Disclaimer: Bioware owns Dragon Age. I own Sean and Caress.

My eyes were shut as I slowly became aware of my surroundings. I could hear the crackling of fire and heat of its flames. The others were discussing me and my condition. They all sounded pretty worried and somebody was running their fingers through my hair.

"It's been 5 days! He's never going to wake up! We should just dump him on the Chantry's doorstep and be done with him!"

Ah, Carver I missed you, too. At least I know he isn't the one with the fingers. That would be very awkward.

"Carver! You can't mean that! He saved mother!" Bethany exclaimed. I was disappointed to find she wasn't the one taking care of me. It had to be Leandra then.

"I don't want to but we need to move on! Am I the only one who sees how much he is slowing us down?" Carver continued to argue his case and I can understand his point. I don't like it but I understand it. Aveline was the next to voice her opinion.

"I don't believe it is right to leave him behind but we can't wait on him forever. If he remains asleep when we reach Gwaren we will have little choice but to leave him. We will not be able to properly care for him on a ship to Kirkwall."

"I disagree. We can't simply leave him, especially at the Chantry. They will lock him away in the circle for the rest of his life." Leandra gave her support of me, which really left the decision up to Hawke. Not that I am surprised by that. What did surprise me was that Leandra's voice came from near the fire which meant that it was Hawke who was taking care of me.

"We will not leave him behind at the Chantry or anywhere else. He stays with us." Hawke declared. My lips pulled up in a smile at Hawke's vote of confidence. Carver wasn't so happy and continued to protest Hawke's decision.

"Why do you always get to decide? Who put you in charge anyway?" And there's the Carver we all know and love.

"Carver, I didn't decide anything. We voted. You and Aveline want to leave him while Bethany, mother and myself want to bring him with us. Do not blame me for casting the deciding vote." Hawke responded with exasperation in her voice. Carver wanted to continue to argue the point but I was getting a little tired of this and really it was a pointless argument anyway.

I opened my eyes. Hawke was leaning over me but her eyes were focused on her brother. I also noticed that what I had originally thought was a pillow was in fact Hawke's lap. She really was quite pretty and despite my preference for long hair her short styled cut really suited her.

"Um ... Hi" Wow, that was smooth. I also succeeded in surprising Hawke as she jumped to her feet and dumped me off her lap in one quick move. My head hit the ground with a thud.

"Ouch ... You know Hawke, there are other ways to tell people you are not happy with them." I said with a smile to let her know no real harm was done.

"Sorry. You surprised me. We thought you were never going to wake up." Hawke was a little too serious there. I think I prefer sarcastic Hawke. She's fun.

"Cheer up, Hawke. I'm fine, really. My body just needed to shut down for a while. I'm not even going to try to explain how excruciatingly painful that was. My legs are a bit stiff right now though and ... if you don't mind I'd like my pillow back."

Yeah, that got me a playful smack. Still Hawke did sit down and pulled my head on her lap. She started brushing my hair with her fingers again and I sighed in contentment. Hawke really did like to take care of people. She had a habit of self-sacrifice when it came to people she cared about. It was nice to know that I qualify and to think all it took was getting man-handled by an ogre. I definitely appreciated the sisterly affection. It reminded me of my family.

In any event, now that I could see everybody, it was time to come clean with these people. They had saved my life on at least 3 separate occasions at this point and they deserved to know the truth about me.

"I, ah ... have something I need to tell you all. You've all done more for me than I have any right to ask and you deserve to know the truth about me." The seriousness of my tone caught everybody's attention. Leandra had other ideas as she brought me a bowl filled with stew. Story time would have to wait as my stomach grumbled.

"First you need to eat. I am sure we are all anxious to hear your tale but you have went several days without little food and what you did get was mostly broth."

Some how I felt that Leandra was the type who wanted to feed everybody until they are fat. Hawke helped me sit up a bit more as Leandra handed me the stew. It turned out rabbit stew was dinner which I had honestly never had before. I was pleasantly surprised by the taste. I thanked Leandra and began eating in earnest. I don't think I had ever been this hungry before. I tried to eat slowly but I really was starving. I'm sure the others thought I was a bit of a pig with the way I was devouring it.

"So what did I miss?" I asked between bites.

The others took turns filling me in on what had happened. I was disappointed to find out that Flemeth had transformed into a dragon and carried me each day. That definitely was something I wanted to be awake for. I don't think there is many things that are cooler than flying around on a dragon. Apparently, the Darkspawn didn't give us any further trouble as Flemeth seemed to instinctively know how to avoid the horde. She had left us a couple of days ago at this very spot, which was a little more than an hour walk outside Gwaren. The others decided to wait for me to wake up but after a couple of days Carver was getting frustrated and wanted to move on. I think the kid has A.D.D or something.

"I'm sorry," I said to them then. I really didn't want to be the liability that I had turned out to be. Hawke waved off my apology as if it was no big deal but it was and they needed to know how grateful I was.

"Seriously, I am sorry for all the trouble I've caused you. You already could be on a ship to Kirkwall. You didn't need to take care of me but you did and I will forever be in your debt."

I was shocked when Carver waved off my apologies.

"You saved mother. I'm the one who is sorry for wanting to abandon you." Aveline was quick to speak up then and I noticed a fading bruise on the right side of her face.

"Neither of us really wanted to leave you behind. We were just trying to be practical but we are sorry nonetheless."

"See everybody's sorry. No need to make a big deal out of it. Besides everything will work out just fine now that you are awake. We can stay here the night and take ship in Gwaren tomorrow," Hawke stated with a smile. I nodded my agreement but I still had one apology to make and this one couldn't simply be waved off.

"Aveline," she inclined her head, "I'm really sorry for kicking you in the face. I have a pretty strict rule of no violence against women ... unless they're trying to kill me," I added at the end because no doubt I would end up killing women here.

A small smirk pulled up at the corner of Aveline's mouth. "I think I more than repaid you for any damage you did." I looked down at my right leg and repressed a shudder. Yeah, she definitely did there. She probably enjoyed it a bit after I kicked her in the face.

At this point I had finished eating. There was still about half a bowl left and it was pretty clear my stomach had done some shrinking while the others were taking care of me. I leaned back into Hawke and sighed. I was a bit afraid of what the others would think of my origins. They all deserved to know and if I couldn't trust them with this then there was nobody I could. They literally took care of me when I was an invalid. Hawke could obviously see my nervousness and gave me a reassuring smile before whispering to me.

"No matter what you say at this point I won't abandon you. As we have said, you saved mother. I don't know what I would have done if we lost her. When father died he made me swear to protect our family. It hasn't always been easy but if mother were gone I don't think I'd be able to hold us together. Carver would certainly leave us which would mean I would be the only one keeping Bethany safe from the Templars. I trusted you to keep mother safe and you didn't let me down. Please trust me. I promise I will never let you down."

I was not expecting such conviction from Hawke on the subject. I didn't know where her faith in me came from but there was no way I was going to disappoint her after that. So I gave her a small nod and let out a soft sigh.

"Okay," I started and began to explain how I came to Thedas. I explained about my world and how technology was our version of magic. I explained about buildings that reached high into the sky and all about cars, planes and all forms of modern transportation.

To say there was some skepticism would be an understatement. I know I wasn't explaining things as good as I can but how can you explain something that has no meaning to the people you are trying to convince? Still I soldiered on and told them of my family, my closest friends and all about my life. I think what convinced them the most was the complete honesty with which I was saying everything. There was nothing to lie about. There was no need to try to hide any shame I might have had in my life because that was the past. The truth was this was my world now and, no matter what I did there, it was here that I had to live. So I told them about my general disdain for modern life. As much as I loved video games I was never a fan of technology taking away from face-to-face interactions. I explained how I would lose myself in the fantasy of books and how I dreamed of having such adventures myself.

Then I came up to the point of that night. That damn night when my dreams seemingly came true and I was transported to a land of magic and true warriors. I told them about Caress but not that she was a desire demon because I didn't really believe she was by this point. To me she had become one of those benevolent spirits that dwell in the Fade. I explained how she taught me how to use my powers that first night in the Fade and how she comforted me during my injuries and helped sooth my pain. I told them how I hadn't even been in this world for more than 10 minutes before I met them and how nice it was not to be alone in wandering this world. They gave me a goal and hopes and dreams. I wasn't in this alone.

Leandra had handed me water some time ago and I needed it now. My story had taken hours to get through and it was now late into the night. That didn't mean the others didn't have questions though and it was Aveline who caught an earlier slip I had made.

"If you had only been in this world for only a short while before we showed up, how did you know Wesley was a Templar?" I wanted to curse myself and Aveline. Damn her for paying attention. No, wait. There is an answer that should satisfy her.

"I did tell you about Caress, the spirit of love. She told me about Templars. She figured it would be prudent since I'm a mage and all. It wouldn't do me very good to not know what Templars are. I would end up dead ... or worse a prisoner of a religion that believes I am a danger to everyone and everything."

"Aren't you," Carver challenged me. I laughed at this which just made him look really angry. I held up my hand to hold off his attack and did my best to get my laughter under control.

"You with that obscene sword are going to call me a danger? Should you be locked up for what you might do with that sword of yours, Carver? The biggest danger from a mage is becoming an abomination which, since I'm under the protecting of Caress, isn't really a problem. You, of all people, should know that not every mage is a danger and that most of them just want to live their lives in peace." Carver merely grunts in response but both Hawke and Bethany were chuckling at their brother.

"Look, if I was murder, a child molester or a rapist I would deserve to be locked up. The ability to use magic should not be considered a crime. I should not be looked at with fear and disdain. I only wish to live my life as I see fit. As long as nobody else is affected by what I do I should be left alone. I promise you that I have no need or want to learn blood magic. That is what you really fear, isn't it? The power a mage can use to take away your freewill scares you and well it should. But you should also know that it is no different than what Templars do to mages when they make them Tranquil ... except that is permanent. And, for all the Chantry's condemnation of Blood Magic, they use it themselves."

Aveline doesn't look too happy about that. I can't really blame her. Her husband was a Templar after all.

"That's not true, mage!" Oh yeah, I definitely touched a nerve there. She was ready to start a rant when I cut across her.

"And how do you think Templars track down escaped mages?" My words held Aveline's tongue for now but she needed to hear the truth before she would let this go.

"They take a phylactery which is filled with a mage's blood to track them down," I explained calmly. It would do me no good in this situation to shout at Aveline. I needed her calm and to see Bethany and my side of things. We were hunted simply for being.

"I see," Aveline responded and walked away. It was clear she needed to think over things. She had been taught to hate and fear mages all her life. I wasn't going to win her over with one talk but she needed to be aware of how bad things truly were for mages. It might even make our time a little easier in Kirkwall. I know Anders mentioned how Aveline even helped turn in some mages to the Gallows. I shuddered at that thought. I won't be taken in. I'd rather die then be subjected to Knight-Commander Meredith's brand of justice.

"I think that's enough discussion for the night. We have an early morning ahead of us. No doubt the first ship to Kirkwall will be out with the tide," Hawke called an end to our night.

I struggled to my feet with the aid of Hawke and went to relieve myself. It had been days, after all, and my bladder was rebelling. I seriously don't want to know who had to deal with this when I was out of it. There was no way I went almost a week without having an accident. Once I was done with my business I returned to camp and found Hawke waiting for me. She stepped right up to me.

"I just wanted to thank you for trusting me. That couldn't have been easy." I shrugged at this.

"It wasn't but it was either that or lie to you. That might have been the easiest thing to do now but over time it would become more and more difficult to keep my story straight. Eventually, I would slip up and you would find out the truth. I would lose your trust and then be alone all over again. I really don't want to deal with this on my own. It's too much to deal with on my own." Hawke nods in acknowledgement and surprises me with a kiss on my cheek.

"Whatever your reason I am grateful and I'd be happy to help out in any way I can."

I can't help but smile at this. "It's nice to have such a good friend," I responded.

Hawke nodded in acknowledgement and bid me a good night. She slipped into the tent she was sharing with Aveline and I looked to the tent I was going to be sharing with Carver. There wouldn't be a lot of room with the two of us. Maybe it would be better just to sleep out by the fire. With that decided, I grabbed my bedroll and curled up next to the fire. Despite having slept for 5 days I had no trouble in returning to the dream realm.

The next morning we headed out before the sun was in the sky. The pace Hawke set was slower than I expected but I think she was trying to go easy on me since I hadn't actually used my legs in about a week. I wasn't going to argue as it was a nice easy stroll compared to the mad rush from Lothering. That had not be pleasant in the least. We arrived at Gwaren in about an hour and half. Hawke wasted no time in finding a ship heading to Kirkwall and bartering with the Captain for passage. We boarded the ship and we were out to ocean with the morning tide.

This route seemed like the long way to me but Hawke explained to me why we took ship in Gwaren. Apparently, Carver and Hawke barely arrived ahead of the horde. They had fought with the King and the Grey Wardens and were lucky to escape with their lives. By the time they got to Lothering there was little time to escape. The horde basically forced their hand and forced them to travel south to Gwaren. At least that explained my questions.

We were mostly stuck down in the hold for 2 weeks as we traveled across the Amaranthine Ocean to the Waking Sea. Storms raged for the last few days and I found out I don't handle rough waters so well. I spent much of my time thinking that I was dying ... or at least wishing that I was dying. Hawke didn't leave my side through it all and it made me appreciate her even more. I think she got that side of herself from Leandra as she too spent time taking care of me. All in all I was quite happy when the sun rose to calm seas. I was finally able to breath without fear of throwing up.

We were called up to the main deck a couple of hours later. It seemed that the Captain wanted all the refugees off his ship as soon as possible. At least he didn't try to sell us into slavery so that was good.

Stepping onto the deck I was able to breathe in fresh air for the first time in a week. The Waking Sea was just too rough to have untrained people on the deck. Hawke gave me a pat on the back and a smile which I returned. We then looked out at our surroundings and took in our first sight of Kirkwall.

Huge grotesque statues were carved into the very cliffs. A giant chain stretched out under the water and you could see part of why it earned its name. All in all, it was not a pleasant first impression. In fact, it felt down right oppressive. This city may claim to be a free city but Kirkwall was still very much the city of chains. I looked around at my companions and for the most part the feeling appeared to be mutual. Leandra was the only one who truly looked happy to be here. For her this was a homecoming though. For the rest of us this was not a very welcoming sight.

The sailors were running about as they worked to get the ship docked as cleanly as possible. I could tell the navigator really had his work cut out for him as the magic-made marina was very shallow in some places. Finally after what seemed like hours we finally docked at the Gallows. I couldn't help the sudden fear I felt surge up in me. This would be a very trying few days as we tried to get into this city, that would turn out to be a gauntlet for us all. We would be tried in the days and years to come and this was only the beginning. We took our first steps off the ship and into our new lives.

A/N: I had originally intended to this chapter to run all the way through Hawke and company getting into Kirkwall but it was getting a little long so I decided to split it up into two parts. Instead the next chapter will probably end up being a combination of getting into Kirkwall and covering the year of servitude destined to happen.

I'd also like to take the time to thank those who have read this story. The response has been pretty positive thus far. For the time being I will be posting regularly as I get through what I had written in advance but eventually I will probably be slowing up to post once, maybe twice a week depending on how busy real life is.