A magic adventure (Closed - Anders)

[corineshalen]

Kirkwall, Week 1, Day 7
Location: The isolated forest, 10 miles from Kirkwall.

"I still can`t believe that you talked me into this..", Daeron said in his usual grumpy voice, his hand loosely dangling next to the hilt of his sword. His long silver hair fluttered around his long pointed ears, the narrowed eyes focusing on his shorter daughter, who was walking in the front. "How can you know that this isen`t another tra-"

"The noble was practically on his knees, asking every random stranger to do this. So, being the good person that I am, I decided to offer my assistance", Corine spoke in a light, but quite direct voice. It was understandable that he was suspicious of this mission, it was less than 24 hours ago that she had been standing eye-to-eye with an Antivan crow. Luckily the thing been set up as a test, for the every sly, and handsome, former crow named Zevran. They had formed a partnership, and while she doubted his loyalty, he was a good ally to have in a city of templars.

And as much as she wanted to clear things out with her dad, she would`t do it in front of Amon.

Tugging his long fingers tightly around his mother`s hand, the young mage eagerly looked through the trees. It was the first mission Mamae ever had brought him on, so he had to be awake and brave! No one would hurt Mamae or grandpa as long as he was here! "Mamae, if I see any bad guys, can I use magic on them?", he asked with a curious look, his waist-long white hair brushing across his back. To avoid it getting into his face, it had been tied into a low ponytail.

"Well, Mommy will try to talk to them, and if they don`t wanna talk, then we will see heh". Petting him on the head, she brushed aside a large branch. As usual she was clad in her drakeskin armor and cloak, her face being hidden in the shadows of the hood. The fine quality armor hid most signs of her being an elf, but it also hugged her curved figure, leaving the gender quite obvious upon first glance.

"Tsk..I doubt magic will be needed, its just a stupid animal after all". Running his gloved fingers over his left shoulder, he glanced at Amon with a raised eyebrow. As much worry the boy brought him, he had certainly become a better healer. You would´t know that an arrow had penetrated the shoulder less than a day ago.

"Maybe, but the noble pays good to get it back, so don`t talk about it like that when we get back". Ending with a sigh, she pushed herself through some bushes, her ever observing eyes taking in the surroundings; It looked like a small clearing, nothing big, but it had a bunch of wildflowers growing, and a small creak running through. The grass was quite tall and lush as well, a great meal for a hungry horse.

"Well, its been a long walk, lets take a break here!". Corine hooked two fingers at the edge of her hood, being relived by the thought of taking it off, and letting some air come between her neck and the hai-..

Crack!...crunch..crunch...A sound of a snapping branch, and boots crushing the fresh grass underfoot. Her sharp ears picked up every sound, but it was hard to tell the direction, given the density of the surrounding trees. Keeping calm, she tugged Amon`s hand tighter, the other one slipping into the folds of her cape, tugging onto the handle of one of the silverite daggers.

"Who`s there?", she spoke in a calmed voice, trying not to appear hostile.

[Anders]

He still questioned why he was still anywhere near that city. He heard of the collapse of the Circle across Thedas, all the mages apparently gathering in Andoral's Reach for whatever reasons still remained unknown to him. He didn't care to know the reason either, he wasn't planning on joining a mass collection of mages and make the target on his back even larger. He was lucky to still be wandering the city and remained untouched.

Anders pressed onwards in the woods, sticks and leaves crushing underneath this black boots. The sun barely peeked out from the tops of the trees, its rays shining down in scattered spots, spilling everywhere like under water. The chirping of birds filling the silence, along with the natural sounds of wildlife around him. This might have been why he stayed here, it was so peaceful; calm. It was like the rest of the world ceased to exist. He wouldn't have minded. He'd no longer have to worry about running for the rest of his life.

Ah, who was he kidding? It wouldn't be much of life on his own. He lived for the company of others in all honesty. He didn't like be completely, truly alone. It wouldn't be fun!

He was snapped out of his thoughts when he heard a sudden voice, a soft voice that belonged to a woman. A voice that seemed to know of his presence, but didn't present any kind of threat. He turned his head, looking closely through the trees and brush before he caught a glimpse of a near clearing in the woods. One that held a pack of three. But it was also that same time that he heard something else coming from a ways away into the forest. His attention was diverted to the new sounds, catching a glimpse of something large and black moving beyond the near trees.

He turned his back to the clearing, while facing the predator afar, catching its glowing eyes stop and stare at him. If he had been quieter he could have avoided both encounters, but once the wolf started to slowly approach he knew it was inevitable. He backed up some, pressing his way through the brush that separated the wilderness from the clearing, before he lifted his cane-like staff to and shot out a blast of fire as the wolf jumped through the air at him. His back was now exposed to the new group, listening to the squeals of the wolf before it laid lifeless on the ground.

And with that, he turned around to face the family, catching the site of small woman, a young blond boy, and an elderly man. A slight smirk appeared on his face, "I uh... Found you some food." He lifted a hand to point with his thumb in the direction of the dead wolf, though it seemed that they already had their meal and supplies taken care of. If anything, he'd save it for himself.

"Ah! Sorry, where are my manners? Name's Anders. Hope you didn't expect a last name... That would be hard to give."

[corineshalen]

Before Corine had a chance to look at the newly arrived "company", a brief but strong wave of heat brushing past her face. The whimpering of the wolf filled the air, the orange flames casting a soft, yet also intimidating light on the stranger in front of them. Noticing the staff, and considering the fire had come out of nowhere, it was clear that he was a mage. But why would a mage be out here? Granted it was an isolated spot a good distance from Kirkwall, but it was no ideal hiding spot. And she had a hard time believing that any mage with a will to live, would just be "passing by" less than twenty miles from the city of templars.

Having expected that he would run away, she was surprised to say the least, as he turned around with a quite endearing smirk, making an amusing remark. While he seemed harmless, she still kept a hand on her dagger, her face remaining in the hood of the shadows. You could never know these days...then again, it would be rude not to answer him back. "How kind of you, but I doubt the three of us could eat alone. Besides, is it not the one who takes the kill, who gets the first bite?".

As the mage presented himself, Corine took the chance to look closer at him. He was not a "young" man, but it wasen`t like his face was covered in wrinkles or the like. She judged him to be-..."Anders?", she blurted out surprised, her chain of thoughts stopping for a moment. Well, surely it could`t be that Anders, which the delightfully crazy Prince had ranted about a few nights ago....nah, it could`t be it, after all, it wasen`t like he was the only mage in the world named Anders. "Such a nice name that is heh. I am Cor-"

"Eeeeh!?". Letting of his mother`s hand, the young Amon brought his hands up in front of himself, trying to keep his legs on the ground. "That was so cool!". With little regard of the burned wolf, he sped through the tall grass, his ivory hair ponytail dangling behind him like the tail of an animal. "The wolf came in like "rawr rawr", and then you..you flashed in and then here you are...".

"Amon, introduce yourself properly, your a big boy now". With her lips curved into her signature smirk, Corine approached the two, yanking her hood back. The medium long brown hair spilled over her shoulders, loose strands of her bangs falling over sky-blue eyes. The tip of her short ears poked out from either side of her head, barely being noticeable underneath the hair.

"Sorry, Mamae..", he mumbled, using the elven word for mother as he always did. Abiding to her teachings, he made a bow towards the taller Anders, as attempted an introduction. Unlike Corine and Daeron`s ears, his were round. His body was also of a lean build, and the skin quite pale, but his arms and legs were the average size of a human child. "A-Amon...n-nice to meet you". Looking up again, he clutched onto Corine`s hand, hiding himself behind her. He wasen`t worthy of looking the Anders in the eyes.

"Here we go again, introducing yourself like some love-stuck brat. What if its another trap?", Daeron grunted from behind Corine`s shoulder, having his blade half-drawn. "You damn well know that nothing good can come from shems, and he`s even a mage!"

"Well, unless the templars have begun recruiting handsome apostates, I doubt he is any danger..". With a somewhat deep sigh, she moved her hand from her dagger, planting it on the curve of her hip. "Don`t mind the old bugger back there, its been a couple of shaky days. The name`s Corine"

[Anders]

"It is a pleasure, my dear lady!" Anders raised his traditional charming smile as he gazed into those large light blue eyes. There was only one thing that he agreed with that ever came out of Isabela's mouth, and that was about elven eyes. Of course, he didn't want to... "pluck" them out and wear them as a necklace, but he surely was drawn in by them; entranced by the size and beauty of each one. There wasn't an elf he'd met whose eyes he didn't like.

He shook himself from the thoughts as another spoke up immediately after her. The young boy close to her whom he presumed was her son. He normally would have assumed the other was the father, but the fact that he was also an elf, proved that not to be true. He noted how the young boy had human ears, not elf. Either this was her son and the father wasn't around anymore, or this was a stray they picked off the road.

"Well, I always liked to keep my audience entertained! I'm glad someone here enjoyed it!" A larger grin formed on his face as he gazed upon the boy. The boys eyes were full of delight and joy as he looked at him; seeing how lively and optimistic he was. It was a sight to see in such a place and time. It was hard to find that these days, really. "If only you had seen what I did with the Ch-" And he stopped himself. Not only preventing himself from going further, but realizing that others might not find it so... amusing... 'Bad taste' as they said. He wasn't even sure why he was going to in the first place.

He turned to the older gentleman with them, assuming that he was most likely the father of the pretty lady before him. "Ah. You've got nothing to worry about, Sir. Besides, I was never exceptionally skilled at trap-making." His smile grew tired, but he kept it as he looked at the fellow. Dads. He knew how they could be! He was an elf after-all. He wasn't oblivious to how some elves felt about Humans. Nor was he oblivious to how some felt about mages, especially after his little stunt.

He turned back to the blue eyed elf who finally called herself "Corine", "Ah! It's no trouble! I think a lot of us have been on our toes lately." He gave her a quick wink, putting his staff around his on back.

[corineshalen]

"Well, its a war after all. Mages, elves, dwarfs...no matter your race, gender, age and profession, everyone gets affected". Tugging the hand of Amon, she turned her gaze to the ground, the clear eyes growing oddly clouded for a moment. "And there is nothing to be done about it..". Speaking in a lowered tone, she drew in deep breaths. It was understandable that the templars rose against mages like this, heck it was bound to happen at some point...but why did it have to happen right now? Why not in a hundred years or so, when her boy would be sleeping peacefully, having lived a life of freedom and happiness...

The air had become awfully gloomy, as the bright smirk of Corine vanished. It didn`t last long through, as Amon broke the silence moments later, his excited voice sounding so sharp that it could piece any shield.

"When you blew up the chantry?". Blurting it out without concern for the older mage, the young child leaped forward, his long arms reaching around Anders`s waist. "Heeeeh, it is really him, Mamae! It is him!". The ivory ponytail fluttered around his head, as he looked up at the blonde mage, nothing but joy and admiration filling his sky-blue eyes. "I-I...I have been listening to the many stories of you! Grandma would always tell me them, and..and..". Overwhelmed by this, he bit his lip, resuming the hugging of the taller man. His embrace was tight, but it had a certain kind of...gentleness to it. Like giving a hug was something the boy rarely experienced...

"There there Amon, let him breath. It would be a shame for such a handsome man to die". Putting out another compliment, Corine reached out, pulling her son from the forced embrace. A smirk was displayed on her lips as before, the gloomy words of war seeming distant. As...interesting as the past can be, why don`t we sit down and have something to eat? Its been a long trip out here, and I`d hate to let the gift of our company go to waste". Running her fingers through Amon`s hair again, she looked up at Anders, finding a strange sort of comfort in his eyes...well, maybe because he didn`t look at her like she was an enemy or just another bloody elf.

"Yay! Oh, can I roast it, pllss Mamae? I have gotten reaaally good at it!". Opening his nimble fingers, small flames appeared in his palms. They swirled around in several patterns, a bright smile lining the curve of the boy`s thin lips.

"Heh, of course you can..". Corine`s smirk fell in size, resembling a smile rather than a snarky smirk. "Will you join us, Anders? I assume its been awhile since you last had...company?". Bringing her own hand up, she brushed two of her fingers against his shoulders, up along the veins of his neck, before ending at his left cheek. "It must get lonely out there, no?". Her fingers remained on his face for just a moment, before she retreated them, as she sat down a few feet from the corpse of the wolf.

[Anders]

Anders froze when the boy blurted out the ending of his unfinished sentence. His mouth fell open as if to respond, but he didn't know how. He didn't know what to say. The boy seemed full of joy, but he couldn't help but look at the other two adults that accompanied him. There was a small smile spread across Corine's face, but the look on the elderly man's was the same as before; full of disdain and contempt.

But when the boy lurched forward and grabbed him in an embrace, he was definitely at a loss for words. Not only did it seem that the boy was especially familiar with him, but he seemed... more pleased to see him than most naturally were. It was definitely an odd sight. The look in the boy's eyes was full admiration and thankfulness... Was this boy a... mage?

"My my! I still seem to find admirers, even in the oddest of places!" Anders chuckled while returning the hug before he let go at his mother's call. Either she told him lots of wonderful stories about him, or this boy was a mage who looked up to the bravery that he had. It was inspiring for Anders. Knowing that his acts didn't go unnoticed by his fellow kind. This was the reason why he did it. For boys like him. For all mages. For people like him to live a life of freedom, and knowing that he possibly gave that to this small family... Well, it was more than what he could ask for.

The boy's attention was quickly redirected to the meal they were preparing, while Corine turned his attention to him. He was about to respond to her question of him joining then, but was caught off guard when she raised her hand that brushed his cheek. The look in her eyes as she looked up at him, oh yes, he knew that look well. It hadn't been long since he felt the touch of another woman through is many nights spent at Brothels and Taverns, but he'd be lying if he said he wasn't surprised by this woman's actions. An elf, out in the middle of a forest with her father and son. Had her son's admiration spread to her as well? Or even more so?

He gazed back down into her large blue eyes as they were fixed on his. A little coy smirk couldn't help but turn the corners of his mouth as she emphasized her words. Her fingers made his cheek tingle, the smooth skin brushing the stubble that had remained unshaven for weeks now. It was like a cool breeze pressing against your exposed body; a refreshing feel. "Well, I'll never turn down the company of... beautiful women. I am quite starved." He gave her another wink as her hand removed from the side of his face.

[corineshalen]

"Starved neh? And here I thought the great Anders would be swimming in an ocean of admires, never growing hungry for..company. Well, shows what I know, neh?". Poking back at his remark, she tilted her head to the side, running a hand across the back of her neck. He was certainly...something to look at, but it strained her neck. She would never wish to grow an inch taller, it would be problematic to move silently if she was bigger...but Maker, why did human men have to be this tall?

"Let us sit, the last thing I want is a snapped neck. And I doubt healing a broken back is pleasant for you". Holding out her hand, she sat down, inviting him to join her on the soft grass. The sun was still present on the sky, but in a few hours it would become dark; a late lunch would do good for them all.

"Mamae! Look!", the young mage shouted proudly. His sleeves were rolled up, and the pale arms was covered in the blood of the wolf. A short, but sharp, knife was held in his hand, and three chunks of meat from the wolf, was laying in a bundle on the grass. "I didn`t even cheat with magic this time!". Following up with a delighted giggle, he walked away from the meat, kneeling down next to the creak to clear off the blood.

"It is a relief to see that you are starting to learn how to survive", the clear, yet rather growling, voice of Daeron sounded. He appeared from the shadows of the trees, carrying a bundle of firewood in his grasp. "Nothing good has ever come out of magic, so you should be grateful that your mother teaches you these things. Any other would let be taken by-".

"Any other, as long as they were human right?", Corine interrupted, letting out a sigh. The last thing she needed was to upset Amon; He had just met the idol of his life, and was gonna prepare the meal for them...Speaking of said Idol, she glanced to the left, her eyes focusing on Anders captivating eyes. "I am sorry about my dad. He holds the typical grudge against all humans, and he blames magic for all that has happened to us. So being in the presence of a handsome human mage, isen`t his favorite thing".

hugging her knees, she rested her chin on her knee-caps, the loose hair brushing across the top of her shoulders. "But his anger is understandable. Fell in love with a mage, and suddenly he was on the run as well", she mumbled in a low voice, her eyes turning to look at the blonde human besides her.

[Anders]

It hadn't been that long since he last saw his share of... women, but ever since he left the city, he definitely hadn't seen as much. Not as much as he saw long ago, before the events in Kirkwall, before he was recruited into the Grey Wardens, before Justice. Those were definitely the days. Despite being constantly hunted by the Templars, he had his share of fun. It was the prime of his life. Why couldn't things just be like again?

He looked down at the elf with luring eyes, "What can I say? I can never get enough," he said in a hushed tone so that the other two couldn't hear. He already wasn't on good terms with her father, he couldn't even imagine what the man if he overheard the conversation he was having with his daughter.

"Ah yes! Let us eat! I'm am definitely eager to see what treat your song has planned for me! It's been a while since I've had a nice warm meal." He walked over and sat down on a soft patch of grass next to the pretty elf with bright blue eyes.

Before he could even think another moment, however, the cheery boy who took up the responsibility of making their meal. Anders' eyes reverted to the chunks of meat the boy had cooked up for them, and immediately his mouth started salivating. It had been a while since had meat that looked that good, and he had to hand it to the boy. He knew how to cook, even without his magic. Even for Anders!

"Well, won't you look at that! Say, you really know how to cook don't ya, son?" He gave a smile to the young boy, before turning back to Corine and her father. Of course, the elderly man showed his distaste. Going on about mages and all that usually came out of the mouths of mage haters. Anders didn't mind though, he was used to it. When you spent nearly 9 years with an elven slave who hated mages, you heard it all. He just let it go in one ear and out the other.

"Ah, don't worry about it!" He said to the woman next to him, "I've heard just about everything at this point. Not everyone is going to like me, anyways. Considering... At least he has a grandson who can prove otherwise," he gave an innocent wink to the young white haired boy tending to the food across from them.

[corineshalen]

"People who dosen`t like you, are bad guys!", the young mage protested, a sudden force coming behind the rather childish words. Amon kept his eyes focused on the meat and lumber through, as he started to move the lumber into the correct positions. He had rolled the meat together, preventing bits of grass from tainting the meat. "There...there..and..ah, there!". Soon the pale boy had assembled an impressive set-up with the pieces of wood.

"Look, Mamae, Messere Anders!", he said proudly as small sparks of fire filled up his fingertips, lighting up the fireplace almost instantly, the meat buzzing as the fat on it began to heat it.

"Its looking good, Amon!", Corine responded, her smirk growing into a smile, as she reached out with a hand and gave the thumbs up for his work. The smile died as Amon looked away, Corine´s eyes diverting back to Anders. "I am sorry that he behaves this way, calling you messere and all..". Spreading out her long legs in the grass, she put her head back, the brown hair falling down to her shoulder-blades. "Its not always we have company, and...heh, I guess just seeing you is a dream come true for him...can`t blame him". Ending with a last smirk, she laid back, waiting for the meal to finish..
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hours later...

The sound of rustling grass, was all it took to awake the elf mother. The sky-blue eyes snapped open, but the sight that met her was far from threatening...

They must have slept for quite awhile; The flames were still going strong, mainly due to Amon`s skills when it came to surviving out in the open. Speaking of Amon, he was laying curled up against Daeron`s side, his white hair all tangled up in the grass. Daeron was sleeping as well, but the light twitching of his ears suggested that the former city elf was on guard. There was no sign of Anders...had he left while they slep-

A warm breath brushed against her left ear, causing her pale cheeks to fluster. No he haden`t left, in fact he was closer than ever. Carefully tweaking her head to the left, she silently observed the taller mage, who seemingly had fallen asleep next to her. And apparently her body had welcomed this rare chance for body warmth, since she was fully pressed against him, her head having rested on the side of his arm...

"..Poor thing", she mumbled as she sat up, observant eyes watching the sleeping apostate. It would`t be a surprise if this was his first peaceful sleep for awhile, let alone having had the company of people who didn`t brand him a murderer and terrorist. Corine herself could sympathize with those who despised him, but she saw little reason to pick up a touch and join the horde...

It was then the strong scent of blood hit her nose. To a normal person senses, the scent would be faint, like if someone had gotten a bloody nose a couple of feet away. But for a hunter`s trained nose, picking up these aroma`s was second-nature. Its nearby..very strong... Knowing the stench could potentially draw in something worse than a single wolf, she slowly stood up, attaching her bow to her back..

[Anders]

He watched Varric leave the clinic. The place he called home for so many years in one of the poorest parts of the city. Until he moved in with Hawke. He liked the estate, that wasn't out of the question, but it just never felt like home to him. He never felt a true sense of belonging. Of course, he didn't in Darktown either, but at least there he was one with the people he tended to.

He turned his head to face the exit, and it was hard not to notice the tall brunette that walked in. The mage he fell so hard for in the past few years. "Hawke! I... didn't expect you here," he hesitated before continuing on. This was the moment, "I want to tell you now, I love you. You stood by me when I gave you every reason to turn away. Just remember..."

How was he supposed to say this? He played this very conversation over and over in his head, but it would have never been enough. This was the time where he'd have to turn the very thing he loved so much, away from him. "Whatever happens, I wanted you to know that."

Anders looked at her face, how beautiful it was. She was the one person who every believed in him. With everything he had done, she never turned her back on him. She didn't see him as the crazy mage that others did. She didn't care what Fenris said, she didn't care what her older brother said, she loved him no matter what. She gave a hesitation, "Why are you talking like this?"

[/color]

He didn't know how to respond. He knew the truth, she didn't. Was he going to tell her the truth? Or was the going to tell her the story he conjured up in his head. Or, not tell her a single word. No. She deserved some sort of answer, but he couldn't tell her the truth. Not for himself, but for her sake. Her loyalty to him, scared him in all honesty. If he told her his plan, what would she do? Would she try to stop him? Or worse... would she try to help? He couldn't let her get involved. If anyone was going to suffer the consequences of what he was going to do, it ought to be him. He knew good and well that he could see death afterwards, he couldn't bare the thought of her dying for the same reasons. "He'll still be here, you know? Justice. Long after you and I are gone. It doesn't mean the same thing to a spirit, he'll just go back to the Fade."

She was quick to respond this time, "Usually people don't say things like that unless they're about to stab someone in the back." And how true that was. That was exactly what he was doing, wasn't it? He was betraying their love, her love, for this, but that's what he lived for. He warned her. He told her from the very beginning that she wouldn't be able to have a normal life as long as she was with him. She wouldn't have anything like what girls dreamt about with their soul mates. The beautiful love story that was only told in the tales. The knight and shining armor she lived happily ever after with. It would never be like that with him, but Maker she was stubborn. She wouldn't listen to a damn thing he told her, and here there she went, stealing his heart.

"I love you. I wish that meant I would never hurt you. You are the most important thing in my life, but some things matter more than my life. More than either of us. I'm sorry," He tried hard to hold back the tears. Of all times, he couldn't turn weak now. Not this time. He needed to stay strong if he was going to go through with this.

"You're wrong, there is nothing more important than love!" Her words stung, even the look in her eyes as she stared into his. In all the years he knew her, was with her, he never once saw that look. He swore he felt a part of himself die.

It was funny too, there was a time long ago where love meant nothing to him. It was all about having fun, getting what he could as often as he could. 3 women in one night, was a good night, but ever since Justice... it all changed. He never had that drive again. He never thought he'd love again, but then Hawke came and proved him wrong. Even in the midst of death and war, someone else managed to break that shield. Managed to show him that there was still hope in the world. "I told I would break your heart. Just know... it breaks mine to do it.

Never blame yourself for what will happen."[/i][/center]

Anders' head hit the ground when his eyes drifted open. It was the first time in a long time that he had dreamed about her. Ever since their separation a while back, it was easy to let her go. Easier than he thought, but if these dreams kept it up, it would quickly change.

He didn't even remember falling asleep, the last thing he remembered was eating dinner with the others, next thing he knew he was waking up to Corine standing above him. What was going on? He studied her face as he propped himself up with his hands, watching her grab her bow and arrows. "Corine? Is everything okay?" He sat up as he followed her line of sight off into the woods. He tried to listen closely for whatever it was that caught her attention, but he didn't hear anything, nor did he see anything, though, it was too dark and he was still too sleepy.

"Hey? What is it?" He grabbed his staff from the ground as he finally stood up.

[corineshalen]

Corine's entire body jumped half a foot to the left, her head tilting to the side, eyes focusing on the mage who suddenly had awoken. A moment was spend catching her breath, fingers tightly grasping around the flexible wood of the bow. Being on the run had probably made him a light sleeper, but haden't he been asleep mere moments ago? Had her standing up really been that loud? Probably not, since Amon and her father were still sound asleep.

"..Blood", she uttered silently, looking towards edge of the small clearing a few feet away. There was little emotion to be found in the usually lively blue eyes, and her lips, always cracked into a smirk, was nothing more than a firm line. "A lot of it..in that direction".

Making a small nod in the direction she meant, she slowly moved through the across the grass, eyes carefully watching every step. The strands on the green "blanket", slicked against the sides of the fine drake-skin boots, Corine's steps making less noise than the breeze brushing through the treetops. And besides this breeze, the forest was silent. No bat out hunting for insects, nor any frogs singing their hearts away, looking for mates..it was as if the forest had been silenced by..something

As they made their way out of the clearing and into the shadows of the trees, the familiar irony stench of blood grew stronger, And it was due to this increase, that Corine suddenly stopped, turning to face the blonde mage, laying her head back so she could look up at him. "Maybe you should't follow me, Anders..", was spoken hesitantly, eyes darting to the side, as she tried to act relaxed. "It could either be a waste of your time, or it could end up becoming dangerous. And the last thing I want is to endanger innocents..."

[Anders]

Blood...

It made him wince when she said it. It could be a various number of things. A wild animal. A dead body. A wild feeding on a dead body. An injured person or animal. Darkspawn. or... he held his thoughts back before the name popped into his head. He needn't worry like that, or jump to those conclusions. But, realistically, it was plausible. The odds weren't that slim for it to be one. The number of apostates jumped in the last few years, and that meant the number of malifecarum rose as well.

"Don't think like that Anders," he thought to himself, forcing the thoughts to the back of his mind. Recent events really made him more cautious, it seemed.

It was the next thing she said that almost made him laugh, however. Dangerous? She was worried for him because it was dangerous? If he had a copper for the amount of danger had been in in his life, he'd be the one sitting in the high estates of Kirkwall, not down here in the wilds fighting for his life. He wasn't worried about a little danger, in fact, he welcomed it. It was the only entertainment he got in his life anymore.

Then came the innocent part. He was innocent? Since when?! Not even his parents considered him innocent! They were so eager to get rid of him because of his magic. He remembered the way they looked at him, with fear. It made him laugh these days. No-one in Thedas considered him "innocent". He killed many innocents three years ago.

"You, my dear, are truly something else. Not like most people it seems. You don't need to worry about me, I've dealt with plenty danger in my life. And, I'm hardly innocent, he smirked at the woman before walking ahead of her and whipping his staff around to the front. "Let's go.