Disclaimer: I do not own Dragon Age or Familiar of Zero. The former is owned by Bioware, and the latter by Noboru Yamaguchi.

Mirror of Zero

Chapter 5

Louise le Blanc de la Valliere snored softly as she lay curled up in her sheets, warm and comforting against the cold of the early morning. So early in fact, that the Sun hadn't risen yet, with just the barest hint of light peeking out from the horizon, and certainly not enough to be seen through the windows.

A hand reached out in the dark silence of the girl's room, and gently shook the sleeping girl's arm. Louise murmured in her sleep, but didn't wake. Again, the hand shook her arm. This time Louise slipped awake, glancing at the woman the hand belonged to. And then she went back to sleep.

"Louise…Louise…" Magister Lydia Rubricatus said softly but insistently and shaking Louise again. "…it's time to wake up, come on."

Louise just grumbled incoherently, and pulled the covers over her head. "It's too early." She murmured. "The Sun hasn't even risen yet. Let me go back to sleep, Eleanor."

Lydia's eye twitched and Sylvia snickered at her expense. Lydia glanced at the Elf who shrugged. "Should I get some cold water, my lady?" Sylvia asked.

"No." Lydia said while flexing her fingers like a cat. "I'll take care of this."

Reaching out, Lydia gripped the covers and promptly dropped their temperature and the temperatures inside several degrees. The result was rather amusing to say the least. With a loud yelp of surprise and outrage Louise jerked awake, throwing the covers off and jumping up rather energetically and rubbing her arms. "THAT'S COLD!" she shrieked.

"Good morning." Lydia said cheerfully, and Louise glared at her. The glare died at the cheerful smile on the magister's face, Louise clearly struggling to keep back on a rude retort.

"Alright, alright, I'm up." She grumbled while looking for her slippers. She took a glance at her windows. "Honestly, why are we up so early in the morning? The Sun hasn't even risen yet."

Still grumbling, Louise walked over to her cabinet, and opening it began looking for new clothes. And then realizing something, she looked over her shoulder. "Excuse me, please?" she asked.

"Ah yes, my apologies…" Lydia said with a wave of her hand. "…we'll excuse ourselves for now. But you only need underwear. You should put these on instead of what you usually wear, that way you won't get your usual clothes or your uniform dirty. And don't bother with a bath that can wait."

While Lydia was talking Sylvia tossed a satchel of clothes at Louise. Catching the satchel, Louise glanced at it, and took a double-take. "But these are commoner clothes!" she whined in protest.

Lydia blinked and her smile faded. "I beg your pardon?" she asked, and Louise belatedly realized Lydia and Sylvia were both wearing the same set of clothes she'd been given: a drab-coloured, long-sleeved shirt belted over red trousers, and a pair of working shoes as opposed to the heavy boots they usually wore.

Louise quickly reconsidered her position. "But…they look good." She conceded.

"I thought so." Lydia said, her previous cheer returning. "We'll be waiting outside. Let's go Sylvia."

Sunlight streamed bright and warm over the campus, birds wheeling overhead with loud chirps as they looked for food. A small number of students and faculty (those awake this early) watched curiously along with a small number of staff (those with no pressing things to do) as a certain trio ran laps around the grounds.

"Come on Louise!" Lydia said encouragingly. "You can do it! We still have a couple of laps to go!"

"I…I…" Louise huffed and puffed, looking and sounding extremely stressed. Sweat was pouring off of her, soaking her clothes and tangling her hair. The same could be said for Lydia and Louise, though they weren't nearly sweating as bad, and didn't look bothered at all.

Next time I'm tying my hair back. Or cutting it short…no, I'll tie it back.

Assuming I get through this, that is!

"I…I can't…I can't go on…"

Lydia shot Louise a blazing glare over a shoulder. "That's enough of that kind of talk!" she shouted in a commander's voice, the whip-like effect spiking through Louise. "Never, and I say NEVER talk or even THINK that you can't do or carry on with something! If you do, then you've already given up! Tell me Louise de la Valliere, are you a quitter or not?"

"N-no…"

"I asked if you were a quitter or not?"

"NO I AM NOT, MAGISTER!"

"Good! I didn't think you were! No apprentice of mine is a quitter!" Lydia said, turning to start a new lap. "Now let's get a move on! We've got two more laps to go!"

Still huffing and puffing, Louise forced herself to soldier on, the magister's words striking a nerve with her. She was not, never was, and never will be a quitter. For all her sister and mother's chiding and worrying, for all the veiled insults and insinuations of her peers, for all the names she had been called, she had never once given up on chasing her goals. Whether it was to make her family proud, to be a mage worth her title, or simply to be someone she could take pride in, she'd given her all and more.

She'd come this far. Finishing the next two laps of this torturous jog should be and was nothing by comparison.

Ignoring the fiery protests of her muscles and chest, the growing numbness in her feet, Louise forced herself to follow the pace set by her master, to keep up the jog step after step after step, to finish this lap and the next. Something of her determination must have shown to Sylvia, the veteran scout nodding encouragingly at her when the Elf glanced in her direction over a shoulder.

Just a few more steps…just a few more…and…YES!

Finally, the last lap came to an end, Lydia and Sylvia letting out explosive breaths as they slowed to a stop. In contrast, Louise staggered to a halt, quickly collapsing with her hands on her knees as she breathed quickly and deeply. Again in contrast, Lydia and Sylvia's breaths were subdued and measured, and they managed to stay standing.

For a few moments, the trio just stood in silence, and then Lydia approached Louise. She sank down in a crouch and placed a hand on Louise's shoulder. "See?" Lydia asked. "You can do it after all. You finished all four laps, on top of all the gymnastics we did earlier."

Louise didn't answer, too focused as she was on catching her breath, drops of sweat falling in quick succession on the grass below. "You finished them, didn't you?" Lydia asked, and Louise glanced up in confusion.

"O-of course I did…I managed…" she gasped out, and Lydia grinned and nodded in response.

"And there you were earlier, saying you couldn't finish." She said. "Do you understand the lesson?"

Louise nodded quickly, and Lydia laughed. "Then keep that in mind, we'll be sticking to this routine." She said, and laughed again as Louise groaned in response. "Well, once you recover that is."

"Recover…?" Louise echoed in alarm. Lydia shrugged.

"No offence but you don't seem all that athletic to me." She said. "You'll probably have cramps tomorrow."

Louise groaned, but Lydia soon lifted her to a standing position by her shoulders. "Come on…" she said. "…let's get the cool-down exercises down. Along with the warm-ups earlier it'll reduce the cramps. Let go, come on now you've caught your breath."

Louise nodded, and proceeded to follow the stretches that were part of warm-up and cool-down exercises. It wasn't that she was…ignorant, of such exercises they just weren't part of her routine. Not anymore that is.

Her mother had taught her and Eleanor (Cattleya was exempt due to her frail physique) the basics of hand-to-hand and swordsmanship, and part of that included physical exercises. But that had been quite some time ago, and once their magical instruction had become paramount physical exercise had quietly slipped out of their routine.

Louise certainly didn't keep it up in the Academy.

She wrinkled her nose at the thought that they – her schoolmates and classmates both – might make fun of her for her exertions this morning, but she shrugged the thought off. If they had any problem with what she was doing, she'd just palm them off to her master. That might prove amusing to watch.

Though…she wondered what was the point of all this. The lesson at not giving up was understood so why…ah, so that's what it was. Constant reinforcement…? It certainly made sense, especially seeing as apprenticeship traditionally ended with mastery.

And that was far above what was expected from the Academy. The lessons would be more complex, demanding, and difficult. Perhaps enough even to have lesser apprentices quit, but Louise was no lesser apprentice.

She'd face any and all challenges that presented themselves, and put everything she had into overcoming them. She'd endure and grow stronger for it.

Lydia took a deep breath as they finished. "We'll have ample time for a bath it seems." She said, looking up at the Sun. "What do you think Sylvia?"

The Elf looked up at the Sun. "I think so too, magister." She said. "If we soak too long though, we might get a bit late for breakfast."

"Then let's keep that in mind." Lydia said. "Come on Louise."

Louise nodded and joined the older women as they made their way to the baths. As they walked along, Louise took note of their clothes. "Where'd you get this so soon?" she asked. "The clothes I mean."

"The help was very helpful in that regard." Sylvia answered. "A sovereign was certainly worth getting these done overnight."

"With that said…" Lydia said, speaking in Tevene (or as Louise knew it, Romalian). "...what little money we have isn't going to last long. Even if it's just one sovereign, we have to replace it, and more importantly, find a way to get ourselves relatively-solvent."

"Please leave that to me, magister." Sylvia said. "Rest assured, I'll find a way, and without causing any trouble along the way."

Lydia nodded, and then glanced at Louise behind them. "Just some private business…" she said with a smile. "…it's nothing to worry about."

"If you say so…" Louise said, deciding not to poke into her master's personal business. "…I'm more worried about there still being hot water in the baths."

"Point…" Lydia conceded. "…well if there isn't, we'll just use magic. Oh yes, that reminds me: Louise if you get any cramps, don't have it treated it with magic."

"Huh?"

"It's better to just let your body fix itself on its own in this case." Lydia said. "Understand…?"

Louise fumbled for a moment and then sighed in resignation. She didn't quite understand, but as an apprentice she was obliged to trust in her master's better judgment, even if she didn't understand the reasoning behind it at the time. "Yes, I understand." She said.

"Louise…!"

"Not again…" Louise groaned as she heard the singsong voice, and grumpily glanced as the tanned and busty Germanian exuberantly sat down beside her. "…Kirche, what are you doing here?"

"Aw, and good morning to you too, Louise…" Kirche said with a grin. "…I was just trying to be friendly, sitting with you and chatting with you like this."

"Fine…" Louise grumbled. "…then, good morning Kirche. So, what do you want to chat about?"

"A little birdy told me something interesting earlier." Kirche said. "Something about your new master and her retainer taking you off on a jog before breakfast…"

"What about it?" Louise asked back. "Yeah, she took me on a jog. And some gymnastics before that…I'm not sure what it's got to do with magic, but it's not my place to question my master's teachings. I'll figure out why they're so important sooner or later anyway."

"Fair enough…" Kirche conceded. "…though I might have an idea what it's for."

"Oh?"

Kirche grinned at Louise's response. "Caught your interest, did I now?" she asked. "Alright, it's rather obvious when you think about. She's trying to build up your stamina, and probably to test both your mental and physical endurance. Some spells – especially the more complicated ones – are rather taxing you know."

Kirche shrugged. "Of course I could be wrong." She said. "I'm just a student, not a fully-trained mage like your master is. She could have something else in mind."

"I see." Louise said. She thought back to the lesson from earlier, though if so then the conversation would Kirche was rather wasted as she already knew what the other girl had said. But then again…Kirche did have a point. There could be more to it than either Kirche or Louise knew.

Louise was about to say something when Sylvia appeared. The blonde Elf leaned slightly with a polite nod at Louise's classmates. "Louise…" she said. "…Magister Rubricatus said to attend your non-magical classes for the day, but you can have the time normally spent on magical classes as your own to spend. Apart from that, meet us outside after classes end, at the same spot from earlier. Alright…?"

Louise blinked but then nodded. "Alright…" she said. "…I got it."

"Alright then…"the Elf said. "…well then I take my leave."

"My lady…" Sylvia said. The blonde Elf was accompanied by a Human maidservant with short-cut hair, bringing her at the request of the magister. Lydia for her part was in a room set aside for her, books and scrolls piled neatly at a desk while she studied a spell diagram to one side. "…as requested, I've brought a maid. She's quite competent at what she does both according to her and the rest of the staff."

Lydia glanced at the maid in question, turning away from her beginnings on researching the familiar summoning spell. The maid gave a polite curtsy. "Young aren't you…?" Lydia asked.

"Yes, I am seventeen years-old, milady." The maid replied.

Sylvia coughed, and Lydia glanced at her. "With respect my lady…" the Elf said. "…and I apologize for assuming, but her young age could be useful in the task you wish for her to fulfil."

Lydia met Sylvia's eyes, the Elf refusing to break eye contact. Several moments passed, and then Lydia smiled and chuckled. "Uppity as always…" she said. "…always poking your nose where it doesn't belong."

Sylvia bowed, and Lydia shrugged. "Well it so happens you're right." She said. "The girl's age should make it easier for them to get along…eventually. I remember when I was at that age."

Lydia paused and glanced at the maid. "What's your name girl?" she asked.

"My name is Siesta, my lady." Siesta said with another bow.

"You are good at what you do?"

"Well I can clean and wash, iron and fold clothes, and while I can't cook a feast I believe I have some skill in the kitchen…"

"Cooking skills while commendable aren't necessary." Lydia interrupted. "However other chores such as washing, ironing, and folding clothes, cleaning and arranging rooms and bedding, and the like…?"

"I am confident in my skills in those areas, my lady." Siesta said after a deep breath.

"Good…" Lydia said approvingly. "…your confidence is good. Next question: are you confident enough to pass those skills onto another person?"

Siesta began to have a sinking feeling what they were going to ask her to do. Even if Sylvia hadn't told her about Louise de la Valliere's apprenticeship to the magister, it had already begun to filter down the rumour vine. And there was the scene from early this morning.

I've seen this before, with the blacksmith's apprentices back home. Scut work to teach them humility, responsibility, and discipline…and from the look and sound of things, it's going to be the same for Miss de la Valliere.

And somehow I've gotten roped into it. But, it's not like I can refuse can I now?

"I'll do what I can, my lady." Siesta said with a curtsy. Lydia raised an eyebrow and looked at Siesta in the eyes, and while the maid swallowed dryly and fidgeted a little she didn't break the magister's gaze.

"An acceptable response…" Lydia eventually said. "…very well, you'll do. You can return to your other duties, Sylvia will call on you later on. Sylvia, show her out please."

Sylvia bowed, and holding out an arm gestured for Siesta to follow. The maid bowed and walked with the Elf to the door, Sylvia holding it open and allowing the maid to leave. She turned back to the magister and after a moment walked closer. "We used to be so young." Sylvia remarked.

"Ha!" Lydia barked. "What are you saying, we got old?"

"Well we're a pair of old maids aren't we?" Sylvia replied, sharing a laugh with her lady. "Though, we look awfully young for women in their mid to late-thirties."

"Ah, the wonders of magic…" Lydia said cheerfully. "…those crones in Val Royeaux would probably kill to get their hands on what we're capable of. I mean, we aren't immortal, but we sure as hell can delay the passage of time to an extent. Grand Cleric Selene of Marnas Pell is what, seventy-three or so? And she only looks to be in her fifties."

"That assumes they can look past the walls of their narrow-minded hypocrisy and bigotry." Sylvia said, and again they shared a laugh.

"True, true…" Lydia said, and then she sighed. "…do you really think they'll get along?"

"They'll probably clash at first." Sylvia said. "Louise is, well, Louise de la Valliere. I remember how you used to be. But eventually her frustration will boil over, and she'll have to ask for help. That's a step in the right direction."

Lydia chuckled. "I just needed someone to teach her not to look down any more than is necessary." She said. "And then you go and try and repeat history. You really are an uppity brat, as always."

Sylvia shrugged. "I won't deny it." She said with a smile. "Though, it seems you've forgotten something."

"Oh? And what might that be?"

"I'm your cheeky brat, that's what."

Lydia looked at her with mock outrage before dissolving into laughter, Sylvia joining in shortly after.

The Sun was approaching the horizon when Louise arrived at the appointed rendezvous. As expected, the magister and her retainer were waiting for her, along with one other person: a maid, who bowed at Louise as she approached. There was something large and somewhat round-shaped at the maid's feet.

She didn't have much time to dwell on it, as Lydia nodded at her to approach. Unlike this morning, where she and her retainer had worn a red, long-sleeved shirt belted over red trousers and working shoes at breakfast, the magister and the Elf were once again wearing their usual attire. The only difference was that they appeared to be freshly-washed.

"Ah good, you've arrived." Lydia said, and proceeded to take off her cloak. Underneath she wore a black, button down coat belted over black trousers tucked into knee boots. And then she took off the coat, exposing the red long-sleeved, collared shirt she wore underneath.

"That's a different shirt from what you were wearing this morning." Louise observed. "That one didn't have a collar."

"Observant of you…" Lydia commented with approval, and then handed Louise a training sword. "…this one came with me from Tevinter. Now let us begin."

Lydia drew a training sword of her own, and while Louise did likewise she wondered inwardly what this had to do with magic. She stepped into a high guard, and Lydia nodded her approval.

"A high guard…" she observed, before launching a series of strikes that Louise parried with some difficulty. "…a wise decision, though won't you tell me why you favour it over the low guard?"

"The Romalians call it La Posta di Falcone." Louise said while continuing to defend herself against Lydia's attacks. "It's meant for use against heavily-armoured enemies or mounted ones, with a focus on switching quickly as needed between high and neutral guards."

"La Posta di Falcone...?" Lydia echoed. "Interesting…wonders will never cease, it seems."

"Let me guess, it exists in the Imperium too?" Louise said while breaking off.

"You are correct." Lydia said. "Did your mother teach it to you?"

"Yes, did yours?"

Lydia grinned before attacking, Louise backing down step by step before rolling out of the way of a blow aimed at her side. Lydia turned to see Louise breathing heavily while holding her sword in a neutral guard. "This style leaves the lower body exposed." the magister said. "It focuses on protecting the upper body, critical when it comes to facing mounted foes, but what about the exposed sections?"

"You just have to keep your eyes and reflexes sharp." Louise said.

"Well said…" Lydia agreed before attacking again. "…and of course, striking from a high guard means more power when delivering an up-down slashing counterattack. However an enemy can simply block with an upward parry, potentially negating this advantage."

"That's meaningless." Louise said. "An up-down slash from a high guard would still have more power than a down-up slash from a low guard, unless the difference in muscle strength is badly out of proportion."

Lydia nodded in approval, and then feinting tripped Louise. She fell with a yelp and rolling over found herself at sword-point. "You lose." Lydia said, and Louise grumbled. Lydia just laughed and offered a hand to help her apprentice up.

Louise took it only to find herself pulled in close and with her throat at a sword's edge. "You lose again." Lydia said before shoving the outraged Louise away.

"Y-you cheated!" she exploded, and Lydia shrugged.

"So I did." She admitted. "And while it's inadmissible at a duel do you really think all fighting is going to be honourable duels between lords and ladies?"

Louise opened her mouth to retort, but closed it just as quickly. "Exactly…" Lydia said with a nod. "…not all the enemies you're going to be facing will fight with honour."

"So I should fight like them, is that it?"

"Would you rather be dead?"

Louise grimaced at the thought. "I understand." She said.

Lydia nodded. "Good, now let us continue." She said. The fought some more for several moments, and then Louise asked a question.

"What's this got to do with magic anyway?" she asked.

Lydia responded with a stabbing slash that surprised Louise, forcing her sword up and around and then away. And again, Louise found herself at sword-point. "Don't get distracted." Lydia said. "It could be fatal."

"Yes." Louise said, and Lydia smiled before lowering her sword.

"Let's take a break then, while I answer your question."

Louis nodded, and gratefully took a seat at a nearby stool, Lydia doing likewise. Sylvia provided them with water, and after a drink Lydia began to explain. "Magic is not all-powerful." The magister began. "If that were the case, then there'd be no need for ordinary soldiers. All we'd need are a handful of mages, and yet that is clearly not the case is it?"

Louise nodded, conceding the point. "Not all enemies you will encounter can be defeated by magic alone." Lydia continued. "Some of them have to be defeated with strength of arm and fighting skill and spirit, and so you'll need to be adept with the blade and the fist."

"So you'll be teaching me to fight unarmed too?"

"Not me…" Lydia said. "…Sylvia's much more skilled at unarmed combat than I am. But today it'll just be swordsmanship. Now magic, no, this apprenticeship isn't just about teaching you to fight but it is part of it. War and peace are two sides of the same coin, and you might get involved in both. So I'll be rather remiss as your master if I didn't teach you how to be adept with the blade along with the mind. Understand…?"

Louise nodded, and the magister fell silent for the next several moments.

"Now then…" Lydia said while getting to her feet. "…shall we continue?"

Louise nodded, and picked up her sword. They continued to practice until the Sun began to set, the burning colour of the afternoon sky giving way to the soft pastels of dusk. "That should be enough for now." Lydia told the panting Louise, who collapsed to sink to the ground. "You'll probably be hurting tomorrow, so we won't be practicing like this for a few more days at least."

"Thanks…" Louise said with a groan. "…though I'm beginning to hurt right now. I don't blame you though. I understand now, those exercises are meant to build up my stamina, no?"

"Clever girl…" Lydia said with a laugh. "…now then, one more thing before we call it a day. Siesta…?"

The maid bowed and stooping pulled off the cover to reveal Louise's laundry basket. Louise glanced at it with surprise. "This is Siesta." Lydia said, and the maid bowed at Louise. "Now, I won't ask you to wash tonight, but after dinner I do want you to watch her as she washes your clothes."

Louise began to feel a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. She'd read about how apprentices would be tasked with manual labour by their masters for 'edification' purposes, but she never thought it would happen to her.

Please tell me…no, no, no, no, no!

"And tomorrow morning, Siesta here will show you how to clean your own room." Lydia continued cheerfully and obliviously. "And starting tomorrow evening you'll be washing your own clothes and fixing your own room the morning after tomorrow, and Siesta will make sure you're doing it right."

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEH…?"

A/N

Welcome to boot camp, Louise.

Feel free to guess the film references in this chapter.