Dirk, Arron and Hayden had woken up hours after Amell, and upon hearing of the man and seeing him in passing, Cullen wasn't sure what to think of the former, when he didn't mind the latter two.

Dirk was most definitely Rhia's brother, if he could tell anything from the first few hours. He could see that or figure that if the man's first few conscious minutes were anything to judge. He had stumbled out of the healer's tent and physically dodged the healers who had chased after him to make sure he was okay, then tried to bulk himself up while asking where he was to look more intimidating. He had gone as far as taking a blade right off a soldier's belt and pointing it at him before Cullen himself had to step in. He had to punch the man and send him back a few feet. He wasn't exactly thrilled with the logic that led up to it since he knew the man must've been as lost and confused as possible, but the last thing they needed was more bloodshed. Dirk had stumbled back and went to retaliate, but Rhia had come charging out of nowhere and shoving Cullen out of the way, screaming what Dirk had missed all the while. Dirk had accepted the news with no questioned asked, to Cullen's surprise, then moved on.

The other two survivors woke up shortly after that, and so the Inquisition's mission was back on. Rhia had taken Blackwall, Solas and Varric and had explained she was going to be gone for a few days since she had to figure out where those mirror shards she had found had come from.

Leliana and Josephine had gone off on their own missions,so by rights Cullen was the one in charge, and with the place in disarray, with more and more people coming in, he wasn't exactly sure how to handle it. They needed people to clear rubble, they needed to build, they needed more soldiers, they needed people to train the soldiers and the mages, the list went on. Then again, he and Cassandra were there for the ones who used weapons, and now they had Solona for the mages. That was, if she wanted to help. But he had to try. He went to find her. To his own surprise, it didn't take long. It was the company that he found her in that got him.

She was with Sera, of all people, laughing away as the blonde told one of her potentially vulgar stories. The injured fennec that Rhia had taken in as a pet as something to 'raise the Inquisition's spirits' she had named Red was curled up in Solona's lap, looking as content as could be. He nodded a quick greeting at the pair of them, then promptly looked away when Sera gave him that usual stupid grin that made him as uncomfortable as possible. "Could I borrow Amell for a moment?"

Sera absolutely beamed. "Why, Feather Shoulders- oh, that one wasn't good, is it? Anyway, is all you need a moment, really?"

Cullen groaned, and took pride in the fact that Solona looked just as uncomfortable for him. "Please?"

"Of course…" Solona nodded. She set the fennec down and it darted away and she walked out of the pub with him. They walked towards the stables. "So… is you getting those comments the new standard for you around here?"

"You have no idea…" Cullen sighed.

She smiled weakly. "And to think eleven or so years ago, I sent you running off whenever I pulled something like that…"

"It's been… a long times, as we've said…" he replied and knew he had gone red in the face, and knew he was going to get redder when she seemed to notice and did that 'you're adorable but hopeless' look that she had given him so many times. "And… well, it's… the norm here, rather than… just you doing it on the rare occasion…" he swallowed hard, then decided the subject needed to be changed as soon as possible. "I came to ask if you'd be willing to train the mages we get in-"

Solona's smile faded. "Train them. Like… the Templar definition of train-"

"No!" Cullen cut her off. "Not- I've told you, being a Templar is behind me; their methods are behind me. I'm not- it's all changed. I merely mean to say that when Corypheus' attack happens- and it will happen, we can't have them unfocused, we can't have weakened spells. We need them to have a grip on what they're doing for their own protection."

She beamed. "Ex-Templar giving a mage free reign? Perish the thought," She smacked his arm lightly, and when he didn't return her smile, she sighed. "Come on. You can't still have trouble trusting me after all this…" when he swallowed and looked away, her smile faded again and looked downright hurt. "You still don't trust me."

Cullen's heart sunk at her look. He hated how often that was happening now in such a short span of time. "No! I mean yes! I mean-" he sighed. "It's not that I don't trust you- well, I guess it is, but- ooh, this one went so much better in my head. I want to trust you. I'm sure I can trust you. I've just… I'm trying to trust mages more, and I'm capable of it, more open, but here you are, the one connected to the biggest reason I couldn't trust them and you're suddenly back in my life after not being in it and-" her face fell again. "-And I just blamed you for my troubles with mages when I'm trying to make the point that I trust you… mostly trust you, Oh Maker…" he brought his hands to his face. "I'm sorry. It's not that I don't trust you, but it will take a while, I won't deny you that-"

Solona smiled and took his hand gently, running her thumb over his palm reassuringly. "Cullen, breathe. I was joking- and it was stupid of me to not think that joke through and realize how careless it was. You have every right to be apprehensive. "

Cullen glanced at his hand in hers and pulled away. "No, I haven't. You've more than proven yourself, Amell."

Her smile was back. "We were friends once. If we're to start that again, you should call me Solona."

"You have yourself a deal."

"Good," Solona replied. "As for the mages coming in, I'll be glad to train them."

"Thank you. Now, we should see if we can get another mage here who knows what they're doing. The swordsman outnumber mages in trainers and trainees alike. I'd ask Solas, but he's too busy with his experiments."

"Solas?"

"Tall, bald elf."

"Oh. Wasn't there another one? Mage, I mean?" she asked.

Cullen nodded again. "Vivienne. I'd ask her, but… she…" he sighed. "You always saw through my lies so I can't now- the woman terrifies me and I feel like my life would be collateral for asking a favor like that, even if it's her job…"

"She is intimidating. Tall, shiny clothes… and that hat," she teased.

"She has ears everywhere you know. Can't have any of them hearing you making fun. She'll have you turned into a newt," Cullen muttered, going along with it but still being serious. He nudged her shoulder to have her walk with him again.

"I think that's the first time I've ever heard you make a joke."

Culen let out a huff of a laugh. "I guess that could be on the list of things that've changed… that I've been opened up to in recent years."

She hummed in approval, then leaned on the wall. "Defensive or offensive?"

"What?"

"How do you want me to train the mages? Defensive so they're giving your soldiers more time, or do you want them to give your soldiers a run for their money?"

"I… would it be too much to ask for both?" Cullen asked.

"Not at all. I think I can work with that," Solona replied.

"Good…" Cullen nodded. The pair stood in comfortable silence until Cullen spotted something in the distance and groaned. "Looks like Cassandra wants to talk with Leliana, Josephine and I about things… can't we have an hour of peace?"

"She's just making sure you're all prepared if the worst should happen…" Amell offered.

"I know, it's just… the incessant arguing is… well, endlessly tiring…" he started to pace. "We should bring you in on these decisions. Maker knows we need someone like you with us. It would help immensely, I think…"

"By the looks of it, I don't think Cassandra wants some… War Hero in your ranks. She'll probably thnk I'm too biased or something. Too prepared."

"Well, if it's one thing I know, you'll have Leliana's support."

"I'd have to start killing puppies for that girl not to throw her lot in with me."

"By the dozens," Cullen agreed, then groaned again. "She's giving me that look. She's angry. Shit."

Solona's eyebrows shot up and she laughed.

Cullen sighed. "I really have to go then. The advisors are meeting tonight over dinner by the stables. Join us, we'll see if we can get Cassandra let you in on most of our information."

"I'd like that."

Cullen nodded, then offered a slight bow before he headed over to Cassandra.

Rhia came back a couple of days later with a mage, Dorian, in tow. Cullen was more torn about the mage than he had been with Dirk. He was arrogant and wasn't afraid to hide it, his idea of entertainment was igniting a few wisps of flames between his fingers and twirling them around, and didn't bother hiding his opinion on blood magic. Not that Cullen disagreed with the last one, but he could at least not half-shout about it all the time.

And then there was the fact that the second he had reached a ten foot radius of Solona he had turned on the charm. An exaggerated bow, a kiss on the hand, leaning towards her while talking- it was all too much. He expected Solona to be just as put off by it, but she wasn't. She was going with it and smiling and flirting back. And she had the gall to call him out for changing completely.

They had even sat together at dinner, trading stories about their experience with magic as Cassandra did, in fact, bring the pair of them up to speed with what was going on.

He was angry at himself, acting utterly jealous when he hadn't the right. The ship had sailed, and the last thing he wanted to do was hurt her again. But this- this was ridiculous. He had speculated about her and Jowan once upon a time, and… eventually obvious life choices aside, he was quiet and more her apparent type.

He was settled a bit when the pair went their separate ways at nightfall. When he realized that he had been watching her and making sure that Dorian was behaving, he insisted he needed to stop. He needed rest. And a very, very strong drink if he could find anything.

Later that same night, Solona glanced up from her notes about how to train the incoming mages when there was a knock on the door to her assigned room in the hold. She opened it opened the door and smiled when she saw Rhia on the other side. The woman was holding a bottle of wine up in one hand, and two cups were balanced on the fingers on the other. "Hello!"

"Hi," Rhia replied, then nodded when Solona stepped aside to let her in. "Peace offering for barely acknowledging your presence earlier in order to give Cullen a hard time, then running off with not so much as a word to you."

"Where did you find that? One of the survivors bring it in?" She grinned when Rhia hesitated. "Found it around here, then?"

"It was sealed and the year's good, if it helps," Rhia pointed out.

Solona laughed. "Sounds just fine to me, then. How are you feeling? Warmed up, I hope? Your brother settling in alright?"

"He is. Making friends already, too. As for me, mostly. I can finally feel all of my toes again. It'll be good to rest for a while now that the to-do list isn't giant…" She sat on a pile of fallen planks and looked around the room. "Figures. One of six heroes of Ferelden and they give you the shitty, roofless tower."

"It's better than most of the places I've had to stay in the last few years."

"Fair point," Rhia replied. "Now, forgive me if I'm overstepping here, but if I'm to be the head of the Inquisition, I need to know things- and damn it, if I need girl talk after I've almost died three times in the last four days and have had to fight nonstop for most of it, I'm having girl talk. So… what's the deal with you and Cullen? He's been so quiet and short- even when I've tried to get him to warm up to me, and he's kept to himself except for Roderick, now he's actually smiling and following you around. I tried to get an answer out of him and he wouldn't give it. Were you…?"

Solona sighed and smiled again. "He's right. You don't beat around the bush-"

"Sorry-"

"No! If anything, I've needed some of this talk myself. And… it's… complicated. Nothing happened. There was… … he was… interested in me, many years ago. Some… adolescent crush… I'd be lying if I didn't say it wasn't mutual, but it was doomed- Templar and a mage and all that…" she tossed a piece of rubble aside. "And on a horrible note, when Ferelden's Circle got attacked, the demons killed all the Templars but him. They tried to break him, and they apparently used his feelings for me against him and messed with his mind. Some of my friends at the time and Leliana got to him… hours too late at best. Had some… choice things to say about and to me. After we were all out of danger he barely talked to me. And then I've heard of his stint in Kirkwall that went to shit with the Qunaris, and then his superior going mad…"

To Solona's surprise, Rhia looked surprisingly understanding. "Ah. I've only every heard bits and pieces of that. He hasn't been forthcoming. Now I know. And now I feel like an ass."

"If it's any consolation he looks like he's come a long way, so I wouldn't. It's… there's no coming back from that entirely, but it looks like he's tried his best to keep it behind him."

"I'd hope so, if that's the case. Poor thing."

"At least he has this to keep him grounded…" Solona offered, then flinched.

"Yeah, more death and destruction, just what we all need," Rhia sighed. She uncorked the bottle and poured the wine into the two cups. She handed one off to Solona, then hit hers in cheers. "To… hopeful new beginnings… and kicking whatever threat shall pass' ass."

"To kicking ass," Solona agreed before taking a drink.

Rhia followed suit, then grinned. "I'm going to like you, Ms. Hero, I just know it. And forget Cullen, I want to know about your adventures too. Just… tell me things!"

"Such as?"

"I don't kn- oh, yes I do! First encounter with a Pride Demon. I almost died figuratively and literally when I had to fight one a few weeks back. But you? You've apparently taken them on by the dozens, so just… was it as terrifying for you as it was for me?"

"You know, the first time I saw one I was just… sort of numb, so I can't really say. But the worst one… Oh, that one still gives me nightmares. See, after the whole Archdemon business I still had some running around to do with another Warden, and then during one mission we came across this horrid mad woman that called herself the Countess…"