Legend (Dragon Age Origins)

Chapter 18: Fall Of The Circle

The sun was setting once they arrived at the docks, casting an orange gleam across the lake. The massive Circle of Magi sat proudly along the horizon, the tower jutting out from the jagged rocks that surrounded it. An ancient stone bridge branched off from the Imperial Highway, now deteriorated with only a few pieces still visible above the water's surface. The only way to get to the tower in this age was by ferry.

A rundown inn stood by the water's shore. Using the money that Teagan had compensated her with, Dru paid for three adjoining rooms. The inn itself was filled with only a few strange patrons who sat in the shadows and kept to themselves, and she was glad for it.

Despite her exhaustion, Dru struggled to sleep. The cut on her back stung bitterly as sweat seeped into the wound, and she found herself constantly kicking off the blankets and then immediately covering herself with them once more. By the time sleep finally reached her, she was awoken by the sunlight peeking through the torn curtains. It was an annoyance only lightened by the realisation that no nightmares had come to her that night.

Gathering together her dirty clothing and bandages, she dumped the contents into a wash bucket along with a bar of soap that she had stolen from Leliana. Before she left, she put on the blue-and-yellow silk dress that Duncan had gifted her. How long ago that felt. Banishing all thoughts of the man, she grabbed her washing and headed down to the lake.

Dru perched on a rock by the shore, humming a song to herself. The cold water soothed her blistered hands as she scrubbed away at the clothes, cleaning out all the muck that they had gathered over the past days. A black cloud loomed overhead, and soon a light patter of rain sprinkled over her freckled skin and caused ripples across the water.

She let her mind wander as she cleaned. The task felt peaceful, and soon she felt some of the stress lift from her shoulders.

Once the clothes were as clean as possible, she filled the bucket with water for bathing and carried everything back to the inn. Zevran stood in front of the inn, dressed in only trousers with a blanket pulled around his shoulders. He had his face tilted up toward the rain. She hadn't noticed him earlier and wondered how long he had been watching her for.

"My dear Warden, you look as if you did not sleep a wink last night." He grinned as she neared. "A shame, really. Those circles beneath your eyes are very unbecoming of a fine woman such as yourself."

Dru blinked away the droplets of rain that caught in her eyelashes. "You don't need to flatter me," she told him. "I already agreed to spare your life. Any more compliments and I might reconsider."

Zevran laughed. His loose blonde hair tousled in the breeze. "I suppose a woman of such beauty must grow tired of hearing it, no?"

"You think I'm beautiful?" Dru blurted.

She winced, immediately regretting her words. She knew he was teasing her. Not willing to give him any satisfaction, Dru fixed him with her best glare.

"Why were you out here in the rain? Were you watching me? Trying to seize the best opportunity to betray me?" Her words were dipped with venom. "Just because I spared your life once does not mean I won't kill you once you've outgrown your use."

Zevran's smile didn't falter. "But you did spare my life, did you not? To spend the rest of our days waiting for my inevitable betrayal seems like a waste of your precious time. I have given you my word that I will not harm you."

"We'll see about that."

"Indeed we shall. And as for my morning adventures... Well, I awoke to observe the commotion from the tower. Moments before dawn, many boats began travelling to and from the Circle. Most of the boats held templars. All held weapons."