"If it's okay with you, Mario, I'll excuse myself now," Attrei said. They'd had breakfast in Korlys and Mario's room, since the thief was bedridden. "I need to take care of Rask, I haven't fed her yet. Anastasio, would you please be so kind as to take the dishes to the kitchen?"

"Sí," Anastasio said obediently as he got up and started clearing the table.

"It sucks being you, doesn't it," Mario said with a wry smile, when Attrei left. "Dante is doing important stuff with Korlys, and you're stuck playing a nanny with me."

Anastasio looked up, surprised. "Ser?" he asked hesitantly. He did not want to offend Mario by saying, 'yes, it definitely does suck,' but that's exactly what he'd been thinking.

"You could have at least pretended to deny it, you know." Mario pouted, but then laughed when he saw how worried the kid looked. "It's okay. It's how I would feel if I were you."

The apprentice smiled tentatively. Adults did not usually even notice him, much less kid him that way. Would Mario really be fine if he told the truth, or was it some sort of trick? Bracing himself, he replied, "Sí, ser, perhaps a little. It would be more interesting to be having adventures with Dante and Ser Korlys."

Mario gave him an encouraging smile. "No need to look so worried… I'm not a Crow, remember? Come on, leave those dishes be for a while and sit down." He motioned to the chair.

Anastasio felt a bit uneasy leaving the dishes after he had been told by Ser Attrei to clean up. It felt wrong, somehow, to ignore orders. But he put down the plates and perched on the edge of the chair, his hands resting on his knees. Now what?

Mario suppressed a sigh. That was probably as good as he could expect. "Okay. You and Dante. You were fighting for the position of the senior apprentice, right?"

It was not really a question; Claudio had already told them all about it. How the boys would have to assassinate each other in the end. The one who killed his competitor first would win and become a Crow. Most other Crows in their cells had been making bets about it months before. Not Korlys, naturally – he wasn't fucked up enough to enjoy betting on two little brats like they were fighting dogs.

"That fight among you is still going on, isn't it. You're still trying to prove which one of you is a better apprentice, and can impress Korlys more."

That surprised him, but he covered it. "Naturally, I am the better apprentice. It is just that Dante is stubbornly refusing to admit it," Anastasio said, only half joking.

Mario laughed. "Don't look so surprised. I'm not a Crow, but I grew up among competitive brats, too. And in the last couple of years, I trained them. As thieves, I mean. I know too well what it's like when your competitor doesn't want to accept the sad but true fact that you're better," he joked; a ghost of a grin appeared on Anastasio's face. "But now, Dante's got an advantage on you, doesn't he? He's out there, helping Korlys do Maker knows what, while you are doing dishes. That must be pretty frustrating. Am I right? So… how about we even it out?"

That piqued Anastasio's curiosity. "How?"

Mario grinned. "You know the Antivan stuff Korlys and Claudio drink all the time? Well, they ran out of it yesterday morning, and I am pretty sure that with all the things going on today, they won't have time to look for it. I'd do it myself, but I obviously can't – and no one in their right mind would sell liquor to Baby."

Anastasio laughed at that, in spite of himself.

"But you – you don't look like thirteen, more like fifteen or sixteen. I bet they'd sell it to you. Go and get a few crates of it, and you'll gain favour with Korlys for sure. What do you say?"

"Yes, ser!" Anastasio replied enthusiastically, his eyes lighting up.

"The money is in the bottom drawer of the night stand," Mario said. "There's fifty-eight gold and forty-two silver… but I trust you can handle it, right?"

"Absolutely, ser." Anastasio quickly found the money, gave a short bow, and ran out of the room, determined to get all the brandy the money could buy.

oOo

When Korlys, Claudio, and Dante arrived back at the docks after arranging the shipment, the ship's cook came trotting up to them.

"Ser, I have arranged for all the provisions we'll need for the voyage. It's ready to be loaded as soon as you give the word. We'll have plenty of fresh food as well as the standard fare," the man said proudly. "If there are any special requests you would like, please let me know and I'll see if I can find it for you before this evening."

"Chocolate!" Dante blurted out, before he caught himself. He cast his eyes down, too scared to dare look at Master Korlys.

Korlys grinned. "Good thinking." He turned to Bill. "Can you get a supply of chocolate?"

"No problem, ser. I know just where to go," the cook said.

"And a few bottles of brandy," Claudio added.

"Yes, ser," Bill replied, then stopped short. "What brand do you prefer? We just had ten barrels of Vecchia Antiva delivered a few moments ago. The captain looked over the bill of sale, and it appeared legitimate, so we paid the outstanding balance – fifteen sovereigns. Was that wrong?"

Claudio's brows shot up. "Vecchia Antiva is never wrong," he said, then turned to Korlys. "But when did you arrange it? Yesterday? You sure used your time well."

"I always use my time well," Korlys said haughtily. "This I did not do, however." He turned back to Bill. "Ten barrels you say? What was the total price?"

"Yes, ser," the cook replied. "The bill of sale said the total was sixty gold for ten barrels," he said, handing it over.

Korlys scanned it, then gave a laugh. "Well, it looks like Anastasio has been using his time wisely, anyway. Mario must have sent him on that errand." Korlys handed it back to Bill. "It appears all in order, grazie. I will let you know as soon as the ship is ready to be loaded."

The cook gave a short bow and trotted off as Korlys turned back to his companions. "Dante, would you please fetch Attrei for us? I believe it is time to take care of our old crew and send them on their way." It would be best to have the mage around, just in case there was any trouble.

"Sí, ser!" Dante bowed and bolted away; he still could not believe Ser Korlys had not scolded him for speaking out of turn – and asking for chocolate! He must try twice as hard now to make up for this mistake.

Korlys watched the apprentice go, his arms crossed. He turned to Claudio. "Well, at least he is no longer calling me 'master'."

"You know Ilario would have him whipped for a blunder like that," Claudio reminded him. "So he would be extremely careful not to do it. The fact that he did means he is not afraid for his life around you anymore. That is quite a success for only one week."

"True," he replied with a nod. It was, in fact, remarkable. Still, he hated the way they feared him, even while understanding it. It reminded him uncomfortably of his not-so-long-ago past. He brushed it off. "Come, we have a crew to pay off."

oOo

Attrei had just finished changing the poultice around Mario's leg when he heard the sound of someone running in the hall; a moment later, there was a hasty knocking at the door.

"Come on in!" he called, curious as to who it could be.

"Good day, Attrei!" Dante said breathlessly as he entered the room. "I am sorry to interrupt, but Ser Korlys asks if you could come to the docks now? It is time to awaken the old crew, he says."

"Oh! Of course. I didn't realise it was this late already. Will you be okay alone, Mario? I'll come back as soon as I can."

"I'm not dying," Mario muttered. "I've got all I need," he said with a hint of sarcasm as he pointed to the nightstand overloaded with books, tea, scones, cookies, napkins, and even a bud vase with a flower Attrei had picked somewhere on the beach while he was out with the pup. Wanted to share the beauty, he'd said, as he put it in the water. "Just go. And take the little annoying furball, too."

Attrei glared at him, but picked up the puppy. "Come on – this ingrate doesn't deserve your company."

Dante wheeled the mage out of the inn, and then took the shortest route back to the docks. Attrei suggested he could move himself, but it was more difficult on the cobbled streets than on the smooth deck of a ship, and they were in a hurry.

Ser Korlys and Claudio were waiting for them at the outdoor bar near the place they were before, enjoying a drink. Dante wheeled Attrei next to their table.

"We are back, ser," he said.

"Grazie, Dante," Korlys replied. He finished off his drink and put the glass down. "Now to settle up with the old crew."

oOo

Attrei helped Dante set up a table and chair on the deck, then get the ledger with the listing of the sailors' wages, advances taken, and salary due while Korlys and Claudio went down into the hold to wake up the sailors. Rask stayed topside, to be a guard dog and generally patrol the deck.

When they entered the hold, most of the sailors were already awake, sitting along the walls. They seemed to be stupefied and confused. Claudio had observed that the spell had a side effect of making people feel slightly dizzy when they woke up – but those were people asleep for a couple of hours max. These men had been asleep since reaching Alamar. It seemed the side effects were stronger the longer the spell lasted. He should remember that.

It couldn't be helped, however. They used to work for the Crows, and there was no guarantee they wouldn't try to contact their previous employers for a reward or to get in their good graces. Alamar was only a few hours by ship from Denerim, after all. If they would have let them go yesterday, they could've been there and back by now, accompanied by the Crows.

"Good day," he said pleasantly. "Please follow us out to the deck and line up. We will pay you your wages now, and then you are free to go." He turned to Korlys. "The remaining few should be awake soon, as well."

Once they were back above deck, the assassin got settled in at the table as the sailors lined up single file. He opened the ledger, and took the pen sitting next to it. Looking up, he asked the first man, "Name?"

"Jenkins," the skinny man, who had taken over first mate duties when Murphy had become the captain, said. He was looking groggy, and a little wary, but seemed none the worse for wear.

Korlys consulted the log book. "It says here you are to be paid five sovereigns per month, with the period starting two months ago, on Solace nineteenth. Is that correct?" He looked up. Jenkins nodded, looking a bit stunned. The Antivan could guess why – the sailor probably expected to be stiffed, given the sudden change in leadership.

Korlys counted out the money and pushed it towards the sailor. "Initial here, please," he added, turning the log book to the man. Might as well do things correctly. The transaction finished, Korlys motioned for the next man in line to step up.

Going through the remaining men didn't take long. Finally, Murphy stepped up. Korlys found the man's information in the book. "Says here that as a first mate your pay is six sovereigns per month, however, you were promoted to captain one week ago." The Antivan figured up Murphy's pay less advances taken and counted out the money. "Initial here, please."

Murphy gave Korlys a funny look, then bent down to make his mark. "You're an odd pirate, an' no mistake," he remarked.

"So they tell me."

"That's all of them," Attrei said. "Dante, could you please go and tell Captain Jack-" He jerked, turning his head in the direction of the inn. "Glyphs went off!"

Korlys sprang up. "Dante, run and tell the captain to load all supplies and have the sailors board as quickly as possible, and to be ready for anything. Then meet us at the inn." He turned to Attrei and Claudio. "Attrei, stay here – you will only slow us down, especially if we have to make a quick exit. Claudio, follow me."

oOo

Anastasio was within eyesight of the inn when he noticed several guards in the area, looking like they were preparing for an assault. He had seen something like this before while on one of those tedious errands for a lower ranking Crow.

There had been a raid on a certain brothel in the area that had a reputation for supplying their customers with small children, something even Antivans did not tolerate. The polizia had been gathering outside the establishment in preparation for the raid, and they had had that same tenseness in their expressions and body language that these Fereldan guards did now.

The apprentice slipped into the shadows and made a wide circle around the inn, approaching it from the rear. Thankfully, the alleyway was empty. He tapped on the window. "Ser Mario, it is me – Anastasio. Let me in," he said in as loud a voice as he dared.

Mario put the book down. Something must have happened – something that made it unsafe to use the front door. He tried to pull himself up enough to reach the window latch; he knocked half of the scones and cookies off the night table in the process, but finally managed to open the window.

"What's happening?" he asked, as the boy climbed in.

"Ser," Anastasio said, as soon as he was inside. "There are guards gathering around the front of the inn. I do not know why, but I know that look – they are getting ready for some sort of assault."

"Was afraid you'd say that." Mario paused for a moment, going through their options. "How many? Do they have mabaris?"

"Sí, ser – there were eight of them in all, and two mabari." If only Ser Korlys was here!

Fuck. "We can't fight them all. You guys are packed?"

Anastasio thought for a moment. "Mostly, ser. There are a few things we unpacked, but I can stuff them into our backpacks in only a few moments."

"Go do that. Leave anything-"

"But ser, what about you? You cannot fight. At least I can-"

"No," Mario cut in. "Can't have you die right after the birthday party – Baby would shit a brick." He snickered. "Go pack, Attrei and Claudio's things too. I'll pack here. Take only the most important stuff – don't waste time on baubles. Stay in the shadows. Go!"

"I will be right back, ser." He carefully opened the door and looked around to make sure no one was coming, then made it to their room. Leaving a crack in the door to listen for anyone approaching, he stuffed their things into their backpacks. He carefully placed the boxes with their birthday presents into his backpack, then slipped it on and picked up Dante's. He looked out into the hall, his stomach in knots, but it was still quiet. It could not be that way much longer, however.

Entering Ser Attrei's room, he looked around in despair. How would he know what was most essential? Everything was out of his backpack, it seemed. Well, he'd just have to grab as much as he could. He started by throwing in all the clothes he could find, then Ser Attrei's recorder, alchemy equipment and bag of herbs. A quick look around and he was satisfied. He grabbed the backpack, then peeked out. Still quiet, but he slipped into the shadows anyway.

Back in Mario's room, Anastasio put the backpacks down. "Do you need anything, ser? I just have Claudio's room to do, and then I will be ready."

"No," Mario said through gritted teeth. His leg was stiff and useless. How he would manage to climb out the window and run, he had no idea; he had barely managed to pull on his trousers. Thank the Maker both he and Korlys were mostly packed. There was little left to do here. "Don't worry. Go."

Anastasio hesitated, then gave a short nod, and looked out the door. Still quiet. He sneaked to Claudio's room, sweat starting to bead on his forehead. His stomach was getting nauseous with fear as he stuffed everything he could see into the mage's backpack and rushed back.

He put Claudio's backpack next to Dante's and Attrei's then locked the door behind him. He could hear the boots of the guardsmen coming up the hall now. He readied his daggers, glanced at Ser Mario, and whispered, "They are coming. What do we do?"

"Run," Mario said simply. "Get the backpacks to the window, then go out. I'll hand them to you, then follow."

Relief flooded Anastasio. He would have stayed to fight, if he had to, but that would have almost certainly been a death sentence, no matter how good he was. He sheathed his daggers, and quickly started throwing bags out of the open window. Suddenly, there was a loud banging on the door! But...it sounded like they were a few doors away. Maybe they had gotten bad information?

"Open up! We know you're in there!"

Mario rolled his eyes. "I wonder if anyone ever obeyed that," he muttered as he hobbled to the window to help the kid with the backpacks. "Out now," he mouthed, glancing at the door.

Anastasio quickly crawled through the window, then grabbed the last backpack as Mario handed it to him. "Come on, ser," he said, reaching out his hand to help the thief.

Mario sat on the windowsill, pulling his bad leg out of the window, and leaned into Anastasio's arms. The boy grabbed him and pulled him the rest of the way, setting him on his feet. Mario shut the window behind him. There was a second boom and a crack. The door must have been broken.

They wrapped themselves in shadows and took the backpacks – one on each shoulder, and one in their arms – and started to sneak towards the dock.

They didn't get more than a foot or two from the window when Mario heard steps. The next moment, four guards rounded the corner of the inn. And a mabari. The guards looked weirdly confused, as if they didn't expect to see him there. What, did they expect him to sit on his ass and wait until they collected him, just because of the wound? The Alamar thieves guild was greatly overrated, if so. Or maybe the guards were extra dumb, and that's how the guild became infamous. In any case, the annoying flea monster was the sharpest one here, and he was right onto Mario.

Mario cursed under his breath. Perhaps he would've been somehow able to get past the buffoons, though the chance was tiny. But with that monster fixing him with its yellow eyes, there was no chance at all. Reluctantly, he put the backpacks back down and unsheathed his dagger; next to him, the kid followed his lead.

Mario desperately looked around him, but there was nothing he could use. Their best chance was to kill the mabari quickly, then throw a smoke bomb and get away as fast as they could… without the backpacks. He was loath to do it, but he couldn't see any way around it.

He pulled two smoke bombs out of his pocket and handed one to Anastasio. "Wait for the signal," he whispered, leaning closely to the boy.

Suddenly, Anastasio saw bags fly out a window a few windows away from them, and someone climb halfway out before stopping. Everyone, including the mabari, turned to stare at him.

"Um… hello?" the man said. "Do not mind me. I am, uh, trying to get away from a complicated situation… you know… men jealous of my skill."

"What a coincidence – we are trying to get away from a complicated situation as well," Anastasio piped up. It was crazy, of course, but the situation seemed so unreal. Although he probably should have kept the sarcasm out of his voice.

"Yeah, we've got a flock of angry Antivan birds at our heels, if you get me," Mario joined in, trying to mislead the guards. "And what's your business here?" he asked them.

The guards looked at each other, then the one in the lead turned back around and put his hands on his hips. "Something's fishy here – let's bring them all in and sort out who's who later," he said decisively.

"Nah. I'm sorry, but I cannot wait," the man in the other window said. He pulled himself all the way out, grabbed his pack, and bolted off.

The mabari took off after the man, and one of the guards ran after him, apparently as back up, but from what Anastasio could see, those Fereldan dogs did not need any backing up. Especially from a clueless Fereldan guard. The remaining two hesitated.

This was the best chance they'd get. Mario discreetly took one of the smoke bombs off his belt. "On three," he muttered.

oOo

Korlys watched the improbable exchange from the shadows nearby, assessing his options. He and Dante were both in shadows, and Korlys was cloaking Claudio, who was right behind him. There were two guards left, and Mario and Anastasio were only a few feet away from their bedroom window.

Korlys whispered, "As soon as you are able, get to Anastasio and Mario and take a backpack from each of them so they will be able to run. Then, get them back to the ship. Claudio, you may have to carry Mario – especially if he is being stubborn."

He turned around just as Mario and Anastasio were throwing smoke bombs. Korlys saw his companions slip through the smoke, making their way to Anastasio and Mario as directed. The assassin slipped into the smoke as well, but headed for the guards.

Mario almost jumped out of skin as two shapes emerged from the smoke right in front of him – and then sighed in relief. If these two were here, Korlys must be near, too.

"Take the kids and go," he muttered to Claudio. "I'm gonna help Korlys."

"In your shape? Hardly. Dante, Anastasio, take the packs."

The kids immediately took two backpacks each, putting one on their backs, and carrying the others in their arms.

Mario frowned. "I'm not going without him," he hissed.

Claudio sighed. "Must I carry you like he ordered me to?"

Mario cursed. But there was no time to discuss it; the smoke was already thinning out. If they didn't move immediately, they would all be in danger. He took one backpack and tossed the remaining one to Claudio. Once they were all ready, they sneaked through the smoke as fast as they could.

Korlys was glad to see all of his companions running away. It was not an all out sprint, though, as heavily burdened as they were, and with Mario's injury still fresh. They had just gotten out of the alleyway when another group of the guards arrived, narrowly missing them.

The assassin had no more time to worry about the others. Turning back to his work, he sneaked behind the guards who had confronted Mario. Luckily they were standing close together. He plunged a poisoned dagger into each of the guards' backs.

The poison was fast-acting, but not instantaneous. Korlys tried to keep the screaming men between himself and the new set of guards as he waited for the poison to do its job, praying the others wouldn't rush him in the meantime. These men had seen what happened to their companions, however, and were moving more cautiously.

oOo

Attrei was sitting in his chair in front of the ship, distractedly scratching Rask behind her floppy ears. It was moments like these when he hated being in a wheelchair; not only could he not do anything to help, he couldn't even pace to calm his nerves. Where were they for so long? Surely if everything had gone well, they would be here already! What if they were hurt? Or worse? How would he be able to help them?! Darn!

All around him, sailors sprinted in and out of the ship, loading barrels, crates and bags, and even bolts of some expensive cloth; what that was for, he had no idea. But they were all busy, and he didn't want to waste their time by asking questions. If it was there, Korlys or Mario had probably approved it.

Five more minutes. Five more minutes, and then he would go to the inn. He would not abandon his friends-

There! He almost sobbed in relief, as he saw them arriving at the docks – Dante and Anastasio, more stumbling than running under their heavy burdens, and then Claudio, with Mario leaning on his shoulder. But where was Korlys?! Attrei rolled towards them.

"Give me those," he said, taking the two of the four backpacks they were carrying. "Where's Korlys?"

"Coming," Claudio said vaguely. He took off his own backpack first, then Mario's, and handed them to the boys. "Get to the ship. Tell the captain to be ready to sail at a moment's notice. I need to treat Mario."

"I can walk by myself," Mario protested, but he didn't sound convincing. This close, Attrei could see that his left leg was soaked in blood.

"Go help Korlys!" Mario tried again, but Claudio ignored him. He put Mario's arm around his shoulder, holding it with one hand, and wrapped his other arm around Mario's waist, leading him to the ship.

The two apprentices kept looking back over their shoulders, expecting at least a dozen enemies to swoop down on them at any time, but they got to the ship without any problem. They put down their loads and ran to Ser Korlys' cabin, where Claudio was helping Mario to lay down on the bed.

"Ser Claudio?" Anastasio asked uncertainly, Dante standing by his side. With Korlys gone, Claudio was the last Antivan adult around. "What do we do now?"

"Get ready to set sail," Claudio said. "Go help the sailors to finish loading; I will join you shortly, after I take care of him."

"Baby can do that," Mario protested as the boys ran out. "You go and finish the loading. I'll take a bit of rest. If Korlys isn't here by the time you're done, I'm going back. I won't let it happen again."

"Understood," Claudio said soothingly. He rummaged through his backpack and took out one of the potions and uncorked it. "Drink this first. Only one swallow."

Still glaring at him suspiciously, Mario did as he was told. But the taste was not of a healing potion, it was a – how dare he! "Fucking bastard!" he yelled, throwing the vial at the healer. "Traitor! I'm gonna kill you for this!" He tried to get up, but the healer pushed him back down.

"Sí, sí. After you wake up. Now let me do my job." Ignoring the curses and threats raining down on his head – strong and creative, but quickly fading – he cleaned and rebandaged the wound. When he had finished, Mario was already fast asleep. Claudio straightened up. He should go check on the sailors and the brats, make sure they could pull up the gangplank and get underway the moment Korlys arrived. If he arrives. If not… Claudio pushed the thought away. He would deal with that once – if it happened.

oOo

Korlys' stance was alert but relaxed as he assessed the situation. Four guards, widely spaced, and warier than their deceased companions. Given that they had allowed the original group of guards to rush in first, they were probably a bit smarter, as well. Solid strategy, really. Let the cannon fodder go first, and assess the enemy's strength that way.

"You can either stand down, or I can walk over your corpses, but I mean to get by you, one way or the other," Korlys said.

One guard – the largest of the bunch – gave a coarse laugh. "There are four of us, and only one of you. You don't seriously think you have the upper hand here? Surrender your weapons now."

The assassin could not tell whether or not their overconfidence was just the normal Fereldan guard idiocy, or perhaps being Alamari guards had given these men a great deal of the type of experience typical Fereldan guards did not have. Korlys scoffed. "You think you are a match for a Crow?"

Three of the guards shifted uneasily, and looked to the big guy doing all the talking, confirming Korlys' impression that he was the leader. The man's face was set in hard lines, telling the assassin all he really needed to know.

"I don't care who you are, we're taking you in – dead or alive! Now, what's it going to be?"

Korlys did not hesitate. "Dead it is then."

oOo

Claudio rubbed his temples. Korlys still wasn't back. What should he do? Leaving without Korlys was out of the question. Even if he did want to do that – and he didn't – he suspected the other two wouldn't allow it. They'd commandeer the ship again and tear the whole of Alamar down if they had to. But what could they do? Korlys was either dead or captured and thrown into prison. In the first case, there was nothing to do. If he was captured and in prison… there was nothing he could do then, either.

They had no idea where the prisons in the town were, or how well they were guarded. To rush in there without any intel would be suicide. The only one, besides Korlys, who was able to gather any was incapacitated. And yet, everyone would expect him to come up with a solution.

"Claudio!"

Here it comes. Bracing himself, he turned to face Attrei. But the boy didn't look anxious or scared at all. He looked determined and focused, like Claudio had never seen him before.

"My back is healed now, isn't it?" he asked. "I have to do exercises to be able to walk again, but it is not broken anymore?"

"Yes," he replied. What was the boy aiming at?

"So I can fly without crippling myself, right?"

"Attrei, what do you want to-"

"I'm going to the inn," the boy cut in. "Something must have happened – he might be captured or heavily injured and need help. I'll fly there, change into myself, cast as necessary, and fly back."

Rask looked from Attrei to Claudio to Attrei again, and whined. She was not sure what was going on, but from the tone of the conversation, she knew something was not right. And it involved her person.

Attrei looked down at the pup and smiled. "I'm sorry, you can't go with me. I can't shapeshift carrying living beings. And I need you to stay here and guard Mario."

The little puppy's ears drooped, and she gave a sad wag of her tail, but uttered a resigned, 'whoof'.

"Thank you." Attrei turned back to Claudio, his expression serious once again. "I'm going, with or without you." If he tries to stop me, I'll put him to sleep. "But I'd prefer if you came, too."

Claudio stared incredulously at the boy. Attrei was the last person he expected to take charge like that… but it made sense, now that he thought of it. Mario had told him how Attrei interrogated the Crows back in Gwaren – and admitted he wouldn't be able to get on the ship without the young mage.

"Va bene. I will go with you. On one condition – I want to be sure you can fly without problems first. Shapeshift now and try to fly around the ship several times. Can you do that?"

Instead of a reply, Attrei cast the spell. The next moment, a little sparrow stood on the seat of the wheelchair. It took off, and circled around the ship three times, before landing next to the wheelchair. Attrei turned back.

Rask barked deliriously, running around in small circles as the sparrow flew around. When Attrei became himself again, she cocked her head as if to say, "How'd you do that?"

"See? I can do it."

Claudio observed the boy. He looked a bit pale, as if flying was a strenuous effort, but it was obvious there was no use pointing that out. He smiled. "Va bene. Give me a minute – I will take some healing and lyrium potions, and then we can go."

"Ser?" Dante piped up. He and Anastasio had come to report to Claudio that everything was ready but did not want to interrupt his discussion with Attrei, curious what he would decide.

"Can I come, too? I could go ahead scouting," he offered eagerly. Maybe he'd be the one to find Ser Korlys first! He'd help him fight off any enemies! Or what if – maybe Ser Korlys was injured, like Attrei said, and needed help. Then he'd be the one to save his life. Ha! Anastasio would never be able to trump that. Everyone would have to admit he was the best!

"No, I should go!" Anastasio interjected. "I am much better at stealth than Dante." No way was Dante going to go be a hero and leave him here!

Attrei shook his head. "Thank you. I appreciate the offer, but it'll be better if you both stay here. We can't leave Mario with just a puppy. What if guards come while we're gone? Also, if something happens and Claudio and I can't come back, you need to tell Mario where we went and why, and help him."

Dante barely suppressed a sigh of disappointment. "Sí, ser."

oOo

As Attrei was approaching the inn, he saw a group of guards standing at the edge of the market closest to their inn. One man – probably the leader – was gesturing, and at his gesture smaller groups of men broke off and trotted towards the back of the inn, while another group went around the other way, and the last group headed directly to the front door.

That had to mean Korlys was still alive and fighting. Relief washed over him. He wasn't too late! But, this many guards would be a problem, even for an amazing fighter like his friend. Attrei landed on the roof of the inn and hopped to the edge to check the situation.

Korlys was surrounded by three dead guards, and a fourth who was alive but clearly wouldn't be for much longer. The Antivan was covered in blood, his left arm limp at his side. This was worse than Attrei expected – he must not let the guards get to him!

No one ever looked up, he knew. He turned back and started to prepare the spell. It'd be more efficient to put them all to sleep, but that chant was longer; it wouldn't be ready in time. The Waking Nightmare Spell, then – that was almost instantaneous. He chanted the spell, closing his eyes so as not to see the guards and Korlys – he couldn't let the worry distract him now.

oOo

Satisfied that the last guard was as good as dead, Korlys turned and started to walk away. He was exhausted – the men had proved to be more of a challenge than average guards would have been, and he was losing a lot of blood. He rounded the corner, thinking through his best route back to the ship, and stopped short as a fresh group of guards came into view.

He readied his daggers – well, his right one, anyway. His left arm was too injured to be of much use. Suddenly, the guards stopped short. A terrified look came over them, and as one man, they threw down their weapons and fled, screaming.

Wow, I must look worse than I feel. Or maybe I look more dangerous than usual... There was no time to figure out what was going on, though. Korlys started towards the ship again, but stopped when a bird landed on his head.

"Attrei? I hope that is you."

The little bird flew off and turned into Attrei. "Ah, it is you..." Korlys said, then frowned. "Wait a minute – what are you doing here? You are not supposed to be flying. Claudio said-"

"Claudio said it was fine," Attrei cut in.

"As if you gave me any chance to disagree," a disgruntled voice replied as the mage rounded the corner and appeared into view.

"Claudio?" Korlys said. "What are you two doing here? You are both supposed to be waiting for me at the ship!"

"Sí. But it took you so long we got bored," Claudio said, looking Korlys all over. "How bad is the arm? Any other injuries?"

"My arm is slashed pretty badly, but the guards will be back soon. Just wrap it so I do not leave a blood trail, and let us get out of here!"

"It will take them about half an hour to calm down," Attrei informed him.

"But what about anyone unaffected by your spell?"

"I would be surprised if they dared to come and see what scared those men." Claudio handed Korlys a healing potion, who took it, pulled the cork out with his teeth, and drank it down in one swallow. Claudio then took a bandage and wrapped it over the shirt; this was no time or place to clean and treat it properly. "Can you walk? Or should I carry you as well?" he asked as he cast a numbing spell on Korlys' arm.

"'As well'?" Korlys raised an eyebrow. "Mario gave you trouble, did he?" Well, he could find out all about it when they got to the safety of the ship. "I can walk just fine. Come on," Korlys said, as he turned to lead the way.

"You two are remarkably alike," Claudio said, before turning to Attrei. "That is enough flying around for a day, young man. Turn into a sparrow, and one of us can carry you."

"You may want to let Claudio do it, unless you do not mind the blood," Korlys said – his clothes were soaked in it.

"All right." Attrei was actually relieved. Flying was more difficult today than ever before, and even standing still exhausted him. Every bone in his body was tired… although he would not admit it in front of his friends. He turned into a sparrow again, and Claudio gently picked him up and put him into his pocket.

"I do not think it is wise to stroll through the streets like this," the healer said to Korlys. "Can you do that shadow trick of yours? It would be good not to attract more troubles today."

"Of course," Korlys said. "Stay close to me; we will take the side streets." Korlys slipped into the shadows and headed out, Claudio close by his side.

oOo

When they turned onto the street leading to the docks, Korlys stepped out of the shadows. The few people here were the sort who minded their own business. They walked briskly, but not suspiciously, towards the docks.

As they were approaching, Korlys asked the healer, "By the way, how did you manage to keep Mario from coming along?"

"Do not remind me," Claudio muttered. "He swore to give me the most painful death. All because I did my job."

"Err... how exactly did you do your job?" Korlys suspected that would be the heart of the issue.

"I gave him a sleeping potion. Without him knowing."

The assassin winced on Claudio's behalf. "Ouch." Korlys sighed with regret. "Sí, I am afraid it will not go well for you when he wakes up."

Claudio sighed. "You would not know of a… peace offering that could change his mind?"

Korlys frowned for a moment, but then his face cleared. "Perhaps I do. Follow me." He led Claudio to an area where he remembered spotting a mama cat and her kittens earlier that day. Luckily, they were still there. He picked up the orange ball of fluff that had caught his eye before the mama could attack.

He turned to the healer, handing over the kitten to him. "If anything will save your life, it will be this – just do not put it in the same pocket where Attrei is sleeping."

Claudio stared amusedly at the little creature in his hands. It looked like a woolen toy with disproportionately big blue eyes. "A cat?"

"Well, Mario likes cats, and the captain said the men would not sail without one on board, so we need it anyway." The assassin shrugged. "But, if you want to try something else..."

"Ah, no. I fully trust your judgement." Claudio carefully stored the kitty into his other pocket. Unfortunately, unlike the sparrow, this thing had no manners at all. It poked its head right out and mewed pitifully, then tried to climb up his torso. After the third attempt to push it back in, he gave up, grabbed it by the scruff of its neck and put it on his shoulder, where it proceeded to sniff his ear and hair, and bury its tiny claws into his shoulder. But at least it didn't try to run off. For the moment. "Let us go."

When the four of them arrived at the Freedom's Shadow, they found the captain and both boys waiting for them. Korlys shouted as they were coming up the gangplank, "Captain Jack, weigh anchor!"

When they got to the deck, Anastasio asked anxiously, "Where is Ser Attrei?"

Claudio tapped his pocket, and the sparrow flew out of it. The kitten on Claudio's shoulder tensed, suddenly focused. "Anastasio, take Attrei to his wheelchair, will you? Dante, you take care of this fluffy monster until Mario wakes up… But do not give it to him! Korlys, you come with me – I need to dress the wound properly."

oOo

Once Claudio had finished stitching him up, Korlys went to his and Mario's cabin, where the other elf was still fast asleep. The assassin washed up as best he could and put on clean clothes before making his way to the deck.

Attrei was sitting in his wheelchair with Rask on his lap, petting her. He seemed to be happy just experiencing the feel of the puppy's fur.

Attrei waved at him. "Korlys!" He wheeled towards him. "How is your arm?"

"Much better, grazie," Korlys replied. "Claudio put several stitches into me and said I would be fine in a day or two. I was just going to find the captain and see if he has any concerns I need to address."

"I think he's in the navigation room with some other men," Attrei said. "They went there right after we sailed off, just as Anastasio wheeled me here. By the way… did you know it's him? The captain from Gwaren!"

Korlys wrinkled his brow. "Who?"

"You know when I was checking the ships in Gwaren? Jack was the first captain I saw. He had a ship then, though. Black… something. I followed him to an inn, and he got into a fight with another captain, Billy or Bobby, because he owed him money or something. And then we wanted to travel with that other guy!"

"Oh!" Gwaren seemed like a lifetime ago, now. "Small world, yes? Va bene, I will have a chat with him." Korlys made his way to the room the little mage had indicated. His stomach rumbled, and he realized it had been a while since he had eaten. The assassin opened the door to the tiny room situated near the front of the main deck and spotted the captain and another sailor. "Captain Jack, may I have a word with you? If your duties permit, of course."

Captain Jack looked up from the map on the table in front of him. "Of course – I was just consulting with my navigator on our course to Amaranthine, but we are all done now." He followed Korlys out onto the deck.

"Something I can do for you, ser?" the captain asked.

Korlys folded his arms. "I just wanted to ask if you have any qualms about having Attrei or Claudio aboard," the Antivan remarked, indicating Attrei and Claudio – who was now standing near the little mage.

"No ser," Jack replied. "I am not sure why I would have any trouble with that?" The man's question seemed to express genuine puzzlement.

"Ah, I am glad to hear that – I have heard it said that some people do not like to have mages on board their ships." Korlys had heard no such thing about sailors, really, it just came out of him before he had even considered it, and it sounded plausible.

"Well, ser, you will get no trouble from me or any of my men about that, I can assure you. This is strictly business, and what the owner of the ship wants – as long as it does not endanger me or my men while on board – is none of my business."

Satisfied, Korlys nodded. It did not matter what their private opinions were, anyway, as long as they did their jobs and minded their own businesses. "Ah, that reminds me – I am not sure if you noticed when we boarded, but I made sure to bring a cat on board with us. It is a kitten, but I believe that does not matter?"

Captain Jack laughed. "No, not at all – and I did notice the little bugger sitting on your mate's shoulder when all of you arrived. Cats can forecast the weather, you know; they can always tell when a storms blowin' in."

That Jack did not even mention his bloodied state upon arrival boded well for their relationship, in Korlys' opinion – the man had not even batted an eye. "Perfect," the Antivan replied. "And when do you think we will land at Amaranthine?"

"Oh, it should not be more than two days, I am sure, ser – the weather is fine and does not appear to be on the verge of changin', and Amaranthine is just up the coast a ways."

Korlys nodded in satisfaction. "Wonderful. Well, I will let you get back to your duties, then."

"Aye, aye, ser," the captain replied.

oOo

Mario stared at the low ceiling. Where did those massive oak beams go? And why was the bed so hard all of the sudden? It was almost as if they were on the… ship!

He sat up straight. "Korlys!"

"He is fine," a grumpy voice said.

Mario's eyes flashed as he turned to the healer. "You!" He tried to jump out of the bed, but the mage gently held him back and forced him to sit. Fuck, when had he gotten this weak?

"Korlys is fine," Claudio repeated patiently. "Please, lie back down. You will tear your stitches and make your wound worse."

"Like I give a fuck! Where's Korlys? What happened? If he was injured, I'm gonna kill you!"

The healer sighed. "He is not here because you were asleep for three hours. It is almost dinner time now. As for what happened – nothing much really. Or nothing we did not expect, at least. Attrei and I went to the inn, Attrei cast his spell, we returned to the ship, I fixed Korlys' arm and that-"

"So he was injured!" Mario accused. "What's wrong with his arm?"

"Just a slash. It will be fully healed tomorrow or the day after that. With you, I am not so sure anymore. Keep jumping out of the bed, and you can cripple yourself forever. How will you be able to continue your job?"

"I don't care," Mario muttered, although, if he were honest – to himself, at least – he did. Being a thief was all he was. Living without it would be like living without arms and legs. Merely vegetating. Still. He would gladly sacrifice it for Korlys. "I can't lie in bed while Korlys is in danger. Trick me that way again and you won't survive it."

"Oh? Does that mean I get a reprieve now?" Claudio teased. "In that case, the peace offering is not needed at all. Shall I offer it to Attrei instead?"

"No, you don't get a reprieve," Mario snapped. "I don't know what you're blabbering about, but if you think you can make me forgive you-"

With a triumphant grin, Claudio pulled the kitty from his pocket and put it in Mario's lap. The thief's eyes widened. The kitty looked around, mewed, and waded through the blanket to Mario's hand. It tried to sniff and lick his finger, but apparently didn't find it to its liking and so mewed again. Mario chuckled and scratched it behind its ears.

"You got this for me?" he asked.

"I was told you like cats, and we need one for the ship, so I thought it wouldn't hurt…"

"It doesn't," Mario assured him, smiling a little. "Thank you. But if you ever trick me like that again, I won't forgive you. You have something to say, say it. If it makes sense, I'll follow – like I did at the inn. I'm neither a kid, nor a fool, and I'm not suicidal – but I make my own decisions. You get that?"

The mage gave him a surprised look. Full of surprises, these brats. He smiled. "I get it."

"Great. Now then, let's move to important matters. Is it him or her?"

"You will have to check yourself," the mage said. "You do know how to do it, yes? Lift the kitten's tail. The opening just under the tail is the anus. Below the anus is the genital opening which is round in males and is a vertical slit in females. In kittens of similar size, the distance between the anus and the genital opening is greater in the male than the female." He smirked at the elf's bewildered expression.

"Dunno what you just said. But it's a boy."

Claudio laughed. "Well done! Now, if you do not mind, I need to check my other patient."

Mario's ears perked up at that. "Bring him here!"

"Sí, sí. I will." Claudio got up and headed to the door.

oOo

Korlys knocked softly on the door, then came in and sat on the edge of the bed. "How are you feeling?"

"Been worse," Mario said. "But you were injured."

"Been worse," Korlys quipped with a wink.

"Because of me," Mario continued softly. This was too important to let pass by with a quip. "Because you had to clean up my mess. You had to fight and got injured. I am sorry."

"Well, I guess we are even now, since my little stunt in Dalry cost you a bit of trouble as well," Korlys said with a grin.

"What... Oh, that." Mario blinked in surprise as he remembered the annoying shrieking cow and the guards. "But I wasn't hurt. And, you don't get it… You don't know just how royally I fucked up this time." He shifted his gaze all around the room, looking anywhere but at Korlys. "You see, I'm sure the guards came for the lunatic, not us. The fleabag recognized my scent, but only because I was out there. If I'd stayed in the room, the guards would've gone after him and let us be. You didn't have to fight at all. It's all because I panicked."

"What do you mean? Why do you think the guards were after the other man?"

"When the guards arrived, they banged on the doors – but not ours. I thought they were just dumb, like all guards, but… they were so confused when they saw me, like they had no idea who I was. If I hadn't crawled out the window right into their arms and unsheathed my dagger, none of this would've happened."

Korlys was silent for a moment, contemplating. He pressed his lips together, trying hard to keep from laughing, but it was no use.

"Why are you laughing? You shouldn't be laughing! Don't you know how serious this is?!" Mario tried to sound stern, but Korlys laughter was contagious.

"Well, it is Alamar," Korlys said, when he'd got hold of himself. "They could probably bang on any door at any inn in town and get half a dozen criminals flinging themselves out of back windows. They were probably only surprised there were not more of you."

"That's a solid strategy. Good thing the guards in Denerim haven't thought of that. Yet." Mario laughed, but then got serious. "I said I'd protect you and all I do is get you hurt."

Korlys sighed. "I do not need your protection, Mario. We are a team; you are not my keeper."

"That's not what I meant, I…" Mario bit his lip. How could he explain to Korlys that overwhelming fear he felt when the Crows took Korlys away, and now when Claudio forced him to leave Korlys behind – the helpless dread that Korlys would be hurt, killed, taken away from him and there was nothing he could do about it, because he was the weak link in the team? He was too dumb to explain himself; whenever he tried, he always managed to say the exact opposite and offend people. No, it was better for everyone if he held his tongue.

"I love you," he said instead. That, at least, was a simple truth that didn't need lots of big words.

Korlys leaned in and kissed him before he could say anything even more unnerving.

AN: As always, thanks go to our wonderful betas - Bloodsong13T and Suilven - for all their help!