Hello, readers! This chapter has a song, I Stand by Idina Menzel. All rights to her.
Clara walked around the village, feeling the chill of the winter air and breathed in, smiling. She had decided to take the time to explore Haven and it's surrounding area. She met the Herald's companions, met her other advisors, and figured out where everything was. She and her father had been with the Inquisition for quite some time now and she had become a valuable addition to their organization. She helped wherever she could, but she mostly enjoyed working with the recruits. She loved testing their skills and offered to help train them. When she walked by the training grounds, she didn't see Cullen anywhere.
'Maybe he's just busy with Leliana and the others.' she thought as she made her way towards the hill that over looked the frozen lake. She breathed in the cold air and smiled as a small icy breeze blew through the village, making her overdress and hair billow behind her. She whistled Artemis' call and smiled when the falcon flew down from her perch on the other side of the lake.
"Hello, girl." Clara said, smiling as she took her forefinger and rubbed the falcon's head. "How are you this morning?"
Artemis chirped and nuzzled into her cheek.
Clara giggled and offered her a spot on her shoulder. When Artemis was situated on her shoulder, Clara looked up at the Breach. "It's so big, Arty. How can anyone ever cause something like that?" Sighing she closed her eyes and started to hum softly to herself.
"When you ask me, who I am: What is my vision? And do I have a plan? Where is my strength? Have I nothing to say? I hear the words in my head, but I push them away. 'Cause I stand for the power to change, I live for the perfect day. I love till it hurts like crazy, I hope for a hero to save me. I stand for the strange and lonely, I believe there's a better place. I don't know if the sky is heaven, but I pray anyway. And I don't know what tomorrow brings. The road less traveled, will it set us free? 'Cause we are taking it slow, these tiny legacies. I don't try and change the world; But what will you make of me? 'Cause I stand for the power to change, I live for the perfect day. I love till it hurts like crazy, I hope for a hero to save me. I stand for the strange and lonely, I believe there's a better place. I don't know if the sky is heaven, But I pray anyway. With the slightest of breezes we fall just like leaves as the rain washes us from the ground. We forget who we are/ We can't see in the dark. And we quickly get lost in the crowd"
Clara lifted her eyes to the sky once more and smiled as she sang.
"'Cause I stand for the power to change, I live for the perfect day. I love till it hurts like crazy, I hope for a hero to save me. 'Cause I stand for the power to change, I live for the perfect day. I love till it hurts like crazy, I hope for a hero to save me. I stand for the strange and lonely, I believe there's a better place. I don't know if the sky is heaven, but I pray anyway."
-O-
Cullen had been getting no more sleep than normal, but when he finally managed to get some rest, the nightmares started again.
"Look out!" someone called, but it was too late.
Cullen was knocked out and when he finally came to, he was strapped to a table and stripped of all but his trousers.
"You are quite the sexy thing, you know, Cullen." a voice said.
Cullen looked towards the voice. His heart skipped a beat. It was Kellie Amell, the Circle mage he had once known in the Ferelden Circle and once lusted after. They had shared a kiss or two, but then she was killed when Uldred took the Circle Tower.
"No, you cannot be here... You died..." he said in disbelief.
"True, Kellie Amell did die, but I'm not her and you know it." Kellie said, or whatever was posing as her, using her image.
"You... You were the demon that tormented me... Used Kellie against me..."
"Ah, give the lad a prize. Oh, I know, let's bring her in!" the demon said.
Cullen watched as what appeared to be two Templars dragged in a woman in nothing but her underclothes and a loose fitting sleeveless tunic and he felt every being of him fight against his restraints. "Clara, no..."
"Clara here came to save you." the demon said, smirking. The Templars chained Clara to the wall and stepped back. "She's quite beautiful, is she not?"
"Clara, can you hear me?" Cullen called, trying to reach her.
Clara stirred, having been knocked out as Cullen had. She looked up and saw him laying there. "Cullen..."
"Clara, are you alright?"
"I'm fine, Cullen." Clara said, managing a smile.
"Aww, how touching!" the demon said, clapping her hands. "Oh, my, my. You're just as cute as Cullen!" the demon looked at Cullen. "Now, be a good lad and watch as I have a little fun with her."
"Touch me, filth, and I guarantee you'll lose your head before I'm finished with you." Clara said, glaring at the demon.
"Feisty, I like it!" the demon squealed. "Let's see what else you have to offer!"
Cullen watched in horror as the demon slid her hand along Clara's back, raking her talons along her soft flesh. Cullen watched Clara grimace at the pain, turning her head away and biting back a scream. He realized then how truly powerless he was to stop any of it.
The demon dug her talons into Clara's back several times, leaving deep gashes.
"My, my, you are quite the strong one, aren't you?" the demon said, mocking Clara.
"Leave her alone!" Cullen demanded. "Let her go!"
"Hush, now little Templar lad. You'll have your turn soon enough."
Cullen couldn't look away, something forcing him to watch as the demon moved to her front and began raking her talons across her arms, legs, face. 'Clara, forgive me...' He thought as he watched as the demon stepped back, licking her finger.
"Now, little girl, it's time for your punishment." the demon said. "She's ready for you boys, have fun!"
"Don't touch her!" Cullen ordered, but it was no use. He watched as the Templars dropped her to the ground and started to flog her and kick her. "Leave her alone!"
"Hush, now, lad. It's your turn now." the demon said, smirking. She dug in a single talon to his chest, slowing draggin it across his skin one by one.
Cullen grimaced at the pain, determined not to cry out.
"So, Cullen, is it still worth lusting over a girl like Kellie Amell, or even a girl like Clara Amelia Blackwall?" the demon asked, putting another deep gash along his chest. "You know, I was the one who finally killed that poor dear, not Uldred. She was the first to stand against him, the first one to die. It was a pleasure killing her."
No matter how much Cullen tried to resist the demon, it seemed that each time he fought back the demon would cut into him deeper and deeper, adding onto the tally of gashes on his body.
"You'll pay for this, demon." he said, gasping as she pulled away.
"I'll take what I can get first then." the demon replied, smirking.
Cullen ignored the demon and looked over at Clara.
Clara cried out with each beating she received and tried to fight back against the Templars, but it was no use. She had no energy left to fight them, no energy to resist them. She opened her eyes and looked at Cullen, catching his gaze.
"Cullen, I'm so sorry..." she said.
"Don't be, Clara. Everything's going to be alright. We'll get ou-"
The two Templars morphed into monstrous things covered in red lyrium and she screamed. Cullen tried to call out to her, but the demon grasped his throat and started to choke him.
"You look at her when you should be looking at me!"
"Kellie... you are not her..." Cullen choked. He forced himself to look over at Clara, wishing he hadn't as he watched the Templars- covered in red lyrium- drive their hands into Clara.
"Cullen..!" she managed to cry out before the blood spurted from her mouth.
"C-Clara...!" Cullen's vision went black as he watched the Templars dropped Clara to the ground, leaving her to bleed out on the cold stone.
"Naughty, naughty, Cullen!" the demon screeched. "Now you die!"
Cullen woke with a start, crying out and causing one of his lieutenants to come rushing in.
"Commander, is everything alright?"
"Y-Yes, I'm fine." Cullen said, shooing the lieutenant off.
When the lieutenant left his tent, Cullen went to his wash basin and splashed water on his face and neck, glad to have the icy cold rush shake him awake. A soft voice traveled on the air as he exited the tent and he looked towards the hill, seeing the long flowing, raven black pony tail swaying in the breeze.
Clara had just finished singing and turned to return to the village to get Ronin and go for a ride. She smiled and waved when she saw Cullen, but the look he had when their eyes met was full of guilt and pain as he turned away and disappeared into the village. 'I wonder what that was all about...' She hurried down the hill and went to the stables.
"Master Dennet, I'm going to take Ronin out for a ride, stretch the poor thing's legs. Could you ready the Commander's horse as well? He looked like he needed a break."
"Of course, Clara. I saw him head towards the Chantry."
"Thanks! I'll be back soon!"
Clara hurried to the Chantry, only stopping to inform Rylen that she was borrowing the Commander for a bit, and looked around the ancient building, finally finding the Commander in one of the chapels. "Hey, Cullen, is everything alright?"
Cullen was sitting, his elbows propped on his knees and his hands clasped in front of him as he bowed his head and prayed. Looking up at her, he sighed. "I'm alright, Clara."
"You sure, because that look you gave me earlier said otherwise. Is it your nightmares?"
"How do you know about that?"
"I like to walk around the village at night. Sometimes I hear you call out in your sleep, so I come to check on you and sit with you until you calm down. You seem to have terrible dreams a lot lately. Are you sure you're alright?"
Cullen looked at her. "You sit with me at night?"
"That's not weird is it?" Clara asked, rubbing her arm and blushing. "I just can't leave you alone when you get like that, calling out in your sleep and thrashing in your bed. My father used to do that, when I was ten or eleven. I had an accident when we were traveling and got hurt. I couldn't remember anything from before I woke up, but Father was there and told me what happened. He used to have nightmares about it and would always wake up saying he was sorry to someone for something. It used to scare me, but I got used to it after a while and he got better eventually."
"Thank you, I uh, I had no idea..." Cullen said, looking down at his hands. "I don't dream anymore, not usually, but the nightmares come and go when they please and it's beginning to get more frequent."
"If you'd like, Cullen, I can start staying with you in your tent and keep an eye on you." Clara offered, blushing a little. "Maybe knowing you aren't alone will help overcome the nightmares."
Cullen looked up at her and smiled. "You don't need to do that."
"And you can't stop me if I set my mind to it." Clara retorted, smirking. "Besides, I'll always come and check on you, just to put my own mind at ease. We can't have our Commander getting no sleep, now can we?"
Cullen chuckled at that. "Very true."
"Hey, let's get out of here. You look like you could use a break." She replied, offering her hand to him.
"I have work to do, Clara, as do we all." Cullen started.
"Nope, not right now you don't. Master Dennet has our horses ready and Rylen knows I'm stealing you away for a bit, so everything will be fine. Please? Don't make me drag you out of here for a bit of free time."
Cullen smiled at that, the corner of his mouth tugging upwards. "Alright." He took Clara's hand and she helped him up, looking up at him when he stood straight.
"You know, you are really cute, Cullen. I'm surprised more woman aren't fawning over you." Clara said, looking up at him as he stood a few inches taller than her. He was close enough to where if she really wanted to tease her or sate her own desires, she could just lean forward a bit and kiss him.
"I uh, what?" Cullen rubbed his neck, face blushing.
Clara smiled and giggled. "You're even cuter when you blush!"
"Maker's breath..."
"Come on, let's get out of here." She said and grabbed his hand, leading him out of the Chantry and back to the stables.
Master Dennet had their horses ready and they mounted up and headed out, Clara leading the way. They went through the outer gates of the village and Clara smiled.
"Last one to the southern monument of Andraste has to buy the other drinks tonight, deal?" Clara asked, pulling in the reins of her stallion.
Cullen chuckled and did the same. "Deal!" Then urged his fifteen hand Amaranthine Charger named Greyback forward, Clara close behind.
Clara and Cullen raced each other down the mountain pass and onto a flat stretch of land that lay out before the southern monument. They rode neck and neck, swapping places for first every other few feet. Finally the monument came into view and Clara glanced over at Cullen, a victorious grin on her face.
"Ronin, go!" she called to her stallion and the Anderfel Courser lept forward, taking on a new gait and speed, effectively winning their race.
Coming to a halt at the site of the southern monument, Clara circled around the central statue of the monument and dismounted, smiling as Cullen joined them a moment later.
"Maker, how can a horse that big be that fast?" Cullen asked, pulling Greyback to a halt.
"I've been training with Ronin for three years, ever since he was a colt with Master Dennet. We know Ferelden like the back our hands, Father and I, and Ronin here knows the land as well as we do. Any terrain, he's been trained for. He's a big lad, but he's the fastest in Ferelden maybe even Orlais. Aren't you boy?"
Ronin whinnied and Cullen chuckled. He reached down and rubbed Greyback's neck, then slid out of the saddle. "You did good, boy." he said, offering him an apple. "You did really good."
Ronin smelled the apple and came trotting over, nudging Cullen's shoulder.
"You just had to pull out an apple." Clara said, laughing. "Ronin can't get enough of them!"
"You want one too?" Cullen asked, offering the stallion one of the apples he carried in his saddle bag. Ronin took the apple happily, chomping down on it before he nudged Cullen for more.
"Now, now, Ronin, don't be greedy!" Clara said, coming over and grabbing his bridle. "Sorry, Cullen. Apples get him really excited."
Cullen looked at her and smiled. "It's alright. Greyback is the same way, but since he's a bit older, one seems to do the trick for him."
Clara fell back on the ground, laying in a patch of grass, looking up at the sky. "Isn't this nice?" She asked.
Cullen sat next to get and smiled. "It is. Thank you, Clara, for getting me out of the village. I can't remember the last time I had fun like this."
"You can always count on me to have fun, Cullen. The stories Father could tell you." Clara laughed, her laughter like tiny bells.
Cullen smiled. "You and your father are really close."
"After Mother died, it's been just me and Father. And the Wardens."
"What happened to your mother, if you don't mind me asking?"
"I was born ten years before the Fifth Blight. My mother, she died protecting me from the first darkspawn attack. It was the first signs of the Blight and it was that first attack that alerted the Grey Wardens of the coming Blight, it was that first attack that caused Father to join the Wardens." Clara explained. "I don't know much more than that, I'm afraid. Father won't talk about Mother much. I never knew her, but Father always said I look just like her."
Cullen smiled at that, looking at her. "She must have been very beautiful."
Clara looked at him, blushing. "Are you saying you think I'm beautiful?"
Cullen blushed and looked away, rubbing his neck in embarrassment. "I, um, well I, uh..."
Clara giggled and sat up, moving to sit in front of him. "Admit it, my little lion. You think I'm beautiful."
Cullen stared at her and felt his blush deepen. Clara was just inches from his face, a look of playfulness and flirtation in her eyes. "O-Of course I do... as do many others."
Clara mock pouted, sitting back on her legs. "Tsk, task. I must admit, I am a bit disappointed that you won't just admit you think I'm beautiful."
"Clara..."
Clara looked away and stood, pretending to be mad at with. "Nope, now you've gone and hurt my feelings. Contrary to my reputation as a ranger, I am still a lady." She mounted I'll into Ronin's saddle. "Don't forget, Commander, you owe me a drink. Tonight. Maybe I'll forgive you then."
Cullen stood, bewildered as Clara winked and urged Ronin forward, heading back up the mountain to Haven. "Maker's breath... What am I going to do with her..."