Attrei was bored out of his mind. Watching the little wisp flutter around the cabin like a Fade fly was about as fun as watching its mundane counterpart - both were entertaining for twenty seconds at most. It was too late to play the recorder, there wasn't a single book in Fereldan, except the ghost pirates story he gave to Mario, and he'd read that one twice already - not counting Mario's reading lessons every morning. He'd played cards with the kids for some time, but they had both been so exhausted they could barely keep their eyes open. Although they pretended to still care about the game, they hadn't said a word of protest when he sent them to bed after two rounds. Claudio had also retreated for the night, and Korlys hadn't come back yet. Maybe he'd decided to help Mario with patrolling the ship; they both took it so seriously. Attrei couldn't see the point. What could the sailors do? And why would they do anything? Surely this was better than serving the Crows!

The door to the cabin opened gradually, soundlessly, and a silhouette of a man hesitated a moment before stepping out of the shadows and into the room. Korlys closed the door behind him, his expression seeming even more enigmatic than usual if that was possible. "Ah, you are still up - are you having trouble sleeping?"

Attrei snorted. "I've been taking naps the whole day; Claudio insists I must rest, and now I'm not tired at all. But I thought you were spending the night with Mario," he said teasingly.

Korlys' lips curved in an amused smirk. "We did spend some time together. Unfortunately, duty calls, ?" He removed his daggers, carefully laying them on the small dresser next to the bed. Mario had found an excellent throwing knife during his looting - not quite as good as his, but it still made him feel more secure to have a knife at the small of his back again.

He sat on the edge of the bed, then pulled his boots off with a sigh, pausing for a moment to enjoy the feeling of soft fur on his bare feet. He was still amazed that Mario had thought to bring his rug, with everything that had been going on. You'd think he was Antivan.

"Attrei, do you know if Mario is still having nightmares?" he asked, as he pulled off his shirt, his back still turned to the mage. "I know he only had one healing - is that enough for him to not need potions anymore?"

"One healing is rarely enough - not even for the flu, much less for healing your mind," Attrei pointed out. "He's still taking potions."

Great, Korlys thought dryly. "Do you think he will have enough, then? Or do you have the ingredients to make more?"

"He has enough for a few days, and we'll resupply herbs in Alamar. Why? What happened? Did he have a nightmare while you were together?"

Korlys swung his legs onto the bed and leaned back against a pillow, not bothering to get under the sheets. "No, no - he is fine. We were not sleeping. I need your help with something," Korlys continued, "but only if you can promise to keep it between the two of us. Will you do that?"

"Of course," Attrei said, slightly alarmed. What had happened? "I'll do all I can."

"Grazie. After Mario left, I fell asleep and had a nightmare of my own." Korlys paused. "Are you still having them?"

"No. It was just that one time… If you don't mind me asking, what was the nightmare about? You don't have to tell me details, just if it was about something that happened to you, or if it was something unrelated. If it's the latter maybe you don't need healing at all. Everyone has a nightmare from time to time. It's how our minds deal with what happens to us and around us. Or how they warn us that whatever we had for dinner wasn't good for us."

"Well, it was somewhat related to an event in my past - but that was a long time ago, and this is the first time I have had such a dream."

"I see." Attrei thought about it for a moment. "Well, maybe it's nothing serious, but I'd still recommend healing." He sighed. "I now regret giving those potions to Mario," he admitted. "Maybe if I hadn't, he'd let me heal him. I hate to know he's hurting, and I can't help."

"But... does Mario really need more of your healing? He seems so much better now."

"Yes, he really does," Attrei replied. "I bet he'd deny it if you asked him. The problem is, mind injuries are not obvious. When you break your leg, everyone around you can see it. But when something hurts inside of you, it's easier to hide it and convince everyone, including yourself, that everything is all right. The nightmares, that's your mind screaming at you that the wound is still there and not healing. Mario is very good at playing deaf." Just like you.

"Then I do not know what to do," Korlys said finally. "I cannot allow you to heal me without telling Mario - he will never agree to let you help him, as long as he thinks I am not getting healing. But how can I explain why I changed my mind, without telling him about the nightmare?"

"Why can't you tell him?" Attrei asked, confused. "Just tell him you had a nightmare about your past, but it was so bad you don't want to talk about it. I'm sure he'll understand."

"Every time he realizes there is something I do not wish to discuss, he is like a cat that discovers there is a room you do not wish him to get into - it becomes his life's mission to find out what it is behind that closed door." Just like you.

Attrei frowned. Mario could be tactless, he knew that. "Then tell him in front of me," he suggested. "I'll explain to him that he shouldn't ask about this."

Korlys rolled his eyes. "Oh yes, that would make it so much better - it would appear that I was telling you things that I refuse to tell him." He sighed. "This is such a mess. I suppose I will just admit that I had a nightmare, and insist he not ask me further questions."

"All right. Now come here, so I can heal you." Attrei half expected more protests and was already preparing another argument, but it wasn't necessary. Without a word, Korlys curled up on the bed and lay his head on Attrei's lap like a tired child. Attrei smiled and started the healing.

oOo

Claudio stretched his back and arms. He'd give all of Antiva for a cup of coffee! Thank the Maker they'd be in Alamar this evening; no matter what the silly little mage said, Claudio would not spend tonight running errands and preparing a party for the thief, Korlys and the Crow brats. He intended to spend the night in the first bordello with at least passable girls. Although, this port was supposed to be a horrible backwater hole even by Fereldan standards, and Fereldan standards were remarkably low. Claudio cursed, earning himself a suspicious look from one of the sailors.

With an annoyed huff, he walked to the railing at the stern. The boys were still scrubbing the deck, looking as fresh as week-old milk. They clearly hadn't slept much last night. Curious… but he'd rather not know what they'd been doing. Suddenly he noticed Mario, standing near the foremast with two sailors. He wasn't talking loud enough to hear the words, but from his crossed arms and sarcastic expression, it wasn't anything pleasant. The sailors listened with their heads slightly bowed, but their relaxed posture made it clear they didn't see him as a threat.

A soft thump behind him shook him from his reverie, but before he could turn, Korlys' voice came to him from somewhere close to his left shoulder. That he had made any noise at all told him the assassin hadn't tried to sneak up on him, but the effect was unsettling all the same - Korlys must have been up in the rigging, although he hadn't noticed him when he'd arrived.

"Buongiorno, Claudio... It seems Mario is a bit out of sorts," Korlys said in their native language. It was always a relief when they didn't have to speak in Fereldan - it was such an inelegant language, especially compared to Antivan.

"Buongiorno," he replied. "Sí. You would think the sailors would be more careful not to irritate him by now, but you know how they are - if you're not a Crow, they do not take the threat seriously. Even though I heard he killed those two sailors in a rather gruesome way."

"Did he?" Korlys' tone was only mildly curious, but Claudio was not fooled. "What did you hear?" The assassin moved to stand next to him.

"You know they locked us in, sí? But they didn't realize he was a rat and didn't bar the window." Claudio smiled at the memory. "I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it myself. Murphy and a few others went to free Velasco, and then Mario appeared right behind their necks like a ghost and almost cut off the head of one of them in one blow."

Korlys laughed softly. "I believe that is a bit of exaggeration - even I am not so good of a teacher-" He stopped, as if brought up short by something, but when he continued, his tone was still nonchalant. "You sound as if you are telling a hero's tale."

"Am I?"

It was an interesting question, for many reasons, and Korlys filed it away for later consideration. "Perhaps," he said lightly. He could see Mario headed their way, but since they were still speaking in their own language, he felt no need to lower his voice.

"Perhaps," Claudio agreed in the same tone. "He certainly looks heroic today, no?" He smirked. The young thief wore a clean pair of trousers and a shirt Claudio hadn't seen on him before, and as he got closer, there was a faint scent of oranges coming from him.

"Good morning," the thief said pointedly in Fereldan, then turned to Korlys. "Ah, our Crow finally flew out of the nest," he teased. "I was just about to ask Anastasio to climb up there and bring you down."

"Oh? Did you need me for something?" Korlys asked innocently.

"Yeah, I need to talk with you. But not here. Let's go to Hilarious' cabin," the thief replied. They gave Claudio a brief nod and walked away, Korlys smiling like a cat that had gotten into the cream.

Claudio couldn't help smiling, too. It was terribly naive to start this affair, naturally. He wasn't sure who he should feel sorrier for - Korlys, for still being such a hopeless romantic, or Mario, who would inevitably end up either brokenhearted or dead after the Crows finally captured them. Until then, though, it would be fun to observe how far these two got. And the little mage. His mood darkened at the thought - one thing he did not wish to see was Nico getting his hands on this kid. A mind mage would be too valuable to kill. No, he would try to twist him, hurt him, maybe use Korlys and Mario to force him into service… Just thinking about it hurt.

But they were still alive and free and even though naive, he had to admit they weren't weak. He couldn't remember Nico ever suffering a blow like this, losing a ship full of his best assassins and Velasco, too. Oh, he wished he could be a fly on the wall when Nico found out it was a street rat and a sixteen-year-old mage apprentice who did it. The cafés of Antiva would buzz with that story for weeks!

Oh well. Now he was involved in this comedy of errors, too - and he had to admit, he was starting to like it. Not that he would risk his neck for them, or go fight the Crows should they capture Korlys again - he wasn't insane. But as long as they remained uncaptured, he would help them stay alive. Since Korlys had kindly let him stay.

The sound of the recorder pierced the air - the agreed-upon signal that Attrei needed him. He probably wanted to go over the plan for the 'lesson' with the brats again. The little mage took his teaching very seriously. It reminded him of his school days when his biggest worry had been to get enough points in a herbology test or conjure a passable fireball. Ah, the happy and innocent days of childhood… Everything had seemed so simple and easy to achieve - the world was waiting to be picked and tasted, like a ripe orange. Then came the Crows, and life had changed into a permanent struggle for survival. Now… now it seemed he was stuck somewhere in between, he thought with amusement, and he didn't know what-

Another urgent tone brought him back from his reverie. Eh. Che sarà sarà. He did know one thing, though - he would not be bored.

oOo

"We are done for today." Attrei hoped he didn't sound too relieved; he didn't want the boys to think they weren't doing well. On the contrary - they were disciplined and smart. And thank the Maker for that! Teaching was difficult enough as it was. He was lucky Claudio was there to help him. If he was alone, or if he had to teach a room full of kids - or his child self - he'd have gone crazy after a week or two.

"We'll still work with elfroot tomorrow, so just go through your notes," he continued in what he hoped was a cheerful and encouraging voice. "Before you go, do you have any questions?" He glanced at Anastasio. The kid had looked like he was almost bursting with questions, but he hadn't asked much in class.

Anastasio carefully laid a blotting paper over his notes to keep the ink from smearing before turning to Attrei. He'd been trying to find a way to work his questions into the lesson smoothly, but all they'd talked about was elfroot. And this might be his only chance to ask for a long time - he was sure once they'd landed everyone would be too busy arranging things to chat. He would never have the courage to ask Claudio such a thing, but he felt he could trust Attrei to at least not make fun of him.

"I was just wondering, what makes a mage a mage?" This wasn't the heart of the matter, but Anastasio couldn't overcome his instinct to test the waters first, before committing himself.

"That's an interesting question…" The obvious answer was, of course, that it was magic - the ability to cast spells. But Anastasio knew that already; he was too smart to ask an obvious question. If he asked, he had to have a reason. "You know what the Fade is?" When Anastasio nodded, he continued. "Everyone is connected to the Fade, even if only in their dreams. Mages can connect to it even when they're awake. It's where we draw the mana from to cast spells. Although my mentor used to say other people can do it, to some extent, without even knowing. The difference is, a mage does it consciously and deliberately. So I'd say, it's this… awareness, that makes a mage a mage."

Encouraged, Anastasio continued. "Then, if everyone is connected to the Fade, could anyone be taught this awareness?" From the moment he'd watched Attrei turn into a sparrow, he'd had a burning desire to do the same. "Perhaps mages do not need to be taught because they are more talented, but maybe those with lesser skill can learn as well?" He tried to keep the hope from his voice, but it was difficult.

"You know, that's what my teachers used to say - that Templars are just losers who weren't skilled enough to be mages." Attrei chuckled. "Some scholars believe it's possible - that anyone could become a mage if they trained their will and mind enough," he said in more serious voice. "Others say it's impossible, that you need to have a disposition for it. My mentor used to say that was nonsense. He compared it to a door - mages have their doors wide open, Templars have them ajar, others have them closed, but any door can be broken down if you're determined enough. Which theory is right, I don't know."

Well, it seemed that this was the best he could hope for - at least Attrei hadn't said it was impossible. He gathered his courage. "Would you try to teach me?" He glanced at Dante, who seemed surprised he was asking - they had talked about how amazing it would be if they could also turn into sparrows like Attrei, but Dante never took it seriously. "I will work diligently at my training, I assure you."

"It is truly possible?" Dante turned to Attrei, his eyes wide. "Could we learn to become mages?"

"Err - maybe?" This conversation had taken a rather unexpected turn - he'd thought Anastasio's interest was purely academic. "Of course I can try to teach you, but I can't promise it will work. But… Why would you want to be a mage? Most outsiders think we're not normal, and should be shut away like dangerous beasts."

Dante shrugged, embarrassed by his enthusiasm. He'd acted like a common child, not like the best Crow apprentice in his year. One of the two best, at least. "The same is true about the Crows, too," he pointed out. "It could give us an edge over them. We could fly away from a fight."

", I want to fly!" Anastasio hadn't given the matter of why a second thought - he certainly hadn't thought of practicality; who had to be given a reason for why it would be awesome to fly?

Attrei laughed. "All right. We can go through the exercises the apprentices do when they learn to focus and draw mana. Let me say it again - I don't promise you will become a mage. Don't expect too much. And I don't want it to interfere with your other lessons." He could imagine Mario's comments if the kids didn't do well at his training because they were trying to learn to be mages. "We'll hire a new crew in Alamar, so you should have your mornings free. If you want, we could spend an hour or so on this."

"We promise it will not interfere with our trainings - grazie mille, Attrei!" Both boys left with light hearts and smiles on their faces - Anastasio because he was already imagining what it would be like to fly, and Dante because it seemed they would not have to scrub decks anymore, once they had a new crew. They made sure to put on solemn expressions before arriving for Mario's lesson, though, certain the thief would mock them if he found out the reason for their excitement.

oOo

Korlys stood on the foredeck, listening intently to the sounds of the sailors around him as he searched the horizon for land. Murphy had said they should be arriving at Alamar within the hour, and he could not wait to be on solid ground again. The two apprentices had gotten cleaned up after their training and were standing nearby but far enough away to be unobtrusive, leaning against the railing and searching the horizon as well.

Even though it was past dinnertime, he knew they - like he and Claudio - had not eaten. It seemed all the Antivans were sick of shipboard food and eager for something different.

Korlys turned as he heard the hatch open, and watched Claudio and Mario step out. Claudio had Attrei in his arms, and Mario was carrying the wheelchair. The trio made it up the stairs and got Attrei settled into it, then wheeled him to Korlys' side. The little mage's eyes were sparkling with excitement, and he was unconsciously leaning forward, searching for the shore.

"How far are we yet? When will we see it?" he asked.

"No idea." Mario shrugged. "We should be there in one hour, that's all I know."

"Is Alamar as big as Gwaren?"

"I guess? Never been there, so I don't know."

"There isn't much about it in books, you know. Only that it's known as a city of thieves and that it's not recommended to live there. But if they're all thieves, who do they steal from? They can't just steal from each other all the time."

"Let us hope there is still a share for us," Claudio said dryly. "What after Alamar? Have you already decided where we will go from there?"

"To Tevinter," Attrei replied cheerfully. "I want to find a cure for the elves' mortality, and Mario wants to find his mum; she was taken by the slavers."

"What the fuck, Baby?" Mario stared at the mage, then shook his head. "I should've known you wouldn't be able to hold your tongue."

"Why shouldn't he know it? He's a part of our team now. He's going to help us, right?" he addressed the last words to the healer, who arched his brow.

", although curing mortality is not my specialisation," he replied. "What about you, Korlys? What is your reason for going to Tevinter?"

"Why not? Mario and Attrei want to go, it is far enough from Antiva, and there are not many Crows there."

Claudio nodded. Korlys was acting casual, but the healer knew he must have spent many hours thinking about it. "You will take the Imperial Road from Cumberland?" he guessed. The other option would be to sail up north around Rivain - too close to Antiva.

"." Once they had decided on Tevinter, Korlys had worked out the route they'd take, poring over their maps during his time alone. The apprentices were now within earshot, Korlys noticed, but they might as well know the route if they were coming along. And none of the sailors were close enough to overhear, so it couldn't hurt to tell Claudio what he'd planned. "After Alamar, we will sail up the Fereldan coast, probably stopping in Amaranthine and Highever to resupply. We will stop in Kirkwall and Jader as well, before crossing the Waking Sea to Nevarra. It will be a long voyage, but there should be plenty of opportunities to get off the ship for a while." Even though a ship was safer than a forest - at least as far as having to worry about Crow attacks - Korlys was already tiring of it.

"Oh, that sounds awesome!" Attrei clapped his hands. "I can't wait to see all those places! I read Nevarra is a beautiful country."

Mario frowned a bit. "But I heard it's full of mages who raise dead people and do weird stuff with them," he said.

"And I heard there is a dangerous gang - an assassin, a thief, and an apostate who does weird stuff to people's minds. They stole a ship and killed everyone on it and now they're sailing around Thedas," Claudio replied.

The thief stared at him in surprise, then laughed aloud. "Okay, I get your point."

At that moment, the lookout shouted, "Land ho!" Korlys turned and strained his eyes to see. Just on the horizon, he thought he could make out a thin, dark line separating sea and sky. His heart jumped. This was it! Somehow, he hadn't really felt free until just this instant, catching his first glimpse of the distant shore. An odd sensation, a sort of mental double-vision, came over him as he recalled the last time he'd seen land from this perspective. Only this time, he wasn't just a runaway Crow who had yet to be killed or recaptured. This time, he'd walk on land as a free man.

The End


Che sarà sarà - Italian version of Que sera, sera - what will be, will be

A/N:

Three years of writing. Two years since we published the first chapter. And now it's here - the final chapter of this story. But it's not the end of their adventures, and we hope you'll continue to read and enjoy the story when the next book comes out. (Umm... but, you *might* want to follow us to get notified when the first chapter is posted, because it will probably be a while. A long while. Mainly because one of us (ShebasDawn) is too chicken to start posting until the complete rough draft of book two is written, which, if it takes the same amount of time as book one, will be approximately a year from now. .)

However, to tide you over, we do have a collection of one-shots called 'The Scuttlebutt', which has three stories so far, and I'm sure we'll be adding to that as well. :)

We want to express our gratitude and appreciation to our two wonderful betas - Oleander's One and Bloodsong 13T. We are truly thankful for all the time, suggestions, guidance, and encouragement. This story is so much better because of your efforts. :)

Thanks to everyone who followed and favorited, and special thanks to those who took the time to share your thoughts with us. It was a huge thrill for us, and we really appreciated every one of them.