[IC] The Fourth Blight {Irell Starling x Reaper}

[Irell Starling]

Metal smashed into wood as Kaitlyn’s fist, housed in a metal gauntlet, cracked into the large wooden desk of Night-Commander Visrette. The young Templar’s face worn an expression of ruthless disapproval. Brown tendrils of hair, freed from the sudden motion, hung limply at her chin while equally brown eyes shown with challenge.

“I don’t understand why it has to be me.” Kaitlyn said, her voice low and clipped, evidence of her irritation. “That’s a duty for a rookie Templar. From everything we’ve gathered, this human mage hiding among the Dalish isn’t a threat! She has already agreed to be escorted to the Circle and there shouldn’t be any immediate danger of her becoming an Abomination. So why does it have to be me?”

Visrette stretched her fingers out before intertwining them again. She had expected Kaitlyn to protest but she hasn’t expected the girl to throw and temper tantrum and come storming into her office. Sitting back, light glimmered off the flaming sword etched into her chest plate. “It’s a delicate matter.” Visrette began indicting the seat across the desk from her and waited while Kaitlyn begrudgingly sat down. “The woman was raised by the Keeper of that camp. Our relationship with the elves has always been - difficult one but they know how to keep their mages in check.” She paused to make sure Kaitlyn was still listening before going on. “But this is different. The woman isn’t an elf- even if she was raised with them. I’m not sure about the girl’s parents, maybe they were apostates or maybe they were normal law abiding citizens, but either way she is human and subject to our laws. I will not risk even a single mage becoming an abomination. Thea Lafae must be brought to the Circle.”

“Yes, I understand that,” Kaitlyn replied her expression unaffected by the explanation, “But what does that have to do to me? Send Kilvador …or Ferrin.”

Visrette shook her head. “While I would certainly expect them to show more tact than you,” she paused as if waiting for another argument, when none came she went on, “You, and you especially will be able to remind them what happens when a mage loses themselves to the Fade.” Her icy blue eyes momentarily left Kaitlyn’s and focused on the red-haired man behind the other woman.

Wendell would have been a handsome man. He had a chiseled chin and a statuesque nose. His body was lithe and he seemed to almost walk on air. His skin was smooth porcelain only occasionally marred by a light sprinkling of freckles. Even through his traditional red woolen robe you could tell he was muscular. Wendell had been a handsome man but that wasn’t the case anymore. For how could anyone be considered handsome with blank staring eyes and a face forever void of expression? In some ways Wendell was the perfect foil to Kaitlyn. He was calm and forever indifferent to the affairs of others while she was known for losing her temper at the slightest provocation and for sticking her nose where it didn’t belong. Mind you, Kaitlyn hadn’t been like that until the events of last year made the duo inseparable.

“I am happy to serve as a reminder.” Wendell pronounced his voice devoid of all emotion. The irony was not lost on either woman however. Wendell could not truly be happy, not since the brand of the Chantry had been placed on his forehead.

Kaitlyn was tempted to argue with the Night-Commander and her best friend but decided against it. Once Wendell decided on a course of action is was near impossible to persuade him against it. Instead, she merely inclined her chin and stood up before heading back towards the door. Before going out, she paused one last time. “When should we head out?”

“The Dalish are notoriously nomadic.” Visrette said, her eyes now scanning over a worn leather notebook lying open on her desk, “Tomorrow morning at the latest.”

[Reaper]

Thea was furious. She felt betrayed, angry and rejected. She had known all along that she would never truly be Dalish, that the Keeper teaching her magic at all was a privilege and even then she would never be First or Keeper. She was not even allowed to wear the Vallisin. Yet to think she would be handed to the templars and Chantry so easily, that they would not resist the shemlen...

"Keeper, please. I am no elf but I have grown up among the clan, played with every one of the hunters and warriors as children, listened to the tales around the fire. I have known no other family but the clan. Do not throw me away to he caged and imprisoned!" She pleaded with Keeper Shartos. She was met with sad, regretful eyes.

"I cannot, Thea. The shemlen see you as one of their own, that their laws apply to you. They made that much clear. Yes, you have grown up with the clan, helped me deliver some of the infants even, but that is why I must ask this of you. Would you see them die for your sake? You know the templars will march here in force and take you at sword point if need be, if they do not outright kill you. You cannot ask me to risk the clan - your brothers and sisters, for you." He replied evenly. She could tell it pained him to do so - he had been her father figure and she was like a daughter to him. She had learnt much from him, and owed the clan a great debt. She had just never anticipated what form her payment would take.

She fell to the floor, weak and defeated. She cried. Not to manipulate the Keeper into pity, but because she was at the end of her will. He knelt beside her and cradled her to let her cry against his shoulder. "Oh, my sweet child, I wish I had the strength to resist the templars and the chantry they serve. I would break camp and move us if I thought we could evade them. I do not make this choice easily."

"I know, Keeper." Thea sobbed. The clan was already preparing for her farewell. The templars who had first found her were camped right outside the edge of their camp. They had graciously let Thea say her goodbyes and spend a final few days with her clan before her handler would come and bring her to the Circle. It felt very much like the mercy of a last meal to a prisoner sentenced to death.

After a few moments to compose herself, Thea got back up and prepared to leave. She shared an aravel with Shartos' First, but now the girl would have it to herself. She wondered if the clan would miss her, or if she would become a long forgotten memory. She had heard tales of how humans treated their mages - and cursed her fate. She was abandoned by her birth parents, now these shemlen wanted her to obey their laws and spend the rest of her life rotting away in some prison, if they didn't decide to brand her and make her a shell of a person.

[Irell Starling]

Kaitlyn and Wendell were forced to leave their horses tied up just outside the Dalish camp. While she wasn’t thrilled at the idea, their two escorts, lithe male elves who appeared to be much more muscular and healthier that their city dwelling brethren, insisted that the large animals might upset the halla.

Kaitlyn wasn’t sure what she had expected a Dalish camp to look like. She’d never seen one first hand and only had heard rumors, most convoluted by racism. The camp itself was clean and seemed to be well organized. Beautiful, intricately carved aravels created an outer ring around several camp fires. Everyone was moving about, working on a task, although most paused to shoot her and Wendell angry looks as they passed by. It was clear that their escorts where leading them to a centralized tent that more than likely was owned by the Keeper.

Kaitlyn’s scanned around the area as her eyes adjusted to the dimmer light. An older male elf looked to be consoling a young woman. ”Wait, no,” Kaitlyn’s mind raced, ”That can’t be too her! She’s much too old.” She had been expected the mage the Dalish had been harboring to be a young child, ten at the most, but the person in front of her was clearly an adult.

“Andaran atish’an”, the Keeper said when he noticed the Templar and her companion.

“Ma serannas,” Kaitlyn said and placed a fist over her heart. Although she had practiced the words many times on the ride over, she knew she had mangled them significantly. “I am Knight-Corporal McKarth. This is my companion Wendell Ethengaurd.”

“It is a pleasure to meet you,” Wendell pronounced and bowed low at the waist. As always his voice was flat and lifeless. Those words were only words, a simple habit of his previous life.

“I must say I expected someone much younger,” Kaitlyn said, still fully focused on the Keeper. “Had we know she was so old…” Kaitlyn struggled with how to express her immense irritation at the situation. Didn’t the Keeper know he was putting everyone’s lives in danger? Maybe the elves had some sort of secret ritual to keep the daemons away. Still, they were days away from the Circle with hordes dark spawn lurking in between. Kaitlyn had expected to escort a placid child, not a ticking time bomb.

[Reaper]

Thea glared at the templar as she entered. It was clear the templar had been misled to think she was a child. The way this McKarth looked at her and the way her body screamed her irritation was not lost on the mage. "I am neither a child nor invisible, templar." She practically hissed. The way she had been ignored was not lost on her, neither was the fact that the man accompanying the templar was Tranquil. Even among the Dalish they had tales of how barbaric the Chantry's practices were - if a mage was lost to demons, the Dalish would assemble their hunters and hunt down the abomination with respect and dread. No matter the monster they had become, they were once part of the clan and deserved every bit of dignity, as well as their right to a proper burial. To remove one's emotions and connection to the Fade... It was a fate worse than death, equivalent to losing one's soul.

"I see you make no attempt to hide your barbarism against mages nor do you have any qualms about using them as threats." Thea spoke up again. "If I don't come quietly, is that what you will do? Attempt to take away my very soul? Yet your Chantry wonders why the elves would seek out the Dalish rather than hand their children over to your Circle, or why your mages would flee or turn apostates rather than live under your thumb." She turned to the Keeper.

"Keeper, do not let me go with them. It is plain what they wish to do with me." She begged, a tinge of fear in her voice. The Tranquil were unable to cast magic, so there was no reason for the man to be here other than as a reminder or threat to Thea regarding her fate. The Keeper sighed.

"I must admit, Ser McKarth, that I did not expect you to bring a Tranquil and insult a member of clan so." He spoke, trying to be as diplomatic as possible. "When your men demanded we hand Thea over, we made no quarrel except to request a few days to bid her farewell as we would for one of our own. She is like a daughter to me and were it not for the thinly veiled threat that you would march an army here to capture her, I would never have parted with her. Yet you bring this abomination before us... I expected that you would at least show us the same respect we have shown you."

[Irell Starling]

Kaitlyn could hardly mask the distain she felt for this other woman. Clearly she did not know as much about the Rite of Tranquility as she claimed. For one, it wasn’t easily accomplished. It took the permission of both the Knight-Commander and the First Enchanter. While it was used historically for punishment or control, that wasn’t the case for her friend Wendell. Wendell had passed the Harrowing, but had delved too deep and too quickly into the arcane. One day he showed up in her rooms, begging for help. Eventually he volunteered to undergo the rite, although if he hadn’t agreed, she doubted he would have been given a choice. Wendell had been her closest friend and it hurt every day to see him chained this way, although she did her best to hide it. But for the Keeper to call him an abomination angered Kaitlyn to such a degree that she was quickly losing any patience she’d been pretending to possess. Wendell was Tranquil so that he could never become an abomination.

“You will allow…” her voice caught as she stumbled over the correct words, “this mage to be escorted to the Circle because that is the agreement. The Dalish are allowed to roam freely throughout Thedas so long as you do not interfere with the law. You will allow me to take her-“ Kaitlyn felt a pressure on her arm. Wendell stepped closer to her.

“You should stop.”

“No. I will not stop,” She was right. The Templers were right. These elves were in the wrong. And they needed to be told so. “You will allow me to take her because if we do not arrive at the nearest Circle within a week, the Templars will hunt her down as an apostate. They will find her eventually. It would be different if she were actually your child,” Kaitlyn said point an accusatory hand at the other woman, “And while you might have raised her as one, and while you might have loved her is one, the fact is that she is not. She is not an elf, she is a human. Dwarves cannot do magic. Dark spawn cannot use enchantments. Human mages go to the Circle. That is the way of the Maker.”

“I am not here to be a threat, or to be disrespectful,” Wendell began his words slow and haunting, “I am here because I choose to accompany Lady Kaitlyn. When I no longer choose to follow her, I no longer will. As a Tranquil, I have the ability to live out a peaceful and useful existence. It was my choice. There are few choices for human mages who do not learn to properly control the Fade.”

[Reaper]

"I was raised among the Dalish. I do not know this Maker or follow his teachings, templar." Thea answered. "Why should I follow the laws of those who left me in the woods to die?" Her fists were shaking as she fought back the temptation to strike out at the templar. The Keeper had informed her of their abilities, so trying to use her magic would only backfire against her. She took a deep breath and calmed down. There was no use fighting this templar, not here. Not when the clan was under threat.

"Enough, Thea. The templar is right, but so are you. Ser Kaitlyn, I do not intend to fight your custody of her, but your fellow templars camped outside assured me she would be treated with respect and honour - or at least as much as your kind are willing to show to a mage." The Keeper seemed to refrain from commenting how the Chantry had warped the words of Andraste. Magic exists to serve man, never to rule over him. That was what Thea had been told the prophet had preached. How it justified the imprisonment and treatment of people whose only sin was accident of birth, she didn't know.

Thea glared at the Tranquil. She refrained from commenting, but felt that if she had ever fallen to the temptation of magic and forbidden knowledge, she would choose a dignified death rather than lose her soul and become nothing more than a hollow shell. She sighed and figured that the sooner she got to the Circle, the sooner she could rid herself of this troublesome Templar. "The clan is gathered, I'll say my farewells and then we can leave... or does your Maker not allow mages that right?" It was hard not to include barbed remarks like that, but Thea did not give the templar a chance to respond as she exited the aravel.

There was little or nothing the templar could do to restrain her that would break the peace with the Dalish. The hunters would fire on this Kaitlyn if she laid a finger on one of their own in their own camp. That much she was certain, even if the templar had said she was not an elf. She went through the line the clan had formed and shook hands as she bid her farewells, exchanged teary embraces and whispered well wishes as she took each step with increasing dread. The closer she got to the end of the line, the closer she got to never seeing her family ever again.

Just as the farewell ceremony was concluded, Thea turned to the templar. "Let us leave then, templar." She managed to say with her head held high, though her words were forced. Unfortunately at that moment an alarm rang throughout the camp. Those standing guard at the entrance returned with two wounded hunters, sent out to scout the surrounding area for darkspawn.

Thea ran over and checked on one of the injured hunters just as the Keeper tended to the other. She was no skilled healer but knew enough to keep them alive for now. The First had come over to assist her as well. "The darkspawn..." The scout managed to gasp as Thea tried to hush him and get him to rest. "They're a day away from the camp..."

Thea glanced over at the templar. How she would react to the news, the mage could not say. Though if the templars wished to make haste for the Circle, they could. The clan would probably be able to evade the darkspawn if they broke camp immediately. The problem was that it was difficult to determine where darkspawn scouts and patrols would appear, since they could always tunnel through the earth.

"Well, templar, it seems we are in a predicament, are we not?"

[Irell Starling]

Kaitlyn and Wendell watched in silence from the shade of a nearby oak tree as the mage said her good-byes. Only one of them had remained unaffected by the scene. It was obvious how much the woman was loved by the way the elves spoke to her. Part of Kaitlyn felt a little sorry that she was dragging Thea away from the only home and family she’d know. But it wasn’t as if there was a choice. The Nevarran Accord created the Circle of Magi, a safe haven for mages. This same document also created Templars to protect innocents against the magical threat mages imposed. Thea and Kaitlyn were bound by the same thread of time, each, in their own way, unable to escape their fate. Thea would go to the Circle and being of age, she would most likely undergo the Harrowing immediately. If Thea survived, her new life would begin, although she could never once again return to the Dalish.

“I will be glad when all of this is behind us,” Kaitlyn said. The whole ordeal left a bitter taste in her mouth. Escorting mages (willing or unwilling) to the Circles had never bothered her before. But now that she knew that nether the Circle nor passing the Harrowing guaranteed safety, she was torn. Still, she knew first hand how unpredictable magic could be. Templar and mage, a sort of “cops and robbers” had been her favorite childhood game. It was so different in the real world.

“Do you remember when you left the village?”

“Yes.” Wendell replied, pausing before continuing, “I believe the Templar’s tried to take me away when I was five. My mother said I was too young. They came back on my sixth birthday. Most people were happy to see me go.”

“Yeah,” Kaitlyn admitted. She wasn’t one of those happy to see him leave, but she could understand the rest of the village’s feelings. Wendell had always possessed a starting amount of magical ability.

“I was worried that you joined the Templar order to be closer to me.” Kaitlyn did not turn to look at him. She wanted those words to be filled with emotion, any sort of emotion-guilt, irritation, happiness, anything. But his words were as flat and emotionless as always. How many hours had she spent secretly researching a way to reverse the Rite of Tranquility only to come up empty handed? How many days had she spend secretly harboring some hope that the real Wendell would somehow miraculously break through?

“Being assigned to your Circle was just a coincidence,” Kaitlyn said, a lie she had repeated often enough that it felt true, “I joined the Templar Order because my father was one and because I thought I was doing the right thing.”

“You are doing the right thing. Magic must be controlled. In our society, only the Circle provides this protection for the mages and those powerless against magic…”

The ending of the farewell ceremony halted the conversation. Thea, her eyes shinny and cheeks tinted red walked towards them and announce that she was ready to go. Kaitlyn was just about to point out where their horses were tied up when shouting made them turn back.

Two elves stumbled into camp, one barely managing to carry the other whose leg looked like a Mabari had used it for a chew toy. Several elves stepped in to help them. Both of the wounded scouts were streaked dark red blood, some of it obviously not their own. She didn’t understand everything they said in their elfish tongue but one word was almost universal around Thedas. “Darkspawn”

After the initial shock died down, Thea walked back over to them. “Well, templar, it seems we are in a predicament, are we not?"

“Darkspawn don’t change a thing.” Kaitlyn replied folding her arms over her chest, “The Blight has been going on for almost three years in these lands. I have even fought a few in my time,” Alright so she’d only fought one, a single scout she had happened upon while it was feasting on a dead body. Wendell had pulled out his sword and stabbed the creature through the chest without blinking while Kaitlyn had been frigid with shock. But she wasn’t about to let this woman know that, “and I’m much rather deal with them than an abomination.” Plus, the Night-Commander would never accept the excuse of a few darkspawn as a reason to let an apostate roam free. “Perhaps the darkspawn will give you a reason to not run away from me?” Kaitlyn said, half joking- half serious. “But either way I would like to get started as quickly as possible. No reason to give them time to catch up.”

She eyed the wounded scouts again. There were so many rumors about those nightmare creatures. Some people believed the darkspawn allowed a few stranglers to escape so they could follow the trail of their blood back to the nearest village while others believed the monsters didn’t possess nearly that amount of intelligence. One day Kaitlyn hoped to meet a Grey Warden and ask them, but now was not the time to worry about that.

Leading Thea over to the horses, it was obvious there was another kink in the plan. “This is Roan,” Kaitlyn said as she nuzzled the sturdy bay stallion. The horse blew whiffs of breaths that lifted pieces of hair around Kaitlyn’s neck. “I wasn’t gone for very long,” she chided the horse and lifted up on her tip-toes to whisper something into the animal’s ear. The horse bobbed its head either in agreement or from the sensation.

Meanwhile, Wendell introduced Thea to an appaloosa mare that seemed friendly enough if not a little skittish. “We only brought two horses. Our sources said you were a child, and while you might be to elf standards, you are a full grown human and incapable of sharing a horse. You may take my ride. I will walk. This way the two of you have the best chances of reaching the Circle.”

Kailyn watched out of the corner of her eye as Wendell tried to help the other woman mount the mare. For some reason the site of this left a sour taste in her mouth, although for the life of her, she couldn’t say why.

[Reaper]

"Your concern is touching, truly." Thea replied sarcastically as she fidgeted and adjusted in the saddle, not quite sure how to seat herself comfortable since the Dalish never rode their halla or any beast. "Though for all the good it does us, I have never ridden a horse in my life. Do you see any of them here in the camp?" She added irritably. She doubted the templar really had any real experience fighting darkspawn at all, since the templars rarely left their tower. It seemed that the Chantry didn't truly appreciate the horror of a blight if they could waste time chasing down apostates - especially one living among the Dalish without any trouble - instead of aiding the war effort.

"You might be confident you can handle a few stragglers on the road, but until we are out of this forest we are in danger of encountering their scouting parties. I pray for your sake you will not be foolish enough to ask me to refrain from using my magic if we should come across them." Thea was raised to use her magic like it was a part of herself. It was as natural to her as a warrior's sword was to its wielder. Had any of the darkspawn or threats appeared in the camp, the Keeper would never think to stop Thea from using her magic to defend the clan, save for a reminder to keep from using fire or destroying the aravels. What she had heard about how these shemlen treated magic, however...

"Just so we're clear," She added with a tone of finality. "My Dalish magic is not blood magic and I would thank you not to run your blade through me just because you were jumpy. I shall not be responsible for any harm to your person if that happens." The Keeper asked Thea to go with the templar and to honor the wishes of the Chantry, but he certainly did not tell her to be kind or polite about it. If the templar gave her even the smallest chance to flee, she would. Unfortunately the clan would be the first place to come under scrutiny and threat so even if she did evade Kaitlyn, there was no way to return to her clan once she left. Another brilliant thing she could thank the chantry for.

[Irell Starling]

“I’d like to say I’m sorry that our traveling situation doesn’t suit you,” Kaitlyn said as she checked the front cinch of the saddle making sure it hadn’t loosened on the ride over, “but honestly, I’m not sorry at all.” With that she gracefully mounted her bay. “Like you, I wish this journey to be over quickly. Think of your horse as an end to a means. Hmm?” One hand resting loosely on her thigh, the other confidently holding the reigns, Kaitlyn barely had to kick the horse to get Roan to start walking. Wendell obediently lead Thea’s mount behind them.

The stallion and Kaitlyn had been together for almost two years. Roan had been a gift her father gave her when she’d become a Knight-Corporal. The two of them had developed a trusting and understanding relationship overtime. Roan, being a sensitive sort of beast, picked up on Kaitlyn’s mood. The Templar’s irritation shown in the way her horse carried its ears and switched its ebony tail, making the skiddish appaloosa Thea was riding a little more nervous than usual.

The sounds of the camp faded as the trio headed deeper into the woods. Light trickled through the dappled green canopy overhead. Looking up through the leaves, Kaitlyn managed to locate the sun. From its angle she’d guess it was already well into mid-morning. She was irritated at the amount of time Thea had wasted saying her good-byes. If the mage had been a better rider, she would have sped up the pace but the last thing she wanted was the woman to fall and break her neck, at least on her watch.

They traveled on in uncomfortable silence for what felt like hours. Around them birds sung out and flittered around in trees, oblivious of the unhappy travelers below. A few times Kaitlyn made them halt. She told Thea it was to allow her to take a break and stretch her legs, but Wendell always disappeared into the surrounding woods. One time he returned with a black Darkspawn arrowhead. The owner was nowhere to be seen and, the Templar hoped, long gone. They’d just started riding again after one of these breaks when the mage spoke out.

”You might be confident you can handle a few stragglers on the road, but until we are out of this forest we are in danger of encountering their scouting parties…. I shall not be responsible for any harm to your person if that happens."

Kaitlyn almost breathed in the water she’d been drinking from her skin. Blue liquid trickled out from one side of her lips as she tried to control her coughing enough to allow her to finish her drink. Rubbing the back of her hand against her mouth, she fought to calm her lungs long enough to speak. Unfortunately, Wendell beat her to it.

“That seems reasonable enough,” the Tranquil said, logical as usual. “Provided you don’t use your magic against us.”

“No!” Kaitlyn finally managed to snap, glaring over her shoulder at them. “We can’t let her…”

Wendell shook he head. “While I admit it is dangerous, the dark spawn are more of a threat.”

“Then an abomination leaking out of the Fade? Then an accidental tear in the Veil?”

“Thea, I’m sure, has been practicing magic with the elves for a while. She must have managed some control in that time. You can easily deal with an abomination. As for a tear in the Veil, the odds of…” but he didn’t finish. Kaitlyn halted her horse exasperated to hear the rest of Wendell’s argument. That’s when she noticed why he had stopped speaking.

The woods around them had gone completely silent.

[Reaper]

Thea cursed herself for not noticing the dead silence of the woods earlier. She supposed it was difficult while listening to the templar debate with the Tranquil. It seemed that even cold, emotionless logic had its usefulness at times. Kaitlyn's aversion to her use of magic wasn't the problem now. There was only one reason that would render the forest completely silent of all life.

Darkspawn

Thea narrowed her eyes and called on her training. If a life growing up among the Dalish had taught her anything, it was to see through the dense vegetation and spot even the tiniest hare observing them. A darkspawn and the corruption that seeped off them like a cloud was much more blatant. "They're coming from our left." She offered to the templar immediately. She wasn't petty enough to wish the woman dead, nor did she wish to fight off the darkspawn alone. Her robes offered no protection from darkspawn blades or arrows at all.

"If they've driven off the wildlife, there are at least ten of them." She added quietly, unsure if the templar wished to reconsider her plan of action. There was no way they could outrun the monsters, not with two mages - one of them an inexperienced rider - in tow. Their alternative was to fight, and win. Thea loathed drawing too much attention to the kind of magic she could do, but it wasn't worth her sacrificing her life over a matter of pride. "Don't panic." Those were the last words she spoke to the templar before she started chanted and ushering the magic of the forest into her hands. Waving them about in an intricate movement, she directed the magic towards the nearest sapling, large enough to rival even an ogre in height but small enough that it didn't strain her abilities if she had to fight.

"That's the best I can do with the amount of time we have to prepare." She offered helpfully. "Unless you give your permission to do more, mistress." She had been raised smarter than to pick a fight with the only swordsman in their party with darkspawn bearing down on them, but she couldn't care less at the moment. The silhouette of the first darkspawn appeared shortly after she finished speaking and only by throwing a shield around herself on instinct did she survive the first arrow that bounced harmlessly off it. Whatever stories about how mindless the darkspawn were, they certainly knew how to use a bow; Thea would have been shot in the heart had it not been for her quick action. She grudgingly threw it up around Kaitlyn as well. "It'll be less effective the closer you are to the archers. Shall I take care of them for you? If you're not too afraid of me turning into an abomination before then, that is."

[Irell Starling]

Kaitlyn vaulted off Roan faster than the blink of an eye. As she landed, she pulled her hand back and smacked the horse on the rump causing the beast to run off into the woods beyond. No points in wasting the stallion’s life by making him stay. She hadn’t made the horses wear armor of any kind, sometime which currently seemed quite fool hearty. Kaitlyn had traded the weight of the armor for speed and endurance, hoping the group could avoid or out maneuver the dark spawn. But Thea was large enough that ridding pillion wasn’t an option. On top of that, the mage wouldn’t stand a chance steering, yet alone staying seated on a galloping horse. No, it was clear there was only one option. Hopefully the beasts would be able to get away and, if trio were lucky and the horses weren’t, draw away some of the threat.
Wendell tried to help Thea off her mount as Kaitlyn unhooked the shield from her back and drew her sword.

The trios ability to survive the next few minutes depended less on their ability and more on luck. Even a trained Grey Warden could be easily overwhelmed by a large group of darkspawn. Thea announced direction of the upcoming attack and Kaitlyn swiveled towards their left. The templar’s brown eyes searched hurried through the tangled web of branches but try as she might, she couldn’t see anything out of the ordinary. Every breath felt forced in Kaitlyn’s lungs as her grip on the hilt of her blade felt slippery.

” If they've driven off the wildlife, there are at least ten of them… Don’t panic.”

“I’m not,” Kaitlyn growled out, her voice sounding more sure than she really was. As for the rest of the mage’s comments, she ignored them. Now wasn’t the time to argue. “Do what you think is best.”

Suddenly an arrow flew, hurdling through the air towards the mage. Thea managed to cast a shield just in the nick of time, creating a shimmering aura around her. Kaitlyn did not wait for the second attack. With a blood curdling scream, she raised her shield, pulled her visor down, and rushed towards an oncoming Hurlock. The two of them clashed with a sickening thud as metal scrapped against bone. Within seconds the monster had fallen to the ground, choking on its own vile blood. Several more darkspawn took its place, maneuvering around Kaitlyn in an effort to flank her. The smell of rot and fresh blood filled her nose as the creatures closed in. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Wendell, clothed in only his Tranquil robes, struggling against a broad-shouldered Genlock.

[Reaper]

The moment the first arrow was fired, Thea found herself busy casting spells and making sure the darkspawn didn't manage to surround them or get any closer. Her sylvan was getting destroyed by swords and axes, but for each blow it received, the offending darkspawn was swatted away with just as much force and brutality. Just as the group of three ran past Kaitlyn, busy with her own opponents, to get to her, Thea swiped her staff in front her in a large arc and sent shards of ice erupting from the ground.

The wall of ice spears impaled one hurlock, and froze the other genlocks in place. With a blast of rock, Thea shattered them both with a well placed Stone Fist spell. She was fighting harder than ever before, not only because she was no longer fighting with a score of Dalish warriors around her, but also because she knew what happened to women the darkspawn took. She wanted to avoid that fate as much as possible.

She did not notice the Tranquil struggling with the darkspawn, forgetting that he had neither magic nor armor to defend himself with. She was too occupied with the darkspawn trying to get to her, realising that their enemy had a mage. She then cursed when she spotted a hurlock emissary striding through the trees and preparing to blast them all with a fireball. She whirled around to face the blasted creature and sent a bolt of ice magic right from her hand, freezing the emissary in place and interrupting its spell before it could send it their way. A bolt of lightning to follow up shattered the emissary's arm and a few more blasts from her staff ensured the darkspawn stayed dead and would not harass them further. It was at this point that a genlock dagger nearly found her side, had she not jumped out of the way as she spotted movement in the corner of her eye.

A retaliation blast for its effort was all it took to bring the genlock down, and it seemed they had defeated their first wave of darkspawn attackers. Unfortunately seeing one scouting or raiding party often meant others would undoubtedly catch their scent. The fight was over but they had a long road ahead. She turned to the templar. "That went well." She commented, just glad she had survived the battle.

[Irell Starling]

“Wendell!” The Templar called out, but her words were lost as the group of darkspawn closed in around her. Gritting her teeth, Kaitlyn head butted the one directly in front of her and maneuvered around them, managing to dodge out of the way just as a giant axe swung through the air. Turning around, Kaitlyn tried to shield herself as much as possible. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the shimmer of magic evident that the mage was, at least for the meantime, still alive.

Using her shield against one of her attackers, Kaitlyn threw her weight and slammed her body into one of the Hurlock’s. The creature lost its footing and with a quick jab, Kaitlyn’s sword found its way into the fallen creatures throat. One wrong miss-step in the follow through caused one of the monster’s filthy blades to slice into her left forearm. The cut wasn’t deep and shocked her more than anything.

Panic rose up in her- if the blade had been tainted by their blood- no, she has to worry about that later. Lightning nearby sizzled through the air, causing one of her attackers to hesitate just long enough for Kaitlyn to find an opening. Almost as fast as the sparks themselves, Kaitlyn stabbed the creature through the heart and swiftly pulled her weapon out again, ducking just in time to avoid an axe lopping off her head. Two against one was much easier and it only took a few more minutes before the reaming dark spawn were lying in their own vile blood.

Panting heavily, Kaitlyn was barely able to comprehend that it was over. It felt like the battle had last hours but in reality, it couldn’t have been more than ten minutes. Somehow against the odds they’d survive.

The ache in her arm became suddenly urgent and the Templar tore at her uniform exposing the flesh underneath. The blood flow seemed to be slowing but Kaitlyn couldn’t be sure if that was a good sign of not. Raising her right hand, Kaitlyn placed it on the cut. Blue light glowed from her palm as the Templar casted Cleanse on the wound. She didn’t know if it would help but it certainly couldn’t hurt.

”That went well,” Thea said.

”Yeah,” Kaitlyn replied, her voice as uncertain as she felt. She prayed to the Maker that they’d just fought a random scouting party and not the forerunners of the horde. The air around them was heavy with an eerily quiet. The forest floor nearby was coated with the dark red blood of the slain. The Templar had to keep swallowing down the bile that threatened to rise up.

Then a sudden horrible thought struck Kaitlyn. “Where’s Wendell?” The look Thea gave her question shot ice cold through Kaitlyn veins. Blood rushed through Kaitlyn’s head. She couldn’t thick. She couldn’t breathe. She just had to find him. “Wendell?” Kaitlyn called, a note of hysteria in her voice. “Wendell!”

Kaitlyn began running off in the direction she’d last seen him. It only took her a few seconds before she saw his body lying limp in the nearby underbrush. A strangled cry rose in her throat as she flung herself down in the dirt beside him.

“No! No! No!” Kaitlyn screamed, tears running down her face as she cradled his head in her arms. “It wasn’t supposed to be like this,” she sobbed. “I was going to save you! I was going to find a way to save you. I promised. Wendell please don’t go. Please. I was so close to finding a way, I know I was. I just needed more time. Forgive me! I tried! I tried! Please, please… You can’t leave me…”

Then she heard his words, so soft she thought she had imagined them until he whispered them again.

"Kait, it will be okay.”

Looking down, she saw his eyes were staring, unfocused at the blue sky above. She followed his gaze to the oblivion searching for the reason behind the miracle, the reason Wendell had died smiling. It was as if the Maker was trying to tell her something-but Kaitlyn wasn’t listening anymore. Wendell was wrong. Things would never be okay again. Shaking her head, Kaitlyn wiped her cheek, smearing blood across it. Shakily she stood, carefully place the Tranquil body back on the blood soaked leaves. Then Kaitlyn turned away as if somehow not seeing the body made his death less real.

“We should go. But first… if it’s possible… will you burn…” Kaitlyn’s voice trailed out for a few seconds. “Please.”

[Reaper]

Thea felt like she was intruding on a private moment between the templar and the tranquil. So they were family, then, and he wasn't just some assistant. She heard the desperation and grief in Kaitlyn's voice and for a moment, saw past the gruff and lawful warrior to see the vulnerable girl. Perhaps in time, Thea might have even warmed up to the woman and helped her find a way to cure Wendell. That was a possibility that wasn't going to happen soon.

When the woman turned around asked Thea to light a fire to burn the body, the mage was apprehensive. "He deserves more than a rushed burial." Thea spoke quietly, waving her hands about in the air and using her magic to build a small pyre by gathering any stray pieces of wood, dry grass and leaves. The templar was right about them not having enough time, so Thea got the body on the pyre, with some assistance, and lit the fire.

"I am sorry." She offered quietly, unsure of what good her words would do at this moment. Watching the fire lick at the tranquil's flesh reminded her of something. "The fire will cleanse and burn off the corruption from your blade, if you got their blood on it." It was a gentle reminder, but an excuse as well to offer the templar some time to spend mourning her brother at the pyre before they departed. Thea couldn't sense any disturbance within the forest around them for the moment, so it seemed the small party of darkspawn they had fought were stragglers or a scouting party, and not the main horde.

She opened her mouth and began singing. It was an old song, dating back to Arlathan. "In Uthenara", the Dalish called it. The clan might be affronted that she would sing it for a human, but it was the only song she knew that fit a funeral and it seemed wrong to simply leave Wendell there to burn without any sort of ceremony or ... anything. Even with their lives still in danger, they could spare these few minutes to honour the dead, at least. When she was done singing, Thea laid a hand on the templar's shoulder., as she used knife to mark out a small gravestone for the man. That way he wouldn't just be a nameless victim to the blight, but anyone passing by would know that here a man had stood against darkspawn and gave his life to protect his sister.

"We'll go when we're ready... and I'll give you no trouble." Thea spoke quietly, hushing the thoughts that told her this was the perfect time to flee.

[Irell Starling]

Kaitlyn didn’t say anything to Thea’s comment. She felt like she was watching at a distance. Someone else’s hands helped Thea lift Wendell’s body onto the fire. Someone else’s cheek felt hot as flame ignited flesh. Red and yellow colors blurred at the edge of her vision, a kaleidoscope of lights that danced by some insolvable force.

”I’m sorry.” Thea said, her voice starling Kaitlyn back to the reality of the situation. She was sorry as well. Sorry Wendell would not have the opportunity to live his life, sorry she’d insisted he always be at her side, sorry she hadn’t taken the dark spawn threat more seriously- She would spend the next nights caught between fearing for her life and writhing in guilt, playing Wendell’s last moments over and over again in her head. The Templar reasoned that in some ways Wendell’s death should have hurt less because part of her friend was already long dead- dead at her hand… and yet… for that reason it hurt even more.

”The fire will cleanse and burn…” The Templar eyed her blade coated with a sheen of red. Up until today it had never tasted blood. It never had to. She leaned out and watched the flames to lick at the metal. Flittingly she thought of the wound on her arm. If only the fire could cleanse everything so easily.

Behind her the mage began to sing. The melody was low and lilting. It reminded Kailtyn of falling leaves and the stead beat of rain. Kaitlyn didn’t understand the words but she understood the sentiment of mourning. The Templar closed her eyes listening to the music, water trickling down her cheek. Time slowed to a halt.

Too soon the song ended on a haunting note that seemed to be swallowed up by the surrounding forest. Thea mentioned their departure and Kaitlyn nodded at the suggestion. It was time to leave. “Thank you for what you did. I know what the darkspawn do to the…” Kaitlyn’s voice cut off and instead she swallowed heavily, “When this is all over I’ll come back, give him a real marker. Bring him flowers. He always had a soft stop for Harlot’s Blush.” A small smile graced her lips as color came back to her face at the memory. Kaitlyn shook her head as if actively trying to clear it.

“We should get going. I’m sure you can see the smoke from this fire miles off and who knows what it will attract.” She paused again, collecting her thoughts. “Roan will catch up with us soon enough and I suspect Flecks will stay at his heals- if they made it. I know I don’t have to say this but all the supplies are with the horses. We spent the day riding just to get to this spot. I don’t think we have a chance making it back to the Dalish camp before nightfall- if they’ll still even there. If my calculations are right, we should be a few hours south of a small village. We could rest up there. I’d rather that then spend the night in the open.” No longer were the woods a friendly place. Instead the unceasing silence pressing in around them bespoke countless horrors.

Kaitlyn’s conscience tugged at her. Was she really going to take the Thea to the Circle? Part of Kaitlyn said yes, citing that Thea was a threat and could easily become an abomination or worse but another voice, just as strong as the first, argued that Wendell had been no safer at the Circle even after he passed his Harrowing. Which argument would actually win, Kaitlyn didn’t know and didn’t feel like thinking about. Right now her main concentration was putting one foot in front of the other and hoping they’d be in a much safer place when darkness came.

Worry furrowed the Templar’s brow as they started to walk together in silence. There were many things to worry about. First and foremost was the fact that Kaitlyn wasn’t one-hundred percent sure just where they were. Trail blazing was more Wendell’s talent that hers and to top it off the maps had literally run away. Mind you, she could always ask Thea but Kaitlyn wasn’t ready to give up control, after all there was no guarantee the mage wouldn’t lead them away from the extract place the Templar was trying to get them to.

[Reaper]

"The Circle is due west of here." Thea offered quietly when she noticed Kaitlyn was trying to figure out their path of travel. Loathe as she was to offer the information, she wasn't sure either of them could catch up with the clan and seek refuge now, as the templar had stated herself. The Circle was probably her best bet of finding shelter and protection for the time being, even if it was a gilded cage. Barring getting pressed into the war effort against the horde or the Grey Wardens, Thea didn't see any alternative to her situation that didn't involve her being forced into an organisation she knew nothing about, much less care for it.

She started walking and pre-emptively silenced the templar's protests with her own words. "I'm not sure there is anywhere safe for me outside of the Circle right now either, so let's just get there as quickly as possible." She didn't have to walk far before the horses were discovered trotting back to them. It seemed their journey just shortened by a great deal, much to their good fortune, as Thea got on the steed again. "I trust you'll be able to lead us once we're out of the forest? I'll guide us out until then if you please."

She wasn't sure the templar would trust her or even refrain from rough treatment, but she figured there wasn't any harm in playing along for her own survival. A lone woman was not safe on the roads in this climate, much less a mage. Death was the least of her concerns.

[Irell Starling]

After finding the horses, the remainder of the day had been blessedly uneventful. They hadn’t said much to each other aside from the mage pointing out the general direction to get them out of the forest. Kaitlyn spent most of the time evaluating her future actions. She wasn’t entirely convinced she should be escorting Thea to the local Circle. First, although the Circle claimed to be there to protect mages, it hadn’t done anything for Wendell. Secondly, and in some ways more importantly, Thea didn’t seem to be in any danger of being turned into an abomination. Kaitlyn doubted if the mage’s powers had manifested themselves recently. Thea was too well practiced, as the Templar had seen first-hand on the battlefield, so it stood to reason that if there was a threat to Thea from the demons of the Fade, it was long since over.

”But I can’t just let her go,” Kaitlyn thought to herself. Being ridiculed by her superiors in the Order was the least of Kaitlyn’s worries. Elves and their foreign magic were distrusted by the Order in general and until she was tested by the Circle, there was no proof that Thea wasn’t some sort of maleficar. If Templars were known to kill maleficarum on sight, there was no telling what they’d do to a traitor who let one wader free during war time.

”You don’t have to go back.” a small voice whispered in the back of her head. ”No one would know. You don’t owe them anything. Think about what they did to Wendell.”

Kaitlyn sighed, not that any of it much mattered. There were bigger, more immediate problems to focus on. Already, her right arm was feeling hot and heavy and the sun was making its way closer and closer to the horizon while the forest around them remained as silent and foreboding as ever.

---

Kaitlyn finally spotted the outline of a few buildings in the fading light. The trees around them had thinned out to eventually become open pasture. Despite in being a nice evening, the village was eerily quite. Kaitlyn swallowed down her distrust as she let them towards the stables. After Roan and Flecks were handed off, they headed towards a larger building with “Tavern” painted in faded Red Letters.

”It won’t be the nicest place but I feel much better being behind solid walls,” Kaitlyn said in a low voice so the owners wouldn’t hear. She wondered how Thea would feel about sleeping inside. She suspected the Dalish spent the nights in the colorful tents but even Kaitlyn knew there was a difference. ”I suppose she’ll just have to get used to it on way or another.”

The tavern inside was dusty and ill-lit. Too few candles cast shadows on empty tables and chairs. There was a small stage to the side that was currently being used as a storage place for old baskets. Kaitlyn suspected the place would have been much livelier in better times. There was only one other patron there besides themselves. The man was old, gray and wrinkling. He eyed Kaitlyn with distrust and Thea with even more but said nothing.

”We’ll be leaving early tomorrow,” Kaitlyn said much to assure the mage as it was to assure herself. When traveling, Kaitlyn tried to avoid places like this- little villages where all the youth and life had been sucked out by the unending war with the dark spawn. Those men and woman had disappeared leaving behind the old, sick, and wounded.

The innkeeper’s wife appeared then from behind a closed door. She was an old, thin, sickly looking creature with cruel eyes. ”What have we done to win a visit from an honored Templar.” Her words did not sound polite or welcoming. While many Templars were sent to the front, most safely tucked away in refugee camps or watching over the Circles. Nevertheless, Templars were usually respected, since they were seen as the enforcers of law, if not always welcomed.

”I am escorting a mage,” Kaitlyn replied, her face showing her irritation at the woman’s words. ”We will be staying here for the night and will be gone in the morning… that is, unless you don’t have need of our patronage.” Her hand swept across, indicating the near empty room. Kaitlyn knew she shouldn’t be goading the woman, but it hadn’t been the best of days.

The woman eyed Thea warily. Any mage that had to be escorted by a Templar couldn’t be good news. “I assume you want a room.”

Kaitlyn nodded. “And a hot meal, if you can manage that.”

The innkeeper’s wife nodded and headed back out the door she came. Forgetting they had other company, Kaitlyn walked over to the nearest table, pulled out the chair and sat down with an exasperated sigh. She waited for the mage to join her before asking a question that had been niggling in the back of her head for a while. If nothing else, talking with Thea might help quite her inner voice.

“So what would you have done if the Templar’s hadn’t found you? Would you have stayed with the elves for the rest of your life?” It occurred to Kaitlyn then, that she didn’t even know what Thea’s role was in the Dalish society or about her companion in general. Thea was obviously not the Keeper or the First. Did she hunt then? Or maybe she tended to strange white beasts.

[Reaper]

"Yes, or at least, as long as I wished to stay with them." Thea replied calmly, the irony of the question being asked by the very woman who had taken her away in the first place was not lost on her. "The clan had raised me as one of its own, but I was free to leave any time I wished should I wish to return to the human cities. Of course, it wasn't much of a choice - I had grown up only ever knowing the Dalish way of life, and never needing to hdie my magic, what good would entering human society do? I learned the Common Tongue, and whatever books on human history we had, but I could pass as a normal human woman as well as one of the darkspawn would."

Her explanation was cut off by the tavern keep returning with their food. The concept of food being served like this, on plates and at individual tables, was alien to Thea. The Dalish ate their meals together, as a whole community. She picked up the knife and fork, digging into her meal somewhat awkwardly. "I assisted the Keeper and the First with any errands they needed done, or by helping to tend to the sick and injured. If we ever came under attack I would join the hunters in repelling the invaders while the Keeper ensured the rest of the clan were safe and under shelter. The First had to be an elf, of course, but I was no lesser an apprentice. I even helped make potioins and medicines from time to time." Thea continued in between mouthfuls. Talking about her life in the clan had made her wistful and reminded her further of her current circumstance. "Why should it matter, templar? That life is no longer mine, thanks to you."

If her words were barbed, it was only because the stares she was getting from the old crone behind the counter were wearing on her nerves. She was an equal, part of the family within the clan, now she was a monster to be caged and feared. Anyone would be resentful if they were under the same conditions. With that thought in mind, she found her appetite lessening and put down her utensils altogether. She got up abruptly and left the table, not caring the templar drew her blade or used her talents to drain her mana and leave her incapacitated for her sudden actions. Thea had no desire to be around the woman. "Is there a bath I could use?" She asked the tavern keeper, only to be met with another dirty look and a noncommittal jerk of the finger towards their room for the even. "In your room, the water's warm so don't try burning down my tavern just to heat it."

"If I do burn down this dump, hag, it will be your cold manners, not the bath, that caused it." Thea replied angrily, turning back to Kaitlyn, she made a mock bow. "Would you like to keep an eye on me in the bath as well? Perhaps I should thank your Maker this Chantry of yours did not send a man. Who knows if I might make it to the Circle with my chastity intact?" Thea stormed off and slammed the door to the bath as she entered, stripping herself of her dirty robes and undergarments, before submerging herself into the hot water. The warmth did little to soothe her nerves, as she hugged her own legs and tried not to cry in the tub, refusing to let the templar see her weakness.

Somewhere in the back of her mind Thea knew Kaitlyn was simply following orders and that the templar had been nothing but respectful towards Thea on their way here, but the mage needed a target for her anger and Kaitlyn was a target of convenience. She supposed she was being unkind, especially since the woman had just lost her brother as well, but the sigil that the woman bore on her armor and shield was a constant reminder of why they were here in the first place and Thea could not help herself from seeing the evil that took her from her home.

At first, she thought it was her anger that was making her lightheaded, but as she began feeling faint, the mage recalled reading somewhere that hot baths could cause people to faint, it was all the last thought she had as she drifted off into the blackness.

[Irell Starling]

At first everything seemed to be going well. Kaitlyn was making her way through the mutton stew when the mage stood up, made a scene, and stormed off. The Templar didn’t even bother to look up as the mage left but simply continued to spoon soup into her mouth as if nothing had happened. Kaitlyn knew, if circumstances had been different, she would have gone after Thea either to force her to come back to dinner and eat or simply to apologize. But not now. She had given all her emotions to Wendell’s death and their subsequent flight to safety. She had no more.

As Kaitlyn continued to eat the words of Transfigurations 12 spiraled around in her head. ” O Maker, hear my cry. Guide me through the blackest nights…” Thea was wrong. It wasn’t Kailtyn’s fault that the mage’s life with the elves was over. Human mages went to the Circle. That was the law. Kaitlyn was only acting to make sure it was kept. ” My Maker, know my heart. Take from me a life of sorrow...” Besides, if the Dalish had handed the human child over to the Templars years ago when she first showed a talent for magic, as was the law, this whole situation wouldn’t have happened in the first place! ” O Maker, hear my cry. Seat me by Your side in death…” The mage blaming Kaitlyn for taking her away from the Dalish was no better than Kaitlyn blaming the Dalish for Wendell’s death. Why was the mage in such a foul mood anyways? Yes, she was stripped away from what she’d grown up with but that was the fate of must human adults. At least she had a chance at a life! ” For You are the fire at the heart of the world And comfort is only Yours to give.”

The words of Transfigurations 12 had always been comforting before. They’d comforted Kaitlyn when Wendell first left, when she’d struggled in her trainings as a Templar, when her father died after losing him mind to Lyrium, when Wendell was made Tranquil. Apparently in the course of a single day she’d lost not only her friend, but her faith.

The soup and the table blurred together. Her meal was cold long before Kaitlyn headed to the room.

---

Kaitlyn knocked on the door to their room and waited. She was sure she’d given Thea enough time to bathe but her comment about Kaitlyn keeping an eye on her during the event was still fresh on the Templar’s mind.

“Thea,” Kaitlyn called. “I’m coming in. I suggest you cover yourself.” She waited for the mage to protest. Nothing came. “Thea? I mean it.” Nothing. Well Thea couldn’t blame the Templar for trying.

The door was unlocked. Her eyes adjusted to the tiny room. A single candle, drawing near to the end of its life, cast shadows about the darkness. Looking around, Kaitlyn found the single bed in the room was empty. Had Thea escaped out a window? A gleam of gold caught her eye. Turning, Kaitlyn found that Thea was still lying in a small wooden tub in the far corner, her back facing the Templar, golden curls falling to the floor.

“I did warn you.” Kaitlyn said exasperated, walking closer to the tub. When Thea didn’t answer right away, the Templar grew worried. “Thea?” A vision flashed in her head of the mage lying in a pool of red blood, a slash across her neck. “You okay?” No response. Kaitlyn rushed over and leaned over the other woman.

A quick inspection showed nothing was amiss and while the mage’s breathing was slow, it appeared Thea had simply fallen asleep in the bath. Feeling relieved, if not a bit annoyed Kaitlyn contemplated what to do. More than likely the girl had become exhausted from the day and passed out in the bath but the Templar knew how dangerous it would be to simply leave her there. Unfortunately, the stupid tub didn’t have a drainage hole- if it had, Kaitlyn would have simply drained the water and left Thea there.

Her eyes fell over the woman as she tried to think up a solution. The soap in the water had long cleared leaving white wisps, like clouds, on the surface. Underneath a tangle of legs and smooth white skin shone in the fading candlelight. The height of the water allowed beautiful round globes to be exposed to the cool evening air. A few slick golden tendrils fell across them, framing their shape. Kaitlyn’s eyes lingered on one of the two pink-

Heat rose to her cheeks as Kaitlyn felt her whole face turned red, when she realized the direction her thoughts were going. Taking off the collared shirt she always wore under her armor, lest she get it wet, the Templar leaned over and gathered Thea’s body. Kaitlyn thought she heard Thea stir but it took all her concentration not to drop the mage. While the other woman wasn’t heavy, her limp body was awkward to carry and the wound on Kaitlyn’s arm protested the strain. The water Thea had been in was barely luke-warm, and the mage was still damp when Kaitlyn placed her on the bed and pulled the covers over her.

“I’ll be right outside,” Kaitlyn said, turning away to collect her shirt.

[Reaper]

Thea could hear someone speaking to her, but in the darkness of her own mind she could not for the life of her comprehend what they were trying to say. Soon she was drifting through the air, goosebumps raising along her skin as the cool night air kissed her drenched body and slowly roused her. She was in someone's arms, and then placed upon something soft and covered, the warmth of the blanket making sigh in comfort as she was now protected from the cold around her body.

Her eyes opened slowly, and as the memories of where she had been before returned to her, Thea awoke with a start. It was the templar who had come to her rescue, evacuating her from the bath. The mage could only hear the templar's parting words carefully, catching but a glimpse of the shirtless warrior. Even in the dim light of the room she could see the defined muscles of the swordswoman's body, the smooth skin stretched taut over it, with rivulets of water running down Kaitlyn's body. The sight caused Thea's breath to catch in her throat - somewhere in the back of her mind a voice screamed that the templar was the natural enemy of mages like her; warned her that her reaction could be used against her in the Circle. Yet the flush of heat growing between her legs was drowning all protests.

The templar got dressed far too quickly and shook the mage back into a more rational frame of mind. She sat up demurely in the bed, holding the covers up to her chest, as if she had just done something shameful. "Thank you." She managed softly, weakly, still light-headed from being in the bath too long. "I apologise for my behaviour earlier. Neither of us has had a pleasant journey this far... and I don't want to be left alone."

For a woman like Thea, words came easy to her. The way she had finished her sentence was deliberately hinting at her desire. It was true that she loathed the thought of being left alone in that dim, empty room by herself after being separated from her clan, but she also desired the templar's company. The Keeper had always ensured she knew the risks of being discovered by men while she was alone. The clan occasionally traded with the humans, after all, and a lone woman near the edge of the forest might be mistaken as easy prey and abducted. It wasn't simply fear of something like that happening while the templar was outside that made Thea express her desire for the warrior to stay close.

Kaitlyn was a kindred spirit - she had lost Wendell the same day Thea lost the clan. She wanted someone by her side who could share in her grief and commiserate. It was ironic that that person would be the woman bringing her to her new prison, but for now Thea chose not to focus on that fact. Just for tonight, they could be two women who lost part of ther lives on the journey here and empathise with each other. Deciding to take the initiative, Thea got off the bed, walked over the bath where Kaitlyn was dressing herself, and picked up her own robe, confident that the templar wouldn't do anything. Before she had gotten dressed, however, Thea wrapped a hand around Kaitlyn's arm. "Stay. Please."

It was barely a whisper and betrayed how vulnerable she felt at that moment, but for once, her pride conceded to her grief and Thea wanted the templar there with her, if only to make sure there was someone to hold on to if she cried.