Korlys noticed the darkness of night was giving way to the greyness of predawn as the shapes of trees around him became more distinct. How many hours had they been on the run? Three? Four? He was exhausted, and from the way Mario was starting to stumble, it seemed the thief was, as well. He stopped suddenly and Mario ran into him.

"What's wrong? Why are you stopping?" the thief asked in a sleepy voice.

The assassin listened carefully. There - the sound of running water, he was sure of it. "Come," he whispered, and led the way forward, using his ears to find the small stream. He dropped his pack at the edge of the water and watched warily as the mage transformed back into an elf. Attrei had stumbled around so loudly that Korlys had almost immediately suggested he transform into a sparrow and ride on his shoulder instead. Plus, it allowed him to keep the mage close; he still needed to find out how much Attrei knew. "We will stay here for a few hours. You two get some sleep; Attrei, you can use my bedroll. I will stand guard and wake you when it is time to leave." Korlys bent down and splashed cold water onto his face, rubbing the sleepiness from his eyes as he did so.

"Okaaay," Mario yawned. "But you must rest as well before we go. Wake me up for my shift." He glanced at the rolled up tent, then decided it was too bothersome. He tossed Korlys' bedroll to the mage, then unrolled his own; the mage watched his every move as if he were performing a secret ritual.

"I didn't know Outsiders had portable beds," Attrei said enthusiastically, as he imitated Mario's actions and slipped inside. "Though they could have made the mattress a bit thicker," he muttered as he turned around several times.

Korlys watched the two elves fall asleep almost instantly. He snorted; they would be so easily captured if the Crows were pursuing them. He quickly freshened up at the stream, then pulled out his whetstone and one of his daggers and sat down under a nearby tree.

As he listened to the snick snick of the blade sliding across the whetstone, he thought about last night. Korlys was not surprised that the Crows had been waiting for him. But, what was Antonio doing there? The man was - had been, he corrected himself - a member of his own cell. What was he doing in Ferelden? How did they find out so quickly? He mentally counted out the weeks since the shipwreck. There had not been enough time for a ship to bring word to Nico, and another to arrive back here with Antonio. He must have already been in Ferelden for some other reason, then, yes? It was possible. Nico had a very large cell, and Korlys did not keep track of the members, outside of the small teams he worked with occasionally. He was a loner, as most Crows were. Still, it troubled him. It was too much of a coincidence, and Korlys did not believe in coincidences.

And that was another thing. The ex-Crow paused his work to look over at Attrei. How was it that the mage just happened to be at the same place he and Mario had been when they were making their plans? In sparrow form to boot. It was just too convenient to be a coincidence. And why did he help them? 'They were going to hurt you.' That had been his reason when Mario had asked. They were going to hurt you. Korlys shook his head slightly. What sort of insanity was that? He returned to his whetstone, a frown creasing his forehead. He did not like it. Any of it. It did not make any sense, and that meant he was missing something - some connection between all of this. But what?

Time flew by swiftly as he took care of his blades. He put the last one away with a sigh. The sun was now well and truly up. It was time to move on. He strolled over to the other two elves and gave each of their shoulders a shake. "Mario. Attrei. Get up. It is time for us to go."

Mario sat up, blinking. Time to go? Already? Fuck these Crows, always cutting his sleep short - wait. "You didn't wake me up." The thief stormed over to Korlys and folded his arms. "Why?"

The assassin looked surprised. "Because I would not have been able to sleep, anyway, that is why. I would think you would be glad to have the sleep, not annoyed because I did not interrupt it, no?"

"I am," Mario snapped. "But I thought we were a team… And you need to be alert. Wouldn't it be pitiful if the Crows got you after all this because you were too sleepy to fight?"

"Sí, we are a team - but I could not sleep." Korlys turned and started rummaging through his pack. "And I have been forced to go many days without sleep before, and still fight. Do you think that Crow training is just a walk in the park?"

"Yeah, I know, I just-" don't want you to get hurt. Mario watched the assassin, feeling oddly helpless. Always hiding behind that pack. Pushing me away, as if I were a stupid child that could be ignored. "Whatever. Do what you want." He turned back to pack the bedrolls and huffed in annoyance. The mage was already rolling them up - or rather, failing at rolling them up. Surely no one could be that stupid?

"Give it here," he said, taking his own bedroll. "Start at the bottom. Roll 'em up. Tie 'em with ropes," he explained slowly as he demonstrated it. "Not too difficult, I hope? Should I repeat it more slowly? No? Then go tie it to Korlys' pack."

"All right," the mage agreed, ignoring Mario's tone, and immediately obeying. "May I take your pack for a moment, please?" he asked Korlys. "I just want to tie the bedroll to it."

Korlys looked up with a surprised grin. "Grazie, but I think I can handle it myself. Here," he said as he handed Attrei some of the food.

"Thanks." Attrei smelled the cheese and fruit, a contented smile spreading on his lips. "Real food," he sighed, then looked at Mario, who was shouldering his pack. "I can carry it," he offered.

"You carry yourself and try not to fall," Mario snapped. "Let's go."

oOo

"Where are we going?" Attrei asked after a while. He had decided to stay in his elven form; it had been so long since he had talked with other people. But it seemed his new friends didn't feel like chatting. It had been almost fifteen minutes, and they hadn't said anything yet.

"East. And then south, following the river that runs through the Brecilian Passage, if we can find it." The assassin's tone was guarded, his face unreadable.

"Oh! Towards Gwaren? Or to the Korcari Wilds?" Attrei asked, intrigued. "There are swamps in the Wilds, aren't there?"

"And how do you know that?" Mario asked.

"I think I know all maps by heart," Attrei explained, with a chuckle. "I used to follow the rivers with my finger, imagining what it would be like, to really be out there and travel and see it all with my own eyes - you know, in colour, not just sketches in books."

"We should probably avoid swamps, sí?" Korlys said dryly. "Why do you only know things by maps?"

"The mage apprentices aren't allowed to leave the Tower. Only full mages can go out if they are lucky enough to get permission."

So the mage was an apprentice. Or claimed to be. The Crows would use an apprentice if need be, and perhaps they thought Attrei's Fereldan accent would make it more likely for him to trust him. "If you are an apprentice, why are you out of the Tower?"

"Because I had to run away," the mage admitted. "You see, my mentor was falsely accused of being a maleficar, and because I was his apprentice, they suspected me as well."

"A maleficar?" Mario asked, looking the mage over again. "Why did they suspect you?"

The mage seemed awfully nervous, as if he was carefully thinking about what he should say. "Because he angered the wrong people. He is not a maleficar, and neither am I. We both hate blood magic. But my mentor, he believes mages should gradually become more independent from the Chantry, though of course not through the use of violent means - that they should get a chance to prove they are loyal citizens and Andrastians, and of course the Chantry would still be an important part of their lives… But, after the College of Enchanters voted against independence, everyone who thought differently was suspected to be maleficars or conspirators, trying to-"

"Careful." Korlys reached out and grabbed the mage as he tripped over his feet yet again. "The terrain is a bit tricky here." All of this was interesting, but it was not giving him the information he needed. "So, what were you doing in the forest, hanging around as a sparrow? What were you planning to do with your freedom?"

"I thought getting out would be the most difficult, that I could live in a village somewhere, with other people. I destroyed my phylactery, so I thought I was safe because the Templars can't find me. I read a lot of books, and I thought I was ready, but the real Outside is nothing like the books. When I came to the first village, there was a place with people standing behind wooden stands, offering a lot of things. But when I took one apple, they started screaming that I was a thief and a maleficar and calling for the Templars-"

"You just walked to the market and nicked an apple?" Mario cut in incredulously, a smile playing on his lips.

"I didn't mean to steal! I realized later they probably expected this… money, right? But, no one listened, no one wanted to tell me where I could get it. I had to run away. And every time someone spotted me on the street or in the fields, it was all the same - 'Maleficar, call the Templars!' After that, I stayed as a sparrow, observing people. I hoped to learn more that way, but it's still so confusing."

"Sí, they wanted money. And I think the robes are a tip-off that you are a mage. People are usually scared of what they do not understand, no? Do not worry, we can teach you what you need to know." Korlys gave the mage a reassuring smile. He needed to gain Attrei's trust to find out what he knew, and to ensure the kid would not fly away until he could decide what to do with him. "So, what sort of spells can you do?"

"Thanks." Attrei returned the smile. "I'm a mind mage. I can't do flashy things like fireballs… those hurt people. I make them fall asleep, or unable to move, or scare them, but it doesn't hurt them," he explained proudly.

"What the fuck? I'd rather be burned by fire than have someone mess with my mind," Mario snapped, glaring at the mage. How was that better than being a maleficar?

"Mario," Korlys said, a fake smile on his face, "may I have a word with you, please? In private?" Korlys turned back to Attrei. "Excuse us for a moment, Attrei... we will be right back," he said, then looked at Mario, waiting for him to follow.

"What for?" The thief rolled his eyes but followed anyway. "Lead the way."

The ex-Crow led Mario some distance away, positioning himself where he could keep an eye on Attrei, and Mario facing away from the mage. The last thing he needed was for Attrei to be able to see Mario's expression. The young thief's face was like an open book.

"Mario," Korlys said, his voice low enough so only they could hear it. "He just said he could mess with our minds. Do you really think it is a good idea to antagonize him?" The assassin continued, not expecting an answer. "Firstly, he saved our lives last night. We would both be dead if he had not 'messed with' the Crows' minds. And secondly and more importantly, it violates a rule I have that applies in this situation - 'do not piss off mages'. So, can you please try not to piss him off?" He glanced at Attrei, happy to see that the mage was quietly waiting for their return, and didn't seem to be upset... yet. Korlys looked back at Mario. "Just... try to be nice, sí?"

The young thief listened with his lips pressed together and his arms crossed. "Are you done lecturing me?" he asked when Korlys finished. "Yeah, I get that he saved us. But we saved him as well - the Crows would get him for what he did. And we gave him food, though we don't have enough even for the two of us right now. But worst of all, he's a fucking mind mage! I want him to know I don't like his magic and that he better not try to cast it near us. What's wrong with that?"

"You were glaring at him while you said it, that is what is wrong with that," Korlys replied, keeping his expression pleasant for the mage's benefit.

"Now I can't even look how I want?" Mario asked incredulously. Wasn't it enough he had to always think about what he was saying so that he wouldn't offend Korlys, now he had to worry that his expression would piss off the crazy mageling? But he was too tired to argue - he wouldn't be able to stop himself. And he didn't want that. He liked Korlys, though he was such a pain in the ass sometimes. "Yeah. Okay. Whatever," he grumbled. "Anything else you wanted to tell me?"

Korlys grinned. "Sí. You are so cute when you sulk." He gave Mario a wink and walked back to the waiting mage.

oOo

By the time they made camp that night, the three elves were exhausted. They had pushed themselves hard, stopping only for a brief lunch, then hiking until the light was failing, giving themselves just enough time to set up the tent and start a fire before night fell completely. It seemed to Korlys that they had moved towards the east, as they'd had the sun to their backs since lunchtime. According to his map, that's exactly the direction they wanted to be going. He stuffed the map back into his pack as Mario brought some food over and set it down between the three of them.

"We need a schedule for tonight," Korlys said with a sigh. Every muscle in his body was sore, and all he really wanted to do was crawl into his bedroll and fall asleep. Mario's surly attitude had exhausted him as well and had made it that much harder for Korlys to put the mage at ease. "Attrei, you can have the first watch, and Mario can take the last one. I will take the watch in the middle." The Antivan had no intention of sleeping on Attrei's watch, however; he was going to observe the mage from the shadows. But it was important to let Attrei believe they trusted him.

"Oh, can I?" Attrei's eyes lit up in excitement. "Should I draw a few glyphs around camp?"

"What is a glyph?" Korlys asked.

"It's a spell, but it's not cast on a target, it's inscribed on the ground, with magic energy… mana, we call it. It's triggered when someone steps into the area within its range," he explained. "But I can only do simple glyphs, like paralysis or repulsion."

Korlys gave Attrei a warm smile. "Wow, that is really impressive - and useful. Grazie. We will also need set the traps after we eat. It is already dark, but one of us can hold a torch for the other." He frowned thoughtfully. "I am not quite sure where to put them, though, now that we are not near a water source."

Mario opened his mouth to offer his help, but the mage was faster.

"I can summon wisps," he said, immediately demonstrating. Three little balls of light appeared from thin air and whizzed around their heads.

"That is awesome, Attrei," Korlys said, watching the balls of light with a wide grin. "Would you mind helping me set the traps? I just need you to use your wisps so I can see."

"Of course! I'd love to help." The mage beamed.

"Well aren't you eager to help. A proper eager beaver," Mario muttered.

Korlys ignored Mario's snarky remark. Maybe he would feel better after he had more sleep; anyone would be cranky with the last twenty-four hours they had just been through, after all.

Mario watched them leave, mildly irritated. He's going to set traps with him? I'm not needed anymore, am I? No… that was nonsense. Why should it matter, who set the traps? If the stupid little mage wanted to work, then let him. At least he could get some rest. He retreated to the tent, not bothering to pack up the food. Let the mage do it.

oOo

"Where are we going?" Attrei asked as he followed the other elf. "And those traps, they won't hurt the animals, right? I mean, I know we will kill them… but they won't suffer long, will they?"

Korlys led the way, looking for signs of any trails as he walked. "No, the traps are designed to just hold the animal, not hurt it. Once we release it, we kill it quickly. Although..." He turned to look at the mage. "Are you able to cast a sleep spell on an animal? Maybe you can come with me to check the traps in the morning. If we have caught anything, you can put them to sleep and I can kill them before they wake up." That way I will not have to worry about vicious bunnies, he thought dryly.

"Yes, I can do that. That's a nice idea, to let them die in their sleep. I hate seeing people suffer. Or animals."

He looked at Attrei sharply. Even a kid could not be that naive, could he? "How old are you, Attrei?"

"Sixteen," the mage replied, surprised. "And you?"

Sixteen was plenty old enough to have put childish things aside. Korlys found what looked like an animal trail and knelt down to set a trap. "I am twenty-four," the assassin said. "Well, I believe we can eliminate 'hunter' as a potential career for you. But, we will need to think of something you can do, now that you are on the outside. You cannot use magic, and you are too weak for any physical job that I can think of - I am not sure what I can teach you in that department, but I can make you stronger. The hiking should help, and we can do physical exercises. And you will need to lose the robes. I will let you borrow my clothes for now."

The mage looked at Korlys as if he had sprouted another head. "I can't use magic?" he asked, alarmed. "All I ever studied were spells…" He had no idea what else he could possibly do. "Will I have to keep my magic secret forever now?"

Korlys gave Attrei a sympathetic look. "Mi dispiace, but unless you want to be caught and sent back to the Circle, you will have to stop casting spells in front of anybody else and learn to fit in here." There was nothing he could do about that. The sooner the mage accepted reality, the better. "You will have to learn to do many things you may not like. Only you can decide if it is worth your freedom."

Is it worth my freedom? What was the difference, being tranquil or always hiding, always afraid that someone would find out? Doing something he didn't like? Korlys is right. I'm weak. "Thank you for helping me," he said softly. "I'll try."

Korlys finished setting the first trap and stood up, dusting his hands off on his trousers. "You are welcome. I am fighting for my freedom too; I will have to keep moving and hiding for the rest of my life, so I suppose we have something in common.

"Oh, and you will also have to learn how to put up with Mario while you are with us," Korlys added with a grin. "He can be a little cranky sometimes, but it is nothing personal." I think.

Attrei chuckled. "Okay." He paused, hesitating. "If I may ask, why are those killers after you two?"

"They are after me because I ran away from my master, and they are after Mario because he is trying to help me escape," he replied, carefully avoiding any mention of his murderous past.

"And you think they followed us into the forest? Then, if you want me to come, I'll help you, too," he suggested. "I won't be a burden," he added, remembering Mario's words. "At least I'll try not to be."

He smiled at Attrei. "Grazie. We would appreciate your help."

The two finished setting up the traps and returned to camp. Korlys noticed that Mario had left the food out. He must really be tired, as careful as he is with food. The assassin put everything away, then turned to Attrei.

"I want you to take the first watch, from now until about an hour before midnight. I will take the second watch, from eleven to two. You can take my bedroll when we switch up. If you see or hear anything suspicious, come and wake us immediately, sí? Are you alert enough to stay up?"

The mage nodded. "I'll also put a few glyphs around. Nothing will be able to come unnoticed, animals or people," he said, and immediately started to do that. Just let the killers try coming, he thought. I won't let them hurt anyone again.

oOo

The assassin woke up early before Mario had a chance to rouse them. He looked over at Attrei, who was still sleeping in his bedroll. Sighing, he pulled on his boots, then reached out and gently shook the mage. "Time to get up, Attrei."

The mage sat up, yawning. From the pale light that showed through the tent flaps, it seemed it was still too early… But, he wouldn't complain and let them think he was a crybaby who couldn't stand anything. "Good morning," he said, smiling. "Shall we go look at the traps now?"

"Sí, maybe we will have meat for breakfast." He stepped out of the tent and looked around. The dawn was breaking, foggy and grey. It would be a while before the sun rose fully and burned the fog away. Mario was sitting next to the campfire, looking morose. He sighed inwardly; he had hoped the young thief would have cheered up after some sleep, but apparently he was not going to be so lucky.

"Attrei and I are going to check the traps," he said, giving Mario a smile - maybe he would perk up if Korlys was in a good mood too.

Mario's smile faded almost before it appeared. "Yeah. Okay," he said, keeping his tone and face neutral. "If you catch anything, bring it here; I'll skin it and roast it."

The assassin gave him a puzzled look, but just said, "Sí."

Attrei trotted after Korlys, trying to hide his yawns. At first he had to focus on his feet, trying not to trip and fall on Korlys, but as the morning brightened and the fog lifted, the grey blurred blotches turned into trees and flowers, the shapes and colours crisp and fresh, as if they were painted just at that moment so he could admire them. "Beautiful, isn't it?" he asked almost reverently. "The mornings are the best. So… full of life, of hope…no, words aren't enough to explain it. I wish I had thought of taking my flute with me, maybe music could capture at least a part of it. Ah, but I'm blabbering, right? Sorry."

"Oh, you know how to play the flute? That is marvelous." Korlys gave the mage a smile. "And do not apologize. You are just getting to see the outside world for the first time, after all."

They found the little clearing where they had set up the traps around the edges. As Korlys approached the first one, he could hear something moving within. "Can you put the animal to sleep for me?"

"Sure." Attrei focused on the little animal inside, weakening its will. It took only a moment until the pitiful whimpering stopped. "It's done," he said, trying not to think about what was going to happen now.

"Grazie." Korlys took out his dagger, opened the trap, and slit the rabbit's throat before it could awaken. They checked the rest of the traps, but they were all empty. The two elves picked them up and returned to the campsite.

"Looks like we are having rabbit for breakfast, Mario," Korlys said with a grin, handing over the animal.

"Awesome!" A little grin flickered on his face before he schooled it into a neutral mask again. "Wanna learn how it's done, Baby? It's easy, watch," he said to the mage as he broke the hind paws, using the jagged edge of the bone to create a tear in the skin, and peeled it up to its neck. He cut it off, together with its head, then slit its belly and gutted it.

The thief turned to Korlys. "Stuffed with fruits and wine? Let's see if the wine we got in South Reach is any good."

"Definitely," Korlys agreed.

Attrei watched what Mario was doing, trying not to look too horrified. How was he supposed to eat it now? He knew it was necessary to skin it, but… there had to be some other, less brutal way. "I - I'll go fetch wine and fruit," he offered weakly and hurried away.

Korlys turned to the thief. "Did you know Attrei can play the flute? I remember the sounds of the lillo flutes back home in Antiva - the music was so beautiful."

Mario snorted. "Yeah. Wonderful," he muttered.

He nudged Mario playfully, eyebrow raised. "Why so grumpy, Pounce? Are you jealous?"

The thief rolled his eyes. "Yeah. Sure." He was about to add something more when the mage returned.

"Is something wrong?" he asked, looking from Mario to Korlys.

"Nope," the thief grumbled, snatching the fruit and wine from the mage's hands. "Everything is fucking beautiful."

Korlys watched both of his companions unobtrusively as they went through the morning routine of eating and packing up. After some thought, he chalked up Mario's surliness to unease at having a mind mage as a companion. The more he watched Attrei, the less he believed the little mage could be involved with the Crows. But, that did not mean he wasn't still a danger to them. The assassin had not observed Attrei in an angry mood yet; who knew what would happen then? No, best to continue keeping an eye on him - for now, anyway.

A/N:

Thanks to Bloodsong 13T and Oleander's One for beta reading, and our lovely reviewers for taking the time to let us know your thoughts. :)