by Milton Garby
"Tis so? Would you draw my picture?"
Aedan smiled warmly, "Will you smile for me?"
Morrigan returned his smile, "Oh, very well. Only for you."
Oh, this was most amusing. Never before had she given a man such attention, and nor did a man ever give her such entertainment. Morrigan thought for a moment. What could she ask? What did she really want to know? Ah, here's one. "What is the meaning behind the tattoos on your body?"
Aedan smiled at her. "Which one?"
Oohh, he was playing with her. She decided to play along. "You know…I don't quite know. You'll have to show me in order to refresh my memory."
"Pick one."
"Alright, to begin with, what is the meaning behind the one on your face?"
"When I was in the University of Val Royeaux I was disgusted with the Orlesian nobles love for masks. It seemed a cowardly practice of hiding their true colors behind facades of nobility. I decided to tattoo my face in design and color of ancient Alamarri warpaint to prove that Fereldans don't hide behind the image of nobility, we where it on our faces."
"A bold statement." Morrigan admitted. "What did your peers think?"
"If I gave a damn, I wouldn't have gotten my face inked in the first place."
"That is fair. Tell me about the one on your left arm." Aedan rolled up his sleeve to show her. "I know 'tis the symbol of the Avvarian god of winter but why do you have it? Are you an Avvar?"
"No I'm not. I lived with the Avvar for about half a year. When I traveled back through the Frostbacks from Orlais I was caught in the middle of a fierce snowstorm in the dead of winter. I dug a hole in the snow and waited out the storm. Avvar tribesman found me two days later and brought me to their keep. They said that storm should have killed me but I had the favor of Haakon Wintersbreath. They gave me his mark so that I could continue to carry his favor."
"That sound like quite the adventure. And the one on your other arm?"
Aedan rolled up his other sleeve and showed her the green raindrop with the two spears crossing in front of it. "This is the heraldry of Highever. My…old home."
"Earlier I saw that you have the royal crest upon your knees, why is that."
"Pure symbolism. I kneel only before my king. Not to gods, not to any other men or women. Only to the chosen ruler of my people."
An odd but pragmatic way of thinking. A king is certainly more worthy of kneeling to than some absent god. "That is something I'd like to see."
"Seeing me with my pants off?"
"No, not that! Seeing you kneel before anyone. But I wouldn't be adverse to you following through with your suggestion." Morrigan liked this little game they were playing, Aedan was so confident in himself and held no fear or reservations against her. The men she had been with before, even the ones who professed love to her always held a reservoir of fear for what she was, but not Aedan. And this little game allowed her to reacquaint herself with his chiseled body and she didn't even have to touch him. She saw Leliana looking over at them and noticed the hint of jealousy in her eye. Perhaps she would touch him anyway. "The one on your chest. I don't quite remember what it was. Would you be so kind as to…refresh my memory?"
Aedan smiled mischievously at her. "I'd love to."
Aedan pulled his shirt off to "refresh" Morrigan's memory. But Morrigan's eyes were instantly directed toward Aedan's well-defined sixpack. She still wanted very much to run her hands along those powerful muscles, but fought to maintain control. She looked at the crest over his heart and began to run her soft hand over it. His muscles were stronger than she thought. She made sure that Leliana could see what was happening. Leliana saw it.
"What is this? And why is it over your heart?"
The feeling of Morrigan's soft hand on his chest sent electricity through Aedan's nerves. He fought to not give in to his primal feelings. And fought hard. "It is my family crest. The mark of House Cousland."
Cousland. She felt like she heard the name before. "And are they a mighty house?"
"The strongest."
She smiled seductively and motioned him to turn around and show the visage of the scantily robbed woman with wings on his back. "Oh, my. What a scandalous image you have here! Are you so desperate for female companionship that you put one on you back so she'll never leave you?"
Aedan couldn't help but laugh. "Hardly. I've never lacked for female companionship. I'm certainly not lacking now, Morrigan."
How very true." Morrigan chuckled. "Is this Andraste?"
"Not only no, but hell no. It's the Lady of The Skies. The Avvarian goddess of death."
"You painted a death god on your back? How ominous. What is this inscription at her feet?"
"In Avvarian it says 'I'm always watching'. When I was with the Avvar I helped them hunt a red lion that was terrorizing them. I helped them bring it down and was so enraptured in our victory that I didn't watch where I was going and almost fell off a cliff! One of my companions grabbed me before I fell and told me that even after victory death always watches, and we must never let her catch us off guard. Well, now she'll never catch me unawares."
Morrigan placed her hands on his strong back and gently traced the wings with her fingers. She couldn't help but feel a certain sense of tranquility being this close to him. She was almost tempted to wrap her arms around him and rest her head against his warm body.
"Are you trying to seduce me, Morrigan?"
Morrigan wrapped her arms around his chest and finally glided her hand on his powerful abs. "When I'm trying you'll certainly know, Aedan." She whispered into his ear, her warm breath on his face.
He turned his head to her, their faces were so close now. His eyes gazed into her golden ones. "Really? And how would I know that you're really trying, Morrigan?" They closed their eyes, their lips drawing close together.
Morrigan halted just a hair away from his flesh "That is an answer for another time, Aedan." She answered, her sweet breath kissing his lips.
"I look forward to it." Aedan smiled warmly, he knew their little game would draw to a close. But it was very fun for them both.
"As do I. You can leave your shirt off if you like."
"Only if you like."
"Oh, I like. I like very much, indeed."
Aedan left his shirt off and walked away from Morrigan's tent. A dip in the river would be needed before he went to sleep. He had never met a woman like Morrigan before she was…fascinating. She was confident, and refused to let others define who she is. That is definitely a quality he found…challenging in a woman. Aedan liked a challenge. She had some rough spots around her personality, but then again so did he.
As soon as Aedan was out of sight Morrigan turned into a wolf and ran into the woods. Being in animal form offered a form of clarity that was unknown to most people. Being aware yet unaware, being a welcome stranger in an unfamiliar home. She needed to be in animal form in order to shake of the carnal feelings Aedan woke in her.
Any time she had been with a man it was always she who was in control, she controlled the feelings of her prey. But this man was different. He maintained control and was even able to rouse these feelings in her on whim of his own. Aedan was…unique to say the least. He had a dashing and charming side to him that most women would swoon over as he passed by. And yet, there was a savage, dark side to him; an unimaginable bloodlust and savagery that she found unsettling yet….arousing.
Aedan crushed Flemeth's assertions that Alamarri men were weak of body and will. She had seen for herself what those powerful hands of his could do to a man's body, like ripping out his throat, but what about a woman's body? What would it feel like to have those well trained hands on her soft flesh? There'd be some bruising no doubt, after all she saw him rip out a man's throat with his bare hands, but as she had learned pain brings pleasure of its own.
She continued her run into the woods, trying to calm herself, but for the first time in her life she was actually thankful to Flemeth. For once she brought Morrigan something she
actually liked and wasn't going to let it slip away.
Morrigan returned to her tent, her run was over and her lust gone. She changed back into human form and as she prepared herself for bed, noticed a folded piece of parchment on her bedding. She unfolded the paper and her heart leapt inside her chest. It was a perfect illustration of her. Aedan captured her features so well, the strokes were bold yet delicate and the eyes he drew somehow made the picture seem alive! What's more the picture was of her smiling gently at the beholder. At the bottom of the picture was a small note that read "Will you smile for me?" Morrigan was truly touched. How could she properly answer such a charming display? Hmmm. She hugged the picture to her chest, she would never show such affection in the eyes of others, but at least in private she could enjoy such weakness.
A Feast on Crows
The company of Grey Wardens continued their walk on the Imperial Highway. Morrigan continued to eye Aedan but always focused her attention somewhere else when he looked at her. Leliana happily played her lute and sung a hymn as they walked to make their journey a little lighter. Alistair tried to make light conversation with Sten. Something about playing "I spy". Aedan remained silent as he threw a stick for Dane and the dog always brought it back. Their monotonous sojourn was suddenly interrupted when a young woman frantically ran up to them.
"Oh, thank the Maker! We need help! They attacked the wagon! You must help us!" she cried. "Please, follow me! I'll take you to them."
Aedan and Alistair shrugged at one another and hastily followed after her. They chased her around the corner of a hill and saw the woman run up to the fallen wagon and met up with a dusky-skinned elf with blonde hair. Aedan felt the sudden change in the air, like something was wrong. Not like people were in danger but like they were walking into a trap.
The elf gave some kind of signal and suddenly armed assailants came out of their hiding places and a group of bowmen assembled on the hills on either side of them. And to make things better a giant tree fell behind them cutting of their retreat. This was getting better and better. The assailants all drew their weapons and charged!
"The Grey Warden dies here!" The elf cried as he charged Aedan. The elf lunged at Aedan, aiming his red steel longsword at Aedan's heart. Aedan swiftly evaded to the side, grabbing the elf's sword hand and jammed his elbow right into the assassin's chin. Then Aedan lifted the elf over his head and threw his unconscious body right into the other assassin's! Who then fell right into their own traps! Aedan found the irony to be hilarious.
Leliana and Morrigan made quick work of the bowmen on the hills, while Alistair dispatched the young woman who lured them into this trap, by cutting of her head. Dane finished off the assassins who weren't fortunate enough to die when they fell on their traps.
That had to be the most pitiful assassination attempt that Aedan ever had to suffer. He looked over to the elf who led this sorry excuse for an assault and noticed that he was still alive. At first Aedan was tempted to just snap his neck and be done with it, but then he decided it would be more prudent to interrogate him first….then snap his neck.
The elf began to regain consciousness. "Mmm…what? I….oh. I rather thought I'd wake up dead, or not wake up at all, as the case may be. But I see you haven't—ohfff!"
Aedan cut his off short as stomped his boot onto his chest. "Shut Up! You'll speak when I tell you to speak!" Aedan yelled in Antivan.
"Well, I do enjoy a good beating from a handsome brute from time to time." The crow coughed as Aedan's foot began flatten the elf's chest. "And the way your Fereldan accent sounds while speaking my native language is sexy too. Please, continue!"
Aedan obliged and applied more pressure onto the elf's chest, slowly crushing his diaphragm. In few moment his foot was going to punch a hole through this assassin. Zevran could feel the Warden's boot slowly crush his bones and innards. And despite how erotic he found this situation to be, he probably wouldn't live long enough to enjoy it before his internal organs were flattened into paste. "If your intention is to get information out of me I could save you the trouble and just get right to the point."
Aedan quickly took his foot of the elf's chest and wiped it on the grass as if he'd just stepped in shit. "Start talking, elf."
"My name is Zevran Arinai. Zev to my friends. I am a member of the order of The Antivan Crows, brought her for the sole purpose of eliminating any surviving Grey Wardens. Which I have failed at. Sadly"
Aedan quirked an eyebrow curiously. "The Crows?"
"Have you not heard of them, Aedan?" Leliana asked. "They are an order of assassin's out of Antiva, very powerful and very professional. Known for always getting the job done, so to speak. Someone went through great expense to hire this man."
"Quite right, my dear." The assassin confirmed conceitedly. "I'm surprised you haven't heard of us out here in this country. Where I'm from we are quite infamous."
"Not for being very good assassins, apparently." Aedan snorted.
"Oh, fine. Is that what you Fereldans do? Mock your prisoners? Such cruelty." The Antivan elf lamented sarcastically.
"Actually, we torture them to death and then feed their bodies to our dogs. Especially the smart-ass ones." Dane growled at Zevran to back up Aedan's story. Aedan had in fact heard of the Crows from his sister-in-law. She used them as a bedtime story to scare Oren into behaving or they'd sneak in his window and take him away for being naughty. "Who hired you to kill us?"
"A rather taciturn fellow by the name of uh…what was it? Oh, yes, Loghain, that was it."
Aedan felt his hand itching as it reach for his axe at the mention of that name. "Does that mean you're loyal to Loghain?"
"Oh, I have no idea what his issues with you are. The usual, I suppose. You threaten Loghain's power, yes? I just happened to be in the area when the job came up and took the contract. Beyond that, no, I am not loyal to him."
That was Zevran's saving grace. Aedan's hand stopped itching. "When and where were you to meet Loghain again?"
"Oh, I wasn't. I was contracted to perform a single job. If I succeeded I would have left the country on the first boat out of Denerim. And if I failed I'd be dead."
"If you failed?"
"Well, what can I say? I'm an eternal optimist. Although the chances of me succeeding at this point seem a bit slim, don't they. Ha-ha, ha-ha. No I don't suppose you'd find that funny."
"Why didn't they send their best?" Aedan inquired.
"Oh, I am one of their very best, in fact. It's why the Crows were paid so handsomely"
"If you're one of the best how is it you failed so epically?"
That question actually stunned the Crow. "….Because…the Grey Wardens are as skilled as legend claims?"
This was slightly pathetic. "How much were you paid?"
"I wasn't paid anything. The Crows, however, were paid a rather handsome sum just for their attention."
"Who paid them?"
"I believe it was Loghain's right-hand man. Arl Howe."
That caught Aedan off guard. He didn't expect to hear those two names in the same sentence. "What…was…that…name again? And please be sure you're telling me the truth."
"Yes, it was Arl Rendon Howe. He was the one who contacted the Crows in the first place. Seemed like a total bastard truth be told, even by a trained killer's standards."
Aedan couldn't believe his ears. Not only does Loghain betray their king but he is in league with Arl Howe? Could they have been working together the whole time? It made sense. Aedan directed his attention back to the Crow. "You know, you're singing like a Chantry choir boy. Are you even loyal to the people you serve?"
The elf's eyes lit like lanterns. "Loyalty is an interesting concept. And if you done with your questions we could discuss it further."
"Speak."
"Well, here's the issue: I was contracted to kill you but I've failed and you spared my life, and the code of the Crows demand that I die for the crime of failure. If you won't do it, the Crows probably will. Thing is, I like li
ving, a lot. And you certainly seem like someone who'd give the Crows pause if they thought of coming after you again. If you allow it, I will pledge my service to you."
"Ha! And are you going to be as loyal to me as you were to Loghain or even your Crows?" Aedan sneered.
"I happen to be a very loyal person. I just simply wish for the option of choosing who I am loyal to. That's not a fault, is it? I mean would you be loyal to anyone who practically owned you?"
That was a fair point. "And what's to stop you from finishing the job later?"
"To be honest, I was never really given the option of joining the Crows. They bought me from a slave market when I was a child. The only way to ever leave them is to die not matter what. So it seems my only option is to join with someone the Crows won't touch. Even if I did kill you now they'd probably kill me anyway on principal."
"You want to join me simply to escape the Crows?"
"I would gladly fight for your cause, of course. After all you did see fit to spare me and would happily pay my debt. And for once I'd rather have the freedom to choose who I raise my blade for. Is that so much to ask? I mean, aren't you Fereldans all about independent freedom?"
Zevran had Aedan there. That was the core virture of Fereldan culture, one that Aedan valued the most. "What skills do you have?"
"Well, let's see. I am highly trained in the arts of assassination, subterfuge, and traps and poison. I know how to pick locks and how spot a potential assassination attempts. Oh, and I know a great many jokes, five massage techniques and I can dance. I'd do wonderful at parties. I'll even shine armor and clean the dishes. Trust me you won't find a better deal."
He thought for a moment and decided that having a highly trained assassin could be of use to them. "Very well, Zevran. Welcome aboard."
"What?" Blurted Alistair. "You're taking the assassin with us now? Does that really seem like a good idea?"
"This probably won't be the last assassin to be sent after us. I figure the presence of a veteran assassin watching our backs can only benefit us, Alistair."
"Alright, fair point. But if there was ever a sign that said that we were desperate I think it just knocked on the door and said hello."