What did you do today in DA? [Spoilers]

When they arrived in Redcliffe, and Alistair became all serious about something he'd been hiding. she was prepared for him to finally admit he was Arl Eamon's son...but King Marric's son? Eliana kept her shock close to the vest, however. The conversation was informative but less exciting after that bomb. Alistair wanted her to think of him no differently, just a man who was too lucky to die with the rest of the Grey Wardens. When she asked him what that made her, his response was...touching. "The reason I think we have a chance of setting things right.

Well. Wow. That was...touching.

They were led to the Chantry, where some man named Teagan was running their little war zone. Alistair was giving her puppy dog eyes as Bann Teagan gave his well worded and passionate request for help. Honestly, this seemed like a lost cause. There was now a horde of zombies in town and in the castle of the man they were seeking, who was very likely dead for all they knew.  But Alistair's words were still ringing in her ears. She was the "chance of setting this right." Could she be the woman Alistair thought she was? She was selfish, she was prone to piques of wanting to kill everyone... but was always talked out of it by her more morally white companions. Maybe she could be...maybe she couldn't be, but did she want to be? Or could she at least...try to be the heroine that Alistair thought her to be?
 It was settled then, wasn't it? Apparently, she'd risk a zombie horde to either keep his good opinion or her own true nature was showing. Which one it was, she did not know. Time for thinking on that was later. She agreed to help the lost Cause. Morrigan aired her thoughts, and Eliana agreed that it was a stupid idea...but the decision was made. After chatting with Murdock, a sort of war zone Captain, she set off to bribe, sweet talk, or strong arm every able bodied person into fighting on their side that night. Especially Lloyd the Tavern owner, that ass...  Anything to make sure this foolish choice to help would actually be successful.
While in the Tavern, she found an elf that Bella the waitress thought was creepy. So she investigated- Verwick was sent by Loghain to "watch"
the Castle. Interesting.

Lloyd died and a few militia men. No big loss on Lloyd's part, and they should all just be glad they'd made it out alive. They would have all died if she hadn't stayed, and with hardly any combat training, there was bound to be losses. Staying up all night preparing for a skirmish left them all exhausted so she put off Teagan and called it a day so they could all get rest. Bella put them up in a room upstairs. So nice to be in real bed again.

---

When she awoke, Alistair approached her and talked about his half sister. Eliana was a bit jealous... Not of having a half sister, but that Alistair was so focused on blood connections when there was true friendship between them. Naybe she just missed Jowan, that silly man boy. She changed the subject, and asked what was it like to be with many Wardens? They were his "family" and Alistair had many fun stories. But it reminded him of Duncan again. A lot of people have died and more will, he was just going to have to accept that. Alistair just wished he had a momento to go along with his grief and nostalgia.
Didn't we all? Eliana wondered to her self.  To distract him, she asked why the big secret about his birth? He wanted her to see him as a normal guy, no frills. Like him for who he is and not his blood. Seemed understand able. Apology accepted. Then Alistair changed the subject, wanting to ask about all of their companions.

Zevrans vow. After teasing and being shocked that Alistair might be jealous... she said she was on the fence. She didn't think he'd try again, but that was just a hunch...or maybe a hope.

She thought Leliana was a nut. That Morrigan was useful. He seemed amused by that. That Sten was dedicated. He didn't ask about Wynne, but maybe he was fond of the unassuming old woman and didn't question her presence. Funny that; Eliana liked Wynne the least.

Eliana went over and taked to Zevran. About his training and whether he could train others. His rebellious nature was cute. He told her a story of a mage he'd nearly been tricked by. Even as he spun a tale of accidental death, she couldn't help but smile as she listened the the heavily accented words. Antivan politics sounded a tad bit more exciting and exotic than the Fereldan politics she was just starting to sift through. Then the next story...he held back. She didn't press. What had caused him to frown so, she wondered.  She chided herself. She wasn't leaving him alone, was she? 

---

They went through a tunnel under the lake leading to the deepest floors of Redliffe Castle. They seemed to be in some sort of small prison. It was rancid, and full of the dead. So, to say that she was shocked to find Jowan there was an understatement. They caught up with each other on the events that had transpired since they'd last seen each other and what she heard was not good. Her little "brother" had gotten tricked and mixed up in some shady dealings, that was for sure. He wanted to help but... his luck didn't have a good track record. So, she encouraged him to leave and if she never saw him again, it wasn't because she didn't love him. It was only because she wanted him to have a happy unexciting life somewhere. And unexciting wasn't in her future, so he must stay away from her. All the best though.

Then they got to the first floor and Teagan was literally being the fool for a possessed child. Alistair desperately did not want the family that had raised him to be lost to demons but Eliana didn't know much of what to do about that, because that seemed a likely outcome. But then someone mentioned the Circle being a resource they could tap. Sigh. They did owe her since she hadn't gone and killed them all, but she'd really never wanted to return to that place. Still, Alistair seemed so distraught... So, she agreed to take the chance that the child wouldn't go full abomination and kill everyone in the castle, and marched a hard day to and back from the tower. Seriously. All this magic, and trained crows, and neither could help or were available for this?

Back to the Castle with the Circle and a wagon full of lyrium. And off into the Fade she went. This would be her, what, third trip to the Fade? It'd lost it's luster, that was for sure. After a few demon encounters, she found the demon she was looking for. It wanted to offer her things. Perhaps it was Alistair's influence. Perhaps it was because she was the strongest, magically, she'd ever been. But she was confident. That confidence led her to intimidate the demon into leaving...after she'd paid her price. Now Eliana could hear the whispers of blood magic knowledge in the back of her brain. She would know all magic, even if she never used it. She would succeed, and damn any who had morals that said the price for her success was too much.

None the less, as "bad" as she might be, Connor was saved and Alistair was smiling. And that's what she'd wanted, wasn't it. The success didn't warrant a party yet, however. For Arl Eamon remained ill, and now Teagan and Isolde pushed her to find the Urn of Sacred Ashes. Really? Really?! That was absurd. Sigh. Fine. She would "look". But by the time she came back to tell them they'd sent her on a wild good chase, the Arl would be dead. And they'd owe her for trying. She was tired. And she needed rest. So did the rest of them, after that March to and from the Circle.

---

After a nap, she awoke to see the sun dying in the sky. She pondered a while. Zevran was on her mind once again. She bit her lip. Maybe... She stood up and then she went to Alistair to ask about whether he was experienced in that...realm...Surely they were good enough friends to ask...but when he joked instead of taking her seriously, she just told him to forget the question. Perhaps she'd ask Lel for advice... but lost her nerve and discussed Leliana's past a bit instead. Well, listened to the woman's confession was more like it. Leliana was a Bard, a spy. Eliana wasn't shocked, just took the information in stride. She'd never exactly labeled the woman and her past. Leliana missed Val Royeax. It sounded pretty but the Orlesian culture sounded far too stuffy for Eliana. Zoned out about shoes. Then Leliana shared a story about Flemyth. The similarities when held up against Morrigan's version of the tale were eerie. Sten and Eliana debated magic again. She was kind of enjoying these arguments, surprisingly, even to herself.
 Feeling bold, she asked Morrigan about the shape changing training and was refused. Sigh. Morrigan was still being stubborn despite all the little gifts Eliana had thrown her way. Maybe it was time to give her the Grimoire... Eliana had gotten from the book what she'd wanted over the last month, so she handed it over to Morrigan, acting as if she'd just found it. But then Morrigan still wouldn't teach her.  What a hard nut to crack.


Tracing her lower lip with one finger, thinking about the problem of Morrigan, Wynne approached her.  Wynne must have overheard Zevran asking her to his tent the last time they'd camped. Eliana'd been so nervous she'd turned Zevran down. Eliana had needed time to think. Such a nosy busy body, Wynne had heard it all.  Wynne seemed to disapprove of their laughing and her giggling and flirts. But Zevran was special, and she had fun with him; she would not say otherwise. And she could handle her responsibilities and her relationships just fine, thank you! What did Wynne know of... of love? Wynne had never left the Circle either! Wynne grumbled.


Elaine took a walk around the perimeter of camp, thinking. She'd called it love, hadn't she? She was lost in that, no matter if it was delusion. She had her answer, didn't she?
 She walked back to Zevran. So focused on her goal, she had to reel herself back when he suddenly brought up poetry. And a target he'd made love to and killed. Sarcasm. A saint amongst men, he was. He missed the sarcasm and asked her to cheer up, calling her lovely. Although the flames had been put out with the awkward poetry and death story, she still smiled under the compliment. She'd keep his advice to steal happy moments in mind. She asked him if he felt close enough to her to tell her about his last mission and he said it was time.
An elven woman he'd worked with, Rinna. Tough,smooth, wicked with eyes that gleaned like justice. A mix up; betrayal. He had wanted to die for killing Rinna, which is why he'd taken the job to try to kill a Grey Warden. But he no longer wanted to die. He wanted to begin anew. And Zevran had found what he wanted; he'd owe Eliana for that. She was glad to have him with her, as conflicted about him as she was. She both hated and loved how she felt. Just one more question, however... She had a clue, several in fact, but wanted to know more about his...sexual experience. He asked if she were sure she wanted to discuss it. But she was determined. First, he was bisexual. She felt nothing about that. Then he got kind of defensive about how many people he'd been with, but she was hardly surprised. That was why she was asking. She wasn't bothered. Still, he was excited to be looking forward to his future and not backward. Her heart fluttering she asked him about..maybe... going to her tent?... And when he asked her what they would do she blushed, turning completely red. Lips pursed, she said they'd figure it out.


He was a gentle and experienced lover and she took many cues from him on what to do. Goodness, is this what all her fellow Circle mages were sneaking off to do? She suppose she didn't mind missing out then- if it meant she did this act with someone she was...in love with now. Afterwards, he joked about how it had been inevitable from the first moment they'd met that they would lie together. And she laughed. He was a public menace. He laughed and I smiled. And then he asked, what now? Her smile dimmed. Uh.. That tone made her unsure. She guessed she had the same question. He would ask nothing more of her than she was willing to give. Her heart sank. Easy come easy go then, was it?
Zevran just kind of smiled and shrugged. Eliana... kept her face calm, and turned away from him, going back to her tent alone.

---

She was too listless and depressed about that whole experience to be the driven person she usually was. So different to have a task, finding the Urn of Sacred Ashes and ignore it. Serious, quiet, she just moved them about doing errands for the Mages Collective and the Blackstone Irregulars. Killed small bands of Darkspawn. Days later, she found herself talking to Wynne, of all people, and extensively at that. Rather than annoying, Wynne just seemed to be soothing.
 Wynne told her her troubles, her struggles, her regrets of her youth. They shared the wine this time.

Morrigan had approached her about the Grimoire she'd given her days before and demanded she help kill Flemyth. Eliana had refused. To do so for an ally, but not a friend, while risking the Wardens when she and Alistair should be working against the Blight was irresponsible. Morrigan had threatened to leave, and after some quick thinking, Eliana agreed as to mollify her. Still....Feeling uncomfortable with Morrigan now that the hedge mage had wrangled her into trying to kell Flemyth... And feeling more at peace, rather than at war with Wynne.. She asked Wynne to come along for a while, rather than just keep an eye on camp like she'd been doing. It was time to go to Denerim and find Brother Genetive. She'd put it off too long with her moodiness. They stopped by the Dalish camp to re supply on elf root and on the way... WOW. Spirit Power, Wynne. Apparently, there were different kinds of abominations in the world. But she'd been traveling with the woman for a month, and nothing bad had happened, so she accepted it and moved on. While at the Dalish Camp, Wynne approached an elf to discuss something while Eliana was shopping. Apparenly, Wynne's former apprentice might be alive. Since they were in the area already, Eliana saw no harm in seeking him out. When they found him... he was different than what she'd expected. Oddly enough, he suggested that maybe Eliana was the "apprentice" she'd always wanted. Anerin said perhaps I could shape the new Circle? But...no, she'd closed the chapter on that life. Still, to think more and more than she would have a new life, soon, cheered her.

After a small skirmish with Darkspawn, Wynne approached. Wynne had thought more about what Anerin had said than she had Asked Eliana her thoughts on the matter of Circle Reform. That she didn't immediately say, "maker, absolutely not" showed that she had changed. But ...She may not even survive the Blight. Wynne's following speech about how the freedom within the Grey Wardens allowed her many opportunties to improve things was enthusiastic; it was hard not to get caught up in it. Could she better the Mage Towers of Fereldan? Make them not such a miserable place, maybe even push the Templars back into line if she organized the mages... it was a Life. She wouldn't say for sure, but maybe if the Hedge Mage gig didn't work out.
...
It would be a dream Wynne took to her grave. But it didn't have to be a dream for Eliana. Goodness. Eliana had a lot to mull over. Joining the Grey Wardens had certainly been more than she'd thought it would be. 

---

Denerim.

They were recognized, yet people didn't seem to care. The fear of the Blight must be greater than their interest in pleasing Loghain. Even the Guard Captain had no interest in apprehending her. Even more so, he could use a hand bashing in some heads. All of the factions she'd been working for had a man there, in Denerim. There was a bustling market, and she found a Smith to work with the drake scales she'd been collecting; and spending an extra ten gold, it made it pretty obvious she should be doing more errands and less shopping


Blast. Genetivi was not here. But as she questioned his assistant, he got more and more nervous, and eventually started messing his own story up. When she called him out on it, he attacked. Foolish. 2 fully armed mages, a warrior, and en elven rogue? He never had a chance.


A message from the crows. Concern. Fear for Zevran was her immediate reaction. But wouod it nit be better to face head on? She told them all. And headed that way. It was a tense discussion where a Master Crow asked her to help "take care of" some people. She assured herself She would be choosy. But she would do it for Zevran; to keep the Crows off any future of his. Even if his future didn't have her in it.... On their way out of the city center, Alistair recognized where his half sister lived. To be honest, his request had totally slipped her mind. So. they knocked. What proceeded was a nasty bit of business. Goldanna was nothing like her Fade counterpart; she was a gold digging cow and they left.

Alistair needed a pep talk when they got outside, but Eliana didn't have it in her. The truth was, most people would and did look out for themselves first. As they worked through some of the faction errands in Denerim, Alistair got more and more quiet. Later that evening, as they all seperated to go to their own inn rooms, Alistair approached her and thanked her for her advice. He'd be a little more selfish in the future. Eliana smiled. It was about time. He was too innocent for his own good and being coddled hurt more than helped.

Ah. A real bed. This was even nicer than the Redcliffe Inn.