Timeless Tower

There were templars all over the place, upset at something which had gone on, but they were not speaking except to tell the small woman to see teh Knight-Commander Greagoir. If she heard that one more time she was likely to swat the next templar who said it.

"Your pretty little hands are shaking."Her traveling companion said cheekily, looking her up and down as he did so, "You should leave that kind of thing for ..."."

"No Zev."." She chuckled as they walked, "Are you done looking me over like a piece of meat today or should I be concerned about that smile?"."

"Of course not. You know me. I'd never have anything up my sleeve." He had leaned forward a bit to whisper it into her ear.

The chuckle turned into a laugh, "You, Zevran Arainai, should be back watching over the king. Not here flirting with me."

"You would have to tie me down to keep me from watching out for your cute little behind, Nygozy. Now that sounds like fun." Zevran smiled then sighed, "I can't leave you unprotected."."

Nygozy sighed then noticed a templar lifting his hand towards a young woman, ready to hit her. He held her one hand as he readied for the swat. Her eyes shifted quickly to Zevran and he was on the move, grabbing the templar by the wrist before his hand could connect with the woman.

"Nuh uh uh. That isn't polite you know?"

"Back off from this lady." Nygozy snarled at the templar, "I am Nygozy of the Grey Wardens. Lift a hand to this person again and my friend will take your spleen. What is going on?"

"The hero of Fereldan? She's a blood mage and I'm punishing her for her crimes."

The young mage looked up with surprise when she heard an unknown voice speaking to the templar that had grabbed her.

"Nuh uh uh. That isn't polite you know?"

The voice belonged to an elf, it was heavily coded in an accent. He had blonde hair that was falling to his shoulders and a tatoo on the side of his face. The man had caught the templar's wrist, stoping the blow that would have otherwise come down upon the mage girl. He was fast.

Then the mage heard a second unknown voice, this one feminine. She broke her eyes away from the elven man to rest them upon a dwarf.

"Back off from this lady. "I am Nygozy of the Grey Wardens. Lift a hand to this person again and my friend will take your spleen. What is going on?"

The young woman's eyes widened as she realized she was seeing Ferelden's hero in person. The templar was quick to respond.

"The hero of Fereldan? She's a blood mage and I'm punishing her for her crimes."

Again the mage's vision shifted from the hero, it came to rest breifly on the templar befor switching back to the elf.

"I.." She started quietly before looking back to the hero "I am not a blood mage"

The templar was upset but seemed reluctant to either react towards the Dwarf or to back off. It was a situation which could blow up at any moment, "Let go of her hand." She stated evenly as she moved over to the girl and sat on her heels in front of her as the templar glared.

"Do as she says." Zevran twisted the man's wrist, "You wouldn't want the hero to command me to skewer you would you?"

"We found out she was a blood mage from ..."

"Hush." Nygozy said as Zevran forced the templar to remove his hand from the girl's wrist, "Now, tell me what happened. What's you name? Why does this man think you are a blood mage?"

"I don't think I know. I know she ..."

"The hero knows what she is doing so shut up."

The mage rubbed her wrist as the templar released it, his grip had been tight.
"My Name is Hikaru Surana. There was a blood mage attack here, which I witnessed." Hikaru gestured to the blood stained area around them and the body of a templar that lay on the ground.

"By the time the templars got here that one templar there was dead and the blood mage had fled the scene, leaving me standing here. I'd gone to see if the templar that's lying there still had a chance to be saved but he was already gone, everyone else came in to see me kneeling beside him and before i could react or explain well..."

Hikaru glanced to the templar that had held her. "As you saw I had been accused of being the mage that caused this and labeled a blood mage"

The girl was straight forward and her eyes told no lies. Bruising started to ring her wrist where the templar had held her and Zevran sneered at the sight. He'd done things in his line of work but never abused a woman so. If he were to kill a person he killed them, not hurt them first.

Nygozy put a hand on the young one's shoulder and stood, making it clear with her body language that she wanted Hikaru to stand with her, "I invoke the right of conscription. Hikaru Surana did not do this deed. If she had she would have been long gone, not staying by the dead."

"But she is ..."

"My charge and none of your concern anymore. Tell Greagoir. I have no time to squabble details with you." She nodded at Zevran who released the templar.

"So you are invoking the right?" An old man asked as he came around the corner of the hallway, "I had hoped you would stay and speak with us."

Nygozy smiled, "I have a new charge to care for or I would stay, Greagoir. I will visit more next time I am here. Come Hikaru. We need to get to camp before nightfall."

Zevran let the templar go and stood beside Hikaru.

"Very well. Good travels to you."

Hikaru stood with Nygozy, she stared at the woman shocked. Did she just say she'd been conscripted? That's what the mage thought she heard, she could hardly believe it. She was to be a warden.

The elf released the templar and came to stand beside Hikaru, his sudeen closeness came as a surprise, it made a blush creep upon the mages face as she glanced over at him.

The sound of Nygozy's voice pulled her attention away from the man. "I have a new charge to care for or I would stay, Greagoir. I will visit more next time I am here. Come Hikaru. We need to get to camp before nightfall."

Hikaru nodded "O-Okay then" She gave a small smile as she spoke to the dwarf, she turned to face Greagoir as she gave him a slight wave of the hand "I bid you and the tower a farewell knight-commander."

"This one is rather timid." Greagoir said in his shaky voice as the group was about to leave, "Are you sure that she is one you wish to take as a warden?"

A snort answered the old man but the young woman decided to answer that question as she started to walk away, "Timid is not a problem. Leaving someone where they will be abused for what they have not done is. Even if you believe in her, Greagoir, the templars do not. I will not leave her to that. Farewell, my friend."

"Come sweetling." Zevran said quietly to Hikaru as he started to follow Nygozy, his eyes on patrol as he watched out for his friend and now this pretty young woman, "We can get acquainted, you and I."

Nygozy could hear the templar from behind them speaking with the Knight-Captain and griping about letting a blood mage go at which point Greagoir asked him to trust the hero of Fereldan. She shook her head as they got to the front doors and opened them, going out to the docks, "Tell me, Hiikaru, how this all happened."

Hikaru was surprised at how the hero had defended her from these templars, but that's not to say she was ungrateful. The knight-commander called the mage timid, which was true a lot of the time, and again the hero came to defend the mage.

"Timid is not a problem. Leaving someone where they will be abused for what they have not done is. Even if you believe in her, Greagoir, the templars do not. I will not leave her to that. Farewell, my friend."

Hikaru smiled politely to Nygozy "I thank you for this chance you've given me hero." As the three of them the elven man seemed to be watching for any trouble. He turned to Hikaru. The mage avoided his eyes best she could, as the blush could return.

"Come sweetling. We can get acquainted, you and I."

That was it, the blush returned as they headed to the tower doors. "A-Aquainted?" she tried to smile to him "I...I would be happy to get to know both of you"

As the group stepped on the grounds of the tower Hikaru looked about, many curious thoughts of where they would all go or what being a warden would be like filled her mind. The hero's voice calling to her yet again brought the mage from her thoughts.

"Tell me, Hiikaru, how this all happened."

"How this all happened? Well as I said already I was unlucky enough to witmess a blood mage practicing their....'talents'....Before that though, I'd been studying to make up the previous time i'd spent in recovery. The blood mage fleed the scene as I have told you..I believe he left the tower."

Hikaru's eyes looked down for a moment as she paused. "The blood mage...he'd once been a friend of mine....before well he used me to place his blame on."

"Ah ,but such a lovely one as yourself will have much to share. You see, in Antiva ..."

"At least wait until we get to camp to start hitting on the poor girl." Nygozy teased the assassin with a slight smirk then listened to what Hikaru had to say. This situation was not a nice one at all but it was often difficult to find good friends who did not use or abuse a person. Or just bugger off when they find something they believe is more important even if there are other venues.

A grimace of discontent creased her features for a moment as she thought of that and she could feel her chest tightening while a taste of bile came up her throat. This was too early for her from her own painful loss and feel of betrayal.

"When we come back this way we will find out more and see if your 'friend' could be dealt with. Now you don't have to worry, Hikaru. There will be no templars chasing you as you will work with the Grey Wardens."

She did not mention whether she was to become a warden or not as that was something the woman did not wish to force upon anyone. Memories of what had happened to Ser Jory and Daveth made her hesitant upon pushing for another to join as a warden without giving them further information than Duncan had given them. That wasn't to say she disliked Duncan, she felt a strong tie to the man as a mentor and friend but she did not agree in that way of enlisting others.

Hikaru blushed again, she was surprised by being called 'lovely' or being complimented. "So then you're from Antiva? That sounds quite interesting ser."

Hikaru laughed a bit, her face remaining flushed as Nygozy teased the elf about his flirtations.

"At least wait until we get to camp to start hitting on the poor girl."

"I-It's no bother."

As the mage looked again at the hero she noticed a sudden expression of...discontent or unhappiness that set itself upon the hero's face, Hikaru was about to ask about it when the smaller woman spoke.

"When we come back this way we will find out more and see if your 'friend' could be dealt with. Now you don't have to worry, Hikaru. There will be no templars chasing you as you will work with the Grey Wardens."

"I look forword to joining you and being useful to you and the Wardens"

Zevran grinned as they got into the boat to go back to the mainland, "So you are interested in Antiva? I can tell you all about it."

"Of course you can." Nygozy sniggered, letting Hikaru into the boat then got in herself, nodding at the boat man to row them to shore, "Later, my friends. I take it you have heard of the wardens then?"

"Yes, I've heard quite a bit about them, they are the ones who always fight against darkspawn in the blight. They recuit those that are highly skilled in battle and it's an honor to be recruited, though it seems that the last battle wiped out most of them."

Hikaru watched as the boat got closer to the shore putting the tower behind them. The young girl hadn't been outside of The Circle since she'd first entered it, so she was interested in what new people she would meet and what new places she would see.

"Is that why the two of you came to the tower?" Hikaru looked back and forth between the two on the boat with her "To find a recruit?"

Nygozy hopped out of the boat into shallow water and started walking, leaving Zevran to pick Hikaru up and get onto the dock with her, "That's pretty much it in a nutshell but wardens are also supposed to fight Darkspawn to save people from their taint. Some of us forget they are fighting for anything more than fighting."

Zevran smelled Hikaru's hair and sighed, smiling at her as he let her down.

"Quit sniffing her, Zev. And that was partially what we were doing. I wanted to discuss other things with the Knight-Captain but that can wait." She looked back at Hikaru, "You want to be a warden. You've dreamt of it haven't you?"

As Zevran lifted Hikaru the mage felt herself growing nervous. "Y-You don't have to-" too late he was already carrying her off the boat, she avoided looking at him as Nygoy spoke.That's right Hikaru'd forgotten that the darkpawn were tainted, she'd heard that.

The Antivan seemed to be smelling the mages hair as he carried her, again making the girl nervous. She looked upat him just as he set her down, catching a smile. Almost entranced by him, Hikaru nearly missed Nygozy speaking. The mages gaze shifted to the hero.

"Quit sniffing her, Zev. And that was partially what we were doing. I wanted to discuss other things with the Knight-Captain but that can wait. You want to be a warden. You've dreamt of it haven't you?"

"D-dreamed of being a warden? I suppose I have. I do wish I had been able to help with the blight but though thats ended I would still help gladly. If you were to have me join you I would make my Dervices as usful to you as I can."

"We are not sure how much of the blight has been ended. Yes, we got the arch demon but it is not a guarantee that everything is better." She shook her head and waved for Zevran to take point, to make sure everything was safe, "Darkspawn still spew from the earth. There is something going on. We need more help than we have and we need to build the wardens up again."

Nygozy turned to look directly at Hikaru, "You could be very good as a warden but I do not wish to make such a choice for you. You need to know more and make an informed decision."

"More?" Hikaru was curious, she tipped her head a bit and looked to the little hero. "Very well then, what is it I need to know about being a warden? I will be sure to think about any risks before I answer and if I do join then I will try to do well."

"There are a couple of tests before you become a warden and all of them are deadly dangerous. The last one gives you what makes one be a warden but there are trade offs which can be death."

She turned and started to walk, "Being a warden itself is danger and giving up a lot for yourself and you have to choose between being a warden and your own life. It isn't easy."

"I understand, if you become a warden that you will remain one for the rest of your existance but what kinds of tests are the ones wardens must take? what do you have to do for them?" Hikaru walked behind Nygozy as she asked about the trials of a warden.

The mage looked about as they walked, she assumed that they were all headed to the camp Nygozy mentioned. She wondered about who the others, if there were any and she was sure there were, would be and what they were like.

"You become one forever, yes." Nygozy noticed Zevran up ahead giving them the thumb's up as they continued on,

"The tests are normally secret. All I can really say is that the danger is real and that once a person becomes a warden there are other things which makes it difficult, including sensing Darkspawn."

She walked around a tree and sighed while listening to a hawk's call, "It isn't glamorous and we do a lot of traveling lately but you do not have to make a choice yet. Either way, whether you wish to be a warden or not, you will be with us and contribute."

Hikaru thought for a moment wondering what Nygozy could mean by 'sensing' the darkspawn and what the other things that made being a warden could be. It was a relief she did not have to make the choice then and there, she would have time to think on it at least.

Nygozy yet again pulled Hikaru from her thoughts. "It isn't glamorous and we do a lot of traveling lately but you do not have to make a choice yet. Either way, whether you wish to be a warden or not, you will be with us and contribute."

"I will contribute to the best of my abilties, I can't just stay with you and not pull my weight after all." Hikaru offered a little smile to the ones she straveled with "My magic is best when being used in healing spells. Though that is not to say I don't know any offensive spells"

Nygozy smiled at the thought of how avid this young woman was to help. Maybe she had gotten some of Duncan's skills for knowing who would be good and who would not, she had no clue but she knew that taking Hikaru from the Tower was right and that even if she did not become a warden that she would be a great help to her group.

"I'm glad to hear that you wish to do your best. Healing is always appreciated, especially with how some of the group just rush into the fray without thinking."

"I heard that." Came Zevran's voice from ahead in the shadows.

"I didn't mean you!" She yelled back,"Is there anything you would like to learn?"

Hikaru laughed quietly as the two others bantered back and forth. She heard Zevran's voice call out from somewhere in the shadows.

"I heard that."

As The hero began talking again to Hikaru, the mage looked about in the shadows around them trying to see if she could locate the Antivan. She wondered where he was before she turned her gaze from the shadow and back on to the dwarf.

"Is there anything you would like to learn?"

"Anything I would like to learn? Well I'm open to anything you would have to teach, I'm quite interested in learning a bit more about the wardens. When ever you have the time of course."

Nygozy was amused because she knew exactly where Zevran was but Hikaru would probably have a lot of trouble trying to find the man. The Dwarf knew mostly because she knew the Elf's ways as they had been friends for much too long for her not to know at least some things about the man.

"We will have those who will be able to teach you. As for anyting about the wardens, that too you shall learn."

She sighed and looked up at the dimming sky, "I am no teacher. That is one skill I have never tried to become accomplished at. I leave those who are more capable to do that. Yet, I can tell you stories of what I know."

The woman slowed at the sight of a camp fire and Zevran emerged from the forest, "I can teach you other things." He said as he took Hikaru's hand and kissed it.

Nygozy slapped his arm and laughed, "Careful my friend. You may get me jealous."

"I can only wish but I know your heart is elsewhere."

He sniggered, "Mind you a little romp would not hurt. I would enjoy having two warming my bedroll." He looked down at Hikaru and kissed her hand once more.

Hikaru watched what looked to be a campfire as they walked, she figured it was where they were headed. The mages looked up at the dimming sky as Nygozy did, she listened quietly to the dwarf speak as they walked.

"We will have those who will be able to teach you. As for anyting about the wardens, that too you shall learn. I am no teacher. That is one skill I have never tried to become accomplished at. I leave those who are more capable to do that. Yet, I can tell you stories of what I know."

"I would enjoy hearing your stories sometime Nygozy, I am sure you have a lot of them to tell." Hikaru smiled to the woman as the fire drew closer. A sound from the trees startled the mage a little bit, she quickly realized that it was only Zevran comming in from the shadows.

"I can teach you other things." His next move surprised the mage, he had taken her hand and met it with a kiss. She looked down to avoid letting either Nygozy or Zevran see her face. It was covered in a dark red blush. Hikaru was only hardly aware of what the two were saying.

"Careful my friend. You may get me jealous."

"I can only wish but I know your heart is elsewhere. Mind you a little romp would not hurt. I would enjoy having two warming my bedroll."

Hikaru continued to blush, she felt Zevran's eyes on her as he kissed her hand a second time.

Nygozy laughed heartily, put a hand around Zevran's arm and walked towards the camp fire, "You are getting neither favour, my friend. Good try. You must be hungry, Hikaru. Let's start supper."

"Too bad." He winked at Hikaru as he turned towards the camp and walked off.

"Don't mind Zevran. He's our local smut puppy and he's a lot of fun to be around. He's supposed to be elsewhere right now though."

She moved towards the fire and waved at two men who stood looking at them, "These two are my other current team mates. Ser Sinjan Koru and Drake Rainard. This is Hikaru Surana"

Sinjan nodded and smiled but Drake only watched the girl.

"We caught rabbits, Nyggy." Sinjan said as he took up rear guard while they went to the fire.

"Good. I'll set them up while you and Hikaru cut up the vegetables. Have you ever done chopping chores before, Hikaru?"