips drawn in a firm line.

"Yes, mom" Kai grinned at her.

"Don't get sassy with me, young lady. If I catch you doing something that can open up that wound again, I will have Shale sit on you." Wynne smiled at her, "Now go on, get out of here before I change my mind and turn you into a frog until it heals."

Kai mock saluted the mage and started to leave the room when she noticed that Zev was standing in front of one of the chests holding the cotton shirt she had worn on the mission to the ship with the mercenaries. She had forgotten all about it. She had meant to try and clean the blood out of it and mend the cut in the cloth, or get Wynne to mend it since the mage had better sewing skills.

"Try whining, it always worked for me," Alistair's voice teased her.

"I think she might turn me into a frog with all the healing I have made her do lately. I don't think she will be too receptive to fixing my rent garments. But thanks for the advice, beloved," Kai teased him back.

Zev's face was unreadable. He had his mask firmly in place as he looked at the large brownish stain that covered almost the whole front of the shirt and a good bit of the side going towards the back with one long angry looking drip line curling around where she had collapsed on the floor. "Sorry, Zev, I shouldn't have put that in there, I wasn't thinking. It needs cleaning and mending, as does the cuirass."

Kai went to bend down to reach for the leather in the chest, but Zev's hand on her arm stopped her. He gave her arm a little squeeze and a quick rub with his thumb, then reached in and got the armor out for her. It was the most affectionate touch he had given her since his fingers in her hair. It made her heart flutter and hurt at the same time. She smiled at him and motioned towards the belt with her daggers sheathed in it. "Might as well sharpen them too since I am not allowed to play today." Kai wrinkled her nose at Wynne, who wrinkled her own nose back at Kai, before giving Zev a thoughtful look. Zev handed the dagger belt to her, his long fingers brushing her own. Kai looked down, flushing.

Kai went out the door and was so occupied in her thoughts that she found herself bumping into Keiron so hard she dropped the armor and ricocheted off him to land against the wall with a grunt. His big hands reached out and grasped her arms to steady her, but instead of letting her go he kept them there. He grinned at her with that rakish grin she had no doubt he had been practicing since he was little boy stealing from the larder. "Well, today is my lucky day. I get bumped into by an exceptionally beautiful and talented woman. This is the way a man should start his day. The only thing better is to wake up next to her in the morning." His grin got wider as Kai gave him an eye roll.

"Ugh, I believe I told you not to bother, I've had flirting and seduction tried by better men than you." Kai just kept her arms down at her sides. "You can let go, now." She looked pointedly to either side where his hands were.

Keiron grinned more but let her go. "You mean the elven fellow? Do you two sleep together, or do you sleep together?"

Kai felt herself flushing. "What if I told you he is the best lover in all of Thedas?"

"Then I would say I don't believe you because I never hear any noise coming from the room at night." Keiron's green eyes sparkled with laughter as Kai started to blushed harder than ever, really, the man was unbelievable.

"You stand around and listen at my bedroom door, what kind of weird voyeur are you?" She cocked an eyebrow at him. Kai was pleased to see him blush this time and look down. He looked nothing more than a little boy, blushing and shuffling his feet.

"I don't, I mean, I'm not! I was hungry one night, and I passed by the door," he mumbled at her.

"You should know better than to tangle with Kai, she is too much woman for you to handle, Keiron," Zev's voice came from behind the warrior.

Kai felt herself blushing so hard her ears were burning, Andraste's flaming knickers, were they both setting out to see who could make her blush the hardest? Kai started to bend down to grab the fallen cuirass while holding her dagger belt like a shield to her chest. Zev walked over with his face unreadable watching Keiron and bending down to get the armor and hand it to Kai.

"Um right, I'm going to go now. When you two are done dancing with each other, I will be down in the courtyard watching the Scath and sharpening my daggers."

Kai stalked off towards the was just about to start down them when she heard Keiron ask Zev, "Do you think she means to sharpen them to use on us?". She didn't wait to hear Zev's response or even if he made any. Really, she was tied up in knots, the one man she never used to feel awkward around made her more awkward than before, and the other was a big puppy who made her feel awkward in his exuberance. She should have stayed in the Fade, Maker's blood.

"Well, it could be worse," Alistair's voice told her.

"How could it possibly be worse?" Kai asked dryly.

"Oghren could be in love with you too. Especially after that lovely costume you wore while in the Gnawed Noble Tavern and hanging all over him." Alistair laughed in her ear, Kai couldn't help but laugh with him. Alistair always made her feel better, even in the Deep Roads and with facing the Broodmother, he had always managed to make her spirits rise.

She made her way downstairs and through the Great Hall to the front doors and out to the courtyard where they had set up dummies and targets. Sten and Oghren sat on hay bales, both sharpening their respective weapons. Oghren had a mug of ale which he swigged from in between swipes with a whet stone. Morrigan and Fiona were deep in conversation. Fiona looked to be teaching Morrigan healing spells, Kai raised an eyebrow at that. Argus was getting Naseel to play tug of war with a piece of knotted rope. Shale was watching the activity in the courtyard from behind Oghren and Sten. The Scath were all practicing, with Leliana helping to correct stances while waiting for Zevran to show up.

Kai sat on the hay bale next to Oghren and grabbed the extra whet stone he had out and sprinkled it with honing oil. She applied a dagger blade to the stone, and the repetitive motions soon her mind get settled and quieted. It was like a meditation, and it helped her to settle herself after that incident upstairs. Zev eventually came out the front doors to the courtyard. Kai had a momentary flutter of panic when Keiron didn't show up right behind him. Had the big puppy gotten on the assassin's nerves one too many times already, but Keiron showed soon enough, chewing on an apple and winking at Kai.

Zev was just gathering the Scath together in a semicircle around him to start the day's lesson when a clattering of hoofs and the sound of footsteps made everyone stop what they were doing. Kai was expecting to see someone on a Ceffyl, instead she saw why everyone was gaping. It was a Halla, the deer like creature was as white as moonlight on snow. Not even the dust from the road seemed to dim it. The horns were carved and curled in spirals and soft undulating waves on top of its head. It had no bridle-it needed none-and only a small blanket across its back, a small blanket on which a young, golden haired, elven woman with a beautiful intricate tattoo on her face sat. She wore hunter's leathers with a bow and a quiver of arrows slung across her back, that along with a small dagger of ironbark sheathed at her side spoke of a Dalish hunter. Though what a Dalish elf would be doing so far from her clan and the Brecilian forest Kai had no idea, nor did she have any ideas about how the girl had found her.

She was not the only strange visitor to their little farm hold. The elven girl was glaring at a man with dark brown hair, a beard, and glowing bright yellow eyes. His ears were slightly pointed, but not in the way of the elven. Almost like cat ears. Kai recognized him, Swiftrunner the former werewolf. Kai and her friends managed to set Swiftrunner and his fellow werewolves free from the curse placed on them by a Dalish clan elder named Zathrian.

Zathrian had lived centuries by using his blood and binding the spirit of the forest called "The Lady" to a white wolf named Witherfang. They had been two sides of the forest, one gentle and loving the other cold and brutal. A bite from the wolf had brought the disease of lycanthropy to the humans who lived near the forest, a curse for the rape of his daughter and the torture and murder of his son. The werewolves attacked Zathrian's people and passed the curse to them in the hopes that Zathrian would end it to save his own people. Unfortunately, Zathrian's hatred was still not appeased, and he was afraid to die after living so long. With the help of "The Lady," Kai convinced Zathrian to break the curse after so many centuries, and to end his hate and go to his rest, freeing both his people and Swiftrunner's clan. Swiftrunner and his clan had taken off to live amongst humans once again, yet here he was, glaring back at the Dalish hunter.

"Warden, we need your help" both the girl and Swiftrunner began at once, before breaking off to glare at each other. Swiftly, each drew a dagger and faced off with each other, oh boy, was all Kai could think before the two had crossed their blades.