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[inkindled]

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[inkindled]

[Cheerful,] S'ppose so. I'd say 'Matthias of Riftwatch', myself.

Why, who's this?

[incaenstrix]

I'm Tertia.

Enchanter Marcus gave your name to me. He said that you're a mage deserving of trust.

[inkindled]

Oh. Really?

[Dead pleased, Matthias sits up a little straighter (even though he is alone and no one can see him).]

I won't argue with that. I mean, I might fancy that about myself, right, but then actually hearing it about yourself is different. You're new, then? And you know Enchanter Marcus?

[incaenstrix]

Not from before or anything. I just met him a little while ago. But he was kind enough to start teaching me a bit.

[inkindled]

Oh, yeah, he's brilliant. Like, seriously brilliant. If you had to meet anyone first, I'm glad it was him, but if you had to meet anyone second, [more or less,] I'm glad it was me.

Where're you coming from, then? You've got a weird--well, notable, like--accent. I mean that nicely, if you're wondering.

[incaenstrix]

[ He’s chatty. And a little egotistical. It’s sort of - nice. That level of swagger. It makes her feel simultaneously anxious and comforted. ]

I’m from Tevinter. Minrathous.

[inkindled]

What, really? Think I only know one other person from Tevinter. What's it like? I heard they're mad for mages--but I dunno what they teach, or anything--what're you good at?

[incaenstrix]

I'm good at - [ Well. ] I don't think I'm good at anything right now. But I usually use, um, primal magic.

[ Terminology! She's learning it! ]

What about you?

[inkindled]

That's me as well! Well, mostly--anything with fire is what I'm best at. But I'm learning to be better with healing, Derrica's showed me that--and I've done a bit with lightning and with rocks--but I'm definitely still best at fire.

Sorry, you likely don't know Derrica, do you? I hate when people do that--say a name as if you know who that is, and you haven't any idea--bad manners, that. But you ought to know her, she's brilliant as well. Might be my favorite person if it came to that.

[incaenstrix]

Marcus mentioned her as well. I haven't spoken to her quite yet.

[inkindled]

I can introduce you if you like. I mean, you can introduce yourself, I s'ppose--but if you like, I can. I wouldn't mind.

What's made you come to Riftwatch?

[incaenstrix]

[ He certainly does talk a lot. ]

I'm looking for a partnership. Support for the cause I fight for.

[inkindled]

Oh, aye? What cause is that?

[incaenstrix]

Freedom for the slaves of Tevinter.

[ There's just a hint of steely determination in her voice as she speaks. ]

And making sure that the Magisters can never enslave anyone ever again.

[inkindled]

[Slaves is a nasty word, and numbers among the very few things Matthias knows about Tevinter. It's the resolution in her tone that makes Matthias' ears prick up.]

I like that. Think most people in Riftwatch would as well, if you told them that. Mages are in charge in Tevinter, aren't they? That's the Magisters.

[incaenstrix]

Um -

[ The simplicity of I like that makes her feel a little shy. But she continues on: ]

Yes. Some of them. Magisters are always mages, but - there are also mages who aren't Magisters. Altus and Laetans. And freeborn people without magic are called the Soporati. And...Sorry, I don't know if you know all this already or not. Or if it's even interesting.

[inkindled]

I don't know anything, more or less. I've heard things, but that's gossip, like, probably. But I used to think every mage in Tevinter was a Magister, and I know better'n that now at least. Now I've heard about Altus and Laetans. And Soprati--Soporati, [correcting himself, since she'd just said it, the word is still in his head,] and there's not any more, is there? That's it?

[incaenstrix]

[ Relaxing: ] There's Liberati, too. Those are the slaves who've been freed. And then there's us.

[inkindled]

[Making mental notes--Liberati, makes sense, sounds like liberty, he can keep that straight--]

'Us'?

[--but he's already thinking, by that she must mean some other category of mage.]

[incaenstrix]

[ Matter-of-factly: ]

Slaves who haven't been freed.

[inkindled]

Oh.

[Shit.]

I didn't know-- 'cos you're a mage, and I thought, in Tevinter-- I mean, I didn't know that could be, even. [He can already feel his ears going pink. Shit. At least she can't see him.] Sorry.

[incaenstrix]

Huh?

[ She doesn't follow the reason for his embarrassment. She frowns a bit in confusion, then decides that the easiest thing is to tell him - ]

Oh. It's all right.

[ Maybe he's apologizing for not knowing she'd been a slave? Weird to apologize - she should be the one apologizing if that's the case, for not being clear. ]

There's not a whole lot of us, but some. Calpernia - the leader of the Venatori mages - she was a slave, once. [ A little bit of admiration in her voice when she says that. ]

[inkindled]

Really? I didn't know that.

[He hesitates, but he's got to ask--]

The Venatori are nasty, though, aren't they?

[incaenstrix]

[ A slight hesitation. Then: ]

I’d imagine they’re like any other. Some bad people, some good. I think - [ she knows - ] the bad ones probably are being listened to more than the good ones, right now.

[inkindled]

Oh.

[He weighs this, with real thought. (Brief, but real.)]

I hadn't thought of that. S'ppose it makes sense. It's just that when we hear about the Venatori, we don't hear about anything good. Or anyone good, for that matter. But we're like that, sort of, so why wouldn't the Venatori be that way as well.