(It's here! Juca makes his move ...) (author's note: both Talita and Juca have the most wonderfully smooth Portuguese-touched accents when they speak.)

{Continues the story written by the hand of Talita da Motta, Knight-Commander of Rivain, as she is held prisoner by Antivan Crows during the Mage/Templar war, recalling the days of her early training, just before the Fereldan Blight}

{The world of Dragon Age belongs to Bioware. Lucky dogs!}

Chapter 9: Templar's First Magic

Not so pleasantly the weeks afterward passed. Hours of tireless training in clumsy, heavy armor filled my days. In light of what would happen soon after, I suppose that these lessons may have saved my life. At the time, however, I was not so appreciative.

More painful than my bruised muscles and bleeding fingers was the sting of my pride; the mirth I saw dancing in the eyes of some of the crew. They'd seen me lying on the main deck, gasping for air, while Knight-Captain Everado stood over my prone form. Maker as my witness, that man enjoyed my pain. His eyes seemed to burn with pleasure when he could disarm me, pressing me against the main mast or wherever he'd cornered me.

It was worse when Juca watched.

Surprisingly, it was Ivonetta's reappearance on the main deck which gained me a few hours respite. I didn't argue with her orders but retreated belowdecks to guard the cargo. Once inside her cabin, I blinked with surprise to find a wash basin, towel, and my leathers that I'd cleaned earlier that week. Mercy, from Ivonetta? I frowned as confusion warred with gratitude within. How could I have judged her so poorly? Or, was it a trap of some kind?

Trap or no, it was bliss to unbuckle the armor, strip down to smallclothes and wash. I unbraided my hair and dunked my head into the basin, giving my neglected head a thorough scrub. Unbidden, I thought of my mother, how she would despair of ever keeping me presentable. For me, there was always adventure, exploring, dirt, cuts, cobwebs and sweat. How my mother had yearned for a proper girl, with lace and petticoats, ribbons and silks. It had been so long since I had thought of her face and could see again the sadness that touched her eyes when she looked at me. I leaned against the bureau, wet hair forgotten and water steaming down my bruised body. I closed my eyes tightly against the vision I knew would follow; my mother lying in her own blood with the sword of a Qunari elf still protruding from her body. Maker above, but I would wear a dress the rest of my entire life to have her alive again! I would marry a man and have a dozen babies if it would mean I could have her back, and see her smile.

"Talita!" Juca hissed through the door.

I startled out of my reverie and grabbed for the scrap of towel that was left for me.

He knocked quietly, but with urgency. "Hurry! Talita-!"

I opened the door a crack, intending only to hush the mage and see what was so urgent. As soon as I opened the latch, however, he pushed inside and closed the door behind him. He turned to face me.

And the world stopped. He stared.

I fought down embarrassment and reached for anger instead. Fist on my hip, I growled, "What are you doing, Juca?! This is crazy! If Everado –"

Juca put a finger to my lips to silence me. I could not read his expression entirely, but a sparkle I had not seen in his eyes for days seemed to be returning. "I have healing for you," he said.

Healing. On cue, his words reminded me of the deep bruises and swollen cuts on my body. I almost welcomed the pain; it was safer than the other, harder-to-define things I was beginning to feel.

Instead of casting a spell, however, Juca opened a thin, leather satchel that had been strapped over his body. He reached inside and withdrew a small vial. "I made this," he offered. "It is made with elfroot. Take it."

I must have looked uncertain, because he took my hand and pressed the vial into it. "Talita! This is no time to be stubborn! That man does not want to play fair by you, you know this! So, we will even the odds, yes?"

I unstoppered it, and wrinkled my nose. "It smells of rotten weeds, Juca."

"The more powerful the magic, then. Drink it!"

And so I did.

It tasted worse than it smelled. Even as my stomach considered giving it back to me, the strangest heat coursed through my body. It tingled and pinpricked everywhere. I gasped and Juca held me steady to keep me from falling.

Magic. It was beyond healing, there was something strange to it. Not only did my once-aching and bruised body feel whole, I felt… more than whole. Like I could take up my sword and fight a legion of bandits without even pausing for armor. My skin felt as if it were glowing!

I looked at Juca in wonder. He smiled with more than a touch of arrogance. "I make good stuff, hmm?"

The sound of heavy boots on the deck boards came to our ears, and my wonder turned to horror. It was the Knight-Captain, coming to check on me. We could not get caught like this! In a flash, Juca latched the door and pulled me to him. We pressed against the wall behind the door, and waited.

The handle turned and met resistance from the latch. Everado (I was certain it was the Knight-Captain) hadn't even bothered to knock first! So it HAD been a set-up!

I had not had much time to practice with Angelo's mana bauble, so it took me several seconds to puzzle out what I felt next. The cabin was suddenly charged with a strange energy. It was nothing I could see with my eyes, but I felt it all around me nonetheless. It swirled and gathered, built in power. I realized then it was like the small test I'd had with the strange, blue ball of glass, but hundreds of times more powerful. But how- ?

Juca.

The energy was building and flowing into him. He'd closed his eyes, and was murmuring something quietly. To my vision, all seemed normal, but to that sense inside that had so recently awakened to such things, he had drawn so much energy into himself that he was full, near to bursting! I was suddenly frightened for him.

Outside our door, the Knight-Captain suddenly ceased his efforts. Heartbeats later, we heard his hesitant, booted footfalls as he retreated to the topside stair.

I blinked. A miracle? Magic...

Juca.

Whom I was holding. Closely.

"What did you – " I began to ask, but he did not let me finish. His hands to each side of my face, he pulled me closer and kissed me! It was my first kiss. I had no idea what I was doing! He didn't care, and kissed me again, and then again, until I got it right.

:-) This was the most fun to write! Please please review. I'm still working on pacing; the balance between dialogue and description. Please let me know what was easy to visualize, or what confused you. TYTY!