Chapter 2: The Sell-Sword
The mage rebellion likely would have ended quickly if not for one simple fact.
The Templars had lost the initiative.
Nicholai Trevelyan stood on a broken balcony of an all but forgotten Tevinter ruin. Below him, in an overgrown courtyard, young mage apprentices trained with both staff and sword. A month had passed since his decision to take the reins of his fellow survivors, and in that time, with both money and information, the truth about why the Templars had not struck back hard became abundantly clear.
"All right you lot, pair up," Kurtz said loudly, "Let's see how badly you all can swing a sword."
The mage's eyes narrowed as he watched as the man adjusted the feet of a thirteen year old apprentice; Kurtz was an old friend of his father, a sell sword that had helped House Trevelyan from time to time. Nicholai suspected that his father would not take kindly to him poaching those he depended on for military support, but mage saw that he had little choice.
He would do anything now to ensure their survival.
The boy had likely never held a sword in life, the son of farmers if Trevelyan remembered correctly. He did not remember the boy's name, but remembered his face, Lydia had been considering taking him on as her personal apprentice, a role that would have led to great things in the Ostwick Circle.
Unfortunately, the Ostwick Circle was no more, and the boy had to take on a more militaristic role, a harsher role.
The boy was now one of many. The mage was surprised that not only information had been available in the surrounding towns. In addition to twenty sell-swords they had hired, at least forty volunteers had joined them since they had enacted their plan to gain donations from the surrounding settlements. Most of these were people that had grudges against the Templars. Many had family members who had been taken by the Circle over the years. Family that had died, been made tranquil, or had just vanished into thin air. That last group, the disappearances were probably those mages who had failed their Harrowing, he suspected, but, even Trevelyan, who had been a loyal Circle mage, did not doubt that more sinister endings had occurred to at least a few of those lost mages.
It wasn't talked about, but it did happen. Some Templars had…appetites. The Knight-Commanders did what they could to control men and women like that, but even they could not hear about everything their charges had done, and when it came to the word of a mage versus a Templar, a Templar usually won.
Trevelyan frowned.
Kurtz kicked the boy's feet into position, he seemed nervous but eager. He had only first picked up a sword yesterday, and now the boy was expected to take up a blade and fight against what some thought was the greatest military force in Thedas, a goal that might have seemed impossible, if not for the aftermath of the events in the White Spire.
Information, like coin, had been slow coming at first. The situation was chaotic, and very confused, but slowly facts began to take shape, and the face of the war revealed itself.
From what they had been able to gather, Lord Seeker Lambert Van Reeves had been furious at the Divine over the events of the White Spire, apparently blaming her for the First Enchanters' escape from Templar custody. In response to this, the leader of the Seekers had terminated the Nevarran accords, the ancient treaty that had bound the Templars to the chantry.
Nicholai shook his head at that.
What had the man been thinking? The Templars had always been able to claim the moral high ground in their conflict with the mages because of their allegiance to the Divine and the chantry. By breaking away, the Templar order was now simply another rogue organization, no different than the now independent mages that had once made up the circle of magi. Many would still think the Templars were doing the Maker's work, but by cutting themselves off from the chantry they had also cut themselves off from their main source of shelter and support.
Trevelyan might have been worried about the state of things. The Lord Seeker had taken direct command of the Templar order, no doubt the man had intended to march on the escaped First Enchanters, crush what he thought of as a rebellion while it was still in its infancy. Alas, he would never get the chance…
According to a reliable source, the very night that Lambert had signed the order breaking away from the chantry, he was found dead in his quarters, murdered, his throat cut. The Templars surrounding the Lord Seeker blamed the mages, but…Trevelyan expected a culprit…more…closer to home.
Many believed that Van Reeves had arrested the First Enchanters without permission from the Divine. That the Most Holy had seen what the man was doing as a power grab, the Seekers had always served the chantry first, watching not only for rogue mages, but keeping the Templars in check as well. The Lord Seeker had changed that, he had placed the Seekers as the ruling body of the Templars and with him at its head had been poised to force a new order on Thedas. Had the man lived; he likely would have crushed the mage rebellion, and then moved on to claim true political power for himself and his cronies, given the problems that were said to be coming out of Orlais it would have been easy for him.
Unfortunately for the Lord Seeker, but very fortunate for his enemies, someone had decided to stop him.
Had the Divine ordered his death? It was possible; it was believed that she had several bards in her service. It was also possible that someone within his own organization wanted power for themselves; such a person might have seen the Lord Seeker's decision as a grand opportunity. They might have eliminated Van Reeves out of a desire to replace him as the Lord of the Templar order.
Whatever the reason, Lambert's death had sent shockwaves through the newly independent Templar order, the command chain, which should have been as strong as steel, splintered without Lambert to hold it in his iron grip.
The Templars were in disarray. Some refused to accept Lambert's choice to throw out the Nevarran Accords, those Templars stayed loyal to the Divine and the chantry. Those that had left were now arguing over who should take the lead. So far as Trevelyan and his allies knew, no Seeker had yet to take up Lambert's mantle.
That was not surprising, Trevelyan thought, had Lambert indeed been trying a power grab, he would not have wanted any of his lieutenants to have that much ambition. Of course, it was also possible that none of the Seekers wished to take up the role out of fear. What Lambert had done, turning his back on his oath to the chantry was technically treason.
Perhaps none of the Seekers wanted to walk that road, at least…not yet.
Eventually, the Templars would sort the whole mess out; in the meantime, the mages now had the initiative. The attack on the First Enchanters, not to mention the annulment of the Circle in Dairsmuid had unified the mages against a common enemy. The First Enchanters, under the guidance of Grand Enchanter Fiona had voted to go to war against the Templars.
Now…the mages had to turn those words into action.
Trevelyan, once one of several senior enchanters had become his small group's war leader, with his three fellows slipping into the role of counsellors. He did not believe that they could defeat the Templars on open ground, but felt that there was a path to victory.
By cutting themselves off from the chantry, the Templars had also cut themselves off from their main source of support and supplies. The Templars were going to need both gold and lyrium to conduct their war effort; the chantry would hopefully not be bullied into supplying them anymore.
Those supply lines would be the mages' key to victory.
They could not face a battle-hardened Templar army on open ground, but by cutting them off from their lyrium supply, by seizing their supply wagons, taking their food and armaments, Trevelyan hoped to force the Templars into a position that they would have to negotiate with their enemies. If that failed, then at least they could effectively weaken the order here in the Free Marches so that if the mages had to flee into Nevarra, they would not have to worry about a strong Templar army snapping at their heels. Still, Trevelyan held out hope that at least some of the Seekers and Knight-Commanders would be reasonable, that they would at least be open to the idea of negotiation. The fanatics in the order, those who chose not to stay loyal to Justinia, would likely have to be eliminated, but that could not be helped.
Those men and women had caused too much pain; at last they would finally be brought to justice.
Justice far too long denied.
Trevelyan left his perch and journeyed down to inspect his small but determined band of rebels. Two sell-swords, acting as his new bodyguards followed in his wake. Kurtz had vouched for both these men; otherwise they would not have been here. Trevelyan did not doubt that the Templars were not above using assassins to eliminate the mage leadership. The lure of gold and faith would make any mage trying to organize his fellows a tempting target for whomever eventually assumed command of the Templars.
So far, the Divine had remained silent about what was happening; she offered no support for the mages, and no chastisement for the Templars. She had not even pleaded for both groups to stop.
Trevelyan pursed his lips.
He would be very interested when Divine Justinia finally did decide to make a statement on the matter…
…Very interested indeed.
IOI
"Move your feet, damn you!"
Kurtz glared at the young mage with the training sword. He had just been knocked on his ass by one of his fellows, which was surprising. The boy was by far the best of his students, so far…
The sell sword frowned.
That was not saying very much.
Kurtz had been working the Free Marches for almost thirty years, and had known the Trevelyans for almost fifteen. He was a head shorter than Nicholai, with dirty shoulder length black hair, and a salt and pepper goatee.
He had met the first time a few years back, bandits had been harassing the Bann's trade interests, and His lordship had put together a hunting party to deal with them. His eldest son, on loan from the Circle of Magi had accompanied them.
The sell-sword had liked the younger Trevelyan, he knew a warriors business, but had the education and cunning of a circle mage. It was a dangerous combination to be sure, as those Templar bastards were about to discover soon…
…Provided that this lot learned enough to survive their first engagement.
"Don't stand so damn still," he said grabbing the apprentice's shoulder, "But do not be afraid to swing your sword either, you hold back like that in a real fight you will be dead."
"Yes ser," the young mage said rising.
Kurtz glared at him.
"Don't ser me," he growled, "Just get it right."
The boy nodded and returned to his sparing.
Kurtz rolled his eyes.
Maker, he thought.
If Trevelyan had not been paying him so much…
He had not been surprised when Bann Pieter's eldest boy had tracked him down to that inn not far down the wounded coast. He had heard about the mages of course, and figured they would need good steel and men who knew how to use it. Trevelyan had known what he could do, and he knew where he stayed between jobs. They had parted on good terms, so if the boy needed a fighter, he knew where to find one.
If the mages were going to fight a war, they would need men like him.
"There is a fight coming Kurtz," Trevelyan had said, "We could use your help."
The mage had dropped a sack of coins on the table. Almost double what his father had paid him for the last job they had done together two years back.
That had been all it took to secure his loyalty.
Now he had to earn that pay.
"How is going Kurtz?"
He turned as Nicholai Trevelyan made his way down the steps. Even on the run the boy looked far too pretty to be a warrior.
Kurtz snorted.
Good thing the mage had skills to back it up.
"Slow," the sell sword admitted, "If half this lot survives their first engagement, I will be surprised."
Trevelyan gave him an arched look.
"You should not say such things in front of the others," he said.
Again the sell-sword snorted.
"You paid me to whip this lot into shape, not blow smoke up their asses."
Trevelyan frowned, and pulled the man away so they could talk privately.
He glared at Kurtz.
"You don't have to be so bloody dour about it." he said.
Kurtz chuckled.
"Tell you what, lad," he said, "You be the optimistic leader with the hope-filled heart, and I'll be the old dour bastard that trains your men enough that you can be optimistic."
Trevelyan chuckled.
The sell-sword smiled slightly.
Trevelyan might give him shit, but even he did not doubt the sell-sword's skills.
If Kurtz said he would whip these sons and daughters of whores into fighting shape, then that is what he would do."
Trevelyan stood back and watched his new soldiers spar. A few weren't catching on, but he could likely already see the results Kurtz was getting with some of the men.
"We're going to have to start small," the mage said.
"Good idea," Kurtz said stepping away from the men. "Maybe find some bandits to practice on, get this lot used to shedding blood before they had to take on the chantry's attack dogs."
Nicholai nodded.
Most of the guards Kurtz had met over the years would likely take their recruits into lawless areas for a day or two. It was there that the pups could get their first taste of dealing with live targets, and realizes that not every enemy they would face would fight with honor, not that the sell-sword expected much honor out of the Templars.
He had never been very fond of the prancing prigs. They killed just like he did, but felt morally justified because some line in chant of light.
Magic is to serve man and not rule him.
Okay all well and good, but that did not mean that you were better than someone because you couldn't throw fire from your fingers and at the same time that ability did not make you better than anyone else.
The sell-sword shook his head.
Templars could be assholes, and with the power they wielded under the chantry they could be even bigger assholes. You did not have to have magic to let power go to your head.
"You have any idea where we can take our men, to practice I mean," Trevelyan asked.
"Few places," Kurtz said with a shrug, "Some of the surrounding farms have been complaining about them to the local magistrates. We clean 'em out, there might even be some profit in it. You might even make a few friends."
Nicholai nodded. He might have been a mage, but he was also the Bann's son.
He knew the value of allies.
Trevelyan turned to him.
"You think we have a chance, Kurtz?" he asked, "The mages I mean."
The sell-sword sighed.
"You got a fight coming, that much is for sure. Hit and run tactics will work best for right now, but eventually you will have to face the bastards on open ground that will be the real test."
Kurtz shook his head.
"Beat them there, you may finally get them to sit down with you and talk terms."
Yeah," the mage said grimly, "I figured that."
He looked over at the men training. Kurtz couldn't read minds, but he didn't need to, he had seen that look on the faces of men who led men into battle before.
"Many of these people won't be here to see that day will they?" he said.
Kurtz shrugged.
"That is war boy," he said.
That is war.