When Attrei had called Alamar the 'City of Thieves', Mario had thought it would be like a huge and overcrowded version of the alienage, dirty and dilapidated and full of thugs. Yesterday they had not seen much of it. It was already dark when they arrived, the market long closed, and the streets lifeless. But now he could admire the city in all its glory… and Maker's shit, but there was a lot to admire. Compared to Alamar, Denerim looked like an uptight spinster cousin! Merchants of all races were offering everything you could think of – and buyers offered plenty of opportunity for a skilled thief.

An hour or so later, Mario was ready to leave the market with five more purses than he came with. Not much – back home, he would've had at least ten – but considering there was no one to watch his back here, and too many who carefully watched for anyone who didn't belong, it was good enough. And not a single one of Attrei's glyphs went off. His lip curved in a satisfied grin. City of Thieves or whatever. Lizards were still far better.

He glanced over his shoulder and his grin widened. The little rat had been shadowing him for some time now – he'd made a show of putting a handful of coppers into his pocket when he had bought some nuts in spicy orange stuff for Korlys and the others earlier, and the girl was clearly determined to get them. It wasn't much, just enough for a hot fresh bun… or to meet the daily tithe for the guild. She certainly looked like she could use it for either of those, scrawny little thing she was, not more than seven or eight, all elbows and knees sticking out of a worn-out dress. For a moment he considered sneaking up to her and slipping the coins into her pocket instead, but thought better of it. Cheap charity wouldn't help her. If she wanted to survive, she would have to learn her skills.

But she better hurry – he didn't have the whole day to play around. Five more minutes, then he needed to move on to scouting the targets. Maybe he should create one last chance for her, pretend he was buying something…. He'd have to make it convincing, though, so as not to scare her off. Rats were great at sniffing out anything suspicious. A target checking out something unexpected might be a trap that might cost them a hand, or worse.

Ah, this stand looked interesting. It had all sorts of leather stuff, dagger sheaths, gloves and belts, even book wraps and bookmarks, and there was a rack with bracelets and pendants. He didn't have to fake his interest there. Carefully positioning himself to make it a little bit easier for the little girl, he checked random things, making small talk with the seller, asking about the price and such as if he couldn't make up his mind.

The man was getting more and more annoyed. "Perhaps if you told me what you were looking for, or for whom, I might be able to help you?"

"I am looking for a gift for my boyfriend. He likes leather as much as I do, but he already has these," he said.

"A boyfriend, huh? How about some jewelry? A pendant, for example?"

Mario shrugged. "Yeah, maybe. But he's got refined taste…. Got anything better than these trinkets?"

The seller looked him over, as if deciding if he was worth all the trouble, then nodded. "Sure thing. But it will cost you. These are pretty rare." He pulled out a box from under the stall and opened it as if it contained forbidden treasure, and beckoned Mario to take a look. "It is the most valuable leather in the world."

All Mario could see, however, were just more bracelets. "Yeah, they're pretty, but what's so special about them?"

"That's rose-tanned leather," the seller said, as if it should mean something to Mario. "Smell it!"

Arching his brow, he picked up one of the bracelets and sniffed it. To his surprise, it did smell of roses.

"It is tanned with pure rose oil, and will keep its delicate fragrance for years," the seller explained.

Sounded like a trinket for someone rich and spoiled… someone with expensive tastes. Maybe someone who spends a whole gold on a bar of soap? Mario smiled. "I'll take one," he decided.

He was going through the bracelets, trying to choose one that would fit Korlys the best, when he felt the lightest pull on his pocket. Finally! He was beginning to doubt the little brat. He slightly turned his head, but he barely caught a glimpse of her, running away for dear life.

He turned back to the bracelets again, now focusing on them in earnest. One of them especially caught his eye. It was simple and sensible – no colourful beads and jingling charms, just straps of top grain brown leather, and a single silver ornament that looked like the figure eight, but toppled on its side, and it had tiny letters carved into it. It took him a moment to read them but when he finally put it together, his face lit up. F-O-R-E-V-E-R. Perfect! That was… p-u-r-f-e-c-t… or something like that. Whatever.

"I'll take this one," he said, handing it to the seller. The old thief didn't want to haggle below two golds, but for the first time in his life, he didn't truly mind. It would feel wrong if it was cheap – unworthy of his Antivan.

I must've lost my mind, he thought as he hurried out of the market. Time to do some serious thief's work.

oOo

The patisserie was not far away, but they had to pass through the whole market place to get there. Attrei stared around him with wide eyes. While he was hiding in the forest near South Reach, he had often visited the market in sparrow form to learn more about the Outsiders, and he had seen the market in Gwaren during the fair, but neither of them was this big and noisy and confusing and so tempting. Good thing Claudio was with him, or he would have lost his purpose and way within five minutes.

"You did paint glyphs on our clothes and wallets like Mario said, sí?" Claudio muttered as he resolutely pushed Attrei's wheelchair forward. "Say goodbye to the cake and the presents if you did not."

"Of course I did," he replied indignantly. He was not quite sure they needed it, but he decided it was better not to say it aloud. Claudio was even more suspicious of people and the world than Mario.

"We should come back here later," Attrei said instead. "That pretty rug Korlys has, he also found it at a market, you know. Maybe we could find something similar?"

"Sure," the healer said, although he did not sound convinced. "I believe this is the alley we are supposed to go down," he said, checking the street sign. "The patisserie should be around here… ah."

It was the third shop down the street, although what the other two were, Attrei would not know, his eyes fixed on the window display. Cakes were nothing new to him. They used to have them in the Tower often enough – on the five major holidays, plus once a month there would be a birthday party for all the kids born that month, and everyone would get a piece. And they were all lovely and delicious, with butter cream and candied fruits.

But the cakes in this display…. He'd never seen anything like them. These were not just cakes, these were works of art, decorated with flowers, fruits, and other stuff he could not even name. People ate this? But it felt almost like a sacrilege to ruin something this delicate and elegant!

Hesitating, he entered the shop. Even the silver bell that announced his arrival was beautiful, its sound gentle and fairy-like. Up front, there were low tables surrounded with cute little armchairs. There was a vase with a single red rose on each table. At the far end of the shop was the glass counter, showing more of the cakes, but these were sliced into even triangles; some of them were missing.

A maid with a white frilly apron with pink ribbon and a matching little cap hurried to him, moving as gracefully as a swan. "Bonjour, serah. Welcome to the Patisserie Celene. What can we offer to you today?"

"We would like to buy a cake, with chocolate," Attrei said, suddenly feeling dumb and boorish.

"Would you prefer dark or milk chocolate?" the girl asked.

Attrei glanced at Claudio. "What was the chocolate we had on the ship, dark or milk? It was delicious."

The healer smiled. "That was dark. Korlys prefers dark chocolate, too, but I think the boys would like the milk one more – it is sweeter."

"Oh…" Attrei chewed his lip, thinking. "Please, would it be possible to have a cake with both?" he asked shyly. "Maybe... with two layers?"

"Ah, you want to order a cake? Not eat it here, yes?" she asked.

"Yes. We need it for a birthday party today at six. Please, will it be possible to make it?"

The maid hesitated. "I will need to ask Master Guillame, the owner," she said. "How big would it be? And do you have any special requests?"

"It should be big enough for six people," Attrei said.

"And small enough for one gold," Claudio added. "It must have two types of chocolate; if you can add anything else, that would be great, but only if it stays within the price limit."

"I understand. Please excuse me for a moment." The maid disappeared in the back of the shop.

Attrei wheeled closer to the counter to admire the cakes displayed there. To his surprise, the glass was cold to the touch; they must have an ice glyph somewhere, although he did not see it.

A moment later, the maid returned. "Master Guillame says we can make the cake for you. But you will need to pay a fifty percent advance. Is that all right?"

"Of course!" Attrei said, relieved. He did not know what he would have done if she had said they could not do it.

"Where would you like us to deliver it?" the maid asked.

"To the inn…" Attrei stopped. What was the name of their inn?

Claudio sighed. "The Monteleone Inn on 214 Royal Street," he said, taking out his wallet to pay the advance. "In the name of Attrei Blaze, please."

"Very well, serah. Is there anything else I might offer to you? Maybe a piece of cake now, with a cup of tea?"

Well… Korlys had said he should put on some weight… maybe they could stay for a moment-

"No, thank you," Claudio cut in, ending that hope. "Unfortunately, we do not have time for that. Right?" he turned to Attrei.

Attrei sighed. "Yes, we should go. We still have a lot of shopping to do."

oOo

Korlys scouted the city's side streets, on the lookout for Crows while simultaneously glancing into the windows of shops as he passed by. He stopped only once, at an armory, to admire the daggers the shopkeeper had on display. The assassin found a perfectly balanced throwing knife with an elegant design etched into it and couldn't resist – you could never have enough blades, in his opinion.

When he was satisfied he'd thoroughly reconnoitered the city, Korlys headed back to a little jewelry store tucked away off a side street that had caught his eye earlier.

A shopkeeper came bustling out from the back as soon as he had entered. "Good afternoon, ser! May I help you find anything?"

"Perhaps. I am looking for a gift for a special person in my life."

"Ah, of course. And what sort of jewelry do you have in mind? A ring, perhaps?" the man asked with a sly smile.

"No! Nothing like that!" Korlys blanched slightly, then recovered himself. "Perhaps a pendant or something?"

"Yes, yes. Please, come this way."

The man led him to a small section of the store where a few dozen were on display. Korlys examined each one carefully. Many were quite handsome, but nothing seemed right to him until he spied a pewter dragon with its body curled around itself.

The shopkeeper noticed where the Antivan was looking. "Ah this is one of my finest pieces," he said, carefully picking up the necklace and laying the dragon down onto the palm of one of his hands. "You can see all of the little details I have worked into this piece, from each individual scale on the dragon's body to the claws on its feet. You will find no finer dragon pendant in all the world!"

Naturally, Korlys thought as he suppressed a smirk. It was a fine piece, though, he had to admit. He took the pendant from the man for a closer look. "I believe this is the one," the assassin said. Unable to resist, he added, "If the price is right, that is." Let the games begin.

oOo

Having the party and the cake off the list was a huge relief. Now only to get the presents! He still did not know what to get for Korlys, though. Nevermind; he would worry about it later. Boys first. But where to find a toy shop? There had to be one, but they had no time to run around blindly. Maybe he should ask someone for directions…. Someone older, maybe of Claudio's age, who might have kids… like the lady coming up the street now. She looked like a nice lady, even though she was dressed funny.

"Excuse me, madam," he beamed at her, "could you perhaps tell me where I could find a toy shop?"

The lady stopped and looked him up and down. "Adult toys, you mean?"

Claudio coughed.

"That would be fine, yes – actually, that would be best, then Korlys and Mario could join in and play with the boys, too. They should spend more time with the boys… ah, but you do not care about that," he said, when he noticed her stare. Behind his back, Claudio made a choking sound as if he was suppressing laughter. But there was nothing funny in what he had said, was there?

"I have no idea where kiddy games are sold," the lady said, "but if you would like to learn a new game that adult men play, you can come to Tally Hoes tonight… you can bring this Korlys and the boys, too, and we can all have a great time together."

"Thank you for your kind offer, but we are having a birthday party tonight," Attrei said, which made Claudio choke on his laughter again.

The lady gave an offended 'hmph' and strolled away.

"What was that about?" Attrei asked.

"Nevermind," the healer said. "But leave the asking for directions to me now."

He brought them back to the market, chose a plump lady with rosy cheeks with an apron and a huge basket full of groceries, and a couple of compliments later, they were headed to Collodi's – the best toyshop in the world. Not as fancy and expensive as the nonsense imported from Orlais, just beautiful and sensible Fereldan toys.

And they sure were beautiful! The shop looked like a world of its own. The glass vitrines were full of figurines that were all busy doing various things: a dwarven smith was creating a shield, an elf was combing a halla's coat, three pirates with red bandanas were brandishing their swords on a wonderful replica of a boat; the knight templars fighting with evil looking mages whose eyes were bright red and had a heap of frogs around their legs; a dancing noble couple with elaborate masks on their faces, golems with tiny glowing crystals of different colours throwing rocks, and even dragons with coppery scales and bright green bellies, strutting across the shelf with puffed chests.

"Shouldn't they be breathing fire?" Attrei asked.

A wheezing laugh sounded behind him in a reply. When he turned, he came eye to eye with an elderly, hunched elf with a long pointy nose and hair that looked suspiciously like cornmeal mush; Attrei barely restrained himself from asking if it was real hair.

"I do not think my clients would appreciate it if my toys burned their houses down during the night," the man said. "My toys are supposed to bring joy into this troubled world, not more tragedy."

"Oh! You must be Serah Gepetto! Did you create all of these yourself? And how do you make them move? Is it glyphs?"

The toymaker smiled at the boy's enthusiasm. "All of them are my designs, but not all of them are made by me. Alas, I am not as young as I used to be! My son helps me make them these days. As for how they work, I shall keep that to myself, if you don't mind. It would not do to tell my trade secrets to the first young lad that comes around."

"Do not worry, I would be a hopeless competitor," Attrei said. "I am a mind mage, not a…" Darn! I was not supposed to say that! He did not dare to look at Claudio, staring at his lap instead.

"And I am a toymaker, not a templar," the old man pointed out with a laugh. "Relax, son. We in Alamar do not care about them bucketheads; you will not find a single one here, and very few Chantry sisters. Since you told me your secret, I shall tell you mine." He came closer to Attrei. "The answer is… enchantment!" he said with a conspiratorial wink.

He moved away, chuckling and rubbing his hands. "Now then, my young competitor. What can I offer to you today?"

"I don't know," Attrei admitted. "I need to buy a birthday gift for two boys, twelve and thirteen, who don't even understand what 'relax' means. They can play cards… but I think that is it, as far as their experience with playing goes."

"Were they slaves?" the old man asked, arching his brow.

"No, they were-" Attrei stopped himself at the last moment. He was sure Korlys would not be happy if he blabbered about the Crows. "In fact, yes, they were slaves. Of sorts."

The man gave him a thoughtful look, but did not ask any other questions. "The dragons might be a good choice," he suggested. "I have never seen a boy that would not love a dragon!"

"How much are they?" Claudio asked.

"Normally, I would ask for four gold each, but since you say these boys are such a special case, I'll make a special price for you. Three gold each."

"You call that a good price?" Claudio snorted. "Nonsense. We will pay two. For both."

The toymaker spluttered with indignation. "Ridiculous! These are true works of art! For one gold, you can buy the cheap imitations at the market – but when they break after one day, do not come whining to me! Five fifty."

"They are toys for kids! They will be broken within a week anyway, cheap or not. Two fifty."

Attrei watched the two men argue, confused but determinedly quiet. He knew already that they were not really arguing – they were only haggling, like Korlys and that shoemaker with the stomach problem in Dalry – but this was different. These two were in no way kinder – if anything, they were harsher on each other – but somehow, they both very clearly enjoyed it. Attrei would even swear he caught a hint of a smile on Claudio's face, once or twice.

"It has been some time since I had a customer this tough," the old man said finally after a good ten minutes. He shook his head and chuckled. "I cannot believe I am doing this, but all right. Four golds for both. My last offer."

"That sounds fair enough," Claudio agreed. "Four golds it is."

"Do you want both the same, or different ones?" the toymaker turned to Attrei.

"Oh, there are different ones?" Attrei asked. "Amazing! Could we see them, please?"

"Naturally," the man said. "We have all known kinds of dragons. Give me a moment." He disappeared in the back room and returned with an armful of boxes. "The one on the display is a Fereldan Frostback," he explained, as he started to carefully unpack the other figurines.

"This one is an Abyssal High Dragon," he said as he put on the counter the one with the coppery scales on the back and legs, but bright green belly. "This is a Kaltenzahn, from the Hunterhorn Mountains – see the red markings? No other dragon has those…. Hivernal, from Orlais, has a red collar."

Attrei's eyes almost popped out of his head. There were so many, each of them beautiful in its own way. He had read about dragons, back in the Tower, but the books had only black and white sketches and were nowhere near as impressive as these.

For a long moment, he could not decide which ones to choose. Now that the haggling was over, Claudio had returned to his silent, detached state and left it completely up to him. Finally, he settled on the Kaltenzahn for Anastasio and the Gamordian Stormrider, the dark blue one with golden wings, for Dante. He would have to hope he got it right.

"Anything else I can offer?" the toymaker asked dutifully, as he returned the dragons to their boxes.

Claudio shook his head. "That will be all, thank-"

"Actually," Attrei cut in, "I was wondering if you also have games? Something that could be played by six or more people?"

"Of course! We have all kinds of games – cards, puzzles, board games.… Let me show you some."

Claudio groaned, but Attrei pretended not to hear. It was for the healer's good, too – he needed to learn to relax just as much as the kids. And at least he would have another chance to haggle, no?

oOo

All that was left now were gifts for Korlys and Mario; they decided to return to the market for that, rather than wander around random shops. Maybe they would see something that would inspire them… but after half an hour, they were just as clueless as when they had started. Attrei was starting to get nervous, when suddenly he heard a soft yelping.

"Did you hear that?" he asked. "It sounded like a puppy!"

"We are in Ferelden," Claudio pointed out. "It would be more shocking if you did not hear any dogs."

"Yes, but…" Attrei looked around. "Look, there! They sell puppies! Let's go there!"

Claudio sighed. "I can assure you Korlys would not want a dog."

"I know, but we can at least look, right? Please? I never saw a puppy up close, you know."

"Never saw a puppy?" the merchant exclaimed. "Well, please come and take a look at these! The finest mabari pups in all of Ferelden, I assure you." The man waved them over.

Attrei rolled closer, with the sighing Claudio behind him.

"What do you know about mabari, son?"

"Only that they are supposed to be very smart and loyal and they're the most popular breed in Ferelden," Attrei replied. "I saw a picture of them in a book, but these are much cuter! Could I… please, could I pet one?"

"Absolutely! Mabari are the smartest dogs the world 'round. Which one would you like? We have this one, a male – his name is Buster. He seems to be the biggest of the litter, and would make a fine guard dog." He pointed to the next one. "This is a female. Her name is Hambone, because that seems to be her favorite treat. She is smart as a whip, and a great fetcher." He pointed to the next one. "This one is called Petey – obviously, with that name, a male." The man chuckled at his own joke. "Anyway, Petey's an all around good mate, very easy to get along with, and a great fisher like his mother."

"And what about that one?" Attrei pointed to the last and smallest one, which the merchant had not yet named.

"Is it sick?" Claudio added.

"No, not at all," the man said, clearly affronted, although definitely not willing to let that come between him and a sale. "She is just the runt of the litter. Still a fine dog, to be sure, but mabari litters are like any other litter of dogs, of course. The runts are usually shunned. Her name is Rask." The man did not go on to elaborate what she would be best at.

"Could I see her, please?" Attrei asked.

"Certainly, ser," the man said, pleased at this development; the sale was as good as done, and to get rid of the runt would be a bonus!

He picked up little Rask and sat her on the mage's lap. "I do not know if you have heard this, but mabari imprint upon their humans. Once a mabari pup chooses you, you are her person for life." He waited just a moment before adding, "Well, Rask certainly seems to like you."

Attrei gasped in awe. She was the most adorable thing he had ever seen, with big brown eyes and floppy ears. Her fur was short and thick, and soft to touch. The back, legs, and the right half of the head were of a deep, red-brown colour, but she had an adorable white collar, and her belly and left ear were also white. Around her mouth was a soft pink spot which made her even cuter.

He carefully petted the little thing and scratched her behind her ears. "I like you, too," he said. "And I am pretty sure you are the underdog – the best and cleverest one! Aren't you?"

The puppy gave a smug 'woof' and then gave the mage's hand a lick, as if to say, 'I'm glad you can see it, too!'

"Well, it is too bad we cannot take her," Claudio cut in. "She would not like the ship, Attrei – and your friend would not like her, either. You know what Mario thinks of mabaris, right?"

"He did not see her," Attrei muttered. "I am sure he would love her, too… in time. But, I know we can't take her on the ship. I am so sorry, little one… do not worry, I am sure you will find a master who deserves you."

The puppy gave a sad whine, and looked up at the mage with big, soulful eyes as if she was losing her best and only friend. She added another lick – somehow managing to make that sad, too – on the mage's hand for good measure.

"Come on," Claudio said gently, squeezing Attrei's shoulder. "Give her back before she imprints herself on you."

"I know, I know." With a sigh that came from the bottom of his soul, Attrei gave the puppy back to the merchant. "Thank you for letting me hold her, ser."

"We will only be here a little longer, if you change your mind. Or tomorrow!" the merchant called out as Claudio wheeled the little mage away as quickly as he could, before Attrei decided to try to leap out of his wheelchair and crawl back to the pup. "You may come back and hold her at any time... unless someone buys her, of course."

oOo

Korlys watched the two of them leave before stepping out of the shadows. Claudio was wheeling Attrei – who was obviously trying to fight off tears – away as quickly as possible. He sighed softly, then strolled up to the merchant in the gathering gloom.

"You look like someone who can recognize quality when he sees it, ser," the merchant exclaimed.

The man was a short, roly-poly fellow with a congenial look about him – the type of person who could strike up a conversation with anyone at any time. "Well, that is true, but I am not in the market for a mabari pup," Korlys lied.

"I assure you, these dogs are the finest quality you will ever find!" the man continued, completely ignoring Korlys' words. "Why, a good dog is useful in every way and will more than make up for the cost of your purchase within a few months!"

The Antivan in Korlys could not help but start the haggling process – it was as natural as breathing and as tempting as a fine brandy, like his favorite, Vecchia Antiva. "What is a mabari good for?"

"What is he good for?" the merchant exclaimed incredulously. "What is he good for?" he repeated, as if he could not believe his ears. "Why, the mabari just so happens to be the smartest dog in all of Thedas! You could not ask for a better guard dog than a mabari. With one of these pups you would be as safe as houses, wherever you went. And they are useful for all kinds of tasks – they make the best hunting dogs, you know."

"I feel perfectly safe wherever I go, I assure you. And I am not a hunter." Korlys folded his arms, waiting to see what the merchant would come up with next.

"Ser, they are good for more than just hunting and guarding – you can talk to a mabari just like you would talk to any friend, and they will understand every word you say! You can ask them to fetch you any useful thing and they will be sure to retrieve it for you!"

"But, would a mabari not be miserable on a ship at sea? My companions and I are taking a long voyage. A pup would not have enough room to roam on a ship, and would be seasick."

"Not at all, ser, a mabari is just as at home at sea as he is on dry ground! I tell you, they will even fish for you if you ask them to."

Korlys' eyebrow shot up at that. "Now, that I cannot believe. Who ever heard of a dog that could fish?" he said, incredulous. And we already have Attrei, after all – I cannot imagine a dog being able to do better than that.

The merchant gave an offended look that Korlys was sure was feigned. "Ser, I can assure you every word I speak is the Maker's honest truth!" The man gestured to the two mabari sitting at his feet. "Here are the sire and the dam of the litter. Choose one of them and take them to the docks and they will prove it to you!"

The Antivan looked at the merchant in surprise. "You would trust a stranger to bring back one of your dogs? What if I just left with it?"

The man roared in laughter at that. "I see you still underestimate the intelligence of a mabari! Go ahead and choose one of them. If I give the command for them to go with you to fish and then return to me, you can bet any amount of money you wish to wager that they will be by my side again by the time I direct them to return."

Now, this Korlys had to see. "Fine. Then I will take the bitch with me, and we will see whether or not what you say is true."

The man grinned as if he thought the sale was as good as done. He turned to look at the dogs. "Abby, please go with this man and prove to him what a fine fisherman you are! But please return when you have finished – an hour should be enough, yes?"

One of the mabari – presumably Abby – stood up and gave a brief 'whoof', then turned to Korlys, gave him a look that seemed to convey pity for the assassin's ignorance, and started making her way towards the docks. Surprised, Korlys followed.

They got to the waterfront, and Korlys stopped at the end of a long pier that jutted out into the sea. "Well, go on then. Show me what a good fisherman you are." Maker, am I really talking to a dog? I must be nuts. He chuckled. The mabari must have thought Korlys was laughing at the idea, because he could swear the dog scowled at him.

Korlys watched as the dog peered off the edge, seemingly searching the waters below. After a few minutes, Abby gave a quiet but excited 'whoof' and dove in. The dog was under water but a brief period of time before her head emerged triumphantly, a huge mackerel held between her massive jaws. She paddled her way to the shore, where Korlys met up with her at the water's edge.

"Va bene, I am impressed," Korlys admitted as Abby dropped the fish at his feet.

She gave what the assassin would swear was a smug 'whoof', then turned and trotted off in the direction of the marketplace without a backward glance. Leaving the fish on the bank, Korlys followed.

"Well?" the man said smugly.

"Well, she did exactly what you said she would," Korlys admitted. The Antivan stared thoughtfully at the pups while the merchant stayed silent. "Perhaps it would be useful to have one around, after all," Korlys said, adopting a nonchalant tone.

"Excellent, excellent!" the merchant exclaimed with a happy grin. "Now, let me tell you about each one."

Although he'd just overheard it all, Korlys listened patiently to the man's sales pitch again, pretending interest. After the merchant was done, he spent several moments in apparent indecision. Finally, Korlys said, "How much are you asking for Rask?"

The man looked as if he couldn't believe his luck. "A fine choice. You won't be disappointed, ser, I assure you!" the merchant exclaimed as he scooped up the little pup. "And she's yours for only three sovereigns."

"Three sovereigns!" Korlys exclaimed in surprised indignation that was not at all feigned. "That is outrageous! I will not pay a single copper more than one sovereign! Especially for the runt of the litter!" The Antivan folded his arms and subtly shifted his body weight to one leg and turned slightly away from the man, as if he was just about to stalk off in disgust.

"Ser, even a mabari who is the runt of the litter is worth her weight in gold! Why, I would charge you double that for any other pup in the litter!" The merchant looked suitably outraged, but Korlys was not fooled – the man was not nearly as affronted as he was making out to be. "But, I cannot expect someone not of Fereldan blood to understand that, of course," the man segued smoothly into his counteroffer. "So, for you, I am willing to come down to the price of two sovereigns. But only because I like you!"

"How magnanimous of you," the Antivan replied wryly. "Two sovereigns it is."

Both sides of the transaction satisfied, money and mabari traded hands, and Korlys lifted the pup up to eye level. Rask licked the tip of his nose with decidedly less enthusiasm than she had licked Attrei's hand, and the assassin chuckled. "Do not worry, my furry friend," he murmured, "I am taking you to the person you have chosen."

The pup seemed satisfied with that response, and Korlys tucked her into an interior vest pocket, where her little head poked out. He thanked the merchant and headed towards the inn.

"Now, you must be very quiet and hide," Korlys said. "You are a surprise gift for my friend." The little puppy snuggled back into his pocket with a quiet but happy, 'woof'.

oOo

Attrei glanced over his shoulder. "Claudio, stop." The party was in less than two hours and they still didn't have presents for Korlys and Mario. "We are not going to find anything like this. Let's take a break and seriously think about it."

"All right. I suggest we ponder it over a cup of coffee." The healer pointed to a café nearby where a table had just become free.

The waiter – Antivan, by the accent – brought them their drinks, a small but deadly strong espresso for Claudio and a big cup of milk, sugar and a bit of coffee for Attrei. The boy whirled his spoon, blending it into a pale-brown mess that most of all reminded Claudio of water after washing muddied socks. He wrinkled his nose over the insensitive butchery. One of these days he should teach the kid something about the proper way to drink coffee.

Not now, however; all the boy was able to think about were presents for his friends. Claudio had suggested countless things – books, clothes, wine, food – finally, in utter frustration, he suggested giving them matching pairs of fluffy socks. Attrei had considered each proposal with equal care, only to reject them. They didn't feel right, he said. They were not personal and meaningful enough. Never in his life had Claudio seen anyone agonize this much over a birthday present.

"When you were in Antiva," he said now, "did you ever visit Korlys' place? What was it like?"

Claudio shrugged, not sure what that had to do with anything. "Stylish. Comfortable... He liked his comfort, and furnished it with all sorts of luxurious things he could afford – draperies, furs in front of the fireplace, throws and tea cloths…. I never thought of him as a camping guy."

"He does like comfortable and luxurious things…" Attrei chewed his bottom lip. "But Mario already got him a rug in Gwaren… and we don't have a lot of places for draperies and tea cloths..."

"Then how about a fur throw?" Claudio suggested.

Attrei didn't hear – or pretended he didn't – the irony in his voice. "You know, that's not a bad idea," he said after a moment. "If we could find one that would match his rug…" His face brightened up. "Yes, that's it! Claudio, you're a genius!"

Claudio blinked at the unexpected praise. He tried to explain he meant it mostly as a joke – such a throw was certainly luxurious, but it was also expensive, and especially once they left the ship, also impractical. It would take the bigger part of a backpack. Who would carry it? But it was too late. Attrei had already decided it was perfect and brushed all his objections away.

"Now to think of something for Mario!" The boy looked at him expectantly, waiting for another genius idea.

"I do not know." Claudio's shoulders were starting to hurt from all the shrugging this afternoon. "I only met him a week ago, and our introduction was sort of… complicated." To put it mildly. That Mario had forgiven him so quickly and easily, just because he had done his job as a healer and was Korlys' comrade, still surprised him. "You have known him longer than me. You should know what he is like."

"Well… he is… very pragmatic," Attrei said slowly after a moment of silent contemplation. "He would not like anything that isn't useful. But he always says he already has more than he's ever had… teases me and Korlys for being spoiled, never satisfied with what we have…"

The healer nodded. He had noticed that, although he wasn't certain if he believed it. It is easy to be unattached to luxuries and such when you have nothing. Give it some time – give Korlys half a year – and the brat would be just as spoiled as the rest of them. But right now, this pretended asceticism presented a problem. "What about his hobbies? When you set up camp, what would he do? He could not read that one book all the time."

"He did his exercises, push ups and sit ups, or went swimming, or practiced with Korlys… or carved whistles and little things and shapes with his knives…" Attrei shook his head. "Nothing that could help us right now."

"He carves things out of wood?" Claudio asked, astonished. The young thief didn't appear like the artistic type to him. "What sorts of things? Spoons?"

Attrei laughed. "Those, too," he admitted. "But he also makes whistles, leaves, or animals… everything he sees around him. I liked them, but he says that's because I'm clueless and that they're not good at all. He always threw them into the fire afterwards – you know, so that they wouldn't be clues for the Crows."

Claudio sat in silence, trying to absorb these new facts about Mario. Perhaps he had misjudged the young thief after all. "Maybe you could give him something to improve his skills," he suggested, and this time, without any irony. "A set of carving tools? I am sure we could find some in the market."

"By the Maker, yes!" Attrei clapped his hands. "You are a genius! All right, let's go, let's go!"

Claudio finished his espresso, grinning into his cup. Attrei's enthusiasm was irresistible. He just hoped the others would appreciate all the effort the little mage put into this.

oOo

Korlys arrived at the inn fashionably late, about fifteen minutes after the party was supposed to start. The matron directed him to a room that they had set aside for them. He walked in to find the adults chatting and holding wine glasses, except for Attrei, who appeared to be holding a glass of milk.

All heads turned as he made his entrance. Claudio looked relieved to see him. Attrei, however, looked nervous.

"There you are!" he said when Korlys entered. "I was worried something had happened to you!"

"What could have possibly happened to me?" the ex-Crow asked haughtily, refusing to even think of Gwaren.

"Yeah, I told him that, too," Mario said with a smirk.

The Antivan was not fooled, however – he could see the relief in the thief's eyes. "Mi dispiace, I did not mean to be late. However, I am here now, so let us get the party started, shall we? Attrei, since you are our host, you decide the order of the events, so what is first?"

"Alright!" Attrei clapped his hands and turned to the boys. "I promised to give you a birthday party, right? But, I talked about it with the others, and it is Mario's nineteenth birthday tonight, and Korlys will have a birthday soon, so we decided to make it a party for all of us on one day. I hope you do not mind."

Anastasio just stared, eyes wide, as he tried to process what Ser Attrei had just said. It sounded like the party was for them. He was certainly looking straight at him and Dante. But... he was really giving them a party? Anastasio looked at his friend, who seemed just as shocked as he was. He turned back to the mage. "No ser, we do not mind at all. Grazie." He wanted to say more, but honestly could not bring himself to say out loud that they did not mind sharing their birthday party with others, because he was afraid he was misunderstanding, and it really was not a party for them after all. It just seemed too good to be true.

"Good! Then let's eat!" Attrei pointed to the long table with the dishes and cutlery for all of them. "Sit wherever you want," he added when he saw how helpless the boys still looked. "I will go tell the maids they can bring the food."

Korlys positioned himself at the head of the table with Mario seated to his left and Anastasio to his right. Claudio sat on Mario's left, and Dante on Anastasio's right. Attrei was at the opposite end of the table, which made it impossible for the mage to see that he had a puppy in his pocket. No one else would see either, he was sure, because Mario could not see into his jacket, and Anastasio would not dare to look his way for any length of time. Even if the apprentice did notice the puppy, Korlys was certain he would not give any indication of it.

The maids came out shortly with a large roast, mashed potatoes and gravy, sweet potatoes, and loaves of bread fresh from the oven. The waiters came out with wine and poured everyone a glass of what Korlys was pleased to discover was an excellent Pinot Noir.

When the servers were finally done, the table was laden with so much food Anastasio just sat and stared. He had never seen so much in all his life!

"Well, dig in!" Korlys said, proceeding to carve up the roast and helping himself to a large serving. Side dishes were passed around, and for a while the room was filled with the sound of cutlery against china.

Korlys could hear the pup's nose sniffing eagerly, although she did not give a peep or move an inch. Making sure he was not being observed, he cut a small piece of roast and surreptitiously snuck it to Rask who ate it eagerly but carefully from his fingers, not even nipping him.

They were almost done when the little puppy shifted slightly and gave a soft 'woof', which the assassin immediately covered with a cough, bringing his napkin to his lips so that it also covered the area where the mabari pup was.

Mario looked at him again. "Did you swallow too much? You want me to pat you on the back?"

"No, but you may pat me if you want. Anywhere you would like," Korlys replied with a wink.

Dante quickly looked down into his plate, flustered at the idea – and took too big a bite himself. Anastasio had to pound on his back before he choked.

"No need to hurry," Attrei said with a worried frown. "There is enough for everyone – and something else, too."

Dante's ears perked at that. When Attrei had told them about the birthday party, he'd mentioned a cake. Could it be – no, that would be too much – but what if it was? This was the best food he'd ever had, but a cake! That would be like a dream come true. He finished his plate as quickly as he could without making another disgraceful display. When he looked up again, everyone's plates were empty.

Attrei's face lit up with excitement as he rang the bell to call the maids. It took them a moment to clear away all the dirty dishes and make room in the middle of the table.

Dante straightened, barely breathing as he watched the door. Finally it opened and in walked a maid carrying a cake that outmatched anything he had ever imagined in his wildest dreams. It was huge, with two layers, the bottom one bigger and the top one slightly smaller and it seemed it was wholly made of chocolate. Even the decorations – little buttons all around it and ornaments and the flowers on the top of the smaller layer were made of chocolate.

He realised that his mouth was open and shut it with a snap. Fortunately, a quick glance around the table confirmed that everyone else was just as amazed as he was, including Attrei himself.

"Maker's breath, it is beautiful!" the mage breathed.

"Didn't you know how it would look, though?" Mario asked. "Is it dark chocolate?"

Attrei shook his head. "I saw the other cakes in the patisserie, but not this one, of course – it is freshly made, just for us. It should be both dark and sweet chocolate. Claudio, could you please slice it?"

The healer wasn't sure if he was the right person for that, as he'd never sliced, or even seen, a cake like this before… but that was true for everyone here, no? Trying not to mess up the decoration too much, he sliced a piece for everyone.

The smell of chocolate was so strong Anastasio could almost taste it. He took his fork and sliced a piece off – the inside was sort of like bread, crumbly, but moist, and sweet, and chocolate-y. If he could just eat this for the rest of his life, he would die happy.

Each of them lingered lovingly over their slices of cake, savoring every bite. Anastasio was eyeing seconds when Attrei stood up. "And now for the best part!" he announced. "It is time for gifts!" He rang the bell again and a moment later, a maid rolled in a trolley with the packages and laid them on a table in front of him.

"Boys first, since this is supposed to be your party," he said, handing them each a box wrapped in classy paper and smiling nervously. "I hope you like them."

Dante held the package in his hands, unsure of what to do. Could he really open this? Here he had thought nothing could trump the cake, but a present – a real present! It made his head spin.

Anastasio could hardly believe the gift was for him. He glanced at Dante who seemed to be as shocked as he was. The teen shot a questioning look at Master Korlys.

Korlys chuckled. "Go ahead, boys."

The packages were wrapped with silver paper and tied with wide, dark blue velvet ribbons. Anastasio carefully untied it and set the ribbon to the side, unsure of what to do with something so beautiful. He opened the gift, trying hard not to tear the paper. The apprentice folded and set the paper to the side with the ribbon, then turned to the wooden box the paper had covered, and slowly opened the lid.

Out popped a miniature dragon! Anastasio's mouth dropped open, his eyes wide, as the little dragon looked up at him. It was a bright blue with red stripes, and it was breathing a fog of ice out of its mouth. Its wings looked paper-thin. Anastasio was amazed that a dragon could look so small and fragile. Not that he had ever seen a real dragon, of course.

Dante's eyes almost popped out of his head when he saw the little creature in Anastasio's lap. He looked at his own box, wondering what might be inside. His fingers trembled with impatience as he removed the paper and neatly folded it. He opened the lid. Please let it be a dragon, too… And it was! But it was different from Anastasio's – this one was a deep blue, almost black at the head and legs, with vivid gold on the belly and the wings. It was cold to the touch, the scales crafted from metal. There was a roll of paper in the box, and he pulled it out. "Gamordian Stormrider," he read in an awed voice.

"Mine says 'Kaltenzahn'," Anastasio exclaimed when he read his own roll of paper – he had not even noticed it until Dante pulled his out. He was too amazed at the dragon itself. The paper told all about his dragon, but before he could read it, the little dragon started flapping its wings. It rose up to the height of his face, and a small blast of frost came from its mouth, making his nose cold. Anastasio giggled, completely forgetting himself.

"Amazing!" Dante gasped, then petted his little dragon. "Can you do that, too? Wait, no – you are a Stormrider! You breathe lightning." The dragon flapped its wings several times, and roared.

Mario chuckled. "Sounds like a kitten," he said.

Anastasio finally came to his senses enough to remember his manners. He turned to Ser Attrei. "Mille grazie, Ser Attrei," he said, unable to think of anything else, although his thanks did not seem nearly enough.

Dante nodded, unable to find words, for once. No one, ever, had done anything like this for him. It was too much – to be allowed to sit and eat at one table with them, as if he were their equal and not just a lowly apprentice, the feast, the cake, and now the dragon…. He wished he could burn every moment, every detail of this night, into his memory forever. "Thank you," he said, fighting the urge to run into Ser Attrei's arms.

"You are most welcome," Attrei said, with a wide smile. "There is one more present for you – but that is also for the rest of us. It is an adult game, so we can all play together," he said with a pointed look at Korlys.

"I love adult games," Korlys replied with a smirk, even though he knew it could not be as it sounded.

"It is an adult game by Attrei's standards," Claudio put in. "Do not get your hopes up."

"It is a game and it can be played by adults," Attrei said defensively. "It is a board game called Dungeons and Dragons, where you create your heroes who fight monsters and save the world."

Attrei picked up a package he did not recognize, wrapped in glossy black paper, tied up in gold ribbon, and accented with what looked like a feather dipped or sprayed in gold – every detail standing out – and handed it to Claudio. "For you."

The healer blinked. "When did you-" He looked at Korlys who was sitting there with his arms crossed and a small satisfied smile on his lips – not a smug grin or smirk, just… happy? No attitude? No joke? He looked back at the package, stroking the smooth paper. Not once, for the whole time he ran errands with Attrei today did he assume they would get him a present… he did, perhaps, have a fleeting thought or two of what it would feel like if they did… but he never let himself hope, not for a moment. The Crows do not have friends, after all.

Taking a deep breath, he removed the feather – it would make for an elegant bookmark, he decided – and opened the package. It was a wallet, handcrafted in Antiva from the brand's signature Venezia leather hide, and embossed with an elaborate 'Scritto' script in the style of traditional Antivan calligraphy.

He looked up at Korlys and smiled. "Grazie," he said softly.

"You are welcome," Korlys replied, relieved that Claudio liked it – the mage had very finicky tastes.

"Last two presents left!" Attrei picked the packages and handed one to Mario and one to Korlys. "I hope you like it."

Mario turned his present in his hand. It had a funny shape, as if it contained a box with an oversized lid. He carefully unwrapped the paper and found out it was indeed a wooden box, but what he thought was a lid was in fact a book. He looked at Attrei, surprised. "I got two presents? Why?"

"Because they go together. But, all the presents have the same value," Attrei explained, to avoid any hurt feelings. "Go ahead, open it!"

The thief put the book on the paper at the table; he did not want the kids and Claudio to see he was still struggling with his letters. Besides, he was curious to see what was inside the box. Not a dragon? He chuckled at the idea. Although those toys were damn cute…. But what was inside his box was much better. His eyes widened, as he took out the different knives and examined their blades.

"What is that?" he heard Dante mutter to Anastasio.

"Carving knives," Mario replied, without looking away from them, his voice full of awe. "For carving wood."

Korlys leaned over for a closer look. "And an instruction book too – very nice, Attrei."

Attrei smiled. "Yes! So the next thing you make will be for me."

"Well, the next good thing," Mario corrected him, then turned to Korlys before he got too sentimental and girlish again. "What did you get?"

Korlys turned to his present, which was wrapped in a beautiful dark blue paper with a snow-white velvet ribbon tied around it. He unwrapped the gift and opened the cardboard box inside, and his breath caught. The assassin reached out and ran his hand over a blanket made of incredibly soft rabbit fur, in the same dark brown color as one of the furs that made up the rug he'd bought in Gwaren. "Oh," Korlys said softly. He picked up the blanket and unfolded it – it was the size of a throw, and the backing was made of suede. "This is too much, Attrei," he said with a little shake of his head. "It must have cost a fortune."

"No it didn't," Attrei assured him. "I really tried to keep all the presents at the same level, you know. And we did stay within the budget, Claudio says."

Korlys laughed and shook his head again. "Claudio, how did you learn to haggle like that?"

"It is magic," Claudio replied with a wink. "And years of living on the pittance Nico was paying me."

"Well, you are a genius." Korlys carefully folded up the throw and put it back into the box. "Grazie, Attrei – it is perfect."

Korlys stood up and clapped his hands together. "Now, I believe the next present is yours, sí? "

Attrei's face lit up. "Mine? You got a present for me?" he asked incredulously. "When did you manage it, with all the things you had to do?"

"Claudio is not the only genius here, you know," Korlys said cockily, as he walked over to Attrei's end of the table. "Close your eyes and hold out your hands." He carefully pulled the puppy from the inside pocket of his vest and placed her in the mage's hands. "Okay, you may open your eyes now."

Attrei's heartbeat quickened as he felt something warm and furry wiggle in his hands. His eyes flew open; it took him a moment to believe what he was seeing. "It's you," he gasped.

Rask gave a happy bark of agreement and wagged her tail.

Attrei hugged her, laughing as she thoroughly licked his face. "This is Rask," he introduced her when he saw the shocked faces of the others. "I saw her with Claudio at the market earlier – but how did you know, Korlys?"

"Yeah, Korlys," Mario said dryly. "What gave you this lovely idea to get a mangy baby bear?"

"As I said, Claudio is not the only genius here," Korlys replied smugly.

"Take that back!" Attrei said. "She is not mangy! She is the most beautiful, clever, and noble mabari ever."

Rask gave a sharp bark of agreement, as if to say, "Yeah!", and looked at Mario as if she were looking down her nose at the thief.

Mario snorted. "The word mabari cancelled all the other ones," he said. "Just wait. Soon it will be stubborn and mean and look like a cross between a calf and a bear."

Korlys could not help but tease the thief. "Maybe not, since you do not plan to steal anything from Attrei, yes?" he said with a snicker. "I believe all the mabari you have ever met were on the job?"

"Maybe so," Mario admitted unwillingly. "But they were still ugly! Anyway, it's yours. As long as you keep it away from me, I don't care."

Attrei rolled his eyes. "Don't mind Mario," he told the puppy. "He is always this grumpy when he meets someone new. It's his way of saying hello, you know? Lovely as you are, I'm sure he will love you in no time."

Rask looked at Mario doubtfully, but then turned and gave a happy 'woof' to Attrei before licking his cheek.

oOo

"That was fun," Mario said, as he and Korlys entered their room. After four hours of eating, playing the board game, and playing with the Furball – or watching others play with it, in his case – the party was finally over. "Who would've thought Claudio was so great at making up stories!"

Korlys closed and locked the door behind them, then went to the fireplace and started stoking the fire. There was a bit of a chill in the room. He could hear Mario taking a seat in one of the chairs they had pulled up next to the fireplace. The Antivan's voice was casual as he said, "I hope you do not mind too much about the mabari pup."

Mario laughed. "Well, that was… unexpected," he admitted. "What were you thinking? You have any idea how fucking huge it'll be in a couple of months? It'll need its own cabin, and eat more than two Babies put together. And wait until you smell its farts. But…" he sighed. "I saw how happy he was…. Still, you could've chosen another kind. Or, even better – a kitty. I'm sure he'd love a kitty, too."

"Well, at least it was the runt of the litter. Perhaps it will not grow too large." Korlys took a seat in the other chair after pulling it closer to Mario. "I am glad you do not mind. Now, I still have one present to give," he continued as he reached into his pocket. He pulled out a small gift wrapped box and handed it to Mario. "This is for you."

Mario's eyes lit up. "I could get used to this birthday thing, you know," he joked as he carefully unwrapped and opened the box and gently took out the short necklace with a pendant of a dragon with spread wings. His breath caught. "Beautiful," he gasped as he examined it. It was almost as big as the palm of his hand, but remarkably light, and gleamed with green reflections in the firelight. He traced his finger over the details, so tiny and yet so perfect – all the scales, claws, and teeth – it even had little green gems as eyes.

He put it on, then leaned forward and kissed Korlys on the lips. "Thank you."

"My pleasure," Korlys said, when they were done.

"I've got something for you, too," Mario said self-consciously. He pulled out a little wooden box from his pocket. "It's not so nicely packed, and it's not so fancy… but I hope you'll like it."

Korlys smiled. "Of course, I will – it is from you." He opened the box. Inside was a bracelet made of several bands of brown leather. Entwined into one of the bands was a silver infinity symbol. Korlys ran a finger over the metal, tracing the design. "Forever," he read. He looked up at Mario, a smile concealing the sudden panic that rose up at the word. "It is perfect," he said, before kissing Mario. When they broke the kiss, he added, "You know my tastes well," he said, approval evident in his voice.

"It also smells of roses," Mario pointed out with a relieved chuckle.

"So it does," Korlys agreed, as he lifted out the bracelet and brought it to his nose to smell. The bracelet was obviously well made, but Korlys handled it with care all the same. "Here, help me put it on," he continued, holding out his left wrist.

Mario wrapped it around Korlys' wrist and tied the ends firmly together. "Anything else I can give you a hand with?" he teased, looking into Korlys' eyes.

Korlys grinned wickedly. "As a matter of fact, there is..."

AN: Thanks to our lovely betas Suilven and Bloodsong 13T for all their help and suggestions!