Prologue

Alim was headed to the library for a lesson when they brought her in. He'd gotten used to seeing the mages the Templars dragged in to join Kinloch Hold after a year of being here. The girl though caught his attention in a way he couldn't quite explain.

Usually the Templars brought one of two kinds of mages to the Circle.

The first was the scared children recently come into their magic, three or four. Besides himself the oldest "newborn mage" he'd seen was Anders. The boy was an exception though and was currently being carefully watched after his recent escape attempt.

The second group was the apostates or runaways. Adults who'd been avoiding or fleeing the Circle clutches and who arrived with bruising that ranged from a mild to severe depending on their offense and how much they fought back. Though those were only the ones who lived through the journey to the Tower.

This girl though was older, slim and tall, walking beside the Templar escorting her with a dead face that reminded Alim of the tranquil. It was an unnerving expression on someone who clearly wasn't one lacking the sunburst pattern on her forehead. She was older than usual as well, looking close to Alim's age, anywhere between a tall thirteen to a baby faced fifteen.

She couldn't be a runaway though. Her skin was unblemished and she was walking without any flinches or hesitations, unchained and quiet beside her escort. Her clothes were a little off as well a sleeveless black gown that hung loosely on her frame stopping a little passed her knees and a pair of worn boots that looked to big for her and had clearly been scrounged up on the way to the Tower. He couldn't recognize the soft material, which had to be high quality, but was strangely simple and even more perplexing her thick straw blonde hair had ends of soft pink.

The most unnerving thing about her wasn't her dead expression or odd clothing though, it was the way she felt almost familiar to Alim despite his bone deep knowledge they had never met. He just felt like he should know her. Like her face was one he had forgotten from a dream or a one time meeting.

Enchanter Leorah, who was in charge of escorting the apprentices to lessons today, began worrying at the edge of her sleeves. An anxious gesture Alim had picked up on early when he'd been shoved off to her upon his arrival. The unspoken assumption being he'd be more comfortable with one of the elves than a human. She made a quick gesture for them to wait, when the Templar spotted her and waved her over to him.

Alim watched silently as the other, mostly younger, apprentices began to whisper and stare at the girl curious. Leorah and the Templar started talking and Alim noted that the girl barely reacted even when Leorah turned to address her. She only looked at the woman blankly and followed when she waved her to the group of assembled apprentices. The Templar departed quickly now that he'd transferred his charge and Leorah addressed the group of apprentices, stopping near the front where Alim was watching.

"We have a new member of the Circle today. I expect all of you to treat her with the kindness and welcome that she deserves." Leorah informed them with a quick glance at the girl who was staring straight ahead not focusing on the speech or the group in front of her. Leorah frowned, but continued.

"I was hoping one of you wouldn't mind showing her around and helping her acclimate."

She looked over them expectantly and gazes went down as no one volunteered and they closed themselves off. No one wanted to associate with the strange silent girl. Alim though was focused on examining her, trying to figure out where he'd seen her, when without warning he was looking into a pair of amber-brown eyes.

All at once the girl's face came to life a flicker of recognition that was quickly replaced by a look of intensity that was a sharp contrast as she stared straight at Alim. Her posture focused on him. Her body turning to him in the same manner of a hunting hound who'd caught a scent.

He froze, confused and feeling a chill of unease at those strange eyes. It wasn't just him feeling the almost recognition. The strange girl knew him. How he didn't know, but her face and intense examination of him told him beyond any shadow of a doubt. This strange impossible though it was knew him.

The interest did not escape Leorah's attention, though she didn't seem to feel the same unease about it as Alim. Instead she almost smiled, focusing on him and stepping towards him her body forcing them to break eye contact. It was a relief and he looked up at the hopeful face of the enchanter already knowing and dreading what she would say.

"Alim, you're the oldest and you have the most experience joining the Circle late in life. Would you mind terribly taking our new sister under your wing?"

Alim forced his shoulders not to slump recognizing the tone in her voice. The older mages often worded requests as questions, but he'd learned to differentiate between what he could truly say no to and what were orders disguised with courtesy. That was an order. He nodded, trying to shake off the unease.

Leorah shifted as she turned back to the girl and Alim caught her expression. The intensity had faded, but instead she'd adopted a thoughtful expression staring off once more. It took Leorah touching her shoulder to draw her out of her thoughts. Instead of speaking Leorah pointed from the girl to Alim and gave her a little nudge. The girl's eyes flickered back to him expression keeping its thoughtful nature as she joined them, straddling up beside him and looking down at him from an at least five inch height difference.

"I'm Alim Surana," he told her forcing himself to keep his unease under wraps. "What's your name?"

She didn't answer instead watching him her expression oddly peaceful. Thoroughly confused now, he turned to Leorah who was leading them into the library doors and splitting up the apprentices by their skill level. She hadn't said the girl's name the entire time and she hadn't seemed to expect the girl to answer her.

Alim looked back at his new responsibility to find she hadn't taken her eyes off him. His heart sank as he realized it could only mean one of two things.

"Do you speak Trade or are you mute?"

No answer. Alim sighed, even Anders, who didn't speak at all until after his escape attempt with answer with a nod or shake of the head. More than likely he had been assigned the one person in all of Thedas who didn't speak even the minimum of Trade. Even his Clan had spoken it, more even than their own language.

If he was going to be stuck with her he might as well start teaching her to communicate. He made eye contact to catch her attention, though it hadn't strayed.

"Alim," he told her, hand resting on his chest and then pointed to her.

When she didn't answer he repeated it and the gesture at himself before pointing the hand at her.

The reaction he received was not what he expected. She giggled. Then she pointed at him and said clearly "Tarzan," and at herself saying "Jane". The odd words, though they sounded almost like names, were followed by another giggle. Her laughter had an edge to it that bordered on hysterical though despite her apparent amusement and it made him shift uncomfortably until she quieted, focusing back on him.

He shook his head and repeated the gesture this time saying his name a little more firmly.

She nodded then, so apparently those movements were at least universal, and pointed to him.

"Alim," she answered this time to his relief. Her accent was a little odd, a bit like the dwarves he'd seen, but there was a slight slur to it like she was relearning how to use her mouth.

Alim nodded and then pointed at her when she didn't continue. Her expression turned guarded and he wondered if perhaps he'd done something offensive, before she relaxed again.

"Alim," she began voice slightly steadier already, pointing at him and then settled her hand on her own chest.

"Laisa."

Well, Alim turned away not sure how to take that. He wasn't quite sure if he'd been given a name or a description. And in Elvish at that. They settled into an uneasy quiet as they walked through the library towards his class. It was only interrupted when he paused to point out objects and say there name. Her quiet murmuring kept him company along the way as she carefully repeated each word.