9:30 Dragon

Cullen waited in the hall outside the meeting room where some of his superiors and the mages- including the First Enchanter- were discussing important matters.

"Hey, Cullen."

Cullen looked up and smiled. "Aylin, shouldn't you be studying?"

Aylin stuck out her tongue. "The meeting should be over soon, Derik was supposed to have lunch with me today."

Cullen looked at her, his face falling. "Derik is the meeting?"

Aylin nodded. "The Knight-Captain thought it would be a good idea for him to join in on the meeting since he is progressing in his training so quickly. He's supposed to be promoted to Knight-Corporal tomorrow."

Cullen smiled a bit seeing the pride on her face. She was only thirteen years old, but she had also proven herself a capable fighter during her training. "Have you decided yet if you want to join the Templars officially?"

Aylin shook her head. "I don't think so. I want to be able to protect myself, to protect others, but I don't think I could devote myself to the Chantry like that. I want to be able to go out and live a good life, be a farmer or something like my parents were."

Cullen chuckled. "You never cease to amaze me, Aylin."

Aylin smiled at him. "So, what's going on in the meeting?"

"Well, from what I can gather, Uldred, who was one of the senior mages present at the Battle of Ostagar that survived the battle, is trying to attempt to persuade the Circle to support Loghain."

"But when Wynne came back from Ostagar too,she told me about Loghain's treachery! They can't be thinking of siding with him after what he had done, can they?"

Cullen was about to answer, but screams and a loud crash came from inside the meeting room. Drawing his sword, he readied himself. "Aylin, get out of here."

"No, I want to stand and fight with you!" Aylin insisted.

"Aylin, for Maker's sake, run!" Cullen ordered, looking at her briefly. "Go warn the others."

"But, Derik was-"

A few people- mage and Templar alike- burst through the door, running and screaming. Wynne, who was among those fleeing, grabbed Aylin's hand.

"You can't stay here, Aylin!" she said, pulling her along.

"But, my brother!"

"Aylin, go with Wynne!" Cullen said. "I'll find Derik, I promise!"

Aylin nodded, following after Wynne and the others. 'Maker watch over him! Bring Cullen and Derik back safely!'

Aylin sat with Petra and the children as they waited for any news.

Wynne had gone with Luther- an old student of hers who had joined the Grey Wardens shortly after his Harrowing- and his companions to find survivors and kill any demon and abomination along the way. If they could find the First Enchanter, Irving, alive and well then the Knight-Commander would revoke the Rite of Annulment and they could save the mages that had stood against Uldred.

But that was hours ago. A loud battle echoed through the halls, down from the Harrowing Chamber, and the other children shuddered.

Aylin sat with them and began to sing to them, hoping to calm them down. And thankfully, it wasn't long before news came that Uldred had been defeated and First Enchanter Irving, along with a few others who survived, were safe.

When the survivors had come back and everyone was let back through the doors, Aylin looked for her brother. She smiled hopefully as she searched each surviving Templar, it fading each time that she saw their forlorn expressions. She managed to find Cullen, his head in his hands as he sat alone.

"Cullen?"

Cullen looked up and saw Aylin standing in front of him. "Aylin..."

Aylin rushed forward, throwing her arms around his neck. "Thank the Maker you're safe! I was so worried!" She stepped back and looked at him. "Did you find Derik?"

Cullen nodded, but he couldn't look her in the eye.

"Well, where is he?" Aylin asked hopefully.

"Aylin..."

Aylin's heart dropped seeing the look on Cullen's face. "Cullen, where's my brother?"

Cullen had forced himself to look at her, but the guilt he felt was nearly too much to bear. "He didn't make it, Aylin... I'm so sorry..."

Aylin stepped back, shaking her head. "No... he can't be gone..."

Cullen looked at her, her fear and anguish crushing. "Aylin, I'm so, so sorry..."

Aylin shook her head, tears slipping down her cheeks. "Liar... Derik isn't dead, he can't be... He's supposed to get promoted to Knight-Corporal today..."

"Aylin, he's gone!" Cullen yelled, standing. "What can't you understand about that? Derik is dead, he's not coming back!"

Everyone around them had gone silent, their eyes turned on them.

"Liar!" Aylin shouted, then turned and ran past everyone. "I'll show you! I'll find Derik and bring him back myself!"

"Aylin, wait!" Greagoir had called to her as she ran past and back into the main Tower. He looked at Cullen, seeing his distress, and sighed. "Cullen, go after her. She can't be up there alone."

"It's alright, Knight-Commander, I will find her."

"Leliana, are you sure?" Luther asked.

"It'd be best that someone else go to her. Anything more from mages or Templars won't help her now."

Luther nodded and watched as she hurried after Aylin. Turning to the Knight-Commander, he sighed. "Derik Teyber, that's who she was referring to?"

Greagoir nodded. "He was to be promoted to Knight-Corporal today. Such a promising lad." He sighed. "Maker's breath... it's my fault really... I allowed him to sit in on the meeting..."

"Greagoir, you thought it would do him good. There is no harm in that." Irving said, joining them. "Aylin should be proud of her brother. He died protecting me and the other senior enchanters."

"Aylin, where are you?"

Aylin stood in the room just before the stairs leading up to the Harrowing Chamber, staring down at the floor. Among the bodies of Templars and mages, was her brother.

"No..."

Leliana had followed her up to where they had found Cullen trapped in a barrier. Aylin was standing amidst the bodies, staring down at a young Templar who looked just like her, even if he was covered in blood. "There you are!"

Aylin didn't pay her any mind, or any mind to the Templars who were tasked with clearing out the bodies for burial. She stood there, tears flowing freely, staring at her brother's broken and bloodied body.

"Aylin?"

Aylin barely budged when Leliana put an arm around her shoulders. "He was supposed to be promoted today... We were going to have a big party for him to celebrate..."

Leliana looked down at the young man. He couldn't have been more than twenty years or so of age. "He was very brave, Aylin. He died protecting his friends, the people he cared about. He died to protect you."

Aylin looked at her. "But he didn't have to die! He promised we'd have lunch together after the meeting, then Cullen promised he'd find him..." She burst into tears, letting Leliana pull her into a hug.

"Shh, it'll be alright..." Leliana rubbed her back.

"Aylin, sweetheart, we have to take the bodies." one of the Templar said.

Aylin looked up and nodded, sniffing. "O-Ok..."

"Come, let us return to the others. Everyone has been so worried about you." Leliana said.

Aylin nodded, letting Leliana lead her back downstairs to the others. When she passed by Cullen, she refused to look at him even when he tried to apologize again to her.

Watching her curl up in a corner, huddled up and crying, Cullen's heart sank.

He had found Derik alive and well, even stood with him to try and quell the abominations and demons swarming them. Derik had been cut down, Cullen had killed the last of the monsters and knelt next to Derik. Derik had asked that he protect his sister, that he give her the amulet he wore- the amulet with their family crest that had been passed down from their parents- and thanked him for everything. Cullen held him until he drew his last breath, his last words were ones of sorrow, regret, and love for his little sister. Cullen clutched the amulet in his hand, but was trapped in a barrier by Uldred as he and a few abominations dragged Irving and the other surviving senior enchanters with him up to the Harrowing Chamber. Uldred left someone to watch over him and they tortured him relentlessly. But all the while, it was Aylin's face, her laugh, her determination, her smile that kept him from breaking. He had vowed to escape and keep his promise to Derik.

Cullen looked down at the amulet in his hand, the promise weighing on him. He knew that she needed to grieve, that she needed time and space, but he had to get her the amulet and tell her Derik's last words. The funeral rites would be performed the following evening, so he resolved to give it to her then. Turning away, he went to ask his superiors- those who had survived- what more needed to be done.

Aylin packed her bags in the middle of the night. She didn't want to stay in a place of such horrors and despair. She wanted to get as far from the Blight and the sorrow as she could.

As she made her way down to the main Tower entrance, sneaking passed everyone along the way, she stepped through the door and closed it silently behind her.

"Leaving without saying goodbye?"

Aylin jumped and looked to find Conrrat standing there. "I can't stay, Conrrat... I just can't... Without Derik, I..."

Conrrat pulled her into a hug. "I know, sweetheart..." He had been one of the Templars who had been on the other side of the doors, one of the ones attending the wounded when the Wardens had arrived. Virgil had been among the ones who had died initially during the meeting when Uldred first attacked. "You know you can't go out there in those Blighted lands alone."

"I can't ask anyone to go with me..." Aylin stepped back, looking at the lake.

"Then good thing you're not asking."

Aylin looked back at him as he shouldered a pack of his own. "Where are you going?"

Conrrat smiled. "With you, Aylin. No one is safe out there alone. Besides, I've been aching to go back home to the Free Marches." He offered her his hand. "I have horses waiting for us on the other side of the lake. Come with me to Kirkwall, you can stay with me."

Aylin took his hand and nodded. They walked to the dock, got a ride to the other side of the lake and mounted up. She took one last look at Kinlock Hold, the only place she had ever called home, and sighed. "Goodbye, everyone... I'm sorry..."

They made their way forward, heading for Amaranthine where they would take ship. Aylin had never been outside of Fereldan before, but she was glad to leave it behind. She had nothing left there without her brother.