Laughing, Aileen snuggled deeper into Evelyn's side. They sat by Varric's campfire with the dwarf and Cassandra and the storyteller lived up to his name. It was the last night before they would be leaving for a place called Val Royeaux and to the girl's delight she had been able to persuade the Herald to take her with them.

After shaking off the first shock of having been thrown into a whole new world she had found to like this place. True, it was cold, their clothes looked weird and apart from Josie absolutely unfashionable, the cooking was not as fancy as and hygiene was mostly foreign to them, but she liked it.

She liked how easy live seemed compared to what she knew. Like, okay, there was a huge whole in the sky but people didn't just sit around complaining about it and panicking - they gathered to do something against it. And the people that gathered here were from all over the world, from all social classes, from all kinds of profession. Still, they got along well. Except for that one conflict with the mages.

It still didn't sit well with her how the people at Haven could badmouth mages all the time and then make a one-eighty when they spoke to Evie. Didn't they know she was a mage, too? The same thing occured to her when she heard Varric talk about his friend Hawke. They had called him Champion of Kirkwall, the whole city laid at his feet, and still they had treated the other mages - his kind - like trash. Until one of them blew up the chantry.

She had had a laughing fit at that which had earned her two bewildered and one pretty angry look from Cassandra. It had taken her around five minutes to explain to them what a glorious move it was, despite the innocents who had died in there. Because, really, what else could have been done that would have made people think?

Talking to the templars? Wouldn't have helped. Talking to the chantry? They wouldn't have allowed a mage to talk to the Divine, even if she herself would have been okay with it. The Divine probably wouldn't even have gotten word that someone wanted to talk to her. Blowing up the circle? Wouldn't have made a statement. They would have cheered. Blowing up the templar barracks? They would have instantly called the right for annulment. Destroying the chantry hadn't been an act of anger, of revenge in her eyes. It had been a cry for help from those within the chantry who actually held power.

The other three had been silent after her explanation ended. Especially Cassandra. The woman had stared into the fire unrespondingly even after Varric had returned to telling his stories. It had made her wonder if she had said something wrong, but Evie told her it was alright, so she left it be.

Suddenly a chill ran down the girl's spine and she recognised a familiar feeling settling in her heart. She knew this from the times her father had taken her to camp with him. He had been astonished, but proud when they found what she used to call 'her special ability'. She could feel predatory animals. That they were around. That they were on the hunt. That they had targeted them. What kind of animal they were.

Her eyes fixed on the deep shadows that enveloped the path that led to the tavern. She couldn't see it, but she knew it was there. A wolf. A big one. And it had targeted her. Her breathing quickened, just as her heartbeat stepped up, when fear manifested in her mind. It could pounce on her any second. She was about to cry out to Evelyn when a man stepped out of the shadows and the feeling dissolved. Or more like vanished in a blink. As if it had never been there.

She was shaken. Something about this world made her senses all weird. She had always been an oddling, but now? How did she manage to feel like an outcast in a world that had seen all kinds of weirdness? When the man addressed her, she only threw him an angry look and hid herself in Evie's embrace.

...

He had only wanted to examine his mark a last time before they were out on the road again when he saw the Herald was in company of the Seeker and the Dwarf. What had made him stop was the girl tugged in on the mage's left side. Or rather, it was the sight of his mark's magic dancing over her skin. It was just a whiff, a fleeting wisp, but it was there.

Judging by the way the Herald held her, this girl must have been the one she had talked about on their journey through the Hinterlands, Aileen. The girl she had found clothed but in a thin dress near a rift. It hadn't interested him at the time, but now? Now he wanted to know who she was. How she came to be touched with his magic without ever meeting him.

He tensed when she moved and looked him right in the eyes. He was standing in the shadows. She should not have been able to notice him. His body relaxed when her eyes started darting around as if she was searching for something. The frightened look on her face made him all the more curious to get to know her. Was she able to sense his prescense?

He resumed walking towards them and took silent joy in watching the girl's face pale. It had been a long time since anybody had been aware of the predator he was. He kept his eyes fixed on her as he stepped out the shadows. She looked bewildered, as if questioning herself. Which meant if she could indeed sense him, she couldn't link it to his form. Interesting.

He greeted the Herald and her companions, turning to the girl last. "I presume you must be Aileen, the girl the Herald speaks so fondly of." He was rewarded with a glare, followed by Varric's laugh. "Looks like our Kitten doesn't like you, Chuckles." The glare vanished as the girl turned to look at the dwarf. "Kitten?" "Yes, Kitten. All sweet and cute and curious and afraid of the big bad men. Plus, Evelyn is Tigress, so it fits double." The girl pouted. "I am not afraid of the Commander. There is just something wrong with him." The last part was mumbled under her breath and he doubted that anybody but him and maybe the Herald had heard it.

Yes, he would definitely enjoy solving this puzzle.


Author's note:

Irk. Stupid jerky egg-head getting all excited about frightening a girl.
I really like Solas but sometimes you just want to punch him.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the new chapter.
Thank you for the follows. =)