Irell Starling

The Fourth Blight {Irell Starling x Reaper}

Kaitlyn didn’t say anything to Thea’s comment. She felt like she was watching at a distance. Someone else’s hands helped Thea lift Wendell’s body onto the fire. Someone else’s cheek felt hot as flame ignited flesh. Red and yellow colors blurred at the edge of her vision, a kaleidoscope of lights that danced by some insolvable force.

”I’m sorry.” Thea said, her voice starling Kaitlyn back to the reality of the situation. She was sorry as well. Sorry Wendell would not have the opportunity to live his life, sorry she’d insisted he always be at her side, sorry she hadn’t taken the dark spawn threat more seriously- She would spend the next nights caught between fearing for her life and writhing in guilt, playing Wendell’s last moments over and over again in her head. The Templar reasoned that in some ways Wendell’s death should have hurt less because part of her friend was already long dead- dead at her hand… and yet… for that reason it hurt even more.

”The fire will cleanse and burn…” The Templar eyed her blade coated with a sheen of red. Up until today it had never tasted blood. It never had to. She leaned out and watched the flames to lick at the metal. Flittingly she thought of the wound on her arm. If only the fire could cleanse everything so easily.

Behind her the mage began to sing. The melody was low and lilting. It reminded Kailtyn of falling leaves and the stead beat of rain. Kaitlyn didn’t understand the words but she understood the sentiment of mourning. The Templar closed her eyes listening to the music, water trickling down her cheek. Time slowed to a halt.

Too soon the song ended on a haunting note that seemed to be swallowed up by the surrounding forest. Thea mentioned their departure and Kaitlyn nodded at the suggestion. It was time to leave. “Thank you for what you did. I know what the darkspawn do to the…” Kaitlyn’s voice cut off and instead she swallowed heavily, “When this is all over I’ll come back, give him a real marker. Bring him flowers. He always had a soft stop for Harlot’s Blush.” A small smile graced her lips as color came back to her face at the memory. Kaitlyn shook her head as if actively trying to clear it.

“We should get going. I’m sure you can see the smoke from this fire miles off and who knows what it will attract.” She paused again, collecting her thoughts. “Roan will catch up with us soon enough and I suspect Flecks will stay at his heals- if they made it. I know I don’t have to say this but all the supplies are with the horses. We spent the day riding just to get to this spot. I don’t think we have a chance making it back to the Dalish camp before nightfall- if they’ll still even there. If my calculations are right, we should be a few hours south of a small village. We could rest up there. I’d rather that then spend the night in the open.” No longer were the woods a friendly place. Instead the unceasing silence pressing in around them bespoke countless horrors.

Kaitlyn’s conscience tugged at her. Was she really going to take the Thea to the Circle? Part of Kaitlyn said yes, citing that Thea was a threat and could easily become an abomination or worse but another voice, just as strong as the first, argued that Wendell had been no safer at the Circle even after he passed his Harrowing. Which argument would actually win, Kaitlyn didn’t know and didn’t feel like thinking about. Right now her main concentration was putting one foot in front of the other and hoping they’d be in a much safer place when darkness came.

Worry furrowed the Templar’s brow as they started to walk together in silence. There were many things to worry about. First and foremost was the fact that Kaitlyn wasn’t one-hundred percent sure just where they were. Trail blazing was more Wendell’s talent that hers and to top it off the maps had literally run away. Mind you, she could always ask Thea but Kaitlyn wasn’t ready to give up control, after all there was no guarantee the mage wouldn’t lead them away from the extract place the Templar was trying to get them to.

The Fourth Blight {Irell Starling x Reaper}

Where would you like to go with this next? Towards the Circle or somewhere else?

The Fourth Blight {Irell Starling x Reaper}

“Wendell!” The Templar called out, but her words were lost as the group of darkspawn closed in around her. Gritting her teeth, Kaitlyn head butted the one directly in front of her and maneuvered around them, managing to dodge out of the way just as a giant axe swung through the air. Turning around, Kaitlyn tried to shield herself as much as possible. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the shimmer of magic evident that the mage was, at least for the meantime, still alive.

Using her shield against one of her attackers, Kaitlyn threw her weight and slammed her body into one of the Hurlock’s. The creature lost its footing and with a quick jab, Kaitlyn’s sword found its way into the fallen creatures throat. One wrong miss-step in the follow through caused one of the monster’s filthy blades to slice into her left forearm. The cut wasn’t deep and shocked her more than anything.

Panic rose up in her- if the blade had been tainted by their blood- no, she has to worry about that later. Lightning nearby sizzled through the air, causing one of her attackers to hesitate just long enough for Kaitlyn to find an opening. Almost as fast as the sparks themselves, Kaitlyn stabbed the creature through the heart and swiftly pulled her weapon out again, ducking just in time to avoid an axe lopping off her head. Two against one was much easier and it only took a few more minutes before the reaming dark spawn were lying in their own vile blood.

Panting heavily, Kaitlyn was barely able to comprehend that it was over. It felt like the battle had last hours but in reality, it couldn’t have been more than ten minutes. Somehow against the odds they’d survive.

The ache in her arm became suddenly urgent and the Templar tore at her uniform exposing the flesh underneath. The blood flow seemed to be slowing but Kaitlyn couldn’t be sure if that was a good sign of not. Raising her right hand, Kaitlyn placed it on the cut. Blue light glowed from her palm as the Templar casted Cleanse on the wound. She didn’t know if it would help but it certainly couldn’t hurt.

”That went well,” Thea said.

”Yeah,” Kaitlyn replied, her voice as uncertain as she felt. She prayed to the Maker that they’d just fought a random scouting party and not the forerunners of the horde. The air around them was heavy with an eerily quiet. The forest floor nearby was coated with the dark red blood of the slain. The Templar had to keep swallowing down the bile that threatened to rise up.

Then a sudden horrible thought struck Kaitlyn. “Where’s Wendell?” The look Thea gave her question shot ice cold through Kaitlyn veins. Blood rushed through Kaitlyn’s head. She couldn’t thick. She couldn’t breathe. She just had to find him. “Wendell?” Kaitlyn called, a note of hysteria in her voice. “Wendell!”

Kaitlyn began running off in the direction she’d last seen him. It only took her a few seconds before she saw his body lying limp in the nearby underbrush. A strangled cry rose in her throat as she flung herself down in the dirt beside him.

“No! No! No!” Kaitlyn screamed, tears running down her face as she cradled his head in her arms. “It wasn’t supposed to be like this,” she sobbed. “I was going to save you! I was going to find a way to save you. I promised. Wendell please don’t go. Please. I was so close to finding a way, I know I was. I just needed more time. Forgive me! I tried! I tried! Please, please… You can’t leave me…”

Then she heard his words, so soft she thought she had imagined them until he whispered them again.

"Kait, it will be okay.”

Looking down, she saw his eyes were staring, unfocused at the blue sky above. She followed his gaze to the oblivion searching for the reason behind the miracle, the reason Wendell had died smiling. It was as if the Maker was trying to tell her something-but Kaitlyn wasn’t listening anymore. Wendell was wrong. Things would never be okay again. Shaking her head, Kaitlyn wiped her cheek, smearing blood across it. Shakily she stood, carefully place the Tranquil body back on the blood soaked leaves. Then Kaitlyn turned away as if somehow not seeing the body made his death less real.

“We should go. But first… if it’s possible… will you burn…” Kaitlyn’s voice trailed out for a few seconds. “Please.”

The Fourth Blight {Irell Starling x Reaper}

I hope you haven't gotten too attached to our Tranquil pal...

The Fourth Blight {Irell Starling x Reaper}

Kaitlyn vaulted off Roan faster than the blink of an eye. As she landed, she pulled her hand back and smacked the horse on the rump causing the beast to run off into the woods beyond. No points in wasting the stallion’s life by making him stay. She hadn’t made the horses wear armor of any kind, sometime which currently seemed quite fool hearty. Kaitlyn had traded the weight of the armor for speed and endurance, hoping the group could avoid or out maneuver the dark spawn. But Thea was large enough that ridding pillion wasn’t an option. On top of that, the mage wouldn’t stand a chance steering, yet alone staying seated on a galloping horse. No, it was clear there was only one option. Hopefully the beasts would be able to get away and, if trio were lucky and the horses weren’t, draw away some of the threat.
Wendell tried to help Thea off her mount as Kaitlyn unhooked the shield from her back and drew her sword.

The trios ability to survive the next few minutes depended less on their ability and more on luck. Even a trained Grey Warden could be easily overwhelmed by a large group of darkspawn. Thea announced direction of the upcoming attack and Kaitlyn swiveled towards their left. The templar’s brown eyes searched hurried through the tangled web of branches but try as she might, she couldn’t see anything out of the ordinary. Every breath felt forced in Kaitlyn’s lungs as her grip on the hilt of her blade felt slippery.

” If they've driven off the wildlife, there are at least ten of them… Don’t panic.”

“I’m not,” Kaitlyn growled out, her voice sounding more sure than she really was. As for the rest of the mage’s comments, she ignored them. Now wasn’t the time to argue. “Do what you think is best.”

Suddenly an arrow flew, hurdling through the air towards the mage. Thea managed to cast a shield just in the nick of time, creating a shimmering aura around her. Kaitlyn did not wait for the second attack. With a blood curdling scream, she raised her shield, pulled her visor down, and rushed towards an oncoming Hurlock. The two of them clashed with a sickening thud as metal scrapped against bone. Within seconds the monster had fallen to the ground, choking on its own vile blood. Several more darkspawn took its place, maneuvering around Kaitlyn in an effort to flank her. The smell of rot and fresh blood filled her nose as the creatures closed in. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Wendell, clothed in only his Tranquil robes, struggling against a broad-shouldered Genlock.

The Fourth Blight {Irell Starling x Reaper}

“I’d like to say I’m sorry that our traveling situation doesn’t suit you,” Kaitlyn said as she checked the front cinch of the saddle making sure it hadn’t loosened on the ride over, “but honestly, I’m not sorry at all.” With that she gracefully mounted her bay. “Like you, I wish this journey to be over quickly. Think of your horse as an end to a means. Hmm?” One hand resting loosely on her thigh, the other confidently holding the reigns, Kaitlyn barely had to kick the horse to get Roan to start walking. Wendell obediently lead Thea’s mount behind them.

The stallion and Kaitlyn had been together for almost two years. Roan had been a gift her father gave her when she’d become a Knight-Corporal. The two of them had developed a trusting and understanding relationship overtime. Roan, being a sensitive sort of beast, picked up on Kaitlyn’s mood. The Templar’s irritation shown in the way her horse carried its ears and switched its ebony tail, making the skiddish appaloosa Thea was riding a little more nervous than usual.

The sounds of the camp faded as the trio headed deeper into the woods. Light trickled through the dappled green canopy overhead. Looking up through the leaves, Kaitlyn managed to locate the sun. From its angle she’d guess it was already well into mid-morning. She was irritated at the amount of time Thea had wasted saying her good-byes. If the mage had been a better rider, she would have sped up the pace but the last thing she wanted was the woman to fall and break her neck, at least on her watch.

They traveled on in uncomfortable silence for what felt like hours. Around them birds sung out and flittered around in trees, oblivious of the unhappy travelers below. A few times Kaitlyn made them halt. She told Thea it was to allow her to take a break and stretch her legs, but Wendell always disappeared into the surrounding woods. One time he returned with a black Darkspawn arrowhead. The owner was nowhere to be seen and, the Templar hoped, long gone. They’d just started riding again after one of these breaks when the mage spoke out.

”You might be confident you can handle a few stragglers on the road, but until we are out of this forest we are in danger of encountering their scouting parties…. I shall not be responsible for any harm to your person if that happens."

Kaitlyn almost breathed in the water she’d been drinking from her skin. Blue liquid trickled out from one side of her lips as she tried to control her coughing enough to allow her to finish her drink. Rubbing the back of her hand against her mouth, she fought to calm her lungs long enough to speak. Unfortunately, Wendell beat her to it.

“That seems reasonable enough,” the Tranquil said, logical as usual. “Provided you don’t use your magic against us.”

“No!” Kaitlyn finally managed to snap, glaring over her shoulder at them. “We can’t let her…”

Wendell shook he head. “While I admit it is dangerous, the dark spawn are more of a threat.”

“Then an abomination leaking out of the Fade? Then an accidental tear in the Veil?”

“Thea, I’m sure, has been practicing magic with the elves for a while. She must have managed some control in that time. You can easily deal with an abomination. As for a tear in the Veil, the odds of…” but he didn’t finish. Kaitlyn halted her horse exasperated to hear the rest of Wendell’s argument. That’s when she noticed why he had stopped speaking.

The woods around them had gone completely silent.

The Fourth Blight {Irell Starling x Reaper}

I'm adding a little more time into my post (you'll understand when you read it). Let me know if it's a problem and I can edit it. :)

The Fourth Blight {Irell Starling x Reaper}

Kaitlyn and Wendell watched in silence from the shade of a nearby oak tree as the mage said her good-byes. Only one of them had remained unaffected by the scene. It was obvious how much the woman was loved by the way the elves spoke to her. Part of Kaitlyn felt a little sorry that she was dragging Thea away from the only home and family she’d know. But it wasn’t as if there was a choice. The Nevarran Accord created the Circle of Magi, a safe haven for mages. This same document also created Templars to protect innocents against the magical threat mages imposed. Thea and Kaitlyn were bound by the same thread of time, each, in their own way, unable to escape their fate. Thea would go to the Circle and being of age, she would most likely undergo the Harrowing immediately. If Thea survived, her new life would begin, although she could never once again return to the Dalish.

“I will be glad when all of this is behind us,” Kaitlyn said. The whole ordeal left a bitter taste in her mouth. Escorting mages (willing or unwilling) to the Circles had never bothered her before. But now that she knew that nether the Circle nor passing the Harrowing guaranteed safety, she was torn. Still, she knew first hand how unpredictable magic could be. Templar and mage, a sort of “cops and robbers” had been her favorite childhood game. It was so different in the real world.

“Do you remember when you left the village?”

“Yes.” Wendell replied, pausing before continuing, “I believe the Templar’s tried to take me away when I was five. My mother said I was too young. They came back on my sixth birthday. Most people were happy to see me go.”

“Yeah,” Kaitlyn admitted. She wasn’t one of those happy to see him leave, but she could understand the rest of the village’s feelings. Wendell had always possessed a starting amount of magical ability.

“I was worried that you joined the Templar order to be closer to me.” Kaitlyn did not turn to look at him. She wanted those words to be filled with emotion, any sort of emotion-guilt, irritation, happiness, anything. But his words were as flat and emotionless as always. How many hours had she spent secretly researching a way to reverse the Rite of Tranquility only to come up empty handed? How many days had she spend secretly harboring some hope that the real Wendell would somehow miraculously break through?

“Being assigned to your Circle was just a coincidence,” Kaitlyn said, a lie she had repeated often enough that it felt true, “I joined the Templar Order because my father was one and because I thought I was doing the right thing.”

“You are doing the right thing. Magic must be controlled. In our society, only the Circle provides this protection for the mages and those powerless against magic…”

The ending of the farewell ceremony halted the conversation. Thea, her eyes shinny and cheeks tinted red walked towards them and announce that she was ready to go. Kaitlyn was just about to point out where their horses were tied up when shouting made them turn back.

Two elves stumbled into camp, one barely managing to carry the other whose leg looked like a Mabari had used it for a chew toy. Several elves stepped in to help them. Both of the wounded scouts were streaked dark red blood, some of it obviously not their own. She didn’t understand everything they said in their elfish tongue but one word was almost universal around Thedas. “Darkspawn”

After the initial shock died down, Thea walked back over to them. “Well, templar, it seems we are in a predicament, are we not?"

“Darkspawn don’t change a thing.” Kaitlyn replied folding her arms over her chest, “The Blight has been going on for almost three years in these lands. I have even fought a few in my time,” Alright so she’d only fought one, a single scout she had happened upon while it was feasting on a dead body. Wendell had pulled out his sword and stabbed the creature through the chest without blinking while Kaitlyn had been frigid with shock. But she wasn’t about to let this woman know that, “and I’m much rather deal with them than an abomination.” Plus, the Night-Commander would never accept the excuse of a few darkspawn as a reason to let an apostate roam free. “Perhaps the darkspawn will give you a reason to not run away from me?” Kaitlyn said, half joking- half serious. “But either way I would like to get started as quickly as possible. No reason to give them time to catch up.”

She eyed the wounded scouts again. There were so many rumors about those nightmare creatures. Some people believed the darkspawn allowed a few stranglers to escape so they could follow the trail of their blood back to the nearest village while others believed the monsters didn’t possess nearly that amount of intelligence. One day Kaitlyn hoped to meet a Grey Warden and ask them, but now was not the time to worry about that.

Leading Thea over to the horses, it was obvious there was another kink in the plan. “This is Roan,” Kaitlyn said as she nuzzled the sturdy bay stallion. The horse blew whiffs of breaths that lifted pieces of hair around Kaitlyn’s neck. “I wasn’t gone for very long,” she chided the horse and lifted up on her tip-toes to whisper something into the animal’s ear. The horse bobbed its head either in agreement or from the sensation.

Meanwhile, Wendell introduced Thea to an appaloosa mare that seemed friendly enough if not a little skittish. “We only brought two horses. Our sources said you were a child, and while you might be to elf standards, you are a full grown human and incapable of sharing a horse. You may take my ride. I will walk. This way the two of you have the best chances of reaching the Circle.”

Kailyn watched out of the corner of her eye as Wendell tried to help the other woman mount the mare. For some reason the site of this left a sour taste in her mouth, although for the life of her, she couldn’t say why.

The Fourth Blight {Irell Starling x Reaper}

Sorry, this week has been terribly hectic. I hope to post on Thursday.

The Fourth Blight {Irell Starling x Reaper}

Was there a direction you wanted to take this in?