This story was kicking around in my head demanding that I pay attention to it. Deciding that it was best to just write it so I could get back to working on my other story I present to you in all its (barely) edited glory a made up encounter with a family of apostates. Asking the age-old question of "What would you do?" So please, enjoy, or feel free to navigate away if it proves to be utter rubbish!
Once again, the universe of Dragon Age belong to Bioware. They're just nice enough to let us stomp around in it.
The Apostate Family
Simon and Alistair crept through the woods as quietly as two heavily armored men were able to. The trees were thick enough that moving between them became slightly cumbersome for both men as shield and sword repeatedly wanted to catch on a tree trunk or low hanging branch. It was difficult to see with the shadows dancing in the moonlight of full dark. The smell of pine resin and needles thick in the cool night air, broken periodically by the waft of roasting rabbit.
Simon and Alistair were scouting the area, as they always did, while the rest of their party set up camp a distance away. Traveling during a Blight was dangerous, even for two Grey Wardens and accomplished warriors like themselves. It had become a habit to check the area for traces of darkspawn, bandits, or other unwelcome threats to their camp and companions. This night, as they made a wide circle around their camp, Simon had seen a small light in the distance. The way it flickered made him think there was someone else camping off the road and he and Alistair were on their way to investigate.
Simon crept closer to where the line of trees stopped and made way for a small clearing. The pine needles under his armored boots softening the sound of his approach until he stopped just behind a tall, thin tree. Inside the clearing a low fire burned, a skewered rabbit over it, there was a small tent off to one side and a woman. The woman was on her feet and staring intently in their direction.
"Don't come any closer. I know you're out there. Stay away!" The woman in the clearing said in a raised voice.
Simon and Alistair exchanged glances, Alistair mouthing the word "magic" and inclining his head in the direction of the camp. Simon had felt it too, that ripple of static that ran along the nerves of your spine once you became sensitive to it. Alistair had nearly become a Templar before being recruited into the Grey Wardens and although he wasn't fully trained, he had taught Simon what he knew. The Templar training had become an essential part of their fighting style against rogue mages and darkspawn emissaries alike.
Simon looked over the camp again and didn't see any signs of anyone other than the woman but still, he couldn't be certain that others weren't lurking in the darkness. He gave Alistair a hand gesture indicating he should wait in the trees.
"Peace Lady." Simon stepped from the tree line with his empty hands extended. "I mean you no harm."
The woman looked furtively around, her stance defensive. Simon could feel the magic around her coil even tighter.
"Where's your friend?" She asked. "I know you're not along. I heard you."
Simon took a tentative step forward. There was something odd about the camp, something strange with the way the woman was holding herself. He carefully took the camp in again, trying to determine if there was a real threat here. Simon ran his eyes over the woman's face. She's afraid. It wasn't hard for him to imagine why. A woman traveling alone was strange, even if that woman was a mage. Traveling alone meant facing danger alone too and who knew what dangers this woman had faced. Now she had a heavily armed man at her campfire and, at least one other, out of her view. Simon decided he'd risk it, spring the trap if there was one.
"Alistair, why don't you come out so that we may introduce ourselves?" Simon said over his shoulder without taking his eyes from the woman on the other side of the fire. To her he said, "There are only two of us, good lady. Please, no harm will come to you."
Simon didn't come any closer and kept his hands where the woman could see them. Simon saw Alistair step from the trees slowly, his hands outstretched as Simon's had been. In the short instant it had taken to look from Alistair to the woman Simon saw his mistake. The woman ran her eyes over Alistair's Templar armor with a look of angry rage before letting loose with a blast of fire.
"You lie!" She screamed pushing the full force of the flames at them.
Alistair hit the ground and rolled to one side, trying to avoid the flames. His armor, while good against magic, didn't offer a lot of protection against elemental damage. Simon didn't want to hurt the apostate woman but didn't want to find himself roasted or electrocuted either. He took a few steps forward, bringing himself into range and focusing her fire on him and away from Alistair. He was grateful, not for the first time, for his dragon bone armor and its natural resistance to fire damage. Simon gathered up the strength of his will as the apostate woman poured more power into her flame blast and sent it crashing down on her in a white flash of light. The fire stopped as a pained scream emanated from the woman and she dropped to her hands and knees.
Simon's stomach dropped and he visibly flinched when the terrified wailing of a small infant broke the temporary silence. Sweet Maker! She's got a baby with her. Simon could just now make out the handles of a basket rising above where the woman was struggling to catch her breath and sit upright. Simon could see that Alistair was likewise shaken by this turn of events and both men started forward to try and help the woman.
"We're not going to hurt you. Let us help you." Simon didn't know how much of that she actually believed considering what he'd just done to her. The baby's crying was pitched feverishly and Simon really wanted to rush to where it lay and make sure no harm had come to it. Memories of Oren flashed unbidden as he tried to get closer.
"Watch out!" Alistair shouted as they both felt the hair on their necks rise. The magic in the area had picked up again but it was wild and uncontrolled.
Simon was nearly at the woman's side when the tent flap flipped open and a young boy's voice came with surprising force from within. "Stay away from my mother!" Simon was rocked sideways as he was hit with a small, but forceful, stone fist.
"Andraste's ass!" Alistair swore, rushing over to the tent.
The woman staggered to her feet and tried to intercept Alistair. He could feel her trying to reach for her magic but she was still drained from being hit with Holy Smite. Alistair was a bit unsure of what he should do. He didn't want to hurt the woman or the child but this was starting to get out of hand. He'd seen some of the damage that a young, untrained mage child could do and didn't particularly wish to have to whole camp go up in a fiery inferno. The baby's pitiful wails were filling his head with confusion and he was starting to wish it would stop.
Alistair groaned inwardly as he saw the light start to blossom within the tent. Great, I meet my end at the hands of a child. How heroic! Alistair did the only thing he could think of, he focused his willpower into a powerful war cry. The blast that rippled outward, knocking the woman off her feet and eliciting a stifled cry from the tent.
"Rolan, NO!" The woman shouted at the tent. The light that had been illuminating the tent flickered out and the magic in the air decreased.
The woman rushed past him and tore the tent open, hauling out a boy of about ten. She crushed his pale, scared face to her chest and trapped his arms with hers. She started running a calming hand over his hair and back. Alistair was shocked, in the minute the tent was open he had just glimpsed a small figure hiding in a blanket, bright eyes peering from the top at him. How many children does she have with her?
Simon had regained his feet came to join the small group in front of the tent. He looked in pity as the woman clutched her frightened son to her, whispering soothing words into his ear. The child was shaking in his mother's arms when she turned to look up at Alistair. Simon's heart twisted at the thought of Oriana and Oren and the fear they must of felt in the last moments of their lives.
The apostate woman was crying silently as she pleaded up at Alistair. "Please don't kill him. It's not his fault, he can't help it. It's my fault!" She clutched the trembling child closer. "I wouldn't give them to the Circle. Take them if you must, just please don't hurt them, I beg you." She looked frantically between the two men, fear and resignation written in her expression. "I know what fate awaits me. Please! As a single mercy, don't let them watch their mother die."
Alistair wanted to empty the contents of his stomach. How could this woman think he'd ever do something so cruel? He knew though, all the years spent with the Templars and Chantry ran through his mind. It was rare that a family would shelter a mage child, most people were afraid of mages after all, and the Templars would take a child by force if it came to it. But this woman was an apostate so it would stand to reason she wouldn't willingly give her children up and risk death herself.
Alistair knelt down next to the woman and reached out to her, he wanted her to understand that he wasn't a monster. She flinched backwards and he withdrew his hand. "I'm not a Templar, I'm a Grey Warden. I'm not going to take your children and…." He couldn't even finish the rest.
Alistair could see the doubt flicker over her face but she wasn't in a position to protect her children anymore and she knew it. Simon turned and picked up the basket, setting it gently down next to the fearful pair. The woman reached out to the baby and scooped it up in her arm. The baby's cries softened to whimpering hiccups as it felt the warmth and familiar smells of its mother.
The woman searched the men's faces before turning to her son. "Bring out your sister." The boy nodded and hesitated before disappearing into the tent.
Simon joined them on the ground. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you. Are you alright now?" His face was guarded but concerned. The woman in front of him studied it in earnest before nodding.
The boy came from the tent with a little girl in tow. She looked much like her mother and brother with her pale oval face, brownish hair, and grey eyes. She had tears streaming down her face as she collapsed in her mother's lap. The boy sat down on his mother's other side and glared at the men. Simon couldn't blame him.
"Now that everyone is calmer. I'm the Grey Warden Simon and this," He gestured to where Alistair sat, "is my poorly dressed fellow Warden Alistair."
The woman's eyes narrowed with suspicion. "We heard all the Grey Wardens died at Ostegar."
Alistair stiffened while Simon answered. "Not all. We survived through the fortuitous intervention of an apostate like yourself." Simon didn't think that this woman in front of him was anywhere near a match for Flemeth but it wouldn't hurt her to understand that he had no problems with apostates. Just as long as they weren't blood mages.
The woman considered this for a moment, looking over their armor again. "I'm Sorena. These are my children Rolan and Rowena." She looked down at the infant in her arms. "And this little one here." Both men noticed how her face softened as she looked at her baby.
Simon could see how scared her children were and nudged Alistair on the arm with a pointed look. They backed away slightly as to not loom over the family. Sorena took a long cloth from the basket and proceeded to wrap the baby into it and around herself in a way Simon had never seen before. The baby's face was the only thing that showed when she finished and stood up again. He was relieved to see that child was unharmed and quickly falling asleep on its mother's breast. She moved to the fireside and started some water to boil before getting a blanket and wrapping it around the two silent children. Simon was pretty sure she was using the activity as a way to regain her composure and didn't hurry her with questions. He watched as she passed a hand tenderly over their young faces, wiping away residual tears in that small gesture of comfort that all mothers did. Simon felt his heart clinch again.
Alistair watched Sorena bustle around the fireside with a mixture of mistrust and confusion. He was trained to mistrust all apostates, yet he traveled with one, was saved by another and now sat at a campfire with an apostate mother and son. Wait a minute she said 'them'. Something clicked inside his head. He hadn't caught it at the time but now his eyes traveled back to the children who sat huddled together watching the adults with wary eyes.
"Are both of them mages?" Alistair asked studying the two children. The boy wrapped a protective arm around his sister and pulled her a little closer. The girl was maybe five, her face having lost most of the look of a very small child. Yes, she's old enough to start showing signs.
Sorena froze a moment and pinned Alistair with a dangerous look. "Yes, they both have magic." Alistair didn't doubt that this woman would do whatever it took to protect them and didn't much want to have her anger focused on him again.
Simon glared at Alistair. "He doesn't mean anything by it Lady. I'm sure he was just curious." Simon hadn't missed the brief moment Sorena had reached for her magic and found it waiting. Alistair blushed clear to his hairline as he thought about how his inquiries might sound to her.
Simon looked out into the darkness before asking. "It must be difficult to travel with three children. Where is your husband?"
Sorena faltered, glancing at her children before answering. "We make due as we can. My husband is…no longer with us." She gave him one of those warning looks that said to not ask her further right now.
Simon saw the pained expression on Sorena's face as he'd asked and wondered at the circumstances of his demise. It was then that he saw clearly that she was not a young woman but a woman close to thirty and whose life had been harsh if the lines on her forehead and mouth were any indication. He also didn't miss how her eyes had dark circles under them and were slightly sunken. He wondered where she came from and where she might be heading and how long she'd been running. There were darkspawn everywhere these days and refugees were fleeing north in ever increasing numbers. They were rarely welcomed in the towns and villages they sought refuge in, however. Where this family of apostates might find safety eluded him.
Sorena poured hot tea into three tin cups and handed one to Alistair and Simon before giving the third to her children with the admonition to share. She hesitated, looking uncertain before offering. "We don't have much but you're welcome to share our supper if you wish."
Simon looked at the roasting rabbit and the plate of gathered greens near it. A loaf of dark bread sat on a stone, warming, undoubtedly made earlier in the evening. She's barely keeping them fed. Simon cut Alistair's reply off with a sharp look and a negative shake of his head. Simon had never seen anyone eat as much as Alistair did and wasn't about to let him eat any of this poor woman's meager supplies.
"That's okay. We can eat at our own fire later. Please go ahead and feed your family and yourself." Simon didn't miss the visible relief that passed over Sorena's features. He watched her make up a plate for each of the children before taking a smaller portion for herself.
Simon frowned before coming to a decision. "Sorena, where are you going?"
She looked over to him. "I don't know, away from the corrupted creatures. I have to find somewhere I can keep them safe." She nodded to her offspring who were eagerly cleaning their plates.
Alistair wondered if she really knew how difficult that was going to be. The Chantry was everywhere and didn't take kindly to hedge mages. He didn't see how it could end well for this family.
"How would you feel about traveling with us for a small while? We can offer you better protection than you can find alone and maybe find you a safe place while we work to end this Blight." Simon asked.
Sorena nearly dropped her plate at the word felt her hopes drop even lower as she briefly faced the possibilities for their future. She looked at the two Wardens at her fire and considered her options. Her family was in danger either way, if she threw her lot in with them she might have a better chance of keeping her children away from the Templars and safe from the dangers of the road. She might also be able to better provide for them now that she was alone.
"We will go with you under one condition. You won't hand us to the Tower and will protect my children against the Templars." Sorena looked steadily into Simon's eyes. "I don't have much to offer but I can do some basic healing magic and I know how to cook, even on the open road like this."
"You have my word. I won't let anyone take your children without your consent." Simon bowed his head to her. "And we'll welcome a change in cuisine. I'm afraid none of us are that accomplished at cooking." Simon broke into a grin.
Alistair shot a questioning look at Simon. He'd have some words to say to him later about taking on more apostates and promising to interfere with Chantry business. Alistair had no personal love for the Chantry but he didn't particularly want to incur their wrath and have, yet another, powerful force after them.
Simon and Alistair waited until after the family had finished eating before letting Sorena boss them around as they broke camp. Simon was sent to fetch a pair of pole with straps of leather holding them together that were set off to one side when a voice melted out of the shadows.
"There you are, my friends!" Zevran stepped into the dimming glow of the fire. Sorena glanced at Simon before gathering her children to her. "We were beginning to get worried that some awful fate had befell our dear Wardens. But here you are, in the company of a lovely woman and her family." Zevran gave the motley crew a once over before resting his eyes on Sorena who just gave him a cautious stare in return.
Alistair snorted. "Why am I not surprised they sent the sneaky elf to find us? Here, you can carry this." Alistair went to hand Zevran one of the packs he'd made up.
Sorena took in the exchange, noting that the new arrival was armed and most likely dangerous. She would just have to trust that the Wardens knew what they were doing. She looked down at her children who were staring with fascination at the blonde haired elf before them.
"You'll have to excuse them ser elf, they've never seen one of your kind before." Sorena gave Zevran an apologetic smile.
Zevran ignored the pack Alistair was stubbornly holding out to him. "Truly!" He had the good grace to look surprised by this little tidbit of information.
"Please, call me Zevran. Ser elf is so….formal." And unusual. I wonder if she's ever seen an elf either or if she'd like to. Zevran covertly ran his eyes over the ragtag family his eyes resting on the bundle Sorena carried before traveling to the boy at her side and the little girl peeking out from behind her skirts. He glanced over to Simon giving him a questioning eyebrow. Simon nodded a bit. So, not your usual band of refugees then.
Zevran gave the little girl a warm smile and was surprised when she returned it. She was staring at his face and knew she was looking at his tattoo. When he'd watched the family from the shadows he hadn't missed the mannerisms of the children. They were tired and frightened and looked as though they had seen things that should not be seen.
"You will have to shoulder that pack yourself my strong, young friend. I think I've found something more enjoyable to carry." Zevran squatted down until he was eye level with Rowena.
"Would you like me to carry you little princess?" Rowena stared with open curiosity and wonder in the way all very young children had. He turned his head slightly to show her his pointed ear and his tattoo. "I will carry you and you can look all you want at my roguish good looks." He grinned up at Sorena before returning his attention to her daughter. "Did you know I can see in the dark?" Rowena giggled a little.
"Come princess, we can race those hulk of metal over there and make them dance for us when we win!" His eyes twinkled as she put her little hands over her mouth and nodded excitedly.
Sorena's heart warmed to the elf, it had been so long since she'd seen Rowena smile. The girl used to be so happy and friendly to everyone she met but then their lives had been turned upside down and there had been nothing but running and hiding. Their lives were more difficult now that it up to her to provide for them. Sorena knew her children missed their father and, while Rolan grieved, Rowena did not understand that her father was dead. Zevran stood and looked questioningly up at her.
Sorena gave him a smile. "If you want, but I'll warn you now that she'll talk your ears off."
Zevran chuckled. "Then I shall have to keep a careful watch on them!" He reached out to the little girl who stepped forward so that he might lift her up.
Alistair grumbled. "How does he do that? Doesn't seem to matter the woman, he charms them all."
"Alistair, jealousy is so unbecoming. Perhaps, if you ask me nicely, I'll demonstrate to you my methods." Zevran walked past the younger man grinning broadly at his blushing discomfort.
Sorena was surveying the campsite for anything that might be forgotten. With the additional hands it had made the work faster but also made her lose track of where everything went. Her baby fussed at her breast, starting to get hungry now. Alistair and Simon had shouldered most of the gear and she was surprised at how easy they made it seem. She didn't have much and had grown accustomed to carrying it herself but she couldn't say it wasn't nice to just have to carry the baby for once. The elf had Rowena in his arms and was listening intently to her chatter. Sorena smiled as Zevran answered her playfully and proceeded to make her daughter laugh.
"Come here Rolan." Sorena called the boy to her side. She looked into his sullen face, his eyes were tired and she could tell he was bothered by the evening's events.
"Are you okay?" She asked him in a low voice, stroking his hair back from his eyes. He looked up at her and nodded. "Tired?" She asked.
"I'll be okay mommy. I," he paused and looked at the strangers, "I just don't like them."
"I know sweetheart." She gave him a hug. "But sometimes we have to do what's necessary, even when we don't like it. We'll be safer traveling in a group than alone."
"What if they try to give us to the Templars?" Rolan asked, his young face distorting in anger as he looked pointedly at Alistair.
Sorena took her son's face in her warm hands and placed a kiss on his forehead. "I won't let that happen." She saw him getting ready to say something else but she cut him off. "Now, help your mother by putting this fire out."
She positioned the boy in front of her and began instructing him on how to use just a little magic. She had him focus on the coals and then start concentrating on snow. "Now when you have the image strong in your mind, send in out to the fire in a quick burst."
Alistair and Simon turned to watch them. The magic was palatable to them both but it was ebbing and flowing around the pair next to the fire. They watched as Sorena leaned down next to her son's ear and whispered before a burst of icy cold erupted over the fire, quenching it.
"Excellent! You're getting so much better. It didn't even snow this time." Sorena hugged her son tightly. Both of the men could clearly see the boy beam up at his mother.
Simon fought a moment of emotional turmoil. Too many memories wanting to assail him, he pushed them back focusing on the task at hand. Alistair watched and there was a part of him that was very aware that he'd never received that kind of love and support from anyone in his life. His recent upset at bringing this family of apostates with them started to evaporate.
What kind of life would that boy have in the Tower? Locked away from everything he loves. Away from his mother, he'd never be happy. Alistair couldn't help but think about his own childhood, of how much he missed not being part of a family. The events in the Circle Tower and the abominations crossed his mind. Is it any wonder so many were desperate for a way out? Alistair watched as the boy slipped his hand into his mother's and knew the child would never recover if anything happened to her.
By the time they reached camp Rowena had fallen asleep on Zevran's shoulder and Sorena and Rolan were lagging far behind. Her baby was fussing, wanting to be fed and the boy was growing increasingly tired. Simon and Alistair reached the camp first and started to set up the tent for their newest companions. When Zevran strode into camp with a sleeping girl their companions began to circle around them wanting to know what was happening.
Meseis, Simon's warhound, was sniffing the feet and dangling hands of the small bundle on Zevran's shoulder, wagging his tail excitedly. The elf was trying to push the monstrous animal to one side with his leg while he bent to put the girl to bed.
"She's not for you, you troublesome lout. Let her sleep." Zevran said to the dog while scratching Meseis's ears.
"Who's the girl?" Leliana asked Simon. Her pretty face was full of open curiosity sensing a story waiting to be told.
"Picking up stray refugees now, are we?" Morrigan said in a disapproving tone. "As if we don't have enough trouble with our current band of misfits."
"I'd think you approve of these refugees Morrigan." Alistair said dryly. "They're apostates like yourself."
Morrigan straightened up and looked decidedly more interested. "Really? Wild apostates and you're not eager to hustle them off to your beloved Chantry? There might be hope for you yet, however slim that hope is."
"What do you mean apostates?" Wynne interjected. She gave Alistair the same look a teacher gives a student when they expect an answer.
"The mother, the son, and that little girl. We found them camping not far from here." Alistair decided to let Simon tell what had happened.
Morrigan raised an eyebrow, Wynne looked as though she wanted answers, and Leliana's eyes sparkled with the news. Zevran had taken a seat and was now lounging by the fire, Meseis at his side.
"Come on Alistair, let's go see what is keeping Sorena and her son." Simon nodded in the direction they can come from.
"Try to remember that Wynne is a Circle mage and that maybe Sorena isn't prepared to talk to her right now." Simon said to Alistair sternly.
"Uh, yeah. Sorry about that Simon. Wynne just has this look and I can't help it." Alistair watched his feet.
Simon could see the outline of Sorena and Rolan up ahead. He could see she was gently urging the boy on. The memory of taking Oren out on a day trip came to mind. He'd been so tired after a day of hunting and walking that Simon had to carry him the rest of the way to Highever. Simon hurried his pace trying to dissipate the memory.
"I'm sorry, he's just tired." Sorena looked to Simon hoping for understanding.
"It's okay." Simon picked up the boy and settled him on his shoulder. Feeling Rolan begin to go limp in his arms brought back the heart wrenching memory of Oren, his brother's son, and a life that was no longer there.
The trio walked into camp under the neutral but scowling eyes of Sten. "Change out of your armor." Simon said to Alistair as he and Sorena went to put Rolan to bed.
"Thank you Warden, you've been very kind considering I tried to kill you." Sorena felt a pang of guilt and embarrassment.
"I'd have done the same thing in your shoes. It's hard to know who to trust, especially when it comes to your family." Sorena was looking at him strangely and Simon suspected that some of his hurt showed on his face.
She gave Simon a genuine smile. "Hopefully we can learn to trust each other in the meantime." Sorena looked over to where a strange group was gathered. She paid extra attention to the two women with staves, sending out an inquisitive probe. Her face grew grim. Both the mages by the fire were much stronger than she was and she felt a momentary worry.
Simon walked her over to the circle before introducing her. "Sorena, these are my fellow companions. Leliana, a lay sister for the Chantry and former Orlesian bard, Morrigan, an apostate from the Kocari Wilds, you've met Zevran, formerly of the Antivan Crows, the formidably silent giant over there is Sten, and this is Wynne, Senior Enchanter of the Tower Circle." Simon watched Sorena's reactions carefully. He could see she wasn't pleased. Many of his companions represented the vary people she was fleeing from. "That horrible snoring you hear is from our drunken dwarf friend, Oghren." Simon pointed to a prone figure on the ground a distance away.
Simon sat on one of the logs and indicated that she was welcome to join them. Sorena looked over the group before deciding. Alistair had taken off his armor, to her relief. It was much easier to see him as the young man he was and not the threat he could be. He was stuffing his face with a meat and cheese sandwich. The red haired woman was looking at her expectantly; she supposed to tell her story. The raven-haired witch with the yellow eyes regarded her coolly, her expression disdainful. Sorena's eyes hardened as she returned Morrigan's gaze. The older mage's face was pinched and disapproving, she supposed because she felt that all magic should come under the Circle's control. Sorena had already felt them probing her in return, checking her skills. Apparently, she had come up lacking.
Sorena gave a polite smile. "Nice to meet you." She sat in the only place with enough room for her, a small distance from Zevran and across from Alistair. Her baby was squirming and hungry and she unwrapped her in quick efficient motions before wriggling loose from her blouse. Alistair stopped in mid bite to stare in fascination as Sorena positioned her daughter on her breast. He could feel the blush starting at his neck and quickly engulfing his face.
"What, my friend, you have never seen a woman give nourishment to her child?" Zevran prodded, his grin lopsided and amused.
"Wouldn't she, uh, feel more, erm, comfortable doing that in her tent?" Alistair tried to pry his eyes away but was losing the battle. He'd never seen a bare breast before. Morrigan's were almost bare and he'd had a hard time staring when she'd first joined the party and now this woman was just baring hers like it was the most natural thing in the world.
"Wonderful, now we will be further delayed by the disgusting needs of this," Morrigan waved a hand toward Sorena's baby, "creature."
Sorena gave Morrigan a baleful glare before Simon spoke up. "Go back to your own campfire if you can't be polite. Sorena and her family are our guests."
"T'is only the truth. Best we be rid of them at the next village." Morrigan spoke calmly, crossing her arms across her chest.
"The witch is right. These saarebas bring us no closer to our goal." Sten said sourly.
"Do the qunari often leave innocents to die?" Simon retorted.
Sten grunted before turning away, Simon suspected that he disapproved but didn't care. He would do what he could to help this family.
"How did you come to be in the wilderness alone?" Lelliana asked in her lilting Orlesian accent.
"How indeed." Wynne added.
Sorena seemed to gather herself up before speaking. "We're from the village of Warren, in the Frostbacks. My husband made his living as a woodcutter, before the corrupted ones came."
The group around the fire exchanged looks. Simon asked. "Where in the Frostbacks?"
"Above Gherlen's Pass, near Largo Lake." Sorena replied.
Simon considered what Sorena had said. That was near Orzammar if he remembered his geography correctly. They had recently left Orzammar and had, thankfully, not encountered any darkspawn in its immediate area. It did not surprise Simon that another village had fallen, the darkspawn were boldly beginning to ravage the land everywhere. He and Alistair were running out of time.
"Go on." Simon encouraged.
"We lived away from the village, where the trees were best and we could keep the children out of sight. One night we saw a red haze on the skyline in the direction of the village. It was looking like rain and we could see the glow on the bottoms of the clouds." Sorena adjusted her dozing infant. "We both knew something wasn't right. Vigil didn't want to leave me with the children; I was heavy with this one here at the time. We resolved to check the village in the morning together when it was light again. We had just shuttered the windows and bolted the door when we heard them outside."
Sorena shuddered at the memory. "They were in the barn with the oxen and the poor things were bellowing but we didn't dare leave the house. When we heard them trying to force the door, Vigil took up his ax and told me to wake the kids in case we needed to make a run for it. When the door gave, Vigil cleaved the monster's head in half. It was the most hideous thing I've ever seen. More green, twisted creatures that looked almost human tried to come in the door but my husband kept cutting them down.
"There were so many! They had somehow started the house on fire and we had to go outside or risk being burned to death. I didn't want to use my magic for fear I'd hit my husband by mistake but I could tell he was starting to get tired." Sorena swallowed and closed her eyes, her face strained.
"We left the house and stood on the porch, the children were so scared, I was too when I saw that there were more in the yard."
"How did you escape?" Leliana asked, her eyes bright and intense.
"I told Vigil to take the kids and stand back. The creatures had seen us and were starting to gather all together. I'm not particularly powerful as a mage." Morrigan gave a derisive snort at this bit of information. "Except when I'm pregnant. I can do things then that I can't otherwise." Wynne sat up and started paying closer attention.
"What do you mean, more powerful?" Wynne inquired.
"I don't know. There is just….more magic available to me. I don't seem to run out and when I cast something it's more effective." Sorena shrugged. "Mother Boliana said it was because the babes were mages too. She said it was a circle and we were feeding off each other."
"Is that possible Wynne?" Simon asked the elder mage.
Wynne appeared a bit astonished while appearing curious at the same time. "I'm not sure. It's frowned upon for mages to have children so there are not many documented cases. It is possible I suppose. She did live near Orzammar and there are large concentrations of lyrium in the Frostbacks. Perhaps there was a lyrium vein beneath their village. Is that who taught you to control your powers?"
Sorena nodded. "Yes, she was the healer and midwife for our village. She took me as an apprentice when I was young and started showing me how to control and hide my magic. Our Chantry was small, it only had a few sisters but she said we always had to take care because most folks are afraid of mages. She taught me how to use herbs to hide what we did."
Morrigan scowled. "Those fools of the Chantry would control or destroy all mages whether they were an asset to their communities or not."
Wynne gave the wild witch a dour look. "How did you kill the darkspawn?"
"I called lightening down from the sky and gave it to the creatures." She looked nervous before continuing. "It was a desperate thing to do. I have a hard time focusing all that raw energy and I was so afraid I'd hurt my family with it."
Morrigan looked surprised. "You can summon a lightening storm?"
Sorena looked perplexed. "I can usually only grab bolts when it thunders out. I can't make lightening out of thin air and I've never tried for a storm. Lightening isn't easy to handle and I don't like playing with it. When I called the lightening down on the darkspawn," she tried the word out, "it was a storm and almost more than I could handle."
Morrigan's eyes slid over to the tent. "Did your son help you?"
Sorena glanced between the two mages. Of course they could probably sense Rolan, Rowena too if she thought about it. She knew both her children had more magic than she did. Still, she was looking for clues on how to answer the two mages.
"No. He knows he's not supposed to use his magic without supervision. Of course, he was scared pretty bad and I don't think he even thought about it at the time. The lightening was enough to kill the rest though. We waited until morning before packing up what we'd thought we'd need and leaving. We both knew the village was gone and it was only a matter of time before they'd come for us again. We were headed to Jader but needed to stop for supplies before continuing." Sorena's face darkened.
"There is a city on the way, Stone Rose, that was full of refugees like us. They weren't very friendly to having more and let us know it. You have to understand that with a family like ours we took a big risk going into a place so populated. Neither of us had ever been there before and we didn't know that the Chantry there has a few Templars guarding it.
"The merchant Vigil was haggling with became abrasive when Vigil told him he was trying to cheat us. They were arguing when one of the city guards came to see what was happening." Sorena's voice grew sad and Simon noticed that she was working to hold back the tears.
"The guard punched Vigil in the back and told him that he was lucky they didn't throw refugees out into the woods for the monsters to eat. That he was tired of his city being filled with a bunch of vermin like us. Vigil was patient and kind but he was also a man. He took the guards abuse so that he wouldn't call attention to us but I could see how it pained him to do so." Simon watched a tear slid down her face. She wiped it away hastily and continued with her story.
"We were waiting not far away and I wasn't watching Rolan as close as I should have been. I wanted to go to my husband but I was afraid of making it worse. Rolan was watching his father and he was so angry. When the guard started walking away from Vigil, Rolan set him on fire." Wynne started in astonishment while Morrigan only smirked.
"Someone must have seen him do it because, as we were on the road outside the city we saw two Templars coming." Sorena's eyes went angrily to Alistair who squirmed as he listened.
"They demanded that we give them Rolan and Rowena too when they got a look at her. We refused so they tried to take them by force." Sorena's eyes lowered to the sleeping baby before looking to her tent.
"We killed them. Vigil and I," she took a long breath, "and Rolan." Simon inhaled sharply. It was terrible thing for a young child to have to do. "He was in a panic. He thought they were going to kill us and take he and his sister away. He told me later that he didn't know how he did what he did it just came out."
"What did he do Sorena?" Wynne's face was a mask and Simon watched her closely.
"He crushed one of the Templars to death. I was trying to help Vigil, one of the Templars had run him through with his sword and I was trying to heal him while the other was going to grab the children. Rolan was very afraid and he was trying to keep his sister out of harms way. He said he just wanted the Templar to die….and he did. I killed the other one."
Simon watched as Wynne flinched slightly. He also didn't miss how Morrigan looked impressed.
"Didn't they want to take you too? Surely they had to know you were a mage." Alistair wondered aloud.
Simon spoke up. "Were you still pregnant?" Sorena nodded a yes. "It wouldn't reflect well on the Chantry to kill a pregnant woman unless they could prove outright she was an apostate."
"I think they knew. I think they just wanted a reason to force us into a confrontation. It wouldn't have mattered anyway. We wouldn't have parted willingly with our children in any instance. Afterwards I was trying to set Vigil right but the wound was so bad. I knew it was beyond my abilities to heal." Sorena tried to hold back the flood of emotion she felt at the memory of holding her husband close for the last time.
"He was dying and he told me to take the children and go before anyone else came." She did not share how the decision to do as he asked was like a stab wound to the heart. Or how she'd kissed him for the final time before taking the pack and disappearing into the surrounding woodland.
"I'm so sorry Sorena for your loss." Leliana condolence was heartfelt. The bard easily picked up on the parts that Sorena did not wish to share and knew she had loved her husband dearly.
"Such terrible times we live in." Zevran shook his head before going to his tent.
Sorena only nodded. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I think I'll turn in." She stood and left the circle while the others watched her disappear into her tent.
Wynne turned her attention to Simon. "It's a dangerous thing, a child who can harness such powers. He needs the proper guidance to learn to use his abilities."
"Indeed. And I suppose that guidance can only be found in your beloved tower." Morrigan sneered.
Wynne ignored her. "I want to evaluate those children in the morning. The mother too."
Simon's expression was cool. "That will be up to her." With that, he stood and went to his own tent.
Sorena was cooking a thinned down porridge when Wynne approached her. The elder mage's face was determined as she spoke. "I would like to talk to you further about your magic and that of your children." Wynne stood over the other woman as she spoke.
Sorena had the feeling that the older woman was trying to cow her as she stood to look at Wynne at eye level. "What is there to talk about? You already have a good gauge of the strength of my magic and that of my children." Sorena crossed her arms. If this Circle mage thinks she is going to indoctrinate me, she has another thing coming.
"Sensing another mage's potential for using magic isn't the same as seeing how they can wield it. I would like your permission to test your children's abilities." Wynne's eyes drifted to where the children were tentatively playing with Meseis.
"Why? So you can report back to your tower and tell them about us?" Sorena's eyes narrowed in suspicion.
"An untrained mage child is a danger. Not only to themselves but also to everyone around them. I do not wish to sound cruel Sorena, but what will you do when your son's abilities surpass your ability to teach him? He needs to be mentored by experienced mages, ones who will help him to use his magic wisely."
Sorena watched her children for a moment. It was true, Rolan would be beyond her understanding soon and Rowena was showing the same potential. Still, she did not trust the older mage.
"Because the Circle is beyond corrupting and twisting the minds of young apprentices, isn't it Wynne." Morrigan appeared behind Wynne. "We wouldn't want to consider that, perhaps, there are others…better qualified to teach a powerful young mage."
Wynne scowled at the scantily clad witch. "I supposed you mean yourself."
Morrigan smiled wryly. "T'is true, I am qualified but I'm afraid I have to use for children." She held up a hand at Sorena's own scowl. "Still, I find myself curious to see a demonstration of what the boy can do. His magic is like a geyser, drawing from an unlimited power source that erupts outward. The girl child is more like a mountain stream, her power draws from the water trapped in the ice that trickles downward."
Sorena was uncertain of letting these mages have access to her brood until Simon came over to join the group.
"You don't have to do anything you don't want to do. No one will force you." He looked pointedly at Wynne. "But, as long as you are here I see no reason for you not to take advantage of what they can offer."
Sorena nodded, trusting that he would keep his word. "After they have eaten you may test them." Sorena called her children to the fire while the others drifted away.
After Sorena had cleaned up she stood a small distance away as Rolan and Rowena sat with Wynne, her eyes closed, as her hands hovered over their heads. Sorena watched as Wynne asked each of them to try to summon a small flame. Rolan's burned large and fierce, attracting Morrigan's attention, while Rowena's was small and flickered unsteadily. Wynne had them go through a series of exercises, asking them to freeze a cup of water that sat next to her before moving on to her next request. Sorena watched with interest and worry. She smiled reassuringly whenever her children would look over to where she stood.
When Wynne had finished with Rolan Morrigan collected the boy and went a small distance away from everyone else. Sorena frowned as she watched Morrigan stand behind the boy and gesture to a stump twenty feet in front of them. Rolan looked over his shoulder, seeking his mother's permission. Sorena felt torn, Wynne was still with her daughter asking her questions and touching her hands periodically. Sorena decided that she was probably okay left alone with the older mage for a few minutes while she found out what the witch was up to with her son.
Morrigan's tone was brusque as she told Rolan. "Light that stump on fire. Hold nothing back."
Sorena glared at the other woman. She had purposefully been very careful teaching Rolan about fire. It was dangerous and could easily get out of control and she wasn't sure he could keep control of a large amount of it.
"I'm afraid to try. Mommy says that I should always be careful with fire. She says she'll teach me more when I'm older." Rolan looked at Morrigan, clearly uncertain if he should do as she said.
"Fear is a weakness even a child cannot afford. Your mother is here and I'm sure she would agree." Morrigan replied smoothly.
Rolan looked at his mother, his grey eyes filled with uncertainty. "Go ahead and try baby, I'll be right here if you need me." Sorena tried to keep her voice steady and sure even as she didn't feel either inside.
Morrigan crossed her arms and waited. "Just remember what you've practiced and keep your focus on the stump." Sorena reached out and touched his shoulder lightly.
Rolan concentrated on the stump, his face becoming focused until he stretched out his hands and a large fireball erupted from them. It was bigger than Sorena had thought him capable of conjuring and hit the stump with an explosive force. The fireball exploded and started to send a wave of fire outward, directly to where they all stood. Sorena's eyes widened as she quickly slammed a force field around herself and Rolan, protecting them from the worst of the blast. A moment later the entire area was under a carpet of frost as Morrigan called a small blizzard into existence to extinguish the blaze.
Sorena watched in horror as Simon, Alistair and the giant man whose name she'd forgotten came running over. Wynne followed quickly after, having left Rowena on the log by the fire. Neither she nor Rolan could move until the spell wore off and she could hear them talking adamantly with Morrigan.
"T'was unexpected. I did not think the boy that powerful." Morrigan glanced over to where they stood immobile, her gaze appraising. Sorena thought she saw some thought flicker across Morrigan's face but could not say what it was.
Wynne turned on Simon. "This," She pointed to the frozen stump, "only reinforces why these children should go to the Tower."
Morrigan snorted and Simon looked annoyed. "I will not force Sorena to decide." He spun on his heel and left. Alistair shook his head slowly, a sad look on his face as he followed. The big man, Sten, mumbled something about cages and went back to his place.
Rolan and Rowena were dozing in the back of the ox cart, driven my Master Bodahn and his son while Wynne slowly dropped her pace until she was walking next to Sorena. It had been a long morning and they had left late due to the tests the two mages had performed. Sorena had called a halt to it when Morrigan suggested taking Rolan away from the main encampment to see what else he could do. She could see he was shaken by what had happened and did not wish to stress him further. Morrigan had finally relented and had him go through smaller exercises close to the camp.
"Your children are very powerful Sorena. I have mentored many children before, few so strong as they are. Was there father a mage as well?" Wynne thought that, perhaps, Sorena had lied about her husband's occupation.
Sorena smiled softly. "No, he was just a woodcutter. A fine man."
"They would benefit greatly by spending a few years within the sanctum of the Circle. They would both realize their full potential in a safe environment. Ferelden could benefit from their talents once they have grown into adults." Wynne said casually.
Sorena scowled openly. "You must really take me for an ignorant fool if you think stories of your tower don't reach the ears of us woodland bumpkins." Sorena stopped and turned on the Senior Enchanter. "Do you really think I don't know that once a child goes in they rarely come out?" She dropped her voice. "Mother Boliana spoke of a mage she knew once who had escaped the employment of a noble house to hide in her childhood village. The mage told her that less than half of young mages survived a test your kind had devised for them. The mage spoke to her about how the Templars were allowed to kill any child suspected of practicing forbidden magic. Mother Boliana told me the Circle is a prison that is thinly disguised as a school!"
Sorena's face was contorted in anger. "I will not send my children to a place where they must fear for their lives every day for simply being born. I won't abandon them to a place that will make them feel unloved and reviled."
Wynne appeared unfazed. "You endanger them by not putting them within the confines of the Circle. The Templars are not your only worry; possession and abomination are real threats to mages of any age. Can you honestly say you can protect them from both dangers?"
"Because all mages outside the Circle have a higher likelihood of becoming possessed than those within? What of myself, Mother Boliana, her?" Sorena said sarcastically nodding to Morrigan.
"There is always a danger. A mage must be ever vigilant against the temptations of the Fade." Wynne's brow furrowed her expression uncertain for just a moment. "Not all mages can master the ability to keep the demons at bay."
"My answer is no." Sorena hurried to catch up with the wagon and put it between her and Wynne.
Wynne was not happy as she caught up to Simon and Alistair. "That woman is as stubborn as a Marabi! She refuses to see sense and allow me to take her children to the Circle for proper training."
Simon and Alistair exchanged meaningful looks. Both had been on the receiving end of Wynne's lectures before.
"Can you blame her Wynne? Wouldn't you have wanted to keep your son if you were able?" Alistair asked. Simon glanced out of the corner of his eye at her.
Wynne paused unsure of what to say. "What life could I have offered him? We don't have families within the Circle. Not traditional ones. My life has been best spent serving the Circle as a teacher and mentor to other mages."
"That is fine if that is what you wish for your life but should she decide for her children before they are old enough to decide what they want from life?" Simon asked.
"Sometimes we have to make difficult decisions for the greater good. Those children belong in the Circle. Maker knows we could use them!" Wynne sighed. "Surely you can see that."
"I see." Said Simon neutrally. "And I suppose you want me to forcibly take those children away from her. Should I kill her if she resists?" Simon looked down at Wynne coldly. "For the greater good."
Wynne went white and looked horrified. "Of course not! I didn't mean…" She trailed off.
Alistair glanced nervously between them. Wynne looked embarrassed and Simon looked furious. "I gave her my word Wynne! Should I simply go back on it because your," he spat the next words, "tower need them?" Simon's eyes darkened. "Perhaps old age is catching up to you. Your memory is beginning to fail?" He eyed her closely. "Your Tower is no more Wynne. It's broken! Have you forgotten all the blood mages and abominations we fought to make it safe for the few remaining mages left? Do you think the Templars will simply forget what they've seen?"
"No, no, of course I haven't forgotten." Alistair had rarely seen her shaken before. The Circle Tower was a touchy subject for her. He knew a part of her did not want to admit that the Tower might be broken beyond repair.
"Do you forget that young mage who begged for her life because she'd turned to blood magic out of desperation?" Simon's nostrils flared and his eyes narrowed. "What of Connor, look at what happened because he was desperate to help his father. Why were they so desperate huh Wynne? The Chantry's dictates on magic and mages causes the very evil they are so afraid of!
"You heard Sorena's story. What do you think that boy would do if you took him away from his mother? Just forget her? And the little girl, I'm not so ignorant as to think the Circle allows siblings to stay together. Are you really so cold as to not know how being torn apart would affect them?"
Wynne took a small step back when Simon stopped and turned to her fully. "Will you sentence Sorena and her baby to death?" He took a step until he was looming over her. "We both know the Templars will hunt her down and kill her if they know about her, and they will from her children." Simon pinned Wynne with an intense stare. "Those children are her only hope…and she's their salvation. The matter is closed, I will not help you give them to the Circle." Simon strode away, clearly angry. It was no one's business that he also had other reasons for wanting to help the family. He'd been unable to save his. Maybe he could find a small sliver of peace by helping Sorena.
Simon approached Sorena after they had camped for the night. Leliana had taken the older children and was entertaining them with fantastic stories. Sorena was putting the finishing touches on her campsite, her baby in the basket sleeping, when Simon sat near where she worked. "I need to talk to you about something." Simon waited until she'd finished folding a blanket and sat down before continuing.
"We're going to have to pass the Circle on our way to Redcliffe. There is a village near it with a ferry there. It will be a lot quicker going across the lake than all the way around it." Simon watched her face closely.
"I see. There is no other way around that we could take? I mean, you could just point us in the right direction and we could meet you there."
"With the way things are right now I wouldn't recommend it. It's not safe, you'd be forced to use your magic and that would bring trouble I know you don't want." He paused. "I said I would protect you and I haven't changed my mind. I'm running out of time to reach Redcliffe. There is more going on now than I can tell you, for that I am sorry. We will have to take the ferry and you will have to come with us. If we are careful and don't bring any attention to ourselves we should be able to make the crossing without issue."
Simon poked the fire with a stick thoughtfully. "There is a group called the Mage's Collective. From what I can tell, they are mostly runaway mages and apostates." He met her questioning gaze. "I have contacts with them. I'm going to ask them to take you and the kids and hide you. I don't know what else I can do."
"Are they blood mages too?" Sorena asked him outright. "I would prefer to not be mixed up with the likes of them if I can help it."
"I don't know Sorena. It seems likely that a few are associated with them. I just don't know what other option you have. Even if we weren't in a Blight, it would be difficult for you to hide your family by yourself." Simon looked over to where her children sat laughing with Leliana. "Your children will need others to teach them. I'm afraid there aren't a lot of options."
Wynne and Morrigan had both come to him and told him of Rolan and Rowena's potential. It seemed the boy had the makings of a battle mage and the girl those of a spirit healer. It wasn't hard for Simon to see how useful the pair of them could be in the future, if they survived. They sat in silence for a few minutes.
Sorena wasn't pleased but she understood his position. "No, there aren't a lot of options. If this gives us a chance to live free then we'll have to take it. Thank you."
A week later Sorena and her children found themselves standing on the gently rocking deck of the Lake Calenhad ferry. Rowena and Rolan stood at her sides while they slowly passed the large, impressive tower of the Circle of Magi. Sorena had been nervous as they approached the ferryman, sure that a contingent of Templars would suddenly appear and drag they away. The ferryman had greeted Simon warmly and exchanged pleasantries while money exchanged hands. He'd raised an eyebrow slightly when Simon's mismatched group of companions boarded with her, looking strangely at the infant wrapped to her chest.
She still was nervous as she watched the immense structure drift by. She hugged Rowena a little closer to her and held Rolan's shoulder, squeezing gently from time to time. Maybe it will be all right after all and we will find safety.
Rolan looked up at her and asked. "Are we going to be okay mommy?"
Sorena smiled, smoothing a hand over his hair. "I think so son. I think so." It was the only comfort she could offer when she, herself, wasn't sure of what lay in store for them.
As soon as the ferry docked, Simon led her to a fellow dressed in grey with an ugly cap on. The others, save the mabari, had left in the direction of the town proper.
Sorena looked around at the rough wooden buildings, all on stilts near the shoreline with fish carved into the support poles while Simon spoke with the man in an ugly cap. She tried to listen as she shushed her children's questions about the fish poles.
"All three of them…" She caught a snippet from the man as he glanced in their direction. There was more talking and nodding before Simon approached her.
"Moarlin has agreed to take you to a Mage's Collective safe house. From there a mage will come to help you." Simon pressed a pouch of coin in her hand. "Take this, it isn't much but should be enough to live off for a small while." He paused for a moment as if considering something. "If for some reason you need my help, send a message to Arl Eamon and he will be able to reach me."
Sorena looked at the pouch in her hand. "Thank you Warden, for everything. May the Maker watch over you and yours in the days to come." Sorena watched as Simon left the docks, grateful for all his help and hopeful for the future.
"Come Madame Mage, there is a house not far from here that is well out of the way of the local Chantry. I believe it has some basic supplies that should get you through tonight." Sorena listened to Moarlin unaware that Simon had stopped on the shore and was watching them.
Simon watched as Sorena stood listening to whatever the Mage's Collective representative was saying, her two young children standing silently behind her. He hoped that the decision to enlist the aid of the Collective was a wise thing and not a mistake. Everyone has the right to live. That is what I'm fighting for isn't it? He asked himself silently as he turned to go.
"Come on Meseis we have Eamon to talk with and a Blight to stop." Simon stroked the mabari on the head as they walked.
The End.