Mario woke up to someone grabbing his shoulder. "We found him, boss." He opened his eyes and stared into Ricky's face. He tried to push the kid's hand away, but he couldn't move it. Fuck, since when was Ricky this strong? His fingers were almost clawing a hole into Mario's shoulder.

"Good," said a hoarse voice, as Jasper's purple face came into view. He still had that shocked expression, eyes bloodshot and bulging, his lips blue. "He has an important mission tonight, don't you, my lad? Ser Piers and his friends were asking about you, said you did a good job the last time."

And there they were, all three of them, with their greasy faces and sweaty hands. Ricky was still holding him; he couldn't get free no matter how he thrashed. He was helpless in their hands again as they ripped the shirt off his body and pulled down his trousers...

Ricky shook him. "Mario, wake up. You are safe, it is just a dream," he said in a deep voice with a funny accent. That made no fucking sense! Cursing, he finally pushed the hand away and sat up. Covered in cold sweat, his heart thumping as if it wanted to jump out of his chest, he looked around. Where did Jasper disappear to? Are those three still here somewhere? He needed to get out, he had to run away - but what if they were outside?

"Hey," a gentle voice said. "It was just a dream. You are safe now."

The moon was out, but not much light filtered into their makeshift shelter. Mario turned towards the voice and blinked. Of course - it wasn't Ricky, it was Korlys. The runaway Crow. They were in the forest, Jasper was dead and the Templars far away. He took a deep breath.

"Just a dream," he whispered, relieved. "Didn't mean to wake you up," he apologized. "Sorry."

"Va bene. It will be a few more hours before the sun comes up. Do you think you can go back to sleep, or do you want to stay up?"

"No, I'll stay up," Mario said, trying to keep a whimper from his voice. He didn't want to see Jasper's dead face again. Or Templars. He peeked outside. The moon was out, and the air was fresh and full of pleasant scents. "I think I'll go out for a moment." He scrambled out and stretched his back, taking a deep breath.

Now that he was awake, Korlys doubted he would get back to sleep again. "Sure." Korlys watched as the other elf left. He did not want Mario to think he was following him, but he had to piss, and his whole body was cramped from sitting in such a confining space. At some point during the night, their shelter had started leaking. Most of the leaks were small, but it was enough to make him very damp. The cool of the night air made his skin feel clammy, and the rough bark digging into his back was extremely uncomfortable.

Korlys left the shelter to relieve himself, listening to the sounds of the forest as he went. Now that the rain had finally stopped, all sorts of animals and Maker knew what else had started making noise, some of them indistinguishable from the sound of footsteps. It made him edgy, and he hurried back when he was done.

Mario shot a suspicious glance at Korlys over his shoulder, but the other elf went in the opposite direction. Korlys was a fucking confusing man, he thought. Jumpy, and took everything personally - fuck, he even said so. Usually, people at least pretended they had a sense of humor. But, sometimes he was kind. Like last night, when he had lent him the soap and clothes. Or now, when he woke him up from a nightmare.

And there was the fact that he was a slave… Runaway slave, hunted by a freak with more pride than common sense, just to be tortured. And with no experience with living on the streets... Mario would bet the assassin couldn't even steal. Without help, Korlys had no chance to escape slavers.

He returned to the shelter and leaned against the tree. This would need a lot of thinking. Well, at least he had something to keep him awake until morning…

oOo

Korlys spent the rest of the night listening to the sounds around him, sure he heard footsteps at least a dozen times. His hand had never left the hilt of his dagger, and he was glad when he noticed the dark finally lifting. After a quick meal, they kicked apart their makeshift shelter, scattering the branches to remove the traces of their campsite. Korlys refilled his waterskin, and they headed out.

They walked in silence. Mario knew what he needed to do. If he didn't want to end up with his throat slit, anyway. But it still didn't make it any easier. He tried to remember the last time he'd voluntarily done something like this, but nothing came to mind.

"Hey. Korlys," he started, with an anxious cough. "I'm sorry. I'm usually not such an asshole. Or at least not such a big one. I just… speak my mind. It may sound bad, but I don't mean it personally, you know, to offend people. Well, usually." He chuckled, then got serious again. "It has gotten me into some deep shit before," he admitted. "People don't like hearing the truth. They want niceties, they want stupid flattery. I don't do that. I don't want to do that. So they try to teach me respect. Show me my place, and all that shit." He swallowed, forcing himself not to think of the Templars again. "Can you handle that?" If not, I need to lose him somehow.

Korlys turned and looked at the other elf. "That is not... I did not mean it as 'showing you your place'. In the Crows, if you let people disrespect you, if you do not teach them that they cannot intimidate you, you will not survive." He knew it would be hard for Mario to understand the life-or-death situations he had grown up in, and how they had made him who he was. "Look, I was not meant to be anything more than a killer... It makes me a little hard to get along with, too." Korlys chuckled at that understatement. "Can you handle that?"

Mario arched his brow. "Well… I guess that's also true. You are little hard to get along with." He chuckled. "But, I don't give a fuck what you were meant to do. What matters to me is that you ain't a freak who enjoyed it. You had enough sense and balls to quit. So yeah. I can handle that." Mario reached out his hand to Korlys. "Shake on it?"

Korlys grinned and shook Mario's hand. The kid was crazy, but he liked that. And he'd have to be crazy to hang around with Korlys, anyway.

"Va bene. Come. We need to keep moving." He readjusted his pack and started making his way through the forest again.

oOo

The assassin's stomach rumbled for what seemed the hundredth time. They had stopped for a meager meal in the early afternoon, but even so, he was worried about their food supply. There must be something out here we can eat. But what? We do not have anything to fish with, no traps, not even a bow to hunt with... What else could they eat? What did the animals around here eat?

"Mario, we should look for nuts or berries or something while we walk, yes? Our food supplies are already running a little low. If we could find something else to eat, we could make it last longer."

"We could collect acorns," Mario suggested. "We'd have to soak them for a few days before they're good to eat, but at least we'd have something." He had said he was used to being hungry, but not to being hungry and walking hours and hours through the forest. Besides, it had been some time since he was this hungry - there was always a bakery stall at the market where he could snatch a meat pie or two.

"Good idea. And maybe we can find some edible berries along the way, too. I know some are poisonous - Crows use them to make poisons - but some of them are good. If we find any blueberries or blackberries, we can gather them as we go."

Mario shot a brief admiring glance at Korlys. Maybe he wasn't so helpless after all. "Okay. I know nothing about blueberries, you'll have to point them out."

It didn't take them long to find acorns - they were abundant underneath any oak tree. Finding berries Korlys would pronounce safe was more difficult. The assassin insisted on testing them first to see if they were safe by crushing one of the berries and applying it to his lips only. They had to pass on several that looked edible after they caused Korlys' lips to go numb or burn. He gathered some of the more poisonous ones and carefully wrapped them in a towel and put them in his pack, though. It never hurt to have new ingredients to experiment with.

Finally, they found some berries that resembled blueberries but grew on trees that looked a lot like pines. After fifteen minutes, Korlys' lips still hadn't reacted, and he cautiously took two of the berries and ate them slowly. He turned to Mario after another fifteen minutes or so. "I think these are good. They are not as sweet as blueberries, but I am not getting sick. We should be careful to not eat too much at first, though, just in case. We should eat a few, then gather some as we go."

With an eager nod, Mario picked a handful of berries and ate them all at once.

"Whoa - Mario, I said a few. Some berries are safe only if you do not eat too much. We should eat a little, wait an hour, and if we are fine, eat a little more."

"You mean even fewer than this? I'm not a bird, you know," he muttered but obediently stopped. Instead, he grabbed the basket and started to fill it; if he was to survive on something that tiny, there had better be heaps of it.

oOo

Their pockets were bulging with acorns when they finally stopped for the evening. The basket was almost full of berries - a feat, considering both of them had ended up eating more than they had gathered. But they were both so hungry it was hard to slow down, once Korlys had decided that the berries were safe.

They sat near the stream and emptied their pockets, gathering all the acorns into a pile to start shelling them. Both of the elves were in considerably better spirits now, and they wore small smiles as they relaxed.

"You know," Mario said, as he grabbed a few acorns and started shelling, "I'd never think bird food like those berries could make me full," he said, nodding toward the basket.

Korlys watched Mario carefully as he started shelling, then picked up a couple of acorns and mimicked his technique of squeezing two or three of them together to crack the shells. ". I am surprised. We did eat a lot, but not so much that I am stuffed. Yet, I am not hungry anymore. With the berries and the acorns, we should be able to make the food we have last a lot longer. You know-" Korlys stopped as Mario suddenly sat bolt upright, his eyes wide. The look of surprise was quickly followed by dismay as the thief squeezed his eyes shut tightly and clasped his belly with both hands. "Mario? Are you-" Korlys was cut short again as Mario jumped up and bolted for the nearest bushes. The assassin started to get up, but stopped as all the muscles in his lower belly cramped, causing him to double over in pain.

oOo

The stars were already paling by the time it stopped. Exhausted and shaken, Mario lay curled at the river bank. His lips were chapped, but he dared not drink, lest the cramps start again. He turned his face to Korlys, who lay next to him in the same miserable shape.

"I think I'll go on a diet today," he muttered.

Korlys laughed shakily. The cold sweats were finally abating, but he still felt chilled from the dew that had covered both of them. He was so thirsty. As much as he had tried to stay hydrated, and had encouraged Mario to do so as well, they had both been too weak to drink enough water.

", one that contains no berries... but we must get up and eat a little and drink water to gain our strength back." As much as he didn't want to, he forced himself to sit up and pull his pack closer. He pulled out some of the bread and tore it in half, handing a piece to his companion. "Here, we should be able to handle a small piece of bread, at least."

Eating was the last thing Mario wanted to do right now, but Korlys was right. He sat up and reluctantly took the bread. "You think we can sleep now? Or will those fucking Crows of yours swoop down on us if we stay here for a few more hours?"

"I think we must stay for a few hours. We will not get far today anyway, but right now we are too weak to leave." Korlys grabbed his waterskin, still half full, and forced himself to drink, then handed it to Mario.

"Good." The thief took a few sips and nibbled on the bread. All he wanted was to lie down and sleep, but not while he was stinking of shit. He got up and walked a bit further from Korlys to strip. Muttering curses under his breath, he was heading to the water when he noticed the basket. Still laying on the bank. Heaped with those fucking killer berries. Mario's nostrils flared. Without stopping to think, he swung at the basket, kicking it hard.

"Fucking berries!"

The basket spiraled through the air into the river, the blue berries raining everywhere.

Korlys had just opened his mouth to ask Mario about the cat tattooed on his shoulder. He promptly closed it. Cazzo. This is all my fault. We should have stuck to acorns. Although... he eyed the nuts, still in a little pile, distrustfully. Maybe it would be best to stick with real food from now on.

"Mi dispiace, Mario."

"Nah, not your fault - you did what you could," the thief muttered as he continued towards the water, slightly embarrassed for the outburst. But I sure as fuck won't eat any berries you say are okay. "Just... let's never talk about this again."

"Agreed!"

The assassin lay back down and rested one forearm over his eyes, surprised and relieved that Mario wasn't blaming him; it was his idea, after all. A Crow would have been much harsher.

His thoughts turned back to yesterday when Mario had apologized to him. How could Mario trust him, just because he had said he did not want to be an assassin anymore? In spite of the fact that he had threatened to kill him. The thief had even shaken his hand. How could it not bother him that I am a killer? A normal person would have cut and run when they saw a chance; it is what he expected Mario would do. Instead, he had given him a second chance. Korlys shook his head, a tiny motion that he did not even realize he'd made. He could not understand it. There must be a logical explanation.

He heard Mario getting out of the water and dressing. A moment later, the thief came to return the soap. Korlys forced himself to his feet. Those thoughts would have to wait; he needed to clean himself before the little energy the food had given him drained away.

oOo

They kept their promise and never talked about the berries - but they never tried to pick any others either. At least they still had the acorns; once they overcame their suspicion, the acorns turned out to be quite tasty. It wasn't much, but it was better than nothing.

Their mood was definitely better as well. Whether it was because he felt guilty for the berries or for some other reason, Korlys had been much more bearable in the last three days. He had an annoying habit of exaggerating when talking about the Crows and Antiva; one would think they had no match in the world. And he was still jumpy sometimes, though nowhere near as much as during those first two days. He didn't make any death threats; he just became sulky and quiet. Annoying, but not dangerous. Once you got used to that, he was okay. In fact, when he wasn't sulking, he could be friendly and quite fun to talk with.

Mario cast a nervous glance at the man beside him. If he was sticking around with Korlys, he might as well use the time to teach Korlys a few skills. He already had a plan, but it worried him a bit. What if the proud assassin misunderstood and got mad again?

"So, you said you wanna leave Ferelden. And then what?" he asked nonchalantly. "If the Crows hunt you all the time, you'll hardly have a chance to settle down and find a job. And traveling costs money, if you want to use ships. You sure you have enough money for that?"

"I had a plan, but, because of the shipwreck, I could not leave Denerim when I wanted; I was not there long before those Crows spotted me, either." Korlys had known staying in Denerim was risky. Nico and Ignacio had known each other since they were apprentices and had cooperated on a few high-profile missions before Ignacio had moved to Ferelden. Korlys had met Ignacio several times, and there were some Crows in his cell who could recognize him if they saw him. But he needed money. A lot of it. And Denerim was a bustling port city, where jobs were plentiful for skilled fighters who didn't ask questions. "So, no, I do not have all the money I need. Yet. But, I plan to take mercenary work. I will not be able to linger in one place long enough to learn a trade; I have to keep moving if I want to stay one step ahead of the hunters."

Mario quirked his brow at the assassin. "You think you can find a job in the nearest village, then?" he asked innocently. "Since you don't have any money now."

"I do not know," Korlys huffed in irritation. "And I do have some money."

"You sure? Maybe you should check," Mario teased him with a wide grin.

"What?" He stopped and checked for his coin purse, glaring at the other elf when he couldn't find it.

"Here." The thief pulled Korlys' purse from his pocket and tossed it back. "Don't worry, nothing's missing. But, if you were in a city, you'd be without a single copper. Possibly without those fancy daggers, too." He shook his head. "You won't survive for two days like this."

Korlys put his coin purse away, annoyed. "If I had been in a city, I would have been on the lookout for pickpockets... and nobody could get my daggers from me. I survived the Crows; I can survive better than you think." Who does this guy think he is talking to, anyway?

"Wanna bet?" Mario offered. "You're on to me now, right? I'll bet you all the money I have that I can take those daggers off you before lunch and you won't notice. Look, I'm not trying to offend you here. But life in the streets is not like with the Crows. There are different rules, and if you don't know them, you're in trouble. You can learn the hard way if you want - or you can let me help you. Your choice."

"I will take that bet. How about you lead the way from now on, yes?" He moved aside to let Mario pass. "And by the way, even if you could take the two daggers you see, you could not take all of them. You might want to keep that in mind."

Mario's smile disappeared at Korlys' words. "Do you always threaten those who want to help you?" he asked. "They'd be useless to me anyway. You know I'm no fighter. Eh, whatever. You don't want help, fine with me. When the first roof rat robs you blind, don't come to me."

Korlys stared at the insane elf incredulously. "You threaten to disarm a Crow and..." He trailed away, unable to comprehend how Mario could be surprised at his reaction.

"I didn't threaten you. I warned you that in a city, it can happen more easily than you think." Mario sighed. "I'm not your enemy, Korlys. I didn't steal any of your money. Go and count it, if you wish. And I wouldn't steal your weapons. I just wanted to show you how easy it would be for an enemy to do it. But as I said - you want to learn the hard way, go ahead." He shrugged. "Try, at least, not to underestimate roof rats. That's not about you. There are people out there who could steal underwear from your master without being noticed, you know."

Korlys shook his head. The other man was definitely crazy. No doubt about it. "No one can get close to my master. If they could, he would be dead by now." The Antivan took a deep breath, marshaling all his patience. "You are seriously underestimating the Crows, Mario. But, if you can take my daggers from me before lunch, then you can teach me not to underestimate thieves. And I can teach you not to underestimate Crows, si?"

"Deal," the young thief said with a wide grin, then looked up. It was difficult to see the sun here, but he'd say they had walked for two or three hours now. "That gives me three hours to do it," he said. "Piece of cake."

He moved forward, much less confident than he pretended to be. It would be a piece of cake if they were in a city, but he didn't know the terrain here- hmm. That could be the way to do it. His grin became more sincere as a plan formed in his mind. Yeah, he could do this. And it was Korlys who made it possible. That was the best part of it.

oOo

Korlys had been silently watching his companion since they had made the bet two hours ago. He did not know Mario very well, but he already knew that the man was not one to give up. He was far too stubborn and proud for that. But he had been a bit surprised at the other elf's silence. Probably trying to figure out how to save face when he loses, Korlys thought with a smirk.

Oddly enough, the thief picked that exact moment to speak up. "Should we build a shelter tonight as well?"

", I think we probably should. Even though it has finally stopped raining, the shelter will keep some of the mosquitoes out," the assassin agreed with a grin.

"You think?" Mario chuckled. "I'm used to sleeping outside, but this forest creeps me out. Forests are for bugs and bears, not peeeeeee - fuck!"

Korlys' eyes widened as Mario tripped and went tumbling down the hill. The thief landed on his back, then skidded to a stop inches before he would have hit a pine tree head-first. "Merda! Mario, are you okay?" he asked, moving forward to help him.

"Yeah, I think so," the thief grumbled when he ran out of all the curses he knew. His head was spinning, and for a moment he lay there, gazing at the sky. Only when Korlys was almost there did he try to stand up. He hissed and sat back down heavily. "Oww, fucking shit!" He carefully felt his right ankle. "Well, the good news is, I don't feel any bones sticking out, but it hurts."

Korlys hurried over and knelt to help him, slipping off his pack as he did so. "Let me take a look at it." The Antivan took Mario's leg and placed it on his lap, carefully feeling for any breaks.

Mario gave Korlys a grateful but pained smile. "Could you help me get to the bank?" he asked. "I think it's just sprained. Cold water will help to stop it from swelling."

"Here..." Korlys shifted closer to Mario's side, grabbing the rogue's right arm and putting it around his neck. "I will help you up." He slipped his left arm around Mario's waist and slowly started easing his companion to a standing position. "Is your ankle the only thing that is hurting?"

"Yeah." The thief screwed up his face. He got up, trying not to put any weight on his right leg, and hopped alongside Korlys all the way to the river. "I think it's maybe an hour to noon," he said as he pulled off his boots and rolled up his trousers. "What would you say if we stayed here now for an early lunch?"

". I will go grab my pack." Korlys hurriedly retrieved it, then left the pack by the side of the river. He sat down and pulled off his own boots and socks, rolled up the legs of his trousers, and then waded in to stand by Mario. The water felt cold and refreshing. "How is it feeling? Let me see."

Mario sighed. He hadn't expected Korlys to be this gentle. It made him feel like an asshole, and he hoped Korlys wouldn't be pissed off. "Shouldn't you check something else first, before lunch?" he reminded the Antivan with a smirk.

"Hm?" Lunch! Korlys' hands flew to his daggers... Or where his daggers should have been. He backed away quickly as a stream of Antivan curses flew from his lips, fear suddenly gripping him, and his hand immediately going to the small of his back. The assassin relaxed slightly as he realized he still had that dagger on him, at least. Still... He had been so easily tricked. He is right. All that training and you still let someone get close enough to disarm you. You will never survive this way.

When Korlys reached behind him, Mario paled and took a step back. "They're here," he said quickly. He pulled the daggers out from under his shirt and handed them to Korlys, hilt first. "Don't kill me."

Korlys stepped forward close enough to retrieve them, calming himself but still visibly shaken. He returned to the shore and sat down. "Va bene, I was wrong. I did underestimate how easily I can be disarmed," he said when he had calmed down. "I have never let pride get in the way of my survival... and I will not start now."

Mario had made no move to follow him, and his face was pallid. Korlys gave him a small, and he hoped reassuring, smile. "Come sit down. I am not going to kill you." Mario glared at him suspiciously, but walked over and sat down, albeit well out of arm's reach. He reminded Korlys of a skittish, feral cat - unsure if it should come closer for a treat from your hand or run away.

"I'm sorry I tricked you like that," the thief apologised. "I didn't mean to upset you, I just wanted to help. You're… confusing as the Void. Arrogant and jumpy one second, then friendly and caring the next." He bit his lip, wondering if it was a good idea to say that to the Antivan, but now that he had started he might as well finish it. "I never met anyone like that before and I'm not sure if it's a good idea or not, but I will help you. I'll do whatever I can to help you get away from your master. If you want."

Korlys laughed quietly. "Do not be sorry. I needed that; I would not have believed you otherwise. But, I do not know why I confuse you." He opened his pack and started rummaging through it, glad to have somewhere else to look. "It is in my best interests to make sure you do not slow me down as we travel, no?" he asked casually. "I would like your help, of course, but, why would you help me? You have no reason to." He looked up briefly, grinning roguishly at Mario. "After all, I am a jumpy man with pointy daggers who has already threatened to kill you once."

"Twice," Mario corrected him. "Guess I'm a lunatic like you said. And still wearing your clothes, even though mine dried long ago. Hm… How much would it have slowed you down, if you had let me stay filthy, or wear stinky clothes?"

Korlys went back to digging in his pack, a small frown on his face. "As I said, I did that because I know what it is like. Besides, you could have gotten sick if I had let you stay wet. And it would have been pointless to make you change once your clothes were dry, when mine were already filthy, ?"

Mario decided not to pry about what happened to Korlys. No need to talk about it - he knew what it was like only too well. "I never had spare clothes in my life, and I don't remember the last time I was sick. And if I got sick, you could just leave me behind," he pointed out. "Though you did try your best, you can't scare me away now. I made up my mind, and I'm just as stubborn as you are," he said with a smirk, crossing his arms.

The assassin glanced back at his companion, his frown smoothing into a small smile. "Va bene, I will not threaten to kill you anymore if you do not try to disarm me anymore." He conveniently ignored Mario's logic and extended his hand to shake on it.

"Okay. I won't disarm you anymore if you don't threaten me anymore," the thief returned with a chuckle, as he shook Korlys' hand. Better not tell him I know now where his other dagger is.

Relieved that they were done with that topic, Korlys glanced over at Mario's feet. The thief's boots, already shabby when they had met, were almost worn through in spots now. "We need to get to a town within the next day, I think. You need good boots. And our food is running low." And I am already tired of acorns.

"We'll need much more than my boots and food," Mario pointed out. "Rope, for example. A kettle… probably other things. I need a pack and a waterskin. We should go over it as we eat." He chuckled. "Simple pickpocketing won't be enough - let's hope the nearest village has a well-supplied store."

The assassin frowned as Mario started listing all the things they needed. He had five gold pieces on him, but he had no idea when he would get to a town where he could pick up work, and how long he would be able to stay there before being forced to move. And I have not even made back the money I lost when the ship went down. "Hey, how much money were you betting with, anyway?"

"Not one copper. I left it all for - I left it back in Denerim. So you see, I couldn't lose!" The thief's eyes sparkled with mischief. "No worries. You saw how fast I can get money when I want, right? We just need to find a town."

Korlys chuckled. "Well, let us hope the townspeople have enough coin. Maybe I could help you relieve them of some of it, yes? If you are willing to teach me."

"I was thinking of breaking into the store at night. Much faster and easier, if you ask me." Mario laughed. "Of course I will teach you. But it's not something you can learn in a day. So when we reach the town, don't try stealing, okay? Leave it to me this time. You're traveling with one of the best Lizards in Denerim, after all. You'd be st- I mean, it'd be a waste not to use that advantage."

Korlys looked up from rummaging through his pack with a smile, amused by Mario's correction. "Grazie, Mario. I am going to get cleaned up while we take a break." He studied the sky. The sun was out, and he did not see any rain clouds... yet, anyway. "This would be a good time to wash our clothes, while the sun is out to dry them. I think it is safe to stop here until then."

"Good idea." The current here wasn't very strong, and it was a hot day. "I think I'll go for a short swim," Mario said, then chuckled. "Let's hope the Crows won't turn up while we're half-naked."

Korlys snorted. "They have a tendency to show up at the worst possible times..." Like when you are not ready to die. The assassin quickly finished his meal and gathered up the soap and a clean towel. He gave a happy moan as he peeled off his dirty clothes and waded out into the water.

When Korlys started to undress, Mario turned away, determined not to look. How could Korlys be so at ease? But when the Antivan passed by, something on his back caught Mario's eye, and he couldn't help staring. Maker's cock. His eyes widened and he barely suppressed a shocked gasp. Korlys' back was covered with thin lines, white crisscrossing trails that ran from his wide shoulders to his firm buttocks. And as if to make it clear who was responsible, there was a tattoo on his right shoulder, an eye mask surrounded by red crow feathers.

That master of his is really sick. Someone should rid the world of him. Korlys said nobody could get to him, but Mario didn't believe that. It just took a lot of patience - years, sometimes - and good planning…

But right now, it was more important that Korlys was going to wash his clothes. He'd need his spare clothes when he got out. Mario took his old clothes from Korlys' pack, then pulled off the borrowed ones and put them on the bank; he'd wash them after he took a swim. He shot a furtive glance at the assassin; he was wading into the water, not looking back at Mario. Good. Feeling awkward and self-aware, he entered the river and swam in the opposite direction from Korlys.

Swimming always helped to clear his mind; it was his favourite thing to do, second only to running over rooftops. There was no guild, no petty intrigues and the quarrels of other rats, no worries about tomorrow and mundane things like food; there was only him and the water, and the ripples that he set into motion. He lay on his back and let his thoughts wander as the current ran over his body.

oOo

It had been three days since the berry incident. That had been the last time Korlys had allowed himself the luxury of more than just a quick dip to get the worst of the dirt off. The assassin took his time soaping and rinsing his hair, then worked his way down his body, scrubbing until he was clean. After washing his clothes, he laid them out on a flat rock. Mario's clothes were in a pile not far away, and Korlys wrinkled his nose at the smell coming off them. He noticed that the younger elf had decided to come closer, although he was obviously still skittish, and gave Mario a reassuring smile.

"Could I borrow your soap again, to wash my clothes?" the thief asked. "And to wash the clothes you lent me before I return them?"

"." Thank the Maker. Korlys grabbed their clothes and waded back into the water. "Here you go," he said, handing the other elf the dirty clothes and the soap. He sighed and leaned back on a nearby outcropping of rock, tilting his face up and closing his eyes, enjoying the feel of the warm sun on his face and chest. Korlys reached up and squeezed the excess water from his hair, then ran his fingers through it to help it dry faster.

"Thanks." He smiled at Korlys, grateful he didn't have to go all the way out and back again. A pity he couldn't stay in the water for a few hours, like a fish. He soaped his clothes, breathing in the scent. A few days ago he didn't care about such things, but now he could enjoy it. It wasn't the coarse, odourless soap he was used to. This one had a delicate smell, fresh and slightly spicy… it reminded him of fruit he had nicked from the house of a wine merchant last fall, round and orange and juicy. Nothing like he'd ever had before.

"What is this smell?" he asked Korlys curiously. "I like it."

He opened his eyes and smiled. "It is called 'wassail'. It has orange, vanilla, and spices in it." It was a luxury Korlys had become accustomed to, once he had started making enough money to afford it.

"Orange?" Mario quirked his brow. "You mean, the round orange fruit? It's really called an orange?" He laughed. "How silly."

Korlys chuckled at that, his eyes dancing with amusement. "Well, what would you call it, then?"

"Well… I don't know. But it's like… calling the sun 'yellow', or a tomato 'red'. A pumpkin is also round and orange, but it's called a pumpkin, not a big orange." He chuckled. "Do they grow in Antiva? Oranges, I mean."

". We grow a type of orange called a 'blood orange'. It is native to Antiva. Very fitting, I think." He chuckled again. "But the Antivan word for an orange is 'un'arancia'. Sounds better than just 'orange', yes?"

"A blood orange? Sounds good," he said, grinning. "How do you say orange, in Antivan? The colour."

"You say it 'arancia'," Korlys replied.

"Unarancha and arancha." Mario laughed again. "That's still almost the same. But I like how it sounds. Antivan is a nice language, like a song… well, at least from what I heard from you."

Korlys grinned. "I agree. It is a beautiful language, just like the country it comes from." His smile turned wistful as he remembered he would never see it again. All the beautiful piazzas and trattorias he had lingered in during sultry late summer afternoons... when he'd had the time, anyway... only memories now.

"I think you would like it, Mario. The pace there is slower. People linger over meals - the best food you ever tasted - for hours, talking to friends as they sip their wine and watch the early afternoon slip into early evening. And there are markets and squares everywhere, filled with people browsing the merchants' wares and haggling over prices." Korlys' grin turned mischievous. "Plenty of people to pickpocket."

'The best food he ever tasted' would be easy enough, but lingering over meals for hours seemed like a waste of time. He'd much rather pick a few pockets. "A place worth visiting, then." Mario shot a thoughtful glance at Korlys. "Would the Crows hunt you even if your master died?"

Korlys gazed away as he considered the question. "I do not know. My master is offering a lot, I am sure, but if he were dead, I do not think other Crows would pay so much for my head." He looked at Mario and shrugged. "But, Nico is not so old; he will not die anytime soon. Not naturally, anyway. And he is far too well guarded for anyone to get close enough to kill him. Even if he were not guarded, he is a dangerous bastardo - a master assassin in the Crows. Why?"

"Everyone dies," he said, with a little shrug. "He might be unreachable now, but who says it will always be that way? It might take years, but that makes the moment you finally return home and kill him so much sweeter." His lips curled in a little triumphant smile for a moment, before he schooled his face into a neutral mask and rinsed his clothes again. They didn't need it - they were the cleanest they'd been since he'd had them, by now, but he didn't feel like walking out of the water in front of Korlys.

He watched Mario's expression change, and how quickly he tried to cover it. So, not just Jasper, then? Korlys wondered who it could be, but he supposed it really was not his business. Everyone had secrets. "Are you done with those?" He nodded his head at the clothes Mario had rinsed out. "I think I am going to get out now and let the sun dry me off. Might as well put your clothes with mine while I am there, no?"

"Would you? I - I'd like to stay in the water for a little longer and go for another swim," Mario said. "It's hot, and the water feels so… refreshing." Too refreshing; it was okay while he was swimming, but after few minutes of standing and washing clothes, he had almost turned into an icicle.

"Sure." Korlys took the clothes and squeezed the excess water from them. He was getting goosebumps after standing still for awhile, and Mario's lips were starting to turn blue. It reminded Korlys of the first time it had happened to him. How he had not wanted anyone to see him naked. He hadn't had much say in that in the Crows, but at least he could give Mario some privacy.

Korlys found a relatively flat rock and stretched out with a happy sigh. The warm rock underneath him and the sun above made him drowsy, and he allowed himself to doze as he stayed alert to the sounds around him.

Mario swam for a few minutes, then glanced toward Korlys, lying still on a flat rock. He couldn't tell if the assassin was asleep, but at least he wasn't looking this way. Good… and the sunbathing was quite appealing too, right now.

He swam back to the shore and climb on a flat rock a few yards away from Korlys. He sat down with a contented little sigh and turned his face to the sun, enjoying the feeling of warmth returning to his stiff limbs.

oOo

Korlys woke from his doze some time later. He was not sure how long he had been there, but the sun was already edging towards the horizon. The assassin sat up, feeling uneasy. It was time to move on. He looked around for Mario. The other elf was already dressed and sitting near their pack. He got up and pulled on his clothes, then walked over. "I think we should keep moving now; we should not stay in one place too long." He didn't think the Crows would have kept following them through the forest for this many days, but one could never be too careful when being hunted by them.

"Okay." Mario got up and looked at the sky, still without a single cloud. "At least it won't rain. If we don't stop before dinner and don't make a shelter, we can still hike for an hour or two, so it's not so bad." He gave Korlys a reassuring grin. "They're not gonna get us, don't worry."

Korlys was not so optimistic.


A/N: Thanks to our wonderful betas, Oleander's One and Bloodsong 13T, for all of their help, encouragement, and enthusiasm. You guys are ridiculously awesome! :D

bastardo - bastard

cazzo - fuck