Hmhm~ I just had to write this down. We all know none of this belongs to me.
I fixed some of the tings to my liking ;D


*

Prologue

An Apprentice

Would you open the door
Enter the here and now
A new horizon
You'll rise you'll fall
And learn to live
Keep the faith - keep the pace

Blind Guardian – The New Order

*

Irving couldn't really remember wich year the boy had been brought to the Circle. He could remember the day vividly, though. A small, scared child, torn away from all he knew, just like all other of the apprentices. But in his case, his family had just been killed – their neighbours had seen the templars when they had informed the parents that they would take the boy to the Circle and that they would return the next day. When the templars had returned, everyone but the boy in question was dead. Quite a few of the attackers were dead too. Sittng in a corner, tears streaming from his eyes and electric sparks flying around him, he cried hard. He couldn't have been more than five years old, when their neighbours, scared of magic, dedcided to kill him before the templats could take him. They never imagined that his parents would stand up to them, so they had been killed too. When they went for him, he zapped them to oblivion without thinking about it, it was just an instinct and he was scared, it happened naturally. The templars had buried his parents out of mercy, and then they took him to the Circle, were Irving had greeted them.

"And what have we here?"

He asked and the boy looked at him with scared golden eyes. But Irving had a soothing voice and precense so he did not start crying again.

"Amell, Brand. Family dead, lightning user."

The stern repy came from the leader of the templar group, Irving could never remember his name. Greagoir did always let different people lead these small expeditions anyway. Maybe he could remember the next one.

"Oh? A natural born elementalist I see. Welcome to the Circle of Magi, Brand."

The First Enchanter took a special interest in the golden eyed boy. He didn't really know why he did but he found the child interesting and different from many of the other apprentices. He was silimar to them in many ways and as different as them in as many ways. He didn't really make friends, though it seemed like he tried, but he was shy and the others didn't seem eager to bond with him. Jowan was the only one Brand would casually talk to now and then, sure, he did talk with the others but not in the same manner. Irving was worried but Brand indulged in studies and marvelled at the beauty of his magic. Like Irving had said that day he arrived, he was a talented elemental user. He could command the lightning, order the fire and control the frost. Even thought Brand most often was on his own, other apprentices saw him hone his skills now and then and they became jealous of the apparent ease with wich he could use several different spells. Word spread of his skill and isolated him even more from the other apprentices, including Jowan, who felt inferior – him himself having a bit of a hard time with learning. Brand did really want to befriend others but they weren't interested. After a short and not all to successful affair with a female apprentice, he made a habit of talking to the already harrowed mages and senior enchanters in the library. Everyone of them found his conversation interesting and they were more then happy to enlighten him about things he was curious about. He was not more than fourteen years old at that point, but he was a fast thinker and he had a flexible and liberal mind, he wasn't to stuck up in his own opinions even though he most often was stubborn about them, he disliked being wrong. The only one of the senior enchanters Brand really wasn't fond of was Uldred. The man disliked others opinions and thought that his way of thinking was the only right one, and that idea collided with Brands ideas. So the boy tried to avoid Uldred if he could. Irving was Brands mentor and the boy adored the older man who always took time to learn him new thing and he even taught him about the outside world. That wasn't really custom, but Irving taught him anyway. Something deep inside of him urged him to do that. Something that told him that this boywould obtain greatness in a way few mages ever had and fewer ever dreamed of.

Wynne fussed over Brand, like a mother hen did to her smallest chicken. He didn't really mind at all. The older woman was kind with a spark in her eyes and that kindness that was something ever so reassuring to him. He enjoyed the feeling of being cared for. But Wynne had apprentices of her own, so he only saw her now and then. By chance, Brand was popular with the kids, the ones that had just arrived to the Circle and those a bit older who saw him as a kind older brother. He enjoyed spending time with them and answer their questions as much as he could. It was especially at those time that he was content with his life at the Circle, and he thought of the day he would have apprentices of his own – as long as he would undergo the Harrowing. It was dangerous, that much he knew – the older mages didn't talk about it and they didn't want to either, it was forbidden anyway. Even though he hoped he would make it, a part of him was still unsure, he had confidence in his skills, but he didn't even know what he was supposed to do so he couldn't really prepare or anything. So when they woke him up in the middle of the night, his heart felt heavy and skipped a beat. So this was it then. It was time for his Harrowing.

To say that Irving felt completely at ease would be a lie. He knew what the boy – no wait, he must be around 23 years old, not a boy anymore – would face but he thought Brands mind was strong enough. Seeing the templars kill him would be a blow he'd never recover from, of that Irving was certain. Greagoir didn't want him to tell the apprentice anything but he did anyway, like he always did. Annoying the Knight-Commander was great fun, and he thought that the apprentices deserved as much. But when he saw Brand touch the lyrium and his spirit left his body to enter the Fade, for an instant, the First Enchanter saw the small boy he once had been, and then a vision of him standing on a bloody battlefield, his broad back and shoulders, and he was looking at a tower and the sky was omniusly dark.

"I've never seen such a quick and clean Harrowing."

Greagoir said to Irving. His tone was amazed but also a bit wary. Irving only nodded in silent agreement, he was a bit amazed himself but on the other hand, he knew Brand had more in him than most mages.

The newly harrowed mage had been confused when he had gone to see the First Enchanter, like he had done ever since the day he had arrived at the Circle. Brand told Irving about Jowan, his feelings conflicting in the matter. He and Jowan wasn't as close as before but he still considered Jowan as a friend of some sorts, but his loyalty and love for the First Enchanter were even greater than his feelings of friendship towards Jowan. Irving had told him to act on their plan so that they would be caught redhanded. Brand wasn't really fond of that idea but reculantly he agreed.

To say that Greagoir was furious was an understatement. If it was possible, surely smoke would steam from his ears. He didn't want to listen to Irving – as usual – refused to listen to the fact that Irving had told Brand to go with Jowan and Lily. In a way Irving understood Greagoir, a blood mage on the loose without something to track him with wasn't much fun for him. Brand felt shattered. Yes, he had lied to Jowan but Jowan himself had lied about not being a blood mage, he had said straight that he wasn't one. It was clear that Greagoir wanted to punish Brand in some way, and the elementalist didn't say anything. He was wrapping himself in feelings of guilt. Then the Grey Warden-Commander Duncan had shown himself, telling that he wanted to recruit Brand for the Grey Wardens and not just for the upcoming battle at Ostagar. He declined, he wanted to stay at the Circle, wich was his home, and recieve whatever punishment would be given to him. But Irving urged him to go, even thugh the sad look in Brands eyes stung in his heart. He told him that he had a greater destiny and could do much more outside of the Circle, that he had a wondrous gift and should use it. Finally, the young man agreed to go and be a Grey Warden. Brand looked lost but Irving smiled at him ans squeezed his shoulder in a reassuring way. The young man did smile a bit then.

"I hope I will make you proud, First Enchanter. I shall try my best not to fail the trust you have in me."

He said with a small smile before he left.

Oh, you will child. And you've already done, in so many ways.

*