The descent down the dark and narrow stairway was far easier to Lhiannon than the exhausting climb up. Her legs still burned and quivered with the effort and she silently prayed to the Maker that she would not topple forward down the stairs, pulling Anders down with her to land in a broken heap on the next landing. Grasping the fabric of her robe, Lhiannon pulled it up a little higher, wanting to make sure there was no way she would trip over it.

Anders slowed slightly as they descended, letting Lhiannon set the pace down the stairs. He held her hand in his, wanting to make sure her steps were steady and to help keep her balanced as they descended into the darkness, the small wisp beside them providing only wan light.

"You all right, Lhi?"

"I think so."

Anders gave his new friend a reassuring smile. Lhiannon was a cute girl, even if she was a bit shy and quiet around the other apprentices. She had long brown hair, falling nearly to her waist that she generally wore in a braid down her back. Her eyes were as dark as her hair, doe eyes that curiously looked at everything in an effort to satisfy her insatiable need to learn about her new world. What she had come from before her abilities manifested, Anders had no clear knowledge of. Lhiannon seemed reluctant to speak of her past; he had only been able to glean snippets from her. While he was curious about her past, he was reluctant to push her for details when she was not ready to give them.

She came from a village to the west of Lake Calenhad, nestled at the foot of the Frostback Mountains and not far from Gherlen's Pass and the border with Orlais. It was rugged country from what Anders knew of it; his knowledge came mostly from reading the various tomes scattered throughout the tower. Reading about things other than magic was a hobby that Anders liked to indulge in as much as he could. Magic—especially that of the creation variety—came easily to him and he had heard more than once about how gifted he was. All he had to do was picture the result in his mind as he recited the incantations and the results always came as he pictured them. The classes he had to take frequently bored him, as he often progressed through the lessons at a much faster pace than his classmates. He knew he was nearly ready to endure his Harrowing, but his instructors and the First Enchanter cautioned him to wait. More than once he had been told that his impulsiveness and lack of discipline in class were solid proof that he was not yet ready for his Harrowing.

Anders brought his thoughts back to the girl rushing down the stairs beside him. He knew that she had been taught from childhood that mages were offensive to the Maker and for brief moments here and there, she seemed to believe it. That was something Anders thought was rubbish; their magic was a gift from the Maker, not a curse. Magic was only as benevolent or malicious as the caster made it. He wanted to see her grow confident in her abilities and see them as the gift they were. There were too many young mages in the tower who begged for their powers to be taken away, praying to the Maker with every free moment to save them from their curse. Ridiculous, Anders thought.

After several minutes of moving down the dark stairwell, they came to the landing on the floor where the main hall lay. Lhiannon was breathing heavily as they stopped and Anders saw her pull a small cloth from within her robe and dab her sweaty brow with it. He snickered briefly at her—he was hardly out of breath, after all—and grinned as she stuck her tongue out at him.

"Be still, Lhi," Anders said, his voice a low whisper in the darkness. "Templars often walk this hallway." Lhiannon nodded as she stashed her cloth inside her robes, moving back behind the door so as not to be seen when Anders opened it. He pressed his ear to the door, listening carefully for several moments. After what seemed like an eternity hiding in the darkness, Anders reached out and took Lhiannon's hand, pulling her toward him as he snuffed out the small wisp. He slowly opened the door, peeking outside before quickly drawing Lhiannon through.

"Come on, Lhi!"

Lhiannon felt Anders take her hand and pull her quickly down the hall, the soft soles of their boots whispering along the hard floors. She turned to look behind her, seeing a templar moving off in the opposite direction. If he turned around, they would be caught and no doubt punished; since there were no other doors along this section of the hallway, it would be easy to determine where the young apprentices came from. Lhiannon picked up her pace slightly, not wanting to risk being caught and having extra duties lumped on her.

The voice of First Enchanter Remille drifted into the hallway as Lhiannon and Anders approached the main hall. He was still pontificating about the Grey Wardens and the King but as they entered the hall, Lhiannon saw the impressive Warden Commander signal to the First Enchanter, her impatience at the proceedings nearing an end. The mages within the hall were also showing their impatience, fidgeting in their seats and whispering to one another when the Senior Enchanters were not paying attention. Lhiannon and Anders slipped onto a bench at the back of the hall not far from where Senior Enchanters Wynne and Irving stood. Out of the corner of her eye, Lhiannon saw Enchanter Wynne look at her and frown.

Great, Lhiannon thought, I'll be getting another lecture from her as to how I shouldn't be hanging around with Anders. It's clear she doesn't like him…

Lhiannon's thoughts stopped when the young Grey Warden she and Anders saw sneak off reentered the hall through the small doorway he had disappeared through earlier. He returned to the bench he had been sitting on before, giving the small mage next to him a grin and a wink as he sat. The mage leaned over toward the young Warden, speaking low into his ear for several moments. Whatever the young man said in response caused the mage to shake her head slowly, the young Warden beside her chuckling lightly.

The proceedings finally ended not long after Lhiannon and Anders returned to their seats; the First Enchanter leading the Grey Wardens and King Maric out of the hall in a swirl of robes. The apprentices were given the remainder of the day off from their classes and were told to return to either the common areas of the tower or to their barracks. Not wanting to be cornered by Enchanter Wynne and chastised yet again, Lhiannon said a hasty goodbye to Anders before heading off to the barracks and her bed. Having the rest of the afternoon off would give her the chance to catch up on some reading and maybe even give her some extra practice with her primal spells.

As she neared the barracks, she could hear excited chattering coming from the room that served as her small piece of home. As she entered, she saw three other girls there, all crowded on the lower bunk of a bed near Lhiannon's. They paused briefly as Lhiannon entered before returning to their excited chattering. One was a slender girl several years older than Lhiannon named Rigana, her flaming red hair tied into two low pigtails whose ends rested on her ample chest. The second girl was a petite elf named Tallia, her short black hair woven into multiple braids. Lhiannon found it impossible to tell the ages of elves, especially since Tallia was the only elf she had ever seen in the flesh when she first came to Kinloch Hold. The third girl was a doe eyed beauty named Vivian, the girl whom the other two were crowded around. Lhiannon picked up one of her books and stretched out on her bed, lying on her stomach with her elbows propping her up.

Lhiannon heard the springs of Vivian's bed squeak as one of the girls bounced excitedly on it. "Oh, Vivian! What was it like? I can't believe you actually did it with a Grey Warden!" It was Tallia's light voice that reached Lhiannon's ears, full of excitement and even a hint of jealousy.

"Are they really as…gifted…as the stories say about them?" This time it was Rigana speaking, her voice filled with awe and mirth.

Vivian laughed, the sound low and husky. "All that and more."

Lhiannon's eyes continued to skim the pages of her book, but as the other girls continued to pepper Vivian with questions, she found herself reading the same paragraph over and over again. Finally, Lhiannon turned the page and listened, her curiosity getting the best of her.

"His name was Duncan," Vivian said, her voice taking on a dreamlike quality. "We didn't talk a whole lot. We couldn't; my lips and tongue were a bit busy at the time."

"I bet they were," Rigana said, snickering.

Tallia chortled lightly. "And just where were your lips and tongue? Little minx."

"Well," Vivian giggled, "let's just say they were somewhere south."

Lhiannon listened intently, her curiosity helplessly growing with every question and answer between the other girls.

"And then what happened?"

Vivian shifted on the bed, making the springs squeak in protest once more. "I kept my mouth busy, listening to Duncan groan and gasp. I loved making him do it. I could feel him twitching in my mouth and when he put his hands on my head, I knew it was time to, well, speed things up."

"Ooh, you naughty girl," Rigana said, giggling lightly. "Then what happened?"

"He came of course, silly," Vivian said. "Then he flipped me over onto my back, staring into my eyes."

"How romantic," Tallia giggled, her words sounding a bit sarcastic. "But you know what they say about the Grey Wardens. Was it true? Did he fuck you until you begged for mercy?"

Lhiannon felt her face begin to flush and fought against the sensation. Before coming to the tower, she had never heard such crude language spoken very often. Her brother, Edwin, had said something her parents had not approved of once and they made him chew on and swallow a piece of the hard soap they used to clean their clothes. It had made Edwin vomit for hours and after that, she never heard him speak in such a manner again. Such language still made her blush.

Another thing that was spoken of in secret before she came to Kinloch Hold was the subject of sex. Lhiannon and a couple of young girls that she knew from Greenwood Vale had spoken in hushed whispers about the subject, fearfully watching for any adults to happen upon them. She knew that a man and woman were required to make a baby, but beyond that, knew almost nothing of the subject and even less about the act itself.

"Duncan was so…endowed. I felt so filled I thought his 'magic staff' would tickle the back of my throat. And when he moved inside me, it was delicious. A little pain but a whole lot of pleasure."

"But what about his, prowess? Surely as a Grey Warden he could have went on for, oh I don't know, hours?"

"I don't know if he could go hours, but he went long enough for me so that I was nearly screaming for mercy. Of course, tickling myself in just the right spot didn't hurt either. When I came, I would have screamed but Duncan's tongue was a very effective gag."

Tallia scoffed, her light laugh showing her amusement. "If he was so endowed, he likely would have split me in half. Human men are a challenge for elves." Tallia laughed low and mischievously. "Not that I don't mind a challenge." The other two girls howled with laughter.

As she listened to Vivian tell of her experience with the Grey Warden Duncan, Lhiannon felt a stirring inside her. There was a twitch and a tingle in her core, settling down deep inside and near the place that gave her a shiver when her hand brushed up against it while bathing. She suddenly felt a compulsion to touch herself, the urge seemingly coming out of nowhere. She shifted slightly on her bed.

"Lhiannon," Vivian called out, "you're awful quiet. Aren't you the least bit curious?"

Heat built in Lhiannon's checks, both from Vivian's escapades and from her own embarrassment at being called out. "It sounded very...nice..."

"Nice," Vivian said, apparently scandalized at Lhiannon's words. "Nice? Lhiannon, you need to get Anders to show you just how 'nice' being screwed until you scream is."

"I think she's a virgin," Tallia said, giggling lightly. "You've never licked a lamppost, Lhiannon? Knocked boots?"

Lhiannon felt her cheeks burn ridiculously hot, the heat from her face surely causing her skin to blister; it had to be blistering.

"You don't have to be a virgin, Lhiannon," Rigana giggled, her mischievousness on full display. "Just ask Anders to help you with that. Or any guy; there's been more than one undressing you with their eyes in class."

Tallia scoffed lightly. "Or ask a girl, if guys aren't your cup of tea. I'd help you out. I'm not picky."

Impossibly, Lhiannon's cheeks burned even stronger. Surely the pages of the book in front of her would spontaneously combust from the heat. She was not sure what worse: the burning in her cheeks or the tingling heat in her core that was instinctively begging for her touch. "I...well...I don't know..."

The girls giggled once more, continuing their bawdy conversation for several more minutes before they moved off, one by one, no doubt going to tell their other friends. Lhiannon was finally left alone in the room, listening intently for activity in the hallway. When she was sure no one was in the hall outside, she pushed her hand between her body and the thin mattress, wiggling it inside her robes to curiously touch the spot that responded so intensely to Vivian's story. A shock went through her as her fingers brushed her smalls just above that little spot; it felt...decadent. She giggled lightly to herself as she pulled her hand away, curiosity blooming inside her.

Should I ask Anders about it? I would sound really stupid, but I really don't know or trust anyone else. Ugh, I'm an idiot.

Removing her hand from her robes, Lhiannon sat up, puzzling over the sensations that jolted her body when she touched herself. Was that was Vivian had felt when she was with the Grey Warden, Duncan? Lhiannon wanted to explore that feeling more, but was unsure of how to do so. Rather than try to seek out Anders and ask him potentially embarrassing questions, Lhiannon decided to go for a walk to try and clear her head.

Within the common areas of Kinloch Hold, the Chantry held services every day for the mages and templars, with obligatory services for all held twice a week. Lhiannon tried to pay attention to services, but found her mind wandering elsewhere as the priests read passages from the Chant of Light and spoke of Andraste's sacred fight against the ancient magisters. Convenient, Lhiannon thought to herself, that the Chantry speaks of the horrors the ancient magisters—mages—visited upon Andraste's people. I never really thought of it any differently; then again, I wasn't a mage until recently.

Lhiannon walked along the halls of Kinloch Hold, lost in her own thoughts. Growing up in Greenwood Vale, she was taught that mages were a scourge among the Maker's children and that the templars had a righteous duty to ferret out their evil. Things were so black and white in their teachings. She snorted to herself as she paused in her thoughts. If her magical abilities had not manifested, she would have been turned over to the Chantry in Greenwood Vale by now, set on her path to become a Chanter. It was ironic that she found herself thanking the Maker for making her the very creature He supposedly despised.

"Be careful, young apprentice!"

The large shadow of a templar loomed over Lhiannon and she stumbled in surprise at the voice and shape just in front of her. The templar reached out and steadied her as she started, her hand instinctively going to her heart in surprise.

"I..I'm sorry, ser templar. I was…lost in thought. I'm sorry…I didn't mean to…" Lhiannon looked up at the templar with wide and frightened eyes, waiting nervously for the chastisement that was sure to come. Instead, the templar smiled and gave a light, warm chuckle.

"It is not only your fault, young one. I, too, was lost in thought and was not mindful of where I was walking." Lhiannon saw the templar's smile fade somewhat as he saw her shaking hands and pale features. "You fear me, young one, don't you?"

Silently, Lhiannon gave a small nod. Templars always made her nervous and wary, especially after witnessing what they had done to apostate mages in Greenwood Vale. Even the templars at Kinloch Hold were dour at best and outright hostile at worst. She had seen a number of templars snarl at the apprentices as they walked by, delighting in frightening the youngest of the mages. It was as if they wanted the apprentices to grow up with a profound fear of the templars; as if knowing why the templars existed was not frightening enough.

"There is no reason to fear me, young one," the templar said, his voice soft and reassuring. "Why don't you come with me? Perhaps I can show you that there is no reason for fear."

Lhiannon watched the templar nervously. He looked harmless enough for a templar, but looks could always be deceiving. He was a middle aged man, bald and with the lightest blue-grey eyes she had ever seen. He had a square, yet pleasant face and Lhiannon could tell that under his templar armor, he was a robust man. He spoke to her kindly, almost respectfully, which was more than she could say about most of the templars in the tower.

Lhiannon decided to take the templar for his word, hoping for the best but preparing for the worst. "O..Okay…"

The templar held a hand out to her, motioning her into one of the libraries nearby. She walked into the room, moving toward a pair of chairs and a low table off to one side. The library was sparsely populated at the moment, only a few apprentices and mages scattered about the tables and chairs within the room. Lhiannon sat, watching as the templar sat in the chair next to her, his armor squeaking and clanging lightly as he moved.

"What is your name, young one?"

"Lhiannon…Amell. Ser templar."

The templar smiled and winked at her. "You can call me Ser Otto, young Lhiannon. I don't believe I've seen you here before. Are you a new apprentice here?"

Lhiannon shrugged. "Kind of. I've been here for a couple of months now. My…abilities…only manifested recently."

"I see," Ser Otto said, still smiling kindly at Lhiannon. "It must have been very hard for you to come to the Circle at an older age. Most apprentices come to the tower when there are just small children."

Lhiannon lowered her eyes, looking at the floor between her feet. "It was scary," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

"How was it scary, young one?"

"I…I froze my father. He…he was beating me…"

Lhiannon nearly jumped out of her skin when she felt Ser Otto's large, calloused hand taking hers and squeezing it gently. "Oh, child. I'm sorry to hear that. I cannot imagine the fear you must have felt."

Astonishment came over Lhiannon as she looked at Ser Otto's large hand enveloping her small one. Was he playing her for a fool? Talking kindly to her in an effort to befriend her only to trick her by revealing his disdain for her? She turned a wary eye to the templar, studying him closely. He did not seem fazed by her scrutiny; on the contrary, he simply smiled at her, projecting an aura of calm and peace.

"Do you…live here…Ser Otto? I don't think I've seen you before." He could have been hidden behind a helmet and I would never have known.

The kindly templar shook his head. "No, young Lhiannon. I was recently in Redcliffe at the Chantry there. I will be traveling to Denerim soon but wished to stop by Kinloch Hold and visit with Knight Commander Greagoir first."

"Is he your friend?'

Ser Otto nodded. "Yes, he and I have been friends for many years, though our duty often keeps us from seeing each other for long stretches of time. I could not pass up an opportunity to see him while I was in this part of Ferelden."

They sat in silence for several minutes, watching as two young apprentices working in the library replaced books on the shelves. The younger boy had his arms laden with heavy tomes as the older boy set them in their rightful places. They bickered back and forth, complaining about the number of books they had to replace and why the other mages could not get up off their lazy arses and replace the books themselves. Lhiannon turned her head slightly, studying Ser Otto out of the corner of her eye.

"You're not like any other templar I've met before," Lhiannon said, her voice wary. Ser Otto merely chuckled, the sound warm and pleasing to Lhiannon's ears.

"And what other templars have you met before, young one?"

"Mean ones," Lhiannon scoffed. "Mean ones that tied my hands together because they were afraid I'd cast a spell on them. Ones that scowl and say mean things to me as I pass by, just because I'm a mage." She looked up at Ser Otto, feeling the burning sting of tears in her eyes. It was silly, really, to confess such things to a man she barely knew—and a templar, no less. Yet, something made Lhiannon implicitly trust him.

Ser Otto nodded as Lhiannon spoke, listening intently to her words and pursing his lips for a moment. "Sadly, there are many among my brothers and sisters who see mages as less than human. They see mages as descendants of the magisters of old. While we must always keep our sacred duty to the Maker and His bride in mind, it is never wrong to show compassion to other people, mage or otherwise."

Lhiannon scoffed lightly, giggling as she did so. "You're not like any other templar I've met before, Ser Otto."

Squeezing Lhiannon's hand, he smiled warmly once more. "And what do you think I am, young Lhiannon?"

Shyly looking away, Lhiannon felt a small smile pull on the corners of her mouth. "A nice one."

"I thank you, young Lhiannon. Always there is a gulf between templar and mage and it is refreshing to see that gulf bridged with understanding." Ser Otto sat with her for another moment before rising, gently pulling Lhiannon to her feet before releasing her hand. "Unfortunately, I must take my leave of you now. The Knight Commander is waiting for me and I must be off to Denerim soon."

Lhiannon smiled at Ser Otto. "Will you come say goodbye to me before you leave?"

"I certainly will seek you out, young Lhiannon," Ser Otto promised, nodding his head toward the young mage.

As Ser Otto left, Lhiannon could not help but chuckle at the irony of the last few minutes. A templar and a mage…friends. The Maker does indeed have a strange sense of humor.

Wow, it's hard for me to step back and remind myself that Lhiannon is just a girl in this story! It's a challenge, but a fun one.

I've always liked Ser Otto and thought he'd be a templar who treated mages with compassion (unlike Cullen or Meredeth in DA2...where one can NEVER be friends with mages). I can't wait for Lhiannon to meet up with him again later in the story. Besides, he's got an awesome voice. Not like Loghain, mind you. :)

Speaking of the Taciturn One, for those of you following "Retribution," the next chapter may be delayed a couple of days. My muse is being incredibly stubborn and silent on that subject. I'll keep working with her. Plus, I want to play DA2 a bit (DLC's, you know).

Rigana was actually the original name I was going to use in my "R" stories. I had written a few chapters of "Rend Asunder" when I picked up one of my Marion Zimmer-Bradley books and remembered the name "Lhiannon" as one of her main characters. I always liked the name, so decided to make the change. Also, it was one year ago this Friday that I posted the very first chapter of "Rend Asunder." I was scared to death too! How time flies when you're having fun!

Thanks to reviewers Aura of Darkness Night, Shakespira, Suilven, Wyl, cloud1004, Gene Dark (without whom this story would not have been born), Kendoka Girl, Arsinoe, Tyanilth, and Dante Alighieri. I appreciate all the support you have given to me and this story.

Thanks as well to all of you who are following along! :)