The trip back to Haven was not something Mark would hope never to endure again. His companions were deadly silent, but he could tell the tension was seeping from Cassandra, clearly wanting to be anywhere else but on a trip to Haven. Cassandra never once tried to make a social interaction with Rainlily, which was disappointing to him. But when Mark looked over to Rainlily, he knew it was worth it. He smiled as she saw her look at the scenery around her, asking random questions every now and then, which Varric and Solas were more than happy to answer. He knew his sister would be a wonderful addition to the team.
"The Herald had returned! Open the gates!" a man yelled at the double doors as Mark and his friends passed the horse stall, but saw no one in the area. Rainlily moved closer to Mark as this happened, suddenly alarmed. "Hey, it's okay. We are in Haven, where you'll be safe." Mark whispered, making Rainlily look up at him as she hugged his right arm. "No, I know. I'm just…nervous." She whispered as they walked through the double doors. Mark walked up the steps, his companions following behind him, when he stopped at the top of the steps to see people lined up to see them; like the time he had first woken up in Haven. He cleared his throat as he walked slowly passed them, noticing right away that they were not looking at him but as newly found sister, who was still holding onto his arm. Mark was annoyed by their stares but he smiled, placing a hand over his sisters, which were still wrapped around his right arm, as if to assure her everything was fine.
Mark decided to take a shortcut and took a left up the steps, heading straight to the Chantry, where he saw Cullen, Leliana and Josephine standing patiently for them. "Your base is focused around a Chantry? Why am I not surprised?" Rainlily whispered to him, as she saw people looking at her with smiles on their face. "Well, I guess news travels fast." Mark said as he saw the double doors of the Chantry open, stopping as he saw Cassandra walk past them. "We should discuss this in private, away from any prying ears." Cassandra said as she narrowed her eyes at Varric and Solas. Solas glared at her for a moment before turning around and leaving without a word as Varric began to slowly walk backwards. "We will be at the tavern when you guys are done. For proper introductions and all that." Varric said as he winked at Rainlily, who smiled and nodded at him. Mark followed the four into the Chantry, who were clearly heading to the war table room with his sibling behind him, but the walk was deadly quiet with only the noise of their boots echoing through the halls.
Cassandra pushed the door open and took her place on the left as the remaining advisories took their natural positions as Mark stood in the middle, hearing the door being closed. The moment the door was closed, Josephine spoke with happiness. "I am happy to see you have found family! How did this come to be?" Josephine asked. "Yes, Cassandra didn't tell us anything other than that you found your sister." Leliana asked. Mark looked over to see Rainlily, who standing beside him, her head bowed so they didn't see her face. "I actually found her in a hut in the Hinterlands where we met Mother Giselle. I didn't realize we were family until she recognized me. We even shared a childhood memory to confirm it."
"Well, why don't you introduce us?" Josephine asked. Mark smiled and looked to his sister, putting his hand on her lower back as he pushed her forward a bit. "Rainlily, this is Lady Josephine. She is our ambassador, she handles diplomacy for the Inquisition." Mark said, making Rainlily smile and nod at her slowly in acknowledgement. "You already know Cassandra, of course. Next to her is our spymaster, Leliana." Mark said, Rainlily nodding to the both in acknowledgement. "And we have Commander Cullen, he oversees the Inquisition forces." Rainlily's eyes widened a bit as she nodded to him, but Cullen was looking at her suspiciously.
She stood closer to Mark as she lowered her hood, to reveal her snow-white hair, her honey skin and her onyx eyes, her ears pointing out from her hair that loosely rested on her shoulders. "Hello," Rainlily said softly "my name is Rainlily." Cullen smirked as Josephine and Leliana smiled at her, watching as she quickly brought her hood back up. "It is a pleasure to meet the sister of the Herald. I'm sure we will be fast friends." Josephine stated as she began to write on her writing board. "You look familiar, were you in Kirkwall?" Cullen asked, but she merely shook her head. "No, sorry. Never been there." She said softly. looking to her feet. "If you both don't mind, I would like to have a private word with you later, Lady Lavellan. It's for the interest of your brother and the Inquisition, of course." Leliana asked. She merely nodded as she fidgeted.
Mark looked at his sister mysteriously, wandering what happened to her sudden change in demeanor. "Are you uncomfortable? I assure you, Rainlily, you are protected here." Cullen told her as he tried to look at her, but she put her hood back on to hide herself. "We need to have a quick word with the Herald, would it be all right if we have a few minutes alone with him?" Cassandra asked as she looked at her. "Take your time, I'm going to explore a bit" Rainlily stated as she opened the door "I'd hate to get lost in a place like this." As Rainlily walked out, she froze as what she saw.
Varric.
On his knees.
Where the door handle was.
Varric chuckled as he stood, scratching the back of his head. "I couldn't resist! I need more details for my story."
"There will be no story, Varric!" Cassandra's voice rang out from the room, but Varric ignored her as he walked up to Rainlily "Come, I'll show you to the tavern. There's a few people who want to meet you."
Rainlily smiled as she followed Varric, "Thanks, if you want, you can ask me anything you want." Rainlily offered. Varric looked at her happily. "I think you're going to be my best friend in this whole place." Rainlily chuckled as he followed him. "I'll go to the tavern to ensure they are safely watched by one of the guards." Cullen stated, following the duo, curious to see why Rainlily was acting weirdly.
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"I still think we should not have brought her. It is too soon." Cassandra said the moment the doors closed. Mark looked at her in anger. "She was attacked, she could've been killed if I had chosen to listen to you, so forgive me if I decide not to obey to every thought you have." Cassandra looked at him anger, ready to give him a piece of her mind, but Leliana interjected. "I am happy that you have found your sister, but are your 100% sure she is? They could be enemies trying to get close to you." Leliana stated.
Mark rested his hands on the table looking down as he began to explain: "The truth is I don't remember anything before my 13th year. Rainlily though, she instantly remembered me the moment she heard my last name. She knew my full name; my elven name and we both remembered something from our childhood. And when she hugged me it was like a zing, like, she was a part of me. When I asked how I could've forgotten her, she said she knew why but it was for the best that I didn't know. I…never had a family before. I want to be cautious, but I can't ignore this feeling."
"I will have a talk with your sister then, I expect that she'll know what kind of questions I will be asking." Leliana informed him as she put her hands behind her back. "I will speak with the merchant to make sure your sister has clothing, weapons and any essentials she might need." Josephine told him as she continued to write on her board. "When will you be heading to Redcliffe?" Josephine asked.
Mark sighed, as he stood up straight. "I will go in two days-"
"We must leave in sooner than that." Cassandra interrupted. Mark looked at her. "If you want to go on your own, you are more than welcome but, we need to rest and resupply before we go" he answered as he walked to the door, clearly done with the argument "I will leave in two days." He slammed the door behind him, ignoring the stares he got from chantry and lay brothers and sisters. He pushed the double doors open and sighed in relief when he was hit with the cold air. He heard laughter and looked to see that the source was coming from the tavern as he saw people walking to the windows to peak in to see the commotion.
Cullen walked into the tavern to see Rainlily at a table with nearly the whole crew: Sera, Vivienne, Blackwall, Varric, Solas, and Iron Bull. "Wait, you're a qunari?!" Rainlily proclaimed as she walked up to him, holding her hands together as she looked up at Iron Bull in excitement. "You bet, why? Were you curious about something?" Iron Bull asked as he leaned towards her. Rainlily bit her lower lip, fidgeting nervously before she asked, "Can I touch your horns?" Blackwall spit out his drink as Sera laughed hysterically, cupping her moouth to attempt controlling her giggles. "Of course, Rainlily. Go ahead." Iron Bull grabbed Rainlily, smiling when he heard her gasp as she sat on his lap bridal style, within reach of his right horn. Cullen was horrified, "Iron Bull, that is not wise. If the Herald walks in..."
Mark had walked in through the now open tavern , looking around the tavern when become immediately upset at what he saw. He saw Iron Bull sitting in a bench against the wall with Varric, Sera, Vivienne, Blackwall and Solas sitting on near Iron Bull...as Rainlily was straddling Iron Bulls lap as she held onto one of his horns. She looked over at the sound of the door open and laughed excitedly at Mark. "He's a qunari! Can you believe it?!" she squealed in excitement as she continued to stroke his right horn. Mark was immediately upset. "Please let of go Iron Bull and his horn!"
Sera immediately began to laugh at his statement. "His horn! Classic!" she laughed out as Vivienne looked her in distaste. "Oh darling, please restrain yourself." She said as she looked at Sera's state. "You have to forgive her, this is her first time seeing a qunari face to face." Cullen said, smirked at Rainlily's excitement, noticing how she had innocence in her; a rare thing to find in recent events. "You can see one without sitting on him like that!" Mark stated loudly. Rainlily looked at him in puzzlement and turned to look at Iron Bull, only to realize what he meant. Her chest was inches away from his face while her ass rested against his thighs.
"Oh my goodness. I am so sorry." Rainlily said in a low voice as she began to get off him, with the help of Mark guiding her off by the hand. "Oh, I don't mind at all. People are usually curious about the horns but never have the courage to ask. Grab them whenever you want." Iron Bull answered with a wink, making Mark look at him with watchful eyes. He looked over to his sister Rainlily smiling at him as his companions began chatting among themselves. "Where can I sleep? I'm getting a little tired." She said with a smile, rubbing her left eye with her bent index finger. "I actually don't know which one's are available, but I'm sure-"
"I can help with that." He looked behind him to see Cullen walking towards them. "If you will allow it, I can walk her to an available home? I know the perfect home for her that she would be most comfortable for the moment until she chooses otherwise?" Cullen asked as he looked to the hooded Rainlily. She brought her hands up and began to fidget with them, unsure how to answer. "I trust you Commander Cullen. Be sure to keep her safe until I get her some supplies." Mark said as he looked to Rainlily. "I'm going to get some supplies for you and I will follow in a moment." Mark stated with a smile as he placed his hands on her shoulders.
As she nodded, Cullen spoke, "I will take her to the home that belonged to Haven's previous healer. Past my camp." Cullen clarified, getting a nod to Mark as he looked over to him. "I'll see you in a bit." Mark said, leaving with Vivienne. "It only be for a few minutes, Lily. Will you be okay?" Mark asked, only to receive a nod from her. Cullen cleared his throat as he held open the door for her. "Are you ready?" Cullen asked. Rainlily merely nodded and walked out first, pausing outside as she awaited him to join her.
Once Cullen began to walk in front of her down the snowy path, she began to follow him, shivering from the cold immediately. Cullen did not notice at first after the first set of steps but when they reached the second steps, he turned around to her and was surprised to see her body shake. "You're shaking." She shook her head as she hugged herself tightly but failed to hide it. "Maker's breath, you should've told me something." He said as he began to take off his brown fur coat, ignoring Rainlily's attempt to escape as he wrapped the coat over her shoulders. Rainlily looked up at him in surprise, revealing her onyx eyes, allowing him to look into her eyes for the first time with little space between them. "Is it warm enough?" he asked, ignoring the closeness between them as he genuinely concerned. Rainlily smiled and nodded. "Thank you, Knight Captain Cullen." She whispered as she lowered her head. "Come, the walk isn't that much farther." He told her as he walked pass the double doors, smiling as he saw his soldiers still training.
"This is my camp, so if you ever need me, I'm always around this spot." He pointed out as he walked pass the camp, looking to be sure Rainlily was still following him. Rainlily looked in amazement at the soldiers, who were training vigorously. "So...how did you end up here in Haven with the Inquisition?" she asked. He was quiet for a moment, but once he walked pass the female templar, he answered her, "I served as a templar in Kirkwall, but after what happened with the Circle in Kirkwall, I knew the path I was on was not the right path. I wanted to do something that would make a positive change…Kirkwall was an eye opener for me." He said as he turned left on the path, revealing the house that was hidden behind boulders and a few large trees.
"I hope this is enough, it was brought to my attention you wanted privacy?" Cullen asked in hopefulness as he walked pass the boulders. Rainlily remained quiet as Cullen opened the door for her, revealing a well-lit home, with a fire already drawn and a clean living area. "It's looks amazing." She whispered as she walked in, glancing around the home. The living area had a large table with four chairs, with a few cooking pits against the wall. She walked to the right side of the home, where the wall divisions were. At the corner end of the home, she sees a large bed against the wall. She turns to the other side to see a vanity with a basin and drawers for her items.
She looked over to Cullen and walked to him, bowing. "Thank you so much for this." She said as she took off Cullen's coat. As he took it from her hands, she whispered. "Your coat is very warm." Cullen smiled, "Thank you, it does the job in these harsh climates." He told her. She nodded as she took off her satchel, putting it to the side as tried to get comfortable. "I have told my men to keep a watch over the house, so if you need help, just call out for help and one of them will come in. You are safe here." He told her as he had put his coat back on. "Okay."
"And if you need me, I'll be with the soldiers you saw on the way here. Don't hesitate to stop by." Cullen told her as he began to back out of the home. "I won't hesitate. Thanks again, Knight Captain Cullen." She whispered as she closed the door slowly behind him. Once she closed the door, he turned around and took a few steps forward, when he suddenly stopped.
"You look familiar, were you in Kirkwall?" Cullen asked, but she merely shook her head. "No, sorry. Never been there." She said softly.
"Knight Captain Cullen."
He turned around and swung the door open to see Rainlily standing there, her cloak off that revealed herself to him, her snow-white hair down with her bright onyx eyes looking at him in surprise as she wore a purple skirt, with a black corset, with a white long sleeve shirt that revealed some of her shoulders.
"Cullen!? What-"
"How did you know I was Knight Captain?"
Rainlily's eyes widened.
That was when time froze for them.
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HOW DOES RAINLILY KNOW CULLEN?
DOES HE REMEMBER HER?
SHOULD HE REMEMBER HER IN THE NEXT EPISODE?
LET ME KNOW BY COMMENTING GUYS!
THANKS FOR STOPPING BY, DON'T FORGET TO FOLLOW!
