Mage.

"You're a mage?"

The boy's tense and thrumming again.

Ey flinches slightly. "I- y-yes."

"Then I sincerely apologise for telling you to go to the Chantry," Anders says with a grin. "I'm guessing you've never been in a Circle, then."

"I- no. Ilska made sure of that."

"Ilska?" He asks, looking over at the boy.

Who shrugs at him.

"What?" ey sounds defensive.

"I just realised I don't know your names. Not that I needed them, it's just nice."

"Oh- yes. Uh. I'm Cia. This is Ilska."

"Truly a pleasure to meet you both," Anders says with a bow. 

"First time we've heard that."

"I'll bet. It's a feeling I'm very familiar with that too. Most would rather chase me out of town with a pitchfork than welcome me in for a night. Even elves aren't treated like that. And I've stayed in an Alienage."

"Yeah..." Ey shrugs. "We're- doing okay."

Ilska looks away, uncertain and somehow ashamed.

"You're not. And that's not okay. You shouldn't have to starve in a forest for being who you are."

"You got a better idea?" Cia is definitely defensive about this.

"Better than a system that lets children live this way? Certainly."

Anders shakes himself a little bit. "I'm...I'm sorry. I didn't mean- you've both done so well to keep each other alive and out of the Templar's grasp."

"Yeah," Cia agrees, obviously not quite ready to let eir defensiveness go. "We have. And that's all we had."

Ilska makes a low, crooning sound.

"-Sorry. You don't- I know you don't mean-" Ey gestures vaguely, fight gone now.

"I know." Anders can see much of a teenage version of himself in them. Angry, desperate. Alone. "I hate that this was the life forced on you. But it is good to see fellow apostates."

"Apostate. Ilska- well. We don't think she is."