In some ways Minrathous reminded her of Kirkwall. The ports where all manner of dealings took place, the catacombs full of secrets that wove their way beneath the surface, the architecture that seemed to revel in sharp angles and corners. That, and the inescapable feeling of being watched. It used to come from being afraid someone would discover she was a mage, but now it was simply because she didn't belong.
Still, it didn't keep her from exploring. To some extent she didn't even quite know what she was looking for yet, but until that became more clear she was content to spend at least some of her time browsing what the markets had to offer. That, and a girl did need to eat now and again and the food stalls here smelled wonderful.
She was starting to make her way to a vendor selling roast meats on some kind of flatbread, when she heard a very familiar voice floating through the air. At first she thought she had to be mistaken because it had been so very long since she'd heard that rich tone, but her feet started following the sound to its source before any such intention could form. And when she found the man from whom the voice had come she found herself frozen in place, an expression somewhere between surprise and disbelief taking over her face.
Teo? the name slipped off her tongue before she could stop it. A single word, a name weighted with unbearable hope that she might have indeed found the man she'd helped escape so many years ago, breaking her own heart in the process.
Quintilian sat at a secluded table, surrounded on two sides by vine-woven wooden lattices and under the glowing leaves of a magically altered young tree. The night was very young yet, though he’d need to head back to the Blind Eye soon. For now, he sipped from a tiny cup of strong coffee and read the gossip sheets. An unbecoming pastime, to be sure.
Amusing, though. The editor had spared no ink in describing Archon Arvina’s recent ball in excruciating – but somehow bland – detail. Quinn had heard it hadn’t been as peaceful as the paper made it out. Something about stolen cats and at least one murder. It was good he’d stayed away. Foreigners tended to make easy scapegoats.
He found himself looking up as he turned the page, and there Bethany was. And–Dammit, his first instinct was to hide. That awful terror of Tranquility threatened to grab him by the hair until he forced it away, losing dregs of awareness to Courage. It was a toothless curse now, to be certain. Possession overflowed all the channels Tranquility sought to deaden. He took a deep breath and tried to smile.
“I, uh. Hello, Beth. It’s Quinn now, actually. Best not call me Teo. Wouldn't want anyone to think he's still alive, even if they're not looking.” He leaned back in his chair, let go his death grip on his coffee cup. Fought to manifest calm by an old and careful rote. One tiny piece after another. He started to feel more himself.
“You look well.” He’d heard about Kirkwall, of course. What had happened at the Gallows – though not until long after the dust had settled. Perhaps he should have done more, somehow? His spirit seemed to think so now, but it had not been there then. Self-sacrifice wasn’t in him and what could you do from a jungle island full of spies weeks of travel away.
“Can I buy you dinner, for old time’s sake?” How novel. There would not have been the freedom for this in Kirkwall’s Circle.
She felt a flicker of disappointment as it seemed he wasn't exactly happy to see her again. Which she supposed she could understand - it had been a long while and the last time they'd seen each other had been in the midst of the Circle's reign of terror. Long enough he'd adopted a new name - smart, honestly. He always had been, though. Quinn, then, she agreed, making a point to connect the unfamiliar syllables with the man before her.
Thanks. You do too, she added with a little smile. Hopefully Tevinter had been treating him well - if appearances were to be trusted it seemed he was better off here than in the Gallows. Not that that was difficult by any means...
I'd like that, she agreed easily. I haven't had the pleasure of visiting Minrathous before, I'm sure you know better where to go than I. I'm guessing you've been here a while? He didn't owe her any answers, but she couldn't help but be curious if he'd landed here all those years ago or if this was a more recent development. The former Mage Underground used to have routes that went this way for those who didn't want to live a life of apostasy, after all.
Hypervigilance was a hard habit to shake. Useful in Quinn’s line of work, yes, but— He would have rather not known that he’d made some kind of mistake, just now. Said something wrong, looked wrong. Dimmed her initial excitement. Better luck next time.
“I could pick somewhere and it would be good.” He agreed easily, pausing to finish his coffee and fold up his paper. “Or we could go on an adventure. Whichever you like.” Either way, he’d be late back to the Blind Eye. The thought of inviting Bethany there was a little embarrassing, to be honest. His business was entirely legal but of questionable morality at times – and Quinn remembered her having a very steady moral compass.
But who could say what might have changed in thirteen years? He got up and offered her his arm, leading the way back into the market.
“Let me see. A few weeks on the boat, a few more in the holding camp in Ventus with other asylum seekers.” That city had been sacked by the Qunari in the years since, all its mages with their minds ravaged by qamek – a fate similar to Tranquility. He’d never had any inclination to go back, half afraid he might recognize someone.
“Four years of fighting on Seheron. It, uh. Wasn’t so bad, really.” He lied, uncharacteristically poorly. Still, he didn’t regret it. There were worse ways to be in Tevinter than this, free and wealthy even if not explicitly under the wing of one of the great Houses. “Made a few friends that helped me get established, after.”
They’d made it along the main drag, the far side of the street lined with bustling tea houses and restaurants. He led gently towards a touristy establishment that he knew called the Second Veil – ready to pivot if something else caught Bethany’s eye.
“And you? How have the years been?” He couldn’t imagine what would bring a well behaved Circle mage to dirty, dangerous Minrathous.
The spark came back to her eyes, an ease and eagerness returning to her expression at the question posted. An adventure then, she said definitively, inviting the unknown. TeoQuinn had always been the more adventurous type, at least as she remembered it. Certainly compared to her, but doing everything possible not to draw attention to herself had been a hard habit to break.
She took the offered arm and settled in next to him, letting him guide the way through the vibrant marketplace as she listened to thirteen years be summed up in a matter of moment. She gave him a bit of side-eye at claiming his time in Seheron wasn't bad. Usually he was a better liar than that, but even if he hadn't been she knew better than to believe such a thing. She'd seen more battles than she'd ever wanted to and she knew precisely how bad they could be.
The question naturally turned to her and a thoughtful noise escaped her. Interesting at best, chaotic at worst. Not sure how much you heard about Kirkwall after you left, but things got worse despite my sister's best efforts, then came to a head when the Chantry was blown up. Meredith invoked the rite of annulment, and that ended poorly for everyone. The Templars started doing that across the south, and the mages voted to free themselves from the Circles and war broke out between us.
Then there was the Inquisition. My sister was trying to help them and ended up stuck in the Fade, but we were able to get her back. I moved to Starkhaven and now I'm the mage advisor to the Prince of Starkhaven, who leads the whole of the Free Marches. She might have left out the whole thing about her father and Corypheus and the Wardens, and the elven god who returned to wreck havoc before being defeated, but, well, there would be time for that if it came up.
So I suppose we both ended up free in our own ways, even if the road there was complicated she mused. It was something of a marvel that they didn't need to hide or be ashamed of being mages anymore.
