Today is my birthday and some friends are coming over tonight so I don't know when I'll go to bed and therefore when I'll wake up tomorrow so that's why today, and in celebration of my 30th year in this world, I give you the 7th chapter one day ahead. It has a lot of game dialogue but with my personal touch. Enjoy ;)

~oOo~

Chapter 7: Strategies

-So this is where it begins.

Cullen's voice reverberated in the great hall, it's echo making the statement more ominous, if that was even possible.

-It began in the courtyard. This is where we turn that promise into action- Leliana's soft voice replied, a counterpoint to Cullen's powerful one.

-But what do we do? We know nothing about this Corypheus except that he wanted your mark.- Sometime between the moment they named her Inquisitor and then gathered here to discussed the next movement, Josephine had taken out her notepad and quill, and was ready to write down any necessary action. Once again the Herald looked at her hand, as if it could tell her Corypheus' secrets or weak spots. She turned and looked at Cullen.

-Corypheus wants to restore Tevinter. Is this a prelude to war with the Imperium?- The idea of fighting the magisters on top of everything else frightened her.

-I get the feeling we are dealing with extremists, not the vanguard of a true invasion.- Cullen spoke with conviction.

-Tevinter is not the Imperium of a thousand years ago. What Corypheus yearns to "restore" no longer exists- Josephine added.

-Yes, but something tells me that will not stop him. Besides, if there is any place obsessed with its "glorious" past, it's Tevinter. Some magisters are determined to live as close to the old ways as they can.- she did not want to rely on suppositions when it came to the magisters; she had seen what they were capable of, what one of them alone was capable of, and she shuddered to imagine what all of them together could accomplish.

-In truth, they will shed no tears if the south fell to chaos, I'm certain.- Josephine was always so politically correct that in other circumstances she would have laughed at her unnecessary subtlety.

-And as if trying to lure the most powerful mages in Thedas is not enough, he said he wanted to enter the Black City, and that this would make him a god, although I find that hard to believe.

-He is willing to tear this world apart to reach the next. It won't matter if he's wrong.- Leliana sounded worried. For her, Corypheus was threatening not just their lives, but he was menacing her whole belief system more than any other Andrastian she had ever met. Her spymaster was the most pious person she had known and her connection with the late Divine made all of this that much harder for her.

-What if he's not wrong? If he finds some other way into the fade...- Cullen was just voicing what they all had been thinking, but that did not make it easier to hear.

-Then he gains the power he seeks or unleashes catastrophe on us all.

-Let's hope it does not come to that. I have seen the future that Corypheus is trying to create and I will do whatever it takes to make sure it remains a delusion from a madman, and nothing more.- She hesitated to voice her next thought, but she needed to put it on the table, figuratively speaking. -He is not alone in all of this, though. Could his dragon really be an Archdemon? What would that mean? Leliana you fought one before, is it really one?

-I can't say for certain if it is an Archdemon or not, Inquisitor, but one thing is certain: If it is, it will mean the beginning of another Blight.

-We've seen no darkspawn other than Corypheus himself. Perhaps it's not an Archdemon at all, but something... different?- Josephine sounded like a child begging her parents to reassure her that the monsters in her closet didn't really exist. Sadly, she could not tell her that.

She could always count with Cullen to be the voice of reason, though.

-Whatever it is, it's dangerous. Commanding such a creature gives Corypheus an advantage we can't ignore.

-Are the people safe here, Cullen?

-I already ordered the workers to start building trebuchets to add to Skyhold's protections, and we are trying our best to repair the walls. We have the location in our advantage, and the fact that the attack on Haven diminished Corypheus' forces more than ours. Unless he can raise an army out of nowhere, we should be able to finish the restoration in time for any attack.

She nodded and thought for a minute before continue.

-Someone out there must know something about Corypheus.

-Unless they saw him on the field, most will not believe he even exists.- Things were looking quite grim, the weight of reality bearing down on their shoulders.

Leliana interjected to shed a little light.

-We do have one advantage: We know what Corypheus intends to do next. In that strange future you experienced, Empress Celine had been assassinated.- Not the first thing she would have brought up, but yes, she did have a point.

-Imagine the chaos her death would cause! With his army...

They do not know half of it, she thought, trying to banish the images of all of the people she had come to care for dying (or already dead) from her mind. She focused on Leliana's face, trying to superimpose her healthy features over the scarred and tortured one screaming for attention in her memories.

-An army he'll bolster with a massive force of demons, or so the future tells us.- Cullen added.

Her voice was barely above a whisper.

-Please, stop!- She was almost begging them to cease feeding her memories and imagination, or else she would not be able to stop them from getting to her and wavering her determination. Her advisors glanced at her, the women feigning that they had not heard her, possibly to protect her from feeling weak. Cullen did likewise, but could not hide his shock at her reaction, as if he blamed himself for saying all those things.

Just before he made to apologize, Leliana stopped him, sighing.

-I'd feel better if we knew more about what we are dealing with.

-I know someone who can help with that- Varric's voice barrelled in from the entry. He walked over to them as he talked, waving a hand with a guilty expression on his face. -Everyone acting all inspirational jogged my memory, so I sent a message to an old friend.- The letter he had hidden from her a few days ago. -He's crossed paths with Corypheus before, and may know more about what he's doing. He can help.

-You mean he is here already?- she asked, already knowing the answer.

-Yes well, you had been acting inspirational for days now. He arrived this morning, before dawn.

-That's impossible! No one informed me of any arrival that early. He can't just enter Skyhold without being noticed.- Cullen was talking as if the dwarf had wounded his pride, even worse considering he had revealed this in front of the women.

Varric raised his arms as if giving up on the Commander.

-Hey, I'm not saying it was easy, but he has his methods.- Now Cullen's temper was beginning to surface, and the dwarf knew he had to give him some information in order to placate that rage.- Don't worry, Curly, no need to go forcing hard labor on your guards. I'm sure my friend wouldn't have been able to enter unnoticed if he hadn't had my assistance.- The moment he said that, everyone knew he had made a mistake. Varric rushed to explain himself. -I assure you it's for a good cause, and it will never happen again,- he dropped his voice to almost a whisper -without a good reason.

Cullen took a step forward to deal with the dwarf, but she laid her hand on his arm, stopping him in his tracks. She would deal with Varric in time; after all, she just saved his life, if Cullen's burning eyes were any indication.

-Ok, Varric, if your friend can help, I'm more than willing to hear him. Introduce us.

The dwarf looked over his shoulders, as if he was wary he might be discovered talking about this mysterious person. Whoever this friend was, he was evidently important to him.

-Emmmm... parading around might cause a fuss. It's better for you two meet privately. On the battlements. Trust me... it's complicated.- And with nothing more to go on, Varric left the hall, leaving them to their business.

Josephine broke the silence, sounding more positive than before.

-Well, then! We stand ready to move on both this concerns.- Josephine said, making a note for herself on her parchment.

-On your order, Inquisitor.- Cullen's still sounded as though he was grinding his teeth.

Leliana was still frowning to herself.

-I know one thing: If Varric has brought who I think he has, Cassandra is going to kill him.

-Care to share with us, Leliana?

-It would be best if you meet with Varric's contact as soon as you find time, Inquisitor. Who knows, I may be judging our storyteller too harshly.

As the spymaster spoke, Ser Morris arrived to discuss the restoration works, and before she could say anything else, her advisors took their leave.

~oOo~

Half an hour later, the Inquisitor was finally out of the main hall, the latest orders regarding the reconstruction of Skyhold already formalized. She walked down the steps to the lower courtyard on her way to the battlements when she saw Cullen leaning against a makeshift table surrounded by a few of his men.

-Send men to scout the area. We need to know what's out there.- It looked like their talk about what little they knew of Corypheus' remaining forces had set the Commander into taking more direct action to pull their minds out of the dark. Two soldiers punched their hearts in salute and left to fulfill the orders given to them, another one soon taking their place.

-Commander, soldiers have been assigned temporary quarters.- Oh yes, with all that had happened, she'd forgotten to tell Cullen that she and Josephine had talked the day before about the new location of the troops.

-Very good, I'll need an update on the armory as well.- The soldier remained at his side, an aloof look on his face. She almost laughed out loud when Cullen turned a stern look on him and said firmly, -NOW!- The poor man almost ran away in the direction of the armory. She could just imagine how Cassandra would receive him if the spooked soldier sprinted in there. The Seeker would put the fear of the Maker in him worse than Cullen had.

She took the place of the runaway soldier and Cullen began to talk more calmly.

-We set up as best we could at Haven, but could never prepare for an Archdemon, or whatever it was. With some warning, we might have...- He looked ashamed, the guilt in his eyes and voice plain. He avoided her gaze and scratched at his neck, nervous.

-We were all shaken by what happened.

-If Corypheus strikes again, we may not be able to withdraw. I wouldn't want to, we must be ready. As I said before, work on Skyhold is underway, guard rotations established... We should have everything on course within the week. We will not run from here, Inquisitor.

-How many were lost?- She had received a report, but she wanted to know whether it was complete and she knew Cullen would not lie to her.

-Most of our people made it to Skyhold. It could have been worse. Morale was low, but has improved greatly since you accepted the role of Inquisitor.

She laughed at that.

-It has been only a few hours; imagine what I could do with a whole week.- She winked at him.

Cullen seemed to realize he had said something quite stupid and began to fidget, one hand on the pommel of his sword, the other in the back of his neck, and his eyes anywhere but on her.

-Yes, well, you have an impact on the people... on all of us,- he admitted, merely whispering the tail end of his statement.

She graciously gave him a way out of what looked like a difficult strain on his nerves.

-Inquisitor Trevelyan. It sounds odd, don't you think?

-Not at all,- he countered surprisingly, still having trouble meeting her gaze.

-Is that the official response?

Cullen laughed and she felt him relax a bit. He straightened his back and finally found enough nerve to face her.

-I suppose it is, ...but it's the truth. We needed a leader. You have proven yourself.

Now it was her turn to be nervous. Her new title was still too recent, and the way he looked at her, just the way he had back in the courtyard when he had rallied all the people to her side, made her uneasy. He had such hope in her... It was almost unbearable.

-Thank you, Cullen.

He was looking at her eyes now, smiling softly, and she spoke before she could think.

-Our escape from Haven...- Maker, why did she bring this subject up? She wanted to tell him how glad she was that he was alive, what it had meant for her to see him rushing to her aid when she was losing consciousness, to wake up and see his cloak waiting for her as a silent offering, making her feel protected, needed... -It was close. I'm relieve that you... that so many made it out.

Great, now she was stuttering. How did he do that to her? She was never the blushing, stuttering type, usually on the receiving end of that reaction more than once from him (last time, only a few minutes ago). But now, the way he looked at her, even with her sight trained on the dirt, she could feel his eyes on her. She peeked through the hair falling over her eyes in time to spot the sweetest look she had ever seen, his voice almost melting her on the spot when he replied,

-As am I...

She wanted to ask if he referred to her or the rest of the survivors. Was he happy that she was there? Maker, what was wrong with her?! He was glancing off to the side now, actively avoiding her, and she did not know what else to do but walk away. The same soft voice filled with worry, and possibly dread, stopped her awkward exit.

-You stayed behind. You could have...- His hand was on her arm, and she felt butterflies take wing in her stomach.- I will not allow the events at Haven to happen again. You have my word.

And there he was again: Commander of the Inquisition, former templar, disciplined soldier. Just like that, Cullen the man was gone, replaced by a wall of professional courtesy, and she felt utterly ridiculous to have thought, however briefly, that there may have been something else underlying his words.

His hand dropped away, and she made a move to leave again as she noticed his hand twitch and heard him sigh quietly.

Was there anything else? It was now or never; she had to know if he had someone, if there was a woman somewhere out there, waiting for him... a wife, perhaps.

-Cullen?

-Yes?- He seemed more relaxed with the odd moment now over for him.

-People are coming to Skyhold seeking refuge and, as you said, we will be more secure within a week... You may want to send out a letter or two, inviting someone to join you here.- He seemed confused by her statement. -I mean,- she clarified, -maybe you left someone behind, back in Kirkwall..?

-No, I fear I made few friends there, and my family's in Ferelden.

-Well, to Ferelden then. I know the Inquisition might not be the perfect place to raise a family but you must miss them... or her.- She dropped her gaze, as if that would make it easier on her if he admitted he did have ties to another.

When she looked back at him, Cullen blushed immediately and her heart fell to the floor. So there was a Mrs. Rutherford.

-I... ummmm...- He was touching his neck again. -I meant my siblings... I don't have a family of my own, Inquisitor.

She did her best to ignore the backflip her heart made within her.

-Really? No one special caught your interest?- That may have sounded a little smug, but to the Void with it, she was happy to hear that.

She did not expect Cullen's brief reply.

-Not in Kirkwall.- Was it just her, or had that sounded like more than just a simple answer? He made it sound almost like an innuendo... and with that voice of his, Maker, she was certain her head would be replaying that little phrase all day.

She bit her lip. Apparently, Cullen had taken notice of that and therefore was once again reduced to a perfect replica of a caged lion. He cleared his throat and looked behind her.

-Well, that will be all. I better go meet Varric's friend now.

She could hear him muttering something along the lines of "Certainly, Inquisitor" as she hurriedly walked away.