Rejected
Ostwick, 9:18 Dragon
"We are not keeping that freak in the house!" The words could be heard clearly through the closed door. Eve huddled under her blankets, tears falling freely down her face.
"Now, Venema, darling, don't be like that. She's still your daughter." Her father, always the peacemaker, was doing his best to calm the situation, but to no avail.
"No, Frederick, she's dangerous, and I won't have her in this house. Oh Maker, can you imagine what everyone will think if they found out I gave birth to that... that thing!"
Eve buried her face in the pillow to muffle the sounds of her sobs. She hadn't meant to set fire to the sheet of paper, but she'd been frustrated by the test her tutor had given her. History had never been her strongest subject, and as she'd agonised over one of the questions, a flame had blossomed on her hand and quickly spread to the paper.
The tutor had taken one look at the fire covering the child's hands and had run screaming from the room. Her mother had come in some five minutes later, and her face had paled. Grabbing Eve by her ear, Venema had dragged the small child from the room, venting her anger with vitriolic comments. By the time they'd reached Eve's bedchamber, the child had been left with no illusions as to her mother's feelings towards her.
Eve was a danger to everyone, a plaything for demons, an evil child who should never have been born. With these words ringing in her ears, she'd been thrown into her room to await her sentence. And now, here she was, scared and alone, rejected by her parents, and wondering what her future would be.
"I'll send a messenger to Ostwick Circle explaining the situation. I'm sure they'll have Templars here in a day or two," Frederick said, sounding tired.
"Are you mad? I will not have Templars coming to this house. What will the neighbours think?" Venema retorted indignantly. "No, we'll send her with a servant to the Fereldan Circle."
"But surely, Ostwick is closer."
"Which is exactly why we don't want her there. If she's out of the Free Marches, there's less chance that she'll be tied to us."
"My dear, you're not thinking clearly. People will notice Eve's absence."
There was barely any hesitation before Venema answered with disastrous clarity. "We'll tell them she died of some childhood illness."
"No, really! That's going too far."
"Don't be a fool, Frederick. Would you prefer to see our name brought low by the revelation that we had a mage child?"
His silence was her answer. "Very well. We'll send her with Joanne and Clegg, they're reliable enough."
Two weeks later, Eve stood on the shore of Lake Calenhad and stared at the tall tower that seemed to rise out of the water. "C'mon, girl. We haven't got all day." Wincing as Joanne gripped her arm in a bruising hold, Eve was pulled over to the ferryman. The man smiled at Eve. "Hello there, young'un. I'm Kester. What's your name?"
The small girl looked nervously to her travelling companions. "Answer the man," Clegg ordered in a sharp tone.
Returning her gaze to the ferryman, she replied, "I'm Evelyn Trevelyan, but you can call me Eve."
Kester made a little bow. "Why, thank you, Eve. I hear you're a mage?"
She nodded, eyeing him warily, having come to expect only anger and contempt when people knew what she was.
"That makes you special," Kester said with a gentle smile. "That's why you have to live with other mages and be trained to use your talents."
Clegg snorted. "Don't fill the girl's head with such stupid notions. She's being locked away for the rest of her life because she's dangerous. Nothing more and nothing less!"
Kester threw a disgusted glare at the man before turning his attention back to the child. With ease, he lifted her and carried her onto the boat, whispering, "Don't you take no heed of your pa, young'un. He's talking out his ass."
Eve giggled. "You said a bad word."
Kester grinned at her. "So I did. We'll keep that between ourselves. Your ma and pa don't need to know about that."
Eve glanced at Joanne and Clegg as they carefully climbed aboard. "They're not my parents. My mother and father don't want anything to do with me," she told him.
Kester looked down into large grey eyes shining with unshed tears and felt a pang of sympathy for the girl. Having three kids of his own, he found it hard to understand how parents could so easily cast off a child. "Well, don't you worry, Eve, you'll be accepted here."
Kester chatted easily during the journey across the lake, undeterred by the venomous glances being thrown his way by the girl's travelling companions.
Arriving at the tower, Eve found herself being lifted and carried off the boat by the friendly ferryman. He put her down, and with a smile, told her, "No need to look so anxious, little one. You're going to do just fine." With a friendly ruffle of her chestnut hair, he made his way back to the boat.
Eve climbed the stairs, swallowing past a lump in her throat as she reached the top and looked at two massive doors. She wanted to run back to Kester and ask him to take her away, but she knew that wasn't an option. Clegg walked forward and banged his fist on the door. It was opened almost immediately by a Templar. "State your business."
Clegg was a little taken aback by the barked command, and stammered, "I'm... er... I mean, we are here to drop off this mage child."
It was hard to get a read on the Templar due to the helmet he wore, but the man pulled the door open and gestured for them to enter. "Wait here while I get the Knight-Commander and First Enchanter."
The doors were closed with a resounding slam that made Eve jump, and as unkind as Joanne and Clegg were, Eve moved closer to them, scared of the big men in their heavy armour. The woman pushed Eve away, saying to her husband, "I don't see why we have to wait. They've got the child, surely we can leave now?"
Another Templar stepped forward, removing his helmet as he spoke. "No, you need to speak to the Knight-Commander first."
Joanne subsided into a sullen silence, and the Templar looked down at the little girl. "Are you going to be staying with us?"
Eve nodded but chose to remain silent. The man didn't seem to be angry, but he also didn't seem as friendly as the ferryman, and he had a very deep, booming voice that was a little frightening.
"Well, as long as you behave yourself, you'll be fine."
Eve nodded again.
A door at the other end of the large reception hall was opened and in walked two older men, one looking stern, the other friendly. The Templar who had been talking to her stood to attention and Knight-Commander Greagoir inclined his head. "You can return to your post, Knight-Lieutenant Bran."
"Yes, Knight-Commander."
Eve watched the Templar take up his position at the side of the door, whilst the Knight-Commander went to talk to Joanne and Clegg. She could hear the conversation and the stern man sounded angry.
"This is your child?" Greagoir asked brusquely.
Clegg's face took on a sour look. "No, Ser. We're just doing our duty by bringing a mage to the Circle."
Greagoir stared coldly at the man. "Your duty would have been to call the Templars. It is for them to bring in any mages."
Clegg glared at Eve, as though it was her fault that they were being scolded. Feeling overwhelmed, Eve started to back away but was stopped by the friendly-looking man who knelt down in front of her and smiled. "I'm First Enchanter Irving. What's your name?"
Too scared to talk above anything louder than a whisper, she replied, "I'm Evelyn Trevelyan, but I prefer Eve."
"It's nice to meet you, Eve. You look tired, have you travelled a long way?"
Fidgeting with the buttons on her coat, she said, "We've come from Ostwick."
Hearing this, Irving turned and addressed Clegg. "Your accent isn't Ferelden, and the child tells me you've travelled from Ostwick."
Greagoir's eyebrows shot up. "That's a long journey. Why not take her to a closer Circle?"
This time it was Joanne who shot Eve a furious glare as Clegg replied, "Her parents didn't want her anywhere near them." Seeing the flicker of anger in the First Enchanter's gaze, he added, "It would have been too painful for them, you see."
It was Greagoir who answered, "Yes, I think we see only too well." He glanced over to Irving. "Why don't you get the child settled, and I'll finish up here."
The First Enchanter nodded his approval and after taking Eve's hand, led her away, saying, "You must be hungry. Why don't we go and get you something nice to eat."
When the doors had closed behind them, Greagoir turned back to the couple. "Now, let me have the truth. How did her magic manifest, and did she hurt anyone?"
Stoically, he listened to their story, and by the end of it, he'd come to the conclusion that the child had a great deal of control for one new to their abilities.
He dismissed the couple with a curt goodbye and thanked the Maker that they seemed to have received a talented mage, rather than another troublemaker. They already had enough of those in Kinloch Hold.