I wandered the village; reacquainting myself with the Haven I remembered ten years ago with the new Haven that had sprung up since the discovery of the ashes of Andraste. Not at all what you described, sister, Maxwell had said to me. Indeed, what was once a handful of small, dilapidated cottages was now a hamlet of sturdy, wood-and-brick houses, an inn and a tavern, a myriad of merchant stalls and a fully-restored Chantry. I wonder if the hidden room in the Chantry was still intact. All in all, Haven was a picturesque little village worthy of a pilgrimage. At least, there was no murderous cult now.

The place was bustling with activity. Refugees, villagers, and soldiers were all going their own way, performing tasks, getting together some semblance of functionality and caring for the wounded. They were tired and wounded, their shoulders heavy with the strains of the war and the events at the Conclave bowed them down even more. At first glance, they didn't look capable of building an organization to tackle the war and whoever was responsible for the explosion. Then again, Andraste's armies began with a few scattered tribes of backwater dog lords. I could see their eyes brighten in determination and none too few were looking at me as I passed through the streets. Better get a cowl or hood as well.

I made good use of the coin I had when I bartered for a bundle of clothes from Seggrit at his merchant stall. Three cotton shirts, two trousers, a cowl and a pair of druffalo hide boots did not make a wardrobe but they were better than nothing.

Meeting Harritt was in itself interesting since the man was a no nonsense type of person when it came to armor. The set he gave me was sturdy: long-sleeved shirt made from nugskin reinforced with a small breastplate attached to a short vest of leather made from druffalo hide, a belt of the same material with slots and small pouches where I could stow potions, daggers and other small tools, medium-length leather gloves and extra hood. He even threw in another pair of knee-high boots.

"If you want something more fancy, bring your own design," he said after I thanked him profusely. "And you'll need materials. Want to improve your equipment? Bring them all here. We'll make sure it's done right and proper."

After that, I made my way down the road to the small dock I saw at the lake. Bypassing the dock itself, I went down to the edge of the frozen water. The silence of the place was a welcome change from the noise of the village. I breathed deeply, the cold early spring air bringing color to my cheeks. Ah, I miss the Frostbacks. Winter in Ostwick was never as cold as it was in Ferelden and we never get the same amount of snow either. I tentatively tested the frozen water, wondering if I could take a shortcut towards the other side. Just as I was confident enough to begin walking, a voice suddenly sounded behind me.

"Be careful. The mountain cold is keeping the lake's surface frozen but there's no telling if the spring thaw already worked its way underneath."

Not expecting anyone, I whirled around and in the process forgot my footing and slipped. Two strong arms prevented me from banging my head on the ice though.

"Maferath's saggy fronts! How long have you been standing there?"

"I beg your pardon, my lady. I didn't mean to startle you," said the voice.

With the help of the hands keeping me steady, I stood up and made to salvage my dignity. "It's all right. I shouldn't be walking on ice anyway to get to the other side. Maybe I'll just use the—" I trailed off as I took a good look at the stranger… A stranger he was not. "Knight-captain Cullen!?"

"Saira!" He exclaimed as he also recognized me. "What are you doing here?"

"What am I doing here, what are you doing here?" I was surprised he was here in Haven. Last I heard he was keeping peace between the templars in Kirkwall and the loyalist mages who continued to reside in the Gallows. He was also helping Aveline in bringing some stability to the city.

"I was recruited to the Inquisition in Kirkwall," he paused then gave a small chuckle. "I should've known you were the Lady Trevelyan Cassandra was talking about. None would've made quite an entrance like you did."

I rolled my eyes. "At least I got everyone's attention."

"That you did. Again."

The last time we saw each other was when he covered for Hawke's party's departure from the Gallows. He made sure that we were not pursued by ones who would've done us harm by mere association with the mage who started it all. Maker! The years had done him good. What before was boyish charm was now full-blown attractiveness. He tamed the unruly, golden curls and was now slicked back and styled. There was a small scar bisecting the upper left corner of his lip.

Noticing I was staring at him, I was about to pursue the subject of his presence in Haven when a soldier approached us.

"Ser! Knight-Captain Rylen has finished his inspection and is ready to report on our supply lines."

"Ah, thank you. Tell him I would be there momentarily." The soldier saluted and went back inside the village. Cullen turned back to me. "I should get back to work."

"We should catch up some time."

He awkwardly rubbed his neck as he smiled shyly, "I would like that."

"Go on then. Looks like there's something important you need to do."

He gave another smile as he walked back to the village.

I looked at across the lake once more. Funny thing. It seems everyone I know are congregating in Haven. Leliana, Varric, Cullen. Next thing I know I'll hear someone exclaiming 'Enchantment!' I sighed. There's one more thing I have to do.