Reunion
More Zev and Venna. Enjoy.
***
Venna stared out the window of her quarters in the keep sighing quietly to herself. It was done. The Mother was defeated, the Architect dealt with. All things considered, she should be happy now that she could finally relax, hopefully for good this time. Instead, she was restless.
She reread the letter in her hands for what must have been the hundredth time. Her eyes scanned the words she now nearly knew by heart, the page lit only by the candle beside her.
Dearest Venna,
I know it has been long since I last wrote you. I apologize for that. It seems you have had quite the adventure in my absence, you must tell me all about it when I return. Speaking of returning, I have nearly finished my job here with the Crows. Soon we should have nothing to worry about, and I will be with you once again. In two months I shall return to your side, amor. I miss you dearly. Well, you and your talented hands. Alas, I must wait until I return for those, no? Until then you remain in my dreams as always, especially the naughty ones. I will see you soon.
~Z
“Oh Zev,” Venna whispered into the dark, silent tears running slowly down her face. “Where are you?” Zevran still hadn’t returned, and she had stopped receiving letters weeks ago. Worry ate at her gut and she couldn’t help but fear the worst. Zevran was strong. She knew that better than almost anyone, but against a force like the Crows…
She shook her head free of the offending thoughts. No, she had to believe in him. He promised her he would return and Zevran is nothing if not a man of his word. Turning from her window she moved to her desk, folding the letter and placing it in a drawer.
Being the warden commander had its downsides. The ungodly amount of paperwork was one of them. She decided the best thing she could do was try and take her mind off of things for a while, even if her choice in distraction was incredibly boring.
Hours later she groaned as she lifted her head from the desk realizing that, not for the first time, she had fallen asleep there. Venna rose, stretching her limbs that were sore from the unorthodox sleeping place, and made her way over to the bed. Exhausted as she was it took barely any time at all for her to fall back asleep.
The sun had barely risen over the horizon when she awoke again, this time to a knocking at her door. “Heh, uh, sorry to bother you warden, but we’re recivin’ more complaints about stragglin’ darkspawn.” Oghren’s familiar voice said through the door. Venna groaned out a response before forcing herself to move.
She rose, got dressed in her armor for what she knew would be a day trip to fight the last of the stragglers, and pulled her hair into its signature ponytail. She then headed down to the main hall to meet with her companions for a quick meal.
“Please tell me it’s just one group of stragglers.” She muttered taking her place beside Anders and across from Oghren.
“That’s all we know of.” Anders told her and Venna let out a noticeable sigh of relief. Anders furrowed his brow. “Is something troubling you commander?”
Venna shook her head. “Nothing you need concern yourself with. I’ve just got a personal matter on my mind.”
“Haven’t heard from lover boy lately have ya?” Oghren asked suddenly, earning a look from Venna. “What? I traveled with you for almost a year and there ain’t much that gets you outta focus warden.”
“It’s nothing to concern yourself with Oghren.” Venna said even as her voice cracked slightly.
“Hey now, the elf don’t die that easily. What’s it been? Two weeks since ya heard word?” He guessed and Venna’s eyes shot to his.
“Try four months.” She hissed out before standing, her voice cracking on the last word. “He said he would be home in two." Her expression faltered and she turned away from them. "I’m not hungry. Nathaniel, Oghren, and Velanna meet me in the courtyard when you’re ready. The rest of you standby in case we need help.”
“I didn’t know the commander was even in a relationship.” Nathaniel said once Venna had left the room. “Not that it’s my business, but now that I think of it that would explain why she seemed so…closed off.”
“Heh, you should have been with us durin’ the blight. It was impossible not to know. Those two don’t know how to keep it down.” Was the response Oghren gave. “I wouldn’t worry too much though. Like I said, the elf doesn’t die that easy. He has to have some reason for not writin’ her. He'll be home in her bed in no time, heh-heh.” After that, the rest of the meal passed by with some idle chat, but they tried to keep off the subject of their troubled commander.
When they hit the field Venna was venting all of her internal frustration into her enemy, which in theory isn’t a bad thing. However, when she started to overkill her targets Nathaniel couldn’t help but point it out. “Commander, not that I’m trying to tell you how to do your job, but I think it’s dead.” He told her as she continued to thrust her daggers into a Hurlock’s corpse.
She stopped and looked at her party, embarrassed. “Right, sorry.” She muttered. “I think that was the last of them. We can head back to the keep.”
Upon their return, Venna approached the courier hoping for news. Her companions watched her walk away with her ears drooped in sorrow. They didn’t see her again until dinner where she was unusually quiet and hardly ate at all.
Venna waited anxiously over the next two weeks for any sign Zevran’s return.
What if something happened? What if the Crows found him? I never should have let him go alone.
These thoughts haunted her as she once again sat at the dinner table, this time nursing a tankard of ale, lightweight be damned. She never was sure why the Warden metabolism hadn't seemed to affect her, but she found herself grateful for it as of late. She was most of the way through her cup and about to reach for the bottle when she was interrupted by a member of the guard.
“I'm sorry to disturb you, commander, but there is a blond elf outside who claims to know you.”
Venna was out of her seat and heading for the door almost before the guard was finished speaking, running from the hall like the Archdemon himself had risen from the dead. Her companions all looked at each other puzzled and couldn’t help but follow.
Venna ran through the halls, dodging soldiers, and out the keep doors. Once outside the keep, just as she had suspected, Venna immediately caught sight of Zevran dressed in what could only be fancy Antivan garb. “Zev!” She cried out in relief and excitement.
He turned to look at her just as she shot down the stairs two at a time, jumping into his arms and nearly knocking them both to the ground. Zevran laughed, spinning her around before putting her down and kissing her. Venna held him close, returning the kiss with more passion and never wanting to let him go again. “I missed you, amor.” Zev told her once they broke apart.
“Where were you? You are three months late and when I didn’t hear from you I feared…” Her voice trailed off before it broke but Zevran understood.
“Apologies, amor.” He whispered holding her closer. “I had an unexpected run-in with some of the Crows. They needed to think me dead, and so I faked my death. That, unfortunately, meant that I was unable to send you word. I needed to lay low for a time.” He stroked her hair. “I am sorry I worried you, though the Crows will likely leave us be for now. At least until they realize I still breathe.”
Venna shook her head. “I'm just glad you are safe.” She muttered into his chest, arms tightening around him.
The two finally pulled back from one another, Zevran only then noticing the group of her companions staring from the top of the stairs.
He laughed softly. “It would seem we have an audience.” He told her and she turned around to face her followers.
“Elf!” A voice suddenly came forward and Oghren pushed his way through the crowd. “You had us worried there for a while.”
“Ah, Oghren my friend. How I missed your drunken ramblings.” Zevran said in a way that was just, well, Zevran. Venna found it odd how something so simple could make her chest tighten.
“Come on, let’s find a place without so many prying eyes.” Venna said taking his hand and leading him up into the keep. She gave her companions a look that said “do not disturb unless the keep is being attacked by four high dragons and an archdemon” and led him up to her room.
They didn’t miss Oghren’s shout of “Keep it down!” though making both of them laugh.
As Zevran pressed Venna against her closed chamber door, his lips finding hers again, she remembered what it truly felt like to feel at home. Her home was in the arms of her lover, and she had no intention of leaving them again.
