Chapter Text
Their long voyage finally at an end, Isabella’s ship was finally docking in Minrathous. Isabella gave Zevran and Fenris hugs good bye, and tried to hug Dorian as well, when he stepped back trying to avoid it. “Now, sweet thing, I won’t bite! I promise!” Isabella crooned, before finally trapping Dorian in an unwanted embrace.
As they were finally walking down the gangplank towards the docks, Dorian asked with a shudder “Is she always that handsy when she says goodbye?”
“Yes, I’m afraid so, but it’s not so bad, no?” Zevran said with a wink.
“For you maybe not, but I’m not overly fond of having girly-bits being pressed into my chest,” Dorian huffed.
Zevran just laughed and even Fenris smirked a little at Dorian’s obvious discomfort.
“Well, I for one, will be glad to get home and take a proper bath!” Dorian continued indignantly. “Let’s get a carriage this time, I’m not really in the mood for walking.”
Dorian quickly hailed a carriage and it whisked them off to the Pavus estate.
When they arrived they quickly noted that something was amiss. The front gate to the estate stood ajar, and the house seemed eerily quiet for mid-day. Dorian ran to the front door, which stood wide open. Rushing inside Dorian cried out in horror.
Dorian’s mother’s body hung from the central chandelier in the foyer, with a note pinned to the hem of her dress. Dead bodies of servants and personal guards were strewn everywhere.
Zevran and Fenris ran faster at the sound of Dorian’s distress, finding Dorian doubled over, retching all over the fine Tevinter marble floor. The two elves quickly worked together to lower the poor woman’s body to the floor, and Zevran grabbed the note, quickly scanning it, while Fenris tried to comfort Dorian. Dorian sagged against Fenris, wracked with sobs, repeating the word “why?” over and over.
“The Crows,” Zevran ground out between clenched teeth. “they also hold your father for ransom”
Dorian was in shock, and didn’t know how to respond.
“What ransom do they ask for?” Fenris enquired, while still trying to calm Dorian.
“Me. They want only me,” said Zevran.
Dorian looked up at Zevran then, still dumbstruck over the entire situation.
Zevran collapsed on his knees, as if defeated. “I told you Dorian. I told you I should have just turned myself into the Crows in exchange for Fenris. I knew we wouldn’t escape the Crows wrath so easily.”
“Wait, you were planning to sacrifice yourself for me?” Fenris asked, anger and disbelief rising in his voice.
“Si, mi amor, because I am so very tired of running,” Zevran said with a sigh. “The Crows insist I come to them tonight, or Halward Pavus dies … slowly.”
“So what do we do? How do we rescue Magister Pavus?” Fenris asked Zevran.
“We give them what they want, of course,” said Zevran, defeated.
“Do you mean you’ll provide a distraction so we can rescue Dorian’s father? Will you be able to escape them afterwards?” Fenris pressed.
“No, mi amor. I will not be able to escape this time. I am going to willingly give myself up to the Crows. As I said, I am tired of running, of putting other people in danger because of me. I will never be free of the Crows. They will never let me be.” Zevran crumpled into a heap on the floor and Fenris ran to him, cradling the assassin as Zevran’s careful veneer of confidence broke around him and he began to sob.
Zevran’s sobs broke Dorian out of his shocked state and he crawled over to Zevran’s side, clinging to him. Zevran wailed and cried as he released years’ worth of suppressed emotions, unable to contain them any longer. In his mind, this was the end of a very long road. It would have been less painful if he hadn’t let himself fall so hopelessly in love.
Fenris held Zevran and let the elder elf cling to him as he sobbed out his grief.
“No.”
Zevran looked up at Fenris then, with questioning eyes.
“No, Zevran, we are not going to allow you to sacrifice yourself, there must be another way,” Fenris said emphatically.
Dorian nodded in agreement. “Even if we have to take out every last Crow in Thedas, they will not have you. First we need to rescue my father. We have an estate in Qunaris he can go to, and more security can be placed around him for safety. The Magisterium would not allow the Crows to harm one of their own.”
“And then what, cariño? We go on the run again?” Zevran spat, anger rising in him again.
“No. We go on the offensive. We make our plans and strike at the very heart of the Crows, once and for all,” Dorian said determinedly.
Zevran laughed then “We do? With what army? No one has been able to undermine the Crows in over a thousand years!”
Just then there were footsteps outside the door and the three men sprang into action, posturing for battle until the figure appeared in the doorway, and they realized who it was.
“With the Chantry’s army, of course,” said the Divine Victoria, as she entered.
“Leliana!” Zevran exclaimed, and quickly corrected, kneeling before her “Divine Victoria. My apologies, your eminence.”
“Oh get up Zevran, you silly elf, you can call me Leliana as much as you like, I don’t mind,” Leliana said, smiling. "Besides as long as I'm in Tevinter, I really shouldn't be advertising who I really am, yes?"
She then turned to Dorian “I am so sorry for your loss. I found out too late about the Crows latest plans. I am tired of them tromping all over Thedas without consequence.”
“So, does that mean you’ll help us rescue my father?” Dorian asked.
“Yes, and then we will help you take down the Crows once and for all,” said Leliana. “I am going to declare a little holy war against the Crows. Now that I have the power to command the Chantry, I might as well use it to do some good!”
Zevran finally felt truly hopeful about his future for the first time in his life.
To be Continued …