Panic's Note: Let me start this off with a gigantic colossal thanks for all of the support this fiction has gotten over the past day. I honestly wasn't expecting quite that much and am very glad you all seem to enjoy it so far! Here's to hoping that it stays that way. Of course, a special thank you to those of you that reviewed. Feedback, in all forms, is always welcomed. It lets me know I'm entertaining more than myself here.

Anyways, think that reaches my gratitude quota for the day ;P. I'll take it back to the reason you all are here. A fair warning for potential spoilers! I'm also going to be introducing a part to my rather large twist. I have altered some aspects and elaborated on others to fit within the range of my idea. So, here goes nothing!

Chapter 2: Heart and Soul

Evelyn could only stare in a shocked state of awe at the voices rising to meet that of Mother Giselle. The soft notes and harmonies came together to form an unspoken dedication. A grounded belief in her newfound title seemed to outline each word in song. It was becoming unnervingly clear that each person before her truly thought she was the Herald of Andraste.

She was to be a singular movement. An undeniable force against the coming tides of evil. Granted power that would rise to deny the entrance of demons into this world and bring peace in battle. It was, at the very least, an expectation that she could overcome and find a way to end Corypheus. This belief was hers to spread and preach through direct demonstration.

Everything came down to a green etched demonic anchor possessed in the palm of her hand. It was nothing more than a fluke anomaly. She was nothing more than an unfortunate side effect that came with igniting such chaos. She was no herald. She was no blessing. She could not be the idol and hope these people craved. As the song progressed she found herself feeling suffocated and chained by a dying hope.

Deep blue eyes searched desperately over the mass of faces each lending voice to the demanding song. She couldn't place what she was searching for with each frantic jump her gaze made. It was overwhelming and terrifying to be the subject of this sudden praise laced in desperation. Her arms tightened across her chest and the bristle of thick fur scratched at her neck. The sensation was only a reminder that she equally relied on these people. If it hadn't been for Cullen she would've fallen in those tunnels. Yet, it seemed the people believed she was stronger, if not something more than that. At the moment, that was far too much for her to accept.

"E-excuse me," She mumbled more to herself than anyone as she ducked her head and walked away at the songs end. She needed to escape. The last thing she wanted to do was face the responsibilities that were sure to follow. At that she couldn't even bring herself to face anyone. Waking up to Mother Giselle forcing a truth she could and would not accept had been a bad enough start. What followed had knocked her thoughts into an alarming spiral. The only thing she didn't doubt was that death certainly would have been a more rewarding outcome than this survival.

She couldn't recall in any detail how she came to stand in the gap of trees much less how far she'd walked from the Inquisition's camp. The bow and quiver against her back and the weight of blades against her thighs seemed just as unclear. She wasn't sure on the matters of anything, but quickly welcomed the silence of the woods and the soft whisper of the snow flaked wind. She had subconsciously sought out sanctuary from her mind and following problems.

Slowly, she reached to her blades. The small hilts of the identical daggers melded into her palms with a calming familiarity. She sucked in a deep breath as she attempted to find even a fraction of balance within her being. The soft crunch of snow under her feet announced the first step of her stance training. Her body twisted and flexed with each thrust of her arms, and jutting cuts the daggers made. She knew only the blades and stances of practice as she allowed the task to take control.

There was no spare thought for Corypheus, or the rifts. Herald of Andraste flitted away with the plunging strikes of her dagger. The green curse that forever maimed her hand was nothing more than a sour memory lost behind the switches and intricate shifts of her footing. Responsibility and guilt fell away with each fluid motion her arms made. Time was a forgotten factor as she continued mindlessly in her practice.

Bow and arrow soon took place of the daggers as she followed her routine. Her eyes automatically took mark on a faint chip within a tree at close range. Right hand pulled the drawstring back, while the left moved in unison to line up a shot.

"Stop," a deep voice called as a gauntlet incased hand came to rest and push gently down on her arm. "Please, stop." The hand pushed down harder. Almost instantly the fragile wall she'd built in defense against the overwhelming strains of the world fell away.

"Why should I?!" She found herself snarl as she spun to face her intruder with narrowed eyes and an accusing look. The interruption had made the realities she was bound to face come jarring back to the forefront of her mind making the sight before her not register at first glance. Her hands still clutched to the bow and arrow, while its aim had turned to fall on Cullen.

"I only wish to talk," he cautioned with a bewildered look that flickered with uncertainty as he raised both hands in a clear sign of surrender. He took a slight step back and watched the notched arrow warily as Evelyn continued to seem caught in a bizarre trance.

"I have nothing to say." She finally forced out as reality sunk in, which ended the standoff. Slowly, she lowered her aim. "There is nothing to discuss," she added definitively in a toneless voice with a slight shake of her head. She couldn't bring her gaze to meet his, while everything swirled back into a miserable focus.

"I," Cullen started weakly and cleared his throat as he seemed to find his words again. 'I did not mean to interrupt you, but nightfall is fastly approaching," he observed with a pause. "And I," he awkwardly paused again and the shift of his feet grabbed Evelyn's downcast gaze. "It, the Inquisition I mean, requested you - at least - return to camp. Any discussion can wait until then."

"What for?" Evelyn could feel a newfound rage boiling at the mention of the Inquisition. In that moment she found it to be the nearest cause to all of her problems and the suffocating chain that yanked her back into attention. In a weird sense it was a new threat; an enemy that she wanted desperately to shake away. "How could I possibly be causing any harm by remaining out here?" She demanded, still working to keep her gaze away from his and rising temper in check.

"The circumstances under which you departed have left many on edge." He replied in a calculated firm and commanding tone, however his discomfort was easy to note with each shift in stance he made. "This may come as no surprise to you," he paused with a carefully placed sigh. "And I cannot claim to understand what you must be feeling right now," he added, his tone dropping slightly, "but hope isn't easily found and much harder to maintain." He took a deep breath as he attempted to find the right words. "As much as it pains me to say this, knowing the strain it must have placed upon you, you are the hope they - we - need."

"Pains you?!" Evelyn found herself exclaiming before she could even give pause to think on his request. "You have no right! They have no right!" She added tensely, turning a blazing glare in the direction she thought led back to the Inquisition. She sucked in a shaking breath and shook her head miserably as her anger dissipated into something bordering despair. "I can't be your hope. I can't be your herald. I can't lend advice. I can't give this direction. I can't be the figure of this movement, this belief, and much less this war." Her words flew from her mouth in a rambled representation of her doubt. "I cannot and will not lead something in which I do not believe. You can't ask me to do that!" She finalized with what strength remained in her voice as her eyes shot to meet his.

Cullen's face looked severely pale and expression remained flat as their eyes met. His light touched brown eyes held a certain sorrow she did not expect to find. His mouth twitched slightly as if about to speak, but nothing more came of it. Once again the pair found themselves lost in a gaze and moment, which seemed almost to freeze time. This alone made for a rude call to reality for Evelyn as she felt the tingling prick of tears ebbing on the edge of her eyes. Her emotions all seemed to collide in the simple act of actually facing the commander.

"I would not ask that of you," he spoke in a carefully light tone, almost as if he were preserving the moment too. "But I would ask that you fight." He added with a twitch of conviction lining his pale face. Neither parties seemed willing to break the gaze or wonder in what direction these words could be leading as meaning seemed to drift between professional and personal.

"You may wish to have control over your death and face it eye to eye, but I," She found her voice faltering as she tried desperately to gain control over her emotions. "I am not that strength," she half choked out, looking for a glimmer of calm she had once found within his gaze. "I am nothing more than a soldier with the misfortune of acquiring this nasty scar." Her voice edged on desperation for his understanding as she waved her left hand frantically. "I cannot even save my own life and perhaps I should be dead right now. Perhaps it would have fared better that way"

"That," Cullen muttered, while he shook his head defiantly at her words. "That is the las-" His brows furrowed and eyes seemed to search hers. "I will not entertain that thought. Not for a second." His voice found its force as he took a tentative step towards her. "I suppose you cannot see what the rest of us do. You are far more than you think. Purpose may be yours to find," he paused with an earnest look. "Maker allow it, even if you do not believe," he added softly, the slightest touch of pain drew at his features. "There is still much left here to fight for."

"How can I possibly fight what's already defeated me?" She asked weakly, trying her best to take in his words. Her eyes searched desperately as she once again forced back tears. He did not need to see her cry. "If I cannot save myself, then I cannot save others." She added almost in a whisper.

"Maker help me, Evelyn, I can't see past you." Cullen muttered, in a tone marking internal conflict. She could only stare at him as she attempted to harness what those words implied. It was alarmingly too personal and sincere. The distance between them had closed, yet neither seemed to notice they were within a flick of a wrist of touching. "I will see you through this." He vowed with a great and sudden conviction. "I will."

"Cullen, I-" She started, but was quickly cut off by the quick step back and bowed head of the commander.

"I-I must, I mean to say," his eyes were wide with embarrassment and an underlying regret as it dawned on him just what words had escaped him in his desperation to bring her back. "There are matters I must attend to. Defenses need to be established." He recovered in a hurry, turning on his heels in a direct path back to the camp. He spared her one fleeting glance and shook his head before abruptly leaving.

Evelyn could only watch in a weird state of awe and confusion at the retreating form of Cullen. His combined words and the weight they carried only added to the problem. She wasn't sure what prompted her to begin her own journey back to the camp. A part of her seemed willing to fight with this insight, while a majority wanted to return the bliss of thoughtless weapons practice. Either way, she found herself walking into the outer reaches of the Inquisition's camp just as the last light fell out of the sky.

Countless eyes watched as she drifted aimlessly back into their ranks. The first chill winds rolled across the mountainside in greeting to her late arrival, causing a slight tremor to shake her frame. Unconsciously, she pulled the cloak closer around herself and gave a momentary pause. It had completely slipped her mind that she was still wrapped in Cullen's cloak. She felt an unfamiliar warmth branch throughout her body at the notion, yet refused to acknowledge just what it meant. All she willed to admit was her gratefulness that he had helped her in both strength and resolve, while her thoughts diverted protectively away from the lift in her heart and soul.

"Ah, if it isn't our wayward herald coming back to save the day," Varric's gruff voice praised her return next to a nearby fire pit. Evelyn turned her attention to the dwarf, who seemed nothing short of content with a mug in hand and smug grin stretched across his face. "I do believe, I told ya so, suits this quiet well, pixie." He all but teased with an even smugger grin aimed at Sera. "Pay up!"

"You tart of a bastard!" Sera swore loudly as she flung a small sack of gold squarely at the dwarf's head before moving to leave and nailing Evelyn with a playful glare. "Might ya come back in the morning, no? Seems I've lost my gold."

"I uh," She started slightly taken aback by the enthusiasm and shaking her head at a complete loss for words. She was in no state for games.

"Or, I don't know, you can learn intuition or insight, pixie!" Varric chimed in, tossing the prize gold and catching it with his free hand. "Glad to have ya back, herald." He added with a slight bow of his head towards Evelyn.

"Am I really expected to live amongst such children?" Vivienne quipped with a pointed look as she moved to pick up her few belongings and relocate to a quieter area of the camp. "I did not agree to lend my aid in babysitting."

"While I am all for fun and games, I really do find this in severely poor taste." Dorian added to the noise.

"Well you either find the fun or you find the…death. I prefer the fun, myself. Maybe I oughta teach you a better concept of taste first, sparky." Varric tossed back, earning a scowl from the mage.

"Oh I highly doubt you have anything to offer in taste that I haven't tried before." Dorian retorted with a satisfying smirk plastered to his face.

"Maker be good, you're back!" Cassandra remarked as she waved Evelyn to follow. "There is much we have to discuss and your input may prove quite invaluable. We've agreed to come to terms on matters and attempt to find a diplomatic resolution. The Inquisition must move forward and cannot be stalled by our difference in opinion."

"I'll do what I can." She offered, in part question and part confusion as she left the rest of her companions to their own devices. It hadn't occurred to her the magnitude of turmoil that the rest of the Inquisition was feeling. For a fleeting moment she could almost the see the amount of fear masked in task and, for some, poor humor that resulted from Corypheus's impact.

"There is much. These are what little remains at our disposal." Cassandra nodded, handing off a list of inventories and shifting through more papers that littered the table they had come to a stop by. "Our resources are in terrible standings right now, but Leliana and Josephine have set to sorting that out. In the meantime, Cullen and I are working to support the people that remain within our protection and service." Evelyn could only offer a nod in silent acknowledgement as she tried to a get grip on the demands that were required of their current situation.

"What exactly remains of our power?" Evelyn asked quietly, shifting slowly through the clutter of pages. Her eyes and mind were not able to find any real resting point, but kept moving in order to keep her from falling into another hopeless spiral of thoughts. She knew they'd lost people, good people. The numbers and severity of that loss were bound to be more than she was sure she wanted to know.

"That is a question best addressed by Cullen. He is taking count of our forces and working to setup a perimeter. " Cassandra informed with a gesture in his general direction before continuing. 'He did not make mention of you when her returned. Although, I must assume he said something right. He wouldn't," She paused with a brisk shake of her head. "It is a good thing you're here now. The Inquisition could not afford the hit of losing you." Cassandra gave her a calculating look. "I'll leave you to review what you will then. We plan to reconvene shortly."

Evelyn continued to shuffle mindlessly through each report. Her eyes dully glanced over each page without a single word jumping into focus. She couldn't bring herself to move away from Corypheus and Cullen. Both represented two obstacles she had close to no grip on. One stood as her enemy, while the other came to stand as a shield and sword against her personal demons. She could already feel the slight dependency forming in a loose attachment to Cullen. The more she thought on it the clearer it became that he had been the deciding factor in her return and semi-solid resolve. Her gaze left the pages and roamed over the camp coming to rest on the man in question. All fleeting concerns regarding the Inquisition's position dissolved as she moved away from the table and allowed the papers to fall back into disarray upon it. She wasn't really sure what she was going to address by confronting him, but she found herself walking towards him nonetheless.

"Cullen," she announced her timid arrival as she came to a stop before the man and the maps he was looking down at with a tight expression.

"Is there something you need?" He asked distractedly, giving her a quick glance. The formal tone in which he asked, was not at all missed by her. In a way she was happy to see it back. It represented a return to normal. A state she wasn't sure could exist between them had he held onto his last spoken words. She shrugged off the massive cloak and hung it over her arm. A part of her wanted the full effect of formalities that would return without his constant reminder lying against her back. She needed to shake the impossible feelings and subsequent turmoil within that came from it.

"Here." She stated simply, offering the arm with the cloak out to him.

"Keep it," he replied with a wave of his hand and another quick, yet softer glance. "Shelter is something we're currently lacking greatly. It's the least I can offer." He paused in his examination of the map and released a tired sigh obviously distracted by something more. "I fear I may have spoken out of line earlier. Forgive me." His eyes met her for another brief moment flashing a look that seemed both oddly hopeful and strangely seeking.

"Don't apologize. I think I needed to hear it," She hesitated, not wanting to force any further ambiguity between them. "Or at least something along those lines. It helped me find some sense of grounding." She added in a rush and in her best attempts to extinguish whatever regrets they both held, all while masking the weird state it'd thrown her into. "Thank you."

"Even so I won't allow it to happen again. It, it may be too..." He trailed off with a weak smile and slight shake of his head, before he turned his full attention back on the maps. "I have posted watch at key points of interest and have positioned what remains of the Templars to flank us. Should anything pursue us we will know of it in advance. No more surprises. That much I can promise you, uh us. Until we find a more suited location I advise we all stay on alert." He added offhandedly, turning his attention to an approaching soldier. "If you'll excuse me," he gave her a dismissive nod and moved to follow the soldier.

"A word if you will?" Solas's wise voice and light hand placed on her arm pulled her away from Cullen before she could even give time to think on his abrupt dismissal. "There may be matters I can help with," he offered as her eyes turned to him. The elf gave a slight nod towards the other end of camp.

"What do you know of Corypheus?" She asked, turning her mind back to the reason they were all still united and away from the conflicts that were quickly surrounding Cullen. Her steps evenly matched those of Solas as they slowly made their way through camp.

"It is hard to say exactly what it is. Whether that be a demon or darkspawn or perhaps something much greater, I cannot say with certainty." He gave her an inquiring look as he clasped his hands behind his back. "Although, his control over the dragon or archdemon may lend more support to the later theory. It takes great power to mind that control." The pair came to a stop on the crest of a snow covered hill. The faint outlines of an unlit torch stood between them.

"Any thoughts on how to defeat it?" She asked with sarcastic curiosity as she peered into the snow whirled darkness. The idea of facing Corypheus seemed nothing short of hopelessly fatal.

"Well that would be the ultimate question to which I fear there is no true answer" he added shaking his head and fixing her with another inquiring look. "Although, I am a bit more curious about you at the moment."

"Why me?" She asked, her brows furrowing as she turned her attention back to the mage and away from a hypothetical battle she would no doubt lose.

"Did you find what you needed?" He returned, the tones of his voice almost appearing cryptic. Evelyn wasn't sure what to make of the question, but a nagging burst of the tunnels and waking up within them resurfaced in her mind.

"Before I woke up… That was you?" She murmured in a quiet surprise, trying to piece everything together.

"It may have been. I attempted to project such notions," Solas gave a curt nod as he glanced out into the darkness. "It was perplexing to find a trace of you within the fade. I must admit, I am still unsure exactly what this may mean seeing as you are not a mage." He paused as he seemed to quietly think. "At first I thought you dead, to be completely honest. Yet your trace was, dare I say, light. As if it was but a reflection against the veil. I have not encountered such a presence before."

"Why are you telling me this?" She pressed with a slightly frustrated look, not entirely ready to accept yet another complication to her situation.

"Because I not only felt your presence, but at the same time our commander's presence." His brows creased in further thought as he shook his head. Evelyn gave a quick glance back towards the camp. None of this was making any sense to her or what it meant in any context. "At first I attributed yours to the anchor. Its power and reach are still largely unclear. Factoring in the commander makes things a bit more convoluted."

"How so?" She turned her narrowed eyes in the general area Cullen was likely standing. The slightest etches of worry pulled at her sharp features. Nothing of what Solas was saying seemed to be positive; in fact she was quite certain it had the opposite appeal.

"You and Cullen entered and exited the fade in complete synchronization. This happened not once, but twice."Solas paused and followed her gaze. "I cannot find a significant link that would explain such a connection. Having concern for one does not warrant a presence. The entire company would be reflected if that were the case, which the reflection - in and of itself - is questionable." Evelyn shifted her attention back to Solas. Noting Cullen's concern was a strange observation to make. At that she was still completely in the dark on how both of them managed to get to this camp. "The anchor must be a factor, although I fail to see how it can be applied to Cullen."

"Is there something I should be cautioning or perhaps looking into concerning this?" She asked, her fear not failing to miss a beat within her words. The fade was a territory she had no intentions of visiting, or perhaps revisiting.

"Not at the moment, although under the circumstance and given the rarity of it, I assumed you'd like to be made aware." Solas met her gaze. "The Fade can never fully be understood. It is a great mystery that one can only seek but a small grasp of understanding in. It is locked within personal experience and capacities. The maze I must follow for an answer to this perplexity will require more than investigation and observation alone, but I am willing to attempt to find it should it help."

"I would appreciate that. Is that all you wished to share?" Evelyn asked, raising a hand to massage her temple. She wanted to understand just what implications came from Solas's report, but it was far beyond her knowledge. It hardly helped that she was not aware she had crossed anywhere near the fade and certainly not twice within such a small frame of time. To even attempt to touch on Cullen's relations in all of this would have undoubtedly given her a terrible headache.

"It was in part, although I may have an actual solution to our more pressing concerns." He stated simply as he gave a small wave of his hand igniting a teal tinted light within the torch.

Reviews are greatly appreciated and cherished to some regards! I hope you enjoyed the ride and I'll see you all in Chapter 3!

I took creative liberty in assigning Varric's nicknames. It was far too fun to pass up, I'm sorry!