It was a clear day outside the walls of Kirkwall. It was quiet, with only the ambient sounds of birds and insects filling the air. The creek near Aurora's clearing babbled as the woman herself sat not far away atop large stone. Only one other was with her, and he too waited quietly. Donovan stood next to the seated Aurora, his eyes closed in deep thought. The other mages that were usually found with them were absent, and she had even given Sparrow the day off. It was only them, and neither of them looked forward to what was to happen next. Each wore a thoughtful expression, though only Donovan's displayed apparent dislike. Aurora's was even.
Soon, the silence was broken by the sound of rustling branches and snapping twigs. The noise caused Donovan to inhale deeply, but as always Aurora was calm as ever. Soon, the cause of the the sounds made himself present. Pike stepped through the threshold into the clearing and hesitated, noting the intentionally lonely atmosphere. He glanced to his sides before he came to settle on the two mages in front of him. "Where... Where is every one?" he asked.
"There isn't anyone else, Pike. Only us... We... Need to talk to you," Donovan rumbled. It was clear that he was uncomfortable with what was to happen, but Aurora needed him there. He was a calming influence for everyone, and she needed that, especially now. She placed a gentle hand on his arm and nodded her appreciation. "Pike--" he began, but he was cut off by the man in question.
"Talk to me? Talk to me about what?" he asked defensively. "What's this about?" He demanded to know. Donovan opened his mouth to answer, but another hand from Aurora caused him to quieten. She then stood from the rock where she sat and straightened, which brought her to her full height, though it was still a head or so shorter than the man beside her. "It's about you Pike," she stated.
"What about me?" Pike asked, still defensive.
Aurora exhaled through her nose before she spoke. She didn't like it any more than Donovan did, but it needed to be done. "Your attitude, your actions, your beliefs. I do not believe I can allow you to remain with the rest of the Underground." As she spoke, Donovan closed his eyes and appeared to just listened and winced when she finally revealed the meaning of their meeting
Pike looked shocked, as if he couldn't believe what he was hearing. His mouth worked for a moment, trying to find the words to counter hers, but still didn't seem to have felt the full weight of her words. "What... What do you mean?"
She glanced at the man to her side, before turning back to Pike and began to speak again. "Your... Hate of the templars is dangerous. Not only for you, but for the others as well. You cannot let it go." She could understand, she truly could. Even she did not like the templars, and she treated them with the utmost caution, but Pike hated them. For good reason, Pike had been the mage she and her friends had saved from the rite of Tranquility. She could not claim that she wouldn't hate those that would do that to her.
"You know what they tried to do to me. What they did do to your friend! You know what they would do to us now!" He spat back. Aurora was calm, even as mention of Milly was brought up. She knew, she knew all to well. The recent memory of the templars turning on them on the Wounded Coast was still fresh in her mind. However, it was his inability to at least guard his hate that brought about this decision. He did not possess enough control over himself, and even worse, he did not want to even try gain control. Pike was angry and raw, and mages like him were dangerous, either through possession or otherwise.
"Yes, I do. But retribution would serve no one. If we tried to fight back, we would only be put down. We are only a few mages, and they are an army trained to deal with us." Even worse, they were dealing with Meredith. There would be no mercy from her.
"Do you think that they'd put us in the Circle? Even if we did surrender ourselves? No, the templars would see a demon in each of us, or see us as radicals that need to be dealt with. If we don't fight back, then we are inviting them to come slaughter us," Pike fought. Donovan shuffled uneasily beside Aurora, his hands folded in front of him with his head tilted down. Aurora hated that he had to be here during this, but she didn't think she could've done it by herself, and they had both agreed. It needed to be done.
Aurora's gaze dropped from Pike and into the ground in front of him. "And if we fought back, we would invite destruction, and prove Meredith's paranoia was founded. The Underground is not an army Pike," she said, looking back up into his face. "We exist to help others like us. To help them escape, to hide, or to train their powers in safety. We do not fight, we protect."
Pike opened his mouth to no doubt refute that statement as well, but Aurora did not give him the chance. "It is that type of belief that it is you can not remain," She then sighed and spoke with more feeling, "Pike, the other mages look to us for guidance. They look up to us because we help them and accept them for what they are. When they hear you talk about the templars like that, they get frightened, or they get angry. It makes them easier to possess, and worse, it allows their emotions to control them."
Donovan finally spoke, though it was low and quiet, though audible over the silence. "The only thing that should control a mage is him or herself." Aurora agreed with a nod of her head. They were dangerous, and they needed to control themselves in order to ensure that they do not hurt anything or anyone unintentional. It was why she preached control. Control of ones mind, body, and soul.
"And the templars threaten to take that choice from us. They want to put us in a tower with a collar on our necks and a leash in their hands. If we're lucky. Much more likely they'd deem us uncontrollable and tranquil us, or kill us on the spot. If we do not act first, then it doesn't matter how much control we have, it won't matter because we'll be dead. Or worse," Pike said, the fury clear on his face.
Donovan sighed and answered, "We can not fight back. We would be decimated, and Meredith would use it as an excuse to purge dissident mages. What you ask is that we sacrifice ourselves and others for a lost cause. I cannot condone that, and so I stand with Aurora." As he spoke, he stood straighter and finally brought his gaze up from the ground at his feet. Aurora passed another grateful glance toward him.
"Knowing that, how would you have us act? We cannot gather our allies and march on the Gallows. You do not understand that we are only a few, but Meredith has an army," Aurora said, waiting for an answer.
Pike ground his teeth and he spoke, "The people--" but before he could finish the thought, Aurora cut him off.
"The people distrust us more than the templars. It's true, the common folk and the nobility are not fond of Meredith, but they distrust us more. We are dangerous in their eyes, and between us and the templars, they would choose the templars. The templars can not become monsters if they forget themselves. We would find no allies, and any attempt we mustered would only serve to prove Meredith correct and strengthen her position in the city. If we fought back, then Meredith wins."
"We could--" Again, Aurora cut him off, know exactly where he would go next.
"We could not wage a cold war. You don't understand, there is nothing more we can do than this. We can not fight, we can not petition, we can not try to get the public opinion on our side. We are apostates," Aurora was clearly tiring of the conversation and Pike's circular logic, and she did not believe she could entertain him much longer. They would be there the entire day, and neither would get anywhere with the other.
"So you would have us do nothing?" Pike accused.
"I would have us survive," Aurora retorted.
"That isn't enough for me," he said
"The Underground will not follow you into it's destruction. This is why you cannot remain among us. Pike, I truly am sorry that it had to be this way, but your inability to change and control yourself--" Aurora never had the chance to finish, as an immense wave of force magic struck a tree on the edge of the clearing, snapping it at the trunk and tumbling into the foliage. Pike's violent outburst caused both Aurora and Donovan to wince, and when they looked back to Pike, they saw nothing but his back fade into the brush.
They were quiet for a time afterwards, neither wishing to speak so soon after. However, eventually it was Aurora who offered the first words. "Do you think I did the right thing? Do you think he could've changed if I said something different? Did something different?" she asked Donovan.
He didn't immediately respond, instead taking a good long look at the broken true. "I believe it was," he answered, "If he remained, I fear we may have been that tree, broken and scattered. You did the right thing, do not believe anything else."
Another silence fell over them, though soon Aurora turned and gave Donovan a hug.
"Thank you... For believing."
Soon, the silence was broken by the sound of rustling branches and snapping twigs. The noise caused Donovan to inhale deeply, but as always Aurora was calm as ever. Soon, the cause of the the sounds made himself present. Pike stepped through the threshold into the clearing and hesitated, noting the intentionally lonely atmosphere. He glanced to his sides before he came to settle on the two mages in front of him. "Where... Where is every one?" he asked.
"There isn't anyone else, Pike. Only us... We... Need to talk to you," Donovan rumbled. It was clear that he was uncomfortable with what was to happen, but Aurora needed him there. He was a calming influence for everyone, and she needed that, especially now. She placed a gentle hand on his arm and nodded her appreciation. "Pike--" he began, but he was cut off by the man in question.
"Talk to me? Talk to me about what?" he asked defensively. "What's this about?" He demanded to know. Donovan opened his mouth to answer, but another hand from Aurora caused him to quieten. She then stood from the rock where she sat and straightened, which brought her to her full height, though it was still a head or so shorter than the man beside her. "It's about you Pike," she stated.
"What about me?" Pike asked, still defensive.
Aurora exhaled through her nose before she spoke. She didn't like it any more than Donovan did, but it needed to be done. "Your attitude, your actions, your beliefs. I do not believe I can allow you to remain with the rest of the Underground." As she spoke, Donovan closed his eyes and appeared to just listened and winced when she finally revealed the meaning of their meeting
Pike looked shocked, as if he couldn't believe what he was hearing. His mouth worked for a moment, trying to find the words to counter hers, but still didn't seem to have felt the full weight of her words. "What... What do you mean?"
She glanced at the man to her side, before turning back to Pike and began to speak again. "Your... Hate of the templars is dangerous. Not only for you, but for the others as well. You cannot let it go." She could understand, she truly could. Even she did not like the templars, and she treated them with the utmost caution, but Pike hated them. For good reason, Pike had been the mage she and her friends had saved from the rite of Tranquility. She could not claim that she wouldn't hate those that would do that to her.
"You know what they tried to do to me. What they did do to your friend! You know what they would do to us now!" He spat back. Aurora was calm, even as mention of Milly was brought up. She knew, she knew all to well. The recent memory of the templars turning on them on the Wounded Coast was still fresh in her mind. However, it was his inability to at least guard his hate that brought about this decision. He did not possess enough control over himself, and even worse, he did not want to even try gain control. Pike was angry and raw, and mages like him were dangerous, either through possession or otherwise.
"Yes, I do. But retribution would serve no one. If we tried to fight back, we would only be put down. We are only a few mages, and they are an army trained to deal with us." Even worse, they were dealing with Meredith. There would be no mercy from her.
"Do you think that they'd put us in the Circle? Even if we did surrender ourselves? No, the templars would see a demon in each of us, or see us as radicals that need to be dealt with. If we don't fight back, then we are inviting them to come slaughter us," Pike fought. Donovan shuffled uneasily beside Aurora, his hands folded in front of him with his head tilted down. Aurora hated that he had to be here during this, but she didn't think she could've done it by herself, and they had both agreed. It needed to be done.
Aurora's gaze dropped from Pike and into the ground in front of him. "And if we fought back, we would invite destruction, and prove Meredith's paranoia was founded. The Underground is not an army Pike," she said, looking back up into his face. "We exist to help others like us. To help them escape, to hide, or to train their powers in safety. We do not fight, we protect."
Pike opened his mouth to no doubt refute that statement as well, but Aurora did not give him the chance. "It is that type of belief that it is you can not remain," She then sighed and spoke with more feeling, "Pike, the other mages look to us for guidance. They look up to us because we help them and accept them for what they are. When they hear you talk about the templars like that, they get frightened, or they get angry. It makes them easier to possess, and worse, it allows their emotions to control them."
Donovan finally spoke, though it was low and quiet, though audible over the silence. "The only thing that should control a mage is him or herself." Aurora agreed with a nod of her head. They were dangerous, and they needed to control themselves in order to ensure that they do not hurt anything or anyone unintentional. It was why she preached control. Control of ones mind, body, and soul.
"And the templars threaten to take that choice from us. They want to put us in a tower with a collar on our necks and a leash in their hands. If we're lucky. Much more likely they'd deem us uncontrollable and tranquil us, or kill us on the spot. If we do not act first, then it doesn't matter how much control we have, it won't matter because we'll be dead. Or worse," Pike said, the fury clear on his face.
Donovan sighed and answered, "We can not fight back. We would be decimated, and Meredith would use it as an excuse to purge dissident mages. What you ask is that we sacrifice ourselves and others for a lost cause. I cannot condone that, and so I stand with Aurora." As he spoke, he stood straighter and finally brought his gaze up from the ground at his feet. Aurora passed another grateful glance toward him.
"Knowing that, how would you have us act? We cannot gather our allies and march on the Gallows. You do not understand that we are only a few, but Meredith has an army," Aurora said, waiting for an answer.
Pike ground his teeth and he spoke, "The people--" but before he could finish the thought, Aurora cut him off.
"The people distrust us more than the templars. It's true, the common folk and the nobility are not fond of Meredith, but they distrust us more. We are dangerous in their eyes, and between us and the templars, they would choose the templars. The templars can not become monsters if they forget themselves. We would find no allies, and any attempt we mustered would only serve to prove Meredith correct and strengthen her position in the city. If we fought back, then Meredith wins."
"We could--" Again, Aurora cut him off, know exactly where he would go next.
"We could not wage a cold war. You don't understand, there is nothing more we can do than this. We can not fight, we can not petition, we can not try to get the public opinion on our side. We are apostates," Aurora was clearly tiring of the conversation and Pike's circular logic, and she did not believe she could entertain him much longer. They would be there the entire day, and neither would get anywhere with the other.
"So you would have us do nothing?" Pike accused.
"I would have us survive," Aurora retorted.
"That isn't enough for me," he said
"The Underground will not follow you into it's destruction. This is why you cannot remain among us. Pike, I truly am sorry that it had to be this way, but your inability to change and control yourself--" Aurora never had the chance to finish, as an immense wave of force magic struck a tree on the edge of the clearing, snapping it at the trunk and tumbling into the foliage. Pike's violent outburst caused both Aurora and Donovan to wince, and when they looked back to Pike, they saw nothing but his back fade into the brush.
They were quiet for a time afterwards, neither wishing to speak so soon after. However, eventually it was Aurora who offered the first words. "Do you think I did the right thing? Do you think he could've changed if I said something different? Did something different?" she asked Donovan.
He didn't immediately respond, instead taking a good long look at the broken true. "I believe it was," he answered, "If he remained, I fear we may have been that tree, broken and scattered. You did the right thing, do not believe anything else."
Another silence fell over them, though soon Aurora turned and gave Donovan a hug.
"Thank you... For believing."