Minda awoke the next morning to an aching back. What had possessed her to sleep on the floor in front of the fire? Her bed would have been plenty warm and much more comfortable. As she stood up to stretch, images from her dreams from the night before flashed through her mind. Some of them made her blush, but others were troubling. There had been a voice whispering to her promises of power and might, if only... Minda shook her head. Her father had always warned her and Bethany of the demons that would show up in their dreams. It was unsettling to know she couldn't remember much of the conversation they might have had, other than that she knew she had refused whatever offer had been put to her. It had been a while since she'd had such a dream, and Minda wondered if her excessive use of magic the evening before had been the cause of it.

After a bath, breakfast, and a rather long discussion with her mother about the party, Minda finally managed to escape the house. She wondered when it would start to really feel like home, the way their house in Lothering had. Would it ever, now that Bethany and Carver were gone? Movement out of the corner of her eye pulled her thoughts away from such things, but when she turned, she saw nothing. Shrugging a shoulder, Minda set off towards Darktown. She wanted to get her mind off of Fenris, and being around Anders would likely be the best way to achieve that. However, when she passed by the alley where Fenris had stopped her the night before, she paused. A quick glance at her wrist verified that the bruises were still there, their shape and size making it obvious what had caused them. With a shake of her head, she moved on. As she made her way through the city Minda continued to catch movement in her periphery. Only when she finally descended into Darktown did it cease. Maybe it was just the light playing tricks on her.

Anders' clinic was always busy any time she'd ever been there, and she felt a strange nervousness as she made her way through the small groups of people waiting to be seen. But when he looked up and saw her, the smile on Anders' face was enough to make her anxiety flee. A little girl and her parents stood before him, and Minda waited until they had gone before she approached.

"Minda," Anders said, his voice warm. "This is a nice surprise. You haven't been down here in weeks. Are you well?"

"Of course," Minda answered with a nod.

"I..." He lowered his voice. "I heard about the... trouble you got into last night." His words made her pale. "I hear you're the one to thank for all the rain we've had."

"Oh," she said with relief, a nervous laugh escaping her lips. "That. How did you hear?"

"I have a bad habit of going to the Hanged Man in the evening, once I'm done here," Anders replied. "Varric told me."

"Ah." Minda smiled. "Well, I'm fine. Other than the fact that I need to replace what used to be my favorite pair of boots."

"So... why are you here, then?" Anders asked.

His question hurt just a little. "Do I need a reason?"

Rubbing the back of his neck, Anders looked away. "Minda..."

Minda realized that they had never really discussed what had happened between them, that night he had walked her home. The night they had almost kissed. She'd been so busy with the house since then, she'd barely seen him. Any time she had seen him, there had been others around. "Can't I just... want to see you, without having any other ulterior motives?"

"Minda..." He said again.

She sighed. "Would you rather I didn't come down here?" She asked, dreading his answer. "Would that be better, if I just stayed away? Would you like me to go?"

"No," Anders answered quickly. "No, I... don't want that."

"Do you mind if I stay and watch you work, then?" The suspicious look on his face made Minda smile. "I pick things up pretty quickly if I have someone to watch. I don't know much about healing, but I would like to learn. Maybe I could even help."

Her suggestion seemed to put him at ease, and Anders nodded his head. She stood next to him as he called up his next patient. Minda remained mostly silent as she watched him work, only stopping him to ask questions when she didn't quite understand what he was doing. By the end of the day she felt like she had a much better grasp on healing spells, even trying a few of them out on those who came in for minor injuries and illnesses.

"You're a fast learner," Anders said after the last person had gone.

"Maybe you're just a good teacher," Minda replied.

His face turned serious, and Anders looked away. "You shouldn't be here," he said in a low voice. Minda just crossed her arms, waiting for him to continue. "It's not that I don't... enjoy spending time with you. I do. But that's the problem; I enjoy it too much. There was a time I would have loved this kind of attention from such a beautiful woman, but now..."

"You think I'm beautiful?" Minda asked, giving him a coy look.

Anders scowled at her. "Maker's breath. Don't try to pretend like you don't know that's the case." His voice softened just a bit. "You know you're beautiful."

"So, then... what's the reason why you don't want my company?" Minda pressed.

"You are a distraction," Anders said. She might have been more hurt by his words if not for the sad look on his face. "I find you very distracting, to the point where I can barely think of anything else when you're around. Even when you're not around, I..." Anders shook his head. "It's very difficult to... do the things I need to do if I can't properly focus on them."

"What sorts of things?" Minda asked. "You mean your work here?"

Anders shook his head again. "No. Or at least not just that." At her questioning glance he gave her an apologetic smile. "It's not something I can really talk about."

"Something to do with Justice?" Minda asked. When Anders gave the slightest of nods, she felt a flash of irritation. "So he demands that you be as miserable as he is? Is that it?"

"We are not miserable," Anders argued. "We are... determined. I can't let anything get in the way of what I need to do here. Not even you."

Minda put her hands on her hips. "You don't think I will understand? Is that it? You think that, because I didn't grow up in the Circle, I couldn't possibly understand the plight of the mages? You don't think I could help you? I could, if you'd just let me. Despite what you might think, I do know what it's like to be persecuted, to have to hide what you are. Maybe I'm not quite as passionate as you are about such things, but that doesn't mean I don't understand."

"How did you manage to escape notice for so long?" Anders asked. "There were three of you at one time, were there not?"

Minda nodded. "Bethany, my father, and me. We had a trapdoor that led to a cellar under our house. We got very good at hiding, and Carver became very good at playing the lookout. I think that's why he resented me so much, because he felt like he had to give up a lot of his own freedoms so that we would be safe." She looked away. "I don't know if I ever told him thank you for that."

"Everything you just said shows that you don't understand what it's like," Anders said, sitting down on the edge of one of the tables. "Sure, you had to hide, but your life was your own. Your father was free to love, to marry, to have children even. He brought you up to expect the same things. That's not the way it is for mages here or in Ferelden. We have no rights. No freedoms. No expectations of any semblance of a normal life. You don't know what it's like to feel that sort of despair, to know that not even your own life belongs to you."

"But you have to agree that the Circle does some good. What might have happened to Bethany and me, had we not had our father to teach us?" Minda sat next to him. "How many mages are born to parents with no magic? I would imagine that's how it is for most."

"I'm not saying mages shouldn't be trained," Anders cut in, scowling at her again. "But we should be allowed to have our own schools, institutions that aren't under the thumb of the templars or the Chantry. Magic might be rare, but that doesn't mean it's unnatural. Why would the Maker have given us these gifts if not to use them."

"I don't want to argue religion with you," Minda said, suddenly tired. "In fact, I don't want to argue with you at all. You act like we're on opposite sides, but we're not. We're on the same side." She touched his arm lightly. "We could be more than that, if..."

"No," Anders said. "I'm sorry, I really am. I wish things could be different." She started to withdraw her hand, but he stopped her. Her stomach flipped when he pulled her hand into his lap, but only until he pushed back her sleeve to reveal the bruises on her wrist. "What happened here?"

"Oh, that... it's nothing," she said, pulling her hand away from him.

"Varric said you weren't hurt last night," Anders insisted. "He said you just got knocked into the water.

"I'd hardly call this an injury," Minda said in a light voice.

"Who did this to you?" Anders demanded.

Minda shook her head. "It was Fenris, but I don't think he meant to hurt me." The look on Anders' face frightened her, and she hurried to explain. "We were on our way home when he spotted a group of... I don't know. Thieves? Bandits? Ne'er-do-wells? Whatever they were, it was just the two of us, and I certainly didn't have the energy then to deal with them. He might have been a little too vigorous when he pulled me out of sight." So it was a small lie. She didn't feel like explaining to Anders exactly what had happened, especially since she didn't quite understand it herself. The best explanation she could come up with was that it had to do something with his markings, something about touching them...

"You were on your way home... together?" Anders questioned, and a distinctly jealous look crossed his face.

"To our separate homes," Minda quickly clarified. "We were both walking from the Hanged Man to Hightown. It's not as if he saw me to my door or anything."

"It sounds like he was trying to take advantage of you in your weakened state," Anders replied, his voice almost a little sullen. "Did you actually see these bandits he was trying to protect you from, or was that just some excuse to..."

"Yes, I saw them," Minda said, cutting him off. "But I really don't want to talk about Fenris right now."

"No... neither do I," Anders agreed. A harsh sigh escaped his mouth, and he shook his head. "But this is exactly what I'm talking about. Such thoughts are distracting. You are distracting. I can't..." He stood. "I think... I think you should probably go. And I think it might be best if you... stayed away. I'm not saying we have to avoid each other. There will be times we see each other, of course, but..." He stood in front of her and ran the backs of his fingers down her cheek. "It is too difficult to be alone with you. I'm sorry."

Anders walked away from her then, and his back remained towards her as she left the clinic. Minda felt a sick feeling as she made her way back to Hightown. There was no denying that she had feelings for Anders, and the fact that he'd all but admitted he had feelings for her, too, but wouldn't act on them only made things worse. But what could she do, other than respect his wishes?

When she got back to her home, Leandra met her at the door. "There's someone here to see you, darling," she said. "He's in the library."

Minda's stomach did a flip. She couldn't deal with that conversation just then. Maybe she could just tell him to go, tell him... but when she ducked into the library, Minda saw that her visitor was not who she had assumed it was. She should have been relieved. So then why did she feel just a little bit disappointed?

"Hello, Bodahn," Minda said. "I'm... surprised to see you here. What can I do for you?"

"Oh, no, it's nothing like that," Bodahn said, coming towards her. "Rather, I want to know what I can do for you. You see, my boy owes you his life, and I feel I owe you a debt."

"I hardly think that's necessary," Minda began, but Bodahn just spoke right over her.

"Oh, but it is, Messere. You see, my boy might not be here if you hadn't gone in after him." Bodahn sighed. "Bartrand told us that you'd been killed, but then, as soon as we got back, he left Kirkwall like the archdemon itself was chasing him. Then I heard that you'd returned, heard what Bartrand had done. I feel like I owe you an apology, and I would like to offer to you my services, as a way of making up for it."

"Your... services?" Minda arched an eyebrow at him. "I'm not sure I know what you mean."

With a gesture to the room around them, Bodahn said, "You have this lovely house now but no servants. My boy and I... we could help you. I'll admit I'm not much of a cook, but I can do other things. Being a businessman all my life, I can keep your day-to-day accounts in order, do your shopping for you, things like that. And I can... keep your secret for you."

"My secret?" Minda demanded. The man knew she was a mage. Was he trying to use that information to blackmail her into giving him a job?

Her suspicion must have show on her face, and Bodahn rushed in. "No, Messere, I don't mean it like that! I just... I just mean that a person in your position... ah... sometimes it is beneficial to be less visible to the public. I can take care of your mundane, every day things not only so that you won't have to, but also so there's less chance of exposing your... ah... talents." He smiled at her. "And someone like you could use my boy's talents, too. Sandal can be quite useful."

She was still suspicious... until she really looked at him. Bodahn's clothes were clean but obviously worn. There were patches on the knees of his trousers and on the elbows of his coat. Dark hollows framed his eyes, and worry lined his face. Was he offering his services not so much out of a sense of obligation, but rather because he needed the job? She wondered where he'd been staying since he got back from the Deep Roads. Had he been cheated by Bartrand as well?

"What about your business?" Minda asked, prodding for information. "Won't working here interfere with that?"

"What? No, I... ah..." He looked embarrassed by the question. "Business hasn't... it hasn't been going well since we got back. But I don't want you to think that... That is, I'm not making this offer just because..."

Minda held up a hand. "It's all right, Bodahn. To be honest, my mother has been wanting me to hire a few people. I'd rather it was someone I already knew."

"So does that mean..?"

Minda smiled. "You can start as soon as you'd like. There are a number of empty servants' rooms on the lower level, if you would like to use them."

"Oh, thank you, Messere. Thank you." Bodahn smiled widely at her. "Sandal will be so pleased. He is quite fond of you, after all."

By the next day Bodahn and Sandal had moved in. Leandra didn't know quite what to think of the arrangement. "A dwarf, Minda?" She whispered to her daughter after the two men had made their way downstairs to the servants' rooms. "It's not that I... I just mean... how will he be able to suitably clean if he can't reach the top shelves of anything?"

"Mother!"

"And what about that son of his?" Leandra continued. "He seems a little... odd." Her expression softened. "You can be a little too soft-hearted at times. I just don't want anyone taking advantage of you."

"Give them a month, Mother," Minda said. "If you don't feel like they're pulling their weight, if you really feel like they're just taking advantage of my hospitality, then you can let them go."

"No, dear, I... I'm not trying to tell you how to run your household," Leandra protested.

"It's our household, Mother," Minda reminded her. "You've taken care of me, of all of us, my whole life. Now it's my turn to help take care of you." She grinned. "After all, you are getting very old and feeble. Pretty soon I'll probably have to help feed you as well, or help you to the washroom, or..."

Leandra gave Minda a playful swat on the arm. "Oh, hush. I think I still have a few years left before I require such assistance. I at least plan on living long enough to see you give me a grandchild or two." Minda groaned, which pulled a smile from Leandra. "As the last in our line, it will be your duty to carry on. Personally, I'd like at least four grandchildren."

"Four, is it?" Minda snorted. "I best get started on that, then. Did you have a father for your grandchildren picked out for me as well? That would be helpful."

Leandra laughed. "No, no. I think that decision is best left in your hands. Besides, isn't there someone who has taken your interest?" She smiled. "I've seen the way you look at that young man, Anders." Something must have shown on Minda's face. "What is it, dear? Did something happen?"

Minda shook her head. "No, I... I went to see him yesterday. He... I don't know. I feel like there's something there, but any time I try to get close, he pushes me away. He actually told me that I was a distraction to him."

"A distraction?" Leandra frowned. "Distraction from what?"

"His work, I guess." Minda shrugged. "I don't really know. He'll never really tell me when I ask. I don't really know what to do about him."

"There might not be anything you can do," Leandra said gently. "If that's the decision he has made... darling, you don't want to be with a man who always puts you second. I'm sure this isn't what you'd like to hear, but maybe this is for the best." Minda just nodded. She knew her mother had a point, but that didn't mean she had to like hearing it said. "Oh... that reminds me," Leandra said. "You had another visitor yesterday. I'd forgotten about it, what with all the commotion with the dwarf."

"Bodahn," Minda corrected her.

"Yes, yes, of course. With Bodahn," Leandra replied. "It was that elven man. He didn't leave a message or anything. He just asked if you were here, and when I told him you were out, he left."

"Fenris was here," Minda repeated in a voice barely above a whisper.

"Do you... have feelings for him as well?" Leandra asked, and Minda could feel the judgement in her words.

"I... don't know," Minda admitted. "Not like that, I don't think. I mean, when I'm around him, I..." She shook her head. There were just some things that couldn't be discussed with one's mother. "But we only barely get along. We never agree on anything."

"Ah," Leandra said, giving her a knowing smile. "That seems like an attraction born of lust more than anything else."

"Mother!"

Leandra laughed. "Yes, I'm your mother, not a sister from the Chantry. I'm not so old that I don't remember what such feelings are like, despite what you might think." Her tone became more serious. "But be careful with that one. I would never presume to tell you what to do with your life. You're an adult now, and I wont' do to you what my parents did to me. Just... be cautious. I don't really know the man, but there's something about him that frightens me just a little." She patted Minda on the arm. "But really, it seems to me that you aren't exactly sure yourself what you want. And that's fine." She gave a dramatic sigh. "I suppose I can manage to wait a few more years for grandchildren."

"That's so kind of you," Minda laughed. "Thank you."

"Whatever I can do to help," Leandra replied with a smile. "I'm always here for you."