9:38
"It didn't have to end that way you know." For the first time in years Laurel stood before her father in his study. He looked like a different man, older, sadder, he'd gone completely gray in the years since she had seen him last.
Six years ago he had put her through one of the worse ordeals of her life, now he was the one responsible for saving her. She had been discharged a month ago, dishonorably. She was stripped of her rank, her service awards, everything she had worked so hard for, gone. Lying on a military application was grounds for court marshal. Six years of service meant nothing because she wasn't who she said she was. She was a Trevelyan, and there was no running away from that now. She should have been imprisoned or worse, but being a Trevelyan had saved her. Her father only had to call in a few favors and her record was wiped clean, like the last six years had never happened. It wasn't fair. Not to her, not to the comrades she had fought with and lost. The mages were rebelling and she was forced to leave at a time soldiers were needed most. At least the rebellion had not yet spread to Ostwick. And now, she was back in front of the man who had taught her her first lesson in pain.
"I know you will never forgive me, but thank you for coming back. For your mother's sake if not for mine." He looked at his daughter, she was a woman now, a formidable one at that. She had grown and matured. This was the first time they had looked upon each other since that day in the garden more than six years ago. The day now fresh in their minds once again.
She sighed, pushing away the pain. She stood tall with her hands behind her on the small of her back: the "at ease" position she had grown accustom to taking. She showed no emotion, holding the bearing the military had taught her. "Of course. I've put it behind me. We can't undo what happened, so...I'd be perfect happy if never spoke of it again... try to move forward." She softened again, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, reminding herself to relax, letting her arms fall to her sides. This was her father, not her superior officer. "I...I was ready to come back home, to have a home again. I know you thought you were doing what was best, but I hope now you realize how much you hurt me."
He lowered his head into his hands, stifling a sob. "I'm so sorry Laurel, I...I was insane. I know what I did was wrong. I think we've all grown older and wiser since then. I've changed for the better. I took a hard look at my life when we lost you. I thought it would be forever."
"Well it wasn't, I'm back. I can't promise for how long, but for now I'm here."
"It's more than I could ask. For what it's worth, when we learned what you were doing, what you had accomplished, we couldn't have been more proud, your mother and I. Despite how it ended up. We should have let you choose your own way from the start, you wouldn't have been in this mess if we had. It takes a lot for a man to admit when he was wrong, but I was so completely utterly wrong."
She swallowed and stared blankly ahead, not quite sure what to think. "Thank you."
...
Laurel was back in the Ostwick Chantry courtyard for the first time in years. She never thought she would step foot here again. It still looked exactly the same as it had the last time she saw it. And just like a day had never passed, there knelt Gared, receiving a blessing from the same Chantry Priest.
And just as before he stood and greeted her with a smile. "Well aren't you a sight for sore eyes." He grabbed her by the back of the head and pulled her in for a hug and a planted a kiss on her cheek making her squirm and laugh. "Sister, I've missed you."
"I've missed you too," she laughed, pushing him away in jest. They started to walk together out into the streets of Ostwick. They walked side by side with the same stiff gait, the same posture, the way those with military training would be conditioned to walk, almost a relaxed march. "I, uh, don't supposed I could interest you in a pint like we used to do," she said nudging him in the ribs with a grin.
He laughed. "Well that didn't take long, cut right to the chase didn't you? And I thought the military would have changed you."
She raised an eyebrow mischievously. "Well...? What say you?"
"I would love to, Laurel, but you've been gone a long time. Things are different now. With the rebellion I just don't have the freedom or the time that I used to."
She turned stoic and stopped for a moment. "The rebellion?" she said in alarm. "It hasn't reach the circle here has it?"
"No. Not yet, anyway." He motioned her to keep moving and looked around for prying ears, lowering his voice just in case. "But there are whispers. I'm sure the mages know what's going on outside the walls of Ostwick. We've had to take some more strict measures with the mages, but nothing too serious. Nothing to worry about."
She wasn't entirely convinced. "If you say so. You'd tell me if things went bad wouldn't you?"
He chucked. "Why? Are you going to come save me? You've been off learning how to fight wars so now you think you can take on an entire circle of mages."
"I would if I had to," she said with a chuckle, smacking him lighting on the arm. They continued. Laurel walked with her arms crossed, hands griping her elbows, looking down a bit. "You're the only one who's been there for me. The least I could do is come and save your arse from those sparklers."
"Don't go getting any ideas. You may be a soldier, but you're also my baby sister and I won't have you putting yourself in harms way for my sake."
"But I would. You know that, right?"
"Yes, I know that." They had reached the gates to the circle, more fortification had been added to the walls since she had last been here. It was not a comforting sight. "This is where we part. Visitors aren't allowed in anymore."
"I see, trying to get rid of me." She glared looking up for a moment, staring at what could only be now described as a compound, maybe even a prison. She watched the Templars that were standing guard open the gates that were shut with some elaborate lock. Gared walked inside, looking back giving her a smile and a small salute. "You know where to find me," she called through the bars.
...
9:39
Another explosion, screams, metal hitting metal and flesh, something cracking, more screams. "Maker make it stop!"
The inevitable had happened, and now most of the mages were gone or dead, the ones that remained still fighting their way out. Laurel sat on the ground holding Gared in her arms, rocking back and forth. He was still with her for now, but his life was fading fast. He was burnt and bleeding, touched by both magic and blade. She held him for as long as she could, hoping help would come. Hoping that he could even be helped. He was coughing again, trying to say her name. Tears fell silently down her cheeks as she brushed his hair back from his face. "Shhh, save your strength, help is coming soon." The saliva in her mouth was thick, choking her, making it hard to speak. Somehow she had made it to him through the chaos but she had been too late. She had seen soldiers die, she recognized the signs. She knew by his sputtered breathing he was close. She felt helpless, her world was sinking. "Gared stay with me." He kept closing his eyes. Please don't close your eyes. He opened them again, but his look was still far off. He was trying to stay for her, but he couldn't fight much longer. He looked up at her, touching her face, the blood on his hand streaking her face. She grabbed his hand and held it there, she was weeping now, gasping for air. She knew he would be gone soon. "Gared?" He squeezed her hand, telling her he was still there, though his eyes had shut. He was shaking now, he looked afraid. The only thing she could think to do was try to sing, their governess used to sing a lullaby to them as children. She kept brushing his hair and his face, singing the song. It seemed to calm him. He went limp and stopped opening his eyes before the song had finished, his chest didn't rise anymore and his grip on her hand was gone. She shook him and screamed his name. He didn't move. He was gone. She couldn't move, couldn't hear or see or even cry anymore. She was surrounded by death, but only one mattered to her.
An explosion again and more screams, her ears rang and she was flat on the floor. The blast had knocked her on her back. Someone grabbed her arm and yanked her to her feet. But Gared! She started screaming, fighting, wanting to get away from whoever held her by the arm. She had to stay with Gared. "No! Get away from me, No!" The man slapped her. She looked up at him, her eyes wide, she felt like she had woken from a dream to find the world burning around her. "Come to your senses, girl! The circle is lost, we must leave!" He was a Templar, she could trust him, she had to go with him. She would come back for Gared's body when she could. "Give me a weapon!" He went to Gared's body, scoping up his sword and shield. "Take these, he would want you to have them," he said muffled through his helm. She gripped the sword, ready to fight her way out. They ran to the exit, into the long hallway leading out to the courtyard, passing room upon room, screams coming from every direction. In their path a mage crawled across the floor, he saw Laurel and the Templar running towards him and begged for their mercy. Laurel's mind was racing, scrambling for answers. How could the mages have brought so much destruction and death? How could they have killed her brother? The templars were their protectors. This mage did not deserve mercy, none of them did! She ran to the mage, screaming in rage as she brought her blade down upon him, ending his life instantly. The templar ran ahead, but she stood above the mage's body staring, catching her breath and watching him bleed. "My Lady! We have to go!"
She looked around weeping, wiping her nose with the back of her wrist. They had to keep going. She sprinted toward the end of the hall now, the templar motioning her to hurry outside. She had almost made it to the door when she heard whimpering. Two mages in a small room to her right were cowering on the floor, holding each other. She stopped and stared, standing over them with blade raised. She felt the anger of her brother's death raging inside of her. These mages had no weapons, but they were far from defenseless. They had to be stopped. She roared and swung her blade. The mages screamed, begging for their lives. She didn't care. The selfishness of these mages had led to all of this, and they would pay for her brother's life. Magic was made to serve man, not destroy it. She would kill these mages, and she would find the ones responsible for Gared's death. She swore to take revenge.
