Orynne woke before the sun rose. Separating herself from Tero, she gathered her small pack and her swords, strapping them to her hips. She slipped into her light armor and checked her boots. Tero stirred as she finished readying herself. He stretched out, prostrating before leaning forwards and yawning deeply. "Too early, Orynne, I've always told you. Why don't you ever sleep in? " Orynne laughed. "Sleeping in is for people with no goals, Tero." She chuckled as he scoffed at her.
He paced around, trying to hide his anticipation at her leaving. "Don't. Everything will be fine." She said to him, trying to relax him as he sat before her. She double checked her swords before standing before Tero. "I'm leaving now. Make sure our belongings don't get stolen. I'll see you in a few days. Don't worry." She walked up to him and rubbed his cheeks, then placed a small kiss on his forehead between his eyes. He sighed into her and lightly licked her hand. "I'll be waiting for you. Don't do anything I wouldn't do, and don't get yourself in trouble!" She smirked at him and turned, walking away. Tero followed her to the edge of the tree line, then sat there and watched her leave. He couldn't help but feel a sense of foreboding deep inside his gut as he watched her walk away.
Cullen awoke early that morning, the sun hadn't yet hit the sky. Having slept well the night before, he dressed in his clothes and quickly pulled his armor on. Walking outside, he breathed in the still frigid air, letting it fill his lungs. The lake had frozen more, the ice creeping further to the shore. Cullen enjoyed these mornings to himself. He loved wandering further on the outskirts of Haven and exploring.
Last time he had wandered he had seen a family of fennec. They were adorable and small and reminded him of Orynne's little friend. He couldn't help but smile when he thought of her and the little fox. He set off briskly in the direction he was accustomed to walking, closer to the forest and near the line where the mountains began their ascent upwards, the trails leading towards the Temple of Sacred Ashes. The Conclave would commence tomorrow morning, Cassandra and he had spoken of it the night before at length. Cullen wished he could be there to witness history, the Divine Justinia in all her glory and hopefully the beginnings of peace and order.
A shadow caught Cullen's eye and he ducked behind a tree. Peering around the edge he saw a lithe figure walking briskly to the trailhead where the mountains began. Something was eerily familiar about it, but a moment later, the figure had disappeared behind a hedge of rock. He stepped back out from behind the tree, only to be struck still by a low growl resonating from the tree line. Slowly turning his gaze toward the sound, his hand crossed his hip to rest on the hilt of his sword. A pair of glowing eyes stared back at him, and in the low light of the early morning, he could easily tell the creature was large. It made no move towards or away from him, but never broke eye contact. Cullen slowly released the grip on his sword, and the animal snorted at him, dismissing him, then turned and trotted back into the forest.
Cullen made it back to camp as the sun was cresting over the ridge. Cassandra was waiting for him by the recruits tents. She fell in step beside him as he continued to walk towards Haven. "Good morning, Cullen." she said, looking at him from the corner of her eye as they walked. "Good morning." He replied. "We need to be prepared for the Divine's return." She started in, not hesitating for further pleasantries.
He nodded as he listened to her report, interjecting and suggesting where need be. They concluded once they had reached the Chantry, both stepping inside and heading towards the back of the building. They had set up a makeshift war room there, a heavy wooden table had a map of Orlais and Ferelden pinned to it. Cassandra circled the table as Cullen leaned against it, observing all the different markers pinned there.
Suddenly he asked "Are there wolves around here?" His gaze met Cassandra's quizzical. She shrugged "I suppose there could be, though I have never heard nor seen any." Cullen's gaze fell back down to the map. There had been something more in those eyes, more than a normal, feral, creature. He still wasn't sure if it was a wolf of some form or something else. From what he could see in the poor light, it's features had been more narrow and pointed looking. He shrugged the thought away, returning his attention to the map and then glanced up at Cassandra. "We need to prepare for this to not go well." Cullen noted, ignoring the disapproving look in Cassandra's eyes. She had faith in the Divine but, in Cullen's eyes, she was blinded by her faith. He anticipated things to go poorly. Things had to get worse before they got better. Setting his view back to the map, he began pointing out weaknesses in their defense. He and Cassandra spent the rest of the morning and well into the afternoon building steps for the next plans in Haven. The town wasn't meant to have a large number of people. Many structures needed to be fixed and rebuilt.
Many hours later, Cullen sat outside his small hut, a fire burning at his feet. He sipped lightly from a bottle of fine wine, not bothering to pour it to a glass. He would never act this uncouth in public, he thought, but at his hut, alone, he could relax and unwind. His armor sat propped by the front door, his sword next to it. He and Cassandra had spent too many hours indoors, smothered in paperwork and duties. Cullen did not often let himself relax this way, but this was probably his last chance to be so flippant with his time. The night had fallen hours before, and the remnants of his supper lay on a small plate on the outskirts of the light. The stars shone deeply above him, glimmering in all their brilliance. His eyes always found the one constellation that reminded him of her. As his eyes fell upon it, he let out a deep sigh, taking a deep swig from his bottle.
Before he finished swallowing, a deep explosion rocked the ground beneath his feet. The contents of his mouth came spewing forwards as he spun in the direction of the sound. The Frostbacks rattled like fine china under the enormity of the quake, and a ear ripping tearing sound split across the sky, forcing Cullen to drop his bottle to cover his ears. Brilliant green light spilled over the snow covered peaks, bathing the lake and surrounding areas in a sickly hue. Cursing loudly, Cullen stumbled back to his armor and sword, knowing exactly where the explosion had stemmed from.
Orynne fell to her hands and knees, scrapping for purchase on the stone stairs as she clawed her way upwards. Fire bellowed around her, licking at her clothing and dark creatures pulled at her arms and legs, screaming and trying to drag her away. A light bloomed above her, a voice calling her name, a hand reaching for her. She pulled herself further and closer toward the light, her only chance at salvation. As she fell into the woman's arms, she was enveloped in light, her pursuers falling back and screaming in frustration at losing her. Suddenly she was weightless, falling through the air and then darkness enveloped her wholy.