Fiction: Flashback

Kinloch Hold, Dragon 9:18, Kingsway 13

The darkness was suffocating. Mara pulled the hood off her face and swung her arms around in the small space. She could feel fabric ripping as it fell around her. She squinted through the tiny crack of light. She could see hands holding the doors shut. She kicked at the doors.

Where am I? They grabbed her when she was coming out the kitchen. They threw the hood over her head. Then they spin her around until she was dizzy and carried her up some stairs. Finally they shoved her in this small space. A closet, maybe? But where? And why didn't any of the Templars see anything or stop it?

"Hurry up! We can't hold it much longer," one of the boys whined. Mara kicked as hard as her ten year old body would let her to no avail.

"Finished. Now she's locked away like a good little maleficar!" a girl's voice taunted. Anya. That meant the boys were probably Alain and Fox, her prefered lackeys.

It had only been a few weeks since Mara had recovered from her fever. Just long enough that some of the other apprentices decided that she was an easy mark. Mara clenched her fists tight. She ignored the sparks of pain as her fingernails dug into her palm. She refused to cry. She would not give them the satisfaction.

It had not started like that. When the healers first released her into the dormitories, the other apprentices were mostly curious. There were so many rumors about the half dead mage child. At first the questions were innocent but then some of the other children started to get malicious. Anya was the worst of the lot. Mara kicked at the doors again. It wasn't fair. It wasn't her fault she couldn't remember.

"Let me out!" Mara demanded.

"Not until you tell us who you are, maleficar," Anya replied.

"I'm not a maleficar!" Mara yelled back.

"Quiet down before the Templars hear you," Fox warned.

"Who are you?" Anya demanded. "Maybe she's a Tevinter? Aren't Tevinters pale and sickly like her?"

Mara banged on the doors. She knew what Anya wanted to hear. She could feel her heart thundering against her ribs. She needed to get out. "Let me out!"

"Say it!"

"No!"

"Say it and we'll let you out."

"No."

"Suit yourself. Let's go, boys."

"Wait! Don't leave me!" Mara squeaked, panicking. She kicked the doors more frantically.

"Then say it," Fox said. They started chanting "Say it" over and over.

Mara took a deep breath. "Fine. I'm nobody," she muttered.

"I'm sorry. Could you say that a little louder? I didn't catch that." Mara could hear the smugness dripping off Anya's voice. Mara claws at the heavy fabric hanging around her in frustration.

"I said: I'm nobody. Now please let me out!" Mara yelled. Her cry was answered with laughter.

"If there's nobody in there, then there's nobody to let out!" Anya taunted. The boys laughed harder. Mara imagined ripping each and every perfect blonde curl from Anya's head.

"What's going on here?" a new voice demanded. The trio fell silent. "Who's in the wardrobe?" Jenna?

"Nobody," Anya replied. Mara could practically hear the impudent little smirk.

"Open it." As the doors opened, Mara launched out of the wardrobe. She knocked Anya to the ground and wrapped her fists in the girl's hair, yanking hard. Anya shrieked in pain. Mara ignored the girl's shrieks and kept pulling her hair. She didn't even stop when she hear the tell-tale clank of armor approaching.

"STOP," a baritone voice commanded.

Mara relinquished Anya's hair and stood up, shaking a couple clumps of hair off her hands. Mara and Anya stood facing the cold helm of a templar. They both immediately took a keen interest in the ground before them. Mara smirked slightly at the bits of Anya's hair on the ground. Alain and Fox did their best to look innocent. Jenna stood slightly apart from the knot of young apprentices.

"What is the cause of this disturbance, elf?" the templar asked Jenna, the only other adult.

"Just some childish games, ser Templar," Jenna lied, bowing politely. "The girls were having a tickle fight that got out of hand. I came along just moments before you did to stop it."

"I see."

"It's really a small matter, nothing that need be reported," Jenna continued. "No one's hurt. All good fun. Right, girls?" Mara and Anya nodded quickly. The templar stared at the group for a few minutes.

"Oh all right. My shift's almost over anyway. All of you clear out of here, you shouldn't be in the Senior Mage quarters anyway," the Templar relented. Anya and the boys scampered out the room immediately. Jenna took Mara by the wrist and as soon as they were out of the Templar's sight, she pulled her into another room. She knelt down to Mara's level.

"Alright, now what really happened?" Jenna asked.

"I didn't do anything. They grabbed me and put me in the closet and wouldn't let me out," Mara blurted. "I'm gonna burninate Anya's face!"

"You know the rules, Mara," Jenna said in a warning tone. "No fighting with magic."

"I know... Maybe I can have an accident during training."

"Mara." Jenna crossed her arms, giving Mara a stern look.

"Fiiine. She used magic to lock me in the closet though," Mara said stubbornly. Jenna chuckled, tousling Mara's hair. Mara smiled. Jenna was the closest thing to a big sister Mara had.

"It'll get better, duckling. They're just jealous that you're getting so much attention. It'll pass."

"They say I'm nobody."

"Are you kidding? You're Mara, the most amazing little duckling I know," Jenna teased. "Ignore them. It doesn't matter what they say you are. They're just bullies. All that matters is who you believe you are. Who are you?"

"I don't know."

"Well you better get that figured out quick, duckling. Once you know who you are, they won't be able to touch you. Now come, let me show you a light wisp trick..."