#zevrinnesen

Rated E

"Right," Rinna breathed. "The documents are in his study. It should be down the hall on the left."

"Let's take care of the guards first," Taliesen suggested, drawing both his longsword and his dagger.

"Agreed," Rinna nodded. "Best of four?"

Taliesen rolled his shoulders. "Best of four. Loser pays for drinks."

They swept into the hallway, two shadows of death stalking for their prey. They may have been outnumbered two to one, but the two of them were the most competent fighters of their trio. It was a race for the most kills.

Rinna found the first guard on the landing, though they met from the front. Rinna leapt at him just as the guard sent out a call to the others. Her thighs wrapped around his neck and she spun. There was a loud crack and he was dead before he hit the ground. She landed on her feet, the guard's head solidly thudding against the stairs.

His hands began to shake, though if it was apprehension or anger he couldn't quite tell.

"Please tell me you're lying," He said, somehow managing to keep his voice from cracking. "This has to be wrong. She wouldn't betray the Crows."

"I stole it from Eoman's desk." Taliesen replied, his voice low. He looked like he couldn't believe the missive either.

Zevran swallowed thickly and read over the note again. Finally, he shook his head. Even if he could intercept Rinna, get her side of the story or try to convince her she was making a huge mistake, it wouldn't matter. "So Eoman knows."

"It looks like it," Taliesen said with a single nod.

They stared at each other for a long moment, both of them hesitating to be the first to say what they knew was coming.

Taliesen opened his mouth, but Zevran still spoke first, desperately delaying the inevitable. "We should talk to Eoman first."

A small flame ignited in Taliesen's eyes. "Zev, you know what he's going to order." He said, his hands rising and gripping Zevran's shoulders. "Think, if we complete the task before he even asks, we could be one step closer to Master status."

Zevran couldn't breathe. Taliesen was right, he was always right, but something deep within Zevran still screamed against it.

But the thought of being that much closer to his goal was heady. He could almost taste it.

It left a bloody aftertaste in his mouth.

"You're right." Zevran finally agreed, quietly.

Taliesen nodded at him, taking the parchment back and folding it back into his armor. "She'll be returning from her contract in Salle in two days."

"She won't be suspecting a thing," Zevran said, a cruel curve to his lips. They grasped the other's forearm, sealing their verbal contract with a nod. "For the Crows."

"I told you, this is the best way in." Rinna said, for the dozenth time. Mostly because the three of them had a little spat about how to break in to the estate. She didn't sound upset now, just determined. "This is the only blind spot. You saw how paranoid Paolini is."

It was true. Zevran had seen the man's security rituals himself while they had been casing the estate last week. Still, he glanced at Taliesen, pale and pasty with terror as he tried his best not to look down. Zevran looked back to Rinna. "How much farther then?"

She took a few more sidesteps and craned her neck. "Not far!" She said, motioning the boys forward. "We can jump down just up here."

She took another step and then leapt, disappearing down the side of the cliff.

Even Zevran felt his stomach drop to his feet watching her vanish. 

After what seemed like forever, Zevran heard her grunt as she landed, barely audible above the noise of the tides. "See?" She called. "Easy!"

Zevran glanced back at Taliesen. "Did you hear that, T? Easy."

"Shut the fuck up and move." Taliesen hissed, hands shaking as he tried to cling to the flat surface behind him. "I want off."

"As you wish," Zevran said and then shuffled ahead. It really wasn't very far and Rinna stood down below, hands on her hips, looking vindicated. He shouldn't have doubted her, she hadn't yet lead them astray. Zevran tensed his legs and jumped.

The fall was a bit farther than was comfortable, but he landed on solid rock, a huff forcing its way out of his lungs. Rinna leaned down and helped him up. They turned back to the ledge to look for Taliesen. 

"Tali, you can do it!" Rinna called up to him. "Just six more steps!"

After a moment, they could see the top of his head and then his eyes. Zevran smiled at him and raised his arms. "T, just keep looking at us!"

Taliesen held their gazes and scuttled forward. He closed his eyes and let out a breath and then finally jumped.

They rushed forward and caught him, holding him tightly in their arms until he stopped shaking. 

"Easy, just like you said." Taliesen said, his arms around their shoulders. 

Taliesen sighed and draped a cloak over Zevran's shoulders before sitting down next to him, another cloak over his own body. They sat quietly together for a while, the only sound was the pouring rain.

"It'll be okay, you know," Taliesen finally said, voice barely more than a whisper. "So you can stop moping any time now."

Zevran blinked and looked down at his hands, starting to prune from being out in the rain so long. He didn't speak.

Taliesen huffed. "You've never been this broken up about anyone else before."

"She was our third, Tali," Zevran hissed, using her pet name for him in an attempt to melt his frozen heart. "She didn't have to die."

"She did for the Grandmaster to get his place as Talon," Taliesen retorted.

"Fuck the Grandmaster!" Zevran spat back. He leapt to his feet, pointing a hand in Taliesen's face. "You, yourself, always told me it would be the three of us leading a house. Together." He shook his head and looked down at Taliesen with disgust. "And you still slit her throat."

Taliesen glared back up at him. "I can tell Eoman you're questioning his order." He growled out.

Though he didn't let it show on his face, a thrill of panic seared its way down Zevran's spine. He snapped the cloak to his side and walked away. He couldn't help but feel like something between them had torn completely.

She wiggled her fingers and toes, finally realizing she was in a pile of bodies, still warm and pliant in sleep. She lifted her head to find Zevran's face, breathing softly as he slept on her chest. 

That would make it Taliesen beneath her then.

A wave of affection washed over her. She hated the thought of disturbing them, especially when they were sleeping so soundly, but she needed the chamber pot. Now.

Rinna shifted her body, finding more crusty spots around her body than just her eyes, shifting her hips off of Taliesen. Zevran's face scrunched toward the middle of his face and his eyes fluttered open. He groaned, head probably throbbing as much as hers, but one of his hands came up to cup one of her breasts.

"What's the hurry in getting up?" Zevran croaked, snuggling his head furthur against her other breast. "You make such a great pillow."

Rinna gave a small sigh and ran her fingers through his hair. "I appreciate that, but if you don't get off of me, we will all be sorry. And wet."

Zevran pushed out his bottom lip and gazed off to the side as if he were actually considering that possibility. Rinna laughed at him and gently pushed at his shoulder. "Go!"

He sighed dramatically and rolled off of her, flopping back down on top of Taliesen, making the other man groan. Rinna pushed herself up and put her feet on the floor, one hand going to her head as the room spun. Maker, was she still drunk?

She looked around again and froze. "Wait, this isn't my room." She turned to look at the boys. "This isn't my bed."

"Mmm, no, my dear," Zevran said, voice still rough. 

"We're still at the inn." Taliesen supplied, voice muffled from his face being smashed against the mattress. 

"Riiiight," Rinna said, last night's revelries swimming to the front of her mind. "Never doing this again."