Leave It All Behind (Anders)

[Azalea Valdea Amell]

It had not even been a half hour since the ending of the terrifying trial known as the Harrowing. For what had seemed like hours, Azalea had traveled within the depths of the barren looking world known as the Fade, and had faced the malevolent demons within. The newly promoted mage had entered into the Fade terrified and lost. the first being she had come across was the spirit of an apprentice who had lost his life during the Harrowing. He had been called 'Mouse' and rightfully so for he seemed to enjoy taking the shape of the furry brown rodent. Azalea had felt sorry for him, and he had given her the drive to hurry through the Harrowing as fast as she could for fear of being trapped as Mouse had. He followed Azalea about as she traveled deeper and deeper within the dreaming world, fighting off any hostile spirits. However, what she wasn't told, was the fact that you would enter the fade without your staff, and that was an extreame pain. The good news was, she was able to snag a staff from one of the spirits after having to duel him successfully.

It wasn't long till Azalea had come across a demon, a Sloth demon as Mouse had said that was in the form of a blighted bear. She had curiously asked if she herself were able to take on the bear form to which the demon had said no, but Mouse was able to. The demon had then challanged her to a series of riddles, and had promised that if Azalea had won, he would show Mouse how to shift his form into a bear, and if she lost...well, you know. The apprentice had won just barely, and the lazy demon had reluctantly taught his ways to Mouse. It was then shortly after that Azalea and Mouse had come across the demon in which she was to fight off, and that was the fiery form of the Rage demon. Together, she and Mouse defeated the demon. Mouse had turned to Azalea, surprised and confessing his doubt for her at first, which only irritated the apprentice. Even the spirits didn't seem to have faith. But then, he had called her a true mage, one of the few capable ones to walk into the Fade. Azalea couldn't help but have beamed proudly at the compliment. He then spoke about how she could become a master enchanter in no time, and that she could be so much more with a little help from someone as 'small and forgotten' as himself...if she were willing for the assistance. Mouse had then explained that he could get a foothold in the outside world and escape the fade if...Azalea had let him in. She had become confused, and had questioned Mouse, to which he explained that she would need to allow Mouse to be accepted into her so he could be free, and it was at that sentence that she realized Mouse wasn't whom he claimed to be. She had wanted to help Mouse, for she had felt pity for the demon at first. Azalea apologized, but refused to let him in, to which Mouse had shifted into the form of a Pride demon, and left with the parting words of "Keep your wits about you mage, for true tests never end."

The young mage had left nearly as soon as she had returned into the living world, flustered with emotion. She was delighted and proud to have passed, ashamed of herself for having let a demon trick her, and a little angry and smug towards all those who had laughed at and doubted her. She laughed at their lack of faith. Who was the one laughing now?

Azalea instinctively found herself walking towards the apprentice's quarters, but realized as soon as she had arrived that she didn't bunk there anymore and she abruptly turned around. The girl had grown tired after her trial, and wanted nothing more then to sleep the memories of the Harrowing away. As she turned around a corner, she couldn't help but bring herself back to the conversation of freedom she and Anders had shared a few nights ago. Ah, to smell the fresh air and to have the stars and moon shining on her or the warmth of the sun on her skin. She sighed to herself. The young mage would get out of here soon, this she swore.

[Anders]

"Anders, I know you grow bored, but you must not attempt these foolish escape tactics any longer," the First Enchanter sighed, his hands folded neatly behind his back as he circled his desk towards the mage seated before him.

"Foolish?" Anders muttered irritably, "I'm sorry I'm not so easily appeased by reading the same texts day in and day out in the same, damned stuffy tower." His voice dripped with sarcasm, and his hands had curled into fists. He would never be forced to simply exist here in the Circle Tower, not when he knew what life held outside of the Circle.

"Instead of focusing all of your energy into escaping only to be caught by Templars, you could use it to do some good here in the Circle of Magi," Irving attempted to reason but to no avail. When met with a stubborn silence, the elder man shook his head and sighed softly. "The Order is starting to suspect you may be involved with blood magic, Anders," he revealed.

The mage's jaw clenched, and he struck out with his right fist at the desk in front of him. A loud thump echoed through the room, followed by silence. After a few minutes of nothing, Anders slowly got to his feet and took a deep breath to recompose himself. "I suppose it was only a matter of time," he grunted, having suspected this was the reason for the First Enchanter summoning him. "Templars would never believe me, but I can swear upon Andraste herself that I am no maleficarum and will never be such," he stated coldly, moving past Irving.

"I believe you, Anders," the man frowned, "I simply wish that Greagoir did as well." First Enchanter Irving fell into silence, watching one of his most talented mages walk out of his office while slamming the door shut.

Anders walked fervently down the halls, ignoring the glances of his still-awake peers and the Templars' glares. "Blasted fools," he hissed, not attempting to hide his anger whatsoever. He had learned that bottling up such things was futile, and by allowing it to release when it came rather than keep it in to fester and grow was far less hazardous. However, it also meant he'd be paying less attention to his surroundings, instead getting lost in thought.

He was not surprised that the Order was becoming suspicious of him, and had expected it long ago after his first few escape attempts, but that did not quell his anger. It only proved that Templars were just as stupid as they always had seemed. What really got to Anders was the fact that Irving had actually told him, instead of Greagoir. Did he truly suspect the mage of practicing blood magic as well? That was not only infuriating, but saddening. Whether he liked the Circle of Magi or not, Anders truly had always respected the likes of Irving and even those like Senior Enchanter Wynne. He may have caused them trouble at times, but they had always been kind no matter the case. He could never understand why they were loyalists, but did not hate them for it. He just knew to keep his mouth shut about his beliefs around them, that was all.

Before he could think further on his anger, Anders right shoulder suddenly collided into another rather roughly, causing him to stumble back and wince. "Sod it..." he swore under his breath, amber eyes snapping towards the one he had bumped into so roughly. If it had been a Templar he would have probably swore at them, but to his surprise and slight relief it wasn't. It was in fact Azalea, an apprentice— or previous apprentice, though he had yet to discover that— who he had spoken to a few nights previous ago. They spoke of freedom, agreeing that mages should have rights and the ability to live as normal people. It was from this conversation that a friendship was born, for it had been a long while since Anders actually could talk to someone without the fear of judgement.

"Gah, I'm so sorry, Azalea," he apologized, anger fading somewhat, being replaced with guilt for having bumped into her so roughly. If she had fallen, he would offer his hand to help her up, but otherwise rubbed his now aching shoulder. Now that he was actually paying attention to his surroundings, Anders realized they were near the Mage's Quarters and it was rather late at night... Why would she be here? "Last I knew, apprentices slept on the floor below us... Unless perhaps you're here to see little ol' me?" he teased, winking. Though Anders was trying to be his charming self, it was obvious that something was on his mind which was causing him to seem disheveled and disturbed.

[Azalea Valdea Amell]

Azalea paused for a brief moment as she approached the mage's quarters. She stared at the large, wooden double doors from a good few meters away. The mage tipped her head slightly to the side, peeking into the room ever so slightly. She could make out the corners of a few of the bunk buds and a bit of the floor and ceiling. It seemed already so much nicer than the apprentice's room, even if all she saw so far was a tiny corner. Azalea felt ridiculous at her sudden hesitation. For months, years even all she had wanted was to walk through those doors as an equal to her fellow magisters. Why now the sudden fear? Perhaps she felt she would still be treated as a child, an incompetent youngling who barely broke away from her shackles as a novice. After all, that's all she was to everyone, a child. It didn't really matter so much that Irving or Wynn called her one, after all, they were old. But when others who were younger than them treated her like a little girl, all she wanted to do was scream at them, which would only intensify their thoughts about her. It was maddening.

As Azalea stood there, fuming, she turned around. She would return later after she wore herself down a bit more. The young girl was prone to losing her temper easily, and it would make a bad first impression if an ex-apprentice stormed in glaring daggers at her new room-mates. Not only would they just see her as childish, but they would see her as a brat as well, and she'd be damned if she'd allow that to happen. Instead, perhaps a visit to the library may calm her down. A nice story about the Dalish or dragons or something of the like would no doubt bring down her smoldering temper.

Azalea rounded the corner once more, her mind drifting from various thoughts as it often did and staring down at the floor, when suddenly she was bombarded by a rather rough shoulder. The blow caught her off guard, causing her to stumble and nearly trip on her gold colored robe. Azalea caught herself in time and turned abruptly on her heels to throw a glare at the one who so rudely ran into her. When she heard the apology from a familiar voice, her blue-green eyes landed upon the taller form of Anders. Her eyes softened as the annoyance disappeared. "No no, I'm sorry Anders. I should have been paying attention." The girl said instinctively, offering an apologetic grin before subconsciously turning her head away, smoothing out the ruffled edges of the lacing on her shoulder as she hid an embarrassed blush.

After Anders' teasing remark, Azalea looked back up and stuck her tongue out slightly in a playful, almost smug manner. "You're right, apprentices do sleep down below us!Azalea remarked, putting an emphasis on 'us'. But, I'm not here to just see you, I've come up here because now I don't need to share quarters with the apprentices anymore. I am now officially a mage!" She beamed proudly, any trace of irritation, fear and shame now gone at that moment. It felt kind of nice to boast, because after all, didn't everyone once in a while?

Azalea's broad smile faded after a few moments as a curious expression crossed her features. "Are you alright Anders? You seem...distracted, and a little cross, are you tired maybe?" The girl asked inquisitively, rubbing her forearm as she waited patiently for his reply.

[Anders]

[OOC: Sorry this one is so short too, Raya. D: I promise they'll get better again after this weekend. x.x]



As an apology escaped Azalea's lips, Anders felt another pang of guilt. It was hardly her fault at all. Fortunately, she moved away from the apologies and went on to something considerably better. He let out a weak chuckle as she stuck her tongue out at him and said the good news. She was a mage, just as he knew she would be. The girl had spirit and passion, just like he did. They were very similar it seemed, and if he had been a mage who couldn't remember his past he might have suspected they were related. Which would've been a shame, as he really did enjoy teasing her and seeing that blush on her face.

Woah- wait. What in the Maker's name was he thinking? He barely knew the girl. Sure, she was attractive, and he'd flirt with her without thinking twice but... it could not grow. Not right now. Not when the Templars were trying to brand him a maleficar.

Anders was probably quiet longer than necessary after she let out the good news, and it was Azalea's words of concern that snapped him out of his disgruntled thoughts. Well, now it was his turn to blush slightly, but only just slightly. If he were lucky, she wouldn't see it. "Distracted? Cross? Ha, you make me sound like a Templar!" he said in a dramatic tone, obviously joking. Now he was just delaying the inevitable. He really didn't want to ruin her good mood with his personal crisis though, which was a little surprising considering how selfish he could be. "Don't worry, dear Azalea," he smiled in an attempt to assure her he was alright, "Something did happen, but it's not important right now. We should be celebrating your success." Not that there was much they could celebrate with in the Circle Tower. There were no bards they could hire or good ale to be had. The most exciting thing they could do was probably read a book.

Maker, how Anders hated it here...

[Azalea Valdea Amell]

OOC: hey no worries :3 you've got a busy weekend ahead of you, I totally understand <3 I hope you have an awesome time!
~~~~~

Azalea found herself practically bouncing a bit on her heels. She had already been excited, but now that she was able to share her little victory, she felt like she could just simply explode from sheer joy. Which was a good thing it was impossible to burst from such emotions, but if it were possible, she would have done so right then and there. Oh what a mess that would have been, Azalea thought with an internal grin.

The spirit of her event died a little bit as the seconds ticked by and a temporary gap of silence entered the hall. Now that she thought about it, there wasn't much that Azalea could do to celebrate. Victory dances were so cliche, though honestly she found them quite amusing when a few apprentices did them after their Harrowing. She certainly however would not do such a thing in front of someone, least of all Anders, after all, he would just poke fun at her expression, not that Azalea actually minded, she just didn't feel like looking stupid to him. The Circle was so limited as to what you could possibly do, no good drinks, no music, no being allowed outside. The young mage huffed a small sigh to herself. It seems her only means of celebration is to either read a book, or sleep, both of which did not appeal to her, though resting did sound ideal for she did feel her energy begin to dwindle.

Azalea returned her attention back to Anders, her triumphant smile fading slightly. She could see a minor change in the coloring of Anders' face, but she only assumed it was the lighting, or her eyes fooling her, so she paid no mind because after all, she never really seen men blush or anything or the sort, just other girls. She thought the ability to blush didn't exist in guys, that just goes to show how little she knew sometimes. Azalea was entirely aware of how much she seemed to blush over every little thing, and it drove her mad. The problem seemed to worsen when she found herself around Anders, for what reason she didn't quite understand. Perhaps it was because she did in fact feel a sort of connection with the older mage, a bond in which she had never really had with anyone else. There was no one else that dreamt of freedom or complained of the templars and living conditions of the Tower as openly as Anders did. He was also rather charming and amusing to her as well. A flicker of annoyance touched her features for only a second. The young girl knew very well that the templars would allow no such close contact with anyone, not without them interfering or becoming so incredibly suspicious that they watched your every move. It was bad enough that they watched lone mages alone, but she seen how worse it was for couples to be together while trapped in this infernal place.

Such thoughts were dismissed at the sound of Anders' voice. "Oh please, I don't think anyone could be as cross as templars. There needs to be more templars like you running around. The Circle would be much more entertaining, and there would certainly be a lot less yelling." Azalea mused with a laugh. "But alas, such things can never happen. But it's nice to dream." She added with an amused smile.

As a response to Azalea's concerned question, Anders mearly dismissed it, saying that he was fine, and there was no need to fuss, instead suggesting they celebrate. "Well, if you need to talk about whatever happened, don't be shy on telling me, I'll listen and don't worry, I don't bite that much." She giggled, flashing her companion a mischievous grin.

"Now to celebrate...let's see...well...not much to do...we can...go to the library and read." Azalea said with a frown tugging at the ends of her mouth and a shake to the head. Gee, what a fun celebration. Now if it wasn't for the tower, they could have easily gone to a tavern perhaps and drink, dance to a thrilling song of a bard, or simply enjoy the company of others. Bah, why did the Tower of Magi need to be so dull? Azalea crossed her arms over her chest, her frown deepening a bit.

This place sucks.

[Anders]

"Ha, me as a Templar. Now that is a funny thought," Anders snorted, a smirk appearing as he imagined himself in that silly Templar suit. "You, templar, stop being such an arse. Mages deserve freedom! I shall lead them to salvation from this place!" he said dramatically, pointing a finger towards the sky in a heroic fashion. Perhaps they did need more templars like him. Maker knows he probably would have been kicked from the Order in a day though, seeing how he despised their rules so much. "I suppose there's a reason why the Maker decided I should be a mage rather than a templar," he chuckled, arm dropping back to his side. His eyes drifted away from Azalea as she continued to speak, glancing down the long hallway.

The Templars were beginning to believe their most rebellious mage was in fact a maleficar. Terribly unsurprising, but he knew how the Order worked. They got Irving on his case so he wouldn't attempt anything during the next few days so they could determine whether or not he should be made Tranquil, or worse. Fear tactics. But, you see, there was a reason why Anders was so good at escaping for such a long time. He could outsmart them.

His deep amber eyes flickered back to Azalea as an idea struck him. She was truly a mage now, just like he was. She wished to celebrate, but only one life could offer that. A free life. A lopsided grin appeared on his face as he reached for her hands to grab them excitedly. "What if I said we could have a proper celebration?" he asked, lowering his voice considerably though the excitement was still clearly there, "Not only a celebration, but freedom." Part of him was terrified, having never risked anyone besides himself before, but the other part of him was truly determined and joyful. No matter what, he had to escape tonight to ensure he would live, but to have a friend along... It would be a nice change.

Anders searched Azalea's face as he awaited an answer. What would she think of his offer? Surely she may be confused, as it was so sudden, but would she actually be willing to attempt escaping again? So soon after passing her Harrowing... Fear flickered inside of him at that thought, feeling like a fool. If they escaped now she may be branded a practitioner of blood magic as well. Was she willing to risk that?

[Azalea Valdea Amell]

A smile returned to Azalea's face as Anders cracked a joke about being a Templar. He even had a small dramatic speech as well as a heroic pose, which certainly brought the younger mage amusement. She chimed a soft laugh, not wanting to be overly loud. "See? We need more Templars who think like you. Perhaps not as dramatic, but with the whole idea for 'salvation for mages'." She paused for a moment. "Although, dramatic Templars could prove to be entertaining." Azalea said with a giggle, bringing a delicately gloved hand to her lips. "Perhaps your right. Everyone has their place in the world and we can't change that I suppose." The younger mage said with a thoughtful look. Indeed there must be reasons as to why she and Anders were mages. Perhaps they would serve a higher purpose someday, or prove to be useful in the world somehow. Azalea would find her purpose one day, this she was determined on. "I suppose though, I am glad you aren't a Templar. After all, who else would I be able to share my dreams of freedom with? And who else would listen to me gripe and complain and keep me entertained?" She said with a joking laugh.

A crooked grin had made it's way onto Anders' features, and a sudden wild excitement blazed into his dark amber eyes. He reached for her hands and began to whisper to her in sheer elation. Upon the abrupt movement and touch, Azalea seemed to jump slightly in surprise and her cheeks flushed with a pinkish tone. The question that followed after seemed to surprise her even further and the mage tilted her head slightly, the smile fading into a look of bemusement. Was he serious? He had only just returned, and surely the Templars were keeping a very close eye on him. But the thought of freedom, to be able to travel the country side freely sounded so appealing.

She hesitated for a moment, looking away briefly. A silent sigh escaped from her before returning her gaze to Anders. A smile returned to her lips and she nodded, unknowing of the risks that entailed with following the older mage away from the Tower.

"It would be nice to share freedom with a friend. And perhaps this will last longer than a few minutes." Azalea said with a shaky laugh. A nervous thrill filled her mind. If she escaped again though, would the Templars become even angrier with her? Would they do something bad to her? she was uncertain. And what of Anders? If they caught him again, this would be his sixth time being returned to the Circle. Surely the Templars are sick of the games. What if they take to extreme actions next time? She had to face the fear of it though. Azalea would give nearly anything to enjoy freedom from the cage the Tower presented. And if she could be free even for a short time, she would be content.

[Anders]

Her bemused look wasn't exactly what he had expected, but Anders caught the undercurrent of emotions in her bright eyes. Unanswered questions. Ones he would have to answer, but did not know if it would be wise to now. Still, her answer was her word, whether she knew it or not. He wanted to keep his friend, and decided he would inform her later, after making their escape. It was selfish of him to keep the true dangers to himself, but he knew almost any mage would refuse to be affiliated with someone believed to be a blood mage. True or not.

Realizing he still had hold of her hands, and that her face went a little pink, he chuckled to himself and released them. He had a way of getting ahead of himself but still managing to play it off usually. "I promise you this will last much longer than a few minutes," he swore, his voice very much determined and certain. Anders would risk it all to keep them out of the Circle and to at least keep the newly-made mage safe. She was very unfamiliar with the world out there after all. Straightening his back, he glanced around to check their surroundings. The halls were clear, and they were still near the mage quarters. "Come, we should gather what few things I have," he said then and turned to enter the mage quarters.

Many inside slept soundly, though a few still lay awake reading. They glanced at the two with disinterest before returning to their book. None of them knew about Anders' suspected blood magic practice, and thus had no reason to keep their eye on him. This night was definitely his only chance to get out with relative ease. Turning into his private quarters, which was surrounded by walls except for the doorway (the nice perk about being a mage- more space), Anders quickly knelt beside his bed and reached under it. After a few moments of reaching around, he pulled out a small woolen sack. Then he proceeded to lift his mattress, revealing an even smaller sack with a draw string. When he grabbed it, it jingled with the sound of metal, an unknown amount of sovereigns, silver pieces, and copper bits inside. Tying it to his belt, he made sure to secure it so it would not make noise with his movement.

Rising to his feet, he grabbed the sack on the ground and wandered to his armoire. Opening it, Anders grabbed a spare robe set to put in the sack, along with a hidden stash of lyrium potions and health poultices behind it. "There," he grunted, placing the sack over his shoulder and closing the armoire. Turning to Azalea, the older mage glanced her over. "Is there anything absolutely necessary beyond what you have on that you would like to bring?" he inquired, not wanting to assume that all she needed were the clothes on her back. As he awaited an answer he grabbed his staff leaning nearby on the wall and tied it onto his back. Quickly he looked over everything one last time to make sure he wasn't missing any necessities.

[Azalea Valdea Amell]

After several moments of serious though, she confirmed her decision with a firm nod. Determination flooded her blue-green eyes and any sign of hesitation and doubt seemed to be wiped clean. There could be no fear, not any longer. Fear is what had kept Azalea time and time again from escaping for a second time. It was fear of the Templars that had smote her dreams of a life not bound to the Circle. Not anymore. She was tired of being nothing more than a child that needed to be watched over constantly. The mage was ready to become her own person, to take on the world. And with Anders to help guide her through this foreign land, Azalea felt like she could take on anything.

Anders had released her hands at that moment, and beckoned her to the mage's quarters. The newly named mage quickly ran through her mind what she would need. An extra set of robes no doubt...her staff naturally, and perhaps anything else of hers that she could scrounge up. Azalea had been informed that her belongings would have by now been moved up to her new living quarters, so hopefully they would not be hard to find.

The two slipped inside quietly, and thankfully, no one seemed to pay them any mind. Many lay sleeping in their beds, tossing every so often or mumbling incoherently as they dreamt. Very few remained awake, though they seemed to doze as they read silently. Anders had asked if there was anything in which she wanted to bring along to which she nodded. "Well my staff for one...I just need to...find it I suppose."She said as she observed Anders removing a pouch from beneath his mattress, and she could hear the soft tinkling of metal within. As the older mage grabbed what other necessities were needed, Azalea had managed to spot out where she would have been sleeping that night, about a row or so down the room. Quietly the young girl made her way to the bed, snatching up her new staff that had been rewarded to her upon passing her Harrowing. In a fluid motion she strung the wooden staff upon her back and swiped a sack that already contained one of her spare robes; gray and black. Azalea shook her head, very much preferring the gold and black robes she wore now but hey, what can she do? Really, there was nothing else that she needed, not that it mattered much seeing as she had very few things to herself anyways.

Azalea turned around and returned to Anders' side with her staff upon her back and the sack of her robes and ribbon accessories in the sack that was now slung over her shoulder. Literally she had every worldly possession of hers and was ready to set out whenever Anders was. "Ready when you are." She murmured quietly, an excited smile now dancing on her lips.

[Anders]

[OOC: So I'm leaving the end of this post sorta open ended. Either we can stop here and close the thread or keep going. Whichever you'd prefer. :3]

It seemed all was in order. Straightening up, Anders turned his head just as Azalea returned to his side. His amber eyes scanned over her and then he nodded with approval. "Now," he murmured, shifting towards his door, "just follow my lead. All you need to stay focused on is being as silent as possible, alright? The rest I have covered." His voice held slight pride, but it wasn't as though he hadn't done this before. He could definitely get them out as long as she did her part.

Throwing his head back one last time to look at his female friend, Anders smiled encouragingly and then was off.

They easily made it out of the mage quarters and down into the first floor. However, this is where it became tricky. There were no stationed Templars at this time of night, but some still ran patrols around the hallways and in the library. They had luck on their side though it seemed, because the only one in the library had fallen fast asleep. Anders even kindly went out of his way to grab a book and open it to rest it on the man's face. Silently he snickered and quickly lead them out. The halls seemed empty as they quickly made their way through towards their door to freedom, but as they were about to round a corner he suddenly stopped, flipped around and pushed Azalea behind a nearby pillar. Without thinking he pressed himself against her and held a single finger to his lips to signal stay silent.

Slowly, for what seemed like a half hour but was in reality only a minute or so, the Templar walked past the two and down the hall. When the armored man was out of sight, Anders let out a giant sigh of relief. "That was close," he muttered. In fact, the only thing closer than the Templar would be the two mages attempting to sneak out. Blinking, he realized he was still against her protectively. Playing it off, he casually pushed himself away. "C'mon," he whispered, pretending that little awkward moment had never happened.

Finally, they reached the door. Two Templars stood guard, but you could here distinctly heavy breathing from one of them. Placing his hand up, Anders signaled for Azalea to stop in her steps. Then he focused his attention on the guards of the door. Muttering words under his breath, his hands seemed to shimmer with a strange golden glow. Then, so too did the men. Slowly they fell to the ground, fast asleep. "Now!" he grunted, dashing for the door and forcing it open.

They had made it. They were free.