Reflections, Realisations and Regrets
Chapter 2: In the Beginning Part 2
AN: Thank you so much for reading and the reviews so far. They have been great, and have been instrumental in pushing me to do more, thanks guys. Thanks also to my amazing beta Eastern Violet without whom my forays into writing would most probably end up reading like my five year old grand daughter's essay on "What I Did During The Summer Holidays", thank you so much, your time and efforts are gratefully received and appreciated. Now, as they say, on with the story...
After some argument between the templars as to what should happen to me that first night, we were escorted by the Highever squad as far as the Teyrnir border. From there, it took nearly a week to travel to Kinloch Hold. Ser Bran and Ser Percy answered any questions I had, but I felt something wasn't right, although I couldn't for the life of me put my finger on it. I was worried for those left behind, would they be safe, would they be put to the sword for receiving help from an apostate, would there be a cleansing of the area because of me? All these questions and more rolled around inside of me and eventually I had to give them voice. Ser Bran, the younger of the two, about ten years older than I, tried to calm my fears and reassure me that no harm would come to the farmers as I had come willingly and without malice. Ser Percy nodded in agreement. I let it go and hoped for the best.
I was told that the Magi Tower was a training facility. There, I'd learn how to channel my powers properly and how to control myself. Additionally, I'd learn how to defend myself from demons who would try to corrupt me and my gift. In time, if I proved myself, I'd be able to leave the tower to go on research missions, help the military, or even find a position with a wealthy family as a healer. This gave me hope, my spirit soared and I believed I could get through this and possibly find my family again if the Maker could just get me through this "training." A childish dream, my hopes were as fragile as glass and shattered when the door of that cold, stone place slammed shut.
It was dark when we arrived, so I didn't see much of it from outside. I remember the face of the ferryman, about the same age as my father, who chattered constantly as we crossed the lake to the dock. I stared at the dark waters, watching the oars dip and lift rhythmically, almost hypnotically, all the while the ferryman talking to me and my guards. I lent forward as something caught my eye, I'd seen something slide silently under the boat. Then a hand on my shoulder, Ser Percy shaking his head and blinking rapidly, I settled back onto the wooden seat. As we drew closer to the Tower I remember thinking how dark it looked, the stone glistening as the moon rose above the hills on the opposite bank. Small yellow rectangles and circles of light shone periodically up the side, but the thing that caught me was how black it looked. Menacing, cold, the only thing missing was bars on the windows, which for all I knew could have been there, just impossible to see in the darkness.
A soft bump, and I jumped, we'd reached the dock and the ferryman hopped out with a surety that only those whom spend most of their lives on water seem to possess. Tying up the little boat, quickly and safely, he held out his hand to me and I took the opportunity to grasp it. The warm touch of another person who didn't regard me with suspicion and fear, it was a brief blessing. I moved past him as Ser Bran and Ser Percy climbed out behind me. Then he smiled, wished me luck, and immediately departed for the far shore, taking his friendly banter and laughing eyes with him.
Two men, stationed outside of the Tower, opened the doors as we approached and I was ushered into a large hall where more templars stood alert and at the ready. For what, I couldn't imagine. Surely they didn't think I was going to attack them, not one boy against six grown men in full armor, carrying swords and goodness knows what else! My manacles were removed and I immediately felt dizzy, disorientated, at a loss. I stumbled and Ser Bran caught my arm.
"Easy, Anders," he said, "it'll take a day or so, but your magic will return naturally. It's a necessary precaution and one that protects you as much as those outside the Tower," he grinned. "You'll soon be right as rain and ready for anything, you'll see."
I tried to smile back but it didn't feel right. Nothing felt right and I doubted it ever would.
I was taken to a small room where a bath was steaming, clean clothes were piled on a chair in the corner and soaps had been placed on a stand next to the tub. I quickly undressed and relished the warmth of the water, the smell of the soap, the hushed voices behind me. I realised how tired I was, drained of all feeling and needing sleep. I washed every inch of myself from the ends of my hair to the tips of my toes and when satisfied that I was completely clean, got out of the tub and dried myself off. I put on clean smalls and picked up what I thought was a shirt, but it was a robe. There were thin linen pants and shirt to go underneath; in all a total surprise. I had never seen a trained mage before, and couldn't understand why they would wear something so restrictive, my Mother had of course worn a dress as had Brina on occasion, however Brett and I always wore trousers and shirts, this was so, different. I dressed and left the room to find two new people in the hall. They were older and their manner and bearing told me that they were people of importance, so I waited whilst they spoke to Ser Bran and Ser Percy.
Ser Bran eventually noticed me in the doorway and took me across to meet them. The one in armor was introduced as Knight-Captain Greagoir, second in command of the templars at Kinloch Hold. The other man was dressed in fine robes, he was First Enchanter Irving, senior mage of Kinloch Hold. Both men looked me over, greeted me and said they'd see me the following day for orientation. With that they left me in the company of an older female enchanter called Wynne who took me to the male apprentice dormitories and showed me my bunk. To this day, I can't recall what she said to me that night. No matter how hard I try, it eludes me, but I guess by then the shock of my situation had finally hit me. For the next few months I went through the motions of living without thinking, without feeling, trying to forget what I had given up, trying to look forward not back, but oh it was so hard not to break down and scream and shout and beat my head off the walls. Somehow I made it through, somehow I began to think clearly, somehow I began to plan for the day I could get out, get away, get back that which had been taken from me. I would do it, I swore on the Maker himself, one day I'd be free.