Isra had no idea how much time had passed with her quietly sitting on her new bed, clutching Cullen's gift and staring into the empty bookshelf in front of her.
She had absolutely no idea what to do next. Leaving her without duties or responsibilities of any kind was the worst idea the First Enchanter could've had. She knew he meant well, but the absolutely last thing she needed at this very moment was the opportunity to sit idle. It left her with all the time in the world to think about the last few months, relive the loss of Silani, Karl's unexpected departure, Jowan's stupid behaviour that left her and her best friend in a world of trouble, and now, to top it all off, her budding, ill-advised infatuation with a Templar. Curse him for being so adorable!
She slowly rotated the small wrapped package in her hands, observing it with distrust. If it was a good gift and she'd like it, it would make forgetting him a whole deal harder. She prayed it was a really bad gift. She really needed to hate him right now.
It should've been natural. Mages are supposed to hate, or at least really dislike the Templars. According to the current general consensus in the Tower at least, Isra noted. And in her case, that should've been especially true after the last few days…
She stood up and started pacing up and down her narrow partition. She needed to find a way occupy herself. Study? No. Bad idea. She was unable to concentrate and she didn't want to risk burning down the whole Tower by accident. Reading was also out of the question. Sitting still, was an even worse idea. It gave her mind the opportunity to lead her down the path she didn't want to go or deal with at this very moment. She needed something engaging. Something with the ability to completely occupy her mind. Leave no room for morose or otherwise useless thoughts.
She shook her head to clear her head. What she'd really need right now is a nice long conversation with her best friend, the very same crazy elf who is now rotting away in the dungeons, just because of some hare brained inspiration to think that trying to break into the circle's repository, destroy a phylactery and attempt to escape in the middle of the day, without a backup plan or an alternative escape route was a good idea. He was supposed to be smarter than that!
Part of her was still angry at him for not telling her about Jowan's plans. Or include her in their failed escape attempt in the first place. As funny and mad as that sounded, she'd prefer to be involved with it, even if she ended up in a cell right beside her friend. She would at least be able to congratulate him on passing his Harrowing, if nothing else.
Then again, she'd be still an apprentice in that scenario and the rite of tranquillity the only guaranteed form of punishment. No shared cell in either case.
Isra blew out her breath in frustration and sat back down on her bed. She still had no idea what to do next.
She looked back at Cullen's gift, now innocently sitting on the table, taunting her.
Right. That's it. She stood up and marched up to it and snatched it off the table. The sooner she opens it up, the sooner she could get on with her day. And at least one dilemma would get resolved. She'd either hate him or she's…well, screwed.
She pulled up a chair to the table and flexed her fingers. Taking a deep breath to steady herself, she carefully picked it up and unwrapped it.
For a couple of moments she just stared at it in astonishment. It was a muffin. And not just any kind of muffin but the rare, delicious treat one could get only once a year during the Circle's celebration of Satinalia. It was also her favourite.
Isra cursed out loud. It was a good gift. A very good gift. How in the Maker's name did he get it?!
Umbralis was a couple of months past and she sincerely hoped this muffin wasn't a leftover from then. She picked it up carefully and gently squeezed it. No. It was fresh. She cursed again.
It smelled delicious. She slowly inhaled its aroma and it brought back vivid memories of the past celebration as if it were yesterday. Silani laughing, Mica goofing around with a painted face that supposedly resembled the blood writing of some elven God. Dirthamen, if she remembered correctly, but she was fairly certain the writing wasn't intended to be quite the bright, vivid pink colour he chose. And Jowan was there too. The last time they hanged out together, all four of them, before he got too preoccupied with Lilly and apparently, blood magic…
She took a small bite and closed her eyes in ecstasy. Unexpectedly, it was exactly what she needed. The bitter sweet memories it brought back transported her back to the time where she was happy, her friends were still all right and she was not so alone. To a time where she still felt safe.
She was surprised to discover tears starting to form in her eyes. For the first time since this whole thing started she let them fall freely, feeling waves of relief flow through her. All the pent up emotions bubbled through to the surface, breaking down the walls she'd so carefully maintained during the questioning, leaving her feeling cleansed and free from the burdens that threatened to overwhelm her. She was still alive. She was still here. And she was still in the fight.
She took a deep breath to steady herself, quickly wiping her face. Finishing up the muffin she stood up in search of water. First, she needed to clean off the grime of the past few days.
- o . O . o -
The bath achieved its purpose, leaving her feeling fresh and rejuvenated. There were definitely perks to being a Mage. A private washing closet, with its own bathtub was definitely one of them. No more rushing through the process of cleaning herself with a line of anxious and loud Apprentices waiting for their own turn. It was a miracle how any of them managed to maintain the basic hygiene while living in the dormitory. Having only three buckets for more than thirty adolescents was a recipe for disaster.
That was also another benefit of being a Mage, she pointed out in her mind. Less smelly quarters.
Isra smiled to herself, observing her reflection in the mirror. With her wet hair cascading down her back, free of her usual tight bun she looked wild. Untamed. What she wouldn't give to be able to walk around like that. Unapologetically feral.
Her new golden robes fit perfectly. Almost too perfectly. She noted with a critical eye. They were a tight fit, only accentuating her not so insubstantial bosom. Which creep decided that tight, form fitting robes for female mages in a Tower filled with mostly male Templars were a good idea?
She let out a frustrated sigh and stood up. She needed to find a long strip of cloth that would bind down her traitorous female parts. The absolutely last thing she wanted was to attract attention, and her budding curves started to seriously hinder that objective.
Just as she left her little partition on a hunt of any other new female roommates to help her that her endeavour, she noticed Enchanter Eleina coming down towards her with a small escort of tranquil mages.
"Isra!" The Enchanter cried out as soon as she noticed her, picking up her pace. "I was so relieved to hear you've passed your Harrowing." Isra's eyes popped in surprise as suddenly a pair of arms squeezed her hard in a suffocating and most definitely unexpected hug. "I've been harassing the First Enchanter about it ever since the Templars took you in their custody. I'm glad he managed to arrange it in time."
The hug lessened for a bit, allowing Isra to take a desperately needed gulp of air. "Let me have a look at you. Did they hurt you?"
Isra shook her head in answer, still a little dazed at the onslaught of words and affection.
"Good. Come. We have a lot to talk about."Eleina added under her breath and turned, leaving a perplexed looking Isra standing in the middle of the hallway. What was going on?
"But…" Isra managed to object, observing the small group of tranquils quietly move past into her partition. She noticed that some of them were carrying huge stacks of books. Her books.
"Oh, right…" Eleina stopped and looked back. "I almost forgot. This is all your stuff. I had it removed as soon as I heard about the Templars taking you in. I didn't want them snooping around your private possessions and coming to any potentially problematic conclusions…"
Isra swallowed the lump that suddenly manifested in her throat. She completely forgot about the books and Silani's letters. They were all connected with her private (and quite forbidden) investigation into the abuse at the hands of the Templars that ended in her friend voluntary undergoing the Rite of Tranquility in the first place. The investigation that led to a group of rogue Templars attacking Isra in a deserted hallway in the middle of the day in order to shut her up. The same attack that ended up in her infamy and left her saddled up with a constant presence of a couple of Templar guards.
If the Templars managed to get their hands upon it, it could spell serious trouble for her. Especially since the rogue Templar group that seemed to indulge in regular abuse of apprentices was still at large due to the Blight preventing Hadley to finish up with the official Templar investigation in the matter.
Not to mention the mere existence of a book about fighting techniques from Antiva among that pile; a gift from Enchanter Eleina that went completely against the Circle's rules. The Mages weren't allowed to learn hand-to-hand combat or any other fighting techniques, due to the mere fact that it would make the Templar's job of killing a lot harder.
However, that didn't stop Enchanter Eleina from trying to overturn those rules, which made her especially unpopular with the Templars. Add the fact that Eleina was a brazen and outspoken libertarian and Isra started to have serious second thoughts about the company she kept.
If her current trend was any indication, she was quite high on the Templars' black list. One of her friends was an escaped blood mage, the other one a criminal who helped him. Not to mention her dealings with Anders, the second most reviled Mage among the Templars, right after Eleina. By now, she probably managed to climb up to the number three on that list.
Regardless of her scruples, she was still glad for the help. Enchanter Eleina was a formidable ally, and a very welcome one, especially now, when all her other allies were indisposed and probably covered in a pile of Darkspawn by now.
"You coming or what?" Eleina's voice snapped her out of her musings.
"Right away. Just give me a moment." Isra added running back towards her partition. Her breasts will have to wait, but the least she could do was to arrange her flowing mane in something a lot less conspicuous. The rebellious, untamed look would have to wait for now.
She noticed the Tranquils had nearly finished up with setting her things into their appropriate places and she offered them a grateful smile and a quiet "thank you", even though it wasn't necessary. Most Mages readily ignored their presence, just as they did the Templars', but Isra never did. Especially not now, after one of her closest friends had joined their ranks.
Sending a quiet prayer to the Maker for Silani, she grabbed the necklace her friend left to her, which now held the addition of a magical ring, she'd received on her birthday from Mica. Adding a prayer for the hare brained pretty elf, she quickly pulled up her hair and followed Enchanter Eleina. If she was lucky, she'd end up with something to help her keep her mind of those useless thoughts.
- o . O . o -
"Did you know Jowan was involved with blood magic?" Eleina asked without preamble as soon as Isra closed the door to the Enchanter's small study.
"No." She replied curtly. It was a question she'd been asked a few times before in the last couple of days and was, quite frankly, sick of it. "And no, I had no idea that he planned to escape or that Mica was involved with all that nonsense in any way…"
"I'm sorry. You're probably quite sick of these type of questions by now." Eleina said with an apologetic smile. "It'll be the last time you'll have to answer them, I promise."
Isra sighed, slumping down on the nearest chair. "It's just… I'm tired of being presumed guilty, until proven innocent. And I have a distinct feeling that I'm not entirely there yet."
"Well. Being a Mage makes you guilty in the Chantry's eyes, so you're not that far off. However you're right, of course. The Harrowing was only a reprieve. Until they catch Jowan and have him confirm your story at least. Not that they'll believe him anyway."
"Any advice, then?"
"Plenty." Eleina answered with a slight smile. "But the best one I can give you at the moment is: stay low."
"That's also on the list of phrases I'm tired of hearing." Isra sighed, causing Eleina to let out a small chuckle.
"Oh, I'm sure. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't try to figure things out on the sly. From what Silani told me about you, you have a special set of abilities, which should come in handy."
"Special set of abilities? Sounds impressive."
"Indeed." Eleina added with a smile. "Look, I'll be short. You have allies. You probably don't think so at the moment, but you do. No matter our differences, we Mages tend to stick together, especially when the Templars gang upon the obviously innocent young apprentices and use them as a scapegoat for their own failings."
"That's quite a weighted statement."
"And in complete opposition with the Templars' official stance, I know." Eleina answered, producing a bottle from somewhere under the table. "Wine?"
"No, thank you."
"Suit yourself. Let's not get caught in pointing out the obvious…" Eleina added, pouring herself a generous dose. "That way we'll never get through to what's important in one day. Long story short: You've been quite inconspicuous and most Mages didn't really know of your existence until that idiotic attack. Lucky for us, the bad guys tend to lack the mental capacity to think of a smart way to remove someone they don't like." The Enchanter continued, emptying a half of her glass. "Or it could be just a Templar thing. They aren't really known for their academic achievements… in either case it worked in our favour. That reckless stunt they pulled, managed to get the Mages railed up a bit. You became a focal point for great many debates on whether we truly are safe under the Templar's watchful eyes and so on and so forth... Even the loyalist joined in, which was quite…surprising."
"I'd say." Isra commented quietly, amused at the thought of a few, more conservative loyalist Enchanters looking surprised themselves at the fact. "But what's your point?"
"My point, my dear girl, is that after the Templars locked you away, quite a lot of ranking Mages raised up in your defence. Now, you've been a little out of it, so you couldn't really know, but …let me paint you the general picture most of us saw, so you'll understand the situation better." Eleina added, draining the rest of her glass. "So… A young apprentice is first attacked by the Templars. Then is given Templar protection in the form of full time personal bodyguards, who are fairly quickly replaced by only one guard. And then is conveniently accused of being somehow involved in an escape attempt with a blood mage friend…all the while supposedly being under Templar's supervision and protection…Do you see where I'm getting at? The Templars looked like court jesters trying to frame you. Which made them quite unpopular, to point out the obvious."
"I see."
"Well I'd certainly hope so. What's really important is the fact that it brought us back together and bought you and Mica quite a lot of protection. Now I doubt the First Enchanter told you about that."
"He mentioned something along those lines…" Isra murmured in response.
"Of course he did. Now we can finally come to the main reason of why I wanted you here. First of all you should know, that I asked that you'd be assigned to me as my new protégé. Now, before you start panicking and objecting along the lines of how you don't like botany, please remember that I am also specialised in your favourite type of magic, destruction magic and the whole arrangement is only temporary. At least until Enchanter Hayes comes back from Ostagar and snatches you away."
"If he ever comes back."
"Oh, don't be silly girl. He is one of the most experienced and talented Enchanters the Tower has. There is no way a couple of those blighted cave-dwelling creatures will ever manage to get the best of him. Now, as for your new status as my protégé… I don't expect you to take up the position right away, so take your time if you need to."
"That's the very last thing I need right now." Isra replied, grimacing at the possibility of prolonged staring in random walls and wilting away from boredom. "If you have anything that would take my mind of things, I'd be happy to get into it."
"That is good to hear." Eleina answered with a smile. "Well then, let's begin. You sure you don't want some wine?"
Isra shook her head in reply. "I never really liked wine all that much."
"Why didn't you say so? I have a bottle of Antivan brandy stashed somewhere in here…Let me see…ah, there it is! Now, I have no intention of getting you drunk…" Eleina added with a warning gaze as she poured out a rather generous dollop of brandy in a fresh glass. "So this is only for medicinal purposes. I'm guessing a little bit of this would be more than welcome, after everything you've been through."
Oh you have no idea, Isra thought to herself as she accepted the glass with a courteous nod. "Thank you." Taking a sip she nearly chocked on in. "This is some strong stuff." she managed to croak as her voice slowly started to make its reappearance.
"It should be. I don't drink that commercial piss our visiting Merchant is trying to pass for an Antivan brandy. Luckily I still have a few connections in Antiva who send me the real deal. High quality stuff, so don't gulp it down in one go."
"I wouldn't be able to, even if I tried." Isra reassured the Enchanter, still trying to bring her larynx back to life.
"Good." Eleina answered with an amused grin. "Now, the reason I asked you about Jowan is because of our little talk a few days ago. As you might remember I'm trying to ferret out the fools who indulge in blood magic and giving all of us a bad name in the process. So, I need to know if you know Jowan was perhaps one of them?"
Isra shook her head, taking another small sip. This thing burned like molten lava probably would if one was stupid enough to drink it, but the taste was strangely addictive and she couldn't stop. "I had no idea he was a blood mage in the first place."
"I see. Well there had to be at least some connection. I doubt that Jowan was smart enough to figure it out all by himself. Err...no offence."
"None taken." Isra wheezed. "Even Jowan was able to recognise that he was not the smartest cookie in the bunch."
"It would also be possible to gain that kind of knowledge through consorting with a demon of course…"
"It would."
"Do you think Jowan was capable of doing that?"
"Honestly I don't know. We've grown apart in the last few months. The last interaction I had with him was when he gave me a gift for my birthday. But I can honestly say he didn't seem capable of doing something like that."
Eleina sighed, leaning back on her chair. "Mica said pretty much the same thing."
"You've talked with Mica?"
"I did. Well. We did. A group of pissed of Enchanters and Senior Enchanters trying to figure things out, before the Templars could come up with another version of the story. Like I said, we've been trying to bring at least some sense into the mess, before the Templars painted everyone involved as villains. In short we've been a giant pain in the ass for the Knight Commander, looking under his fingers every step of the way. I have to remember to send him a gift basket one day when this is all over." Eleina finished with a grin. "Anyway. I was kind of hoping that Jowan would be the key I needed to unlock the door behind which those cowards practicing blood magic are hiding. No matter. I have a few other leads to pursue and who knows… perhaps I find the connection between him and that lot. I'll let you know if I do, of course."
"I'd appreciate it." Isra answered, taking another sip. This stuff was really good.
"As for you. I have a few potions to make. Do you know how to make potions?"
Isra swallowed down a groan in response to that question. She hated making potions. "Only the basics."
"That's all you need. I'll teach you the rest and you can take up where Silani left off." Isra caught the note of concealed pain in Eleina's voice as she said the last few words. Silani used to be Eleina's protégé before she was made Tranquil and it was clear the Enchanter took that loss quite hard. Clearing her throat, Eleina continued in a steady voice. "However that is not all I want you to do. Earlier I mentioned your set of skills with a reason. The gist of the matter is. I want you to continue with your own little investigation, but be very discreet about it. We talked about a certain deceased Templar named Whitaker, the last time you were here. I've since had the opportunity to ask around and I have reason to believe he and Silani were not involved as lovers, as you had first thought."
"What?" Isra's ears perked up at this. "But I have their letters…"
"What letters?"
"A Templar who said he was his friend gave them to me. He was supposedly the one who helped them conceal the relationship."
"Have you read them?"
Isra shook her head. "Not really. I only skimmed through them."
"And can you confirm that the letters were really from Silani?"
"I recognised her writing."
Eleina leaned back in her chair again, biting her lower lip. "I see. Still, I want you to read through them again. I want you to be certain those letters were really written by Silani's hand."
"Why wouldn't they be?" Isra could think of a few possibilities, but she wasn't prepared to vocalise them just yet. It bordered on the completely paranoid territory and she was reluctant to go there. It was hard to come back from it.
"Well…for one thing. Whitaker preferred men."
"Oh."
"And his husband seemed quite taken aback at the suggestion of his partner having a secret love affair with a mage girl."
"His husband?" Isra asked, her eyes widening in surprise. "Still. I doubt Whitaker would've told him if he was cheating on him. From what I understand, cheaters don't make a habit of advertising their transgressions..."
"True. Which is why I want you to read those letters. Don't just skim over them again. Oh, and also bring me the ones that Whitaker supposedly written. I'll run them by his husband and we'll see what he thinks."
"All right. But…If I may…why would that Belden fellow give me fake letters? Can you honestly think of a good reason?"
"I can think of many. But we won't know for certain until we find out, and I don't really like to waste my time sitting around speculating."Eleina finished with a pointed look aimed at Isra. "Let this be your first task. And as for the official task, go over the basics of potion preparation. I need you to be able to create the basic health potion by tomorrow. Do you think you can do it?"
"If I remember correctly it involves using only one ingredient, so I certainly hope so."
Eleina looked at her in surprise and then burst out laughing. "That was a good one! I think you'll do just fine. So, tomorrow?"
Isra shifted uncomfortably in her seat, focusing on her nearly empty glass. "Before I go… I made a couple of promises to stay away from the investigation or any related risky behaviour…."
"Bah!" Eleina waved a hand in dismissal. "Nothing would ever get done in this Tower if we wouldn't stick our noses where they don't belong from time to time. I'm not asking you to run around the Tower yelling out questions to passing mages, or maker forbid Templars. I'm only asking you to read the letters that you already have in your possession for a start. As for the rest…well, I've made my intentions of rooting out the blood mages perfectly clear. And the fact that I've taken you in as my protégé works in your favour, believe it or not. For one thing it will give of the impression – and I'll make sure that it does – of you, helping me with hunting down the blood mages thing, among other things. So it will seem as if you're doing everything you can to completely disassociate with your escaped blood mage friend, thus proving and reaffirming your innocence in the matter. And you need that remember? The Harrowing was only the first step. A chance to prove yourself a valuable member of the Circle yada, yada..."
"You've thought this through."
"Of course I did. Just remember, we have to be careful about it. I want to know your intentions ahead of time, and you'll inform me of any leads you'll want to pursue, so it will allow me to come up with a cover story. We'll take it one step at a time and we won't, I repeat we won't get careless about it. I will not let you come to harm and I will not let those bastards get away. Silani was like a daughter to me, and I have every intention of making them pay. And then gloat about it."
For the first time in what seemed like an eternity, Isra felt like laughing and she let out a small chuckle. "Well. I'll be happy to join you in the gloating party."
"Good. You'll certainly be very welcome to do so."Eleina answered with a wink. "See you tomorrow."
"Tomorrow then." Isra replied, draining her glass. Let the games begin.
To the lovely Marika Haliwell: *waves* Thank you! Glad to be back! :D
Also: cyber cookies and muffins all around for you and the also very lovely macramaegoldstar (I don't think words can express what a huge deal it is to hear that someone likes a character ma brainz came up with, so...honaofujh! which supposedly means something along the lines of: THAT IS F****** AWESOME TO HEAR!). Ehkm...Take your pick ;)
(I'm totally not trying to bribe you...totally. Nope, no bribing here...)
To the rest of my readers - come to the 'dark' side. . We have muffins and cookies and all kinds of other delicious, yet healthy bribes...err...gifts!
(Note to self, lay of the caffeine)
... hope to 'see' you around next week! ;)
