Josephine threw an impressive send-off party for the Inquisitor and her traveling companions. Whoever was not on duty—either on the walls or in the kitchen—packed into the great hall of Skyhold, spilling out into the courtyards. Visiting dignitaries to Chantry sisters to Inquisition soldiers all passed by the buffet table and filled their mugs with ale from one of several enormous barrels. Cullen could see that Elanna would not have had it any other way. She smiled easily, greeting both noble and commoner alike. It was relaxed, even excited smile that he had not seen from her in months. Cullen found himself smiling too. Getting out and doing something for the greater good of Thedas again would feel fantastic for everyone involved.
The next morning, if any of the members of the expedition beyond Sera were feeling hung-over, they hid it well. As is first act as acting-commander at Skyhold, Knight-Commander Rylen had the entire garrison of Skyhold's forces line the bridge and the road down the mountain at attention as the expedition left. Cullen could not help but admire their forces. They had come so far since Haven, and he was proud of them.
The trip down through the mountains and into the Kocari Wilds was cold, but uneventful. It took nearly a week for the Templars and mages to adjust to The Iron Bull and Sera's traveling manners, but before too long, even Lysette was trading jokes with the hulking Qunari. By the tenth day, everyone could remember that Cole was there as he came and went from the edges of their party.
They faced their first rift a day's travel into the Kocari Wilds. Harding and her team of scouts had arrived there first, debriefed the team of Inquisition soldiers, and scoped out the best route to approach the rift. The Inquisition soldiers had managed to keep the numbers of wraiths and shades down, as they attempted to wander away from the rift, but the small team had not dared to venture close enough to tempt the group of demons that hung closer to the rifts. Cullen nodded with approval when he heard their report. It was exactly as he had asked them to do.
When it came time to close the rift, Elanna effortlessly took the lead. She ordered the soldiers to follow them in and form a perimeter around the rift. Bull, Sera, Cole, and Blackwall fell into place without a word. They had done this hundreds of times. She asked Cullen to lead Lysette and Belinda in taking down the pride demon, while she stationed herself across the rift from the two mages, Neria and Rion, to contain the rapid movements of the despair demons.
Their team launched out of the brush towards the rift with a collective yell. The battle was over in minutes. Rion only once tripped over Sera, and Belinda only cancelled one of Neria's spells. In the midst of the fighting, blood and adrenaline pounding in his ears, Cullen chanced a glance at Elanna where she stood at the edge of the clearing. She seemed icily calm, like the eye of a storm, manipulating magic into elemental projectiles with deft concentration. She took in the whole of the battlefield and controlled it. When the last of the demons fell, she raised her left hand, brilliant green energy leaping from it, and snapped the rift closed. She was just as incredible in battle has he had heard all of the soldiers say.
They celebrated that night at their small camp in the woods. Harding and her scouts had already moved on towards the next rift, but the soldiers had not. Sitting around the campfire with his men, Cullen was even gladder he left Skyhold for the expedition. They next morning they released the soldiers to Caer Bronach and followed in the scouts' footsteps, deeper into the Kocari wilds.
A week later, after skirting through cold swamps and around the edges of Chasind settlements, they arrived at the next rift. Again, Harding and her scouts had arrived before them and debriefed the Inquisition soldiers had had been standing watch. Having discussed techniques for fighting demons and closing rifts all week, the second rift was closed even more smoothly than the first. That evening, as they made camp, a small group of Chasind hesitantly approached them and thanked them for their help. They presented Elanna with two wild ducks they had just hunted, and the camp ate well that night.
The expedition moved out of the wilds and into the southern reaches of the Brecilian Forest. They closed another rift just outside of Gwaren and spend the night in town. Word got around quickly, and soon there were more people than chairs in the tavern, sharing drinks and stories with the Inquisition until nearly daybreak. Harding and her team got a healthy head-start as the Inquisitor's team spent much of the next day sleeping.
From there, the team found and closed three more rifts deep in the heart of the Brecilian forest. In their travels, a clan of Dalish tracked them down, hearing that the Inquisitor was passing through. They invited the whole group of travelers to their fire for a meal. Cullen was stunned. He had never heard of Dalish openly seeking out outsiders and offering them hospitality. Elanna truly was a bridge between worlds. Among the Dalish, deep in the woods, she seemed more at home than he had ever seen her in Skyhold.
After the Brecilian rifts were closed, they met Leliana, Josephine, and a small delegation from the Inquisition in Denerim to pay respects to King Alistair and his court. Cullen had not seen Alistair in years, but he was every bit as personable—and awkward—as before, if more comfortable in his authority. The king held a grand Ferelden-style banquet, with more smoked meat and roast potatoes than Cullen could count. Elanna held the seat of honor next to Alistair at the banquet table. As Cullen watched Alistair chat animatedly with a woman he had met only once before, and in uncomplimentary circumstances, he wondered if Alistair saw Elanna's resemblance to Jana, the Hero of Ferelden. It was not secret in Ferelden that Alistair and Jana had been lovers during the blight. It was whispered at court that that was the reason that Alistair did not remarry after his first wife died in childbirth. The woman he loved most had left Ferelden on a Warden quest.
Cullen himself was relieved to catch up with Leliana and Josephine. It appeared that Rylen was taking to his post well, and that there was little, if anything, that Cullen missed by being in the field. He was equally relieved to be celebrating like the Ferelden he was, rather than in another masked Orlesian party.
Leliana and the Inquisition delegation left for Caer Bronach and Skyhold, while Josephine departed by sea for a well-earned visit to her family in Antiva City. Cullen, the Inquisitor, and their expedition traveled up the coast from Denerim to close the final two rifts in Ferelden. From there, they proceeded to Amaranthine to take a ship across the Waking Sea. Before leaving for Antiva, Josephine had gone to great lengths to arrange passage on a ship captained by a man unshakable enough to carry the Inquisitor and her team to a known rift in the sea. A sturdy ship was waiting for them when they arrived, and Harding and her team were already aboard.
After three days at sea, they spotted the shimmering, eerily green patch of water ahead of their ship. Faintly, in the distance, they could see greenish wraiths and the unmistakable dark cowls of despair demons swarming above the Fade-tinted water. As they drew nearer, the ship's crew grew nervous, but the captain was unwavering in his promise to get the Inquisitor to the rift. It soon became clear that the rift had formed at least two yards below the surface of the ocean. Elanna would likely have to get under the water herself to be able to close the rift.
She quickly established a plan for Sera, Harding, and the other archers, as well as Elanna and the two mages would take out as many of the demons as they could from a distance. Meanwhile, the warriors were each assigned to a section of the ship, to defend it if the demons decided to board. It would be their most precarious rift closure yet. Elanna assigned Cullen to guard the deck where she would dive into the water with a length of rope tied around her waist. Cole joined him, because he would know if and when Elanna needed help. The best swimmer from among the scouts would follow Elanna into the water, also tied off, in case she needed defense.
The crew had hardly taken their posts when the demons and the rift came within range. Elanna, Rion, and Neria rained down a flurry of fire and lightning on the demons from as far away as they could reach. Moments later, the archers were within range, and arrows followed their magic. Some met their mark, others disappeared into the churning, green waters. The demons not destroyed by the first volley glided over the surface of the water towards the ship, spraying magic bolts and ice in their direction.
The small ship continued to draw nearer to the rift. Cullen prepared himself as one of the despair demons charged his section of the ship. A burst of flame from the end of Elanna's staff vaporized it before it could reach them.
As the ship pulled up alongside the rift beneath the waves, more demons erupted from beneath the water, practically leaping onto the deck of the ship. Elanna turned to Cullen and said quickly, "If I don't close that thing, they will keep coming through. Cover me."
Before Cullen could respond, she dropped her staff to the deck and dove off the side of the ship. The scout followed her, short sword in hand. It was all Cullen could do to track the fighting around him as the ship rocked in the waves. Three despair demons and at least six green wraiths attacked the ship and everyone on it. Cullen may have left the Templars behind him, but he still knew how to fight demons. He and Cole easily took down one of the despair demons between them, dodging its icy blasts.
Suddenly, Cole turned to him and urged, "The ice! They can't get up!"
Cullen whirled around and looked down over the side of the ship. Another despair demon hovered above the water, spraying ice over the surface where Elanna and her guard had descended, locking the two ropes in a floating layer of ice. While there was no longer a green glow in the water, the pair had already been underwater for nearly a minute. He glanced around for the nearest mage. "Neria! Rion!" he yelled, "The Inquisitor is trapped beneath the ice! Do something about it! Archers, target that despair demon. We need to give them room to get up. The rift is closed!"
Rion immediately blazed down fire on the surface of the water, melting the ice but also burning the rope. A hail of arrows descended on the despair demon, goading it to attack the ship. Cullen prayed that none of the arrows that missed struck the Elanna or the scout below the water as he fumbled for another length of rope on the deck. Cole was already doing the same. Cullen sighed with relief when he saw two heads surface above the water. He and Cole threw their extra ropes over the railing of the ship and waited for Elanna and her companion to retie the knots around them. Cullen took hold of his rope and began to pull Elanna up, but it was soon evident that Cole was not strong enough to raise the bulkier scout. However, before Cullen could call for more help, several sailors that had been cowering under the eaves leaped to join them. Soon, the Inquisitor and the scout were both on board, sopping wet and shivering.
Although their main objective had been achieved, the battle was not yet over. Hardly taking a breath to untie the ropes at her waist, Elanna seized her staff from the deck and called down lightning on the remaining despair demon that was wreaking havoc near the prow of the ship. With another wave of her hand and twist of her staff, she dispelled the ice that held Lysette and two of the archers solid. Freed from his post guarding the diving ropes, Cullen rushed to the bow to help Lysette and The Iron Bull finish off the last of the demons. Somehow, Cole got there before him and was already slashing into the remaining wraiths.
In less than a minute, it was over. The ship had sustained minimal damage, and the sailors were already setting to work repairing the rigging and decks with what daylight remained. Injuries were minor as well, and the mages quickly saw to those that had been hurt. When Cullen found Elanna, she was still standing on deck, talking the battle over with the captain. Despite the wool blanket wrapped around her, she was shivering.
She smiled at Cullen, seeing him approach. "It's over," she breathed, "Nothing from here on out can possibly be that difficult." She added, "Thanks, by the way."
Internally Cullen swelled with pride, but he shrugged it off, "It was Cole that noticed you were in trouble."
"And that's why I had him work with you," Elanna replied.
The Belinda brushed by them and took Elanna by the arm, scolding both Cullen and the captain, "Can't you see that the Inquisitor is sopping wet and cold? She needs to get below deck and changed into something warm and dry before she catches a cold up here." Elanna did not argue as the gentle Templar dragged her away. Cullen chuckled. As they traveled together, Belinda quickly forgot to be in awe of her commander or the Inquisitor herself.
Contrary to the expedition's original plans, they could not go to port in Kirkwall. The captain flatly refused to take them there, saying that the harbor was far too dangerous, filled with Breech debris and wrecks of ships that had been foolish enough to attempt to dodge the debris. The Wounded Coast also made landing at any of the smaller fishing ports far too dangerous for their ship. Elanna and Cullen poured over the expedition map together and plotted a new route for their journey. They would travel farther west up the Waking Sea and dock in Cumberland. From there, they would travel through the Planasene Forest and up the Wounded Coast on foot, closing the rifts in the area, before arriving in Kirkwall as originally planned. Varric had been one of the first informants to write the Inquisition about rifts in the area near his city. Cullen did not relish the idea of returning to Kirkwall, but they had a duty to the citizens of Thedas to close rifts, and to Varric, as a friend.
The captain liked this solution much better, and nearly a month and four Fade rifts later, they were in Kirkwall. Varric met them on the Wounded Coast outside of the city, and closed a final rift with them before taking them all straight to the Hanged Man for drinks and dinner. The city was still a mess. It pained Cullen to see the scars of the Mage-Templar war, but he could also see progress at restoration was being made. Varric regaled them all with likely exaggerated tales of his own work in defending and restoring the city. Cullen could see Elanna light up as they spent the evening with Varric. She easily agreed to his contrived excuses as to why they needed to stay in the city another day.
After another day in Kirkwall, during which Cullen carefully avoided the Gallows, the departed up the coast for Ostwick, closing more rifts. From there, they turned north and west again towards Markham, Tantervale, and Starkhaven. They spent no more than a few days in each of the cities, but instead scoured the wilds of the Free Marches for rifts and loose demons.
In Markham, Blackwall encountered one of the men he had betrayed as Thom Rainier. It was Blackwall that first recognized the tall, scarred man selling repurposed blades in the marketplace, but even Blackwall's thick beard could not hide a once familiar voice. The man, upon realizing that Thom Rainier was before him, stalked out from behind his booth and delivered a strong punch to Blackwall's jaw.
Cullen, Elanna, and the rest of their companions stood staring at the two men, unsure how to act, but ready to draw blades to defend their friend nevertheless.
"Rainier, you son of a bitch!" the man hissed with a voice that could cut like his blades.
Blackwall straightened up and looked the man in the eyes. "I know I deserved that, and more," he replied with firm humility. They regarded each other tensely for a long moment, and Blackwall added, "I can't ask you to forgive me, but I will say I'm sorry. I have nothing but regret for what I did."
The man spat on the ground at Blackwall's feet. "Tell that to all of the other men whose lives you ruined! Tell that to their families!" he retorted gruffly.
"If you'd let me, I will," Blackwall stepped forward. "I've ignored who I am and what I've done for too long."
The man hesitated, and then stepped back. "I'm goanna get my wife," he said.
Blackwall asked the rest of their group to return to the inn, or wherever the planned to be for the night, but Elanna and Sera insisted on staying. Cullen was not about to leave Sera as Elanna's only guard, so he remained as well. Good on his word, the man returned with a wife with an infant in her arms and a toddler in toe. Blackwall apologized to them all as well. The woman turned to her husband and urged gently, "Things have turned out alright for us, Geoff, forgive him." Grudgingly, the man did. As the words slipped out of his mouth, Cullen could practically see a weight lift off both Blackwall and Geoff's shoulders. At the woman's urging, Geoff and Blackwall had a tense but civil chat while the others returned to the inn. That night, Blackwall announced his intention to go on to Hercinia without the rest of the group, to meet and apologize to two more of his former soldiers that Geoff knew to be living there. He promised to meet them again in Wycome, or at least leave word at the inn there. Elanna agreed that the team could carry on without him, so they parted ways the next morning.
It took nearly two more months to cross the rest of the Free Marches south of the Minanter River, closing six more rifts, before they reached Wycome. Their arrival in the coastal city was solemn and full of ceremony. They people there knew the Inquisitor's connection to the elves that had died and knew well what the Inquisition still did for them to rid their city from the influence of red lyrium. Elanna accepted it all with mournful grace, but it was not until Keeper Sulahnera of Clan Elasin embraced Elanna in the woods at the site of Clan Lavellan's burial that Elanna shed her tears. Again, she sung the mournful elvish song that Cullen had overheard her singing on her balcony so many months ago. Certainly, Cullen had had to endure many terrible hardships over the past decade, but he had never suffered the crushing loss that Elanna now experienced. As much as Cullen wanted to comfort her, he gave her the space to mourn with her people.
Having been rejoined by Blackwall, they continued north through the Weyrs to close three more rifts on their way towards Antiva City. It was there that Josephine received them and treated them to a week of the finest Antiva had to offer. There were more parties, fine dinners by the docks, noble introductions, and wine that Cullen thought could fit into just seven days. The King and Queen of Antiva even held a banquet in the Inquisition's honor, no doubt the fruits of Josephine's tireless work.
From there, they commissioned a ship across the Rialto Bay to Dairsmuid. Not to be out-done by the Antivans, the Rivaini royalty also threw a lavish party and tours of the city to welcome the Inquisitor and her companions. At least free of banquets, the group traveled north up the Rivaini peninsula on fine Rivaini horses procured by Josephine, closing one more Fade rift in the mounts and two more in the plains. They took the land route across the northern coastline of Thedas into Antiva again.
As their journey progressed, Elanna grew more pensive and withdrawn. She remained quiet at their nightly cook fires and spent more time than usual staring up at the sky than usual. While The Iron Bull often tried to cajole her into joining in a song, a game, or more drinks, the rest of their band seemed to understand implicitly that she needed her space. Sera scoffed at Elanna's moods, but more or less left her alone. Cullen was not about to break her moments of solitude either.
Still two days distant, Cullen could see the lush green of the ancient trees of the Arlathan Forest spreading across the horizon. As they rode over the plains, he wondered what the forest held for them—for Elanna. The ruins of Solas' hometown, name lost to time, lay tucked up against the western edge of that timeless forest. Inquisition scouts that had found the ruins were to meet their party at the eastern side and guide them through. Although she would not say it, Cullen knew this was the part of the journey she most looked forward to. He hoped and prayed to the Maker that she would find some comfort in those ruins.