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Vhenan'ara	By : Arcanis_Born Category: +A through F > Dragon Age (all) > Dragon Age (all) Views: 6576 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I don't own Dragon Age, nor the characters from it. I do not make any money from this.

Chapter List
- 10
- 11
- 12
Dragon Age: Origins is owned by Bioware, as with all its characters, the story as it deviates from canon is mine, however, as with the personalities of characters as they deviate from those in the game.
I hope you guys enjoy, and I would appreciate any reviews!
Translations:
Mi bella: Antivan. "My beauty". A term of endearment Zevran has for Riel.
Elgar'nan: Elvhen god. Represents fatherhood and vengeance, and leads the pantheon with the goddess Mythal.
Shem: Short for "Shemlen". Elven. Derogatory word used for humans. Means literally "quick children".
Mi dulce: Antivan. "My sweet." A term of endearment.
Flat ear: A name the Dalish have given to city elves. Usually meant as a derogatory slur.
Mi diosa bella: Antivan. "My beautiful goddess."

Zevran couldn't believe what had just happened. His glorious Warden, a mage? Never had he thought that a mage was even able to learn how to use normal weaponry, yet as he thought about it, the more foolish that notion came to be. Of course, anyone can learn how to use a sword or a dagger, but most of the time people became - and stayed - what seemed to match their innate abilities. In all of his travels, Zevran had never before met a mage who also wielded something other than a staff. And that was saying something.
"Please... You cannot speak of this..."
It was then that Zevran saw the tears that stream down Riel's face; the look of absolute fear in her eyes. Quickly, Zevran got to his feet and again approached her, careful this time to not touch her lest she do something more lethal than just send him flying a few feet.
"Mi bella, why didn't you say anything? I do not care if you are a mage. Why would you hide this?"
"I can't be locked up again! Not again! Promise me, Zevran! Swear to me you will not speak of this, or by Elgar'nan's grace I will cut you down where you stand!" Riel's eyes burned with fury and fear, the mixture almost giving her an ethereal glow in the moonlight.
Zevran looked on her, still confused. Why would he lock her up simply for being a mage? Then the realization came upon him like a crashing wave. Immediately Zevran felt like an immense idiot as he mentally chastised himself. Of course she was terrified! Mages were often locked away in towers by the Templars under direction of the Chantry. To her, it would be as if being held captive again. To no longer be able to choose her own life or her own path; the fear of a repeat of her past would drive most anyone to go to extreme lengths to prevent that from happening again.
Looking at her now, trembling from both fear and her memories, she looked more vulnerable than ever. This wasn't the proud and strong woman who slayed Darkspawn and demons alike. The woman who stared down a High Dragon and killed it by severing its spine. This was the frightened and scared woman he saw rare glimpses of whenever someone got to close to her. The one was who was at the brutal mercy of people not fit to lick the dirt that she walked on. This was the slave who swore to never be a slave again. Who would do anything to keep her freedom, even hide everything about true self and pretend to be someone else. And in her eyes blazed a fire that promised death to anyone who dared to try and imprison her again.
"Mi bella, you have my oath," Zevran replied with a bow and his fist over his heart. "Your secret is safe with me, have no worry. That day you spared my life, I made a vow to follow you. Not long after, I made another vow to do all within my power to keep you safe from anyone who dared to threaten you. And I tell you here and now that I gladly stand by both of those promises. Let the Maker and the gods above hear me now when I say that I will protect and shield you for the rest of my days, if you will let me."
Despite the tremors that wracked her body, Riel remained unable to move. Her arms were locked protectively around her chest, doing little to shield herself from him or his eyes. She was naked, afraid, and on the verge of collapse, yet even as fear and uncertainty filled her, Riel couldn't seem to make herself move. She felt frozen in place, held like an animal caught in a trap, looking up at the one being who could end her life as easily as breathing. Yet when she looked into the other elf's eyes, all she saw was concern and affection. There was no anger or malice. No hints of ways to use her secret to his advantage. There was only…. things she recognized but could not place a name to. Things that echoed in her own heart. And yet….
Did she dare trust him? Tears streaked down Riel's face as she regarded him fully. He was an assassin, a murderer, someone skilled in the art of deception and betrayal...
"How do I know I can trust you? You were raised to kill, to deceive…" A shudder went through her just thinking of all the ways he could hurt her if he wished. Funny, being with him these past few days, she had almost forgotten what he was. With his kind eyes and easy laugh, she had forgotten just how dangerous he was. New tremors broke out over her body, yet she forced her voice to be steady. "By your very nature, you lie and betray. You seek out weaknesses and use them against your enemies when they least expect it. And that isn't even including everything that I have come to know and expect about men. Everything my life has taught me, tells me that men only wish to dominate and control everything around them. Especially women. So tell me, please, how can I trust you?"
Riel's words cut him deeper than a thousand daggers, yet Zevran could not deny them even if he had tried. That was how a Crow was raised to be. How he was raised to be. To be ruthless, cunning, and always looking out for the easy kill. Every word she said had been true, yet with her, Zevran felt that he was now something different than what he had been trained to be. His desire to protect and shield her made no sense to his Crow training, nor did the feelings that grew within him every time she looked at him with those captivating silver eyes of hers.
Please she had begged him. As if she were looking for a reason to trust. Wanting to trust him. Yet the fear and anger that she had spent her entire life in prevented her from making that step on her own. And she was begging him for help in crossing that huge divide.
Slowly Zevran stepped closer to her until they were mere inches apart. He was so close, he could feel her breath on his skin and the water she stood in drenched his boots. Yet he never took his eyes off hers. Zevran then took out one of his dangers, causing a sharp intake of breath from Riel.
"I swore to you once that you will always be safe with me. And I repeat that vow to you now. I will never deceive you, and you will never have anything to fear from me, mi diosa bella." Zevran placed the hilt of the dagger into her palms and lined the blade up with his heart. With only a small bit of force, she could plunge the dagger straight through to his heart, killing him in moments. "If you doubt me, please, kill me now. At least then I would die happy, looking into your beautiful eyes."
Riel couldn't breathe. She couldn't even move. Looking into his eyes, she felt helpless, trapped in his kindness and devotion. Inside her chest, her heart beat furiously, threatening to burst forth from her chest at any moment. Yet her instincts told Riel to trust him. To perhaps allow him the chance to mend her broken spirit. Riel closed her eyes, so incredibly weary from the constant battling. Not just with creatures or others out to harm her, but with herself. The battle to keep herself in check and her powers hidden and under control. Yet still she was frightened. Frightened of all the ways that she knew a man could hurt a woman.
But when kind people see her hurting and help anyway that they can, she heals more quickly to her former glory than if she were left alone to heal herself.
The Keeper's words rang clear in Riel's mind as she searched inside for an answer. Opening her eyes, she stared into his extraordinary amber eyes. Saying a prayer to Mythal, Riel decided that maybe, this time, it was worth the risk. With a fresh bunch of tears falling from her eyes, Riel dropped the blade and collided hard against him. Wrapping her arms around him, Riel finally dropped her carefully constructed walls and guards and let herself mourn for all the pain and abuse that she suffered for most of her young life.
Unsure of what to do, Zevran held his hands away from her even though he wanted desperately to hold her against him until all the pain inside of her was gone. However, the last thing that he wanted was to frighten her again, or push her past anything that she was comfortable with. For him, her happiness and safety meant more than his own petty desires.
"Mi bella?" Zevran asked cautiously, daring to hope that maybe she would finally allow him to hold her as he had dreamed about.
However, instead of answering him, all Riel did was nod her head against his chest. With the sobs that wracked her very being, Riel didn't dare trust her voice and hoped that he would understand her. And as he somehow always seem to, he did. No sooner had she nodded did Riel feel his strong arms encircle her protectively.
For a brief moment, she felt her body tense at his touch, yet it disappeared quickly and she felt herself melt into him. Her body reaching out and seeking the comfort that she had always craved yet was always too afraid to seek out.
Zevran couldn't believe his luck and for a moment prayed that he wasn't dreaming. And if he was, he prayed to never wake up. Here in his arms, his beautiful goddess stood, and he was finally able to hold her as so often wished to. Feelings strange yet familiar raced through him, cementing even further his previous oaths in both his heart and mind.
Suddenly, they both heard someone approaching from the direction of the camp. Immediately Zevran pulled free his other dagger and shifted his body so that Riel was shielded by him from whatever intruder that came upon them.
"By the Maker! Unhand her, you filthy elf!"
Both Riel and Zevran looked over in shock as Alistair came free from the brush, his long sword held out and pointing directly at Zevran.
"I said, unhand her! Or I swear by all that is within the Fade, I will cut you down!" Alistair roared.
When Alistair noticed that Riel seemed to be taking longer than normal for her bath, he had grown worried. There didn't seem to be any real dangers close by, and he couldn't sense any Darkspawn in the area, yet that didn't mean more mundane creatures could not surprise and overtake their leader.
Leliana had already went to lie down, and Alistair had planned on staying awake until Riel returned. Sitting there by the fire with only his thoughts, Alistair made up his mind to finally broach the subject of the elven assassin with Riel. He would explain to her that the the other elf he was a true danger to not just her, but the whole group. Assassin's loyalty could always be bought, and with Loghain wanting both of them dead, it wouldn't be inconceivable that he would try again with the elf, seeing as he was already within their group and moderately trusted. After all, he was paid once to end their lives, what was to keep him from accepting a similar offer, especially if it got him back with his fellow Crows?
Alistair had even entertained the idea that maybe this time, he could perhaps get Riel to finally open herself up to him, allowing him to finally tell Riel how he really did care for her. However, as time went by and she still had not returned, he grew ever more worried, and eventually he decided to risk seeking her out.
Yet, here she was, standing naked in that killer's arms! Alistair's blood boiled and his mind reeled as images of the two of them together assaulted him. Was this why she was late coming back? Was she being accosted by this murderer, while he and others waited back at camp? How dare he do such a thing! Did the filthy elf have no sense of honor? Of decency?
Startled by Alistair's sudden appearance, Riel had no opportunity to shield herself. And judging from the sudden gust of wind that chilled her still somewhat wet skin, Riel realized to her shame that she was very much still naked!
"Alistair!" Riel shrieked from behind Zeran, his body thankfully hiding most of her naked flesh from the human's eyes.
"I suppose it goes without saying that you have a very unpleasant sense of timing, my dear Templar," Zevran snarled, keeping his dagger out and pointed at Alistair who stood just a few feet away on the shore.
"Shut your mouth, you vile fiend! I have put up with you for far too long! How dare you take advantage of Riel!" Alistair was spitting he was so furious, yet the Maker knew he was justified. No woman deserved to be taken advantage of, especially one so wonderful as his Riel.
"Alistair stop this! Put that sword away before I use it to cut you down myself!" Riel furiously shouted at her fellow Warden, stepping around Zevran and facing him down directly.
Later Zevran would marvel at her courage and fierce temper as she stared down the fully armored and armed Templar while she wore nothing but what the gods gave her. Now, however, he cursed he gently took her arm and pulled her behind him once more and retook his place standing in between the two Wardens.
"Leave Alistair! You have no business here!" From behind him, her silver eyes snapped fire as she stared menacingly at the other man.
"Just what in the name of Andraste were you two doing out here?" Alistair spat back, completely incredulous that Riel would defend this monster. "Do you have any idea how worried I was back in camp, wondering what was taking you so long? Wondering if some animal got to you? And here you are, dallying with this filthy knife-ear!"
Perhaps it was the shock and pain on Riel's face, or the murderous look that descended on Zevran's face, or just his mind catching up with his own foolish mouth, but a heartbeat later did Alistair realize too late what he had said. Not only what he just said, but to whom.
"Oh, Riel! I didn't-... That's not-... Not you-..." Alistair stammered, dropping his sword to the ground as his previous anger dissolved into disgust and shame at himself.
"Don't you dare Alistair!" exclaimed Riel in bitter rage. No longer caring for her state of undress, she stepped around Zevran once more and faced off with her fellow Warden. "Do you think I have not noticed how you view my people? That I have not heard you use those very words to describe the elves who you shems forced to live in alienages, deprived of many of the very necessaries of life? I may be Dalish, but I have seen how your people treat mine. I remember the alienage in Denerim. I remember how I was treated by the soldiers in Ostagar."
Alistair felt as if he was no more than two feet tall under the blazing hot fury of Riel's intense glare. Gone was the vulnerable woman from minutes before, and in her place was the fiery and dangerous elven warrior who slew Darkspawn and dragons alike. Her silver eyes as cold as a winter storm, her features set in hard stone. Her stance alone spoke of terrible fury barely contained as she fought to not kill the human in front of her.
Frustrated with her again avoiding the protection of his body, Zevran took two steps over and grabbed the tunic that laid in a pile on the shore. Haphazardly, he tried wrapping it around his Warden even as she continued to stare daggers at the other man. Not only was he worried about her skin being exposed to the cold air, but he despised how someone so unworthy of her was able to see her enchanting nakedness. Not that he was worthy himself, but at least he had the decency to try and cover her up instead of continuing to stare at her body like the Templar was doing.
"Mi dulce, please, let us return to camp. It serves neither of us to lower ourselves to this man," Zevran uttered with a sneer. "It has been a long, hard day, and you need your rest," he then purred into Riel's ear, lightly running his fingertips along the back of her upper arm.
For a moment, Riel's gaze softened as she turned her head and looked up at the handsome elf beside her, a slight smile appearing on her lips. The sensation of his touch on her skin was like nothing she had ever felt before, and for a moment she allowed herself to just lose herself in its comfort. However, within seconds her soft smile was gone and her features hardened again as her gaze returned to the fool human.
"Despite my personal feelings, Alistair," pure acid and venom laced her voice as she uttered the human's name. "I need allies. This Blight is real, and having you among us strengthens our position," Riel stated coldly as she coldly regarded the other Warden. "But do not think that I will think twice again to remove you of your head if you ever use those words again in my presence." Then Riel quickly pulled her tunic over head and then gathered up the rest of her things before storming back towards the camp on her own.
Alistair watched her go with utter despair in his eyes. Never once did he really make the connection between Riel and her her elven blood. He always saw her as what she was - a beautiful and exotic woman who was deadly with her blades. A woman, who despite her cold nature, was mostly kind to those who they came across and who needed their help. She was a woman who made his heart beat faster and whose feminine curves threatened the very core of all that he had been taught in regards to the opposite sex.
"Listen here, Fool..." Zevran's harsh tone brought Alistair's mind back to the present, and he gazed upon a very pissed off elven assassin. Alistair tensed his body and cursed himself for dropping his blade as Zevran walked towards him with a murderous glare in his eyes.
"I am not afraid of you, assassin," Alistair sneered, hoping the other man would not be able to sense his lie. Unlike Riel, he had heard of the guild of assassins known as the Crows years ago when he was still in the Chantry. The tales of their involvement in many of the deaths and conspiracies in both Antiva and Orlais were heated topics among some of the Templars that he had trained with before Duncan came stole him away. However, it wasn't like Alistair would ever admit that, most of all to the assassin himself.
"Oh, you do not need to fear me, Templar," Zevran stated, a wide smile on his lips standing in complete contrast to the pure hatred and fury in his eyes. "Whether you feel fear or not, it will not dissuade me in the slightest from taking extreme amounts of pleasure in slowly - and very painfully I might add - ending your pathetic life. I will make the rumors and tales of what Darkspawn do to the survivors of their attacks seem like a happy dream compared to what I promise will happen to you if you ever do anything to hurt our fair Warden again."
With that Zevran pushed past Alistair, knocking his shoulder in the process as a further, silent threat, before following his - his - Warden back to camp. Even if she never fully accepted him, she was his, and he would forever protect her as such. Especially from foolish and contemptible ex-Templars.

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Riel shook with anger and shame as she shoved her dirty tunic into her bag, then threw it across her small tent. Over and over again she kept going over what Alistair had said to her when he came upon her and Zevran by the water. With the chaos and drama of Zevran finding out what she really was and the sweetness of the moment afterward, Riel had forgotten how was still completely naked from her swim. So when Alistair approached them and saw her there…. Even now Riel's cheeks reddened with embarrassment and shame. Having Zevran see her naked was bad enough, but for such a disgusting human to see her shameful and broken body like that…
"Ugh!" Just remembering his eyes on her made Riel feel even more dirty than she had when the blood and dirt from fighting still covered her.
Yet the worst of all was the horror knowing that Zevran had seen her scars and burns from when she was still a slave. And that knowledge consumed her in a deep and ugly feeling of shame and self-loathing. Of all people, why him? Why did he be the one to see her disgrace? For some unknown reason, Zevran was able to touch a part of her that Riel never knew had even existed. And as she stood there under his intense gaze and vow upon his lips, Riel couldn't help but feel something connecting the two of them.
A connection that ran deeper than just being companions in a war, or even because they were both elves. And the way he had looked down at her when he promised to never hurt her… Riel had only really seen that look he gave her shared between those couples were bonded - or promised to be - when she had lived with the Dalish.
Riel never really had thought of herself as beautiful, and in truth never wanted to be. She had spent most of her life trying to make herself less desirable and noticeable so those around her wouldn't hurt her. And when the boys back in the clan would look at her with longing in their eyes, she always returned their looks with threats or angry glares. Eventually they learned to not even bother. Except for Tamlen, of course. Yet he never never tried anything with her, and she was happy about that. She didn't want to be desirable to them, or anyone else for that matter. Such things only led to pain in Riel's opinion. Generally her own. And yet the way Zevran had looked on her… As if she were precious instead of the horrible broken thing that Riel knew herself to be...
Suddenly the light rapping of someone knocking on the wooden supports for her tent brought Riel's attention back to the present. Startled and decidedly not in the mood to deal with any of her companions, Riel remained silent, pretending to be asleep already.
"Mi bella, are you well? May I see you?"
The soft words mixed with concern melted whatever anger Riel had left, leaving her suddenly heavy with grief and sadness. The added shame of earlier also weighed her down to the point where all she wanted to do was curl into a ball and sleep. She didn't want to face him or his questions about her past. Remembering the horrors that had happened to her well enough to retell them to someone else seemed unbearable. It was why Riel never spoke of it. It was just far easier to push it all aside and forget about it for as long as possible.
Yet, Riel found she could not find it within herself to deny his request. Remembering back to the river as Zevran defended her from Alistair, even stepping in front of Riel to protect her, she felt that she owed him at least a small visit to assure himself that she was alright.
Not trusting her voice under the swell of emotions that threatened to drown her, Riel just pulled back one side of the cloth opening in a silent confirmation of his request. One that Zevran quickly took advantage of in case she changed her mind.
The tent was not large, barely high enough to stand while bent at the waist, and with all the gear and armor inside it barely held enough room for them both to sit comfortably without touching.
"I, uh, I wanted to offer my apologies for my behavior when I saw..." Zevran stopped, unsure of how to continue. He wanted desperately to apologize for the disgraceful way that he acted, yet was hesitant of how she would react to being reminded of how he had seen all the scars and burns that she had kept carefully hidden beneath her armor.
"It is alright, Zevran," Riel replied dismissively with a small sigh. "You are not the first to see them, although I do not think I can speak of it. Not yet, anyway," she replied, her words careful as she felt tears again threaten behind her eyes. Never since her escape had her emotions been this unstable around another person. Usually her anger kept her from showing the weakness of tears in front of others. It had strengthened her, and it was what pushed her to keep going everyday. Yet now as she sat next to Zevran, all of her built up anger just seemed so incredibly empty.
"You never have to worry, mi bella. I will never ask more of you then are willing to share. You can keep all your secrets to yourself, and I will be happy just to be in your presence, offering whatever support that I can."
"How do you do that?" Riel suddenly asked. The question seemed to come from nowhere, yet there was no anger or volatility to it. It was merely a curiosity, something she didn't understand. Of what, Zevran had no idea.
"Do what, my dear Warden?"
"This…-" Riel replied, waving her hands between them to somehow emphasize her point. However, with the confused look still on his face, Riel sighed as she tried to think of a better way to express what had plagued her mind since the moment that they had met. "Ever since we spoke together that first time, you seem to have this way of lowering my guard. You have done things that would have landed a normal man onto the closest healer's bed, if not in the Beyond itself. Yet with you... With you, it seems... right."
Zevran sat there, silently contemplating her words. He had to admit, a large part of him was very glad he seemed to have this effect on this lovely woman. Her confusion was warranted, however, judging from what little he knew of her past. Zevran himself had even wondered about this strange connection they seemed to share. He had noticed it himself from the first moment he had laid eyes on her.
In the beginning, it was what kept him close to her whenever they travelled, and much of what had kept him from falling to fatigue in battles, even to this day. There have been more than a few times when Zevran thought that his injuries should have ended him. Yet whenever his body thought of failing, his eyes sought out his beautiful flower. And with the terrible yet incredible images of her fighting with blazing fury, Zevran always seemed to find some left over reserve to continue on, fighting to defend her from whatever it was that they faced.
"To be honest, I am not sure myself. Everything that I have ever learned tells me what I feel is wrong. Yet my heart and my mind cannot seem to tear themselves from the feelings and thoughts that they have of you. Your very presence drives me to fight harder so that I may see you safe. When you are gone from me, I am endlessly plagued by worries of your safety and yes, even happiness."
"You barely know me."
"I may not know your past, but know who you are today, I know you to be loyal even to those you do not fully trust. I know you often refuse to seek healing until the others around you have gotten it first. I know you to never turn down the help of those who ask it of you, even if they do not deserve it. I know how fiercely you fight against any enemy, never showing fear or anything else short of pure determination to make sure you and your companions survive. And -" Zevran paused as he slowly brought his hand over to her mostly bare arm. There he softly ran his index finger in slight caress against her skin. "I know how much you sometimes want to be touched - to be comforted - even though you do not know if you can handle it."
Riel closed her eyes at the slight touch, warm sensations racing up her arm and settling into her chest. Yet for as much as she enjoyed the feelings he evoked in her, a bitter fear raged in her at the same time. "But I-" Riel tried to voice, her voice on the verge of breaking. "I am not like other women. I cannot... give you...-"
"Shh, mi bella. You do not ever need to worry over that," Zevran quickly replied as he edged himself closer to Riel, boldly deciding to reach out his hand to cup her cheek. "As I stated earlier, I will never ask for what you are not ready to give. I do not know what happened to you in your past, but I understand how uneasy you become around others. It makes me angry to think of what could have happened to make you so weary, and yes a part of me wishes to find out all their names so I may hunt them down and give back a hundredfold what you suffered at their hands."
"Th-they are all dead..."
"Good. They deserve no less," Zevan stated quickly while he stared at her. "There is only one thing I desire from you, mi bella; to be allowed to comfort you when you need it."
Riel couldn't keep the tears from flowing as he said those heartfelt words to her. Immediately, she knew she would not be able to deny him his one request. Because she didn't want to. For too long, she had felt so immensely alone. Even with her clan, Riel always felt on edge with them. Afraid that one day they would send her away to face the human world on her own. Riel had often heard the stories that some of the other shared in whispered voices, about how flat-ears were no better than the shems themselves. How those raised amongst the humans should never be trusted, as they often were under the control of or polluted by the humans that surrounded them.
Yet looking at him now, for the first time in her life, Riel felt not just merely safe, but welcomed. As if for once she actually mattered. Not because she was adopted by the Keeper, or because she was Warden. She was valued by someone. Not for what she could give them, or what they could take from her. But because of simply who she was. Riel couldn't explain the why of it. Everything about how she felt right now went against every hard lesson that she had learned growing up under her master's painful hand.
"Zevran...?"
"Yes, mi diosa bella?"
"Can... you just... hold... me... for a little while?"
The request nearly broke Zevran's heart all over again. So innocent, so fearful. As if even after all the words shared between them, she still feared he would change his mind and look upon her cruelly before abandoning her.
Zevran didn't answer, he just pulled the sobbing woman into his arms so she sat sideways on his lap and her head rested against his chest. Lightly wrapping his arms around her, he held her for what seemed like hours as she wrung every last sob from her broken body. All the while, Zevran gently rocked her in his arms as he slowly rubbed her back and hair. In a hushed tone, he whispered and sang softly to her in Antivan. Words of devotions. Songs of comfort. Anything he could think of to ease her while she cried.
I promise you, mi diosa bella, on everything that I am and everything within the Fade itself.
I promise that no matter what comes, you will never again be alone again.
- 10
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- 12
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Vhenan'ara