Summary of Book One - A Crow, a Rat, and a Sparrow: Freedom's Shadow
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Korlys Ghilani is a Crow who has decided to quit. He tries to start his new life in Ferelden, and finds a mercenary job in Denerim. However, his Crow Master is determined to bring him back at all cost, and it doesn't take long until his former colleagues find him.
At the same time, street rat and thief Mario Gethin gets betrayed by the leader of the thieves guild, who sells him for a night to a group of Templars. Mario gets his revenge and kills the traitor, but it means his old life is over. As he runs away, he comes across Korlys fighting for his life against the Crows. He decides to help the man and they escape from the city together.
Despite that, their relationship is tense at first. Korlys' cold suspicion and Mario's grumpy arrogance mix worse than oil and water. But as they try to survive tramping through the woods, hunting and foraging while being hunted by the Crows, they eventually develop a strong bond.
One day, as they plan to get some free supplies from a nearby town's shops, they meet a little sparrow and feed him some dried fruit. Little did they know that the sparrow was in fact a mage apprentice, Attrei. After being accused of being a blood mage - while he's just a mind mage! - and in danger of being turned into a Tranquil, he escaped the Circle Tower and had been hiding in the forest ever since.
While on their 'shopping trip', the Crows find them and are on the verge of killing them when the little mind mage comes to the rescue. All three of them join forces, fighting racists, guards, and the Crows on their way out of Ferelden via Gwaren. Korlys and Mario's relationship also develops further during that time, although Mario struggles to cope with what happened in Denerim.
Eventually they reach Gwaren and get ready to board the ship, when the worst happens. Following a fight between Korlys and Mario after a failed romantic night, the Crows finally manage to capture Korlys, and set a trap for Mario and Attrei. They underestimate the thief and the mind mage, though! The two manage to sneak onto the Crows' ship to rescue Korlys, but the Crows have already started their torture…
They manage to free Korlys, but Attrei suffers a bad injury to his back in the process. Korlys captures the torturer, and together with Mario, kills all the Crows and gains control over the ship. With the help of the Crows' healer, who, as it turns out, wasn't happy with his job, and two Crows apprentices, they finally sail out of Ferelden.