Spending time with Flemeth, Claire learned how to shapeshift, a tool the witch said would allow her to get to Tevinter much easier. After a few months of practice, Flemeth said it was time for her to go. Claire's nightmares had only gotten worse, but she didn't want to pester the witch, so she left without a fuss, running off as a wolf, following the path that would lead her out of the Wilds. What would her mom think of all this, her, running around by herself in a strange and dangerous world, barely fourteen years old... She missed her mom. Since the accident, she had tried not to think of her parents, but as she ran, she had only herself to keep her company and her thoughts continued to stray towards how much she missed them.
Being lost in her thoughts helped pass the time and before she knew it, she was passing by Lothering. She was hungry, but she had no money, nor did she think it would be very good for her to wander around the village as a wolf. She went off the road and circled around the village, wondering if she could hunt a rabbit or something. She knew how to cast lightning, and how to call fire, surely that would be good enough for something like a rabbit. She sniffed around, using her canine senses, but couldn't tell what scent belonged to what animal. Depressed, she decided she would just wait until she saw something move.
By the time the sun had set, she was starving and exhausted. Her footpads were sore, and she was no closer to getting something to eat than she had been that morning. She also had no idea where she was, or how long it would take her to get to Denerim. From there, she was planning on going up to Amaranthine to catch a ship to take her to the Free Marches, where she could go up to Tevinter somehow. But she needed to get something to eat, otherwise she would never make it up north. Why had she never taken any survival classes?
She transformed into a human and sat down against a tree, trying to decide what to do. The sounds of the forest different from in the Wilds, though not entirely disturbing. She had grown accustom to the wilderness, and living with Flemeth, she had gained a respect for the wild animals that lived around them. Sitting there, she started thinking about what kind of magic she had, and why it was so different that she had to go to Tevinter. What did they have up there that they didn't have anywhere else?
Feynriel.
It hit her, that Feynriel had to go to Tevinter to study magic because he was somniari. A Dreamer. Was that what she was? Was that why she was constantly having nightmares? She needed to figure out how to walk the Fade, bend it to her will, figure out if she really was somniari. She also needed to be very careful and watch for demons. She couldn't accept anything in the Fade, lest it be a demon in disguise. How would she be able to tell the difference between another mage and a demon?
Someone tripped over her, startling her out of her thoughts. "Andraste's knickers, you scared me!" It was the voice of a young man and he sounded more irritated than scared.
"I scared you?" She gasped. "I can't see anything out here, I thought I was far enough from the road, and you just trip all over me!" A small orb of light appeared and she stared in shock at the boyish face grinning at her. His sandy hair was falling in his face, getting into his amber eyes.
"Oh, I'm sorry, yes, I'm a mage." He said, casually shrugging, though there was a hint of hostility in his tone, as if he was daring her to challenge him. "Hope you don't mind."
"I, um..." Claire wasn't sure what to say, so she called up a little bit of fire in her hand and smiled back. He laughed and looked at her in awe.
"You're just a kid." He said. "You're definitely not from the circle... Are you a Wilder? You dress like them, but you don't look it. What are you doing out here?"
"I need to get to Tevinter." She said. "I'm not really Chasind, they just took me in after I was abandoned to die in the Wilds. Unfortunately, they said they can't help me, so I have to go north."
"Well you're not going to avoid the Templars like that." He said.
"Do they hunt even at night?" She asked. "I would have thought..."
He leaned in really close and said ominously, "They never sleep." Claire frowned.
"I don't suppose you know of a good place to hide?" She asked. "Because I'm exhausted. I've been walking all day."
"Ah, well... I've not been here very long, only four years now since I've been on my own, and most of that time was spent in the tower." She could tell he hated it there with how much animosity he spoke of it.
"If I knew where I was, it'd be easier." She said. "I know the maps, sort of , but it's so different down here and in the dark."
"Tell you what, we can travel up to Denerim together, and maybe if things go well, I could go with you to Tevinter!" She smiled back and nodded, feeling relieved to have a companion for the trip.
"Do you think it's safe enough here to rest, or should we move?" Claire asked.
He looked around and shrugged. "Should be fine here."
"All right, hope you can get some rest." She smiled as she curled up against a tree.
"You too!" He said. "And may the Templars not find either of us!"
There was an arm wrapped around her... her body moving with the gentle breaths of the strange boy she found herself lying against. Her head was on his chest and she could hear his heart beating, and she blushed with all the emotions running through her. He was only maybe a couple years older than her, but surely he couldn't see her as anything more than just a kid sister. She sat up, enjoying the cool morning air as the sun started to rise, waking the birds up.
"Ugh, is it time to wake up already?" He asked. "
"You know, I don't know your name." Claire said. "My name's Claire."
He sat up and brushed his hair away from his face. "They call me Anders." He said. She stared at him, trying not to show her surprise. She should have seen it before... he was just missing the earring, and his hair was loose instead of a ponytail, but he was the teenage Anders.
"We should probably get a move on, then, keep ahead of the Templars." She smiled nervously. "It would suck to have my new-found partner in apostasy crime taken away..."
"We'd end up in the tower together, at least." He smirked, but she frowned and looked at the ground as they walked. He was going to have to go back to the tower, or the entire fate of Thedas might be changed.
"I need to go to Tevinter." She said. "They'll kill me in the tower, or make me tranquil, and I don't want that. I can't let them take me."
"They're not animals, they don't just kill mages on sight, especially not kids." He said.
"I'm almost fourteen." She said. "Or I am fourteen, I don't know anymore, but I'm not just a kid. I was trained by the Chasind, then by the Witch of the Wilds. They have magic the Circle fears and if I'm caught practicing it... It's as bad as blood magic, they'll call me a maleficar!"
"Whoa, easy there." Anders said. "I um, I'm sorry. I didn't realize. But no worries, we'll avoid the Templars. I'm getting pretty good at it! Managed to jump in the lake and swim away this time, silly Templars couldn't even follow because of their armor."
"I bet that was funny to watch!" Claire laughed. They started trading Templar jokes while they walked. There were a few places Anders wanted to go check out before heading to Denerim so Claire followed, despite the feeling of urgency in getting to Tevinter. They snuck onto farms and picked apples, making Claire feel so much better even though it wasn't the most filling thing ever. That night, they snuck into an abandoned barn and Claire laid down in the hay.
"This is a much better bed than the ground!" Claire said, laughing.
"Too bad we can't just find some place to live in peace." Anders said. "You know, the kind of place where we can tell the Templars where to shove it..."
"Tevinter is rumored to be like that." Claire said. "I'm sure it has its problems, but the mages rule there, unlike here."
"How are you planning on getting there?" Anders asked, sitting down next to her. "I suppose we could just hop on a boat to the Free Marches and walk up the highway..."
"I don't know, I was just going to figure it out on the way." She said. "The boat idea did cross my mind though. I just need to figure out how to pay for it or stow away."
"You definitely need someone like me around." He said. "I can tell you're not used to being on your own, you'll need someone to show you the ropes." He sounded so confident Claire wondered how much of that was just bravado, a show for her. Whatever it was, it helped her feel better anyway. She yawned and stretched, trying to get comfortable. The warmth of the hay was getting to her and she could barely keep her eyes open.
"G'night." She mumbled. "Think I overdid it today..." He chuckled and laid down beside her.
The sound of angry growling and a dog scratching at the door woke Claire with a start. Anders had his arms around her, holding her still. When she opened her mouth to ask what was going on, he put a finger to her lips and shook his head, then looked around. She stared at the door, waiting for something to happen.
"What is it, boy?" She heard a man's voice. "Bandits get in the barn again?" She could tell Anders was panicking, but the only thing that was going through her head was a very dangerous and probably stupid plan. As the door was about to creak open, she looked in Anders' eyes and pushed away, becoming a Mabari. She walked over to the door, wagging her tail nub, hoping the other dog wouldn't attack. When the door opened, she whined and lowered her head. The other dog, some large mutt, growled and sniffed at her, so she laid down and rolled over, exposing her belly. The mutt looked at her disdainfully, then wandered back to his master.
"Maker... that's a Mabari!" He said. Claire got up and barked excitedly. "How'd you get in the barn?" She whined and started sniffing around the outside of the barn, leading them away from the door, hoping to let Anders escape. The farmer followed, curious, and asked her all sorts of questions, to which she replied as best as her Mabari self could. She caught a glimpse of Anders sneaking into the forest and wondered how she was supposed to get away from the farmer. She sniffed the air, then gave an excited bark and ran as fast as she could into the forest south of Anders. She heard the farmer yell, but didn't hear him give chase, so she turned and headed for where she saw Anders head.
When she found him, he stared at her nervously. "I can see why the Circle wouldn't approve of your magic." He said. She became human again and looked around nervously, still expecting the farmer.
"We should keep moving." She said. "I don't trust that farmer."
"You know, if I hadn't seen you change, you would have had me fooled!" Anders said, shaking his head.
"It's really dangerous to do that around people." She said. "I shouldn't have... but I panicked. I'm just glad it worked out and no one got hurt." He reached over and tousled her hair.
"Let's try not to get caught again, shall we?" He chuckled.
That night, Claire had a nightmare that the Templars had found them, and in her fear, she became a wolf and ran off, but got struck by one of their spells. They took her captive, and then one told her to run or he'd stab her boyfriend. She challenged him, and the Templar stabbed Anders, just as he said he would. She got it in her head that if she did as he said, Anders would live, but she would be stabbed in his stead. She wondered what would happen if she didn't become a wolf... It wasn't the first dream she'd had that she knew was going to happen, but it was the most vivid.
That morning, she woke up and asked Anders. "Anders... if something happens, and we get separated, would you mind if I visit you in the Fade?"
He murmured, still groggy, and opened his eyes. "What do you mean?"
"I can visit you in the Fade, if you want." She said. "I won't intrude, but I don't want to lose you. I've never really had a friend before. I can understand if you'd rather I didn't, I know I make people uncomfortable."
He looked sharply at her, then frowned. "That's what being a mage is all about, but you're fine."
"But even other mages are wary of me." She said. "The Witch of the Wilds is the one who told me to go to Tevinter because she couldn't teach me."
"I can't imagine why someone as innocent looking as you would make other mages nervous." He said.
"They... think I'm somniari." She said. "A Dreamer. Something that only the Tevinters really know about." She hadn't gotten a handle on working the Fade yet, but she was determined to, and then she would know for certain.
"I've never heard of that before." He said. "What exactly can you do?"
"I'm still learning, but... somniari can walk the Fade, shape it to their will, enter people's dreams... even kill people through the Fade." She didn't like the uncomfortable look he was giving her. "I'm sorry I brought it up. See what I mean?"
"I suppose so!" He suddenly laughed. "You're still just a kid though, you don't seem so scary." They talked about other things, him telling her about the Anderfels, and she telling him about the Wilds, and before she knew it, they could see Denerim. The city was impressive, even at a distance, and she was in awe at how tall Fort Drakon was. In ten years, it would be the site of the final battle with the archdemon...
"I've never been to a city like this before..." She said. "Just small villages."
"I haven't really been here either." He said. "We kinda skipped it on my way to the tower three years ago. Or has it already been four years? Look at us, neither one of us can remember the date." Claire laughed, feeling happier than she had in a while. He pulled out a small bit of cheese and started eating, and Claire tried not to stare or drool, but he seemed to notice and pulled out another piece. "Haven't you eaten lately? No, I suppose you haven't... You've had about as much as I have..."
"Not all day today and barely yesterday." She said. "We had those apples, but that was about it. So thank you very much." She tried to savor the cheese, something she'd never had before. It had a sharp flavor and was smooth and creamy, reminding her of cheddar. It didn't last long, but it soothed her stomach for a minute.
"You need to get some food." He said. "When we get to the city, I'll get you a good meal." He sounded so confident, she wondered how he was going to do that. She supposed he could always charm some unsuspecting woman out of it.
"You'll have to teach me your ways, oh master of being on your own!" She laughed.
"Don't worry, I will." He chuckled, then slowed his steps. Claire stared at the armored people in front of her, feeling the panic from her dream come back. They wouldn't... They couldn't... Anders groaned and hung his head. "I can't believe they would have found me so soon. Play it cool, they might just pass by." The closer the Templars got, however, the more Claire was certain they were not just going to pass by and she gripped Anders' hand tightly, shaking in fear. He glanced over at her, worried.
"To think you had the gall to escape again!" One of the Templars said. She was furious as she confronted Anders. "Took us a week to find you this time!"
He smiled and shrugged. "What can I say, I like the fresh open air."
"And who is this?" The other Templar demanded, pointing at Claire.
"I'm a Chasind, ser." She said, stepping away from Anders. "I only just met him on the road, he was taking me to Denerim as I've never been. W-what is he wanted for?" She glanced nervously at him, hoping it would work.
"He's an escaped apprentice." The male Templar growled. "And he's making a habit of it."
"It was fun while it lasted." Anders winked at Claire as he shrugged nonchalantly. "Might as well see the city while you're here, just don't get lost!" She clenched her jaw against the fear and the tears, then noticed the female Templar was looking at her strangely.
"Why would a Chasind be out here for, really?" She asked suspiciously. "You're a mage too." Claire felt the other Templar grab her by the shoulders and grimaced.
"Why would you say that?" She asked, still clinging on to some hope.
"I can feel it." The Templar replied. "Chain her, I'll chain him." Claire started thinking, desperate for a way out, but she knew if she became a wolf, she'd get hit by a spell and then they would know what she was. She needed to stay in control. Anders had lost any semblance of good humor, and was glaring at the Templar with such force as she shackled him, Claire was certain the Templar would catch fire.
"We'll take you to the tower where you belong." The male said. "Not often we get one of the Chasind. You have some bizarre beliefs down there, and it would be interesting to see what strange magics you've picked up outside the Circle..." It sounded so ominous Claire was certain the man wanted to torture the answers out of her.
"You try anything and I swear my sword will find your neck." He hissed. She had screwed up, so horribly, she had no idea how she was supposed to get out of it.
"At this rate, we're not going to get back to the tower until tomorrow." The woman grumbled, shoving Anders ahead of her. The man gripped Claire by the back of the neck while they walked and she wished more and more that she had kept her mouth shut.