"Sorrow lasts through this night

I'll take this piece of you

and hold for all eternity

for just one second I felt whole

as you flew right through me

and into the stars"

-'Sorrow' Flyleaf-

Star-Crossed

Chapter 1.

The Beginning of the End

Ember curls around herself… tightly. Not from the cold exactly, the night wind is freezing as it swirls around her tent, but that's not why she feels the need to cling to herself as though she would fall apart if she didn't. Somehow it makes her feel less empty inside and almost like she is back in his warm embracing arms. Back in the tower, the only home she's ever known. She longed and dreamed of leaving that place, but not like this. It's her first night away from there, and the only thing that feels familiar is her own skin, so she holds on to herself. Tears don't come despite the feeling of need for them to. Tears are somehow not enough. She has never felt like this before in her life. Finally she had grasped something she had always wanted, something beautiful and pure, only to see it slip out of her fingers and flutter away a breath later. Like a ghost and barely a touch of a memory now. She knew when she had made her decision that she would be saying good-bye, but she thought that it would leave her something to hold on to. All she feels now is a void, like she had left her heart in his armored hands when she stepped into the boat with Duncan. She can't help but make herself walk through every moment, desperately afraid that she will forget him unless she goes over every detail at least a thousand times. She knows there will be no sleep for her tonight as every time her eyes slide shut anticipating sleep, she see's his... burning bright, rich and serious which bring memories of their first meeting crashing into view.

~*~

He was being foolish, like always. Jowan; forty percent well meaning, but sadly sixty percent utter and complete foolishness. Ember was fourteen and had been at the circle since she was seven and she and Jowan had been instant friends since the day she arrived. She was young, and the templar guards and tower so intimidating despite all the bravado she had managed to create for herself. Jowan was one her many bunkmates. He was nice to her and had made her laugh and she felt comforted when he was around. Though she got along with all of the apprentices at the tower, he had quickly become something of a brother to her. Sometimes she felt guilty that she had surpassed his talents in magic albeit being at the circle for less time. He had a good heart, but got a little carried away when it came to the efforts of improving his skills.

Ember let out a sigh and shook her head in Jowan's direction. She couldn't help but smile though now as she watched him crawling ridiculously under the table softly calling out to the cat that the cook's had taken in and named Percy. As if the cat would come to him, he had been unrelenting in his efforts to practice various minor spells on her. None of them enough to hurt her, but the poor thing was scared and annoyed and was now desperately darting underneath the tables, and weaving in and out of chair legs in the library trying to find some kind of hiding place.

"Jowan!" Ember scolded.

"I really don't think your getting anywhere, you're not even trying to make it sound nice, and I can see your evil grin from all the way over here. Besides I think after the third stun spell you hit her with she is well aware of what you are up to… you might as well give up"

Jowan, on all fours, looked back at her from over her shoulders frustration written clearly in his expression.

"Be quiet Em!, I am determined to get this spell down before the sun sets, so unless you want to be a dummy for me to practice on, then you might as well resign to helping me catch her."

Ember laughed softly as Jowan went to stand bumping his head on the corner of the table.

"Jowan I will not be your practice-dummy for anything the maker could give me and I will not help you catch her either. The poor thing is terrified, look at her! She's shaking over there by the corridor" she said cursing herself as she realized that she had just given away the cat's coordinates.

Jowan glanced at her, rubbing his head, a look of revelation slowly spreading across his face.

"AHA! There you are, you little... I WILL catch you!" he blurted out loudly, making the apprentices at the next table jump.

Stumbling at first, he bolted after her down the apprentice quarter's hallway the wind behind him sending a stack of papers flying in every direction.

Oh for pity's sake...

"JOWAN! WAIT!" Ember yelled after him, remembering Greagoir's announcement that a group of new Templars were arriving that day and being shown around the tower. They had explicit orders to be in the library in those hours. She sprung up from her chair knocking it over and began chasing after him praying that they weren't anywhere nearby. Jowan always seemed to bump into a Templar when he was up to no good.

Laughing she couldn't help but find the situation silly, but it felt good to be running, her hair whipping behind her. She impulsively closed her eyes and imagined that she was running through a field of daisies, the sun setting making everything warm and golden. She opened her eyes just in time to see the templar signet etched into armor coming straight for her and before she could dig in her heels to stop…

Crash…

Her lips let out a gasped murmur as the breath goes out of her and she felt herself falling into metal and chain mail. And it dawned on her what exactly that meant as they both went crashing backwards into the stone floor. She knew that she was about to be in all sorts of trouble.

Bracing for the worst she slowly, like someone who knows there about to be blinded by the sun, opened her eyes. Startled, surprised and slightly concerned eyes the color of honey stared back into hers. She laid there, sprawled on top of the boy completely frozen. These eyes weren't familiar, and Ember had a good memory. Out of fear she had memorized every templar in the tower. She knew which ones were nice, and which ones to avoid at all costs. These eyes were young and new to her and so deep, she could swim in them.

"EMBER! What in ANDRASTE'S NAME do you think you are doing ?!"

Snapping back from her reverie of swimming she skittered off of the grounded Templar and used the wall to support her self as she stood up, trying desperately not to look as petrified as she felt.

" I… I… I was… Well I'm s…s… sorry I didn't mean to…. Um…"

Sweet Maker, why are you stuttering you silly stupid girl! She thought to herself, but words escaped her as she tried to think of some important reason she could have had for running around unauthorized with her eyes closed. She didn't want to get Jowan in trouble. Her eyes darted around to try and get a look at the honey eyed boy she had knocked over but the older Templar, who was not at all one of the nicer or brighter Templars at the tower, was blocking her view.

"Well you better come up with a better excuse than that, all mage apprentices are supposed to be in the library right now… I'm taking you to Greagoir"

Ember groaned… she hated Greagoir and especially Greagoir in his office. He always got irritated when a guard brought him something petty to deal with, and that in turn always made him a little more annoyed with whomever or whatever said guard was bringing.

With that the older Templar grabbed her arm roughly and walked, half dragged her toward the knight commander's office motioning for the group of new guards to follow. Ember glanced back behind her and straight into what had sparked so much curiosity in her moments earlier, 'those eyes' of 'that templar'. She smiled sheepishly her cheeks turning a slight pink and felt the sudden pulling urge to know his name.