{p}lanning has never been my strong suit

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    [justify][glow=purple,2,300]Riley sat in the far corner of her cell, listening to the drops of water that fell from the ceiling. 324, 325, 326... Never had Riley thought she'd find counting drops of water as a form of entertainment. She was bored almost to death. Even the templars guarding her cell became bored. Sometimes they would come in her cell and accuse her of being a bother; all so they could 'discipline' her without any question. "She used magic on me!" one cried. "She attempted to escape! I had to do something!" They accusations were empty, only meant as an excuse. And Riley hated it.


    When she was first put in her cell, of course Riley put up a bit of a fight and nagged the templars. But this time in the cell was different. The templars seemed to have had enough of her comments and comebacks. So much that the poor mage was afraid to sleep that night.


    When the cell door creaked open, Riley tensed up, her breath catching in her throat. A templar entered. "Get up! Your sentence is up." he ordered sternly. At the command, Riley stood so fast that she almost fell over. She was sore, which made it harder to go as fast as the templar wanted her to. He grabbed her arm and tugged her from the cell. "Move it." he said.


    The templar escorted Riley from the cellar up to her floor. He insisted he wouldn't leave her alone until he got her into her quarters, saying it was a 'hazard.' The templar walked slowly as he escorted her. Riley knew that templars had many duties to attend to each day, so she assumed that he was taking his time solely because he didn't want to do any of his other duties. There would be no other reason that a templar would voluntarily stay with her.[/glow][/justify]

    [glow=lightblue,2,300]Evangeline sat on her bunk with her legs crossed, scribbling furiously in her journal. Her cheeks were dusted a light pink as she wrote in beautifully looped writing, "He's mine, Maker's breath he's mine." Just remembering their nights together made her heart flutter, and she'd taken nearly four pages to express her newfound love. She felt a bit silly, being this head over heels for someone, but she couldn't help it. She'd never felt love like this, and was sure she never would. Of course... she couldn't shake the feeling of looming fear that came with their forbidden love. If anyone found out about the two of them... no, she wouldn't think about that. Shutting her book, she double checked the enchantment she'd placed on it. She'd learned from Riley and Jowan's numerous attempts to read it that she needed a special lock to keep her secrets safe, and what better lock than magic?


    With her head in the clouds, she almost forgot that today was the day Riley was to be released from solitary confinement. The sound of a templar barking orders down the hall grabbed her attention. Nearly dropping her book, she stuffs it hurriedly into her trunk, rushing into the hall with a grin. Other apprentices had gathered around the doorway and in the hall to watch Riley's return, and Evangeline had to push through them to get to her. She didn't dare tackle Riley into the hug she wanted to give her, not with the templar holding her arm in an iron grip. Instead, she and the other apprentices moved aside to allow the templar to escort Riley fully into the apprentice quarters. Everyone held their tongues, waiting for the templar to leave before offering Riley 'welcome back's. [/glow]

    [justify][glow=purple,2,300]When the templar reached Riley and Evangeline's bunk, he let go of Riley's arm. "Knight-Commander Gregoir said to stay out of trouble or your sentence will be doubled the next time." the templar said before he finally turned on his heel to exit.


    Riley left out a sigh of relief when the templar finally left the apprentice quarters. She moved her hand up to brush a strand of hair from her face, wincing slightly as she brushed past her eye. Hmm... Must be bruised. she thought. But she hopped that no one else had noticed.[/glow][/justify]

    [glow=lightblue,2,300]Dozens of apprentices erupted into conversation the minute the templar left, most if not all beginning to gossip about Riley's return. Evangeline rushed over to Riley, hugging her tightly, "You're back! I missed you terribly! They didn't hurt you this time, did they?" Holding Riley at arm's length, she scans her for obvious injuries. As for as she could tell, the bruise by her eye was the worst of it. She frowns, breathing a secret sigh of relief. The templars had been known to do far worse; if a bruise was all she got they must have been in a good mood. Thinking about it made Evangeline's skin crawl, but she could always take solace in knowing there was at least one good templar here in the circle.[/glow]

    [justify][glow=purple,2,300]Riley gave Evangeline a smile. "I'm just a bit sore, that's all. Hungry too." She chuckled. "Damn, is it good to see you again. It's so boring sitting in that cell. I even started counting the drops from the ceiling." She said.


    "What have you been up to while I was rotting in that damp and musky cell, hmm?" Riley asked. "Anything interesting?"[/glow][/justify]

    [glow=lightblue,2,300]Evangeline guides Riley towards their bunk, sitting down on the bottom bed and gently tugging her down beside her. She offered her an apologetic smile, "You missed breakfast but..." she dug under her pillow, pulling out balled up napkin. Upon opening it, a slightly smushed bread roll smiled up at Riley, a small jar of jam resting beside it. "I managed to slip this out of the kitchen this morning. Sorry it's not much- it was all I could fit in my robes without being noticed."


    Her smile turned a bit brighter as she wrapped Riley into a one armed hug, passing the makeshift breakfast to her, "I missed you too. Things get too quiet without you around!" She could feel her cheeks coloring as she thought about all she had done while Riley was away. She could think of several things she'd been "up to", but there was nothing she was proud to mention. Hoping Riley couldn't see her blush, she shifted away from Riley, "No one Nothing- nothing really. You know how horribly dull the circle can get." She floundered for a lie to tell Riley about what she'd missed, but her mind was drawing blanks. All she could think about was Cullen and her upcoming Harrowing, two secrets which made her heart soar and plummet respectively. Biting her lip, she stood up suddenly, keeping her back to Riley in hopes of hiding her tells, "Does Jowan know you're out? He's missed you terribly. Why just yesterday we were scrubbing the floor together and he said he was sure if you were there you'd have already tied two sponges to your feet and gone skating down the hall!" She cut herself off with a nervous laugh, trying to pass it off as amused.[/glow]

    [justify][glow=purple,2,300]Riley gratefully took the bread, spreading the jam all over it. She sat back in her bed and listened to her sister speak while she enjoyed her first meal of the day.


    "Don't I know it. Everyone here can just be such a bore sometimes." the mage chuckled. She laughed again when Evangeline mentioned how Jowan wanted to see her and how he talked about her skating down the halls on sponges.


    "No, I haven't seen him yet now that you mentioned it. Strange too. He's usually one of the first to greet me when I return from solitude." Riley replied, looking around the apprentice quarters. "I don't see him. I wonder what he's up to..." she said, thinking aloud as she took the last bite of her bread and jam.[/glow][/justify]

    [glow=lightblue,2,300]She forced her lips to twist into a frown, hiding her relief that the subject change. Taking a quick look around, she did find it rather odd that Jowan was nowhere to be found. She turns back to Riley, "We could go look for him, if you like. I've convinced Irving to ease up on our chores for the day as you "readjust", but I'll have to reorganize the herbology books tomorrow to compensate." Not an easy task, considering how large the herbology section was, but it was a price she was willing to pay to get at least a few hours alone with her sister. And if she wasn't mistaken, she believed Cullen would be on guard in the library tomorrow... she was sure she could convince him to help her with the higher shelves if she asked him just right.[/glow]

    [justify][glow=purple,2,300]Riley stood up, grimacing slightly as she did so. "We could try looking for him I suppose. Maybe we'll stumble upon him somewhere." she said. When she heard about not having to any chores today, she smiled. "Well, I guess I could try and help you organize the books tomorrow." the mage replied to her sister.[/glow][/justify]

    [glow=lightblue,2,300]Catching her sister's grimace, Evangeline reached out a supporting hand for Riley to take. "Where do you propose we look first? The library?" Once she was sure Riley could stand, Evangeline smiled gratefully at her offer to help tomorrow, replying instinctively, "Thank you, but that won't be necessary." She paused a moment, realizing what she had said with a scrunch of her nose and a shake of her head, "Sorry- I'd appreciate your help. That is, if Greagoir hasn't tasked you with scrubbing the entire tower 'til he can see his face in the stone by then." She smiled playfully, poking Riley's side, "Come on, we should get going before the Knight Captain realizes Irving's gone easy on you. I can only imagine the argument they'll have then." [/glow]

    [justify][glow=purple,2,300]Riley took Evangeline's hand and smiled. She chuckled at her sister's comment on Gregoir having her scrub the entire Tower. "I'm not sure he'd want to see his reflection, seeing as he isn't that pleasing to look at." she joked. "To the library it is then!"[/glow][/justify]

    [glow=lightblue,2,300]Swinging their hands slightly as they walked together in the hall, Evangeline let out a giggle as Riley commented on Greagoir's looks, "Oh you're wicked!" She could feel a natural smile on her face as she walked by Riley's side, overjoyed to have her safe and sound again. Though as they fell into a comfortable silence, her thoughts began to swarm. She'd begun an affair with Cullen. She'd be facing her Harrowing soon. And even worse, she could tell none of it to Riley, who was by all means her closest confidant.


    Her smile faded as her gaze shifted downwards, remaining trained on the floor until they reached the library. She was no secret keeper. She'd have to tell Riley eventually, lest the guilt eat her alive. Perhaps... perhaps she'd wait until after her Harrowing. If she lived, surely she'd find time to let her know. And if she failed... she didn't want to think about that.[/glow]

    [justify][glow=purple,2,300]Riley's smile faded when she looked back to Evangeline's face. "Hey, something wrong?" she asked, clearly concerned. "Were those templars bothering you again while I was gone? I swear to Andraste herself, if I see them again I'll grab my staff and zap their little-"[/glow][/justify]

    [glow=lightblue,2,300]Evangeline's eyes went wide when Riley swore to Andraste that she'd reign vengeance upon the templars who'd bothered her. Clapping a hand over her mouth to cut her off, she looked around wildly for any templars on guard. Upon finding the hallway empty, she breathed out a shaky sigh of relief, letting go of her sister,"Riley... you know talk like that could get you locked up again..." The templars had been taking threats, empty or not, more seriously than they had previously- particularly after Anders.


    Pressing her lips into a thin line, she took Riley's hands in her and gripped them tightly, "I'm fine- really I am. I ..." it was times like these where she felt the walls themselves had eyes and ears, it made her stomach tie in knots, "I can't tell you here. Not now." As she gave her sister's hand one more firm squeeze, she gave her a look of sincerity. "Now then-" she cleared her throat, "we were looking for Jowan?"


    Her chest ached, and her head swam. She wanted desperately to find Cullen and to slip away, to confide in him the secrets of which only he knew. Her body felt numb as she entered the library briskly, exuding the grace of a model apprentice. She decided to tell Riley only of her impending Harrowing. Irving had forbade her from doing so, but she'd already spoken of it to Cullen; it only seemed fair that Riley should know too. She only hoped that Riley didn't get suspicious until then. [/glow]

    [justify][glow=purple,2,300]Riley raised an eyebrow. If it wasn't about the templars. what was wrong? She was just itching to know what it was that was bugging her sister, but she kept quiet and followed.


    When they reached the library, Riley's eyes swept the faces of the mages looking at books and practicing spells. She was trying to spot anything that looked remotely like Jowan.[/glow][/justify]

    [glow=lightblue,2,300]Out of habit, Evangeline bit her lip as she focused on finding Jowan. It usually wasn't hard to find him, as his height made him stick out like a sore thumb among the other apprentices. Preparing to suggest they look somewhere else, a mop of messy brown hair caught Evangeline's eye. She grins, her uneasy feeling disappearing for the moment as she hurried over to where he was.[/glow]


    [glow=brown,2,300]Jowan slipped into the library as non suspiciously as he could, hoping he didn't look too disheveled. It always made him nervous when he returned from his... secret meetings with Lily, but he wouldn't trade his time with her for the world. Beginning to feel more at ease, Jowan practically jumped out of his skin when someone put a hand on his shoulder. He yelped in surprise, stumbling away from whoever grabbed him, recognizing her in an instant. "Evangeline! You startled me!" He almost felt bad when he saw her regretful expression, and as he straightened up he offered her a weary smile, "Did you need something?"[/glow]


    [glow=lightblue,2,300]Evangeline's hands instantly grabbed the fabric over her chest as Jowan jumped away from her touch, almost as startled by Jowan as he was of her. She frowned deeply, apologizing quickly, only stopping when he smiled. Her eyes flicked over Jowan's shoulder at Riley, and she suddenly remembered why she'd come over in the first place, "Yes, actually. Do you know what happened this morning?" A smile curled on her lips as she watched Jowan's eyebrows furrow in confusion, his head shaking after a few moments.[/glow]


    [glow=brown,2,300]"...No, what?"[/glow]


    [glow=lightblue,2,300]"Riley was released!" Jowan's face lit up, and she couldn't help but grin along with him as he looked around,[/glow][glow=brown,2,300] "She was? Is she here? We should go get her- make sure she's alright and all!"[/glow]

    [justify][glow=purple,2,300]Riley did her best to hurry behind Jowan as quietly as she could. Once Evangeline got him talking and focused on her, Riley knew it was her time to shine. The mage crept up slowly until she was right behind Jowan, almost touching his back. She raised her arms and, while desperately trying to contain her excitement, quickly set her hands on his shoulders while simultaneously saying, "Hey Jowan," in a rushed voice to startle him.[/glow][/justify]

    [glow=brown,2,300]Jowan spun around with a second shout of surprise, this time grabbing Evangeline and using her almost like a shield. Perhaps it would have looked less silly were she not almost a foot shorter than him... Opening the eyes he'd squeezed shut in alarm, Jowan scowled at Riley as he got out from behind the giggling Evangeline and brushed off his robes, "What is it with people are scaring me today?" He couldn't stay angry for long, and soon he was locking Riley in an affectionate noogie, "It's good to have you back! They weren't too rough on you this time? I can't help but feel they're getting more... strict with confinement guards." [/glow]

    [justify][glow=purple,2,300]Riley winced a little but dismissed it with a laugh. "Nah, don't worry Jowan. It's nothing I can't handle." she said, fixing the hair that Jowan had oh-so-graciously messed up. She set her hands on her hips. "So, have you been up to anything recently? You and Evangeline are usually the first to welcome me back from solitude."[/glow][/justify]

    [glow=brown,2,300]Jowan laughed with her as she fixed her hair, though he shut his mouth quickly when she asked what he'd been up to. "What are friends for? And besides, the tower can get so boring when you're not around, and the templars certainly don't help with that." Scrambling in his mind for an answer to her original question, Jowan decides a partial lie would do, "I've been spending a bit more time in the chantry lately. It's actually quite nice in there."[/glow]


    [glow=lightblue,2,300]Evangeline's eyes widened briefly at the mention of the chantry, before narrowing at Jowan. Come to think of it, she has seem him entering and leaving it more frequently, and one night she'd almost gotten caught by him as he left it... she knew why SHE was spending more time there, but why was he... she had no right to jump to conclusions like that, especially with the damning things she'd done in her "extra time" there. She'd never known Jowan to be religious, but perhaps he'd decided to change that? Yes... that was definitely it.[/glow]