Kattrin was torn between elation to have Anders accompanying her and anxiety about how her mother and brother would greet her after being out all night. Out all night with the man that was walking with her. Having never done this before, she wasn't really sure what to expect. Even though Carver had his girlfriend Peaches in Lothering, he never brought her home to meet the family. Kattrin had never had a boyfriend or a boy who was a friend. Well, she had had Rylan for a brief time but she didn't really think he counted. She hoped Anders wouldn't be witness to anything too embarrassing.

Reaching Gamlen's home, she sighed and gave what she hoped was a reassuring smile. "Well, here's home. It actually belongs to my uncle, but he's sort of taken us in."

Anders raised an eyebrow. "Sort of?"

Kattrin worked to keep her anger in check. It wasn't Anders' fault that her uncle was an ass. "If you want to hear the story, I'll tell you later."

She opened the door and was immediately tackled by her mabari. He knocked her down and stood on her chest before proceeding to lick her face. "Ugh, Deimos, you brute. Let me up." Laughing, she hugged the mabari before he could go back inside. His tongue lolled to one side and he looked satisfied that she was home safe. "You know I don't like it when you lick me," she said, wiping her face on her sleeve. The hound retrieved his tongue and tilted his head at her, whining. "I still love you, but less slobber next time, okay?" He barked agreement.

She started to turn around to invite Anders in but someone grabbed her by the wrist and dragged her through the door. Carver glared at her. Then he jerked the first finger on his other hand in the direction of the fireplace, where Mother was in her usual spot, but she hadn't turned to greet her daughter. Yanking her arm out of Carver's grip she glared right back at him. Giving Carver her back, she stepped to close to Anders, who was still standing outside. Taking his hand, she led him into the house and to the fireplace. He let her guide him inside, giving Diemos a look that she didn't catch the meaning of.

Kattrin released his hand to place her hand on her mother's shoulder. She said softly, "Mother, I'm sorry to worry you. I was injured last night and this healer was kind enough to help me."

Turning to Kattrin, she held out her arms. Kattrin stepped into them gratefully. Her mother whispered to her that she had been so worried. Releasing her, she looked at Anders. "Thank you, messere, for taking care of my daughter. I don't have much in the way of coin but I will find some way to repay you."

"No, no, dear lady. Please keep your coin and—"

Kattrin interrupted him. "Actually, Mother, I don't know when Anders ate last. Are we too late for breakfast?"

Anders eyebrows shot to his hairline and his jaw came unhinged.

"Of course not, dear. You two have a seat and I'll get something for you. Carver, have you eaten?"

"No. I'm going to the Hanged Man to meet Varric. I'll eat there." Glaring at her again, Carver left, slamming the door.

Uncle Gamlen started grousing about everyone's lack of respect for his home and being overrun by damn Fereldan's looking for handouts before leaving.

That left just her and Anders sitting at the table while her mother was in the kitchen. Anders was looking at her disapprovingly. "What?"

"I am capable of feeding and caring for myself."

She leaned toward him dropping her voice. "Two birds, one stone. It prevented my mother from lecturing and allowed me to repay you for letting me get some sleep. My mother is an excellent cook. You'll see."

Anders scowled. "You don't need to repay me. I owe you for helping me, remember?"

"Okay, you win. But, what's a home cooked meal between friends? Or teacher and student, even?"

Before he could argue further, her mother asked if Kattrin could help her bring the food out. Kattrin jumped up to grab dishes from the kitchen. She had iced scones, fresh fruit, porridge, thinly sliced and fried mutton, browned potato hash, and fresh milk. Making two trips, they filled the table with the morning meal and passed around wooden bowls and utensils. Sitting back down, she bowed her head while her mother gave thanks to the Maker. She noticed that Anders had his head bowed, too. When Mother was done, Anders looked like his eyes would fall out of his head. If she didn't know better, he would soon have his tongue out like Deimos, drooling everywhere. She nudged him gently with her elbow and winked at him. "Dig in."

He didn't need to be told twice. She watched him as he heaped the food into the large bowl. She was hungry, too, due to the strenuous day before and the healing. She had matched Anders heaping bowl for heaping bowl the first time around. Four bowls later, she could only watch him in awe. Granted, he had fought Templars and had expended a lot of mana healing refugees during the day, in the fight against the Templars, and then more healing after, but Maker! He saw her looking at him and had the good grace to blush before digging in again. He muttered something about Grey Warden appetites. Her mother seemed to find the whole ordeal delightful. She laughed a lot and made light conversation with them both, with Anders replying between mouthfuls. Kattrin guessed that her mother missed the big family meals they used to have, with her brother and her father each going for third helpings.

Anders finally slowed down after his fourth bowl. He did get a fifth bowl but it was light fare in comparison to what he'd already eaten. Popping the last bit of fruit in his mouth, he leaned back in his chair resting his hands on his stomach.

"Thank you, Leandra, for the wonderful meal. I don't remember the last time I had such a delightful breakfast."

"Thank you, Anders. It was my pleasure. I miss having more people to eat my cooking." Her mother paused, thinking. "Anders, if you spend so much time helping others in your clinic I'm sure that you don't eat as well as you should. Excuse my saying so but you certainly don't look it. I invite you to eat here with us any time you would like. And if you can't find the time, then I will send a meal to you through Kattrin."

Anders stared at her for a moment. "Serah, I appreciate the gesture, but—"

"No buts, messere. And I will not take no for an answer."

Kattrin watched Anders open his mouth only to close it. When he opened his mouth to argue a second time, she smiled at him, placing her hand on his. "Be careful, Anders. Mother is good at getting her way."

Her mother stood, nodding her head and smiling at them both. "Then it's settled. And since Kattrin provides the majority of the food, Gamlen won't be able to complain."

Kattrin laughed. "Mother, Uncle Gamlen will complain about the sun rising."

"Now, Kattrin, Maker knows Gamlen deserves that with his recent behavior, but I raised you better."

Kattrin could feel the blood rushing to her face. "Yes, mother. I'm sorry."

"Well, you had better go and gather your brother. I worry about him spending his day in a tavern. Tell Aveline that I said hello and that she should join us for dinner."

Kattrin stood. Her mother came around the table to place her hand on Kattrin's cheek. "Please be careful, dear. I worry about these things you do for Carver and me."

"I know, mother. I am careful. Besides, I have Aveline and now Anders to watch my back."

Her mother sighed. "You are more and more like your father every day." She bent over the table to begin gathering dishes and the few leftovers from the table.

Anders stood hurriedly and started to gather dishes as well. "Please, let me help you."

"Thank you. You can take your current load to the kitchen but, if you would, please help Kattrin to coax Carver out of the tavern. I can take care of the dishes."

Before her mother could gather another load, Kattrin hugged her and kissed her on the cheek. She went into the kitchen to help Anders unload the dishes he had grabbed. Taking him by the hand, she led him out of the house and onto the little uncovered porch. Anders looked like he was about to say something so she placed her finger against his lips. Heat shot through her hand straight to her groin. Her heart pounded and her fingers tingled. His lips were as soft as they looked.

Trying to ignore her body's reaction, she removed her finger and said, "Let's head to the tavern. We can't talk here."

Nodding, he followed her down the stairs and into the Hanged Man.

Anders followed her to a table in the back of the Hanged Man. When the server came by, Kattrin ordered ale. He ordered water. As much as he wanted a real drink, Justice wouldn't let it happen. He'd tried just after they had joined. Well, after he'd finally managed to wash all the blood off him.

Distracting him from the past, the server brought their drinks. Kattrin downed hers in one long draught like a veteran and ordered another.

The question slipped out. "Where did you learn to drink like that?"

She smiled at him. "Carver and I spent a year indentured to the Red Iron."

"The mercenary band?"

"The same." Her smile faltered. "Remember when I said my uncle sort of took us in?"

"Yes. I figured it was because of his amiable personality."

She laughed, a full, throaty laugh that made you want to laugh, too. Maker, he needed to stop noticing these things about her. He knew that to develop feelings was dangerous. Plus, Justice was starting to become irritated.

"Thank you. I needed that." She winked at him and downed her next drink as soon as the server brought it. She asked for another.

"We would never have left Fereldan if it weren't for the Blight. My mother is from here, I told you that, but I didn't say that she was part of a noble house, Amell."

Andraste's flaming knickers. He swore his jaw hit the floor and his eyes fell onto the table. "Amell?"

"Yes. Why are you looking at me that way?"

He lowered his voice. "I knew an Amell, in the Circle. Solona."

She lowered her voice to match. "The Amell's have always had magic in their bloodline, ever since the Third Blight. My mother's cousin had a mage child. I bet that was her."

A shiver ran down his spine. He was raised to be a good little Andrastian, learning about the Chant and the Maker's plan. He'd given up most of those beliefs with the development of his magic and the resulting imprisonment in the Circle Tower. But right now, he could almost feel the plan of the Maker at work.

Kattrin looked at him and then at the table, tracing circles with her finger in a bit of spilled ale. "Did you know her well?"

His heart went out to her. Yes, she might have grown up free but the price was knowing nothing about other mages outside of her family. She said that her sister had been her only mage friend. He wondered if her sister had been her only friend.

"No. She was an apprentice and I, a mage. She was new to the Circle and I had passed my Harrowing. Apprentices share quarters with other apprentices on the lower floor and mages have quarters on second floor. But, I… um… frequented the apprentice quarters." He cleared his throat. "Before I escaped the last time, I heard that she was to go through her Harrowing soon." He forced himself to stop there. He had no idea if Solona had survived her Harrowing or the abominations that had overrun the tower during the Blight.

She was still tracing circles on the table with her finger. He seemed to only turn the conversation to things that caused her pain. The server came back with another ale. This one Kattrin nursed, sipping from the mug occasionally.

"Well," she continued, "my mother married my father against her mother's wishes, bringing more magic into our line. When we came to Kirkwall, my mother was expecting to return to the Amell estate, only to find that my uncle had lost it to slavers to cover a gambling debt." She took another sip. "We stayed in the Gallows for three days waiting for him to show up and pass that little bit of news along. They weren't letting any more Fereldan's into the city but my uncle had a plan to sell Carver and me into indentured servitude to pay for the cost of buying the three of us a way into the city. We had a choice to either help a smuggler group or the Red Iron. I felt the Red Iron had more money and reputation to hide an apostate." She sighed. "And so, here I am, a better fighter and a better drinker."

"At least you were only caged for a year." He didn't mean for his voice to come out so bitter.

She looked at him. "True." She tilted her glass towards him. "Here's to staying free."

He raised his water and they tapped their clay mugs together before finishing their drinks. Putting his mug down, he spotted Carver, Varric, and Aveline moving towards their table.

"Your friends are here," he said, nodding his head in their direction.