(A short chapter with no action, per sae, but important as Talita describes the first time she senses the huge gulf separating mages from the rest of world. I deleted a bunch from this chapter that was simply "fun with nautical vocabulary", in hopes of picking up the pace. Looking to add some spice very very soon!)

[Written by the hand of Talita da Motta, as she is held prisoner by Antivan Crows, this chapter continues as a flashback into her past]

[The world of Thedas and all its quirks and loveliness belongs to Bioware...]

Chapter 7: Forever Apart

Seadance was named by an optimist, I decided as we climbed the gangplank. She had not one ounce of the grace and curve of my father's fleet vessels. Fat around the middle, she was what my father called "beamy", a vessel built for stability not speed. Main mast and mizzen aft, she was heavy with practicality and duty.

I frowned.

Juca raised an eyebrow.

"Seadance?" I said. "More like Seacow."

He chuckled, but tried to cheer me. "She seems sturdy, though."

"She'd have to be, since she will not be outrunning even the poorest –"

"Trainee!" Ivonetta barked at me, from up on the fore as she stood there with the Captain. "Bring the mage! The Captain wishes a word with him."

I saluted from where I stood and nodded for Juca to precede me amidship to the open stair leading up to where the captain stood. "Does that woman ever smile?" he asked as he passed me.

"Only after she's hurt someone," I responded. Belatedly, I realized that I had vaguely insulted a superior officer in front of a mage. Juca's chuckle, however, reassured me.

Ivonetta was waiting, impatiently. A small tightness around her eyes surprised me. Was the lieutenant seasick? Already? We were still at dock!

Juca, however, was bowing smoothly to the captain and introducing himself. The captain of the Seadance was a massive man, with thick arms and legs, and a barrel for a chest. His long, unruly hair and beard were red, touched here and there with spots of grey. Surely, if anyone carried the blood of fierce Avvari mountain people, it was this man. His name was Brellig.

Captain Brellig was scowling at Juca. "Ye are a mage with a proper escort, so I'll allow this te pass this time. I'll not have any magics done on this ship, though! Do you ken this, mage? The chantry woman here says ye'll give yer word on it."

Juca blinked and glanced at Ivonetta, who nodded gruffly at him. "He will promise," she said flatly.

Juca bowed again, and this time I wondered if it was not to hide a frown. Yet, when he straightened, his expression was neutral and pleasant. "You'll have no trouble from me, Captain," he said.

"Good!" Brellig growled. "We're full berthed, so ye'll have to work out yer bedding with the Knight Captain. As the hammocks are crew, and they don't truck with mages, ye can't have berth there." He paused, and eyed Juca up and down, as if looking for some last-minute reason why he could reasonably refuse his passage. Juca met his gaze. "Andraste preserve us!" the captain swore at last, and nodded for us to move off.

Ivonetta led us down to the passenger cabins.

I tried to steal a glance toward Juca, but he would not meet my eyes. For the very first time in my life, it was becoming clear: to be born with magic was to be forever different, forever apart.

And the Templars were the ones who kept them so.

(TY for any comments - I welcome them! Looking to stir things up in the next few chapters ...)