Chapter Text
Alidda woke to cold hands grabbing their arms, pulling them out from the bottom bunk of the bed they shared with Jowan. Metal gloves gripped both of their forearms as the templars began to march them out of the apprentice dorms. Alidda didn’t scream or struggle– There wasn’t any point. Any other apprentices awake would just pretend not to hear. What could they do against a Templar? Nothing. As senior enchanter Irving’s apprentice, Alidda knew that the templars with them either had his permission or that they would ask his forgiveness later. Neither of which would help if Alidda died. The stone walls of the circle crept up and up as the templars marched them, still half-asleep and full of panic, up to the top level of the circle. There Gregor and Irving waited.
A glowing basin in the middle of the room caught their eyes and they almost didn’t hear Irving announce that this, this was to be their Harrowing.
They stumble towards it as the templars on either arm release them. The stone is cold under their feet and the hum of the lyrium sings in their veins. It grows louder and louder until the world warps around them and the view changes. As the fade surrounds them, Alidda wonders what is to be their test-- as unprepared and overwhelmed as they are.