Cullen was quiet as he watched her. She was walking across from Cole, sword in hand- her staff left propped against the gate nearby. He's teaching her, Cullen realized as Cole motioned for the slim, brown haired woman to approach him. He almost forced out a laugh as Cole quickly disappeared and swiftly brought his sword towards Gwyn's shoulder. She was fast…but she wasn't used to a sword and Cole moved faster.
Gwyn tried to keep up, tried desperately to match the footwork before bursting into laughter. Oh, Maker, that laugh would be the end of him. Gwyn wiped the smile off her face before returning to a fighting stance. Her hair was coming out of its ponytail, wisps of it framing her face as she huffed.
"Right, okay. A proper parry now…" She was building herself up, Cullen noticed. Cole wore a hint of a smile before disappearing while Gwyn's eyes wandered. She gripped her sword a little tighter before Cole quickly reappeared, making his move. Swiftly she brought the short sword to her right, successfully blocking his attack. However, as she attempted to strike him back, Cole was able to move out of range.
"Quicker, better," Cole grinned. "I'm helping!" Gwyn placed an appreciative hand on his shoulder when her eyes settled on Cullen. Her smile grew and she waved him over, causing him to grow hot. Cole had made him feel uncomfortable, at times. At the urging of Gwyn to give Cole a chance, Cullen often attempted conversation with him, but always left feeling somewhat unsettled.
"Cullen!" She said it like it was her favorite word. "Cole has offered to teach me how to handle a sword." She explained. Cullen nodded and swallowed dryly.
"Dry…body aching. The tiny bottle tempting, overwhelming…but her smile shines brighter, feels better." Cole was quiet for a moment before Gwyn squeezed his shoulder again. She offered Cullen a reassuring smile before he finally rubbed the back of his neck.
"That….that was excellent footwork, Cole. I imagine Lady Trevelyan will be wielding a blade into battle any day now." Gwyn smiled warmly, appreciatively.
"I don't know about that- magic certainly is easier for me to concentrate on- but thank you, Cullen." Cole shifted on his feet before hiding a smile.
"Glowing…you would like to be left alone now," He nodded at Gwyn, who shook her head.
"That's not necessary, Cole. You can stay as long as you'd like." She shot a look at Cullen before he finally realized she wanted him to speak.
"Right. Cole. Perhaps you would like to show me some moves. I could always use assistance for practice." Cole's eyes seemed to shine under the brim of his hat before he finally shook his head.
"Nice, quiet. Warmth, despite the constant darkness. She is like the sun. But she is not too bright for you. The nightmares lie—you deserve more. You deserve her." Cullen found himself reddening, but he looked to see Gwyn grinning.
"Thank you, Cole. I appreciate that." As quickly as the words left Cullen's mouth, Cole's face lightened.
"She trips over her feet sometimes," His voice lowered, "I think she means to impress you." Cullen smiled as Gwyn playfully pushed Cole away from her. As he left, Gwyn reached forward for his gloved hands.
"That true, my lady?" Cullen asked, a smile playing on his lips. Gwyn rolled her eyes.
"Perhaps," She smiled mischievously before sighing in defeat. "Yes. I meant to surprise you because of that whole 'magic-isn't-always-going-to-be-an-option' conversation we had the other day."
"Conversation? I think I remember you calling me…what was it again? A-"
"Nob-head." Gwyn murmured, her fingers now twisting together nervously.
"Ah, yes. That sounds about right," He grabbed her hands again, holding them within his. "So, why the sudden change of heart?"
"I….like I said, I wanted to surprise you, but I didn't want to give you satisfaction of being right. Plus, I thought it'd be good to have Cole do something like this for me, y'know? He just wants to help." She shrugged as Cullen tucked wisps of dark brown hair behind her ears. His fingers traced her jawline before he leaned in to give her a gentle kiss.
"Well, thank you for that." Cullen murmured, his voice low. Gwyn smiled, her eyes staring into his. "So, you're having trouble striking after blocking?" He moved over to the combat area, and began to remove his fur pauldrons.
"What do you think you're doing?" Gwyn asked, following him uncertainly. He set the layer of clothing on the fence before removing his sword from its hilt.
"I'm going to help and Maker knows that thing gets heavy from time to time." Cullen wore a smirk on his face that Gwyn tilted her head at.
"I don't intend to embarrass myself in front of you any more than I already do, Commander." She explained. Cullen swiftly leaned down to kiss her cheek chastely.
"Oh, but how else am I going to get any enjoyment from this, my dear Inquisitor?"
"Exactly! Nothing good can come of me making a fool of myself in front of you." Cullen found himself grinning devilishly.
"I can think of a few ways I can make it up to you later." With that, Gwyn did not argue as she picked up her sword. "That's what I thought." Cullen grinned.