"Rin wait up!" Laura called after her cousin. "You run too fast!" Rin spun around, grinning and holding out a bunch of flowers to her. Laura's eyes grew wide as she tackled Rin, the flowers flying up into the air. The two young girls giggled.

"Laura! Rin!" they heard Leandra's yell from the house and they got to their feet, both stumbling a bit.

"Guess auntie Leandra needs us, huh?" Laura asked, rolling her eyes. Rin shrugged.

"Mama must have something important for us to do, Laura. Come on!" with that she ran off and Laura fallowed after her. They came up to the small house within moments and found Leandra and Catherine, Laura's mother, at the front door, speaking with Templars.

"Who are they?" Rin whispered. Laura shook her head, her brown hair flying all around.

"Like I know. But...why is my mama crying? She looks so sad, why is she sad?" Laura replied. "I hate it when my mama cries, last time she cried was when she knew she would see auntie Leandra that once."

"Where is the mage girl?" one of the Templars asked. "We know she's here, Misstress Amell, tell us where and you won't be punished for keeping her from the circle." Laura gasped from where she and Rin hid.

"They must be Templars, Rin. Papa told me about them, and how I have to hide from them..." she began to shake. Rin put an arm around her shoulder.

"Don't worry, they can't take you." she assured, grinning. "I wouldn't know what to do without you anyway."

"You won't take her! She's no danger, she's only six years old!" Catherine snapped back. "She's my daughter, and I won't let have her."

"If you don't cooperate we have the right to tear this place apart to find her and to kill you if you try to stop us. Is it really worth this?" the second Templar told her. "We will do what ever we must to bring the young apostate to where she belongs."

"She belongs with me!" Catherine hissed.

"Mama..." Laura whispered, looking around. She glanced at her hands. "Maybe I can...if I aim it just right..." she concentrated and felt the mana flow through her body, her fingers sparked and she let out a lightning bolt right at the Templars' feet. "MAMA!"

"The apostate!" the first templar shouted. "Make sure those two don't get in the way." he ordered, his two other companions pinned Leandra and Cathrine's arms behind their backs.

"Laura, Rin! Run!" Catherine screamed. Laura took Rin by the hand and the two girls ran as fast as they could manage. An arrow flew past them and hit a loose piece of Rin's dress, pinning it to the ground. She let go of Laura's hand and tried to tug the cloth free but failed.

"Laura, go on, he won't hurt me." she assured. Laura felt her eyes burn as she stopped and tried to help her cousin. She couldn't leave Rin by herself, even with the Templar threat. She finally got the arrow out of the ground and freed Rin but she was lifted up into the air, the cold touch of metal touching her skin even through her dress.

"Let me go!" she squealed. "I don't wanna go anywhere!" She looked to Rin, who had gotten up and was trying to slow down the Templar by kicking his feet but she was failing. The Templar just gently kicked her away and quickly walked away, rejoining his companions.

Catherine and Leandra showed up after a moment, but just in time to watch Laura being carried away by the Templars. Catherine was sobbing and Leandra trying to comfort her. Rin got to her feet and screamed.

"Mama! Auntie! Rin!" Laura called. "I don't wanna go! Please don't let them take me!" but it was too late for any of them to do anything.

~ ~ ~

Laura sat up in her tent, her mind buzzing, and she felt her heart pound in her chest. She took a deep breath, trying to relax herself, it had been a dream...no, a nightmare, something she hadn't remembered clearly until now.

"Are you alright, love?" Leliana asked, blinking her eyes open slowly and sitting up. "Warden nightmares again?" Laura shook her head and sighed.

"No, no, just something that happened a while back. When I was only six." she murmured. "I had been playing with my cousin, Rin Hawke, and then my aunt called us back, and we hid while listening to my mom and aunt talk with templars. I remember my mom sobbing and yelling, I used a spell to help but they saw me and my mom said to run. So I did, but then Rin got her dress caught on an arrow, and I wasn't going to leave her, but that's how they got me. Blighted sodding templars got me to the circle when I was only six."

"Laura, I'm...sorry." Leliana whispered, blinking slowly. Laura smiled softly, looking at her.

"Well, it's not your fault. I may not remember much about my family, but it's because of that day that I was a circle mage, that I became a warden, that I met all these wonderful people, and that I have you. My lovely, beautiful Leliana." she leaned over and kissed Leliana. "Come on, I think we should sleep some more before dawn, you know how the others are early at dawn."

"I do." Leliana gave a nod. "Yes, let's sleep." they laid back down, Laura holding one of Leliana's hands in her own, both smiling as they slept...