He never once complained. Not when the crossed the threshold and moved beyond the gate. Not when he had to go hunting on his own, because his mage friend had no survival skills. Not when he had to sleep on the ground in a makeshift shelter that they had to build for themselves in the middle of nowhere. And not once when his friend complained. He just kept moving on.

After all; what good was all the honor in Thedas if it wasn't used to protect those you held most dear? The weak, the innocent? That was all well and good, those were the people everyone said they'd like to protect. But really, it's human nature to be selfish, to be greedy, to only care about those people you can see and interact with. Those you can hold. Those you can laugh you can cry with... It's the same for everyone, just no one likes to admit it.

It was crazy, right? Why go through such lengths for someone the rest of the world considered less-than human? Why? Because he wasn't. He had decided the day he'd been stationed at the White Spire, that these people here were as much to be protected as those on the outside. They needed him. Remi needed him.

Days of journey. Rain, shine, snow. Mountains blocking their path. Yet nothing stopped them. And finally one night, the mage asked him, "Where are we running?"

The mage had since been rid of his robes and changed into more practical traveling clothes. He was not allowed to carry a staff. He looked just like anyone else in a loose tunic, leggings, cloak, and boots. His handsome features covered in dirt and sweat; bright blond hair covered by a hood pulled low. No one had stopped them on the way, and no one had really given him a second look.

You idiot. Do you realize how much you're risking?

Julien finally turned to look at him when he'd finished stoking the fire, his hair glowing in the light. "As far away as we can."

"That's not a real answer."

"It's the best I can give you."

"Did you really think this through?"

The silence hung thick in the air then. The accusation had hit him hard, and yet, he said nothing about it, instead staring into the new fire, watching the flames dance in the darkness.

After a while, he spoke again. "We're going to run until we reach the horizon. And then we're going to run some more. We're going to run far, until the Chantry can no longer reach us."

"And the Chant?"

"Will reach the four corners of the world. Just as it is meant to."

Despite the silliness of the things he said, he was full of conviction. He had not lost hope. Remi would not lose hope either. It was all they had left. That and each other.

"Julien?"

The templar looked back again, his head tilted to the side, the only indication that he meant for Remi to continue speaking.

"You… remember that time… with the bucket?"

"I already knew it was you."

"You weren't mad?"

He shook his head. "Is right now confession time? Where are we going with this?"

"It's just… You're the only person that's ever really given a damn about me. I wanted you to know I… appreciate it."

"That's bullshit, Remi, and you know it. The First Enchanter liked and believed in you. There were others too."

Remi shook his head. "Everyone I ever cared about… they're gone. Have I told you about my mother? About my life before the Circle? Have I told you about Meinir?"

The templar paused, thinking about it for a moment. Remi had told him a great deal about his life before the Circle, and even about his time at the Spire. Some things he was certain Remi would have prefered not to remember. Finally he nodded. "I remember the name. She was the one who took care of you when you came to the Spire, oui?"

Remi nodded, his hand reaching up to his heart; it ached just thinking about it. "She did. Until the day she just… vanished. As if she had never been there before. I don't know what happened to her. She was just… gone."

With a deep sigh, Remi turned to face Julien again. "It's just… whenever I become attached to someone, whenever I start to care, they abandon me. Julien… I don't want to lose you too."

It was then that the templar smiled then. A warm smile that helped to melt away the doubts he held. It was one of the few times Remi really remembered him smiling. He could count each time on his fingers in fact. And for some reason, he couldn't help but return it with a shy, rather awkward smile of his own.

"Remi, you're my best friend. I will stick with you till the end."

The recognition was more than he could have ever hoped for. It didn't matter to him that the First Enchanter was interested in his abilities. It didn't matter to him that he was well liked by the other Enchanters or the other templar at the Spire; Julien's opinion was what meant the most to him. His only real friend. It was sometimes hard to believe that the man was nearly six years older than him. It was something both of them often forgot.

"Promise?"

"Promise."

Remi nodded. That was enough for him. "I will follow you to the end of the world."

Julien laughed then. He actually laughed. Remi gave him a surprised look, unsure of how to respond, but Julien spoke first. "I don't think I've ever seen you so serious before. I never thought the day would come when I needed to tell you to lighten up. Cheer up, things will get better."

Remi chuckled. "Really? You're still wearing your clothes."

Julien snorted. "They're staying on too."

"Oh, too bad."

"Brat."

They both laughed this time.

Julien… Do you realize how much I love you?

o ~ O ~ o

Remi knew the cold. It was always cold. But it had been ten years since he'd seen snow. Like this at least. A thick, cold blanket of white that loomed over the landscape and reflected the many colors of the setting sun looming in the distance. It had been snowing since they set out again that morning.

Ten years was a long time.

Remi's eyes traced the deep footprints in the snow before him and his eyeline followed them up to the back of his armor-clad friend. He smiled softly, thinking of the promise he had made to Julien. He closed his eyes and took in a deep breath, filling his lungs with the frigid air. It didn't matter how cold it was. It wouldn't have mattered if it was blazing, he'd continue on. He'd never…

Just then Julien stopped so abruptly, Remi walked straight into him.

"Uh… Julien? Why did you stop?"

For a moment, there wasn't an answer. And then finally, the man turned his head and looked over his shoulder at Remi. There was a grin on his face. He'd never seen Julien grin like that, but before he could ask what had him so—Smoosh!

Remi blinked wiping the snow off his face. He certainly hadn't expected his friend to do that. The surprised look melted away quickly enough, replaced by a grin of his own. "Oh, this is war!"

Julien's only response was to laugh. Only verbal response at least, because only seconds later, he was moving away; faster than Remi had ever seen the other man move.

Remi rolled his eyes and planted his feet into the ground, pointing at his friend's retreating back. "You've just started a snowball fight with an ice mage! Prepare yourself!"

Another laugh, and Remi shook his head. So much for warning him. So much for the lovely, untouched snow around them. It had been nice to look at while it lasted. The wind picked up, carrying the snow with it as it swirled around the two of them. Smile turned to smirk as the wind-carried snow took more solid, spherical shapes that were pelted mercilessly at his friend.

"No fair! That's cheating!" The other called out, launching himself toward the treeline.

"You started it!" Remi called back, crunching after him through what was left of the pretty white ground.

And suddenly, the snow fell, and Remi couldn't bring it up again. It was odd not being able to summon forth his magic, but the feeling of it around him came back. Not soon enough though. Another snowball slammed into his face then.

"Another point for Julien!" The templar said, his voice smug as he pushed Remi back into the snow.

Remi laughed, "And you were complaining that I was the one cheating. When did we start counting points?"

"Just now." Julien smirked, burying Remi's lower body in the snow.

"Are you going to leave me like this too?"

"All night."

"Oh, woe is me! Someone save me!" Remi wasn't a very good damsel. Really. Brushing the snow away, he sat back up, pelting another—this time hand-made—snowball at Julien.

When the snowballs stopped flying, they made snowmen. When they were sick of making snowmen, they started throwing the same snow at each other again. When they were out of breath, they began looking for a place to set up camp for the night. Somewhere away from the road in the hopes that they wouldn't be attacked or robbed blind by bandits in the middle of the night.

That was, until they saw the bridge ahead. It was an old bridge, some of the stone crumbling in some parts, and in others vines were snaking across the grey material. It was what was across that bridge that caught their attention though.

Lights.

"A small town, perhaps?" Remi wondered aloud as they began making their way in that direction. Hopefully, there would be an inn, or just somewhere warm that they could stay. Sometimes, people could be hospitable to travelers after all.

Julien shrugged, already heading in that direction. No doubt he was thinking the same thing. When their eyes confirmed that it was indeed a small town, Julien turned to Remi and said, "No magic."

"I know, you don't have to tell me."

The town turned out to be larger than they'd expected and even boasted a few taverns; enough for them to pick a suitable one. Not that they were being picky, all they cared about was being near a fire and having something warm to eat. A real bed was a nice change of pace as well.

The people in the tavern barely noticed them, which meant travelers likely came through often. It was good for them really, they wouldn't be out of place. Luckily, Julien had opted for thick leather armor during their trip and discarded the templar armor; he would have been much more noticeable otherwise.

It was packed, as all taverns seemed to be at this time of the night, regardless of where they went. Not that either of them had a lot of experience in such places—none really until after leaving the Spire. Remi tried his best not to complain about the warm soup and bread. It wasn't as good at what he was used to at the Spire, but it was nice enough having something warm to eat on a cold evening.

"Don't look," Julien whispered, "But someone seems to be watching us."

"Shit," Remi said, trying to make himself look smaller under his hood; a difficult feat for a man a few inches over six foot. He wondered what it was about the two of them that could have attracted someone's attention. Voicing the concern also proved difficult.

"Perhaps they find us attractive?" Remi added, doubtful that that was the case.

"Maybe they really aren't used to travelers," Julien said.

Whatever the reason, they quickly finished their meal and left the tavern, deciding it would be better to find a room somewhere that they didn't have so much of someone's attention. It didn't take them long to find an inn with a room that the two of them could share. One that they didn't have to share with anyone else, at least. There were only a few other guests anyway, and they all seemed to be travelers as well.

Good, he thought, they could try to blend in with them.

When Remi closed the door to the room, he locked it and threw his pack onto one of the beds. "Were we followed?" he asked.

Julien shook his head as he looked over the room. It was tiny, but it did have two tiny beds, pushed against opposite walls, leaving only a narrow space between both of them. "I don't think so. I couldn't tell at least." He paused there to set his own bag down. "If we were, they stayed outside."

"Well that's a comforting thought; at least they didn't follow us into another inn. I don't have to be worried about being robbed in the middle of the night, nor do I have to fear for my chastity."

Julien snorted, "I don't think anyone would be stupid enough to try that."

"Are you saying I'm not good enough to find my way into the fantasies of others?"

"I'm saying no one would try something like that with someone like me around."

"Good point," Remi said, moving closer to his friend to run a hand over one of his muscular biceps. "They'd be more interested in you anyway."

Julien pulled away, and turned toward Remi, an eyebrow raised. "Doubtful. Now get some sleep. I want to leave early tomorrow morning."

Remi watched the other for a moment. It was silent for a moment as Remi thought, watching the other man's back as he went back to changing.

Finally, he let out a deep sigh. "If something does happen... If you are in danger, I will not hold back." iEver./i

"You don't have to worry about that. I know what I'm doing."

Remi grabbed him by the shoulder and turned him around, staring down into his eyes. "Don't give me that. I know you're strong. I know you can handle yourself. But you're not indestructible. You can be hurt."

Julien looked away, his shoulders sinking a bit. "If we are attacked by templar, there won't be anything you can do. Remi… Do not use magic. You can't let anyone know you're a mage."

"Julien—"

"Promise me!"

Remi's eyes widened a bit and he looked to the side as well too. "I won't give our cover away. I promise."

"Good. Now really, get some sleep and stop worrying."

Easier said than done, Remi thought, laying back on the bed. There really wasn't anything Julien could say that would make him worry less. Not anymore.

Remi had trouble sleeping that night; an uneasy feeling rising in his chest. The uneasy feeling only grew more as they set out that morning. Julien seemed perfectly fine though. He tried to calm down. All morning he tried. When they shared dried meat at lunch, he tried some more— he couldn't help looking over his shoulder, back down the snowy path they came from.

Finally, mid afternoon, he asked, "Are you sure we weren't followed?"

"I'm not. All we can do is hurry on and hope that we weren't. And if we were, I'll take care of it. Don't talk to them, and definitely no magic."

"You're starting to sound like Sister Martine now. I know. I know. I won't use magic. I already told you."

"I most certainly do not," Julien protested. Remi didn't argue, however; he was tense and his limbs were starting to feel heavy and sore. It wasn't from all the walking. They had no real plan, and they were running from someone they weren't sure was coming. Deep in the pit of his stomach, he knew they were.

Every corner they turned, every shadow they saw, Remi became more and more suspicious of it. He checked for phantoms following them. And every time another traveler passed them on the road, he could feel something clamping down on his heart, something tugging at the edge of his mind. He clenched his fists.

Is that the one? He'd wonder, Did they finally come for me?

He watched Julien closely, realizing the templar was just as tense as he was.

The next village they reached, they bought a map. They stayed up that night, looking over it, finally planning out a route to take. They decided to travel north, through Nevarra, and to Cumberland. From there, they would take a boat and travel as far east as they could. Rivain was maybe the best place they could run to. They both agreed on that.

"We're making good time, I think," Julien said, "If we keep up the same pace, we should reach Val Chevin tomorrow and then make our way across the border a few days after that."

"Val Chevin?" Remi asked. "We're passing through there? Are… Are you sure this is a good idea?"

"Why wouldn't it be?"

Remi tensed up, thinking about his mother then, thinking about his sisters, thinking about his absent father. "I… that's where I'm from. I… thought I told you before."

"Just keep your hood on and don't talk to anyone. We'll be fine."

"It's not fine!" Remi said, slamming his hand down on the table. "You know nothing! People will notice me!"

"Don't you think you're being a little dramatic? Why would anyone notice you?"

"You realize my family is nobility, right?"

That caught Julien by surprise.

"I will stick out, I'm sure of it. And… My mo— I don't want to see them again!"

"Remi, calm down and sit back down."

Remi took a deep breath, sliding back down in his chair. "They are just minor nobility, but I gave up my title the day I was found out to be a mage. My mother… When she found out…" He stopped there, not wanting to continue.

"We're not going to see your mother."

"Please… I'm begging you, Julien. Don't bring me through Val Chevin." His voice was shaky then, and barely above a whisper. All he wanted was to hide under the blankets of the little bed across the room.

"Alright." Was all Julien said as he stared back at the map. He stared at it for a long time. Even as the candle light died down, he was still at the table. It wasn't until morning that he told Remi his plan.

"We'll continue north, take the north road before it forks. Away from Val Chevin. We'll spend the night off the northern road. I… didn't really want to camp out in the snow again. It's hardly getting any warmer. But… If you really can't handle being back in Val Chevin… I won't force you to."

Remi let out a sigh of relief, and wrapped his arms around Julien, pulling him into a tight hug. "Thank you."

"It will add another day to our trip, however," Julien added, patting his friend on the back.

Remi withdrew then, nodding enthusiastically. "We'll manage."

Julien chuckled. "Of course we'll manage. We're so close, I can feel it. Things are going to look up now." He relaxed back into his chair then, looking up at the ceiling for a moment with his arms folded behind his head.

"Right, onward to Cumberland, and then Rivain!"

"That's the spirit," Julien said, pulling himself up out of the chair. He folded up the map and returned it to his pack, before the pair left the room for a quick breakfast and to stock up on a few supplies. Once they were done, they were on the road again.

Seeing Julien laughing and smiling, it made Remi really feel like things would be alright. And so, he continued to follow the other man through the snow. And it was, of course, snowing again. The snowfall became harder by afternoon. Hard enough that they began seeking shelter early.

With how much it was snowing, searching for a site to camp would be useless—they needed a cave. Some sort of real shelter to stay in overnight.

That was when Remi noticed that the snow had been disturbed. He turned to look at Julien. "Footprints," he whispered.

Julien nodded, his hand reaching for the hilt of his sword as he pushed Remi toward towards a row of thick bushes. "Hide," he instructed.

There was no time to hide, however, as Julien turned around, blade exiting its sheath in a swift motion. It was now pointed at the throat of a wide-eyed young woman then. As she backed up against a tree, they could see she wasn't wearing armor, and they didn't have any visible weapons.

"I'm so sorry!" Julien apologized quickly, putting his sword away. "I didn't know… I… Sorry!"

"Please don't hurt me!" the woman exclaimed, watching both men closely.

"We're not going to hurt you," Remi said.

Julien held up his hands to show he wasn't going back for his sword, "We're just a bit lost and tired. You scared us."

"I scared you?" The woman asked, her voice still high, "I had a sword pointed at me and iyou/i are the one that was scared?"

"I'm sorry," Julien insisted.

"Well… you two did look lost, I was going to see if you needed a place to stay for the night. I have a cottage not far from here."

Remi smiled, "We'd be delighted! We didn't expect to be stuck in a snowstorm tonight." He elbowed Julien in the ribs.

"Hey! I said I was sorry!"

The woman laughed then. "Well, you can come if you promise to leave your sword where it is."

"I promise," Julien mumbled.

"Oh, don't pout. We heard you apologize," Remi teased.

Remi took a moment to really look at the young woman then, dark hair pulled back in a long braid that spilled over her shoulders from under the fur hood she wore. Her bright green eyes were lively. She seemed so small in the thick fur cloak she wore, but it was her bright green eyes that really caught his attention. They were quite pretty. She was quite pretty.

"Well, come along," she said, turning and waving for them to follow her.

Remi trotted along side her, "I'm Remi, and that's Julien, what's your name?"

"Esme…" she offered, her gaze drifting toward the ground.

Cute, she's being shy now. "Well Esme, thank you for the offer. It is very much appreciated in this weather." He knew Julien was likely to scold him later for not letting him do the talking. But how could he with such a cute host? And true to her word, the cottage was close by.

It was small, but the smoke coming from the chimney was welcoming. There wasn't much of a yard to speak of in the little clearing, but there was a little fence with a small garden beyond it, and a pile of wood stacked against the house near the door. All of which was covered in snow. It was likely that they wouldn't be able to see logs nor garden for long.

She opened the gate and walked them to the door, quickly ushering the pair inside and toward the blazing fire place. She instructed them to take off their boots and hang their own cloaks by the fire before stirring the contents of a pot on the same fire. The room was small and sparsely furnished with only a couple of chairs were near the fireplace, a small table surrounded by a few more chairs, and a wash bin nearby. There wa door on the far wall that must have led to her bedroom. There were a few stacks of books in one corner and a small shelf hung on the wall with candles and other small items on it. Otherwise, the wood walls were mostly bare.

"Looks like this is just about done too. Don't worry, there's plenty for all of us," she said, turning to give them a bright smile.

"Do you need any help?" Remi asked.

"Oh no! I can manage! The two of you are my guests! Just take a seat and relax."

Julien and Remi exchanged looks and shrugged. "Are you sure this is alright?" Julien asked, "I really would like to do something to make up for… well you know."

"I said it's fine, there's no need to worry," she insisted.

The two sat down, and after a moment, Remi asked, "So… do you live here alone, Esme?"

"I didn't until recently," she said, tasting the mixture and then adding some salt to it. "This was my father's house, and he left it to me after he passed away. I was living in Val Chevin with my cousin."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"Don't worry about me. The past is in the past," She gave them both a smile then. "And the soup is ready!"

o ~ O ~ o

Esme had given them furs and they moved what little furniture was against the walls of the room when they finally decided to turn in for the night. Sleeping on a wooden floor was much better than sleeping on the stone floor of a cave with only their bedrolls anyway.

Julien was asleep when the fire died down, but Remi was having trouble sleeping. Tossing and turning on his furs. He stopped as he heard soft footfalls, and the creaking of the door that led to Esme's room. She looked to make sure the pair were sleeping before tiptoeing around their furs and bedrolls and to the main door.

Pulling her cloak on, she walked out into the darkness. Remi sat up, curiously wondering where she was going in the middle of the night. Maybe she was having trouble sleeping as well, and decided to go for a walk. But it was so cold out right now, he couldn't help but wonder.

After a while, he stood up and moved toward the window, looking out in the darkness beyond. She wasn't in the yard, and it wasn't snowing anymore either.

He moved toward Julien, watching him for a moment. Something seemed… wrong. Very wrong.

"Julien… are you awake?" He asked.

He could only hear the other man's steady breathing.

"Julien. Wake up."

Still no answer.

Remi looked toward the window once more, and then sat down on the floor next to Julien, giving him a gentle shake, "Julien, wake up."

"What is it, Remi?" he finally asked.

"Esme is gone."

Julien opened an eye and looked at Remi. "Maybe she couldn't sleep?"

"I thought the same thing, but she's been gone a while now. Something doesn't feel quite right. Julien… I think we should move on."

"Remi, it's the middle of the night, can't it wait till morning?" Julien asked, closing his eyes again as he buried his head against the furs.

"It most certainly can not! I have a bad feeling about this, Julien. I really do. We ihave/i to leave. Now."

Julien turned his head to the side to look back at Remi for a moment, then pulled his blankets up over his head.

"Dammit, Julien! Will you listen to me for a change! Get your ass up, we're leaving!"

Julien groaned, but he sat up, his eyes narrowed. He opened his mouth slightly as he stared into Remi's eyes, then promptly closed his mouth, his eyes followed. He took a deep breath, in his nose and out his mouth. "Fine, let's go then."

They quickly packed their things up and Julien pulled his leathers back on as Remi left a quick thank you note on the table. Once they were set, they were out the door and into the frigid night air.

They didn't get very far.

"Well well, look what we have here?"

"Looks like we found the blood mage and his thrall."

"The two of you had us following you for so long. It's hard to believe you got this far."

Remi's eyes widened as he looked ahead at the three men dressed in templar uniform. Hunters. A fourth figure stood behind them, and it took him a moment to realize it was Esme. She was in leathers, and had a bow trained on him. She'd sold them out. But how had she known?

"The templar is to be arrested, kill the maleficar!" The first one called out.

"Gladly," Esme said, letting loose an arrow.

Julien pushed Remi to down into a pile of snow, his sword out in one swift motion. The hunters laughed, one readied his own sword. "I guess it looks like we have to kill this one too. Shame really."

Another arrow whizzed by Remi's head and his eyes widened. He had to stop her, he had to keep the hunters from hurting Julien. Summoning his magic, he brought up ice and snow around them, swallowing the woman up in a vortex of frost magic. She didn't shoot another arrow.

One of the templar brought up a hand, and Remi could feel his energy draining rapidly. Julien had said not to use magic. Remi couldn't help it, he had to help his friend. He tried to summon it again, but it would come. He kept trying until he was breathless, staring at the melee before him. He couldn't feel his magic.

Suddenly, he felt so helpless. He had no training with a blade, and he couldn't reach his magic. It always came when he called. But now…

The third templar was coming towards him now, sword raised. If he didn't move now, he'd be cut in two.

Trembling, Remi tried to pull himself up to his feet, only to trip and stumble down into the snow again. The sword came down, and he could feel a sharp pain as it slashed over his eye, missing it's actual target.

Remi cried out, backing away as he saw red. He could feel something hot and wet trickling down his face, but Maker, he couldn't see anything!

"Remi!"

His back hit something hard. A tree perhaps. He hoped it was a tree.

There was a thud directly in front of him, but a blade didn't come down again. He could feel wind against him as something, someone moved by and he could hear the sound of metal hitting metal once more.

"Julien!" he called out, What am I supposed to do now?

"Dammit! Kill him, Stephan!" Came the first voice once more. From the sound of it one of them was already dead. But Julien… Could he really kill them all on his own?

The answer was no. There was another thud and a chink as something hit the ground just by his hand. He held it tightly as he heard the dying call of his friend. Remi's eyes widened as he heard footfalls coming in his direction, snow crunching underfoot.

"Your thrall killed two of my men. I'm going to make sure your death is painful." The man spat.

Remi pushed back against the tree again, he couldn't move from the spot. Everything was black… No, everything was red. There was nothing but the warm blood staining his face, staining his tunic, his cloak. Why was he so useless? Julien…

Just then, everything went white. No… It was more yellowish maybe. It was bright, very bright, and hot. He could feel the heat against his skin and hear a sudden shriek coming from the mage hunter. Remi barely had a chance to wonder what was happening as all sense and awareness slipped from him.

Am I… dead?