Haven, Solace 14, Dragon 9:41
To say Leliana was not best pleased by Mnemyn's change of heart on how to best close the Breach would be a supreme understatement. Ever the consummate professional, however, the former bard kept her opinions to herself once Mnemyn made it very clear this was the course of action she wished to pursue. During her two week return trek from the Storm Coast, Cullen had done his best to gather as much evidence and intelligence as he could on the movements of the Templar Order. What he'd uncovered was baffling at best.
With the Herald freshly returned from her deployment, the Inquisition leadership now gathered around the war table, their goal: devise a strategy to accomplish the seemingly impossible task of recruiting the Templars.
"The templars must help us close the breach," Cullen insisted firmly, "The Order was founded to fight magic."
"We must first convince the Lord Seeker to bring them out of exile," Leliana said. As usual, she was the picture of calm: standing straight and tall, her hands clasped behind her back. Cullen watched as she glanced from person to person, subtly scrutinizing her companions' expressions for any sign of dissent.
"We've received word from several sources," Cullen said, "they gather at Therinfal Redoubt."
"It has been vacant for decades," Cassandra said. "Why go there?"
"I agree, it makes little sense," Mnemyn said. Leaning in, she placed her palms on the planning table to scrutinize the map. Looking up at him, she asked, "Why go somewhere so secluded?"
"That remains unclear," Cullen replied. "Whatever their reasoning, our reports say more templars arrive by the day."
"We must approach the Lord Seeker again to get anywhere; we can ask him then," Josephine said.
There was a slight undercurrent of annoyance to the ambassador's voice and Cullen turned to look at her. It was very rare for her to be so exasperated, he knew, but he was in agreement with her. There was no reason to belabor the point, the deed was done. Now was not the time for speculation. Swift and decisive action was what this situation called for.
"The Lord Seeker made it clear he isn't interested in anyone 'unimportant,'" Mnemyn said sharply. Cullen glanced up to see her scowling at Therinfal Redoubt's place marker. By the way she seemed to be attempting to bore holes in the map with her eyes, he guessed she was still very angry with Lucius for embarrassing her in Val Royeaux.
"So we must change how he sees us, no?" Leliana said.
"If it's status the Lord Seeker seeks, the Inquisition will approach him after allying with the noblest houses in Orlais," Josephine said.
Leliana nodded in agreement, "They'll come with us to Therinfal and demand the Templars help close the Breach."
"You believe that will work?" Cullen asked. He glanced up at Leliana with an air of uncertainty to which the former bard tipped him a slight nod in answer. Across the table, he heard Cassandra shift and when he turned to look at her, he saw she was smirking in a most self-satisfied manner.
"Even the Lord Seeker would find it difficult to ignore so many nobles on his doorstep," she said.
"Yes," said Leliana, "especially when led by the Herald of Andraste."
"Is it my good looks you need or my winning smile?" Mnemyn quipped wryly. Cullen watched as she shifted her weight from one foot to the other, crossing her arms over her chest. She seems annoyed, he thought. He wondered if it was because of the title Leliana and Josephine had saddled her with.
"Rumors you were saved from the Fade by Andraste have grown legion among the Templars," Leliana said.
"We've done our part to encourage them," Josephine said.
"The Herald and a few companions may be dismissed, easily set aside," Leliana said, "That same Herald returning with noble support will be reconsidered, as will the power of the Inquisition."
Cullen watched as Mnemyn shot a hard look at Leliana, an undercurrent of something—possibly resentment—in her eyes. The tension in the room was palatable now and as an awkward silence began to build, he realized his earlier guess had been correct. Mnemyn hadn't appreciated the Inquisition's liberal bending of the truth with regard to how she garnered the mark on her hand. The former Left Hand met the Herald's resolute gaze, her own expression unyielding.
Mnemyn was the first to look away, frowning as she brought one hand up to rest on her chin while she considered Leliana and Josephine's proposal. Suddenly, she looked up to see him watching her. He was about to look away when he noticed she seemed relieved. Her eyebrows rose slightly and she flicked her gaze between he and Leliana as if to silently ask if he approved.
Truth be told, Cullen did not at all like the idea of involving nobility and that they were Orlesian made the situation far worse. Frowning slightly, he canted his head to the right hoping to affect that he, too, was unsure of this was a wise course of action.
Mnemyn tipped him a gentle nod in reply and turned to address the others. "Isn't there the slightest chance the Lord Seeker will see my arrival as a threat?"
Cassandra half turned to regard Mnemyn with trepidation, the corners of her mouth creasing in a frown as she formulated a reply. "Before, I would have thought he was a man of reason. Now, I could not say."
"With respect," Cullen cut in sharply. He felt a sudden surge of anger at the remembrance of how Lucius had shown Mnemyn such disrespect in the Summer Market, the sudden need to defend and protect her rose from deep within his gut. His brow furrowed, he continued, "after his appearance in Val Royeaux, hang what the Lord Seeker thinks."
"We do not need the Lord Seeker," Leliana declared firmly, the comment clearly directed at him even though the former bard wasn't even looking at him. Her grey, calculating gaze still fixed relentlessly on the Herald, she said, "We need his Templars, with or without his approval. The Breach will not wait for our differences to settle."
"Indeed," Mnemyn replied, a steely edge to her voice. "Josephine, how soon shall we know of the nobility's decision to support us?"
"Within a fortnight, Your Worship," Josephine replied.
"Very well," Mnemyn replied. Cullen could see she was not best pleased by this answer but they had little choice but to wait. Folding her hands behind her at parade rest, she nodded to herself, seemingly deciding something before speaking up once again, "Commander Cullen has reported the watchtowers for the Redcliff farmers are nearing completion. While we wait on the nobility's decision, my team and I shall take this opportunity to finish the final conditions of our agreement with Horsemaster Dennet."
"What remains incomplete?" Josephine asked.
"The rift in the river valley," Cassandra sighed, "we tried closing it before but the demons proved far too difficult to deal with at the time."
"As I recall, we had to make a hasty retreat," Mnemyn added. When the three advisors looked upon her questioningly, she explained, "We are far more skilled and much better outfitted now. Closing this rift should be easier this go 'round."
"While you are there, perhaps you can look into something my scouts reported?" Leliana asked, her tone hopeful. When the Herald looked at her expectantly, she continued, "A Grey Warden was sighted in the area south of our Upper Lake encampment. He could prove to be a valuable ally."
"Very well," Mnemyn agreed, nodding. "Does everyone find this course of action agreeable?"
"Of course, Herald," Josephine replied with a regal nod.
"If you don't mind," Cullen began awkwardly, "I'll go with you. I'd like to inspect the watchtowers, go over the requisitions for gear, and discuss staffing with each of the commanding Lieutenants personally."
"I—We'd be glad for your company, Commander," Mnemyn replied, grinning.
"Then it's settled," Cullen said. Feeling confident, he smiled in return. "Shall we depart in an hour?"
Mnemyn nodded, "My team and I shall meet you at the horse paddock, Commander."
The four-day trek to the Hinterlands was fairly uneventful; Mnemyn and her team had made the journey so many times now, they knew it by rote. Cullen found himself a little out of place amongst the Herald's team mostly due to the fact they had a well-established routine in place. Mnemyn went out of her way to make him feel welcome as well as included, often offering to let him shadow her on chores. Though, since Varric's revelation not long ago, Cullen wondered if, perhaps, she had other motives. At least he hoped so. Even if she didn't, the extra time spent with her was more than worth it.
They spoke of many things during their time spent together, the topics of conversation usually focusing on minor Inquisition business, although sometimes Mnemyn would ask him about himself and he'd share small tidbits of his life. Thankfully, Varric kept his nose out of their business for a change which Cullen thought was a bit suspicious. Due to the way Cassandra was now riding directly to his Messere Tethras' right, essentially preventing him from getting anywhere near Mnemyn, Cullen suspected the Seeker might have strongly cautioned Varric about interfering. Also, the way she was glaring at him more than usual made Cullen believe either she was running interference for him or the dwarf had done something to earn her ire. Which, he had to admit, wasn't at all difficult for Varric.
Upon reaching the Inquisition's farm outpost, Scout Harding informed the Herald there were several sightings of a wandering and rather hostile bear in the area. It'd slaughtered a few goats and sheep and Seanna, Dennet's daughter, reported it'd gone after one of their horses. Thankfully, the mare had gotten away but not without injury. Fearing the rest of Dennet's horses or the Druffalo herd might be next, Mnemyn and her companions bid Cullen farewell and set out to find and kill the bear.
Cullen spent his day meeting with Rylen, the junior officers assigned to each tower, and the stonemasons, reviewing their requisitions and making recommendations on staffing. All in all, not the most exciting day truth be told. He caught his mind wandering on more than several occasions, always settling on the Herald and what she might be doing. Knowing she was nearby and may show up at any moment little to help his focus either.
She and her team were gone most of day, only arriving back in camp just before dusk quite empty handed and frustrated. Mnemyn explained they'd seen no sign of the bear and were, instead, attacked by bandits. This unfortunate situation thankfully led to a fortuitous find, however. Iron Bull reported they now knew the location of the bandit stronghold.
The following morning, the strike team set out just after dawn to look for the bear once again. Cullen saw them off, a pang of regret-or was it envy-twisting in his gut. If only he could justify tagging along, even if it were merely for an hour or two, but practicality won out and Cullen somehow managed to keep his mind mostly occupied on work. Though, on more than one occasion, caught himself staring off in the direction Mnemyn had ridden with great deal of longing.
Thankfully, he didn't have to wait long for her return. Just as the sun reached its zenith in the sky, Scout Harding announced she'd sighted them not far from camp, "Looks like they're laden down with meat and a bear pelt, Commander!"
Cullen grinned to himself and sat aside the duty rosters he'd been reviewing, quickly making his way to the edge of camp to stand beside Harding. They watched as the Herald and her group rode over a small rise thirty meters away, Mnemyn waving gaily when she spied him waiting for her. He began to wave back when, suddenly, Mnemyn's horse reared and screamed, obviously spooked by something nearby.
Cullen stood frozen, watching as Herald's horse pawed at the air in terror while Mnemyn struggled to stay mounted. Before anyone could move to assist her, the horse bolted leaving her to hang on for dear life. His heart in his throat, Cullen sprang into action. He raced for his mount, practically ripping the reins from the tree he'd used as a makeshift hitch, and leapt into the saddle. In a blink of an eye, horse and rider were chasing off after the Herald like a bolt of lightning.
This isn't going to end well, he thought as he followed them her toward the river valley below the camp at nearly breakneck speed, that's where the last Rift is located. Without hesitation, Cullen finessed more speed from his horse but, although his charger was well rested and a very fast mount, he could not seem to get within a horse length of them.
As they descended toward the river bed, Cullen thought he heard more riders approaching from behind. Unsure due to the din created by the horses' heavy footfalls, the jingling of the tack, and wind in his ears, he decided to turn to confirm his suspicion. To his surprise, the first person he saw was a scruffy-looking bearded man flanked by closely by Cassandra and Vivienne.
Noting who the mystery man's riding companions were, Cullen deduced the newcomer must be the Grey Warden Leliana mentioned. Seeing the man was no threat, he turned his attention back to the Herald. To his dismay, he saw that she'd drastically tightened up on the reins and sat nearly rigid in the saddle, clearly terrified, which he knew would only serve to spook the horse further. Since it was clear he not be able to reach her physically, he would have to shout a warning over the din and hope she heard him.
"You must relax! The horse can sense your fear!"
Unable to take her focus from the horse, Mnemyn merely nodded in reply and Cullen was relieved to see her slouch back in the saddle and let up on the reins, just as he'd taught barely a week ago. Although the horse did slow slightly, it showed no sign of stopping. Seconds ticked by and they flew across the last few yards of land and then splashed violently into the shallows of river.
As Mnemyn's horse cleared the far bank, it came to a sudden, jerking halt and began to paw at the embankment. Sensing movement on their right flank, Cullen briefly spared a glance in that direction and muttered an oath at what he saw. Several large, spindly looking demons lumbered their way, hissing as they stalked their prey. Andraste preserve us, he thought as his own horse began to spook.
Through sheer force of will, Cullen managed to maneuver closer to the Herald and caught her attention. With a quick jerk of his head, he motioned to the open ground of the embankment behind her and shouted, "I think it's time to call a strategic retreat. Abandon horse!"
"Agreed!"
Without further hesitation, Mnemyn immediately disengaged her feet from the stirrups, planted her hands on the horse's withers and vaulted off the terrified creature's back. Cullen waited only until she's flung herself out of the away before slapping the horse's rump, sending it splashing up the river to safety. As soon as it'd gone, he dismounted as well and, as he landed in the sandy mud of river bank, he drew his sword and shield into his hands.
While they were occupied with freeing themselves from their saddles, Cassandra and the bearded stranger interposed themselves between the demons and the Herald, shouting and banging their swords on their shields to draw the horrific looking creatures' attentions. Thankfully, their actions bought Cullen enough time to get into position to defend Mnemyn and as he rushed past her, he noticed she was leaning rather heavily on her staff. Glancing over his shoulder, he asked, "Herald, were you injured?"
"When I dismounted, yes," she said. When he began to voice his concern she cut him off. "I can manage, Commander."
Back to titles again, I see, he thought ruefully. There was an edge to her voice, one that he'd not heard before, and he wondered if this was the battle persona Cassandra had spoken of. She hadn't even looked at him when she spoke, her sea-green eyes fixed intently on the demons, as if she were calculating possible outcomes and potential strategies.
Not knowing the severity of her injury, however, bothered Cullen to a great degree and he decided he'd attempt to push the issue. "Then we must get you—"
"Cullen," she said tersely, "we haven't time to argue. This rift needs closing."
Though he was surprised at snappish retort – usually she was the picture of gentility – he knew she was right. "As you say, Herald."
And, as it turned out, it was fortunate she'd stood her ground because as Cullen turned to resume his defensive stance, he caught sight of one of the demons Cassandra had been fighting deftly slipping past her. It opened its mouth and let out a skin-crawling screech before it darted straight for Mnemyn, its hideous, dagger sharp teeth snapping menacingly. As it approached, Cullen slammed his shield into the demon's kneecap and swore when it reached over him to take a swipe at her.
With the demon so intently focused on Mnemyn, Cullen decided to take advantage of its inattention and carved wicked gash along the demon's nearest appendage, a leg, which quickly refocused it back on him. It snarled viciously and, as Cullen was forced to duck under a particularly nasty swipe of its claws, he felt the ripple of a protective shield wash over him. Immediately following it, there a blast of freezing cold air at his back accompanied by the sound of ice crystallizing beneath his feet. Controlling the field of battle with winter magic, he thought, Clever.
"Stay within the array of ice mines, Commander!" Mnemyn said in warning. "These are Terror Demons; they like to teleport beneath their prey so they may knock them flat on their backs."
"Good to know," he replied, ducking under another swipe of a claw before rounding on the demon to stab it in its midsection. The Terror demon howled in pain and reared back to strike him, this time with both claws; Cullen braced himself and readied his shield for the onslaught.
The demon, however, never had a chance to follow through. A crossbow bolt whizzed above Cullen's head to land solidly in the demon's throat. He looked up to watch as it gurgled and clawed for breath before toppling backwards, dead. Somewhere over his shoulder, he heard Varric's voice.
"Well, I'll be dipped, Bianca! The Commander's taken the field!"
"More shooting and less joking, Messere Tethras!" Mnemyn ordered sharply.
"All work and no play makes Varric a dull dwarf, boss!" Iron Bull quipped. Cullen glanced up just as the Qunari slammed the blade of his two-handed axe into the midsection of the demon Cassandra was fighting which sent blood and gore splattering across the Seeker's shield.
"Already dull if y'ask me!" Somewhere to his left, he heard the twang of a bow string and the zip of an arrow as it flew by. A moment later, it bit deep to pin the second of two demons the unnamed man was trying to keep occupied and was quickly followed by Sera's rancorous laughter. "Eat it, Fade-shyte!"
"Hey!"
As Cullen moved to engage one of the two demons the mystery man had so adeptly kept occupied, he saw Varric's expression darken. "That was uncalled for, Magpie!"
The smarmy elf in question answered him with a raspberry followed by an extremely rude gesture with her tongue and fingers.
While Sera and Varric continued to shout insults at one another, Cullen moved to taunt one of the two Terror demons away from the bearded man who looked as though he could use some assistance.
"Clearly Sera does not appreciate your many and varied talents, Messere Tethras," Vivienne cooed as she racing forward with her Fade-conjured sword flashing in the sun. The glint of the spectral blade caught his attention and Cullen looked up as Madame de Fer flourished her free hand. The Fade sword shot forward to attack the demon he was fighting.
Satisfied he and Mnemyn had things under control, she nodded primly in his direction before she turned to assess the battlefield. With a dancer's grace, the First Enchanter drew the Fade around herself and used it to propel herself in the mystery man's direction, a blur of blue-white energy trailed elegantly in her wake.
"Let's see if you think this is dull!" Varric said. It was clear he was still obviously stung by Sera's rude comment, and reached to grab something - which Cullen thought looked suspiciously like a miniature sea mine - from his belt. Without hesitation, the dwarven archer lobbed the metallic device toward the demon Cassandra had engaged. As the spiked metal sphere rolled to a stop between the demon's feet, Varric yelled, "Fire in the hole!"
No sooner than his warning reached its intended target's ears, a massive explosion erupted which sent the demon ass-over-teakettle nearly a meter in the air. Cassandra, who'd barely had time brace herself and duck, cursed from behind her shield. As the smoke cleared, she struggled back into a defensive position but not before she shot him an angry glare. "More forewarning would have been nice, Varric!"
"I gave you warning, Seeker!" he retorted cheerfully. "Not my fault if you didn't move fast enough!"
"Could use a hand over here!" It was the bearded man. Cullen looked up to see him shouting from behind his shield as the largest and most powerful of Terror demons continued to bear down on him. Iron Bull immediately turned to assist him, roaring loudly as he rejoined the fray. A moment later, Solas shouted a terse warning as the largest Terror cast a portal beneath its body. Thinking quickly, the elf cast an ice mine beneath where the Iron Bull had stood and the hulking Qunari warrior spun out of the way at the last minute. Seconds later, the demon burst through its own portal and froze solid on the spot.
With two of the demons incapacitated, albeit temporarily, the group rallied, turning the tide of the battle in their favor. Soon, they'd quickly felled all three remaining Terrors. Silence filled the river valley for a moment as the adventurers stood trying to catch their breath. They didn't have long to rest, however, as the Rift sparked to life once more spitting out eight rays of eldritch, sickly green Fade light, portals beginning to hiss and bubble where the light touched the ground.
"Vivienne, Solas!" Mnemyn ordered, "Now!"
Cullen swung to see Mnemyn concentrating again and realized she was conjuring some sort of counter spell. From their positions across the field of battle, the trio of mages began to cast in concert. When they finished, a wave of bright blue-white energy washed over three of the Fade portals and dispelled them just in the nick of time.
Instead of eight demons, only five new combatants sprung forth from the Fade-one of which was a monstrous Pride demon-and Cullen swore under his breath when he saw it materialize closest to Varric, Mnemyn, and himself. Maker I hate these things, he thought ruefully as he began to brace himself for the electric chains the thing would soon be whipping every which way.
"Maker have mercy," Mnemyn said, her voice barely a whisper.
The Pride demon behaved in exactly the manner he'd predicted and Cullen planted his feet, ready for the chains. He could hear them hissing, the errant charge of electricity sizzling as it cut through the air. Varric let loose a spectacular string of curses as rushed to dive behind Cullen, barely ducking out of the way as the chains slammed into his shield.
"Draw them to the center beneath the rift!" Mnemyn said. A second later he heard her yelp and, although he couldn't spare even a second to look back at her, he figured she'd tried taking a step on her injured leg.
"Mnemyn?"
"She's fine, Curly." Varric said.
Cullen heaved a sigh of relief. Thankfully, Varric had been close enough at hand to assist her. At his back, he heard Varric tell Mnemyn to take his arm to lean on. "Looks like you didn't stick the landing, Sunshine."
"Unfortunately," she admitted through clenched teeth.
Cullen didn't have the opportunity to thank him, however, as the Pride demon roared and tried to swat him away with a wicked backhanded sweep. Cullen dug his heels in and grit his teeth as he braced for the attack which, conveniently, shoved him toward the others. He felt at least two sets of hands reach out to brace him before he came to a stop.
Some quick footwork allowed the warriors to form a small shield wall as the archers and mages pressed into a tight circle behind them. The group held their collective breath as they stood fast and the demons quickly closed in around them.
Seconds ticked by tensely. Finally, when the demons had reached a distance of a meter and a half away, the Herald told them her plan. She and Solas would both cast Blizzard which, she hoped, would freeze the demons in place allowing the group to focus fire on the strongest. Cullen nodded along as she spoke. It was a sound plan and one that afforded them the greatest chance of survival.
"Brace yourselves! It's about to get a great deal colder."
In his peripheral vision, Cullen could see both Mnemyn and Solas thrust out their hands out in unison before drawing them back to form a fist. Murmuring an incantation, they then thrust their same hands skyward and, with a guttural roar, the two mages summoned a massive storm cloud. Immediately, bitter, icy winds whipped down from the sky to lash demons and combatants alike, snow blowing wildly in every direction. Despite the fact he'd seen the spell cast dozens of times over his career as a Templar, Cullen still found it to be one of the most elegant and deadly spells in the mages' arsenal.
"Stand fast!" Mnemyn said, shouting over the howling winds. Cullen could feel her duck down behind him, probably to catch a brief respite from the wind, before bobbing back up to gauge the storm's progress. He watched in amazement as all five demons began to slow, mired by the cold and the bitter winds. After another few tense moments, each froze completely solid and, as soon as it was clear they were immobilized, Cassandra swung into action.
"Focus on the Pride demon first!" Cassandra ordered. Without any hesitation, the Seeker spun quickly and charged the hulking demon while her seven companions gladly turned to comply. The Pride demon quickly fell under their combined might. As it rattled its death throes, the four lesser demons thawed and rejoined the battle once again. This time, the group split into four units of two and, after a pitched battle, the remaining demons laid dead, melting into the ground.
Cullen, who'd naturally paired up with Mnemyn, turned to see her breathing rather laboriously and immediately dropped his shield and moved to help her. Despite her protests, he drew her right arm over his shoulder which allowed her to take the weight off her injured leg. She nodded her thanks and then turned to thrust her hand skyward. The mark flared to life, a bright bolt of emerald green light shot from her palm and, seconds later, the Rift ripped shut. That task finished, Mnemyn nodded to him once more and seemed as though she might attempt walking under her own power. Cullen sighed at her tenacity and, for reasons he refused to admit were anything but gentlemanly, decided he couldn't let her injure herself further.
"Hold onto my shoulder," Cullen said. Mnemyn did as he asked without a word although he could see her watching him skeptically. He gave her a sardonic look then turned to sheath his sword then slung his shield over his shoulder. Once he had everything properly adjusted, he turned, and without any warning, swept her into his arms. Mnemyn swallowed a surprised yelp and shot him a mildly annoyed look but otherwise made no protest.
Cullen took a tentative step, testing their combined center of balance, and paused just long enough to redistribute her weight slightly before he strode confidently toward the river bank. He was surprised to see her reach over to thread her hands around his neck in an attempt to help take any strain off his shoulders. He smirked at her and said, "That's hardly necessary. You barely weigh anything."
She rolled her eyes skyward in answer. When that didn't get a rise out of him, she tried another tack. "That may be so, but I believe I can return to camp under my own power, thank-you-very-much."
"Absolutely not!" he said. Cullen felt his temper flare at her defiant and, quite frankly, reckless attitude and stopped to look her in the eye. He drew in a sharp but calming breath as she continued to give him a sullen look and decided he needed to set her straight.
"We have no idea if your leg is broken or merely sprained. Walking may worsen your injury and I'm not about to let that happen, Mnemyn."
No sooner than he'd spoken, the Herald stilled in his arms and he watched as as any argument she might've had seemed to instantly die on her lips. He found this extremely puzzling at first. But, taking a moment to consider that he almost never addressed her by her first name, he guessed using it now caught her off guard. Or, perhaps, it calmed her, Supplied the voice in the back of his mind. Doubtful, Cullen thought ruefully.
Mental jousting over, Cullen looked up to see her staring at him with hooded eyes which set his skin tingling. His breath hitched as he noticed her slightly parted lips which immediately caused a flutter of arousal deep within the pit of his stomach. He fixated on her lovely lips for a moment too long and, unbidden, he began to wonder how soft and pliant her lips would feel if he leaned in to kiss her right now. Unbidden, thoughts of how her soft, pink tongue would feel twirled around his own now tantalized his imagination which proved to be just a step too far.
Cullen knew he was standing at the precipice of impropriety and realized he must make a decision; kiss her and risk embarrassing them both, or buckle down and walk it off. Pragmatism won out. Coward, the voice in the back of his head taunted. Shut up, you, Cullen answered.
Idly, he supposed it might be easier to just ask Iron Bull to carry her back to camp. But, when he stopped to consider he'd have to give up his newfound intimacy with Mnemyn, he immediately decided against it. Seeing he had few options – and even fewer coping skills – Cullen turned to something familiar to calm himself, his templar training. He took a deep breath to re-focus himself and then began to recite the Canticle of Apotheosis to distract himself while he continued up the hill toward camp. He suspected he'd be reciting quite a few more passages from the Chant of Light before this trip was concluded.