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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
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- 6
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 Amiga: Antivan. Means "my friend".
Saarebas: Qunlat. Means "dangerous thing". What the Qunari call their mages.

Hidden in the shadows, Riel and Leliana waited with impatient worry. Already Zevran was a half hour late to meet with them, and as time went on, the more irritable Riel became. Even though the heavy cloak and hood that she wore kept the guards from noticing her, the wool cloth weighed her down under the hot summer sun.
"Woof! Woof!" Fen'harel suddenly barked excitedly, alerting the two women to the sounds of someone approaching. Riel fingered her daggers, as her already high anxiety inches even higher. Holding her breath, Riel waited silently as the man finally turned the corner into the alley where they hid. As soon he stepped into view, the great mastiff at their side took off at a run to greet the newcomer despite Riel shouting for him to stay still.
"Yes, yes, it is good to see you too!" Zevran chuckled as he petted the bounding and happy beast.
"You're late, assassin," Riel cursed as he got closer to the waiting women.
"I assure you, my fair lady, that it was with good cause. Not only have I located the house where this Genitivi lives, but I managed to come across an old acquaintance who promised many sovereigns in exchange for some... minor deeds... done around Denerim."
"That sounds dubious..." Leliana replied softly. "Is this acquaintance anyone that I may know?"
"Perhaps. An elven-blooded human, I met him my first time through Denerim. His information seems good enough, and I figured any gold we could gather would be quite useful. After all, wars are not won with merely papers and nice words. We will need gold, and lots of it, will we not?"
"I don't like you promising my help to people that I don't know, Zevran," Riel hissed angrily.
"I think I know who Zevran is speaking of, and if I am correct, then at the very least his information can be trusted. Slim Couldry may be a squirrelly little bastard, but he hates the nobles of Ferelden more than most. I've never personally had a problem with him."
Riel mulled over the information her two companions gave her. It was true that they needed gold, not just to keep them fed, but to buy new weapons and armor. Already the leathers that Riel wore were torn in several areas, and one of her daggers was getting dangerously dull. After a few moments to weigh her options, Riel sighed and looked at the Antivan elf with resignation in her eyes. "What does he want us to do?"

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The four of them spent a little under two days in Denerim, traveling around the city following Couldry's leads. It turned out that he wasn't the only one in Denerim who needed help, either. People sympathetic to the Warden's revealed themselves, offering jobs to Riel and her companions in exchange for gold and silver. Even the guard captain had a few odd jobs for them. Silver bars, a bag of jewels, and even a beautifully made sword made their way into Riel's possession thanks to Couldry's leads. In addition to the odd gold that they acquired from the various quests done for the Chantry or Mages Collective, Riel was able to restock all their supplies, as well as buy new equipment for their whole party. She even managed to acquire a finely made set of leathers.
The merchant, Herren, called it the "Felon's Coat". It was hugely expensive, but Leliana refused to allow Riel to leave the store unless Riel bought it for herself.
"You must buy this, Riel! Look how fine the leather is tanned! I bet it will look beautiful on you!"
"Leliana, I'm buying armor to fight in, not some common dress. I don't want to look beautiful," Riel muttered as she looked over the armor that was displayed on a stand.
"I have to disagree, my lovely Warden. Even while slaying ravenous beasts or deadly and dangerous creatures, you are always beautiful," replied Zevran with a wink. Immediately Riel felt her cheeks redden as Zevran's intense gaze captured her. Beside her, Leliana giggled like a schoolgirl, yet all Riel wanted to do was hide.
"Oh you've got to buy this now!" Leliana laughed as she walked over to Herren, the store's merchant.
Stunned and embarrassed, Riel cursed under her breath as she ran over to Leliana, intending to argue against the purchase. Over the years, Riel had had enough of men's lecherous and unwanted gazes and touches upon her body. The last thing that she wanted to be seen as 'beautiful' or 'desirable'. In fact the very idea sent waves of fear and disgust through her.
Yet Leliana would hear none of it. And with Zevran on her side, Riel was lucky to walk out of the store with just the armor. Although Riel had to admit, the armor fit her wonderfully. Her old armor used to scratch and chaff her skin in a few places as she moved. This new armor, however, was soft against her skin and felt light and flexible. Although, the hungry stares that Zevran gave her when she first put it on made Riel feel more than a little uneasy. Thankfully Leliana was there, as always, to help deflect Zevran's powerful gaze away from her.
When their shopping was done, and all the quests that they could do were completed, Riel and her companions finally made their way to the Brother Genitivi's house. Hidden away amongst the turning streets and dark alleyways, the house wasn't that far from the tavern in which they had stayed. Comely and well maintained, from the outside it seemed long empty despite the kept up appearance. Knocking on the door gave no response, making Riel feel as if the house was just another dead end. She was about to leave when she thought that she caught movement through the window.
Knocking on the door again proved no more useful than the first time, so instead Riel took her chances and tried to open it. To her surprise the door opened easily, swinging wide to reveal a modest yet tidy home inside. Beside her, Fen'harel sniffed the air, then growled menacingly. Looking inside, Riel caught glimpse of a man hiding behind a door frame.
"I'm looking for Brother Genitivi. Are you him?" Riel called out into the home. Her fingers twitchinge as she readied herself for attack. "Are you him? We haven't come to cause trouble. We only want to talk."
"A-are you with the T-Templars?" the man called out, his voice laden with fear.
"No, we are not. We have business with the brother," answered Leliana from beside her.
"A-alright... c-come in..." the man's voice wavered unsteadily as he spoke. Shaking from fear, he stepped out from the frame and greeted Riel and her group.
"Are you Brother Genitivi?" asked Riel once they were inside.
"N-no, I'm his assistant Weylon. I work with Genitivi."
"Do you know where he is?"
"Why are looking for him?"
"We are searching for the Urn of Sacred Ashes, and heard that he knew something about them," Riel answered impatiently. There was something about the assistant that bothered her, with a feeling of unease nibbling at her consciousness.
"He was on the trail of the Urn of Sacred Ashes, yes. Whether he found it... the Maker only knows. I haven't seen Brother Genitivi in weeks. He has sent no word; it's so unlike him." Weylon shifted his feet uncomfortably as he looked at each companion before bringing his gaze back to Riel. "I'm afraid something has happened. Genitivi's research into the Urn may have led him into danger."
"Why would searching for this Urn be dangerous?" asked Riel, her unease about the man before her rising.
"Perhaps the Urn has been lost for a reason. I pray for Genitivi's safety, but hope dwindles with each passing day."
"Why have you not sought for help in locating him?" Leliana asked.
"I tried to send help, and some knights came from Redcliff came looking for him not long ago. I sent them after Genitivi and they too have disappeared."
"How do you know that they disappeared?" Zevran questioned, his own suspicions rising.
"Well, they... haven't returned and they have sent no word, either."
"Come now, that doesn't mean that they have disappeared. Perhaps they took this Genitivi to Redcliff, no?"
"I... I don't know. After what happened to Genitivi, can you blame me for thinking that the same thing could happen to the knights?" Weylon was sweating now, his nervousness bleeding through his pores as easily as the sweat dripped from his skin. "Perhaps I am just a pessimist. I hope I am wrong."
"Tell me where they went. I must find the Urn," demanded Riel, her patience wearing thin.
"No, don't ask me where they went! You'll go after them, and what if ill-luck should befall you, too? This search is a curse, on all of us. Some things are not meant to be found. I know that now."
"Stop wasting my time and just tell me where they went!"
"Alright, alright! All he said before he left was that he would be staying at an inn near Lake Calenhad, investigating something in that area."
From beside Riel, Fen'harel starting growling menacingly. "I don't think my hound believes you. And neither do I. You're hiding something, and I want to know what it is," Riel demanded with cold regard. Suddenly the mastiff bounded past Weylon towards the back of the room. There at the door, Fen'harel whined and began pawing at the wooden door, trying to get it open.
"Control your dog, elf! There is nothing behind that door that concerns you or your companions!" Weylon shouted, for the first time showing any real sign of backbone in his demeanor.
"I think he smells something interesting. Hidden secrets, perhaps?" Zevran replied coyly. Still the mastiff pawed at the door, whining and growling softly.
"Just what are you hiding behind that door? My hound seems pretty interested in whatever it is," Riel again demanded, her hands going to her blades.
"That's it! I tried to be reasonable, but you insisted on causing trouble! Andraste forgive me, but I do this in your name!" shouted Weylon a moment before he blasted Riel with a sharp jolt of electricity. Gritting her teeth through the pain, Riel took hold of her daggers and slashed out at the man who attacked her.
"How very rude!" Zevran exclaimed from beside her, using his own blade to nearly decapitate Weylon in a single strike before Riel's blade even got close. "Not even asking us to stay for dinner before he tried to kill us!"
"What was that about?" Leliana questioned, her bow in hand and arrow notched.
"Let's look around and see for ourselves what this Weylon was hiding from us," Riel said stiffly as she resheathed her daggers. "I could have handled him, Zevran," she added with a pointed glare towards Zevran.
"Oh I know, my lovely Warden. However, seeing as you were gracious enough to buy me these new daggers, I thought I would try them out and see how well they worked." Zevran looked down at the nearly headless body of Waylan at his feet. "I must say, I am impressed."
Riel rolled her eyes at his morbid humor and walked over to the door that Fen'harel pawed at and slowly opened the door. Immediately she was assaulted by the foul stench of death and decomposing flesh. Coughing, Riel entered the room and looked around. Over by the bed laid the badly ravaged body of a young man who she assumed to be the real Weylon.
"Riel, I may have found Genitivi's real notes. It seems he went in search of a village named Haven in southwestern Ferelden, below the Frostback Mountains," Leliana stated as she joined Riel by her side. "Dear Maker, what is the smell?" Leliana coughed and held her hand over her face, trying to protect herself from the foul odor.
"It appears that the man that we killed wasn't the real Weylon. This would explain his insistence that we stay away from this room. Fen must of smelled the rotting corpse."
"Woof!" the beast barked in agreement up to his master.
"It seems as if our next destination would be this village that is spoken of in Genitivi's notes. Unless of course you wished to see what would have awaited us at Lake Calenhad."
Riel looked over to Zevran and caught the look of delight that the idea of revenge brought to his face. Even though she normally wouldn't care what happened to Templars, the idea of innocent people being attacked made her skin crawl. Only the Creators themselves knew how many people had died because of these lunatics, and Riel wanted to make sure that no others suffered because of their deception.

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"Is everyone alright?" Riel breathed heavily as she looked to each of her companions after the last cultist fell to her blades. As she had thought, a deadly trap had been set up for anyone seeking Genitivi at the Spoiled Princess, the Inn that rested on the shores of Lake Calenhad.
From the notes left in Genitivi's house, it seemed an entire cult had set up worship of Andraste in a way separate from the ways of the Chantry. And it was the fake Weylon's job to send any seekers towards the trap that awaited outside of the Inn.
The group had rushed along the King's northern Highway to reach Lake Calenhad after leaving Denerim. Spending most of their time traveling as fast as Bodahn's heavy wagon would allow, Riel felt the stress of arriving at the Inn before anyone would be hurt by the lunatic's fellows. Still the days seem to pass slowly despite their pace. Riel's only comfort coming from the stories told around the fire each night, told by either Leliana or Zevran. Surprisingly, the assassin was quite free with the tales he wove of his time in Antiva working for the Crows.
Even Leliana seemed surprised at how open her was. The two of them sometimes trading points or stories on memorable kills that they made. Yet for the time he spent speaking with the bard, Riel could feel Zevran's eyes never leaving her for long. His smiles and laughing gestures seemingly saved for when he looked at her directly. Not to mock her in her silence, but more because he genuinely seemed to smile whenever he looked at her.
Riel still wasn't quite sure what to make of the assassin. For his part, he had kept his hands to himself since that day by the stream. However he always seemed to find a reason to be close to Riel. Something she didn't know whether it was a blessing or a curse. When he was around, Riel felt more relaxed than she ever had. Yet at the same time, there was a tenseness that existed between them that Riel couldn't explain.
One thing Riel did know was how much Zevran's closeness seemed to anger Alistair. The ex-Templar seemed especially broody since the elf had joined them. However, that did not stop the human male from making his lame jokes whenever he could. Once even stumbling through an incoherent rambling of 'licking lampposts'. Whatever he was talking about was lost on Riel, and thankfully Zevran rescued her with the tale of how one of his marks accidentally died before he even got a chance to kill her.
He did that a lot, Riel mused. Rescuing her from Alistair humor or Sten's insistent grumbling about the avenues Riel sought to gain allies. In Sten's mind, he seemed to think Riel could just magically conjure up an army to take on the Darkspawn. And he let his frustration in how they were not charging headlong into the horde plain to her on more than one occasion. Yet Zevran was always there, with some story or funny quip to take the pressure off of her. In fact, he seemed more proficient in easing Riel's mood than even Leliana or Morrigan were. Seemingly always there just when she felt a need to escape away from their companions.
Eventually they arrived at the lake, and Riel entered the Inn that serviced visitors to the Circle Tower or passing traders. The Inn keeper had tried to quietly warn them away, but Riel was too stubborn to let the subject drop when she had questioned him about the missing knights. And while the four of them had gone into the Inn knowing that a trap most likely awaited them, they weren't prepared for how many cultists had been lying in wait for them. When Riel and her companions stepped outside of the Inn after questioning the Innkeeper, as many as a dozen attacked them almost immediately.
"I think I should be asking you that, mi amiga," Zevran replied with a heavy tone. Quickly he sheathed his daggers and walked over to Riel, concern darkening his features.
Beautiful and well fitting, however the armor that she had just recently bought did little to cover her arms, unlike her previous armor. It took just a simple misjudgment on her part during the fight, allowing the warrior to slice a deep wound into her arm. Still she had fought, pushing the pain aside and turning it into a fury that she used to stab the warrior that had wounded her clean through his left eye with her next strike.
"It's just a scratch. I'm fine, Zevran," Riel tried to make her voice sound firm, yet even she could hear the strain in it. Looking down at her arm she winced as she saw the deep gash near her shoulder.
"Do not lie to me, my Warden. I can see your pain. That is a deep wound, and needs to be healed before you lose too much blood."
"I'm afraid the assassin is right," Morgan added sternly. "If you'll permit me, I know a decent enough healing spell that should do the trick."
Riel frowned and swallowed hard on the lump in her throat. She knew that they were right, yet the thought of having someone's hands upon her still sent chills down her spine. Even if they were used to heal, and not hurt, the memories of her past were vicious and cruel even several years after her escape. Her brow set deep, Riel nodded sharply and offered the mage her arm.
To Morrigan's credit, her hands didn't touch upon Riel's skin at all. Hovering slightly above her skin, the blue glow that emanated from her hands quickly went to work, magically stitching up Riel's wound. After just a few moments, all that was left of the deep gash in her skin was a small red line and nothing more.
"There. All done. Now, shall we move on?"
"Thank you..."
"Do not thank me. Thank your assassin. While you were focused on killing the one who slashed your arm, he made sure the idiot aiming for your back didn't land his blade."
Riel felt her face flush as she realized just how close she had been to being even more wounded, or possibly even dead. Looking over to the other elf, a part of Riel wanted to thank him as well for watching out for her back. Yet the words refused to form and all she could do was stare at his handsome features. Always rescuing me…. Riel inwardly mused with a blush.
"There is no need to thank me, my dear Warden," Zevran said with a flourished bow. "Protecting such a beautiful and exquisite woman such as yourself is my pleasure." Again his voice purred with that Antivan accent, sending a different kind of chills down Riel's body.
"The Saarebas is correct. We are wasting time here when we should be making our way to this Haven," the giant Sten stated flatly, pulling Riel out of whatever trance she found herself in.
Clearing her throat, Riel mentally cursed at herself for becoming so flustered. "Let's see what these fools have on them. Maybe they have a map we could use to help guide us to the town where Genitivi is."
Zevran watched in silence as Riel moved to each body and checked their belongings. Today had been too close. Had his attack been just a moment later, his Warden would probably be dying in his arms instead of checking the bodies of those who sprung their ambush. He should have been watching her more closely. Should have protected her better. As it was, Zevran cursed at his inability to prevent the gash one of the cultists inflicted on her arm. He needed to protect her better. He needed to be better for her.
He had sworn an oath to protect his lovely Warden. And by the gods, he would not fail in that. Even if Zevran had to personally kill everything that stood in the way of her goals. He was an assassin after all. A member of one of the best trained guilds in all of Thedas. If he could not offer his Warden the comfort he desperately wished to give her, he could at least do better at protecting her from the enemies who hunted her.
What use was an assassin, after all, if he could not effectively kill those who threatened him or those whom he cared for?
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Vhenan'ara