Somewhere in Nevarra

Benjamin's eyes shot open, rapidly blinking them. Suddenly he was awake, his senses slamming into him, causing him to groan due to his aching back. My incredibly painful aching back Ben thought upon further reflection.

He had spent one too many nights on the bare and open ground, in the middle of nowhere. Perhaps about a week in all, for his current mission. Ever since that family had discovered him squatting in the middle of their barn. He decided to not try his luck and fled before the Templars arrived.

What was worse, winter was setting in. The winter of 9:42 Dragon. His second full year on the run. How I have survived this long is some kind of Maker given Miracle. Since the day he fled from the Circle in Nevarra, all those years ago, he had spent it on the run. Trying to stay away from the main compounds for the rebels, he had heard the rumors the same as everyone else. But fighting, did not seem the best activity for his state of mind. So, he spent most of his time in the North. Nevarra, Rivain, the Andefels…but ignored the Tevinter Imperium, he even crossed across Orlais for about a week on his way…to where he was currently.

The rebellion had been rough on him. The Circle, for all its many faults, was safe and secure. He could usually get three square meals a day, and acted like a pampered academic.

Yet I have survived, he thought with a small jolt of pleasurable pride. Despite the odds, he was still alive to…worry about my back hurting and where my next meal is coming from, he groused, frowining.

Now he darted up, looking for what had woken him up in the first place. But not seeing anything he frowned, his brow furrowing deep in thought. If a threat or noise did not wake me up…then… He rifled through his memory and slowly, the first shards of the dream came to him. It was a nightmare, he was being chased, then a green flash of light rushed towards him, he felt panicked…then he woke up. But as with most dreams, he was vague and uncertain…and shaken.

It felt as though something were coming, as if something really was rushing towards him. The green flash, was legitimate.

He frowned, pondering the thought.

But, he had work to do. It had only been a couple of days since the farm, and so he was relatively close, the Templars could be down on him at any moment. He grapped his staff on the bedroll next to him, and checked his magical defenses he put at the edge of camp. Nothing too sophisticated, just enough to warn him if someone entered his sanctum. And they are still intact.

Satisfied, he turned around and scooped over his fire. Preparing the few steps of bacon he procured from a small village just a few miles away.

It rapidly burned, and he placed it on his plate, and started munching on them gingerly.

"Hey!" Someone shouted behind him jumping out of the shadows.

He choked on his last strip of bacon, whirled around reaching for his staff, and blinked. He was face to face with Patricia.

Granted she was dirtier, there was a scuff of mud along one cheek and her hair was in some knots…with a leaf in it. Her face looked thiner, more gaunt, her hair more gray then black. But, it was definitely her. And he had not seen her since that faithful day two years ago.

"Ben," She smiled timidly, "you look rough."

He ran his hands through his thick and wild beard, he had not had a shave or a trim, or even put any water in it, for months. It had grown quite wild in that time, sticking out in a frizzy mess.

"You should talk," he grunted at her.

"I," She jutted her finger into her chest, "am a paragon of health." She grinned. "It is good to see you again."

"You too." He nodded, and then gestured to his campsite, "I would offer you some bacon but I just ate the last of it."

"No need," She waved dismissively, "in fact I just ate myself."

Ben cocked his eyebrow at her.

"But…first…how are you Ben?"

He grunted, "surviving, as best I can. Hiding where I can, taking the open road, living a day at a time. And you?"

She laughed, "I was like that for a while. Until I ran into a group of rebels…and they took me in."

"You've joined the rebels?" Ben asked, scowling deeply.

His expression and his word choice gave her pause, the smile weakened just a little. She stared at him quietly for several minutes.

"They are doing good work for mages, things need to change…if anything the events at the Circle Tower should have proven that."

"I know things need to change, but is anyone considering what we will do with our freedom after we get it? What is the grand plan on how we will actually improve things for all the peoples of Thedas? Huron had a plan, and now we are on the run."

"So it was the wrong plan," Patricia argued emphatically.

"Perhaps…" Ben smiled at her, "but it sounded good. And, it's a lot more then the rebels have."

"And how would you know if you have been hiding, since you so obviously have? What is your plan Benjamin?" Patricia asked, again softening.

Good point. Ben thought, again scowling.

"Fiona is not evil Ben, and she does have a plan, at least for the short term…"

"But no one is planning for the long term!" He snapped, his stomach rumbling.

"Neither are you," She said, again not hostily.

"I know, I know…so what is this grand plan?"

She snorted, "Well freedom for the mages, to break free from the Chantry once and for all, accommodate the Templars."

Ben snorted.

"To that end, the rumors have it, and the fact of the matter is, the Divine is trying to host a peace summit between the two warring sides. Somewhere in Ferelden, that is the rumor, and Fiona believes it is genuine. Apparently Justinia helped us out during the initial rebellion in Val Royeux. And so, she might meet. Though, I doubt Fiona is foolish enough to go herself, she has sent many mages to look for other mages and begin spreading the word. Drag them in out of the cold, as it were."

Benjamin frowned, "And what of the rumors of what is happening in the Hinterlands in Ferelden?"

Patricia diverted her eyes, they grew unfocused as she looked into the distance. Deep in thought. "Not all mages are apart of the rebels, officially…" She started, and then smiled at him wryly, "and not all chose to stay on the run, hiding in the shadows, hoping to never get noticed."

Ben let her have her joke.

"Some, have taken a more proactive stance to survive, doing whatever it takes…simply to survive. Maybe one of the reasons this needs to stop."

"Maybe one of the reasons we never should have started in the first place," Benjamin remarked mumbling, drawing a glare from Patricia.

He sighed, "I am sorry, I do not mean to sound…so bitter. Just, things were stable under the Circle…well much more stable then they are now. And-"

"The Circle was a Prison!" She spat.

"I know that," He said, "I know the conditions were intolerable, I know we were living under the Templar whims and their sufferance. I know they could have declared the Right of Anuulment on a whim, and then let the Divine figure out who was who and who was where. I know we were little better then guests of the Chantry's benovlece. But…"

"But?"

"But we were safe. Turning to violence and escalating the situation has done no one good. How many people have turned to Blood Magic because of the war? How many people have succumbed to their rage…or their desires, or their pride?" He sniffed. "I can hear them you know, calling to me, especially when I sleep somewhere the Veil is thin. When I am the most hungry, all I want is a fresh steak, or some eggs. It is then, they call. How many innocent lives have we killed since this rebellion has begun?"

She stared at him, silently, probing.

"I don't agree with the Templars, or Chantry doctrine when it comes to the Circles, but slowly more and more was the situation changing. More Templars in prominent positions are beginning to question with boldness their ideologies and advocating for change. You even said so yourself, Divine Justinia helped us. We could have had peaceful, passive, reform. Instead the situation escalated and violence happened, instead we are fighting a Civil War."

"Do you really think that the Lord Seeker, Lambert, would have just let us go? He is just as responsible for this as we are. He did not want reform, and I have heard some very nasty rumors about him since then."

"I know," Ben shrugged, and sighed, "Maybe there truly is no solution to this problem. But violence is not the answer."

"Then come Ben," She said, "Come help me find this conference and lets put an end to this, together."

He smirked, "You certainly know how to cheer me up don't you?"

She smiled, warmly, "You may not have been the best friend to me, we may not have known each other that long, but I do believe I got to know you, all those years ago. In Nevarra."

He nodded, "Fine, I understand, but we really need to gather supplies for our long journey, and it has been a long journey. I could use the break, and to catch up with my old friend…despite my grouchiness it is very good to see you again Patricia."

She nodded simply, "And it is good to see you again."

"What is Fiona like?" He probed.

"She is…Imperius, grand." Patricia looked distant again, thistime with a smile on her face. "She knows things, seen the world. Everything you would imagine from a former Grey Warden. Powerful, carries herself with authority, and she knows what she wants from herself, her fellow mages…but the future."

"You areally admire her?"

"If anyone can lead mages into a bold new era she can," Patricia nodded, then craned back in her seat relaxed.

"I hope you're right," Ben said, deciding not to press the issue any further. "And so what is your role in this grand rebellion then?"

"I am just a minor functionary, a messenger girl in all actuality. Not apart of her inner council or anything dramatic. Just a foot soldier."

"Hmmm, how have the years been treating you?"

"Pretty good, it was rough for a while after we decided to separate but I eventually found myself in with a group of rebel mages, most of them from the Nevarran Circle actually, some of them from your class. Together we traveled South where, eventually, we ran into Fiona. I have been running with them ever since. Haven't killed…many people. Actually. Its been rough, I will admit…I just hope its worth it in the end."

Ben nodded, "I am sure it will be." He clapped his hands together and got up, he offered his hand. "Come now, there is a village not far from here, and while I hope you have money we need food if we are going to be traveling all the way south to Ferelden, and I need a shave."

She snorted. "Come now, to food and shave."

He nodded. And together, the two of them headed down into the valley. Down the paths. Ben slightly hobbiling, Patricia almost bounding, then shooting her companion guilty looks and slowing in step with him, only to repeat the process a few minutes later.

But Ben was enjoying the walk, and the company. His first regular human contact, for a man who was avoiding human contact, even the company of his fellow mages for years.

This was going to be the beginning of a long journey. A long infinitely complex journey. An intimate journey. Maker willing I will get through it.

But as the village came into sight, he couldn't help but feel a nervous glob of spittle develop in his mouth. Something was coming for him, I know it.