The characters mentioned bellow do not belong to me, they are the property of Dragon Age, hope you don't mind me borrowing them. Not too sure what the legal way of putting it is so hope this suffices!

This was the first time he lay his eyes on her since she had closed the breach. His immediate thought was how could someone so slight harness so much power. She was on the smaller side for a female human and did not appear to possess any great strength. She was however, very beautiful. The way her hair came tumbling out of its messy up-do, gently resting on her impeccable cheek bones, captured his attention first. Her hair glistened in the morning sun as she stood talking to Cassandra. He could try and figure out what they were discussing, but at this moment in time he was too busy watching her, trying to figure this mysterious woman out. He let his eyes slowly glide down the rest of her, taking in her beautiful curves.

"Sir!"

Startled and embarrassed he jumped to attention, reality hitting him like a rock. He shook his head slightly and focused his attention on the recruit standing next to him. Had he noticed him staring at her? He really hoped not, he preferred to keep to himself, especially in front of the men and women that were currently in his command. That's not to say that he didn't get along with any of them, he was just used to containing his thoughts and emotions, something he learnt a long time ago whilst in the Chantry. He decided to take this interruption as a sign he needed to focus on today's work, after all he had a lot to do.

She had returned from her first trip to The Hinterlands, witnessing first hand the destruction and suffering the war between the templars and mages was forcing on Thedas. Although she was a mage, she decided to remain neutral in the war, like many of her mage friends had done. She knew that her advisers would want to hold a meeting at the war council, so they could hear how the trip had went and what new information she had gained but she could not face them yet. It was not their fault, it was just an intense environment to be forced into after a long journey. It was also getting late and she was hoping if she remained out of sight for a while she could try and relax, mentally preparing herself for when she needed to face all the work she had to do tomorrow.

She ventured to her hut, opting for a new set of clothes that didn't carry the stench of blood. She knew exactly where she was going to go and picking up the items she needed, she swiftly hurried out of camp. Reaching the lakes edge, she took a deep breath. It was dark now and the bitter wind caused a stinging sensation in her face. She didn't mind though, she was used to the cold and in a way, it made her feel more at home. Ice was her strength. It was the type of magic that came more naturally to her and she had mastered the art a lot quicker than other types. She sat on the snow that lay along the side of the iced lake, slipping of her current footwear and replacing them with a pair of expertly crafted ice skates. Haven's blacksmith had done an amazing job at crafting her a pair. As soon as she stood up, she glided onto the ice, allowing all her stress and anxiety slip away into the night. It was as natural as walking to her. She lost connection with the real world when she was on the ice, which explains how she was completely oblivious to the Commander watching her from his tent.

He had seen her making her way to the lakes edge, curiosity forcing him to watch more than anything else. Once she had started skating on the ice, he was captivated. He had never seen anyone ice skate as beautifully as she did, it really was a sight to behold. Without even realising he began moving towards the spot she had left her walking boots and at first stood as still as a statue watching the woman dance along the frozen waters. The rock nearby offered him a place to sit which he gratefully accepted whilst he waited for her to finish. She looked up at that point, eyes pinning him in place, preventing him from leaving even if he wanted to. Not that he wanted to. After a few seconds, he broke eye contact with her, grateful for the darkness surrounding them which prevented his slight blush from being seen. After spotting him, she gracefully skated towards him, coming to a halt right at the edge of the icy lake.

"Why hello, Commander, is there anything I can do for you" she said in a cool and confident manner.

"I'm sorry, my lady, I did not mean to interrupt your skating. I shall leave you be at once". He began to stand, however he stopped when he felt her small hand rest on his forearm.

"Stay. Please. I was meaning to come and speak to you anyway". She smiled at him, which he returned as he sat back down on the rock. There was a slight awkward pause, and Cullen began to rub the back of his neck with his hand.

"You – you skate beautifully by the way" he said almost too quietly for her to hear, looking down with slight embarrassment as the words escaped his lips. He knew she had caught him watching her and he felt there was no use in trying to hide it. She looked taken aback by the sudden compliment, but a shy smile quickly graced her lips.

"Thank you, I've skated all my life. I grew up surrounded by snow and learnt quickly how to dance on the ice. It relaxes me, especially after a taxing day" she replied, and he was grateful for her honesty.

"I've never been one for dancing on the solid ground, never mind ice. The Chantry did not place a great deal of importance on it strangely enough".

"Maybe I could teach you one day!" she quipped, almost in a flirtatious manner. This made Cullen chuckle,

"You can certainly try, I am not responsible for any injuries that may occur however!". The sweet sound of her laughter floated to his ears. He hoped that this would not be the only time he got to hear it. The mysterious woman in front of him began to shiver slightly, so slight that if he hadn't been paying attention he would have easily missed the movement.

"Maybe you should head inside? The temperature is dropping rather rapidly" and although he tried, he could not prevent the hint of concern that reached his voice.

"Perhaps you are right" she agreed as she stepped off the ice and began replacing her ice skates with her walking boots. They continued their friendly conversation as they walked back towards the camp, eventually reaching Cullen's tent.

"Goodnight, my lady" he said to her with a slight bow of his head.

"Goodnight, Cullen. And by the way, call me Athena", with a final smile she turned and walked through the gates. Athena, he thought to himself as a smile reached his lips and he continued to look in the direction she had exited. Why am I so captivated by her, was his final thought as he ducked down into his tent.

Hope you enjoy my first chapter! Feel free to leave a review and follow the story as I add new chapters!