A part of her was sad to leave. Lothering and its chantry had been her home for two years now. Maker, had it really been that long? The daily routine of life in the cloister made the days bleed into one another. And now, here she was.

There were kind, good people here, and it truly was a shame most of them would die. Leliana tried to give herself some peace in the knowledge that it was the Maker's will. Though, why He would take so many people who had already pledged their lives to Him was beyond her. She came to realize long ago that there existed a difference between having faith in the Maker and having faith in the Chantry. Her brothers and sisters, so lost in their devotion, scorned her for thinking this.

The Maker she worshiped loved all His creation. There was a reason for everything that happened in this world. A reason for the betrayal that had brought Leliana to change her sinful ways, a reason for the Blight which made one appreciate the beauty that still remained, a reason for the events at Ostagar and the trouble in Lothering. It was the Maker's will, she knew from her vision.

Some, namely Morrigan, might call her crazy...but hadn't they always?

As they made their way from the village, Leliana did not look back. She kept her eyes forward. The Circle Tower was not yet visible but she knew it must be somewhere behind those clouds, alone on its little island in the center of Lake Calenhad...Were the people who lived there lonely too?

Leliana's eyes settled on the woman who led their little group, led by her fearless Mabari hound. She was one of the two remaining Grey Wardens in the nation, such a brave woman to take charge like that despite her...unique challenges. As a mage and a Warden, she had few friends in the world save for those that traveled with her...and Morrigan who didn't know the meaning of the word.

How did Cecilia feel about going back to the Tower?

Leliana knew it was only to fulfill the treaty obligating the mages to aid against the Blight, but she had heard the rumors of demons who possessed the living and the dead. Maleficarum were also said to be behind it all. The templars were considering destroying the Circle altogether and starting anew. She hoped they weren't too late, because if there were survivors they deserved to be given a chance, mage or otherwise.

It was funny really; Cecilia a mage and she a sister of the Chantry...Well, not anymore. In fact, Leliana had already given up her robes in favor of leather armor. It was much more practical, but timeless, like the priests' robes themselves. Despite the ever changing Orlesian fashions, those robes always stayed the same. Of course, the same could be said for the mages' robes as well...

It felt so odd to be wearing armor again. The leather was slightly constricting but liberating at the same time. The knowledge that she could run faster in armor and fight too…It was a strange feeling, and it frightened her. She had worked so hard to give all that up, but it seemed to be the Maker's will.

The wispy clouds had burned off while she wasn't looking. Now, much closer than Leliana had anticipated stood the Tower of Magi. From where they were standing it appeared to be abandoned, vigilantly keeping watch over the shore...And to think there was such wickedness taking place within those walls...She shivered, and not just because the leather armor wasn't nearly as warm as her robes had been.

Pickles the Mabari suddenly let out two informative barks.

"Good." Cecilia replied. "The sooner we get this over with the better." Then Leliana's keen ears caught something else, three murmured words that were scarcely audible: "Hang on, Petra..."

)O(

"Amell…"

It didn't take a bard to know that the Knight-Commander wasn't pleased to see her again.

"What happened here?" Cecilia asked.

"Does it matter now? The Circle is lost, abominations and blood mages everywhere, and from what I've heard the south has fallen to the darkspawn." he sighed. "Wynne doesn't believe what Teyrn Loghain says, that the Grey Wardens betrayed Ferelden, I mean. But frankly, considering the Warden-Commander actually thought it wise to recruit you, I wouldn't put it passed them."

"It's not true."

"So you say."

"Alistair and I are the only Wardens to survive Ostagar. I have come here to request the Circle's aid against the Blight. Now I will ask you again: what happened here?"

"So the apprentice is all grown up, hmm?" Greagoir shook his head and sighed. "I don't know what to believe anymore, Amell. One moment everything was fine and the next those...things were...coming through the floor and the walls...Maker, they killed everyone, mage and templar alike. I led what few surviving templars I could find and sealed the exit."

Cecilia frowned. "Didn't you try to save any mages?"

"We couldn't risk...something getting out." he said. "So you understand, Amell, there are no mages left to assist you. It's over, we've lost, and the only thing we can do now is rebuild."

"The mages aren't helpless. Surely there must be some alive."

"And even if that were so, how could we trust that they weren't blood mages or know for certain whether or not they have demons inside them?" Greagoir's voice was rising. "No, I won't put everyone in danger. The Circle must be destroyed."

Leliana watched as the mage thought this over, eventually settling on the terrible realization that he may be right, judging from her expression. They had to try and save those who could be saved, didn't they? That was the right thing to do...

"If I help you," Cecilia was saying, her voice thin as glass, "I will need something in return."

"See to it that the abominations, blood mages, and any survivors who may be a threat are dealt with...and I will see to it that myself and my men are ready when the time comes to battle the archdemon." he said. "Do we have a deal?"

She took a deep breath, and nodded.

)O(

The heavy doors closed behind them, and Cecilia heard the distinct 'click' of the key turning in the lock. She would bet those doors were thick enough to silence one's screams...

There was death all around them. The corridor was without a doubt filled with corpses of mages and templars both. The Veil was so thin there; she could almost make out the cries of spirits who had been cut down before their time, and trapped in that dismal gray place between the worlds yet somehow separate from them.

Beyond what she now thought of as the Hall of Lost Souls was the spacious room that led to both the library and the basement: the room where she had lay there in shock, covered in her best friend's blood, and been given a chance she didn't deserve.

"Child…? My word, I'm so relieved you made it out in time!" It was Wynne, the Senior Enchanter she had met at Ostagar.

"I could say the same about you." Cecilia pointed out; thankful that not all the mages were dead, not all was lost just yet. "You should know: Greagoir sent me to clear out the Tower. He said everyone had to die."

"You don't truly believe that, do you?" Wynne asked, alarmed. "Because if so I will not hesitate you kill you myself if it should come to that. Uldred will pay for what he has done here, even if I must die for it."

Uldred the Libertarian? Yes, it seemed a rebellion was the only explanation. The details weren't important right now. They didn't have much time.

"No, but he wouldn't have let me pass otherwise."

"I see," Wynne sighed. "Well, I guess I can understand that. I wouldn't have let you pass either if I knew you intended to destroy the Circle. The templars have sent for the Right of Annulment, haven't they?"

Cecilia nodded.

"Then we must act quickly. If I know Greagoir, he won't believe the situation is entirely under control until Irving says so."

"Then we have to find him."

"Yes. I will come with you as well, you will need a healer." Wynne said. "Now, I have been keeping the creatures at bay with a magical barrier that seals off the entrance to the library. I do not know what we will face beyond that point, but it has protected the children so far."

Cecilia knew what had to be done. "Pickles, I need you to stay here and look after everyone, okay?" She knelt down before the dog who whimpered uncertainly. "I know, boy, but the Tower is my home. Though there were fewer demons last time I was here. And I will have Alistair, Leliana, and Wynne to help me."

Morrigan had refused to take part in anything involving the Circle Tower. She was free, and would not set foot in such a place. She had compared the mages to cattle, but then said that Cecilia was slightly more than that, only because she wanted a favor. She asked the other mage to retrieve a grimoire once belonging to Flemeth before the templars got a hold of it. Such an item could be useful anyway.

"Petra, stay with the children, if you would." Wynne instructed her apprentice. This made Cecilia rise to her feet again, her jaw agape. Petra was alive and she hadn't even known it.

The younger mage protested, mostly because she was concerned about Wynne, but eventually agreed to do as she was told. As they prepared to head deeper and higher into the Tower, Cecilia felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Take care of her, won't you?" Petra whispered into her ear from behind.

"I think she can take care of herself." Cecilia pointed out.

"I'm serious, something happened before you arrived. A demon appeared out of nowhere and took me off guard. Healers aren't exactly trained for battle, but Wynne pushed me out of the way and defeated the beast, I don't know how.

"And when I opened my eyes, she was lying on the ground. She looked...dead." the word came out as barely a whisper. "Something, maybe the demon, had drained all the life from her. I did everything she had taught me but to no avail. And then, miraculously, she started to come back. The color returned to her features and I could feel her pulse again.

"I just...I don't know if she is really up for this. She acts so strong all the time, but people don't have near death experiences and walk away from it quite the same. I know she won't admit it, but just please keep an eye on her, all right? For me?"

This was important to Petra, and so Cecilia agreed to do just that.

"I can't believe you're alive, by the way. It almost gives me hope."

"I could say the same about you." Cecilia retorted.

She wished they could talk more, but there wasn't time.

The other mage placed a discreet kiss on her cheek and the side of her neck before going off to look after the children, the youngest apprentices at the Circle.

Wynne removed the barrier of shimmering protective magic that had been ebbing away her energy to keep in place for this long.

"Are you scared?" Cecilia asked Leliana, sensing her hesitation.

"A little..." she admitted.

"It'll okay, Alistair was trained as a templar and Wynne is a skilled healer. Whatever trouble we may get into, it will be fine." She wasn't sure if she believed the lie, but it sounded plausible enough, and it made the Orlesian smile.

There was nowhere to go except forward.