Date: Tue, 10 May 2016 01:19:14 +0000 (UTC)
From: Rainy Day <rainingsparrows@yahoo.com>
Subject: Boys of the Mage-Templar War, Chapter 3

Disclaimer: This Fan Fiction is based on the Dragon Age universe, licensed
by BioWare. I do not claim ownership of characters from the game or books.

Please don't post this anywhere else without my permission! Comments,
constructive criticism and suggestions are very welcome at
rainingsparrows@yahoo.com As this is a Dragon Age fanfiction, there will be
a lot of references to the games and books. I try to explain the lingo as I
go, but let me know if something is left out.  This fanfiction is about
original characters set in the Dragon Age universe during the third
game. There will be sex between minors, adults and some minor
incest. You're warned!

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------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Previosly:

They are coming for me, he thought as darkness crept further and further
in. They are coming to save me.

"We have to get him away from here. He is bleeding!"

"Look at him, Jared! Look what he did! No way I'll let him into my house
after that."

"We have to do something. We can't just let him die!"

"No one would know. After what happened in Kirkwall, no one would-"

"I would know! Give me your cape and cover the boy up and help me carry
him. We'll take him back to Redcliffe. The Mother will know what to do."

"By the Maker, I hope you're right."

Ethan's vision was blurry and the sounds around him seemed muffled, as if
heard them through a wall. He wasn't sure who were the two men he could
hear talking, or why he felt like he was flying, but he felt so
tired... All he wanted to do was to sleep. And who was this Mother they
mentioned? He couldn't remember his mother's face even. It had always been
just him and Caleb.

_________

`Relax, Ethan. They won't bother you any longer.'

`But I'm scared, Caleb. I don't like it here.'

`We won't have to stay for very long, I promise. I'll take care of you.'

`You promise?'

`I promise I won't let anything bad happen to you, Ethan. I love you,
remember that.'

___________

"By Andraste's grace, what happened?"

"A bear, but that's not the problem, Mother. My son, Colin, said he killed
the bear... with Magic!"

"By the Maker... Get him inside, quick. Ina will look after him while I
send word to the Templars."  _________

`I won't let anything bad happen to you, Ethan.'


---------------------------------------------------


Chapter Three: Kinloch Hold

Ethan opened his eyes. His vision was still very blurry, but also a lot
darker. He wasn't outside anymore—he laid on a soft bed in a dimly lit
chamber. He tried to sit up, but a soft hand gently pushed him down again.

"Don't move. I have to tend to your shoulder. Now, lay still," a gentle
voice said. Ethan looked up and saw a woman sitting by his bed. She was
beautiful, with long locks of golden hair, but that wasn't the most
interesting thing about her. Her hands rested on his wounded shoulder, and
from her hands came a faint blue glow.

"What are you doing?" Ethan croaked, but the feeling, the same one that
he'd felt before with the bear, now spread through his shoulder, from the
woman's hands!  "Stop! It'll happen again!" He shouted and tried to get
away, but the woman pushed him down into the bed again.

She studied his face and put her soft hand on his cheek, "Don't worry. It's
my magic you feel, not your own."

"Magic? So you are... I am..."

"A mage, yes. You just had your awakening. You are now connected to the
Fade." She added when she saw the confused look on Ethan's face, before
returning her attention to his shoulder. "Magic has surfaced within you,
and often that surfacing has a violent effect, as you can't properly
control it. It usually starts as a sensation within your entire body and
can last for weeks. That feeling is your mind trying to establish a
connection to the Fade, where it desperately tries to acquire mana. That
can sometimes lead to interesting effects. Like I don't suspect you had two
different eye colors before, did you?"

"Different eye colors? My eyes are different?!"

"Yes. One brown and one blue. Take a look." The woman said and picked up a
small hand mirror. Ethan stared at the reflection, not really knowing what
to say. His left eye was still the same brown as it had always been, but
his right eye was now a pale blue!

"I don't understand any of this!" Ethan shouted frustrated and threw the
mirror across the room, braking it. "Fade and mana, I have no idea what any
of that is!"

"I'll explain it to you, if you'll just lay still!" The woman said, a
little more impatient now. Ethan did as told and lay still. Once again, a
blue glow emerged from the mage's hands and the strange sensation crept up
Ethan's shoulder. Now that he tried to relax, he sensed a difference
though. This sensation felt different, almost unknown to him. It really was
coming from her! He studied his shoulder for a second, when his jaw
dropped. The large gash on his shoulder healed itself! The bleeding stopped
and the flesh closed itself and even the skin seemed to melt and become
normal skin again, leaving a faint scar that looked like it could have been
there for years.

"You healed my shoulder..." Ethan said in awe.

"That I did." The woman confirmed and smiled warmly. "I use my magic
primarily to heal, which is why I've taken a life in the Chantry as my
calling. The Mother has been very kind to me, treating me fairly."

"Th-thank you. I don't even know your name," Ethan said as he sat up from
the bed.

"My name is Ina. And you're welcome," Ina said and sat down on the edge of
the bed.

"Why am I here? I mean, why am I not in my own bed back home?" Ethan asked,
suddenly remembering Caleb. "Caleb! You have to find Caleb and tell him
where I am!"

"That's being taken care of," Ina said as she studied the young boy's
face. She almost looked sad. "You were taken here by the farmers
because... you're being taken to the Circle as soon as possible."

"Taken to... You mean you're going to take me away from Caleb? You can't!"
Ethan exclaimed, feeling the rage build up within him. They couldn't take
him away from Caleb. He was his only brother!

"I know this must seem traumatic for you, believe me, I know. But it's
really for your own good."

"My own good?" Ethan asked, almost laughing at the absurd claim. "Taking me
away from my brother, my only living family, is for my own good?"

"For the people around you and your own safety, is what I should have
said," Ina said calmly. "You have no idea how lucky you are. Most young
mage's awakening aren't as lucky as yours."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, that you didn't hurt anyone, other than the bear. But that bear
could just as easily have been a friend, family or someone on the
street. You are a mage, Ethan, and mages need to learn how to control their
magic, or else they will hurt the people around them."

"I would never hurt anyone!" Ethan said, feeling the tears well up, "I
haven't hurt anyone in my whole life!"

"I hadn't either." Ina said calmly, "Until I was ten and burned down our
family's house in my sleep."

The last part of what Ina said caught Ethan by surprise. He looked intently
at the woman in front him in shock. "You burned... did anyone...?"

"My whole family." Ina said, as calm as before. "My awakening was so
violent and deadly that I couldn't control it. I was taken to the Circle in
chains.. You will probably have a better trip than me."

Ethan didn't know what to say. The woman in front of him sat there, as calm
as ever, telling him that she burned her family alive and telling him it
would be alright. Then he remembered Colin.

"Colin! What happened to the boy I was with? Is he alright?" Ethan asked,
feeling slight panic come over him.

"As far as I know, he is unhurt. His father brought you in here, I
think. He seemed to be concerned about you, but left almost right after. As
I understand from the Revered Mother, the boy, Colin, was in a bit of a
shock from your awakening."

While he was relieved that Colin wasn't hurt, Ethan felt like someone had
stabbed him in the gut from the thought of Colin being so frightened by his
awakening. It must have been terrifying to see, both the bear maim him and
for Ethan to rip the bear to shreds. And knowing that the last thing his
best friend would remember of him, was being scared so bad that he fell
into shock...

A knock on the door cut Ethan's thoughts short. Four people came in to the
small chamber. One was an elderly woman wearing the chantry robes. Two were
men in steel plate with a flaming sword engraved on the
chest—templars. The last one was Caleb. He looked like a mess! His eyes
were red and puffy and he looked terrified.

"Ethan! Are you alright?" Caleb said and pushed past the three others and
threw himself over Ethan and hugged him. Ethan couldn't hold back the tears
anymore.

"I'm alright. She fixed my shoulder but..." Ethan looked at the two
men. They studied the two brothers with cold resignation. Caleb looked over
at the templars as well.

"Could we get the room, please? I want to talk to my little brother."

"Only a short moment. We have to get moving as soon as possible." One of
the templars said and they all left the room for the two brothers.

"What happened, Ethan? They told me you... that you are... Ethan! Your
eyes!"

"Ohh... Yeah. The healer lady said it was part of my awakening or
something."

"So... you really are a mage." Caleb said. He sounded defeated, like he had
denied that his little brother was a mage, but now he faced the truth.

"I-... yeah. It appears so. Caleb, I don't know what to do!"

Caleb leaned in and hugged him tight. It was different than usual. Warmer
and gentler. "You'll be alright." He said, and Ethan could hear his older
brother's voice shaking a little, "It will all be alright."

"But they are taking me away, Caleb!" Ethan said, not able to hold back a
sob, "They are taking me away from you and Master Harritt! I won't be able
to come back here! I won't be able to see you or anyone I know."

"I know." Caleb said calmly and released Ethan from the hug. "But you're
destined for something more than a blacksmith's apprentice, I've always
known that. Remember back when the older kids picked on you in the
chantry?" he added with a smile.

"Kind of..." Ethan said, drying his tears. "One of the older boys stole my
spinning top, and you got it back for me."

"That's not all true." Caleb said, still smiling. "We went back together to
get it back. I didn't do anything else than to be there with you. You took
charge yourself and demanded they stop picking on you. You're stronger than
you think, Ethan. So you'll go to the circle and learn to be an amazing
mage. You'll get new friends who probably went through the same things as
you did, and will understand."

"I guess... But I'll miss you!" Ethan tearfully said, finally getting his
crying under control.

"You better!" Caleb said and playfully ruffled his hair. "Don't worry about
me. I'll have enough to do with Master Harritt, but you better write me
when you get there, you hear? I want to know that you made it there
safely."

Ethan leaned in and hugged Caleb once more. "I will."

As if on que, there was a knock on the door and the chantry Mother came
in. "It is time. Ethan, will you please get dressed. The templars are
waiting for you." With that she left the room again.

"That reminds me..." Caleb said and looked over his brother's naked
body. "What were you doing in Dead Ram Cove?"

"I was with Colin." Ethan said sheepishly and sat on the edge of the
bed. On a chair next to the bed, lay his clothes, plus a new shirt, neatly
folded. "And we played around then the bear came."

"You played around, huh?" Calen said knowingly. "You two wanked, didn't
you?" Ethan hesitated, but nodded. He felt like his face was on fire, but
Caleb just chuckled.  "You'll make friends at this circle thing in no time,
little brother."

A few minutes later, Ethan sat in the back of a cart, hugging Caleb one
last time before leaving.

"You're going to do great, Ethan. Don't worry." Caleb said reassuringly. He
let go of Ethan and smiled. "I-ehh, want to give you something before you
leave." He looked at the two templars. "Can you wait just one minute? I
have to run inside and get something real quick."

None of the templars said a word, but Caleb took their silence as a yes and
ran inside the smithy. A minute later he came running out again with
something in his hand.

"I want you to have this." He said and placed a ring in Ethan's hand. Ethan
knew it very well. It was his father's wedding ring. One of the only things
the brothers had left from their parents.

"I can't take it!" Ethan said and looked at his older brother. "I don't
want to take it from you."

"I'm giving it to you, Ethan. Something to remember me... us, by. Here,"
Caleb said and threaded a simple chain through the ring. "This way, you can
have it around your neck, since I think it's a little big for you to have
on your finger." He laughed and hanged the necklace around Ethan's neck.

Ethan stared at the necklace and felt the tears run down his cheeks. "Thank
you, Caleb. I promise I'll take care of it."

Soon after, Ethan was on his way to the Circle Tower, or Kinloch Hold as it
was really called. The trip would take a day and a half, but Ethan wasn't
worried. Thoughts of his new life kept him busy on the trip to Kinloch Hold
though. What was it like? What would he learn there? Who would he meet?
These questions roamed through his head as the cart went past farms and
houses, closing in on Kinloch Hold.

"We're here." One of the templars said as he stopped the cart. Ethan looked
around. They were still at Lake Calenhad, a lake connecting to Redcliffe,
so Ethan didn't feel like he was that far away from his brother. They had
reached an inn and a small dock, presumably to ferry people out to the
large island at the lake. Ethan felt a sense of awe when he saw the
tower. It was unlike any construction at Redcliffe, for sure! It was a
single tower, at least 500 feet high, with what seemed like a broken bridge
leading to where the docks were.

"Why is the bridge broken?" Ethan asked the chattier one of the templars.

"To make it harder for mages to escape. The only way to and off the island,
is by boat. And the boat is on this side of the lake, unless it's called
for by the Knight-Commander or First Enchanter. It's safer that way."

This didn't put Ethan at ease, though. What was it like, if people tried to
escape? Soon, he sat on the boat with one templar and the ferry man. It was
a short boat ride, only about fifteen minutes or so.

"You wait here. I'll be right back." The templar said to the ferryman, who
nodded firmly. Then the templar signalled Ethan to follow him. The two of
them walked up a set of stairs until they reached a pair of massive
doors. The templar knocked three times, and the door opened. A new templar
greeted them, looking curiously at the pair before him.  "A new mage." The
templar with Ethan said shortly, and the new one nodded.

"Come on in. I'll find someone to escort you," the new templar said. It was
something in his voice that made Ethan hesitate, but the old templar gave
Ethan a light shove in the shoulder.

"Go on. I have to get back to Redcliffe. I don't have all day for you to
stand here."

With that, Ethan stepped inside the giant doors and into an entry
hall. Behind him the doors shut with loud bang, and something locked as
well. Ethan swallowed. What was he going to...?

Another templar, this one a female, escorted Ethan through the tower. Ethan
was amazed by how many mages there actually were here. They passed a couple
of rooms, which he guessed served as sleeping areas. These were full of
bunk beds, enough for at least 40 or 50 in each room! The templar led him
past these rooms, though.

"You're going to see the First Enchanter before you settle in."

"The First Enchanter? Is that someone important?" Ethan asked as he looked
around the stone halls. The hall was filled with large paintings and
statues. Some of the statues looked as old as the tower itself, while
others looked brand new.

"He is the head of Kinloch Hold, at least for the mages," the templar said
as they entered a new room. Ethan couldn't help himself, but he had to say,
`woah!''

This new room was a gigantic library! It was an enormous room, at least
four times as high as any normal room. The windows had beautiful stained
glass patterns far above, and the walls filled with bookshelves. Ethan had
never seen this many before, not even in the chantry. Here, there were
several people going around in long robes. Most of them were reading, but
some groups seemed to have what looked like classes, with someone lecturing
them. Ethan lagged behind, wanting to see it all and look around, but the
templar made an impatient `ahem' which made Ethan pick up the pace.

She led him through another library and up to a new floor. Shockingly
enough, this new room was also a library. How many libraries could they
need? She then led him through a new hall. This also seemed to be a sort of
housing area, but these rooms were a lot smaller and seemed to house one to
three mages, each. The people in these rooms seemed to be older than the
ones down below, all grown up and most having a staff strapped onto their
back.

At the far end of the hall, the templar knocked on a door. A faint `come
in' was heard and the templar opened the door. Inside was what looked like
a mix of an office and personal library. Behind a desk sat an old man, with
grey hair and a beard. The man didn't look up from the parchment he was
writing on when they came in.

"Excuse me, First Enchanter Irwin, but the new mage from Redcliffe just
arrived," the templar woman said and gave the man a short bow. This made
the old man look up.

"Ohh! Excellent! You may leave now, Minerva," the man said and the templar
left the room. "Shut the door and sit down, would you please?" The man said
as he started to put away his parchment and pen. Ethan shut the heavy door
behind him and sat on a chair in front of the desk.

"Revered mother Hanna wrote me about you. She told me about your awakening
as well. I'm very glad that no one was hurt. Not everyone is that
fortunate," the man said. He studied Ethan and continued, "I am First
Enchanter Irving. I am the head of Kinloch Hold. I make sure to meet each
new apprentice personally to see if I think you'll fit in here."

"Do you think I will?" Ethan asked nervously. The man cocked his head.

"I think you will. I see your awakening had a physical side effect on you
as well. We don't see that very often. How old are you, Ethan?"

"I'm eleven." Ethan said, almost mumbling. He really wanted to look around
the room, as there seemed to be a lot to look at. Thick tomes, strange
instruments and artifacts filled the shelves around the room.

"I see. Then you'll be one of the youngest apprentices here. I'm sure
you'll fit right in. Now, there are only a few formalities left. The first
one is that I need a little blood from you, Ethan. Only a few drops. I'll
just prick your finger and it'll be done."

"Why do you need my blood?" Ethan asked, clenching his fists.

"We're going to use it to create a phylactery. Every single mage goes
through it. The templars use it to track apostate mages who run away. It is
a security measure, nothing to be worried about," Irving said with a small
smile. He got up from his chair and walked over to one of the shelves,
where a fine knife lay.  "This will just take a second... There," Irving
said as he pricked Ethan's finger with the tip of the dagger. Dark red
blood dribbled out from the new cut and Irving held Ethan's finger over a
small glass orb. A few drops landed in the glass orb before Irving took it
away. The First Enchanter put a blue powder in the orb before sealing it
and put it on his desk before taking Ethan's bleeding finger into his
hands. The familiar blue glow that Ina had created now streamed from
Irving's hands, and the small cut was healed.  "All done. Any second now,
Enchanter Nathan will show you to your sleeping quarters, as well as
provide you with clothes and such—ahh, right on time." Irving added as a
knock came from outside the door. In came a man, possibly in his
mid-thirties, with short black hair and striking blue eyes.

"Is this the new apprentice, then?" the man asked as he looked Ethan over.

"Yes, it is. Ethan, this is Enchanter Nathan. He will be one of your
mentors here at Kinloch Hold. Your training starts already tomorrow,"
Irving said, then gave Ethan one last smile before he one again
concentrated on the parchment he had been writing on.

"Ethan, please follow me. I'll show you downstairs," Enchanter Nathan
said. Ethan gave Irving's office one last look before following Enchanter
Nathan out the door.  "Welcome to Kinloch Hold. You'll spend your days here
for many years to come. Apprentices aren't allowed to leave the tower, just
so you know. So it will be a while until you see the outside world. You
might as well get used to that thought now."

Ethan listened as the Enchanter lead him back downstairs and through the
libraries. The Enchanter showed Ethan to his bunk bed (the top bunk!) and
personal storage.  "There is a set of robes there for you. It's required
that you use these during classes, so most people just wear them all the
time. Over there is the cleaning area, don't be shy. You'll get used to
having people around you," the Enchanter added with a chuckle. Ethan felt a
chill go down his spine from the thought. The cleaning area was a very open
area behind a wall. There were a few half-walls separating the different
baths and such, but other than that, no privacy.  "Make yourself at
home. The dining area is at the third floor, it's impossible to miss. I
will see you tomorrow morning, Ethan," The Enchanter said and then gave
Ethan's shoulder a firm squeeze. Ethan could actually feel himself shaking
from fear and nerves. There were so many people around here!

"Wait!" Ethan said, suddenly remembering, "Can I send a letter to my family
in Redcliffe?"

Enchanter Nathan gave Ethan a warm smile, "Of course you can. When you've
written your letter, give it to me or one of the other Enchanters. We will
send it for you. Good night."

Enchanter Nathan left the sleeping area, leaving Ethan all alone. He went
over to his personal chest and stored the few possessions he had there, but
left the ring from Caleb around his neck in the chain. He also took out the
new robes. They were made of a very light fabric, it seemed. From the
length, one would think it was a lot heavier, but it was lighter than the
shirt he wore now. Ethan slowly made his way to the bath and went behind
one of the half walls, before he started to shed his clothes.

"Remember to keep your undergarments on," a voice came from behind. Ethan
jumped in shock and tried to cover up. A boy stood behind him, studying
him.  The looked very different from most of the other people there. He was
taller than Ethan, with short blonde hair and large green eyes, but what
separated him from the others was the pointy ears. An elf! "Trust me, you
don't want to be caught without anything under those robes." The elf boy
said and left Ethan standing there, half naked and in a mild shock.

Ethan followed the boy's advice and left his undergarments on, in addition
from the chain around his neck. It was strange, to have so little on, but
surprisingly liberating. Ethan left the baths and headed over to his bunk
and looked around. Most of the apprentices here were kids. Everyone looked
older than him, some in their late teens. Ethan noticed a few more elves,
but they were a minority! Most of the people there were humans. Ethan
noticed that most people in here were boys. He guessed that the second
sleeping area was for the girls, and the few girls in here were visiting or
something.

Ethan decided to go explore some more of the tower, and walked over to the
library. It was still a lot of people there. He walked around looking
browsing the bookshelves. Thankfully, he had learned how to read back when
he and Caleb lived in the Chantry, but that felt like ages ago!  He pulled
out a few books that looked promising and carried them over to one of the
reading tables. Only a quick look though was enough to tell him that it
would take some time before he could understand most of this! A word caught
Ethan's attention and he suddenly remembered that the healer, Ina, had
actually never explained what the Fade was! He closed his eyes and tried to
remember what she had said.  `...your mind trying to establish a connection
to the Fade, where it desperately tries to acquire mana...'

He opened his eyes again. He was pretty sure that was what she had
said. His mind trying to connect to the Fade and wanting to acquire
mana... he had to find out what that was! He scoured the pages for any
mention of the Fade or mana, but as soon as he found one, he got
confused. None of these sentences made any sense!

"Find what you're looking for?" a voice asked right behind him, and Ethan
let out a frightened squeal. He quickly turned around and saw the elf boy
that had spied on him earlier.

"You! Why are you following me?" Ethan said a little louder than he
intended and a few people around gave him annoyed looks.

"My bunk is right under yours. I saw Enchanter Nathan show you in. So
you're the newest apprentice, huh? I'm Nero, nice to meet you," Nero said
and extended his hand to shake Ethan's.

Ethan took it and said, "I'm Ethan. So you sleep below me?"

"Yep." Nero then sat down next to Ethan. "So what are you reading about?"

"I'm trying to find out what the Fade and mana is. I know I've heard about
the Fade before, but I don't know where..." Ethan said as he returned his
attention to the pages in front of him.

"Ohh that's easy!" Nero said and smiled wide. "I can spare you the reading
and tell you, if you want. I mean, if you're looking for the basics. I've
been an apprentice for three years now, so I should know them," He joked.

"That would be great!" Ethan said then slammed the book shut.

"No wonder you couldn't find anything in that one." Nero said, looking at
the cover. "Genitivi isn't a magic scholar. He deals with history. Anyway,
the simplest way to explain it to you would be to show you," Nero said as
he grabbed a piece of parchment and a pen. Then he drew a circle with a
line through it, and some stick men on one side.  "This is our world," he
pointed at the side with the stick men. "We live in this world where we eat
and sleep and such, but when we dream, our minds travel to the Fade." He
then pointed to the blank side of the circle.

"What's the line in the middle?" Ethan asked as he pointed at the vertical
line through the circle.  "That is the Veil. It's what separates out world
from the Fade. Now, the Fade is where magic comes from. When we have our
awakening, our minds become sensitive to the magic in the Fade. This
sensitivity causes our minds to open up to the Fade, being able to draw
mana from it. It's what allows us to cast spells in this world." Nero said,
pointing on the side with the stick men again.  "Imagine mana as a glass of
water. When you cast a spell, some of the water goes away, like you drink
it. If you run out of the mana, you won't be able to cast any spells."

"How do I get mana then?" Ethan asked.

"You get some more over time, as your mind goes over to the fade. Many here
use meditation to make it go faster, but I just sleep on it and let my mind
do it when I sleep." Nero shrugged.

"OK, So I have mana in me now?" Ethan asked, looking at his hands. He
hesitated as he remembered the last time he had cast magic.

"Yeah. You'll learn how to tap into it soon, possibly already tomorrow,"
Nero said, "But you have to be careful how you use it though. Mana comes
back, sure, but it takes a lot of time! So only use magic when you have
to. We don't use magic to clean or make things float just because we can,
but we use it when we have to. A lot of mages here spend time learning
Creation and Primal magic. It's funny, because they are so different." Nero
added as an afterthought.  When he saw Ethan's confused look he continued,
"Creation magic is used for healing and such. Strengthen willpower and
auras of people, while Primal magic is destructive. Fire, ice and lightning
are all part of the Primal magic branch."

"I did that..." Ethan said, his voice weak. "When I had my awakening."

"That's the most common, it seems," Nero said, carefully studying Ethan's
face. "Did you hurt anyone during your awakening?

"No... well yes, a bear."

"A bear? Cool! A lot of people had their awakening as they sleep though,
ironically. I did."

"What happened?" Ethan asked, curious to hear more about magic and how it
worked.

"Well..." Nero said and took a deep breath, "I had a strange
dream. Something was chasing me, I think. Next thing I know, my dad is
shaking me, trying to wake me up. When I finally come to, I see furniture
falling all around. While I slept, they started to float around."

"That's incredible!" Ethan said in awe.

"No one got hurt. I'm just happy for that," Nero said with a faint
smile. "If I had hurt my family or someone I cared for, I don't think I
would have been able to live with myself."

There was a moment of silence as Ethan looked the elf boy over. He hadn't
seen many elves before, as there weren't really any elves in Redcliffe! He
knew that there were different types of elves. The city elves lived in the
bigger cities in their own alienage's, where they lived aside from
humans. The Dalish were free elves who lived out in the wild. They were
highly talented craftsmen, he knew. Master Harritt had showed them an elven
bow once. It was unlike anything Ethan and Caleb had seen before.

"So are you Dalish then?" Ethan asked, taking a gamble. Nero looked up and
smiled.

"No, I'm not Dalish. I come from Denerim. It's pretty easy to see if
someone is Dalish," he added, "Just look for the facial tattoos. The Dalish
get tattoos that cover their faces when they become adults."

"That sounds... strange." Ethan said truthfully. Who on earth would want a
tattoo covering up their face?

"Hah, yeah! It's probably a reason that most city elves don't bother with
those!" Nero laughed.

Ethan spent the whole day with Nero. The elf boy showed him around the
tower and the different floors and areas and told him about a normal day in
the circle. Nero even helped him find an Enchanter to give Caleb's letter
to. Far too soon, it was getting late and people were starting to prepare
for bed. Ethan stuck with Nero and went to the bath to clean up before
bed. Soon the lights were dimmed, signalling that it was time for bed. The
boys undressed and got ready to crawl under the sheets. Ethan was glad that
he kept his undies on, as he let the robe fall to the ground. He folded it
neatly and put it on the night stand.

"Good night, Ethan," Nero said as Ethan climbed to the top bunk.

"Good night, Nero. Do they wake us in the morning?"

"Yeah, the templars wake us up after dawn, but most are already awake by
then. They aren't really that quiet, so you should be able to wake up by
hearing the others, really."

"Alright. Sleep well," Ethan said and lifted the chain over his head. He
studied the ring on it fondly for a moment before carefully placing it
under his pillow. Then he lifted the blanket over him and really settled in
for the night. Not much later, the lights dimmed even further, only
lighting up the baths enough to see where it was and what you were
doing. Ethan closed his eyes and tried to sleep, but not matter how much he
tried, he couldn't. He was too excited about what the next day would bring!

Soon, soft snoring sounds came from most of the beds, but Ethan was still
wide awake. He thrashed and turned, unable to fall asleep. Then he thought
back to Caleb and his advice.

`It really takes a lot out of you, the finish. It's really nice to do when
you can't sleep, because you feel so tired after it.'

Did he dare do it? There were so many people around! Very slowly, he slid
his hand down his stomach and into his undies. He was starting to get hard
just from the thought of doing this! As he started to stroke his now
pulsating dick, he heard other sounds in the room. In between the snoring,
there was squeaking from the bunk beds and unmistakable moans. Muffled, but
if he listened well enough, he could clearly hear them! This made Ethan's
mind go haywire! Soon, he added to the moans with his own. He threw off the
covers off him, making too much noise as he did so, but at this point he
didn't really care. He felt the finish come closer and closer. He had to
hold a hand over his mouth to keep himself from waking people up. His
eleven-year-old body shook as two little jets of liquid shot across his
belly and chest.

Exhausted, he finally felt sleep come over him. He let out a relieved sigh,
but as he closed his eyes, he felt the bed shake a little and an
unmistakable moan from down below! Nero was also awake it seemed, and had
just finished by the sound of it.

This suspicion was confirmed when Nero whispered, "That was great... Nite,
Ethan." All Ethan could do was to whisper `Nite' back, feeling his face
heat up. But soon after, he drifted off to sleep—his first of many
nights at Kinloch Hold.

---------------------------------------------------

That concludes chapter three! I really hope you guys enjoy this
series. It's quickly becoming my favorite story to write, even though it's
a little difficult to write. Thanks a lot to those of you that send me
comments and suggestions. They're really appreciated!

Please check out my other stories here at Nifty. Both are fanficitons like
this one, set in an already existing world with original characters,
referencing the canon storyline.

The Becomings of Wardens -Dragon Age (finished) :
http://www.nifty.org/nifty/gay/celebrity/becomings-of-wardens/

The Espen Norum Chronicles - Harry Potter :
http://www.nifty.org/nifty/gay/celebrity/espen-norum-chronicles/