Bingo-bongo! :D This one's a long one, guys. Lots of stuff happens, or at least it feels like it...it may leave more questions than answers though.

It's just the way of things.

Please do enjoy!

Standing in the middle of Neutral Road was not hard. It wasn't like there were wagon trains or caravans filled to the brim with exports and imports to be mindful of. In fact, it was usually empty. It served as nothing more than a boundary.

Waiting was not hard. Meditation had always been a constant in Amy's life. It helped her quiet herself and find her center. Lao Tzu once said, "By letting it go it all gets done. The world is won by those who let it go. But when you try and try. The world is beyond the winning."…. So. Elsa had the right idea.

The hard part… was the wind.

It was really. Freakin. Cold.

…Did Lao Tzu have anything to say about the cold?

She couldn't remember one specifically.

But, you could liken the snow to a form of water. He had a quote about water…. What was it?

Oh. Right.

"Nothing is softer or more flexible than water, yet nothing can resist it."

…It didn't quite fit. It was still true. Water wore away wood, earth, and stone. But snow and ice preserved… It was still impossible to resist without aid, but it had an opposite effect.

…Well. That tangent lasted all of fifteen seconds.

Which wasn't to say that she hadn't 'accomplished' anything.

Just by standing here she'd caught the attention of the four intermediate groups. The men practicing their drills were trying not to pay attention to her. The men "tending to weapons" were staring, though. So were the runners and officers. Each of the officers looked to each other too. It was amusing to watch their exchange of, 'um… are you gonna deal with that? No? ….do I have to…? …Well shit.'.

They were still shifting around all uneasy-like when Amy felt a noticeable change in temperature.

The wind wasn't whipping at her the way it had been only seconds ago. She turned and found Bax standing a few paces behind her… Just at the edge of the Mage's side of Neutral Road. He smiled at her and she smiled back before turning and resuming her post.

One of the closer officers let out a long sigh, bit something out in the general direction of his men, and started walking towards her.

"After noon." Amy greeted, earning a begrudging smirk.

"Afternoon." He said. His armor was relatively simple. It was obviously of Inquisition make, but looked less like leather and mail and had more plate pieces. Still. It didn't look overly fancy. "Is there something I can help you with?"

"Need to send a message to Commander." Amy reported.

"A message?"

Amy nodded. "Mother Giselle, Adan, and Flissa waiting in Chantry for him."

He blinked at that, his mouth flattening into a thin line. He looked back towards the men under his office. He jutted out his chin in a nod to his runner. The man jogged over and the officer reiterated her request. The runner looked between them, obviously slightly confused until his officer grunted out 'Well?'. Then the runner sprinted away.

"Thank you." Amy said with a slight bow.

At the dojo, bowing was done according to rank. She had no idea what this man's rank was, but a slight bow was certainly better than a mere nod….and judging by the smile he was suppressing (or trying to), she'd judged adequately.

He gave her a nod with a strangely satisfied 'ma'am' before returning to his post. She tried not to grin as she noticed him trading nods with the other officers. It was like he was posturing or something. Like 'huh. Yeah. I got this.'. Men could be so strange.

"So, we just stand here and wait?" Macie's voice nearly made Amy jump.

"I know that's not a normal practice for you, Mace." Elossa snarked.

"Mace." Bax let out an abrupt chuckle. "That's a perfect nickname for you. You don't need to be a huge war hammer. But you're perfectly capable and more than willing to bash someone's face in."

Macie smirked in that 'I'm cute but a psycho' way. "You say that like it's a bad thing." She cooed.

"It's not cold." Amy observed off handedly. "Why's it not cold?"

"Bax is running damage control." Elossa informed. "He connects very well with fire magic, and his barriers are pretty spectacular, and he's—"

"Standing right here." Bax grumbled, though it lacked venom.

"Yeah, yeah, we know." Macie said on a snort. "It hurts to be the teacher's pet when there's no teacher around." She sighed at length and then silence prevailed save the sound of the whipping wind. "So! Waiting."

"Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished." Amy said in an attempt to soothe.

"You've gotten much better at pronouncing things."

"S'a quote." Amy informed. "Those're ezzz…eeazier."

"Why do you suppose that is?" Bax asked.

Amy shrugged. "Singin's easiessst. Words wit flow."

"Singing a song is the easiest way to remember things." Bax admitted with a nod.

"Quotes are… other words. Words I know but not mine." Amy shrugged again.

"So it's harder to make your own words." Macie murmured, sounding lost in sympathy.

"So who said that?" Bax asked.

"What?" Elossa's voice sounded so shocked.

"Who's words were those? The things about nature?" Bax clarified.

"Heads up." Macie grumbled, suddenly standing straighter. Not that it did her much good. She couldn't stretch past her normal 4 ft 8. "We gots us a templar."

Amy had noticed him too. She had thought it was possible for a templar response to her vigil, but she'd hoped that Cullen would respond directly. Still…there was little she could do until she was certain that Cullen had the message.

This templar was Templar Tight-Laces… Because he was always cross and tightly drawn. He looked and sounded an awful lot like the templar from the chantry scene, that she figured had opposed Norton. Of all the templars that could've showed up, he was at the bottom of her list. She thought his name was Kayden…but she could be wrong.

There were five Templars that Amy had counted—and that was a ratio that made her very uncomfortable. Twenty-eight mages to five templars? It probably wasn't any wonder that the Templars were all twitchy.

The oldest and most senior Templar, and the one that the others looked to aside from Cullen, was Evard.

Of course, there was also Lysette…who looked an awful lot like Emily Prentiss from Criminal Minds. Amy hadn't had the chance to speak to her very much personally.

There was also a Templar called Wess… and he was the exact opposite of Kayden. If there were stereotypes, then Wess was the naughty Templar. The one that probably was orphaned, taken in by the chantry, trained by the Templars, and part of the order whether he wanted it or not.

There was only one other Templar she knew of…but she hadn't really talked to him. She was pretty certain that his name started with a C or a K… Claud? Klaus?…. No wait… Klaus was the German man-fish from American Dad.

"What is your message?" Ah, Kayden the tight-laced Templar was here now.

"Message for Commander." Amy said simply.

"Yes. What's your message?" Less of a question now, more of a demand.

She tilted her head to the side, like a curious mabari. He glared at her, his fists clenching at his sides.

So many questions. Did the runner deliver the message to Kayden instead of Cullen? Had he not delivered the full message? Why did Kayden feel the need to micro-manage? Was this policy? Did Cullen set it up this way? Did Evard?

"I am more than capable of delivering your message."

"I was unaware that messages for the Commander of the Inquisition's forces were to be intercepted." The crisp tone was out of place not just because of it's empirical tone… but because Amy was pretty damn sure she hadn't even seen Solas at any point today. She slowly turned to her left, still rotating her head… she wondered if it looked anything like when Stewie Griffin did it.

Again.

So. Many. Questions.

As always, the first and foremost was always going to be 'Why?'. Why was Solas here? Not just in the grand sense, but right here right now.

Given this scenario… It was bad enough that Elossa, Bax, and Macie were standing with her. With an untouchable mage from the inner circle poking about and asking questions, this already tense Templar was bound to only become more agitated….

The real question was, how much agency did any of them assume they had?

"The Commander is very very busy." Kayden informed, his tone slow as though he were speaking to children.

Oh. Oh, that wasn't going to work well on Solas. Amy felt herself tense up when she saw Solas's eyes narrow.

"Commander needed chantry." Amy rushed. Kayden blinked at her, and Amy tried again. "Commander needed in chantry." Amy ignored the thinning of Solas's lips. She had no idea what irked him… she still had no idea why he was even here.

"That doesn't even seem like an overly taxing request, now does it?" This came from a completely impossible source. Amy turned slowly and adjusted her eye line…. But yes, there stood a very grouchy Varric Tethras just on the other side of Solas.

"Varric!" Amy's tone a shocked gasp. "Sun is up! You're here?" she was only a little tickled to hear Solas chuckle at this.

"That's cute, Charmer." Varric grumbled, squeezing his eyes shut before opening them in little slights.

Amy wondered if the light bothered his eyes. There was an awful lot of snow about, and it was all reflecting the light in the most gruesome ways. It'd taken her forever to adjust to it properly…and even now, it could be harsh.

"As I've said, the Commander is very busy—"

"Then." Amy said, cutting off whatever brilliant and most likely cuttingly offensive thing Kayden was about to say. "I wait his pleasure."

Kayden actually rolled his eyes. "So you intend to just…wait here."

"To the mind that is still, the whole universe surrenders." Amy soothed. It caused a few stares.

"You know very much for one so young." Solas observed in the most clinical way possible, which meant he was probably suspicious as fuck.

"I like to listen. I have learned a great deal from listening carefully." Amy sighed, her expression sobering. "Most people never listen."

"That doesn't sound like the same person." Bax said.

"Z'not." Amy confirmed. "S'Hemingway."

"And who was the other?" Elosa asked.

"Lao Tzu." Solas and Varric both scrunched up in confusion at that.

"Those sound like very different people." Bax observed.

"Are." Amy said with a nod. She smiled softly as she spotted a familiar fluffy cloak coming their way. "Very different." She met Kayden's eye. "Thank you. Kay. Den."

"I… ah. You're welcome." Kayden had no idea. He was so offset by Amy's sincerity that he didn't know what he should do next. So, he stared at them in confusion until Cullen was actually upon them.

"Why does it look like a delegation is standing in protest here?" Cullen asked, and Kayden froze rigidly in an attempt to hide his startled reaction.

"Waiting." Amy said simply.

"I can see that." Cullen said, looking between Varric and Solas. "But what for?"

"See you got your message." Amy replied, and Cullen's eyes stopped on her. He surveyed the group, including Kayden, before his gaze returned to her.

"What message?"

"Mother Giselle. Adan. and Flissa need you. In Chantry." If she had to sacrifice cadence for accuracy, then that would be fine. Her sentences sounded choppy, but the words were still mostly sound.

Cullen blinked at her. "They need me to do something for them?"

"Need ….to consult. Keen strateeeegic mind. Unique in-sight." Amy tried to repress the shiver that was clutching at her neck. It had nothing to do with the cold and everything to do with nerves. Cullen was rarely in a happy mood, but right now he seemed calculating.

Why was Cullen here with a full entourage? Evard was here with him along with two other soldiers. One of them had armor that look so fancy Amy was afraid to breathe to heavily around it. Also, Wess was here, but he was standing by Kayden with an 'I told you so' expression on his face.

Cullen said nothing to Kayden. He didn't even acknowledge him… that was bad. Complete dismissal was a technique her father used when someone had done something, but they were all in public. It was better to maintain order and save face in front of everyone than to visit comeuppance upon someone who'd done something wrong right away. It didn't mean the transgression wouldn't be dealt with…but Kayden was going to have to sit and stew first.

…Kayden had no business intercepting Cullen's message.

And he knew it. She could tell in the slight decline of his shoulders. It wasn't a slouch, he just wasn't standing at attention any longer. Amy almost felt sorry for him, but he did manage to get himself into these messes often.

"How long have they been waiting?" Cullen asked, his tone light but still edgy.

Amy took a moment to look up at the sun. "Not long. Needed to. Confer." Amy's eyes met Cullen's. "Will stay and… wait… your pleasure, Commander."

His eyebrows ticked up. "It appears I am called away, Gentlemen." His voice raised and somehow harder. The way a man is when he addresses the men under him. "You have your orders."

Amy stepped aside and bowed, bent at the waist. Her eyes were down, so she didn't see the look Cullen gave her as he passed. It wasn't concern or confusion as it had been many other times before. It was a mixture along with appraisal… he was considering her, not too unlike Bull did from time to time.

He had heard many rumors about her while among the men. Usually, this made him roll his eyes and shake his head. Certainly soldiers should have better persist than discussing outlandish rumors about a strange woman. Cullen usually felt irritation over the fact that no one was taking into account how horrible her circumstances were. But now… now he had to admit that she didn't seem insane or touched or whatever it was he'd initially thought she was. He did not like anomalies. They could be dangerous.

Neither of them had time to consider it, mostly because Amy was unaware, and Cullen was on his way out.

"Right. You lot, kindly return to your positions." One of the older soldiers said. The one with the very nice, but still beaten to hell, armor.

His voice somewhat reminded Amy of her maternal grandfather… the one she never actually remembered seeing in person, but got birthday cards from.

There had been very little between Amy and her mother's parents… She'd been told that at some point the family had visited them in Derry-Londonderry when she'd been a toddler, but she didn't remember it. She'd gotten a call from him and her grandmother the day she'd graduated college…. It had been uneventful.

Her mother's father had been an officer in the British Navy… and he'd never forgiven his daughter for marrying not only a Catholic, but an Irish Catholic.

There was something in that voice that was staid and standoffish at the same time. It was quiet resistance. It didn't matter what anyone did or said, this man was in charge and made decisions and that was final. Normally, that sort of dominance was soothing, but right now it was worrisome.

"Positions?" Solas asked. "Forgive me, but are we not allowed to move freely?" Solas's tone always sounded rather neutral, unless you knew him. This wasn't a simple question at all, it was a sort of challenge. The problem was, this Veteran knew it too.

"So long as they don't disrupt the soldiers, yes… and I would say their presence is disruptive." Here he stood straighter, his shoulder rolling back slightly as if to emphasize the sheer expanse of his chest. He point at Amy. "Especially that one."

Amy blinked at him and then looked at the mages who were her friends as well as Varric and Solas. Of the people she was surrounded with, Solas and Varric would be much more interesting, surely. They were members of the inner circle, after all. She was just the daft little addled girl. What was there to bother with?

"Yes, you." The Veteran confirmed. "I suppose you think you're touched by the Maker as well."

"I do not concern myself with gods and spirits either good or evil, nor do I serve any." Thank you, Lao Tzu, for your grounding words of wisdom. Amy needed to be grounded right now.

He heaved a bored sigh. "How very eloquent. So well put, so well taught. But you're lessons aren't wanted here, Ma'am." He motioned to the men around them. "Everyone here is training to be efficient on an actual battle field. Your philosophy wont help that. At best, you're a distraction and at the worst you're a danger."

For the entirety of her time here, she'd been trying to figure out how to best apply herself to her situation. She was skilled in many arenas, and teaching was something she could do, and do well… On the one hand, she had reasoned that no one would let her teach, combat or otherwise, because she had no credibility here. But to hear him say so callously that what she offered was useless… Amy swallowed, her throat suddenly tight and hot.

She should've known.

She did know.

She'd reasoned all that out already. There was no way she could pass on any of her practical knowledge here. They wouldn't believe her or accept it. This was something she'd known… dammit, she couldn't stop the throb through her chest. Why did it hurt so much to hear him say these things out loud?

There was really only one thing she didn't understand.

"Danger?" Amy's voice cracked just a tiny bit with worry.

"Yes. Danger!" The Veteran probably would've pressed closer to them, but he had clearly defined which territory was his so he couldn't stray from it. "You traipse off for your little dances, singing your songs with all your kickin' and twirlin' in the snow,—"

Dances? Amy felt her stomach twist with the beginnings of anxiety.

"—and the men here sneak away to watch. "

….what?

"Maybe your soldiers should be taught how to focus better." Varric growled.

His hackles were raised on Amy's behalf… perhaps he thought she was squishy like Merrill or Bethany.

She wasn't.

Yes. It hurt. Because she'd never danced…

… Wait… Was he talking about her exercise routine?

They thought she was dancing?

Amy felt her face burn in shame. She felt the anxiety bloat into a manifestation of utter embarrassment.

They thought she was dancing? Alone, in the snow, beyond even where the horses were?

Not only was her skill set worthless, but they had sought her out while she was alone…and they thought she was dancing.

Geh!

"And, to be quite frank, you distract the Commander constantly. That's dangerous."

In her mind, Amy remembered Cullen's face each and every time she'd seen him out here on the field….. He'd always had a very pinched or aggravated expression, sometimes he looked so completely done… She'd assumed that was because he was the leader of large number of men who sometimes needed to be babysat.

…But really, was it… was it her?

Oh, Buddha… that meant the Commander of the Inquisition was also babysitting her.

Eeaagh… Mortification steeped up her spine and she grimaced.

Did she take him away from his work? The work he actually needed to do? She was taking him away from his post, she interfered with the soldier's training routine, and he had to break away from actual responsibilities to deal with her….that was dangerous!

The ground was not swallowing her up, and Coryphy-shit wasn't going to be attacking any time soon(she hoped). She needed to retreat. Needed to set some things right. She had no place on this field and nothing to offer to make it better.

She'd brought herself onto this field, and by every god she didn't believe in, she would take herself off of it.

"I… I'll go." She said, turning.

"Charmer." Varric's usually soothing voice was doing nothing to calm her growing distress.

"No. No. Never mind." She said, waving a hand back but not breaking her pace.

"Amy." This came from Bax who tried to lean into her as she passed. She just shook her head and continued on.

Honestly, there wasn't a single reason she should stay on the field. She'd delivered her message. She'd done what she'd set out to do. If she wasn't serving any purpose… anything other than…

She didn't want to be a distraction!

She wanted to be useful.

Helpful!

"I think you hurt her feelings." She heard Wess's nasally voice, which really only made her feel worse.

"If it keeps her safely off the field, then I say that's a win." The Veteran replied, his voice deep and yet brittle. Unmoved and unmoving.

He was very much like her mother's father…. She felt so very judged.

She didn't hustle back into Haven, because no one would hurry her unless she wanted to be hurried. Still, she got mixed up because she kept hearing the word 'distraction' repeat over and over in her mind.

She was nearly at the steps leading to the Chantry before she remembered that it was too early for her to check in for laundry.

..She could …report back to the tavern. Maybe see about setting up… something? Engh. Had she and Flissa talked about what she should do afterwards? She was certain they'd need some sort of help, even if it was with set-up or something.

She was yanked up by her hips before she could fully turn around, and the change in not only position but temperature made her head spin.

She squawked in shock until she realized that Bull had her by the hips again. Suspended under his arm and… with a few quick strides he had them inside one of the houses. With all the bedrolls and cots around…and all the clothing, weapons, and the distinct smell of soot, sweat, and booze it was probably where the Chargers stayed.

Well. Here she was….standing awkwardly in the room….and there Bull was….perching on the edge of a cot and eyeing her like… like she didn't know what.

Well, I have given you all a lot to read. So I'm just gonna take a nap... *sashays back to my cubby hole*