Chapter 11: Class is in Session
Knight Commander Greagoir stared at the group that was milling about outside the Tower: Denerim soldiers led by a group of mages. What in the Maker's name was going on? He strode out the doors, some of the Templars following him. "What business brings you- Oh, it's you, Warden." Cassandra smirked at him, one hand on her hip. His tone told her all she needed to know, and for some reason, making Greagoir annoyed brought a smile to her face.
"Nice to see you too, Knight Commander." She walked over, handing him a scroll. "I bring greetings from our King, and a message." He unfurled the scroll, but barely got through half of it before turning angry eyes on her.
"What sort of nonsense is this? You cannot just order me to give all the mages in the Tower to you!"
"If you read more carefully, Greagoir, you'll see that it says only those willing to come with us. So you might have two or three left," Anders said with a grin.
"Don't get cheeky with me, boy. Chantry Law specifically states-"
"To the Void with "Chantry Law"!" Cassandra shouted, making the Templars jump a bit. Even Greagoir seemed a bit uneasy at that outburst. "This is not a request, Knight Commander, it is an order. I will be taking whoever wishes to come with me, and you will never have to worry about them again."
"I must send Templars to accompany them." He was going to make this difficult, and she rubbed her temples for a moment, trying to calm down. She had not wanted to resort to drastic measures, but they were both too stubborn on this issue.
"No, you don't. Here, I'll make this easier on you: By Rite of Conscription of the Grey Wardens, which I still retain, the entirety of the Circle Tower is now under my full jurisdiction." His jaw nearly dropped to the ground.
"You cannot-"
"I just did." Her eyes darkened, and she saw that a few of his fellows had their hands on their blades. Beside her, she felt Anders stiffen, and she saw the look his own eyes held: If they came closer, he might attack them. Merrill came up behind her, eyes wide. If she didn't put a reign on her emotions, things would quickly get out of hand."Call off your subordinates. I don't want bloodshed."
"All of you, stand down!" Greagoir chastised them, turning around. "I'll not see this place turn into Kirkwall." That caught her attention, and she raised an eyebrow.
"What do you know of Kirkwall?" He sighed heavily, shaking his head.
"I know that the Circle there was brutally executed for a crime it did not commit. Some insane blood mage took out the Chantry there, and Knight Commander Meredith ordered the Rite of Annullment. We took in the few survivors who managed to escape, and they told us what happened: How the Champion was also forced to kill Meredith when she was deemed to be insane due to direct lyrium exposure."
"Hawke did what?" Anders asked in shock. Merrill had her hands over her mouth, eyes wide. Never had any of them thought it would turn out that way.
"Knight Commander, let me take this burden from you," Cassandra implored. "I don't care if you villify me, but I am not leaving here without my fellow mages. As that scroll states, only those willing to come will leave. I doubt many of the older mages are going to like what I'm doing, but I'm sure there is enough tension with the younger ones to warrant the Templars being a bit… On edge?"
"That is an understatement," he said, sighing again. "Look Hero, you and I go back quite a ways. You were always the quiet rebel, but you are no fool. Whatever your idea is, I know that you will not endanger either Thedas or your fellow mages. You have until nightfall to get those who wish to leave out. After that, I am closing off access to the Tower while we await word from the Divine." She bowed, a small smile on her lips.
"By nightfall, we won't be anywhere near here. Maker watch over you, Knight Commander Greagoir. I'd say this makes us even for me helping during the Blight."
"Andraste guide you, Hero. I hope you know what you're doing." Greagoir and Cassandra bowed to each other, and then the Templars allowed them access to the Tower. Anders took her hand as they stepped inside, and she felt his hesitation just as she knew he felt hers. They were just visiting, not staying. In a few hours, they would leave this place forever, and it could burn for all she cared.
"So it was you that told the Knight Commander about what happened in Kirkwall?" Merrill asked the young man sitting in the wagon. He sighed and nodded, his eyes flicking to Anders and Cassandra, who were riding horses next to them. It was nearly nightfall, and the Hero wanted to put some distance between their group and the Tower. It had turned that out most every mage had come with them, leaving only the very senior Senior Enchanters and the First Enchanter still with the Templars. Richard and Connor were currently regaling the children with stories from their time in the Tower, and the young mages from Kirkwall were fitting right in with them. Merrill was riding with their friends, all of whom had passed their Harrowing.
"I told them what I thought would be a believable story," the Starkhaven mage said, gazing out across the fields.
"You don't have to apologize, Alain," Anders told him with a small smile. "I'm just glad more of you got out."
"I'm the only one from my Circle left," he said sadly. "I'm just tired of running."
"You won't have to run anymore."
"Thank you, Ser-"
"No titles," the healer interrupted. "We're all equals here."
"Speak for yourself," Cassandra teased.
"Are you really the Hero of Ferelden?" She looked at him with confusion on her face, not quite sure what he meant.
"Were you expecting someone else? A man, perhaps? Or someone more imposing?" She heard giggling, and turned to look at Petra and Neria.
"Cassandra, you already are a bit imposing," the Elf said with a grin.
"And I don't think the stories would be half as fun if you were a man," Petra added. She was currently holding Deborah, who was asleep in her lap. Both girls had been instantly taken with the child, and had given her knowing grins when they'd seen Anders. He'd had the decency to blush when all three of them had looked his way.
"I meant no offense!" Alain hastily replied. "I just… I know you and the Champion are related-"
"Don't compare me to her," Cassandra said, shaking her head. "We're both mages, but our views couldn't be more opposite. I saved Ferelden because I had to, because it was the right thing to do. She was imprisoning mages because she was terrified of her own abilities."
"If she was so afraid, why didn't she join the Circle on her own?" Finn asked, looking up from his book. He'd managed to sneak quite a few volumes out of the library, mostly from the history section. Merrill had found him to be a kindred spirit.
"Who knows?" Anders said with a shrug. He shifted on the saddle, being careful of Pounce sitting on it. The cat was perched quite contentedly, staring at everything and probably reminiscing about the old days when he actually did get to see the world. On the mage's shoulders, Duchess and Squire Purrington peeked out from the feathers on his coat. He chuckled, tapping the orange kitten on his nose when he leaned forward, receiving a soft mewl in response. Lady Priss was over on Cassandra's saddle, her tail waving this way and that as she kept her eyes on her babies and her mistress. After a little while, Cassandra called a halt and for camp to be set up. She took her "daughter" from Petra, and the now-awake little girl hugged her tight, a smile lighting up her face.
"Were you a good girl for my friends, little one?"
"Uh-huh," she replied, waving to the other mages. "Food?"
"Soon, I promise. Why don't we go for a walk and stretch those little legs of yours?" Deborah grinned as she was set on the ground, teetering this way and that as she walked in the growing darkness. They'd pegged her age at around two, and she seemed like a normal child in every sense of the word. Only time would tell if she manifested magick, and Cassandra silently hoped that she did. Anders fell into step beside her, having placed the kittens in one of the empty wagons. He extended a hand to Deborah, and she latched onto it, her free one grabbing Cassandra's hand, linking them.
"I didn't think Greagoir would be so easy to convince," Anders said after a few minutes. They stood watching the sunset, and he gazed at his "family" in adoration.
"Me neither," Cassandra admitted, tucking her hair behind her ears as the wind picked up. "But he did owe me from the Blight."
"Word is already spreading. I wonder what the other Circles are going to do when they find out what happened?"
"Other than rise up and set the Chantry on its collective ass? I'm not sure. We might need to send people as backup if things get out of hand."
"You know I'll be the first to volunteer if it means giving these Templars a good thrashing." He shook his head, free hand clenching into a fist. Deborah suddenly let go of Cassandra's hand and clung to his pants, and Anders looked down at her.
"Sad?" she asked softly, tugging on the fabric. He bent down and lifted her up, tilting his head in curiousity.
"I'm not sad, little one. I'm-" He meant to say "angry", but stopped when he realized something. Thinking about the Templars had made him think of Justice, and the fact that the Spirit might still be out there, fighting against opression. He was fighting alone, after they'd sworn to free all mages from Chantry rule together. That had made him sad. "Maybe I am. Did I upset you?" Deborah shook her head, her arms wrapping around his neck as much as she could.
"No," she whispered, resting her head on his shoulder. Anders held her for a moment as Cassandra watched, her own interest piqued. Deborah finally lifted her head up and smiled brightly at the two of them. "Food?"
"Dinner should be ready soon. Let's head back and see what it is," Cassandra said as the little girl wiggled down to the ground and took off as fast as her little legs could go. The two mages followed closely after, but she tugged on his coat. "What's wrong?"
"I don't want to jump to conclusions, but I think she might be a mage." Cassandra's eyes widened for a moment as she met his gaze.
"It's awfully early for abilities to manifest, isn't it?" Not that it would be a problem, with all the mages that were going to be around the little girl from here on. Still, to have a confirmed magical ability at her age was rare. Anders shrugged and nodded.
"I was a late bloomer with magick though, so I'm not one to question. I've heard of children as young as three or four showing signs, but nothing that could single them out as mages. There were quite a few children in the Kirkwall Circle though."
"My younger brother was confirmed at five, which was far earlier than me or our older brother. What did she do that makes you think that?"
"It's not what she did, it's what she said. Originally, I was annoyed at the thought of Templars taking control of the other Circles, but that made me think of how I got started with all this."
"Justice," she guessed.
"Yes. And that led me to think about where he might be now, and if he's still fighting for our freedom. It bothers me that I'm not with him-" He saw the frightened look in her eyes, and immediately took her hand. "But I know that this is for the best. Still, it made me a little sad to think that the one who convinced me to stand up for our people isn't here. I think Deborah picked up on that." It took Cassandra a moment to get the meaning of his words, and her eyes widened.
"You think she's empathic?" They both looked towards the little blonde as she toddled straight into Finn, who didn't look away from his book. Merrill picked the little girl up and giggled at the bookish mage, a blush tinting her cheeks that was evident even in the dim light.
"Time will tell," Anders replied as they rejoined the group.
Soldier's Peak loomed over the group as they exited the caverns, and those who had not been there before felt overwhelmed by the fortress. "You know, I never realized how… Big it was," Anders said, his mouth hanging slightly open. Cassandra grinned and turned to face the mages, who stood huddled at the mouth of the tunnels. She'd had to take her time remembering the way, but now they were all safely through.
"Welcome to Soldier's Peak, everyone!" she called out. "What was once a Grey Warden base for training shall become our new home. For now, let's get everyone settled in the old barracks, and then I want to meet with all the Enchanters in the main hall. As for you kids, you are to mind those in charge of you, and the Dryden family. This has been their home for quite a while, and you will give them the respect they deserve. Are we clear?" All of the young apprentices nodded, and she smiled brightly. "Then let's get to it." Having had to leave the wagons at the entrance to the tunnels, getting everyone's gear and the other essentials they'd brought with them took quite a while. The Denerim soldiers who'd accompanied them stayed to help, and were offered lodging and food for the night, before they headed back to the city. When all was said and done, the older mages assembled in the hall that had once held great warriors and leaders from times long past. And even after all this time, Cassandra could still sense the Veil close by. With everything that had been done here over the years, it would probably never be as strong as it once was, even after Avernus had repaired it to keep the Demons away. All eyes were on her, and she stepped into the circle of her fellows. "Everyone here?"
"All present and accounted for," Petra told her with a smile.
"Good. This is where things start to sound weird. I know that none of you were expecting to ever see me again, let alone show up and escort you all from the Tower. So we'll start with the simple explanation: We're all free now. Free from not only the Tower, but the Circle itself and the Templars who enforce its archaic Laws. Now we will be able to live our lives as regular people, not as prisoners. This fortress will become a school and place of refuge for mages across Thedas, in the hopes that one day the world will see us as people who need not be feared. For those that wish to stay and help train the apprentices, I welcome your aid. And if anyone wishes to simply go out on their own and see the world, I wish you luck and the Maker's blessings. Just know that this place will always be here if you need it. Now then, does anyone have any questions?"
"Just one," Neria offered. "What about our phylacteries? The Templars can still hunt us down with them, so what's to stop them from coming here?" Cassandra grinned at her friend, pointing with a flourish at a number of locked chests that rested against the wall. She's personally checked and sorted their contents at the Tower.
"You mean those phylacteries?" she asked with a shrug. Everyone's eyes widened, and her grin got bigger. "Anyone who came with us, from the newest apprentice to the most seasoned Enchanter, your phylactery is now here. Tomorrow, when we officially get everyone settled down and start everything up, we're going to send a clear message that we are not going to be controlled any longer."
"We're going to smash them?" Richard called out, sounding a little giddy.
"That's exactly what we're going to do. They are the last ties we have to the old way of doing things. Now we will have no phylacteries, no Templars, no Harrowing, and no fear of being made Tranquil. The children we have will learn to harness their abilities and not fear them, and they will learn the dangers of the Fade without fretting over being possessed or killed. But it is we who must teach them this. And so I will only ask that you swear to one thing: There shall be no blood magick taught, practiced, or even considered on these grounds. Any who are found to be a blood mage will be exiled from Soldier's Peak, and may Andraste protect you from whatever will be out there looking for you." Nods passed among the adults, and even Merrill was fine with the vow. However, Alain tentatively raised his hand, and all talking stopped.
"My apologies, Hero, but.. I… I am a blood mage. I was taught by my mentor from the Starkhaven Circle. She said it would protect me, and I believed her. But I don't want to endanger anyone here, so if you will just allow me to rest for the night-" Cassandra walked over to him, even as some of the other mages backed away. Most of them had been with the Circle during Uldred's attempted takeover, and their fear and revulsion to blood magick was strong.
"Do you truly want to give up that power?" she asked, voice soft. He appeared startled by her question, but nodded vigrously.
"I do! I mean, I would if I could, but-"
"You can," Merrill told him. "We just need to find the Spirit-"
"Demon," Anders interrupted.
"Spirit," the Dalish girl continued, glaring as best as she could at the healer. "That you bound yourself to and… Destroy it."
"You make that sound so easy," Alain argued.
"I've killed quite a few Demons in my time," Cassandra told him. "But we'll need to head into the Fade and attack it there. Tomorrow, after we're all done with setting up the Peak, I'll take volunteers and go with you. With any luck, we'll have you free by dinnertime." She placed a hand on his shoulder, and the young man smiled.
"Thank you. I'm glad I came with you."
"You're a fellow mage," Neria said as she came over as well. "We don't abandon anyone, even if they made some foolish choices." The hurt in her voice betrayed an old pain, and Cassandra hugged her for a moment. Blood magick had exacted a price on the Elf that she hadn't expected to pay, and it wasn't even her who had turned to it.
'Jowan, if I ever find you again, we're going to have a serious talk. Followed by a serious thrashing for you hurting Neria like that.'
That night, after everyone was settled, Cassandra looked around her new quarters. Levi had insisted she take the Warden Commander's room. There was even a small secondary room attached to it, and that was now Deborah's room until she got a bit older. None of the Drydens had gone near this section, out of respect for Sophia's memory, but now the time had come for even Soldier's Peak to stop living in the past After Avernus' passing a few years back, his tower had been cleared and cleansed of all experiments, and Cassandra had taken his notes for herself, lest they fall into curious hands. Anders walked into the room, looking slightly bothered, and she went to him, running a hand down his arm. "Something wrong?"
"I've just been helping the others pass out the phylacteries to everyone. With the exception of the Kirkwall mages, almost everyone's is there. And Alain said that Orsino destroyed their storage room at the Gallows before he died."
"You said almost everyone's," she said, looking perplexed. "Who's is missing?"
"Yours and mine." He went to stand by the window, one hand reaching down to pet Lady Priss, who was perched on the sill. Cassandra shook her head and smiled slightly. "The Wardens must still have ours."
"They don't," she told him with a shrug. "I made sure of that."
"Then where are they, Cassie? If they weren't at the Tower, and they weren't sent to Weisshaupt, where could they be? This is bad, don't you see? We can be hunted still, and with you running this place, it won't be long before Templars show up." He turned around, beginning to pace, and she grabbed his coat, stopping him.
"Calm down," she ordered gently, meeting his gaze.
"Calm down? This is what got me into trouble the first time with you, remember? When Rylock set that damned trap, and we-" She pressed a finger to his lips, eyes narrowing.
"Don't bother even thinking about that wretched woman. She paid for her stupidity, remember?" He nodded, and she relaxed into him for a moment. "Besides, I know exactly where our phylacteries are. I was going to surprise you tomorrow, but I can see that you need proof now." She reached beneath her robe, pulling out the chain with her Joining pendant, and showing him the two vials that hung from either side of it. His eyes widened as he reached a tentative hand out to one of them, and she nodded. "Do you remember my Orlesian friend I told you about? The bard who told her the Maker wanted her to help us?"
"Lelianna, yes," he replied, still staring at the vials.
"She got them for me, and she's been keeping me informed of things that are going on not only with Orlais, but also the Divine as well. Lelianna has become the unseeen hand of Divine Justinia, but she knows me well enough to give me warning, should I wish to do something about situations she is called to investigate."
"Kirkwall." She nodded, pulling his phylactery off the chain and handing it to him. Anders pulled a cord up from around his neck, and she realized that he had kept his Joining pendant as well.
"Why did you keep this?" she wondered, fingers gently caressing the pendant after he added the phylactery to the cord. He smiled, bringing his hands up to rest on her waist. It felt like a weight had been lifted off him, and it was a wonderful feeling.
"Because it was the first thing you ever gave me, and it reminded me that there was still some good left in the Wardens. Sure, they made me give up Ser-Pounce-a-Lot, stuck me with a paranoid Templar, and made me trek into the blighted Deep Roads time and again, but… You made my first year bearable. With you leading us, I wanted to be a Warden. I just kept praying there would never be another Blight in my lifetime. Hearing the dreams of an archdemon is bad enough, but I can't imagine having to actually know that it's awake and aware of you."
"You get used to it," she said with a shrug.
"You're a poor liar, Cassie," he shot back, pulling her close. "You would wake up from nightmares every so often at the Vigil, and I would hear you whispering about darkspawn and the like. The Architect's presence just made it worse." She shivered a bit in his arms, knowing that he spoke the truth.
"Well, we don't have to worry about things like that any longer. The most "Grey Warden business" we'll be dealing with will be hosting any of our friends if they visit. And I for one will be glad to return to being a plain, ordinary mage."
"Cassandra Amell, there is nothing plain or ordinary about you," he teased.
"That may be true," she said with a shrug. "But I can certainly pretend. I've been the "Hero" for too long. Someone else can have that title, for all I care."
"You'd miss it and you know it. You love attention," he reminded her, nuzzling her neck. She grinned and guided him back to the bed, and they fell into it, laughing.
"We have our work cut out for us. Freeing other mages and teaching the children here is going to be interesting."
"I think it'll be fun," he predicted, kicking off his boots. "This is only the start, you realize that? It's going to take Thedas quite a while to change."
"And I fully intend to be here when it does." He kissed her hand, eyes lighting up.
"Here's to a world free of oppression and injustice, and a time when mages will not be feared." She hugged him tight and smiled.
"To freedom."