Countless cuts and bruises stretch across his face. The most noticeable one covers an entire eye socket. It's a blend of deep red and purple shades. The cloth underneath his blood-splattered armor is torn and stained with blood and dirt as well. A pained smile forms on my dear Cullen's face.
"Helena..." I approach him, taking it one step at a time, with my eyes locked on his strained ones. When we're only inches apart, I swing my arm upward with full force. My hand makes contact with one side of his face, producing a loud, smacking sound. Cullen grunts, holding his face in his gloved hand as my eyes begin to blur with tears. I throw my arms around his neck and press my face into his chest. His arms weave around my waist.
"You idiot." My voice is muffled.
"I know..." Cullen's breath tickles my pointy elven ears. I steadily glide my hands down his arms and face him again.
"Why did you stay behind in the fort?" My cheeks are wet with tears. Cullen's eyes shift from mine, much like the day he admitted he was afraid to "move on" from me.
"We both knew that its collapse would only injure Denzel's dragon. Somebody had to stay behind to finish it off." I can't accept this answer.
"We could have finished it off together. Outside the fort. You could have-" Cullen's lips bump into mine for a brief couple of seconds. I fix my eyes on the ground. My tone grows softer.
"For weeks, I had no clue whether you or the Templars made it out. The mages wouldn't allow me to go back. They kept saying Denzel's evil still lurked. Even Leliana's spies were afraid to get close to the site when they were fighting off the remaining rebels. Once they finally did, they reported no survivors." Cullen grasps my hand and leads me to my bed. We both sit down.
"It was sickening...Not knowing." Cullen takes the opportunity to speak.
"In my defense, Inquisitor, I had to accept all the dangers that were thrown at you...when Corypheus..." Neither of us want to remember those times. The ear-stinging silence endures for a minute longer until I carefully brush my hand against Cullen's cheek. The golden ring wrapped around my finger glistens in the modest light of the room.
"You don't have to address me as "Inquisitor" anymore, you know." I smile and he matches my expression.
"Force of habit, I suppose." Gently, I pull his face toward mine, so that I can kiss his forehead, then underneath his left eye where the bruise extends. Finally, our lips meet again. Cullen holds one side of my somewhat pale face in his hand, fingertips digging through the brown strands of my hair, which is tied up in a bun. His forearm presses against my collarbone, so I lean back against the headboard. The pressure quickly becomes too much and I let out a slight whimper.
"What's the matter?" Cullen immediately backs off.
"It's nothing," I say, carefully running my fingers over my shoulder. Cullen removes my hand from the spot.
"Let me see, please." His fingers carefully work to unbutton my shirt. My collar is then peeled back, revealing a deep cut on the mend. "What happened here?" Cullen seems quite surprised.
"Rebel ax. That's why they immediately took me back to Skyhold upon-" A warm rush of air collides with my skin. Following this, Cullen's lips make contact near my wound. "-upon escaping the temple," I finish quietly. Our lines of vision intersect. His dark brown eyes stare into my forest-colored green ones. Cullen begins to stroke the outside of my thigh, eyes still fixed on mine.
"Inquisitor? I require your attention for a moment, if you don't mind." Josephine, I think, is knocking on the door. I feel Cullen's leather glove swiftly leave my leg.
"Come in." Cullen and I both shift as the door opens. He calmly rises to his feet while I remain sitting on my bed.
"You might want to hear this, Cullen," Josephine points out, stopping him in his tracks. She turns to me. "Do excuse me for any interruptions. Our mages and spies have made a significant discovery." Cullen and I both scope in on her words. "Apparently, the remaining rebel mages at Fort Connor have recovered an amulet. One that belonged to Denzel." I approach her, intrigued as she continues. "Our mages believe that it's the true source of his power."
"That would explain why the mages still felt his power in the area, even after we killed him and the dragon," notes Cullen. He scoffs. "And here we thought it was the dragon all along. It merely weakened him."
"We must destroy that amulet," I cut in. "Tell Leliana to meet me at the war table. I need to ask her about those spies. You meet me there as well," I tell Josephine.
"Yes, your worship." She scurries out of the room. Cullen turns to me.
"Why is it that my time with you is always interrupted?" He smirks and I laugh a little.
"I'll see you again in a little while. Get some rest." Before making my departure, I give Cullen a quick kiss.
"Hopefully I'll get to keep you to myself next time." His comment cracks a smile on my face. Hurrying along the corridors, many familiar faces blur past me. Within a few minutes, I'm standing in the war room, awaiting Leliana and Josephine's arrival.
"You wanted to see us, Inquisitor," says Leliana, appearing behind me. I address them.
"Yes. I wanted to know if your spies had any idea where the rebels were taking the amulet." Leliana shifts her weight, with her hands behind her back.
"No. They haven't the slightest. However, all indications tell us that perhaps they were looking to hide in the mountains and regroup. I have several spies on their trail as we speak."
"We should be receiving word from them at some point tomorrow," offers Josephine.
"Leliana, do you think you can get an estimate from your spies of where the rebels will be in two days worth of time?" I ask. She nods.
"I'll get another message out to them tonight."
"Excellent. Josephine, can you get word around quietly to the villagers of the Hinterlands that we're on the lookout for the rebels? Any help will be appreciated."
"Of course."
"Thank you." Josephine responds to my dismissal by leaving the room, with Leliana following. I turn away and gaze at the hand-drawn mountains of the Hinterlands on the map. "What are they planning?.."
"You really fit into your role quite nicely." My gaze shifts to the door. Leliana stands in the threshold.
"What do you mean?" She begins striding back towards me. The glow of the candles throughout the room make it appear like she's floating.
"Well, you seem more confident. More ready with making decisions than you were before. The thing is, nobody knew what was going to happen after Corypheus's defeat." I quirk an eyebrow.
"Well, then again, no one I know of is a fortune teller." She laughs weakly.
"Still have that same sense of humor, as always." A sigh escapes her before continuing. "What I'm really trying to say is that I'm glad you made it where you are. This place needed order, even after we've put an end to the chaos that Corypheus caused." I can't hold back my smile.
"I appreciate that." Leliana nods with a polite smile and exits the area. A moment passes as I begin to think. The reality of how far both the Inquisition and I as a leader have come sinks in. Now that I'm at this point, I can finally be sure that I've made valuable decisions when confronting Corypheus. This certainty is comforting. This moment of dwelling ends, so I leave the war room and head for the main corridor. It seems rather quiet in the castle today.
"Cassandra." I find her outside, in her usual spot near the Templar encampment.
"Inquisitor."
"Have you heard from Leliana? About the amulet?"
"I have." She speaks in her semi-rough tone of voice, as always. "I assume you'd want me to pursue the remaining rebel mages in the mountains with you." Her accuracy catches me a little off guard.
"Yes...I would, in fact, appreciate that." She seems to smile in relief.
"As I would too. This 'Divine' business...I'm honored, however, it has proved taxing to me mentally. Everyone wanted answers right away. 'Circle or no Circle?' 'Should faith dictate the Inquisition or shouldn't it?'" I hear a sigh from her. "I'm just glad they haven't made me wear the robes yet. I would have been followed everywhere." The corners of my mouth curve upward. Cassandra seems content in her armor.
"We'll get that all situated later. For now, the templars are keeping an eye on our mages. In the meantime, I'm waiting to hear back from Leliana's spies before we head for the mountains, so hang tight." Cassandra nods in understanding.
I begin to make my way to Solas's quarters when my path is crossed.
"Hey, elfy one." Sera always has a nickname prepared for me.
"You do realize that you too, are an elf, right?"
"Well, duh, but you're more "elfy."" Giggling, I indirectly brush away her silly statement.
"So what's this I hear about an amulet?" she asks.
"Words seem to travel faster than my legs, apparently."
"Nah, I just like to eavesdrop."
"That doesn't surprise me." Sera grins and continues speaking.
"Anyway, the point is that I want to come." My eyebrows are raised at this point.
"Well, I suppose...I'm trying to take a small group, so we can sneak ahead of-"
"I'm plenty small," she declares boldly. "Who else are you taking, anyway?" I patiently respond.
"So far, I guess you and Cassandra. I'm on my way to talk to Solas now." Her face crumbles into a look of disgust.
"So Mrs. Stick-Up-Her-Ass and Mr. Serious-As-Frig, huh? Oh joy. Better than General Uptight, at least." Her frown turns into a mischievous smirk. "You do seem to loosen him up, though. I hope for your sake that I'm the only one who has noticed the noises coming from his office."
"Sera!" My eyeballs are as wide as an owl's. That warm sensation of embarrassment rushes to my cheeks.
"I'm off to rub this in Bull's face. He's gonna throw a hissy-fit when he finds out that he doesn't get to go!" Sera takes off before I could react. Shaking my nervous adrenaline off and regaining my composure, I continue on my way to Solas, back inside the castle. I catch a glimpse of the candles' glow bouncing off the walls before entering the room. I swear, I always feel like I'm approaching a ritual chamber in this part of the castle. I find Solas looking over books on the table in the center of the room.
"Is there something I can do for you?"
"Yes, did Leliana happen to speak to you?" My casual tone clashes with his formal one.
"No, we haven't spoken." I take a minute to explain what Leliana and Josephine have conversed with me.
"I see," he responds when I finish. "Just give me the word, and I'll be ready."
"Thank you." I head back through the archway towards the door to the main hall.
"May I ask you something?" I turn back around. Solas looks as if something is eating at him. "Do the others...trust me?"
"As in you being a mage?" I ask with curiosity.
"Sort of...just me in general." A touch of sadness forms in his expression.
"Solas, you've helped the Inquisition from the start, even before it was formed. I don't think anyone around here has any trust issues with you." Solas bows his head.
"Forgive me. It was an irrelevant question. But thank you." He says this with absolutely no sign of improvement in his mood. I give him a final nod and proceed with my route.
Uncertainty begins to float in the air as I make it outside. I escape into the nearby woods to shake it off. Eventually, I find myself on a dock, the same one that Cullen likes to visit. I've never come here alone before, so I take a moment to absorb my surroundings. A gentle breeze sweeps off of the small lake before me. The only thing that is heard is the croaking of frogs. A few ducks pass by me as I gaze into the water while leaning against the dock post.
"What a surprise to see you here." Cullen's voice brings a smile to my lips. "Usually, it's just me and the ducks." I allow him to see my amused face. I immediately notice that he's all patched up now.
"Well, I'm sorry for interfering with your little get-away." Cullen catches me by the waist when I try to make my small strides past him.
"Don't leave. Please, do interfere all you want." He leans towards me, pressing his lips against mine. I hum in delight briefly. Cullen's gentleness moves to my cheek. He plants a single kiss there before lifting my chin with his finger. He notices my lack of response.
"Is everything alright?"
"Yes," I say softly. "It's just that Solas has been acting...strange. Very quiet." Cullen takes a step back and processes this.
"I wouldn't be able to tell the difference. I can't ever get any more than two words out of him." I scratch the back of my head.
"When I asked him to come with us to the mountains, he asked me if the others trusted him." A puzzled look comes over Cullen.
"You mean like Cassandra, Sera...Blackwall and the others?"
"I think so."
"I mean, they seem to trust him. Nobody seems to have a problem with him."
"Do you trust him?" The air around us grows eery.
"I must admit, it is hard for me to trust anyone. Even Templars sometimes, as well as Wardens." His words somehow trouble me until he continues. "That isn't to say there isn't some level of trust. I just prefer to keep my eye on people." He smiles, offering a optimistic break in the seriousness. "The real question is, do you trust him?" I ponder this question.
"He's given me no reason not to."
"Then there's no reason to worry." The warm touch of his hand spreads throughout my lower back. I gaze at his facial features. The swelling of his black eye seems to have gone down. It twitches a little as he speaks.
"So, you're really going after that amulet with them?"
"Of course."
"Do take caution. I can get some Templars to accompany you, you know."
"It's okay, I need to keep our numbers to a minimum." Cullen bows his forehead against mine.
"As you wish." I hold both sides of his bruised face in my hands and look into his eyes.
"Trust me."
"I do, Helena. Just be careful," he whispers back.
~Time Lapse~
"Bullshit! She wouldn't choose a little pointy-eared creature of her kind over the Iron Bull!"
"Let the idea sink in, sweet-cheeks, cause it's true." Sera's and Iron Bull's voices erupt from the tavern. I walk through the open threshold.
"Ah, 'she who glows.' Go on, tell him that you think I'm more worthy of your cause." I face Iron Bull.
"I just needed another rogue, like myself. This is supposed to be a quiet mission." Bull scoffs.
"I don't see how people consider her a rogue. She can't shut her mouth for two seconds!"
"And you can't hide your...incredibly massive body," retorts Sera, half-complimenting him.
"I just need a small group for the upcoming encounter," I explain, interrupting their argument. "But if you're eager for battle, I'll organize a reinforcements group who will follow our tracks."
"Now that's more like it." Bull laughs in delight.
"Get down off your high horse. You're only her second choice," points out Sera. Their argument continues, even as I leave the tavern. The stars begin to appear in the atmosphere above, slowly securing a dark blanket over the earth. Obeying the night, I decide to return to my quarters to rest.
"Uncertainty lingers under that light, yet thick armor. Uncertainty and confusion," I hear behind me as I'm walking towards the stairs the lead the way to my room. "No clearer than the clouds during the late night and the fog in the early morning."
"What exactly do you speak of, Cole?" I ask the mysterious spirit beneath the large hat.
"The answer is in what you truly feel. The potential of losing control keeps your body tense." Cole gives the same persistent dead stare.
"Control? Over what?"
"I can almost, just almost, assure you that you will be able to keep your cards in play. It's the other players' cards that are in question." I have words prepared for him, but they fail to leave my mouth. "A dwarf awaits emotional healing below. I must ease her suffering. Good luck in the mountains." With this conclusion in place, Cole steps away, leaving me to finally travel to my quarters. I drop into my bed, shaking off Cole's eery words, far too tired to process them.
~The Next Day~
Today, I start by finalizing the organization of the reinforcements group. I first seek out Blackwall to discuss this topic. He is stationed outside the castle, conversing with Dorian.
"Greetings, Inquisitor. I was just giving Blackwall here some tips on proper posture and etiquette." Blackwall rolls his eyes.
"It's been enlightening." The circumstance I've stumbled upon causes me to chuckle.
"Was there something you needed?" Dorian runs his fingers through his slick, black hair as he asks me this.
"Yes, I'm organizing a reinforcements group for our objective tomorrow. I'm assuming you've heard about it?"
"Yes, ma'me," responds Blackwall in his rugged voice.
"I'm going to need you both in that group. You'll possibly be leaving midday tomorrow, just a few hours after me."
"So, we're trailing behind you in case you have trouble ahead?" asks Dorian.
"Exactly."
"Whatever comes, we'll be ready to hit them if need be." Blackwall's loyalty shines through, as usual. Dorian snickers.
"A touch of charm wouldn't hurt next time, my friend." He clutches Blackwall's thick shoulder briefly.
"You repeatedly fail to remember that courting a woman is not my first priority as a Warden. Not to mention, one who is being courted by another." Blackwall remains stiff in his posture.
"I think this is the part where I tend to other matters," I state, barely holding back a giggle.
"That would perhaps be wise," comments Dorian. I stride away, leaving them to it. I waste no time looking for Vivian. Before I could find her, Leliana approaches me.
"Inquisitor. Do you have a moment?"
"Yes. What is it?"
"We've received a travel estimate from my spies. They've told us that we could get more specified directions from them if we met them near the west edge of the mountains, towards the river."
"Thank you, Leliana. Please inform them that we will meet with them."
"Yes, Inquisitor." She formally bows her head down and leaves me be. I next discover Vivian inside the main hall, studying a book.
"Something I can do for you, darling?" I step closer when she notices me. "My goodness, you look exhausted. Would you care for a spa treatment?"
"No, thank you. I actually need you to watch over a reinforcements group. I'm afraid that some of the others will just...spring into battle without supervision."
"Well, you can always count on me to babysit, dear." Vivian shuts
her book. "I must ask, what is this reinforcements group for?"
"Just in case we have any trouble regarding our encounter with the rebels we are pursuing. You are to leave about two hours after me tomorrow."
"As you wish." I nod in approval and turn away. It only takes a second for me to run into Varric.
"Shit's stirring up around here, huh? Let me know if I can be of assistance." I scratch my neck while thoughts circulate in my head.
"Well, now that you mention it, I do need you to wait here in Skyhold and await any incoming messages from us."
"Sure thing." He shakes his head. "I was hoping you would ask me to come so that I could write an epic retelling of this adventure when I got back! But nope, I get 'message receiver.'"
"Sorry to disappoint you, Varric." My sarcastic response causes Varric to grumble lightly as he walked away.
I stride onward, running through the list of what remains to be done in my head. I pass through a scene of construction. Several dwarves are securing a small section of the castle walls.
"Good day, Inquisitor." Slightly pre-occupied with my thoughts I simply nod my head politely towards the dwarf closest to me, who then goes back to occupying himself with a piece of lumber.
Clash! Clash! Cassandra and Iron Bull are colliding swords against each other ahead. Cassandra halts as I approach.
"Forgive me, Inquisitor. Bull had challenged me to a duel and I found myself with some time on my hands."
"It's quite alright, Cassandra. I expect you to take some time to clear your head before we have to restructure the Chantry."
"Boss is right," agrees Bull. "We should have a little fun while we can." He winks at Cassandra. The blank look on her face is replaced by disgust. I clear my throat.
"So, Cassandra, Leliana gave me a report from the spies. We've confirmed that they're heading to the mountains. We're meeting the spies nearby for more direction. We depart tomorrow morning."
"I'll be ready, Inquisitor."
"Thank you. Carry on." Following this conversation comes a restless night of imagining what's to come the next day.
~Time Lapse~