It didn't take more than fifteen minutes for one of the runners to return and knock on the guildmaster's office, then enter when the man gave permission, closing the door behind him. He was in there only a few moments before he opened the door again and walked up to Mario. He announced in a self-important tone, "The boss will see you now."
Those were the longest fifteen minutes of his life, but as he put down the tankard of pale ale and got up, Mario's stomach unfroze just a bit. Fifteen minutes were not enough to scout anything. The old fucker must have had the amulet in his office the whole time, and used the boys as cover up. Now he could only hope the man wouldn't be too greedy and take the money Mario had on him. Ten gold. The amulet was worth much more than that, but that was all he was willing to spend. He hoped to make up for everything by breaking into the innkeeper's house, but he couldn't know how much that would bring.
When he walked in, the amulet was sitting on the Guildmaster's desk. The man gestured for him to sit down and said, "The Crows certainly have exquisite taste, don't they? For such a piece as this, I think one hundred sovereigns would be a fair price."
Mario burst into laughter. "Fair price for whom?" He shook his head. "Look. I'm not saying you're wrong. And yes, Ser Illario can pay that. But he won't. He won't pay a single copper. You must be aware of that, right?"
"What?!" The guildmaster looked honestly outraged.
"I know." Mario raised his hands. "But we're both running out of time. Ser Illario isn't the type who takes bad news easily… I'd much prefer to just give him the amulet and be done with the whole mess. I can give you seven gold. Not much, but better than having your teeth pulled out one by one, no? So what do you say? You help me, I help you. Everybody stays alive."
The Kingsnakelet looked madder than a mule chewing on bumblebees. He calmed down after a few moments, but it was clear from the look in his eyes he intended to get revenge. "Ten," he said, his tone quiet but murderous at the same time. "That's ninety percent off." He looked like he wanted to say more, but didn't trust himself enough to risk what might come out of his mouth.
"Ten it is." Better not to push his luck. Kelton wasn't poor, after all. Seven or ten, the difference probably meant nothing for him. He counted out ten sovereigns from his purse and pushed them towards the man. Then he got up and took the amulet from the table. "Thank you very much for your cooperation. It was a real pleasure doing business with you. I'll give the Crows your regards."
And he walked out of the office and the guild as fast as he could without looking suspicious. I am fucking awesome.
oOo
Mario whistled, whirling the amulet around his fingers. He wished Korlys was here now and could see this. Him. The best thief in Ferelden! Most likely elsewhere, too. First he'd stolen a ship, just like he promised – while the dreaded, horrible Crows were still on it! True, he'd had help with that one, but no need to dwell on details… He grinned as the image of Korlys, smiling at his boasting, flashed in his mind. Hurry back to me, love. I miss you. With a little sigh, he walked over to Kelton's room and knocked on the door.
Kelton rolled off his bed. He'd been laying with his arms behind his head, staring at the ceiling as he replayed the previous night's activities over and over. He opened the door to find Mario standing there, holding out his amulet. "You found it!" Kelton exclaimed, barely able to contain his joy as he took it. "I can't believe it; I don't know how to thank you!" The warrior was already fastening it around his neck.
"The guy who gave it to me claims it's worth a hundred gold," Mario said.
"It's worth more than that – it's priceless. My mother gave it to me," Kelton said gratefully. "How can I ever repay you? I am in your debt, ser."
"I'm sorry. I didn't know your mother died."
"Oh no, she's not dead, but it is very dear to her; her father passed it down to her before he died. It's been in her family for generations."
"I see. That's good," Mario said. "But you don't have to repay me anything. The guy gave it to me for only ten gold. 'That's ninety percent off'," he said in the ominous quiet voice of the guildmaster and laughed. "And I plan to get the remaining ten percent, and some extra, from- tonight," he corrected himself. That was close! Kelton didn't know and didn't need to know what his real job was. All he needed to know was that he was amazing and reliable.
Mario's discomfort was apparent, and the warrior didn't want to add to that, so he let the elf's misstep pass without comment. "Well, anytime you need a favor that I can help with, please let me know."
"You can bet on that." Mario smirked. Things were getting too sentimental – he didn't like the talk about mothers, and he didn't want Kelton to ask about his mother. "I'll be going out again soon – I've still got a job in town. You and Claudio stay here. Just sit on your asses… at least they'll remain clothed this time. Have a feast, if you want. Make it look like you're two rich, arrogant, offended brats, who want nothing to do with this shithole of a town. Tomorrow, we'll leave in the late morning. We absolutely mustn't look like we're running away."
"That shouldn't be too hard, since we aren't," Kelton replied mildly.
Of course we are. "Right," he said aloud. He should be more careful about what he was saying. Kelton wasn't stupid… even though he let the thieves trick him. Mario grinned. "I need to get ready."
oOo
It took longer than it normally would for Korlys to make his way to the docks, but he couldn't afford a single slip now. He flung the brand as far as he could into the sea, turning away as it hit the water.
Korlys stopped briefly at the little cove Mario had used as a hideout before fleeing Denerim. He retrieved Cory's letter and tucked it carefully into his pack, then followed the outer walls of the city northward until he came to some stables owned by the same man he'd hired to bring him here.
Arrangements made, Korlys climbed onto the wagon and drew his cloak around him to ward off the cold, damp air blowing off the sea. There were still several hours left to the night as they got underway, the driver urging the horses to a fast but sustainable pace. Although his body felt heavy, Korlys' mind whirled, a mixed jumble of thoughts and emotions tumbling around as if propelled by hurricane-force winds. The only constant in it all was a cold dread in the pit of his stomach. The storm threatened to overwhelm him if given half a chance, so he carefully beat it back and locked it away, refusing to think or even look at it.
There was no point in dwelling on it now, anyway. Or ever, really. What was done was done. Better just to concentrate on getting back to Amaranthine as quickly as possible. Korlys dug the cheap brandy out of his pack and took a few swallows, this time glad to have the rough burning in his throat to focus on as he planned his next moves. It had been almost four weeks since he'd left, and there were still two days of travel in front of him. He had to be prepared for the fact that Mario and the crew were very unlikely to still be in Amaranthine when he arrived. And even if they were, surely Mario would hate him – in his thirst to wreak vengeance, he'd become the very thing the other elf despised.
But as much as Korlys dreaded that possibility, he had to know for sure, had to see for himself that the ship was gone. He would find out when they'd left, make a little more money, hire someone to take him to the next port they'd planned to visit, or the next. He took another swig, hoping it would melt the heavy lump of ice lying in the pit of his belly. After all, I promised to deliver Cory's letter to Mario, Korlys thought, the chill in his stomach refusing to budge. It was a perfectly valid reason for pursuing them. Then, he would see if Mario's feelings changed for him once he found out. And if so? I can walk away, he told himself. I can just walk away.
oOo
"What will we do about Kelton tomorrow?" Claudio asked as casually as he could. The question had been hanging in the air ever since they'd left Amaranthine four days ago. They had been ignoring it, but they had just run out of time. Soon they would be back in Amaranthine… and Korlys would not.
Attrei lifted his eyes from the notebook where he was entering all the expenses they had made today, and gave Claudio a curious look. "Why would we do anything about him?"
"He will want to go rescue his cousin, now that we have all we need. And we do not have any more excuses-"
"We do not need any excuses," Mario cut in, frowning at the drop of ink that splashed all over the lines Attrei had told him to practice writing – something about a stupid dog running around. He pushed the pen aside and turned to Claudio. "Or at least I don't. I said I'm not leaving without Korlys, and I won't."
"I don't want to leave without him," Attrei said softly. "Or without you. You're both my brothers. If you stay, I stay."
"I sense a 'but' coming," Mario muttered.
Attrei took a deep breath. "Well… What if… just an idea, you know… maybe we could leave a message for Korlys with the redheaded lady that works for Kelton? That would be much safer than leaving a message with the innkeeper. Explaining where we went and why. Then he could follow us – or wait in Amaranthine, depending on when he returned."
"Wow. You gave this a lot of thought, didn't you." Mario crossed his arms.
"Korlys is strong and clever. He can survive a few more weeks without our help," Attrei insisted. "The girl can't. I don't want to live with the knowledge that a girl was forced through the rite of tranquility because we didn't help when we could."
Mario opened his mouth to snap at the magical pest, when a very uncomfortable thought flashed in his mind. Didn't I do the same, when I first met Korlys? When he threw that little pebble to warn Korlys of Crows trying to trap him, didn't he do it because it felt too close to what he was going through at the time? What if Kelton had said his mother had been kidnapped by slavers? If he were honest with himself, could he truly blame Attrei for wanting to help?
"We will save her," he said. "But it'll be much easier if Korlys is with us, you know. You believe in his skill, but trust his word, too. Has he ever lied to you?"
"Of course not!"
"See? In the note, he promised to come back soon, and he will. I'm sure he'll be back any day now. And we'll sail to Kirkwall the moment he's back. I promise."
Attrei nodded. "I do trust him," he said gravely. "As I trust you. You know that."
"I do," Mario agreed with a smile, although it was a little bit forced, as the smartass voice that kept him awake every night until small hours hurried to remind him that wasn't exactly what the note had said. SHUT THE FUCK UP. Korlys knows we trust him, and he won't fail our trust.
He caught the healer's look, full of pity, and ground his teeth. "Now excuse me, but I need to see where the fuck Spot is running. I'm sure he's a mabari, he's so annoying."
Attrei giggled at that. "Oh, you don't like Spot? Alright, from now on you can write…" He looked around the room, and noticed the kitty, sneaking with a focused look, tail upright like a ruler, towards Rask curled under the window; it seemed the kitty was going for Rask's ear.
"'The Ginger gangster pesters the peaceful puppy. Run, Rask, run!' Thirty times should do it, I think."
"You know, I don't think you need to worry about the rich brat's cousin, because you won't be alive when we go on the mission," Mario muttered, glad for the change of topic. Claudio returned his attention to his book, Attrei was being silly, and Ginger had just launched a surprise attack at the little fleabag. Everything was normal… at least until they retreated to their cabins, with no distractions from dark thoughts.
Just come back already, he thought as he grabbed the pen again. What was that funny word Attrei said was a cat – ah, yes. The fluffy feline fights the farting fleabag. Go, Ginger, go!
oOo
Korlys' arrival in Amaranthine was greeted by a cold rain but otherwise went unnoticed. He went first to the docks, of course, and was unsurprised to find the Freedom's Shadow missing from her berth. Still, it made him feel even more isolated from the rest of the world.
He went to The Crown and Lion Inn where they'd been staying, telling himself it was just as good as any other. The innkeeper's greeting was cordial but guarded, and Korlys guessed he looked a little rough around the edges right about now. Two days on the road with little sleep will do that to you. And the month he'd spent in Denerim hunting down Templars probably hadn't helped.
A few minutes of conversation was all it took for the assassin to learn the rest of his companions had checked out about a week after he'd left, and in a bit of a hurry too.
He was shown to his room – the same one he'd shared with Mario – and had a hot bath drawn for him. Korlys avoided looking into the mirror as he quickly peeled his clothes off; two long days of travel had left a layer of grime on him. He only paused long enough to grab the bottle of whiskey the maid had fetched for him, then sank into the hot water with a blissful sigh.
Korlys tipped his head back to wet his hair, careful not to submerge his face. He opened the whiskey and took a long swallow as he considered what he'd learned. They'd left only a week after he'd gone, in spite of his note. Okay, I can understand them giving up on me and leaving, but why after only a week? That made no sense, so they couldn't have left simply because they'd decided to move on, especially if they'd been in a hurry. No, they'd been forced to leave Amaranthine for some reason, most likely the local thieves guild. It was close enough to Denerim for them to have received news of Mario's revenge by now.
Since it wasn't likely they'd been captured, he'd simply have to find them. He'd work on picking up their trail tomorrow. That decided, the assassin closed his eyes and let the hot water untangle the knots of his sore muscles as he worked on finishing off his whiskey.
oOo
The weather was surprisingly warm for the end of Harvestmere, although the navigator, Jenkins, said it would rain that evening. Well, it wasn't raining now, and none of them felt like sitting in their tiny, dark cabins, so they had turned one of the crates up on deck into a makeshift table, and the boys had brought chairs up from belowdecks. Claudio and Kelton were both sipping hot coffee, while Attrei and the boys played cards. Mario was sitting on the yardarm above them, hands behind his head, enjoying the sound of wind flapping the sails.
"Did you get all the equipment you wanted?" Attrei asked Kelton and Claudio. After he got his staff, he couldn't help admiring it and examining it from every angle and practicing moves… and he realised now, with a pang of guilt, he never cared to check with his friends about their purchases.
"It's a bit too late, if they haven't, isn't it? But, nice to see you remember why we went to Alamar," Mario teased. Yesterday evening had gone better than he'd expected – he'd gotten his money back and some extra. The two lotharios had listened to his advice and kept a low profile, and Baby somehow managed to stay out of trouble, too… probably thanks to the boys, Mario suspected.
They'd left that morning without any problems. Mario left a black feather on the innkeeper's counter, so they'd know who robbed them and why, but he still half expected the Kingsnakelet to come running after them. He must be really afraid of the Crows.
"Yes, I got everything that I needed," Kelton replied, ignoring Mario's remark. "Oh, you know, the Festival of Lights is coming up in a few days. The inns and taverns always fill up days in advance. Perhaps it would be wise to send Attrei on ahead to book rooms for you all?"
Mario stared incredulously at Kelton, then at Attrei. "So. Care to explain to me how he knows we can 'send you on ahead'?" he asked.
"Well, you did say he could turn into a sparrow," Kelton remarked with a chuckle.
"Well, it… came up after the visit to the magic store," Attrei admitted. "I had to tell my specializations to the shopkeeper to find the right staff, you know!" he hurried to add when Mario frowned.
Mario shook his head and sighed. "I give up," he muttered. "I have no idea how you managed to survive until now. No idea."
"What is done is done, sí?" Claudio said, before Mario found out about other little blunders they made in that shop. "Anyway, Kelton is right. It'd be good to book rooms in advance. I would not like to sleep on the ship, if not necessary."
Or we could stay at Lord Kelton's place, Dante thought hopefully, although he didn't dare to suggest it aloud. He was a bit disappointed, actually – when the man started talking about the festival, Dante was sure it was to invite them…
"Yeah, it'd be cool, but it needs someone with common sense and discretion. To be honest, I'm not sure Baby meets those conditions."
Attrei straightened on his chair. "Of course I can do it," he said to Kelton and Claudio, ignoring the annoying thief. "Just leave it to me."
oOo
Attrei was very pleased with himself. He'd booked three rooms and paid for them all by himself. He'd told Mario he could do it! Actually, it wasn't difficult at all. True, it wasn't the inn Mario wanted, but it wasn't his fault that The Seven Oaks was fully booked, was it? Also true that he hadn't checked the other inns on Mario's list before going to The Hatchet, where they'd stayed the last time. But Mario wasn't here and he didn't need to know that.
Lady Agatha, the innkeeper, made absolutely the best pancakes, and Jennifer, her pretty daughter, just one year younger than himself, adored Rask and had shown Attrei how to teach her tricks. Totally worth the two extra silver they would pay. And it was only for a night or two, so what was the big deal? He knew they were making more than enough to cover it on these business trips – he had checked with Claudio beforehand.
Booking the inn had taken five minutes at most, and he had at least an hour before the ship arrived. He briefly considered flying back to the ship to tell the others he'd done it, but that would be childish. They'd find out soon enough. Instead, he headed to the market – he'd never had a chance to just walk around by himself and look at whatever he wanted. He spent the few coppers he had for a meat pie and something called apple cider. It had a pretty yellow colour and smelled and tasted of apples. What a pity he didn't have enough money to buy more!
He wasn't sure how much time had passed – it was getting dark so early these days, and today it was even darker with the heavy rain clouds not letting a single ray of sun through. He should head to the docks again and wait for the others there. He finished the pie, wiped his hands on his jacket, and was about to do just that when he noticed a familiar figure near one of the stands. He stopped, holding his breath. He couldn't be quite sure, but it looked just like-
"Korlys?!"
The assassin heard his name and looked to his left. A kid with dark skin and strawberry blond hair was standing several yards away, looking at him, the expression on his face equal parts hopeful and hesitant. He paused, trying to place him.
"It is you!" The kid ran over, then flung his arms wide as if to hug him. Korlys stepped back cautiously. Then it clicked – that was Attrei. Before he could do or say anything, however, Attrei chattered on. "Where have you been? What took you so long? Mario went almost crazy with worry!"
"Attrei? But, I was told... Why did they leave you behind? And why are you in disguise?" Korlys was confused but had the presence of mind to keep his voice down – if Attrei was disguised, he must be in danger. No need to call any more attention to themselves than the little mage already had.
"They didn't leave me behind, they sent me ahead!" Attrei laughed. "We're merchants now, you know. I flew back ahead of the ship to book the inn. I was just going to the dock – they should be here in half an hour or so."
"Just a moment," Korlys said, raising his hand. He had many questions, but they could wait. The most important thing was that the ship would arrive soon. "I would like to meet Mario first. In private, if you do not mind. Perhaps we could catch up later?"
"Of course I don't mind! That's a great idea. He pretended to be fine, you know, but he was knotted up inside all the time." He bit his lip, thinking. "I could tell him to stay behind for… something," he suggested, hesitating. "Then you can meet him when the others leave for the inn."
"That would be wonderful," Korlys said. "I will stay in the shadows until he is alone, then. Grazie, Attrei."
oOo
Mario was sitting on a yardarm, leaning against the main mast, hands behind his head. What could Baby want with him that he couldn't say in front of the others? Stay behind, he said. It's important, he said. It couldn't be that serious, though, because he didn't look the least bit worried or scared. On the contrary, he was practically shining with excitement and happiness that made Mario's heart start filling with a hope he dared not put into words.
How many times had he felt that hope in the last month? How many times had he been sure he'd caught a glimpse or heard the voice of his Antivan, only to be left more hopeless than before? One time he had been so certain he'd run across the street before realizing the man was too short and stocky. And was a dwarf. Who didn't appreciate a strange elf running up to him and then bursting into laughter. Thank the Maker no one else from their gang had seen it.
No, it was far more likely Baby simply had gotten another crazy idea like the birthday party… The only question was why they couldn't talk about it in a warm inn instead of him having to stay behind and get soaked.
The sailors knew him well enough by now not to pay attention to him or make silly comments that he should go to his cabin because of the drizzle. He hated that tiny hole. Most of all he hated going to sleep there. And waking up. Alone. It seemed tonight would be no different. You should accept it. He's not coming back.
Suddenly he noticed a figure standing at the foot of the gangplank. In the lights of the lamps, he couldn't see much more than that they were wearing a cloak. Could it be- No. No, it was probably a merchant looking for a ship. Or one of Kelton's friends. Or a Crow. He should check it out, just in case. He climbed down the mast and headed toward the figure.
"Looking for something?" he called, trying not to sound too unfriendly – wasn't good for business, the captain said – but ready to pull out his knife at any moment.
"It is me, Korlys." The man took a few steps up the gangplank and paused.
The whole world swayed at those words, almost pulling the ground from under Mario's feet. He stopped. "Korlys," he gasped, still not ready to believe it. Maybe he'd fallen asleep on the yardarm and this was just a dream. Wouldn't be the first time.
He took a tentative step forward. In his dreams, Korlys always evaporated just as he tried to touch him… or worse, he turned and walked away, laughing. He stopped again, hesitating. "You're back?"
A cautious hope bloomed in Korlys' heart. He took a few more steps forward as he said, "Sí, of course. I left a note saying I would be back as soon as I could. I..." Here Korlys stopped again. "Mi dispiace. I never expected to be gone for this long," he said.
"Neither did I, you know," Mario assured him, crossing his arms. He wanted nothing more but to close the distance between them and kiss him, but he had to know. He didn't think he would survive it for a second time. "And… should I expect you to leave again soon? Or did you come to stay?"
Korlys' heart fell at Mario's tone of sarcasm. He still could not see the expression on the other elf's face, hidden as it was by the hood of his cloak, so he tried to determine Mario's state of mind by reading his body language, but found no encouragement there. What should he say?
You know why you cannot make promises, but he won't understand. Korlys wanted to stay, he hoped he could stay... but as this little excursion had proved... well, he clearly could leave if he thought the situation warranted. Surely Mario would have come to that conclusion as well. But perhaps he will believe you anyway. People do that, you know.
"I did. If that is what you want, of course."
"I do," Mario replied. "If that's what you want."
That was enough for Korlys. He resumed walking up the gangplank – it was clear this wasn't going to be an exuberant homecoming, but he had never expected that. He stopped inches from Mario, and gently uncrossed the other man's arms. "Sí, it is what I want," he replied quietly.
oOo
When Mario woke up, he found Korlys' side of the bed cold and empty. The Antivan was all dressed, putting his backpack on his shoulders.
"Where are you going?" Mario asked. "Come back to bed."
Korlys gave him a cold stare. "I am leaving," he said. "Please honor my wishes and do not follow me."
No! He wanted to scream, but he had no voice. He sat up, breathing heavily. Korlys was gone. But why hadn't he taken his armor? It was still on a chair where he put it last night. And the backpack was still propped against the chair leg. Mario blinked, confused.
He looked next to him and there was Korlys, still asleep, the blanket tangled around his legs. Just a dream? Mario slowly exhaled and lay down again, forcing himself to relax. He put his hand on Korlys' chest. He's back. He's here.
Eyes closed, Korlys reached up and covered his hand with his own, squeezing it a little. "Buongiorno, Mario," he said, then picked up Mario's palm and solemnly placed a kiss in it.
"Buongiorno, love. Sorry I woke you up." Mario leaned over and gently kissed Korlys' lips, then got up. "Stay in bed. I'll go get us some breakfast."
"I am not hungry for food," Korlys said, holding his hand out to Mario, a wicked grin on his face. "Come back to bed, and I will show you what I am hungry for."
"Eggs and sausage?" Mario suggested innocently.
"Well, the sausage sounds good, anyway," Korlys replied with a naughty wink, hand still held out. "Come back to bed."
Mario sighed. How could he resist that? He lay back down, facing Korlys, propping his head on his elbow. "You're incorrigible," he said. "But I'll have you know, it won't be like this from now on. You'll do what I say and eat properly, since you clearly can't take care of yourself. A few weeks on your own and you're as skinny as Baby. How many times did you skip breakfast?"
Korlys pulled Mario into his arms and buried his face in the curve where Mario's neck met his shoulder. In between kisses, he murmured, "I guess I need you to take care of me, then." The Antivan had meant it in jest but realized after he'd spoken that it didn't sound like a joke. He didn't bother to clarify, however – who would believe a Crow needed anyone?
"Always," Mario gasped, well aware his Antivan would dismiss it as sex talk. Didn't matter. Not now. Korlys was back and he was where he belonged. Everything else could wait.
oOo
It was late morning; they'd skipped breakfast and unless they got up soon, they'd skip lunch too. But first things first. He had to know. Or he'd never be able to sleep peacefully again without worrying that Korlys would be gone in the morning. And since it didn't look like Korlys would volunteer any explanation – not that he'd truly expected he would – he had to pry.
"Will you tell me where you've been?" he asked tentatively.
They had been lying in each other's arms, but Mario pulled away as he asked the question, propping himself up on his elbow to be able to see Korlys' face. It made the Antivan feel as though his lover was watching his expression carefully to detect any lies. That probably wasn't true, of course, but it felt that way. Well, Korlys had no intention of playing false with him in any case – Mario deserved the truth.
"In the past few months, every time I heard you having one of your nightmares, I thought, one day I will go back to Denerim and repay those Templars thirtyfold for every whimper and tear." And for every failed attempt they'd had at lovemaking, but that he didn't mention. He had a feeling that would just make Mario feel guilty, as unfair as that was. "It was wrong of me to leave without telling you. But..." Korlys looked away, focusing on the ceiling. "I did not want you to see me torturing them to death. I did not want you to despise me, but no other death would have been enough for me."
Korlys made himself return his gaze to Mario. "I saw your expression when I forced Velasco to take the antidote. If even that was difficult for you..." The ex-Crow hesitated. Velasco had been paralyzed by the poison on Korlys' blades, and he'd had to slice open the torturer's cheek to pour the antidote into his mouth. Mario had stood by and handed him both the antidote and the healing potion that had closed the gash, and Korlys would never forget the frozen rictus on Mario's face when they were done.
"I know I should have let you decide. But the fear that you might insist on coming with me, and how such a thing might change your feelings for me, was more than I could bear." In fact, Korlys was afraid that just the knowledge that he'd tortured three men to death, even if they were the Templars who'd raped him, might be too much for Mario. But that was the best he could do to buffer the reality of what he was.
Mario's eyes widened. In the past month he had imagined so many theories as to why and where Korlys had gone, each wilder than the previous one: from returning to Antiva to kill his master, to simply leaving because he was tired of Mario, but never once had he thought of this. It seemed so laughable, so petty, now that he knew the truth – but there were moments when he'd thought Korlys had left because he wasn't happy with their sex life – after all, they still hadn't gone the whole way, and maybe Korlys had tired of all the little games… And all this time, Korlys had been doing it for him.
"Thank you," he said. "Thank you for taking that burden for me. That… I can't tell you how much that means. But, love… You didn't have to do it alone. You didn't have to – you never have to – hide yourself from me. Despise you? Me?" Mario shook his head incredulously. "I love you. You're right, I would've insisted on going with you. Would that be so bad? Having me by your side? That's all I want, you know. In good things and bad things and difficult things, I want to be there and share them with you. I can't promise I'll always agree and that we'll never argue, but I'll never judge you or despise you. I swear that on my life, Korlys. I'm here, and I'm yours. Don't leave me behind – please don't leave me behind. Especially not like this. I know I'm not a match for you, and I'll do my best not to get in your way. You don't have to sneak away from me in the middle of the night as if I were your enemy."
Overwhelmed, Korlys whispered, "I won't. I swear," and pulled Mario in for a kiss.
oOo
As they were (finally!) getting dressed, Korlys suddenly remembered Cory's letter. He fished it out of an inner pocket he'd tucked it into for safekeeping. "Oh, I almost forgot in my rush to bed you, but I have something for you," Korlys joked as he handed the letter to Mario, who was sitting on the side of the bed and pulling his boots on.
"A letter?" Mario turned it in his hands, but there was no hint who it was from. He carefully opened the envelope and took it out.
"Denerim, 29 Kingsway 9:38
"Dear Mario," he slowly read aloud, tracing the words with his finger, "I met this badass guy with a funny accent tonight-"
He took a breath in. "You met Cory?"
"Sí, but just briefly," the Antivan replied with a little smile, sitting down beside Mario.
"You went to Aunt Dinah's house? How are they doing? Is he okay?"
"Oh no, I would never put them in such danger," Korlys replied, aghast at the thought.
What danger, Mario almost asked, before he realized that Korlys was in town to assassinate the rapists and couldn't just pay the visit to his aunt and introduce himself as Mario's boyfriend. "Then how?"
"Why not finish the letter? Maybe Cory tells the story?" Korlys paused. "I did not read it, you know," he added.
"-who says he's your friend," Mario continued. "I don't know his name but he knew mine and he knew about our secret place. He promised to bring you this letter. He said you're learning to read and write! That's so great! When you come back, I'll borrow books from school and we can read them together!
"When are you coming back? I miss you. But, a lot of people here are angry with you and say nasty things about you. They say you killed a guy. I don't believe it and neither does Auntie. Uncle says if you did, it was the first smart thing you did and that it was a favour to all in the alienage cause he was a dickhead. Auntie almost had a fit when he said that.
"I still go to school and learn to be a carpenter. I'd much rather be with you. Where are you? Are you a pirate now? That would be cool! But, don't worry. I will keep my promise and won't run away. Ricky says the Lizards are not fun anymore anyway. He came to me after you left, said you taught him picking pockets. He says it's not fun now that you're gone. There's some new guy who is a jerk to the kids. Auntie doesn't want me to be friends with him, but I don't care. He's fun. You won't tell me not to see him, will you?
"When you learn to write, you must send me a letter, too! I want to know all about your adventures. Then I'll brag in school, my big bro is a pirate!
"Miss you,
"Your brother Cory
"PS You owe me at least a dozen cotton candies and ice cream cones!"
He laughed. "Silly little brat," he said fondly. "I wish I could send him cotton candies and ice creams."
"I did think about giving him some money since I thought you would want to if you were with me, but then it occurred to me that it might just cause him trouble with his aunt if he could not explain how he got it," Korlys said apologetically. "But, he looks healthy and well-fed, and he is wearing decent clothes."
"Yeah, she'd most likely assume he stole it. Maybe I can send him something… I'll ask Kelton. He owes me a favour anyway for getting his naked human butt out of trouble. But, the letter doesn't say – how did you meet? Seems you had a nice little chat about me." He stiffened as a scary thought occurred to him. "Was he in danger? Did the Lizards or Templars try to hurt him?"
"No, nothing like that- Wait," Korlys interjected, all his attention drawn to one statement. "What, exactly, does the arl's son's naked butt have to do with my boyfriend?"
"Ooh, are you jealous?" Mario chuckled at Korlys' expression, not really surprised that Korlys already knew who Kelton was; he expected nothing less from his ex-Crow lover. "He and Claudio were robbed blind. Had to wrap themselves in bed sheets. And then called me to the rescue. But, I'll tell you my stories when you tell me yours."
Korlys reluctantly resumed. But if Mario thought he'd forget, he was greatly mistaken. "I found him lurking in an alleyway one night while I was out – he was walking around with a kitchen knife trying to find the killer. I had him follow me to a nearby rooftop for safety and we had a brief conversation."
Mario's jaw dropped. "He did what? And then he followed you – a badass guy with a funny accent whose name he doesn't know – to a dark rooftop?"
"Sí, it was a bit unwise of him. I am afraid he is a little too trusting of strangers."
"Little idiot! Thinking he's so badass he can do whatever he wants and get away with it! Forget about the candies. I need to go back to pull his ears off!"
"Perhaps you could send him a letter to let him know of the dangers? He seems willing to do what you say, even when you are not around."
"I didn't think of that." Mario looked at the letter in his hands, the big, round characters. He knew how to write all of them now, but writing something this long was a scary idea. He'd never written anything besides a few words during his lessons. "Will you help me?"
"Sí, of course I will. But perhaps we should grab lunch first?" Korlys grinned. "I seemed to have worked up quite an appetite."
AN: Thanks, as always, go to our ridiculously awesome betas, Bloodsong13T and Suilven. You guys rock!