Tabs is only slightly jealous. Just a little. And maybe she's wondering if she should've picked mage too. 

Anya listens and learns and holds herself back from bouncing. Magic.

With Merrill's help, Anya can start to feel her magic closer, not as something she has to reach for. She also encourages Anya to seek power in her chosen forms, to feel the earth and lightning crackle through her. 

Anya can feel the earth beneath their feet, the ozone in the air. There's a storm coming, can feel in her bones.

"It is always like this?" She tries to keep the sheer reverence out of her voice. Fails, mostly.

Merrill nods, grinning brightly. "All the time. Every day. It's not about power, it's the feeling of everything being so alive. Even the weakest mage can stir the air like this."

Merrill's look turns a little sad, and she looks at Tabs. "It was once all elves who had this power."

The image of a boiled egg springs to Tabs' mind and she holds in a stupid giggle. 

"Maybe one day the Creators will return and give it back," she says instead.

"What a world that would look like."

Tabs has to actually turn around so she won't start laughing. 

"Oh, Tabs, don't cry, please. I'm sorry. I know our plight is hard, but every day we learn more! It will bring us closer to our past!"

Merrill is the sweetest being alive, and Tabs needs to stop thinking about fucking Solas memes for TEN SECONDS so she pretend to not be an idiot.

Anya does not facepalm. "She's fine, flower. We have this silly inside joke about - it doesn't matter. All is well."

"Oh. Are you sure?"

Tabs turns back around, once she's in control of her giggle-snorts. "Really. I'm absolutely fine, Merrill. And you're right! Learning our history is very important."

Merrill seems satisfied by this, and goes back to teaching Anya.

Learning! Magic!

"Do you know how to keep my magic from... I don't want to kill people. Do you know if there's a way I can just - put people to sleep? Or just stun them?"

Merrill seems a little surprised by this, but doesn't ask any questions. "Of course! So, if you're looking to incapacitate-" 

Merrill, being quite well-learned in the elemental school, shows Anya how to use her lightning to stun, and her earth powers to hold, rather than kill and crush. 

"Thank you! I have some healing down. Ish. I hear Anders is a pro. Do you think he'd give me some tips?"

Merrill twists her face into an apologetic frown. "Oh, I'm not sure. He doesn't really leave the clinic, unless he's helping Hawke. Which is a surprise, really, that he leaves at all. I think it's because he feels indebted to Hawke, but I'm sure he wouldn't tell me. You might ask to help out? He did seem to want to see you again. Maybe you'll have more luck than me?"

"Lessons in your shared native language in exchange for healing lessons?"

"Right! I remember. I just - I have the worst memory and a lot has happened."

"You're talking to someone who literally forgets thinks one minute after someone has told her them. I'm the queen of sieve-memory." 

Merrill grins at them, and then squints a little at the sky. "We should probably start heading back, we don't want to be stuck on the Wounded Coast after nightfall."

Anya hups and brushes of the dirt.

"Why's it called that anyway? Did someone hurt it's feelings?"

Merrill pauses, furrow in her brow. "You know, I don't know! I'll have to ask Varric. He knows everything."

"He does seem to be a repository of all knowledge."