Kattrin made her way to Darktown with her laden basket of food. Many of the people in the sewers were hungry and eyed her as she passed, but they knew she was bringing food to the healer and so they let her pass unchallenged.
Ever since their foray to the Wounded Coast a couple of days ago Anders had been avoiding her. She was hoping that some fresh baked muffins and the rare find of a Fereldan ham would give him a reason to share a meal with her instead of shuffling her out of the clinic. And if that didn't work, she had a diamond up her sleeve.
Although not helping in the clinic had given her extra time to work toward earning her way into the Deep Roads expedition, she missed his company. He was one of only two mages she had befriended. Merrill was sweet but she had a very different view on magic in general. Yes, she'd been taught that spirits were dangerous, but apparently they weren't so dangerous that one shouldn't make deals with them. And every time Kattrin watched her take a knife to her flesh, she was filled with a mix of revulsion and a previously unknown yearning to experience that same power. She had meant to ask Anders if that was normal when exposed to such insular magic but never found the opportunity.
If she wanted to be honest with herself, it wasn't just to see him or to be near him. With the tension between the Templars and the mages in Kirkwall, she simply wanted the company of another mage. It was hard getting her other companions to understand the hardships that mages faced. Even among her friends she had to defend her kind. With Fenris being the exception, they all accepted Anders as the eccentric, opinionated, but ultimately harmless mage. And Merril was the sweet but harmless blood-mage. However, Kattrin Hawke was the leader who's being a mage shouldn't color her judgment. She sighed. I guess the only people who understand mages are mages themselves.
The door to the clinic was open, so she let herself in. Anders was busy healing a small boy with blood-darkened hair. Placing the basket on the desk, she made her way over to them.
The injured boy had come in with two other boys, either his friends or his brothers. It was hard to recognize familial resemblance beneath the grime of living in Darktown. The taller one, who looked around the age of sixteen, stood with his arms folded, trying to scowl but unable to hide his amazement at watching Anders wield Fade energies. The other boy, who might be eleven or twelve, was mimicking Anders movements. As Kattrin moved closer to the group, she sensed the Fade through Anders, but also sensed it from the impersonator.
Kattrin tapped the boy on the shoulder, startling him. Backing further into the clinic, she crooked her finger at him. He followed.
"Would you like to earn some coin helping out here in the clinic?" she said, keeping her voice low.
The boy made a face. "Ya mean helping sweep and such? Naw."
Kattrin shook her head. "No. I mean helping the healer with patients. Maybe we could even teach you how to make potions."
His eyes lit up at the mention of learning potions. But life in Darktown had taken its toll on this boy. He narrowed his eyes again. "How much? Potions gotta be worth more than a few copper."
"Alright," she hedged. "If you prove yourself useful, I'll pay you a silver for every day you help here in the clinic."
"A silver?" he exclaimed. But his suspicion rose again. "Everyone knows the healer don't have no money. You're tryin' ta cheat me."
Kattrin shook her head, trying not to smile. "I would be paying you, not the healer. My coin provides things for him that the refugees and Lirene can't."
He rubbed his chin thoughtfully, looking older than his dozen years. Finally, he nodded. "For a silver a day, I'm your man."
Kattrin shook his hand. "Good man."
When he turned to rejoin the others, Kattrin stopped him by placing a hand on his shoulder.
"I have some questions before you go."
Turning back to her, he said, "Alright."
Kattrin smiled. "What is your name and when will we see you again?"
"Name's Drew. And I can come back tomorrow."
"Tomorrow, then."
The boy went back to the others as the previously injured boy hopped down from the cot where Anders had healed him. Anders ruffled his hair. The three boys gave their thanks and left.
He turned to her as the door closed. "What was that about?"
Kattrin was still looking at the door the boys had departed through. "That boy's a mage."
Anders' eyes widened. "Really?"
Kattrin nodded. "I sensed the ability in him while you were healing. He was imitating you and managed to touch the Fade in the process."
Anders looked at the door, too, concern written across his features.
Kattrin placed a hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry. I asked him if he would be interested in working for you, making potions and helping with patients. After he expressed an interest, I told him I would pay him a silver a day if he proved to be competent."
Anders chuckled. "You were cheated, sweetheart. You could have offered to feed him a proper meal every day and gotten the same response."
Kattrin raised an eyebrow at him. It was the second time he'd used that endearment toward her. Maybe she was getting under his "I don't want to hurt you" armor. Not wanting to draw attention to his affectionate comment, she poked him in the ribs.
"Meals only get a person so far. Coin gets them further."
He playfully rolled his eyes. "Maker save me from financiers."
"Hey! Mind your tongue or I'll give your food away to the beggars," she mock threatened.
Anders opened his mouth, probably to continue their playful banter, but his stomach chose that moment to growl loudly. Kattrin couldn't help but laugh.
"Save your argument. Let's get some food into you before that beast in your belly gets out and devours us all."
Anders laughed as he moved to the desk to discover what breakfast items she had brought today. He pulled one of her mother's blueberry muffins out of the basket and stuffed it into his mouth before removing the other items and laying them on the desk. As usual, her mother had provided quite the spread - muffins, slices of ham, porridge, biscuits, fresh jam, slices of toasted bread, potato hash, and cold milk.
Kattrin detested porridge, so she accepted a bowl containing a portion of the rest of the food. Anders finished off the porridge before stuffing another muffin into his mouth. He then moved items from the basket into his bowl for a second helping.
He had given her his chair so he sat on his stool, devouring his second bowl of food before going for his third. Kattrin smiled. She was still eating her first helping. If Anders didn't have her to feed him he'd be nothing but skin and bone from his Warden's appetite. She started to wonder about the benefits of being a Warden that required such a voracious appetite. He'd mentioned increased stamina previously, but she pushed the thought away.
Kattrin finished her bowl of food, with the exception of her only blueberry muffin, as Anders was finishing his fourth bowl. It would be his last helping. The basket of breakfast was not boundless and all it contained now were crumbs.
Anders swallowed his last mouthful. He pointed at her muffin and asked, "Are you going to eat that?"
Kattrin clutched the muffin close. He was not going to have her blueberry muffin.
"Yes."
He set his empty bowl on the desk beside him, never removing his eyes from the muffin. "Are you sure?"
"You can't have my muffin, Anders. You've eaten three already! This one's mine."
He looked in the basket, eyed the muffin, and glanced at his empty bowl. Then he started looking around the clinic, as if looking for something of value to trade. Well, he wasn't going to win this battle of wills. As quickly as she could manage, she reached into the Fade, pulled a thin tendril of mana, and sent a shower of diaphanous ice crystals at him. He turned back to her, sensing the Fade, only to have snow slowly settle into his hair and the feathers of his pauldrons.
He gave her a wicked grin. "Two can play at that."
Kattrin was suddenly nervous. She didn't sense him touch the Fade at all when suddenly all the hair on her arms and neck stood on end and her nipples pebbled inside her breast-band. The charge lingered a moment longer and then dissipated, leaving a surprisingly intense arousal in its wake. Sweet Andraste!Was that a sample of his electricity trick?
With warmth pooling at the joining of her legs, she retaliated, summoning the barest thread of heat she could manage, causing Anders gasp as his skin became rosy with warmth. All the snow in his hair melted.
Back and forth they went, the coveted muffin forgotten, hitting each other with bursts of snow, warming of the skin, tingling of mild electricity, fine sprays of mist, mild breezes, any spells that could be made small and harmless without being malicious. Finally, Kattrin tried her hand at the electricity trick. Only she failed to put enough force behind it. Anders jumped up, squirming, trying to complain about it tickling between bouts of giggles. Kattrin was soon overcome with her own giggling, fueled by the delightful sounds of Anders' giggling and his spastic dancing.
When Anders resumed his seat, they were both breathless from laughing. Kattrin had tears in her eyes from laughing so hard. She noticed that Anders did, too.
Meeting her eyes, Anders smiled and held up his hands in defeat.
"I yield. You can keep your blasted muffin."
Kattrin wiped her eyes as another short bout of giggles seized her. Finding the muffin on the seat beside her, she tore it in half, handing Anders the slightly larger half. His eyes became warm and thoughtful as he accepted half of the last blueberry muffin. His hands brushed hers during the hand off, sending magic-free tingles through her while his soft smile melted her heart. She gave him a small smile in return. Maker help her. She wasn't going to lose her heart to this man.
She had already lost it.
Licking the last of the crumbs from his fingers, Anders stood. He began to gather up the breakfast containers, placing them in the empty basket.
"So, the boy. When is he expected to start helping me?"
His question caught her off guard. The mage boy from earlier had been erased from her mind by breakfast and playful magic. Gathering her thoughts, she said, "Tomorrow. And his name's Drew."
His eyebrows rose. "Tomorrow?"
"If tomorrow doesn't work for you, I can teach him the basics."
"No, no. Tomorrow should be fine." Passing her the basket, he said, "Well, I should get back to it."
He was shuffling her out of the clinic again. Since the clinic was empty aside from the two of them, she played the diamond in her sleeve.
"Actually, I was hoping you could accompany me."
His eyebrows drew down and he crossed his arms. "Kattrin, I should be here in the clinic. I have potions to brew – although I guess that can wait until tomorrow, now." His argument tapered off as he considered more help in the clinic.
"I'll help in every way I can to assist with teaching the boy potions."
Anders eyed her. She knew he was contemplating her being in the clinic more. Wanting to stop him from continuing his gloomy thoughts, she continued.
"I wanted to make good on our bargain. I've learned a lot from you teaching me spirit healing. If we could take another trip out to the Wounded Coast, I could teach you the elemental spells I know along with the non-Circle spells my father taught me."
Anders still watched her with his arms crossed, but his features had softened. She didn't want to push him too hard. He needed to decide to go with her on his own. She still wanted more than friendship from him, but friendship was all he was offering. She was striving to be a good friend. And good friends didn't bully each other into doing things.
Anders sighed, giving her his small smile. "Alright."
They took his secret passage back out to the Wounded Coast. This time the sun was shining and there was a mild breeze bringing the tang of the sea to them. They walked back to the circular area near the water surrounded by ancient walls. Kattrin moved past him to sit on the same crate that he had occupied the last time they were here.
Anders was watching her, making her nervous. She'd never taught magic to any one before, not even Bethany. Her father had always been the teacher.
"Umm…" she muttered, not knowing where to start.
Anders gave his small smile again, making her warm all over as her heart speed up. "You've never been the teacher before, have you?"
Sometimes he was too smart for his own good. She had no idea how he'd come to that conclusion, never mind it being the right one.
She felt her face grow warm. "No," she muttered.
He laughed a short burst of sound. "Then we'll have to work together."
Anders held his hand out to her. She took it and he pulled her from the crate so she was standing before him. He then took a step back.
"Where would you like to start?"
Kattrin looked at him as he continued to smile at her. Where did she want to start? Her mind was suddenly full of all of the things that she could teach him. Calm down.Don't get too far ahead of yourself. She took a deep breath. Then another one. Anders continued to watch her, his eyes dancing as his smile grew.
He was laughing at her! Well, not directly at her, but she had a sudden urge to light him on fire and watch that smile melt off his face.
They would start with fire then.
"Let's start with a firestorm."
Anders rolled his eyes and shook his head.
"What?" she asked.
"Go big or go home, eh?"
It was her turn to smile. "Exactly."
"Alright, sweetheart. How do you go about setting up your firestorm?"
Kattrin remembered her father teaching her this spell. They had been in the field after a particularly hard rain to ensure the grass wouldn't catch fire. Slowly, she reached for his hands. Holding one of his hands in each of hers, she pulled mana from the Fade and created a small ball of fire in her right hand, his left. It flickered warmly.
"Your turn."
She felt Anders draw from the Fade as she watched the ball of fire form in his right hand, her left.
Nodding, she said, "Now, we want to pull the fire up from the ground and through us in order to throw it into the sky to rain back down."
Before she could draw on the Fade energies, Anders did. A shimmering barrier formed around them.
"Safety first," was all he said.
Laughter bubbled out of her. It felt strangely intimate while she was holding his hands. Banishing sensual thoughts from her mind, she focused on pulling the small ball of fire into herself. Her hand ignited. Closing her eyes, she drew additional magic into herself and summoned more fire from deep within the earth. Working as a conduit, she felt the mana flow up and out of her, into the air. The fire followed the flow of energy. She opened her eyes as the magic dissipated from her being to see large fireballs raining from the sky, creating small craters in the sand. Kattrin then looked to Anders to see if he followed her magic through the whole spell. His eyebrows were raised, his pupils slightly dilated, and his lips were parted. The sight sent a thrill through her, raising her pulse and causing heat to pool in her core.
The barrier around them flickered and then disappeared. Anders tried to free his fingers and distance himself from her but she gripped his hands. When he looked askance at her, she said, "I need to feel the mana flow through you. If you don't direct the energy correctly, the spell won't have the intended effect."
He looked at the ground instead of her while he pulled his magic from the Fade. She followed his magic, feeling him encourage the fire to lift from the earth but when he tried to pull the fire through himself it came out his fingers. Kattrin released his hands and jumped back, casting ice to dispel the fire.
Anders looked alarmed. "Are you alright?" he asked.
"I'm fine. Look." She showed him her hands, revealing unmarred alabaster skin.
"I'm sorry. I've never had a fireball react that way." He scowled while color rose in his cheeks and ears.
Kattrin gave him a broad grin. "If it makes you feel better, I did the same to my father. Only, he didn't react as well as I did." Anders raised an eyebrow as his cheeks crinkled with the beginnings of a smile.
"What was his reaction?" he asked.
"It was spring in Lothering. We went out to the fields after a torrential rain. There were puddles everywhere in the grass and the earth sucked at our boots. When I began casting and my father felt my magic shift, he cast so much ice that I was encased in it and the field was frozen in a two foot radius around me." Anders started laughing, shaking his head. She continued. "He had to defrost me and made me swear never to tell my mother or my sister."
Anders continued to chuckle, smiling generously at her. She grinned back at him.
"And that was just the first time. The second time, he drenched us both with enough water that he could have filled the horse trough. I was sick for two weeks after that."
He smirked at her. "Are you saying you're going to get me sick?"
"Maker, I hope not! I bet you're a terrible patient."
He laughed again. "I believe I've been told that before."
"So," she said, "are you ready to try again?"
He rubbed his hands together using mana to make sparks like striking steel with flint. Kattrin accepted that as a yes.
She walked around him until she was facing his back. Stepping toward him, she snaked her arms along his, softly grasping his wrists as her chest became flush with his spine. She felt him stiffen but ignored it. His feathered pauldrons were soft against her cheeks. He smelled of herbs, leather, wood smoke, and something distinctly Anders.
"What are you doing?"
"I'm following the flow of your magic while being out of harm's way."
His breathing quickened. "Kattrin, I'm not entirely comfortable with this."
"Relax, Anders. I'm not going to molest you or take advantage of you." No matter how much I want to.And, Maker, do I want to.
She felt Anders slow his breathing. He took a deep breath as he pierced the veil. Mana moved through him, up through his legs, to his torso, and into his arms. He fought to make the magic continue to coursing upward but he was floundering. Kattrin flexed, lifting his arms skyward as the fire erupted from his hands. She thought they would need to start again when fireballs began raining from the sky. Quickly, she moved from Anders' back to his side, calling a barrier to protect them. She turned to compliment him only to see him gazing upward in wonder. Without thinking, she found his hand with hers and twinned their fingers together. He was so distracted that he squeezed her hand in return.
"Well done," she said softly.
He angled his head at her, looking at her from under his lashes. "I had a good teacher," he whispered. His whisky eyes were full of emotion. He squeezed her hand again before releasing it and stepping away from her. Kattrin released her barrier.
Anders looked over her head at the sky to the west. "We should be heading back," he commented quietly.
She nodded, hoping he wouldn't become aloof after her infringement of the friendship line. She just couldn't seem to help herself when she was around him. Not wanting to upset him by trespassing further, she began to lead the way back to the Undercity.
"Kattrin," he called gently.
She turned to see him standing a good pace behind her, still in the circular clearing. He walked up the path, stopping in front of her.
"Thank you," he said in a low voice.
"You're welcome, Anders." He continued to stand before her, looking torn. She waited patiently, offering him an encouraging smile.
He took a deep breath. "I never really had a knack for the larger elemental spells. And you're the first who succeeded in teaching me." He looked down, seemingly abashed. "I would like to do this again."
Kattrin's heart soared. Trying to tamp down her rising jubilation, she said, "I'm sure we can arrange it. Just let me know when you're free to leave the clinic and we'll work on other spells."
He gave her his small, crooked smile and her heart skipped a beat. Then he walked past her, up the path. She followed him back to Gamlen's home, where he offered her a tender "Goodnight, Kattrin" before leaving for Darktown. She couldn't stop the stupid grin from forming on her face as she opened the door and stepped inside.
A/N: Sorry for the delay. This chapter fought me. I'm still not completely happy with it but I didn't want to make you wait anymore. :D