Sorry it has taken some time to get another chapter posted, I like to write it and then let it stew for a while. You know, see what comes of the plot bunnies I throw together!

Anyway bioware owns all characters and settings. I hope you enjoy and please feel free to review, I do enjoy seeing that someone besides myself is enjoying my demented ramblings.

~OoOoOoOoOo~

Chapter 2

The chosen mages were being summoned, she knew it. No one said so outright, but templars were wandering around the circle tower gathering mages and sending them to the common room on the third floor. Shelina could sense the tension in the air as senior mages, as well as lower ones were being summoned.

She had been moved into the mage quarters only this morning and was still acclimating herself to her new surroundings as she observed this. She hadn't even had a chance to change into her mage robes, they were basically the same as apprentice robes. Only the color was different. She didn't know whose stupid idea it was to give her these ugly mustard yellow colored robes. Granted they held more enchantments, but she preferred the blue ones she wore as an apprentice. It was because of this that she had not yet changed.

She decided to follow along and see what was going on in he common area. If anyone stopped her, she would just play dumb and pretend that wasn't really where she was headed.

She entered the room and found a spot near the back where she felt she could go unnoticed. Just then the Knight Commander started to speak. He introduced General Loghain, listing his many accomplishments and then bowed as he allowed Loghain himself to step forward to address the crowd.

Shelina noted that the man looked huge in all that plated armor, his eyes were hard and there were lines around both his eyes and mouth. His face was that of a hardened warrior and it showed. All those hard lines made him appear grim, and determined. Shelina could understand why this man had been made a General. She could sense that he was a shrewd tactician and would show no weakness, to enemies and friends alike. He had a presence and everyone in the room quieted as he looked at them. He seemed to be gauging his audience before deciding what to say.

"I know you all probably have questions about why you were summoned here, I will attempt to answer them now." He went on "Many of you are aware that our country stands at the edge of war, this is not a war over lands, or petty issues regarding borders or trade. This is a war most foul, against a foe that seeks not to take over Ferelden, but to destroy it completely. The darkspawn once again threaten our beloved Ferelden and as the General of King Calain's army I am here to recruit mages to fight in the coming battle."

There was a murmur among the crowd as the group assembled took in the gravity of the words the General had spoken. He continued, ignoring the whispered conversations around him.

His voice was deep and rough, it echoed around the room and Shelina noted that it was the kind of voice that could ring out and make itself heard over the din of battle. She looked closely at the man, trying to get some sense of him. His eyes were a dull gray. She had no doubt that they were sharp though as they traveled over the mages in the room. There was something else there, his eyes were cold. Shelina began to recognize what she saw there; she saw hatred and deception in those eyes.

She considered herself a good judge of character and had practiced studying a persons eyes to see the truths or lies, that were in them. If you looked hard enough, you could see it. A man could lie with words and with facial expressions; but the eyes would always tell the truth. It had saved her many times when she was able to look at both templars and mages alike to determine their secrets. His eyes held many secrets and even though she did not feel a particular kinship with the mages here, she suddenly felt sorry for them. She remembered the words she overheard previously "send them to the front lines so we can be rid of them."

This man felt no kindness toward mages, he was only looking for fodder for his army. She listened again as he continued. "This war must be ended quickly, we will make our stand at Ostagar and wipe out the darkspawn menace before it has a chance to threaten our families, our mothers and fathers, and our way of life. If you are here in this room now your teachers and peers have chosen you and deemed you able to fight." He continued for some time and Shelina had to admit, it was a good speech. She glanced around and saw that many of her fellow mages were listening intently and some started nodding their heads in agreement with what was being said.

Irving stepped forward then explaining that the decision to fight was to be theirs alone and that if they wished to they could either sign up to go to Ostagar or return to their quarters. No one would be forced to do either if it was not his or her will. Irving went on to explain the dangers of choosing to go with the General's army. He did not say it in so many words, but he gave them the sense that those that left would probably not survive to ever return to the tower.

Mages then started forming a line at a nearby desk to sign their names, while others retreated quietly out of the room. Shelina wanted badly to go sign her name. She decided that she would try it, what harm could it do.

She snuck into the middle section of the line and when she stood in front of the desk and gave her name, the Knight looked up at her and the Knight Commander himself said "do not write her name, she was not chosen and shouldn't even been here." She tried to argue back.

"But I want to go and fight, my spells are as powerful as any other in this room." "You are a willful, undisciplined mage. You would pose a danger outside of the tower." The commander stated flatly.

She looked at him not bothering to conceal her hatred at his words. She couldn't help it then, her anger flared up and she yelled at them. "Then why did you even bother putting me through the harrowing, you should have killed me outright or made me tranquil. It would be better than spending the rest of my life in this place!" Several pairs of eyes turned to her as she struggled to get her emotions back under control. "Your display only confirms my decision." He replied; the anger at her clear in his voice. He nodded to a knight standing at the back and ordered him to escort her back to her room and ensure that she stayed there. The bastard was not even willing to consider her!

So here she was in her new mage quarters fuming. There had to be a way, she could not let them leave the tower without her. She got up and began pacing the room, the templar left to watch her eyed her closely. Dammit, she thought. She started spewing curses as she paced around the room like a caged animal. Her mind was spinning as she tried to come up with a way to change her situation. She could think of none.

Two days later after much ceremony, the mages who had volunteered marched out of the tower with Loghain in the lead. Several Templars went with them to "protect" the mages. They were a relatively small group, but she desperately wished she were one of them. Shelina watched this and her heart sank. There went her opportunity to get out from under the Circle's control. Her hands were balled into tight fists as she worked to keep her anger and frustration under control. She was sure it wouldn't help if she began setting things on fire or throwing lighting bolts randomly around the tower. But it might make her feel better she thought.

She would just have to find another way out of the tower.

Time seemed to pass more slowly after the mages left. Shelina found it hard to focus, her anger was spent and had been replaced with a sense of dread, hopelessness. Though she didn't really understand what she was feeling.

Irving, however, had noticed. She seemed to walk with her head bowed low, never bothering to look up. She was close to breaking he noted with great sadness. He consulted Trianna again concerning the girl.

Some days later, Shelina hadn't even paid attention to the passing of time, she was summoned to the First Enchanters office. She arrived to find Irving speaking to a man she didn't recognize. He was tall, and muscular like Loghain had been, but that was the only similarity. Shelina looked at him, his eyes were a deep dark brown. He had dark hair like hers, his was pulled into a ponytail and his beard was the same color. His skin was darker than most men's she noted, sort of an olive color, similar to her own. As if he spent much of his time out in the sun. His armor even though well polished looked like it had been used hard. It was not the armor of Loghain's men, it was different.

Irving introduced her to the man, "Shelina, this is Duncan of the Grey Wardens, he will be staying with us for a time. Would you please take him to the guest quarters and ensure that his needs are attended to?"

She could not fathom why she was being asked to perform as a serving girl, but agreed to the request. She looked at Duncan and said "if you will follow me."

As they walked Duncan asked "so, how long have you been at the tower?" "Five years" she replied. He looked at her as if expecting her to say more, but she did not offer it. "And where did you live before the tower?" he asked. "The wilds." She said.

He seemed to think on this for a time and said "so you are one of the Kata'an?" She stopped walking and almost stumbled. No one outside the tribes had ever called them that, to them they were called the chastened. Kata'an was the word used by her own people. It meant children of the earth. It was a collective term to describe her people, each tribe had its own name and decorations that distinguished it from others, but this man had shown knowledge of something no outsider should know.

Her eyes narrowed as she looked at him. "I have had dealings with your people from time to time, they are skilled warriors with a deep sense of pride and duty to their own." He said this quietly but she was deeply disturbed by his revelation. "Then you also know that my people do not discuss tribe matters with outsiders." "You have no need to fear, I only mention this to you because I suspected that you were one of them. Irving told me the story of how you came to be here at the tower." Shelina sighed, this man knew more than most about who she was and where she came from. "I have a deep respect for the Kata'an." Duncan said.

He continued to ask questions of her as they walked, but they were mostly of small matters. He did not ask more about her people, which allowed her to relax a little. They discussed the coming war with the darkspawn. She found that she enjoyed talking to this man. He seemed genuine and when she looked into his eyes she saw no deceit. She asked questions about the grey wardens and he answered them honestly, but at times he seemed to be holding back information.

She learned that it was the function of the gray wardens to fight on the front lines against the darkspawn and it was their duty alone to kill the archdemon. She had read stories of the gray wardens, she recalled. They were fearless warriors, heroes even, and the names of those that succeeded in killing the archdemon and ending the blight were the stuff of legends.

She began to wonder why this man was here and why Irving had tasked her with showing him to his quarters. Did he have some sort of ulterior motive? Doubtful after her display the other day. She was probably just meant to be something pleasant to look at while going to his quarters. Was this to be the way of things in the future? Eye candy for visiting dignitaries, she sighed to herself.

She delivered Duncan to his quarters and said goodnight. Her duty was done and she had even enjoyed it a little. She returned to her own quarters to turn in for the night.

The next day Duncan was talking with Tannita and Irving in his office. They were talking pleasantries, but Irving knew that Duncan was here for possible Grey Warden recruits and made this point to Duncan.

"I see you are still as keen as ever, First Enchanter" Duncan bowed his head slightly. "It is true what you say, I am indeed looking for a mage recruit for our ranks." Irving smiled, at least now they could get down to business. "Do you have anyone in mind that is both a talented mage and has the qualities needed to be a Grey Warden?" "I have a short list shall we say, but there may be a problem."

"What sort of problem?"

"The Knight Commander may not agree with my recommendations." He said pointedly.

"Ah" said Duncan. "I can see where this could be an issue."

"Indeed" answered Irving. "The mage I think best suited for the job has a bit of a reputation here" he raised an eyebrow as he said this. "There have been … difficulties while adjusting to life in the tower and the Knight Commander feels that this one is a danger. The child was brought to me later than most and it is only due to my insistence that the harrowing was performed and not the right tranquility. If it had been up to him, things would have turned out quite different."

Duncan only nodded, a mage who had difficulty with rules and regulations might not be what he was looking for he thought. Although he trusted Irving's judgment, he would have to meet the candidate and decide for himself.

"I know what you are thinking, Duncan. It is not that this particular mage cannot follow rules, but more that they follow their own code, and question orders when they appear to be arbitrary to the goal."

"Hhmm" said Duncan. "I am not sure that this is a trait that would be valued among the wardens."

"Do you not seek leaders who are able to think for themselves? I believe that the mage in question would be a strong candidate, not only that, the magic our young friend wields is stronger than anything I have seen in years and that is saying something."

"Irving, I will trust your judgment in this, when can I meet him?"

"You have in fact already met her." Irving said with a gleam in his eye.

"You mean the girl who showed me to my quarters?" asked Duncan.

"Yes, she is the one."

Shelina once again found herself summoned to the First Enchanters office. She was not sure if this was a good sign or not. When she arrived both Duncan and Irving were there. She had begun to suspect that Irving had picked her as a possible grey warden. Perhaps that was why she had been asked to escort him. It was an exciting possibility and she steeled herself and her expression so that her emotions wouldn't show.

Duncan turned to her and said "Irving speaks very highly of you, he says that you are a powerful mage and thinks you would be a good addition to the grey wardens." She almost gasped at that, so it was true. Her heart beat a little faster and she could not hide her excitement completely.

"I would gladly serve with the wardens" she said as she bowed her head.

"I am not sure you understand all the implications, but I would be happy to discuss this matter with you further" Duncan said with a smile. Sheleina smiled back, and for once, it was a genuine smile. She had decided long ago that she would do whatever it took to get away from the tower, and this would qualify. She didn't care what being a warden meant, she just wanted to feel the sun on her skin again, the wind, everything. She would be whatever they wanted her to be as long as it was outside this place.

The next few days she spent most of her time with Duncan, answering his questions and asking some of her own. She was beginning to respect the man so it was easy to answer his questions truthfully. She hoped that she was making the right impression.

Then one day Irving brought her into the uppermost chamber of the tower, the harrowing chamber. She did not understand why, this room was reserved for the harrowing ceremony. Duncan was already there, as if waiting for them. Irving looked at Sheleina and explained what was expected "Duncan has asked of your skills as a mage and since you fight differently than the other mages here in the tower, I decided that a demonstration was called for."

Sheleina raised her eyebrow at this, she was never allowed to use her mage skills outside of the classroom and now that she was a harrowed mage, that was becoming more infrequent. "I am not sure I understand first enchanter" Sheleina said. Irving smiled and said "the two of you are going to spar." Shleleina's eyes grew wide as he said that while Duncan coughed and said "I am not sure that this is a good idea Irving." Irving couldn't help but smirk, he knew this mage had more ability than almost any in the tower and her powers were…different than most.

Irving looked at Duncan with a gleam in his eye and said "trust me Duncan, you may find this quite enlightening." Duncan bowed his head "very well, but be warned that I will not make it easy on the girl." Irving laughed fully then, "I never expected you to. Now before you begin, I have something for you." He turned then and retrieved a small package that had been placed in a corner of the room, he handed it to Sheleina and she gasped.

It was her daggers! She had not seen them since the day she had been captured and thought that they had long ago been destroyed. As she looked down at them emotions churned within her. Two wickedly curved blades with a bluish tint, they had runes carved into them out of lyrium that would glow a bright white when activated by her magic. They truly were a thing of beauty. A master craftsman of her tribe had made them specifically for her hands when they discovered that she had the ability to channel her magic through weapons.

She picked them up lovingly and stroked the mother of pearl handles. She looked up at Irving and he nodded to her. She turned to Duncan and it was his turn to look confused. "Irving, I have never known a mage to fight with a weapon other than a staff." He stated flatly. "Indeed" said Irving, "I think you will find this interesting."

Duncan looked at the slight form of the girl in front of him and against his better judgment he said "attack me." Sheleina hesitated and looked to both of the men. "You heard me" he said while drawing his long sword and his own dagger from his back "attack as if your life depended on it."

Sheleina did as she was asked. She was rusty, she thought, it had been a long time since she had held a blade but she dropped into a fighting stance and gauged her opponent. Now she understood why they had done this in the harrowing chamber, it was made so that any stray magic that was cast was absorbed by the walls, insulated as it were.

Sheleina crept forward, eyeing Duncan and trying to decide how to get through his not inconsiderable defenses. She used the dagger in her right hand to cut through the air in front of Duncan, while trying to jab with the one in her left. She wanted to learn how fast he could respond to her attacks. To her dismay he was amazingly quick, considering that he was many years older. As each of her thrust and parries were met easily by one of his blades she grew frustrated. Her eyes squinted and she tried in earnest to best the man. Duncan smiled a bit, realizing that the girl had up until now been mostly testing his skill.

"I thought you were a mage, seeing as how you are in the circle tower and not a rogue" Duncan smirked. He was impressed but would not admit it.

Sheleina focused then, drawing her magic to her and began channeling it through her blades. The runes on the twin daggers began to glow and she could feel the hum of the lyrium on them. Her movements became faster as time seemed to slow. Her thrusts were stronger, the magic gave her power. Her body began to glow slightly as she drew from the fade and before long both of them were sweating and grunting as they fought fiercely. Duncan was skilled, but Sheleina had magic to compensate for his skill and size.

As he began to tire, she saw a chance. As she parried with her dominant hand her other hand was able to sneak inside his defenses and Duncan found her blade pointed at his neck. They stopped and stared at each other. Sheleina herself was amazed. Duncan smiled brightly and said "I believe this is what you would call a draw." Sheleina looked down and saw that his dagger was pointing at her stomach. It seemed they had both found a weak spot at the same time.

Irving began clapping and they both turned to stare at him. "Quite amazing isn't it" he said "magic allows her to fight with a strength and speed that one would not suspect from a woman." Duncan smiled brightly and they both lowered their weapons. Duncan looked at the mage with a newfound respect. He was a seasoned fighter who had trained for years to keep his skills sharp, that this mage had managed to hold her own against him was a feat in and of itself.

Duncan bowed to Sheleina, "I think you would be an excellent addition to the grey wardens, I assume that you can also cast spells to attack foes from a distance?"

"She can at that" Irving said while a large smile played across his lips.

"Then I offer you a place among us if that is what you wish" said Duncan. Sheleina could not believe her ears, she was being offered a way out of the tower and she could barely contain her excitement. "It would be my honor to serve." Duncan and Irving both seemed pleased. Irving turned to her "you may return to your quarters and rest, Duncan and I have things to discuss."

She nodded mutely and even though she was tired and sweaty she practically skipped down the hall to her room. Anyone observing her would have wondered why the normally quiet and aloof girl had such a big smile on her face.