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Odin awoke upon another crisp, clear and bitterly cold morning having more or less recovered from his trip and subsequent escape from Denerim. Isabella's contact, a human named Davos, was as good as his word and got them out of the city with no trouble. However hiding for hours in an undersized barrel that stank of rotten onions on a bumpy cart was not something that the Warden wished to repeat anytime soon. Still he was out of the city and the brief fight yesterday had given his muscles a much needed stretch.
He dressed and emerged from his tent. Alistair and Shale were on watch while the rest slept. Since Shale never slept it made the watch rota fairly easy, though it was good to have someone else up since the irate golem often passed the more solitary hours by throwing rocks at nearby birds. Evidently the Golem's feelings of vengeance for spending thirty years covered bird waste were not going to disappear any time soon. Alistair was also looking rather distracted, albeit for entirely different reasons.
"It's not normally a good idea to reminisce while you're on watch" Announced Odin to a startled and guilty Alistair.
"What me? No I was…er…checking the skies for Dragons, you never know."
"I think Shale has got the skies covered judging by the number of dead pigeons around the camp. Anyway" Odin's smirk wasn't completely covered by his beard "I think a certain Pirate Captain might have been on your mind."
Alistair's blush deepened considerably.
"Not that I entirely blame you of course, Isabella was a fine looking woman, curves in all the right places and plenty of them. She certainly sounded happy when you two returned and it was for a good cause. We might never have got out of Denerim without your…services."
"Yes, well it wasn't quite how I pictured…um….helping…or….doing that with…yes."
Odin looked at his fellow Grey Warden "You did enjoy yourself right? I mean you really needed cheering up after meeting your sister and I thought that Isabella could help."
"Yes" assured Alistair "It was good…great even, but it just happened completely out of the blue."
"Given the job we've got to do I say enjoying yourself when you can, even if it doesn't led anywhere, is a good thing. Besides did Isabella really strike you as the flowers and poetry type?"
"Well no" Alistair admitted then he smiled slightly "Just as well. I didn't really have time to compose a suitable Ballard, or even steal one of Leliana's."
"My ears are burning Wardens" said Leliana, her tousled head poking out of her tent.
"Nothing to worry about" assured Odin "Alistair was just lamenting the fact that he didn't serenade his beloved Pirate Queen with some of your compositions."
Leliana giggled. Alistair's blush returned with a vengeance.
"Andraste's flaming sword she's not my beloved Pirate Queen!"
"You mean you simply used her for you own selfish pleasure? I didn't know you were such a lecherous beast Alistair!" The thoroughly amused Leliana was using all her control to maintain a look of mock outrage.
"Alright enough" Odin eventually deciding to pull himself together "We need get moving."
"Where?" asked Alistair, deeply grateful for the change of subject.
"Soldiers Peak; we're on the right road and my plundering senses are already tingling."
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"Wake up Apostates!" Loudly announced Ser Stannis, banging on the side of the wagon with no small amount of satisfaction at a job well done "We have returned."
"Oh goody" groaned Anders, as he woke up, stretching as best he could while chained up "Home sweet home."
Privately Rincewind glumly reflected on all that Anders told him about the Circle as they emerged squinting into daylight and were unceremoniously pushed towards a waiting boat. It seemed that the hearsay he got from the Hawke's was right. It was a tower in the middle of a lake where all the nation's magic users were locked up and the key thrown away. The best he could say was that they wouldn't starve to death. Honestly it made the Unseen University and all of his colleagues a happy memory by comparison.
The boat ride itself was mostly uneventful; the boat master was nattering away to Ser Tyrion about everything and nothing. The two mages were glared at by Ser Stannis, hand permanently holding his sword hilt watching for anything more violent than a sneeze.
Ser Samwell meanwhile spent the trip violently and copiously vomiting over the side.
Once they arrived the party of five made their way through the grand doors of the Circle Tower. They closed quickly behind them with a very ominous sound, at least according to Rincewind and Anders. The group was greeted by Knight Commander Greagoir himself, looking rather tired and irritable.
"Report Ser Stannis"
"Knight Commander we have successfully recaptured the renegade Anders. We also found this previously unknown Apostate wondering the countryside in open defiance of Chantry law. Naturally we brought him back to face justice for his crimes."
Self Righteous arse thought Rincewind.
Greagoir nodded before turning to Anders.
"You never learn do you?"
"Me sir? No Sir!"
Greagoir sighed, how he wished that Anders could be made tranquil, if only to get rid of that smart mouth. But the damn mage had passed his harrowing and so he would have to put up with him, barring a tragic accident.
"Your place is in the Circle" reminded the Knight Commander "Magic exists to serve man".
"And never to rule over him, yes sir" interrupted Anders. "Unfortunately I prefer my freedom and the tower just isn't the same without poor Mr Wiggums."
Mr Wiggums as Rincewind found out on the long journey here was the tower's cat, before it got possessed by a demon.
"Get him out of my sight!" Snarled Greagoir, his already worn patience gone "I'll decide what to do with him later."
Mage and Templar traded sneers of contempt as Anders was dragged off to a holding cell. The furious Knight Commander now turned his attention to Rincewind.
"So Mage, my brother Templars inform me you are an unknown apostate. You have been on the run for all your life?"
"My name is Rincewind, not mage, and as to being on the run well…" He would hardly refer to himself as an apostate but it was fair to say he had spent a disproportionally large amount of his life running; it was after all the only way he survived. To answer that question required a lengthy explanation at best and a philosophy doctorate at worst. In the end the Wizard simply said "I've led an interesting life."
"This fellow shows no sign of blood magic, in fact his magic is very weak indeed for a man of his age. That may be why he has avoided our notice for so long. Or at least he did until he ran onto the road wearing nothing but a hat with the word Wizard on it in big sparkly letters." Ser Tyrion's last sentence raised the Knight Commander's eyebrows, believing that the Templar was being his usual flippant and sarcastic self but Ser Stannis grudgingly nodded in argument. Tyrion was privately hoping that this matter could be resolved quickly so he could reacquaint himself with the tower's few creature comforts. Namely his private alcohol stash and a pretty apprentice he was working his considerable charms on.
"We still have the hat Commander" added Ser Samwell innocently "No Enchantments on it but it could use a good wash."
Knight Commander Greagoir looked away from this mismatched trio and back to this new mage. If the Circle had not been so recently depopulated by the revolt and its' resulting demons Rincewind might well have ended up imprisoned, made tranquil or executed. As it was pragmatism won out.
"Ser Stannis see that a phylactery is made for this mage and living space provided. The senior Enchanters will then test his abilities under our supervision."
"Commander this mage is completely unknown to us. Even without blood magic and his abilities lacking he is a danger to us all, as all practitioners are. Surely he must be purged." Ser Stannis' judgement was given in his normal grim and uncompromising style.
Rincewind didn't know whether to be insulted or scared by this assessment, he settled on both.
"I have already made my decision. We have lost too many mages already and we'll no doubt lose more as this war continues. If he causes any trouble he will be dealt with." With that the Knight Commander left.
"Let us hope the tower's newest mage hasn't picked up any bad escaping habits from Anders." Ser Tyrion added to himself.
Had Rincewind not been so worried he would have laughed at the irony of that statement.
11111
Since the foundation of the Templar Order many people in Thedas had considered the average member to be religiously solemn and almost entirely humourless. Rincewind himself had more or less agreed with this opinion.
Until now that is.
The Templars were, in fact, evil geniuses with a diabolically twisted sense of humour. Rincewind would curse them with every vile word and oath he could conceivably think of until the day he died.
"Good Morning Class"
"Good Morning Ms. Nightingale!"
In the past week both Mages and Templars had tested and examined Rincewind in every way they could think of. The all agreed that he defiantly had magic but his inability to cast even the most minor spell confused them mightily. Fortunately they found a solution that pleased everyone, except Rincewind of course.
"Now class" said Ms. Nightingale, a kind looking woman in her twenties who would have ended up teaching regardless of what universe she was born into. "Before we begin I want to introduce you all to a new student. This is Rincewind, say hello everyone!"
"Hello Rincewind!" chorused Rincewind's new colleagues. The oldest was about eight years old. The youngest was no older than five.
"Hello everyone" said Rincewind with a very forced smile. He was very tempted to say a lot more about the situation. Not least the hideous discomfort of sitting cross-legged on the floor in apprentice robes that were at least three sizes too small. But he dare not because at the back of the classroom stood two Templars, on guard for any sign of trouble.
Or they would have been if they were not snickering into their helmets.
I must get out of here thought the completely humiliated wizard. Before I lose any more shreds of dignity and my back seizes up.
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