(banner by Minaleth)
Prompt: Rogue Specializations: Bard, Ranger, Duelist, Shadow, Legionnaire ScoutInvolve Zevran with a non-assassin specialization in any way you please.
(Assassin stuff can be included at your discretion, but at least one of the others listed must be used somehow...)
Time: 1 hour
Formats: All
Deadline: Monday October 11th, 8:00am GMT (4am EST, I believe)
Prize: A Zev-flavoured piece of writing, with or without another character/Warden. Alternately, while I haven't flourished my drawing talents in these parts, I have been known to produce (mildly NSFW)
stuff like this and ye olde (SFW)
character portraits if you're prepared to wait a little longer.
[quote]Sarah1281 wrote...
Okay, here's my prompt entry.
“I’m just saying that it seems kind of limiting,” Leliana said again.
Zevran tilted his head. “Really? How so. Assassinating seems to be the most efficient way of eliminating your enemies.”
“Yes, I’ll admit that assassination is certainly very useful and that in my work as a bard I had to employ some assassination skills here and there but versatility is never a bad thing…” Leliana trailed off as something new occurred to her. “Well, as long as you make sure that you fully understand everything you’re doing and don’t just learn bits and pieces of different methods.”
“I suppose I can see your point,” Zevran said agreeably. “Even in Antiva, assassinating people is not always so simple as wandering up to their current location and slipping poison into their food when no one is looking or slitting their throats as they sleep. Other skills come in handy – such as the ability to impersonate a cook – and outside of Antiva I have heard that that is even more true. Certainly my first time out of the country is proving to require more of me than basic assassinations.”
“So can you do some of the other roguish crafts? Have you tried your hand at any of the bardic arts, perhaps? Or learned anything about being a ranger or a duelist?” Leliana inquired.
“My friend Isabela – you remember her, yes? – tried to teach me dueling once,” Zevran replied.
Leliana wrinkled her nose. “I do, in fact, remember her. The pirate captain.”
Zevran nodded. “Yes, though she wasn’t then. This was back during my own pirate days when she was the wife of my target. She said that fighting with quickness and wit was far more valuable than fighting with brute force and, being an elf and an assassin, I was quick to agree. She had nothing better to do and so she offered to teach me.”
“How did that go?” Leliana wanted to know.
Zevran smirked. “That was certainly a very productive couple of days and some of my fonder memories.”
“So you’re a duelist, then?” Leliana asked, surprised.
“Now, I didn’t say that,” Zevran told her. “We got a lot done but not so much on the dueling front. It seemed that every time we started a lesson she ended up the naughty school mistress…”
“I see. I suppose it is rather difficult to learn something from someone you’re sleeping with,” Leliana conceded.
Zevran’s eyebrows shot up. “Speaking from personal experience, are we?”
“What a thing to ask,” Leliana replied, dodging the question. “Did you try any other specializations?”
“A fellow assassin named Taliesin developed an interest in animals a few years back and decided to become a ranger,” Zevran revealed. “He could summon an animal to fight by his side seemingly out of thin air. We did mock him quite a bit for it since it so strongly resembled the princesses of children’s stories but he insisted that the usefulness more than made up for the taunting he had to deal with.”
“And he decided to teach you?” Leliana guessed.
Zevran nodded. “He decided to teach me,” he confirmed. “He told me all about how the wolf, the spider, and the bear were the three most basic animals to summon and I think I even managed to call a wolf to me once. Unfortunately for our lessons, Taliesin had a slight fetish for naughty schoolboys. Again, his time attempting to teach me to be a ranger was very productive but I cannot say that I learned much.”
“Well of course you’re never going to learn anything if you keep sleeping with your instructor before they teach it to you!” Leliana exclaimed. “That’s it, I’m going to teach you some of the bardic arts.”
Zevran wiggled his eyebrows at her and grinned rakishly. “Why, my dear Leliana! If I had known that you were interested-”
“I’m not going to have sex with you,” Leliana told him promptly. “I am going to teach you to sing.”
Zevran opened his mouth.
“And not like that!” Leliana hastened to add. “A non-Orlesian bard already has a distinct advantage as no one would suspect a bard from elsewhere as being anything more than a mere minstrel. Most of the bardic arts, seducing a target, dirty fighting, stealth, larceny, and killing you already know, of course. That really just leaves story-telling, singing, and playing an instrument. I don’t actually have any instruments with me at present so that’s right out but we can work on the other parts.”
“You know,” Zevran told her slyly. “I’m really not sure that I
do have seducing a target down. Sure, I’ve slept with my fair share of them but they were usually well aware that I was an assassin come to kill them and so I’m sure it wasn’t as…elegantly done as a bard might do it.”
“It’s not happening,” Leliana said flatly. “And I don’t care how hot you find a naughty schoolmistress/naughty schoolboy dynamic.”
“You’re so cruel…” Zevran lamented. “But as you like.”
“I use several different types of songs in the course of my fighting,” Leliana continued. “As far as non-combat purposes go, that really falls more within the context of being able to tell a good story and choosing to sing it instead of simply talking about it. Singing a song of valor about ancient heroes tends to inspire allies and cause them to rejuvenate faster while an all-out performance can often confuse enemies.”
“I can see why if you’re going to be breaking into song in the middle of a battle,” Zevran agreed.
“A song of courage about what my allies have done personally in the past gives them more confidence in themselves and as such improves their performance in battle and captivating song stops enemies in their tracks for a few seconds as they listen spellbound,” Leliana finished. “Before you can learn any of these, however, I have to be able to hear how you sing. Try a few bars with me. La la la…”
Zevran dutifully did as she asked, only to quickly stop at the look on Leliana’s face. “What? Did I do something wrong?”
Leliana slowly shook her head. “No, nothing like that. You just…wow, you are not very skilled at singing, are you?”
Zevran shrugged. “I wouldn’t know, having never sung in front of anyone before. Would that make my budding bardic career impossible?”
“It would certainly put a damper on it, yes,” Leliana agreed. “You could still tell stories, of course, but unless you can sing them properly then it will be completely useless in battle.”
“So what am I to do about my lack of ability at being a bard and my lack of knowledge about being a ranger or a duelist?” Zevran asked her. “Should I just forget the whole thing and stick to being an assassin?”
“Well, I’m afraid I don’t know much about dueling or being a ranger as my secondary craft was assassination,” Leliana confided. “But Ahria did learn how to duel from Isabela, remember? And she’s been summoning animals since before I even met her. Maybe she can help.”
Zevran’s eyes lit up. “Oh, what a wonderful idea! Our assassination lessons were so very productive, after all…”
As he sauntered off to go find Ahria, Leliana resigned herself to the fact that he’d probably never learn another roguish craft. [/quote]
Bwahaha…it’s a wonder he learned how to become an *assassin* if he kept seducing (or being seduced) by his teachers. XD My favourite bit had to be when Leliana said she’d teach him how to be a bard, and he got ‘that look’ on his face.
[quote]ICevoL wrote...
So, after starting 2 separate stories over the weekend for jen's kiss prompt and throwing them both out, I found myself rather relieved that I was able to answer this one within the time limit. Score! LOL
Apologies for the silly title. Time to write: 50 min. Edit time: 10 min
Ranger Danger
"Zevran, stop!"
Zevran looked up from the book in his lap and took in Alistair's expression of near panic. "Friend Alistair, why must you interrupt? I am working on learning this new summon-"
"That's
exactly why I interrupted," Alistair replied, his voice teeming with both relief and residual fear. "You may have forgotten what happened last night at camp when you started mumbling those words, but I haven't. Instead of some enthralled giant spider, we ended up with a swarm of ants running all over the place! I'd rather avoid a repeat of that particular experience, if it's all the same to you."
Zevran smirked a bit as he noticed Alistair absentmindedly scratching at his arms, as though the insects were still crawling on his skin. The warrior was not a fan of "creepy-crawlies", as he called them, regardless of size. Zevran smiled widely. "Have faith, Grey Warden. This time, I have mastered the chant. You shall see."
Alistair snorted. "Not bloody likely. You've been working on it for how long now? Why can't you just stick with the wolf or the bear? That's plenty of help, believe me."
If he hadn't been determined to figure out the spider summon before, Zevran was doggedly resolved to do so now. The expression on the warrior's face when he succeeded would be worth it. Besides, he was certain that he'd ascertained the problem and had the resolution at hand. Zevran raised a brow. "Shall we wager on it then? I issue the summon -- if I succeed, you clean the dishes following tonight's meal, in my place."
Alistair nodded, raising an answering brow. "And
when you fail, you clean the dishes after dinner tonight
and after breakfast tomorrow, since that's my cleaning shift."
Zevran nodded. "The wager is set, then. I suggest you prepare yourself for what Leliana refers to as 'dish pan hands', good man."
Leliana and Wynne came closer to watch what was happening. Unsurprisingly, Sten and Shale appeared to have no interest in the proceedings. Zevran cleared his throat and issued the summoning command. All eyes turned toward the wooded area behind the camp in anticipation, but nothing happened.
Zevran stifled a frustrated sigh as Alistair clapped his hands together victoriously. "Ha! Enjoy washing the..." The warrior's voice drifted off as his eyes widened. "Oh... my..."
Zevran looked to where the man was staring. A giant spider was skittering across the camp towards where Zevran and Alistair stood. While he'd been confident enough to make the wager, Zevran was a little shocked himself to see the creature heading towards them. When it reached Zevran's side, the spider stopped in place as though waiting for a command. Examining the oversized insect closely, Zevran's lips tilted up knowingly before he turned his eyes back to Alistair. "You were saying?"
Alistair didn't look at Zevran to reply but continued staring at the spider as if he feared it would attack the moment he left it unobserved. "Please tell me you can control that thing."
Zevran swallowed a laugh at the slight whimper that followed the whispered words. It truly wasn't fair of him to so enjoy Alistair's discomfort. Still... "But of course I can. Let's see, the book says I can command a web attack as follows-"
Zevran ignored Alistair's shouted protest, even though it was echoed by both Leliana and Wynne. He knew what he was doing, even if they doubted him. Upon his command, the spider shot a web at a tree stump near the perimeter of the camp. Zevran closed the book and smiled triumphantly. "See? Completely under control."
Leliana cleared her throat. "While your pet is quite impressive, Zevran, would you mind getting it out of camp? It's giving me flashbacks to the Elven ruins."
Knowing Leliana had suffered nightmares of being overwhelmed by the insects for weeks following that adventure, Zevran bowed in assent. "Certainly. I shall return my friend here to his proper place." He glanced down at the spider and said, "Come, pet. Let us take a walk in the woods."
Zevran felt several pairs of eyes tracking him as he walked into the woods with the giant insect at his side. When he was far enough away to not be seen or heard, he turned and looked down at the spider. He raised a brow and smiled. "We're in the clear now, Kai. You can shift back."
A white glow surrounded the body of the creature for a few moments. When it faded, KaiLynn knelt next to Zevran's feet with an embarrassed expression on his face. "How did you know it was me?" he asked as he rose to his feet and brushed leaf litter off his robes.
Zevran cocked his head to the side and chuckled. "The moment the 'spider' arrived at my side, I knew it was you. Call it 'animal instinct', if you will."
Kai rolled his eyes and smiled. "Very funny, Zev."
Zevran returned the smile and shrugged. "I do what I can. That said, it appears I have cheated my way out of kitchen duty this evening. I would feel guilty about it, except the expression on your fellow Grey Warden's face was completely worth it."
KaiLynn flushed again and shook his head. "Technically, you didn't cheat -- I did. I'll square things with Alistair later."
"Fair enough," Zevran replied. Then he looked down at the book in his hand and his brow furrowed. "This does, however, leave me in an awkward position regarding the ability to summon a spider. I will need to figure this out sooner rather than later."
Kai held out his hand. "Let me see it. My guess is you're just pronouncing something wrong. I'm used to deciphering confusing texts. We'll work on it together in private."
Zevran passed the book over, then slid a hand around the mage's neck and pulled him into a lingering kiss. When they broke for breath, Zevran leaned his forehead against the other elf's and smiled. Having reason to spend time alone with Kai, even if just to study a book, would give him the perfect excuse to distract the warden from his troubles. "I can think of nothing I'd enjoy more than learning new tricks with you,
tesoro."
--End--
[/quote]
Awww, cute ending. I smirking for a good part of this, laughed out loud when people protested at the idea of a web demonstration, and was completely surprised when the spider turned out to be the Warden. I was wondering if someone would use the Ranger tome in some way for this prompt, too.
[quote]Korina1982 wrote...
Here's my entry.
I looked at the descriptions of the bard songs to refresh my memory, and Song of Courage's description stuck out to me. It says the bard sings of the party's exploits, but no one ever said that it had to be
battle exploits... I can't help it, I have a dirty mind.
And apparently I write really damn slow, because this is all I could get out in the allotted time.
---------------
Keiran and Alistair approached Zevran, who was sitting at a table in the inn and staring thoughfully at a piece of parchment. "Zev, Alistair and I were going to head over to the tavern for something to eat. Apparently the food is better there. Do you want to come?"
"Ah, certainly, my dear Warden," he replied. "Just allow me to finish this phrase."
"Phrase? What are you working on?" asked Alistair.
"Leliana felt that my singing skills were advanced enough that she is going to teach me a new technique. It will inspire all who hear my song to perform better, but I am required to write a song of our group's exploits before she will teach me." Zevran glanced up again and addressed Keiran directly, his eyes dancing with mischief, "Would you like to read what I have so far,
tesoro?"
Keiran warily took the offered parchment and started reading. He quickly realized that this was not a tale of an epic battle, but something much more graphic than the bad poetry the other elf had recited for him some time ago. "Zevran! Y-you..." He could feel his cheeks starting to burn and prayed that Oghren was somewhere else. If the dwarf got wind of this... Oghren wanting to give him 'advice' would be the least of his problems.
"What's wrong?" asked Alistair concernedly. "It can't be all that bad." He tried to look over Keiran's shoulder, but the elf quickly spun away, hiding the parchment from his sight.
"N-no! You shouldn't read this!" If Alistair read it, his head would probably explode from embarrassment. "Just go ahead to the tavern without me. I'll catch up."
"But--"
"Go,
lethallin!
Please." Alistair gave him an odd look, but headed out the door of the inn. When he was gone, Keiran sank into a chair across from the assassin. "Zev, I'm very flattered," he whispered. "But you can't sing about...
that in front of everyone!"
Zevran sighed. "The people of this country are so finicky. In Antiva such songs are not uncommon."
"I don't care. You are not going around in public singing about my..." Keiran glanced at the parchment again. "Oh, I can't even say it..."
"Alas," Zevran said sadly. "It is a shame that I cannot boast of such a quick study." Another piece of parchment slid across the table. "Does this one meet your approval?"
Keiran looked at the second song, and was relieved to see something much more appropriate: a song about fighting Uldred in the Circle Tower. But wait... did that mean the other one was just flirting? He rolled his eyes at Zevran. "You are incorrigible. What am I going to do with you?"
Zevran just laughed. "You can punish me later. Or if you prefer,
tesoro," he said seductively, "Once Leliana teaches me the proper technique, I could give you a private performance of that first song?"
[/quote]
I wonder if that private performance would still…ahem…’inspire Keiran to perform better’? :x Nice short! And Zev going to the effort of writing two songs just to be a tease...heh heh...
[quote]payroo wrote...
First thing that popped into my insipid brain...
Zevran's Forest Friends!
full size here[/quote]
I laughed so hard when I saw this. It’s like something out a Disney movie, with all the smiling fluffy animals (or not, with the spiders and creepies o_O) and Zev looks so *happy*! Fantastic job!
[quote]Halae Dral wrote...
Okay, mine... I discovered while I was writing this that I don't actually remember that scene very well, and I couldn't get to a computer to check things. So... expect inconsistencies? I ended up taking just about exactly an hour, all told.
- - -
"Your move," Isabela drawled.
Zemariel eyed his cards, trying to smooth his frown into a neutral expression. He hated to admit that not only had he not been able to catch onto this game, but he was sure that the pirate was cheating - and he couldn't see how. He glanced surreptitiously up at her from behind his pretense of studying the cards. He was almost starting to regret trying to beat her at her own game like this. He had considered challenging her to a duel, but that wouldn't help anything if she won - and she certainly might win.
Isabela was smiling, a smile which had quickly come to infuriate Zemariel, and was drumming her fingers on the table and waiting for him to make his next move. He barely surpressed a sigh of anoyance, and went back to staring at the cards in his hand.
Maybe if I stall long enough she'll give up, he thought. Not that stalling had worked during any of the last however many games they had played. He was dimly aware of Zevran sitting by his side as he had been the whole time, watching the game, but it startled him nonetheless when Zevran tapped him on the shoulder. He looked up at the other assassin.
"You do realise that she is cheating, yes?" Zevran whispered in his ear.
Zemariel let out an exasperated sigh through clenched teeth. "Yes, I do. I've been trying to catch her at it, but I just can't seem to do it in time!"
"Ah." Zevran nodded knowingly. "I can help you with that, if you like. I know her tricks." Zemariel glanced sideways at Isabela. The duelist was still looking at her cards with a smile, and appeared to be paying them no heed. He didn't believe that, but he didn't really care any more at this point. It seemed to him that they had already spent hours in the Pearl, sitting at the same table and getting nowhere.
"That would be great, Zev. Thanks."
Zevran laughed. "Do not thank me just yet! I am glad you have such faith in my abilities, my Warden, but we have not yet won. Now, I will watch for it, and when I tap your leg with my foot knock the cards out of her hand. That should do the trick."
Zemariel nodded.
It did not surprise him that the moment they were obviously done speaking Isabela looked up from the cards.
"Shall we begin again?" Isabela inquired, a glint in her eye.
"Right. Let's get started."
Zemariel watched Isabela's hands closely as she cut and dealt the cards, but he could see no sign of cheating. They had played one card each before he felt Zevran's foot against his leg, and he quickly knocked the cards from her hand. She let them fall to the ground and watched him, the smile never leaving her face. There had clearly been a few cards too many in her hand.
"You're cheating," he explained.
"Good!" She nodded. "I was wondering how long it would take you to catch on. Come, I will train you now, if you wish - though I admit I wonder why you decided to come all the way to Denerim to see me about it, when you are on such good terms with Zevran here. Did you simply want to learn from the best?"
Zemariel blinked, taking a moment to process her words. Then he stared accusingly at Zevran. "You never mentioned you learned anything like that from her!"
Zevran spread his hands and shrugged. "It had not come up in our conversation, until now. Besides, that was a good deal more fun, no?"
"Fun for you, maybe." Zemariel scowled. He was still feeling annoyed at himself and somewhat humiliated, and would have greatly prefered not to have gone through the whole thing. Zevran had proved an excellent teacher in the arts of the assassin, and he had no doubt that he would've been equally adept at teaching the duelist's skills.
Isabela laughed and stood. "The truth of the matter is that I did not get around to teaching him very much. At first I had thought he was the one who wanted more training, when you entered the Pearl! Come, this is no place to learn such things."
The two elves watched her walk away. Zemariel slapped the cards down on the table and leaned back in the chair, still trying not to let his annoyance show. He took several deep breaths. Wynne had been advising him that such things should help with his temper.
"I am sorry, my friend," Zevran said. "I would have spoken up sooner, but I know you can be quite stubborn about these things."
"It's all right." Zemariel stood. Zevran had never at down in the first place, the table having had only two seats - although he had taken to kneeling after the first hour or so. They began walking after Isabela, and Zemariel's anger and frustration slipped away, perhaps helped by the fact that Isabela was a good distance ahead. It had worked out in the end, after all, and he had noticed - somewhat to his dismay - that he seemed unable to remain angry around Zevran for long. Especially when the Antivan elf was smiling and walking with such a cheerful spring to his step.
"She knew exactly what we were doing, didn't she?" Zemariel asked after a time.
"Oh, certainly. She tried to pull that same trick on me once, you see. That was how I knew exactly what she was doing." Zevran shook his head.
"It didn't work on you, I take it?"
"I wish I could say that it did not!" Zevran laughed. "No, it would be more accurate to say that it worked quite well. She explained it later, you see, once we had moved on to other things."
"Ah." Zemariel tried not to figure out why that annoyed him. It would only lead to a conclusion that he was not willing to come to just yet.
Zevran seemed to sense his discomfort. "If I knew more of the duelist's art myself I would have offered to train you, once I knew you were interested," he explained by way of shifting the subject again, "but we were already here by the time I knew of your interest, and I thought it best you have a better teacher. And perhaps I can learn more as well."
"Well, let's learn the finer points of dueling together then." Zemariel was feeling in much better spirits now, having mostly put the frustration of losing repeatedly behind him.
"An excellent suggestion!"
They followed Isabela through the door she had gone through.
[/quote]
I can’t help but wonder if Zevran not learning too much of the duelling skill from Isabela was due them being distracted by her 'ridiculous appetites'
I like it how Zev admits he fell for Isabela’s card game cheating once upon a time, too. Poor Zemariel, knowing something going on but just not fast enough to prove it...
[quote]soignee wrote...
[quote]
Rangers have an affinity for open country and wilderness, but as independent scouts and militia, they are opportunists, not stewards of nature. They exploit every advantage of their environment, and can lure wild beasts to attack their foes.[/quote]
--------------------------------------
Vardel Mahariel held one hand in the air and gestured to the rest of the group to stop, the bear still at his heels unnaturally calm and meek. Barely looking at them all, he frowned slightly, itching the bandage at his arm thoughtfully. “We break for camp,” he said bluntly, the only thing he said since their ragtag band added one more in the afternoon in the form of Zevran Arainai, the man sent to kill him.
“What are you going to do about the assassin?” Alistair said in an undertone, arms crossed against his chest. Furtively the ex-templar threw a look over his shoulder where Zevran followed their group still, unbound and meek as a pack halla.
Vardel smirked slightly in reply, eyes darting briefly to their captive. “I'll sort it out.”
“Sort it out? Sort what out exactly? He tried to kill us.”
“Well spotted, Alistair. And I'll sort it out. Don't make me say it again,” he replied dryly. Morrigan, equally annoyed at the other elf's company, glared at Vardel, golden gaze sparking heat. He winked briefly, raffish and spry finally. “Help Morrigan with her tent, I'm sure she wants your help. Be a gentleman and help a lady.”
“I'll manage,” the witch replied coldly, eyebrows raised. “If that was a joke. 'twas an awful one,” and turned on her heel to leave them all. Vardel particularly appreciated the way her anger made her hips swing, and grinned wider.
“A lady?” Alistair spluttered, grinning at the chance to chase her. “Wait, fair lady!”
“Fools, the pair of you,” Vardel managed to hear and laughed openly.
The other Grey Warden bent down in a mock bow at the witch, following her. “Come back, chaste maiden! I have to help you across puddles, or something. What's that, no? Ah. Pity...” and helped Leliana set up a tent instead, much to the bard's amusement.
Zevran watched the camp unfold with precision, despite the humour and banter, a stranger watching friends speak. Everything had a place, and it became evident that their leader had a ritual for how things were unpacked and placed, everything done just so.
The mabari sniffed at the food packets as they were taken from the bags and Vardel raised his voice once. “Dorcan! No,” and meekly the dog obeyed, guiltily wagging his tail as he joined his master.
Picking one packet up he threw it at the Antivan, gesturing him to follow him and his animals away from the rest. Sten watched them go impassively, Leliana and Wynne exchanging worried glances. Zevran however took it all with a shrug. If this was his fate, so be it.
The Warden elf sat down and ignored him, eating his food to an audience. Once he was nearly done he threw scraps to his dog, who caught them easily. The bear got a smaller portion, delicately eating his offerings with the politeness of an Arlessa.
“Does he have a name like the dog?” Zevran asked as the bear drooled onto its own paws, red rimmed eyes watching them both with baleful eyes at the prospect of no more food.
Vardel chuckled. “Of course not. He's just bear.”
The animal in question made a mournful sound and shifted on his haunches, ears down. Vardel aimed a swift kick to hit rump and his tone changed, icy and commanding. “Down. I said down,” and he clicked his fingers, gesture firm and dominating.
The bear, however had other ideas, haze shaking slightly. A growl emitted through the camp and Zevran nervously back away, his weapons taken from him since his ambush. “Ah, Warden...”
The Dalish elf grinned and with with a rakish smile grabbed the bear and pinned a sharp elbow to a furry throat. The bear choked once and meekly did as he was told and sat, drooling once more.
“Once you learn the trick, they're frankly like rabbits,” and Vardel leant against his tamed animal on his elbows, grinning again. It was a nice smile, rakish and handsome.
“The-
ah, trick?” Zevran said, perplexed, knowing he was being charmed. All he saw was a a blur of arm and dominance, and animal that could easily rip them both apart with vicious teeth and claws. “Does it work on others?” He joked, wondering if he had applied the same tricks to the Qunari that followed the small elf without question.
“Some. Spiders are easier,” Vardel replied flatly. “They're not the smartest, even though legends paint them as wicked, wily creatures adept at luring you to your doom.”
Zevran had never heard of a legend of a spider before, curious at the Dalish legends he had heard little about.
“Oh?”
Vardel knew then he was talking a human in an elf's clothing, a foreigner who probably couldn't even tell the difference between an oak and silverbark. “Yes, the story of
Eheria'l. She-”
The other elf chuckled. “Of course it would be a she.”
“Yes, well. She would lure travellers to her web with song and promises. But in reality, they are much more stupid and easy to manage, spiders- legend or no. A punch above eyes usually sorts them out and they're docile to follow you like a baby halla would.”
“A punch?”
Vardel settled against the bear a little more, all roguish grins once more and conspiratorial looks of two men sharing a story. “Yes, right above the eyes, there's a particular place. They're knocked out enough to do what you want, of course. You know, like the pheasant trick.”
“Enlighten me,” Zevran replied, drawling his words just so. “I am bereft of knowing such a thing.”
The Dalish elf snorted in laughter, sipping from his canteen roughly before speaking again. “We used to do it as kids when we should be chasing the aravels instead. You get a pheasant, lie it on one side and then draw a line in front of its eyes with a bit of charcoal or whatever. Anyway, it's like some sort of hypnotism really, and the animal is now dumb enough to follow the line.”
“I know humans and elves that would do the same,” the Antivan said, examining his nails. “For less then a piece of charcoal too, I'm sure.”
The bear shifted and moaned a little. Dorcan the mabari whuffed slightly under his breath at the noise, alert still. “Well, I wouldn't know about that,” Vardel said flatly, wondering then what this flat-eared had seen to say such a thing.
“But you fight also,” Zevran replied again. “The blades, the bow,” and he remembered the feel of the arrows in his shoulder, wound itching still despite the healing from the elder mage.
“I'm a hunter. I used to defend the clan of course, but...” A shrug of wiry shoulders and Vardel rubbed at his nose irritably. “Out here I am a hunter still. Here is my court and country. Being a Grey Warden somehow has made my hunting ground a little wider and the prey a little more varied, but there's a threat to my camp and I will defend it, ” and with that he gestured vaguely to the huddled tents in the distance, Morrigan's fire visible still in the gloom.
“I understand, I think.”
“Good.” The pair of men watched the fire, Dorcan watching the bear cautiously. “Wolves are the hardest,” he said suddenly. “They are pack animals. The dog over there, even though as far removed from a wolf as can be, he understands this. I am his pack leader. He follows me, without question. It is rare to encounter such a creature in the wild, so you go for the weak, the loners.”
“A lone wolf?”
“Yes, one that has been cast out from the pack, of course. They're usually mad with hunger and desperate for food. More dangerous in some regards then a pack. A pack will only attack unless threatened, crazy or starving. We don't taste that nice you see. But a lone wolf... ah, his first instinct is to bite anyway, not knowing how to think away from his pack, his clan. And you exploit that. You give them what they want, within reason.”
Zevran chuckled throatily. “Which is what, my handsome captor? A pack? You give them a home?”
“Nope. You give 'em a meal first, then you let 'em know that they can be pack. But never let them think they have a chance at being alpha, they should know their place.”
Vardel swilled from the flask and offered it to Zevran casually, who took it without removing his eyes from the other man. As soon as his hand touched the wooden flask Vardel swung his blade to his throat, eyes hard. Dorcan growled, aware of the shift in power, teeth visible in the gloom of the night.
“I understand,” Zevran replied quietly, feeling a trickle of blood down his neck. “I know my place.”
“Good,” Vardel spat back in his face. “Don't think because your ears are pointed, assassin, that we are the same. We're not.”
Zevran refused smiled, despite the blade at his neck. “Undoubtedly so, Warden. You are making your, ah, point loud and clear.”
Vardel withdrew his blade and slapped the elf on the back, all smiles and roguish demeanour once more. “Get some sleep, then. And I'll speak with you in the morning.”
Zevran touched his throat once to feel the blood. He knew the blade was coming, of course he did. But he also knew his options to deflect it were limited.
---------------------[/quote]
I liked a number of things about this piece. The Alistair and Morrigan teasing, naturally.
The way you included the ranger skills not as some odd game mechanic or mystic ability, but as natural tricks that work on animals (if a person only knows they exist - I’ve read about the pheasant/chicken one IRL). Finally, the subtext with the wolves and Zevran, which was very cleverly done.
[quote]wildannie wrote...
Okay, here's my entry - Zevran's Ranger Lesson.
Hopefully a clearer version can be seen here
wildannie.deviantart.com/art/Ranger-181642784 [/quote]
The idea of summoned animals joyously flinging themselves into bard-Zevran’s arms has me grinning like an idiot. XD I agree that it’s a good thing this one was a wolf!
[quote]maradeux wrote...
This seems to be the week of silly poems for me.
So - here is my entry: Zevran's thoughts about the specializations he would like to learn (or not). I needed about 50 minutes and it is a premier: the first poem I wrote directly in English (alright, there is one French/Italian/Spanish - its in all these languages the same - adjective included, but I hope it is common enough to understand
) - so it's not a translation this time.
__________________________
An Assassin's DomainThe Bard, when it comes to a fight
starts singing one bright song
It takes him strength, and in that light
I'd prefer staying strong
The Ranger needs a lot of time
to summon wolf or bear
They attack on a certain chime
the opponents to tear
As an Assassin I don't know
why I should learn such crap
Want my abilities to show
to kill my prey or to entrap
A Bard by enemies surrounded
stands still and screams, so everyone
gets numb and wickedly confounded
But how long can he carry on?
Once he is breathless, breaks the spell
all enemies are still alive
If they do know their weapons well
he will get jabbed like in a hive
The Ranger has some bleak prospects
in each interior and floor
For distant fights much too complex
The bear gets stuck in every door
Why should I learn such needless things?
I am the best of all the Crows
Our enemies, beware my wings
and better not come close
The only useful skill to earn
might be the Duelist
I'm glad I had the chance to learn
how to fasten my wrist
The sharpest blade of Llomerryn
has taught me hold and stand
This science appears quite elfin
goes nicely with my hand
So I decide for Duelist.
Just one thing does not let me sleep
Why can't I follow (that's so triste)
My Warden on to Vigil's Keep?
In Amaranthine I could gain
my very favourite spec
The Shadow would be my domain
I'd never give it back.
[/quote]
Haha, that’s very clever! The “Why should I learn such needless things?...” stanza was my favourite, I think.
Nice work getting all the DA:O rogue specs in there, and an Awakenings one!
[quote]Tellervo wrote...
Eh, I guess this is my entry.
(not so) Sweet Music.[/quote]
Aw…Zev’s a fail!bard. XD At first I thought he might be deliberately failing to tease Leliana, or even to make *Cadryn* jealous, but I liked this much better. Some people just can’t plan an instrument to save their lives, heh. And poor Lel was trying to hard to teach him (bad lute!). >.<
[quote]Corker wrote...
Shallow"I admit, I am surprised the bardic secrets are kept so closely."
Leiliana let her fingers dance out the song's closing cadence as she tilted her head at the assassin. That was bait, she was sure, but she approached it anyway. "Why do you say that, Zevran?"
"They seem... somewhat trifling, if you will pardon my saying so. Inspiration is all very well and good, but putting steel in flesh is what wins the day."
Leiliana looked down at her instrument and carefully began a new piece. "Ah, Zevran, perhaps you are ready to become a bard yourself. You have already pierced our first secret."
"Oh?"
"Indeed, the four Great Songs are only a cover. Very clever of you to deduce this."
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him lean back and cross his arms skeptically. "But those are the bardic skills you bring to our company, yes? Is there something you have kept from us?"
"Only to preserve harmony. But a little dissonance, by way of demonstration, will do no harm. Keep an eye out in Morrigan's direction, would you?"
"I... certainly. Why?"
"The effect will be most subtle with her. If you don't watch, you might miss it." So saying, she brought the prelude around to lead directly into the song.
It was an old Orlesian standard, very popular and well-known even in Ferelden. It was a love song, of course, perfectly balanced between sentiment and bitter regret, and the music was subtly manipulative rather than florid and grand.
She did not look up, but
projected out, both her voice and her presence. That would catch their attention; upon seeing her turned so inwardly, they too would be drawn in. She was careful not to acknowledge the soft footfalls and quiet murmurs that were gathering around her; the spell, such as it was, required that the song appear to consume her entire attention.
She let the last words fade softly and fingered a lingering postlude, looking up only when the last note was an echoing ghost in the night.
Wynne was seated nearby, tears in her eyes. "I loved that song as a girl," she sighed.
Kallian had also joined them by the fire, and the Warden looked at her wistfully. "That was really beautiful."
Morrigan, she saw, had been drawn a half-dozen paces away from her fire, but had already turned back. Leiliana smiled, pleased; the elven funeral song had been too
obvious to impress the witch, and she was glad she'd been able to find a more affecting piece this time.
"Thank you," she said graciously to the mage and Warden. "I'm glad you liked it. But I did not mean to disrupt the evening chores."
"You can disrupt them like that any time you want," Kallian said, brushing her fingertips over the bard's shoulders as she returned to her abandoned axe. Wynne nodded in agreement before rising to get back to the wash.
Zevran was looking at her closely. "So... what? You... can summon an audience? Good for making some coin, I suppose, but..."
Leiliana sighed and shook her head. "The lute, the song, the performance... it
gets the girls."
Zevran's gold eyes widened. "I...
see. Perhaps I spoke ill of the bardic arts too soon, then..."
[/quote]
*laugh* Great way to end that…and very clever of Leliana too, knowing how to sway Zev’s mind.
I also loved how you described her performance, as I think it can be hard to catch the essence of music and how if affects others with just the written word.
[quote]TanithAeyrs wrote...
57 minutes
So a tiny spoiler for my fic, but the prompt this week made me think about how the children’s early lessons would go. Antivan Evening Shadows crept and lengthened as the sun dipped below the trees, the musky scent of jasmine filled the humid air and in the twilight courtyard Zevran corrected Raelin’s stance again.
“No, set your feet thus.” He demonstrated, again. “Your balance is better and it’s easier to evade a thrust when you aren’t square to your opponent.” His tanned hands closed gently over his daughter’s small fists as she tried to bring her blunted rapier to a ready position. “Feel the way your weight moves, use footwork, not force, to carry your attack. Your advantage is lightness and speed, deft maneuvers and balance. If you try a contest of strength you will lose. Now, again!” He smiled and retreated a few steps, watching his daughter try to implement his words in her coltish, pre-adolescent body. It would be a few years yet, before she was able to use more than the most basic of the skills he taught, but every bit she mastered made her less vulnerable.
Raelin pressed an attack as he brought his dagger up to block her swings. Two steps, three, she lost her pattern, foiled by his unexpected parry. With a twist of his weapon he sent her rapier sailing in the air and caught it with his left hand.
“No fair, dad. I don’t know that one yet.” She paused her green eyes alight. “Will you show me?”
“All’s fair in war. Do you think an attacker will fail to press you if you flail about and tell him you don’t know his tricks?” His voice was soft, teasing; none of the harsh correction a Crow Master should give a pupil. Already he was handing her back the weapon and demonstrating the quick twist of his wrist Isabela had shown him so many years ago. Small hands followed his instructions, repeating the precise movement. He nodded in praise and dropped back to a ready stance.
They danced across the courtyard, his sallies designed to test her growing abilities and push her to greater speed. A subtle movement from the shadows alerted him a moment before a gout of flame flashed in the dim light. Eyes closed, he was already moving in the shadows before his eldest daughter could change positions.
“Very clever, light to destroy night vision, it might work on some opponents.” He set blunt edged dagger to his adopted daughter’s throat.
Mei, golden-haired and something a bit more than human, giggled.
He shifted and caught Raelin’s hand as she blurred out of the shadows to press her attack in his distraction.
He laughed. “Lesson over, working together like that, you two will be the death of me. Let’s see if we can sneak up on your mother.”
More giggles erupted behind him as he again sought the concealment of shadow. Rae was a wraith behind him, blending in the night as comfortably as he did. Mei was credibly silent for a mage, but to his attuned senses she might as well have been an armored knight.
They found Aithne, seated cross-legged on the park-like lawn surrounding the villa, with Leif, their young son, mirroring her stillness as she spoke quietly. “Reach out and feel the life around you, feel the essence of the rabbit and call her to you.”
“Want a wolf, not a rabbit. Rabbit’s don’t fight.”
“When you can call a rabbit, we can talk about a wolf. It’s the same talent, but you must master it before you call on a creature that may view you as dinner. Now think of the rabbit, nervous, hiding in her burrow. She can smell the Mabari; tell her not to be afraid. Insist she come, don’t simply ask. Summon her to you.” Aithne’s voice wove a trance around the slender child, only just old enough to start to learn her skills.
Zevran waved the girls to remain where they were, afraid of disrupting the lesson.
Some minutes later, a small rabbit emerged from a nearby burrow and hesitantly hopped over to the child. Even in the uncertain light of dusk, Zevran could see the look of pride and delight on his son’s face as the child lifted the furry body into his lap and stroked the twitching nose. He exchanged a smile with his Dalish lady, a mere flash of teeth as dusk sped toward evening.
“Time to go in. Let her go and you can call her another night.” Aithne gave her son an affectionate pat on the head as she rose.
Leif released the rabbit to hop off and stood to be swept into his fathers arms. “You’ll make a ranger yet, my lad.” Zevran found a ticklish spot and the child dissolved into peals of laughter as the family walked back to the villa, silent Mabari guarding their retreat.[/quote]
Adopted child, hm?
*suspicious* I liked this. I can definitely see Zevran passing his skills on to his children, and typical for a kid to want to someone something large and scary rather than a bunny. Nice to see him settled down and having a quiet(!) family moment.
---------------------
Non Entries…
[quote]Corker wrote...
So, in the interests of full disclosure...
I had too many ideas for this prompt.
Shallow is my entry, but I also wrote two other pieces just to see how they'd turn out. It turned out they both need about another 60-120 minutes of writing time, I think.
Bone Splinters has Zevran visiting ranger Vashti in the new Dalish homeland after the Blight;
The Symphony I See in Thee is a non-canonical follow-up on hardened!Leiliana's 'your Zevran' conversation.[/quote]
Bone Splinters non-entry – Sad to see how Vashti withdrew as much as she had, but it was touching to see she kept Zevran’s belt in a chest with expensive treasures.
Part 2 brought tears to my eyes…she sounded so lonely. Beautiful writing.
The Symphony I See in Thee non-entry – Hmm…I wonder if Zev will go along with it, considering one of the earlier thoughts that he didn’t want to share anymore. Maybe it will depend on Kallian…Loved the musical innuendo near the end, I must say! >
[quote]jenovan wrote...
I failed the time limit spectacularly, and I probably won't have time/brainpower to try again this week, so here's my non-entry:
To the Victor...[/quote]
Hah, this was fun, seeing them pit their skills against each other.
I was half expecting Zev to end up hanging upside-down in a cocoon when the spider got him…maybe I was fantasising about a Spiderman-esque kiss ending, but the way you had it finish was quite satisfyingly hot.
I’m glad you went over the time limit for that!
[quote]Hilde wrote...
This is a non entry for the weekly prompt: Rogue Specializations: Bard, Ranger, Duelist, Shadow, Legionnaire Scout
As it took nearly 70 minutes to complete and edit. The intro is a bit...descriptive, I was not certain what is forum safe so I posted it here to read.
Time Together[/quote]
rofl! Leliana passing off the Warden to Zevran, that was hilarious. XD Poor Zev, getting so comfortable only to think the camp was under attack…but I guess he got the real thing at the end, in a way.
---------------
Ok, it's been hard to choose but a decision must be made...
So this week's winner is...
soignee!
For some creative thinking on the Ranger specialization and skills, and weaving it into a clever analogy of Zevran's position in the party! Well constructed and executed.
I'll drop you a PM about the prize.
And well done to everyone who contributed! It was pretty tough to decide on a winner, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading/viewing everything.
Interesting new prompt. 
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