The pale morning light spills over the walls of the fort as people file out of their tents, their cloaks pulled tightly around them to keep out the chill while they eat their porridge. As one of the last few to arrive retrieve my food, I stand at the back of the line, keeping my eyes cast downward at the frozen ground blanketed in a layer of frost. My eyes travel to the table in the far corner where my advisors sit and make minor conversation. Spotting Cullen bent over his food, raising his head every so often to reply to Cassandra asking him something from across from him, I feel my agitation remerge from last night.

I look away with an annoyed huff as the line moves forward. Once receiving my porridge, I flop down on the bench, across from Sera.

"Surprised you can sit down." She smirks. I shoot her a glare. "What's up your arse? Was it not as good as you expected? Always heard that men with large swords were compensating for something."

"Quiet down." I hiss, looking over towards my other companions at the end of the table. "If you must know, nothing happened."

She snorts. "Why not?"

I shrug, stealing another glance at Cullen. "We didn't get very far before almost getting caught by some guards patrolling the area."

"Pft!" She laughs only to earn a glare. With an annoyed sigh, I scowl at my porridge before pushing it to Nevan as he scooches closer to me. "Enjoy." He raises a brow at me as I stand up and walk away, pulling my cloak closer around me. I begin making my way towards the upper courtyard so I can brood in peace when I hear somebody call my name from behind me. I roll my eyes and turn as Josephine, wrapped in a fur lined cloak to defend against the chill, power walks toward me. We fall into step beside each other and she smiles at me, her tanned complexion rosy from the cold. "Good morning, Inquisitor." She beams, her breath visible as she speaks. "I hope you're having a pleasant morning so far?"

I shrug, casting a glance back at Cullen who chooses that moment to look around, frowning. "Yeah… It's been fantastic." I mutter, turning to look ahead as we approach the stone stairs leading up to the upper courtyard.

Either she doesn't catch my sarcasm or choses to ignore as she continues. "Leliana has informed me that a scout has spotted our new shipments on the Imperial Highway which we can expect by this afternoon or later this evening."

"Okay?" I ask, trying to suppress the annoyance from my tone. I mean, Josie isn't the one who has been cockblocking me recently. "Does that mean we'll be able to set out soon?"

She nods. "With luck, you should be able to leave within a day or two."

"That's only if Cullen has everything ready by then." I mutter. "He's good at postponing things."

Feeling Josie's gaze, I look at her confused expression. "Pardon?"

I shake my head with a sigh. "Nothing." I mentally scorn myself and try to change the subject. "Will we able to travel by horse?"

She frowns. "That is actually another we need to discuss." Turning, we climb the starts to the keep. "As you know, we're running low on horses." She begins, continuing as I nod. "We only have four horses available for your journey."

I mimic her frown. "So, that means I can only take 3 others with me."

"Correct." She nods. "If you need, I can have them summoned to the war council so that you may talk with them and determine who will go with you?"

I offer her a smile. "Sometimes, I could kiss you. That's a brilliant idea!"

She smiles as a blush creeps to her already rosy cheeks. "Then I shall send a summon for them to meet you once they finish eating. If you wish, you can wait for them in the room. I've already had somebody light the fireplace in there so it should be warm."

Together we climb the stairs and enter the keep and start heading towards her new office. "Only thing that could make that offer even better would be a bottle of brandy." I chuckle.

Reaching her doorway, she glances around before grinning. "Lucky for you, I have a bottle of Antivan fire brandy stashed away."

"Then what are we waiting for?" I grin.

For the next couple hours, Josephine and I sit in her office, drinking brandy and giggling like little girls as she tells me some gossip from Orlais. "From what the Countess wrote, apparently, her lover, Ser Joffrey was so jealous of her husband that he whipped out his…you know,"

"His cock?" I ask, my eyes widening.

She erupts into a giggle fit as she shakes her head. "No!" She drains the last of her brandy from her glass and sets it down harder than normal. "No…it's...it's long." She says, holding her hands out a few inches apart.

"I'm still only thinking of a cock." I chuckle.

"It's metal!"

I tilt my head. "Now I'm thinking an artificial cock."

Her eyes widen. "Made of metal?"

I nod and she blushes before giggling once more. "Oh my!" She says, pressing her hand to her lips. "No. It's sharp and used for self-defense."

I think for a moment. "Dagger?"

"Yes!" She exclaims, slapping the tabletop and almost knocking the bottle off. Noticing her close encounter, she giggles again. "I think I need to stop drinking." She says, her face taking on a rosy shade as she offers me a boozy grin. "I'm feeling very tipsy. How about you?"

I look down at my own glass curiously. While this is my third glass in two hours, I barely felt lightheaded. I shrug.

She waves away my unspoken response. "Either way, he drew his dagger in the middle of Empress Celene's party and challenged him to a duel for her hand!"

I scoff. "Did he win?"

"He did."

"Then it worked out!" I grin, taking a sip. I wince slightly as the burns my throat.

She shakes her head. "Actually, she was shamed and lost all her property." She absently looks down at her empty glass, swaying slightly before she jumps at a knock at the door.

"Josephine?" Cullen's muffled voice sounds from behind the door. Quickly, I drain my glass and hand it off to Josie as she tries to quickly stash it all away. "Come in!" She calls. Unsure whether it's from the drink or the frustration of almost getting caught drinking so early, her face is flushed as Cullen enters the room.

"Josephine, I was hoping I could speak—" He begins to say before he notices me. "Oh, forgive me. I didn't mean to interrupt."

"That's alright, I was just leaving." I say flatly, rising from where I was perched at the corner of her desk. I notice him frown before I shoot Josephine a grin. "Thank you again, Josephine. I'm going to head to the war room to wait. If you could send a summons?"

She nods. "Of course."

Shooting Cullen an annoyed glance, I turn on my heel and head down the hallway to the war room. I get my hand on the handle when I hear my name. Ignoring Cullen, I head inside and feel him grabbing my hand moments after I get to the war table. "Lena." He says, the frown from moments ago still present on his handsome face.

Swiveling, I turn to face him with a glare. "Yes, Commander?" I ask, allowing my annoyance to ring through my words. I glance behind him at the door which is still ajar and he looks back before walking back to shut it. With door closed, he turns back to me and strides forward.

"I take it you're still upset from last night?" He asks. He starts walking toward me and I move so that the enormous war table is between us.

"Of course I am!" I fume. "We are always so close and then something happens and you pull away."
He sighs. "Lena, there were guards on patrol and they almost caught us with you on top of me, shirtless!"

"I understand that part." I say with a dismissive wave. "It was after that that I'm upset about."

His brow furrows in confusion and I let out a frustrated sigh.

"After you sent your guards on their way, we were alone in the tavern and it was dark. We had the perfect opportunity to continue and not get caught and yet you still ended it and sent me off to bed!" I frown, lowering my voice. "Sometimes I wonder if you even desire me."

"Darling," He begins, walking around the table without breaking his gaze. He stands before me and takes my face in his hands. "I do desire you." He smirks. "I'm pretty sure that the last few times together, you could feel how much I desire you."

"Then why did you push me away?" I frown. "Every time, I can see that you want it as much as I do. What is stopping you?" Leaning back against the table, I pull him closer so that he's pressed against me, right between my legs. His breathing becomes shallow and I brush my lips against his. "What's stopping you from taking me right now on this table?"

"Josephine sent summons to your companions. They could enter the room at any moment, for one." He mutters.

"They're probably still eating. It'll take a while for them to get the summons and arrive." I retort. "At this point, it wouldn't take long. I just…need you." I say, the desperation ringing through my voice. "Please."

He affectionately tucks a strand from my ponytail behind my ear and cups my cheek. "Wouldn't you rather have our first time be in a bed in a private chamber?" He asks, his voice husky. He nips at my jawline. "Slip away at night to place where none of our other advisors or soldiers could walk in our disturb us?"

I close my eyes as I imagine it. "I'm flexible on whether or not there's a bed." I admit.

He pulls away so he can meet my gaze. "While you're away at the Storm Coast to seek out this potential ally, I will press Josephine to get a jump on the repairs and chamber assignments."

"Cullen, just traveling to the Coast and back could take close to a month, not counting how long the meeting will take!"
"I know." He sighs, glancing down at my lips as his thumb gently caresses my cheek. He glances up into my eyes. "It'll give me time to make sure preparations are made so that, when you return, we can slip away and have so interrupted alone time."

Admittedly, as appealing pulling down my trousers and having him fuck my brains out here on the new war table is, I did like the idea of making our first time be a bit more of a special occasion. Who knew our uptight Commander was such a romantic?

"What do you say?" He probes, tilting my chin up so I can look at him. "Can you wait until you return from the Coast?"

I watch his hopeful expression and feel myself begin to cave. "Fine." I sigh. "If you would prefer for our first time to be more special, I'll wait until I return from the Coast."

Hearing the door handle turn, Cullen steps away from me as Cassandra enters the room. She greets us both just as Cullen makes his way back to the door. "I can assure you, Inquisitor, that I will see to making sure your concerns are addressed, personally."

"Thank you, Commander." I nod.

As we wait for our other companions, Cassandra and I make idle conversation while my eyes scan the dust covered books lining the wall. Last to arrive is Sera who looks around the room. I catch her awed expression before it quickly changes to a smug smirk.

"So, this is it? This is where the big wigs come to play?" She asks, bending over to examine the assorted figures placed on the war map.

"We don't play." Cassandra snaps, her eyes widening as Sera picks up one of the pieces to examine. "Put those down! Those aren't toys!"

Without looking away, Sera dramatically drops the piece on the table with a clang. As she turns her attention to me, Cassandra quickly steps forward to put the piece back in its place before shooting a glare at Sera.

I roll my eyes and look around the room at the other waiting patiently. "Thank you all for coming." I say, leaning on the table before me. "I'm sure you're all wondering why I called you here…"

"The thought may have crossed our minds." Dorian grins.

I nod. "For those who don't know, within the next couple days, we'll be heading to the Storm Coast to meet with a potential ally." I glance around the room at the varying responses ranging from mild annoyance to curiosity before continuing. "After what happened at Haven, we are low on horses. It's because of this that, unlike previous missions, I can only take a few of you with me."

"The place where it never stops raining?" Sera asks, wrinkling her nose. "Ugh. Count me out!"

"I would also like to be excluded from the journey." Solas says, casually walking around the table to stand before me. "With your permission, Herald, I would like to stay behind and take a look at the books here at Skyhold. Perhaps I can find something on Corypheus that can be of use to us."

Glancing at Cassandra, she shrugs. "Could be useful."

"Very well. You may stay." I nod to Solas before my gaze lands on Wynne. "Wynne, you'll be staying."

Her brows furrow together as she looks around at the equally surprised companions. "Are you sure that's wise?" She asks, her irritation beginning to show. "If this is because of my age again, I—"

"It's not an issue of age, Wynne." I say quickly. Her confused expression returns and I let out a sigh. "I have never doubted your abilities. In the time you've been with us, you've proved yourself time and again in the field. However, after Haven, there are people here who are still in need of your skills more than I am." I offer her a smile. "As one of our best healers, I want you to help our surgeon and run the infirmary."

Just by looking at her expression, I could tell that she's cross with me. Regardless, she gives a brisk nod. "As you wish, Inquisitor."

I shoot her an apologetic glance, I look over the others. "Anybody else willing to stay back?"

I wait patiently for somebody to step forward. Impatient, I open my mouth to tell Blackwall to stay behind when Varric steps forward.

"I would like to stay behind."

My brows shoot up in surprise as I frown. "You want to stay back?" I ask, struggling to keep the hurt out of my voice. "Are you sure?

He nods and I notice Cassandra narrow her eyes at him. "Why?" She demands.

Casually he turns to her. "If you must know, Seeker, I have some business I need to take care of."

With a sigh, I nod to him. "All right… Then that just leaves me, Cassandra, Blackwall and Dorian." I glance between them. "Unless any of you have objections?"

The men shake their heads while Cassandra continues to stare down Varric. "What kind of business?"

"Cassandra!" I snap before Varric has a chance to reply. She raises a brow at me. "That is quite enough." I growl. "Varric is not some suspicious nobleman that needs to be questioned about his motives and everything he does. He is our friend and ally and should be treated as such. Do I make myself clear?"

Pursing her lips, she nods. "Yes, Inquisitor."

I glance at Varric. "I apologize on her behalf, Varric. While you will be missed during our journey, you may stay behind if you wish."

"Thank you, Lena." He grins.

I turn to address the group once more. "Now that that is settled, everybody with exception of Nevan can go."

Nevan shoots me a questioning glance as the others begin to silently file out of the room. Varric stays where he is and waits until the door shuts behind Cassandra before he speaks. "Mind if I talk to you for a moment?" He asks.

I motion to a still bewildered Nevan beside me. "Mind if he stays?"

"Sure." He shrugs, walking towards me. "I want to talk to you about the business I need to attend to."

"Varric…" I frown. "Cassandra was out of line. I don't need to know-"

He holds up a hand to stop me as his mouth turns upward unto a grin. "I'm staying behind so that I can try getting in touch with my contact. Remember when I said that I knew some people who could help us?"

"Yeah." I nod. "You said you know of some Grey Wardens."

He nods. "Yes, I need to contact them too but the main person I need to contact is a man who has dealt with Corypheus before." His grin falls. "This man has been in hiding for a couple years now and is the reason that Cassandra doesn't trust me."

My brow furrows. "I'm not sure I understand."

Sighing heavily, he brings his hand up to rub his neck. "It's complicated." He frowns before meeting my gaze once more. "For now, all I can tell you is that he's important and I need to contact him. That's all I can tell you for now. When the right time comes, I'll need you to meet with him so he can tell you all he knows about Corypheus."

I nod. "For those who don't know, within the next couple days, we'll be heading to the Storm Coast to meet with a potential ally." I glance around the room at the varying responses ranging from mild annoyance to curiosity before continuing. "After what happened at Haven, we are low on horses. It's because of this that, unlike previous missions, I can only take a few of you with me."

"The place where it never stops raining?" Sera asks, wrinkling her nose. "Ugh. Count me out!"

"I would also like to be excluded from the journey." Solas says, casually walking around the table to stand before me. "With your permission, Herald, I would like to stay behind and take a look at the books here at Skyhold. Perhaps I can find something on Corypheus that can be of use to us."

Glancing at Cassandra, she shrugs. "Could be useful."

"Very well. You may stay." I nod to Solas before my gaze lands on Wynne. "Wynne, you'll be staying."

Her brows furrow together as she looks around at the equally surprised companions. "Are you sure that's wise?" She asks, her irritation beginning to show. "If this is because of my age again, I—"

"It's not an issue of age, Wynne." I say quickly. Her confused expression returns and I let out a sigh. "I have never doubted your abilities. In the time you've been with us, you've proved yourself time and again in the field. However, after Haven, there are people here who are still in need of your skills more than I am." I offer her a smile. "As one of our best healers, I want you to help our surgeon and run the infirmary."

Just by looking at her expression, I could tell that she's cross with me. Regardless, she gives a brisk nod. "As you wish, Inquisitor."

I shoot her an apologetic glance, I look over the others. "Anybody else willing to stay back?"

I wait patiently for somebody to step forward. Impatient, I open my mouth to tell Blackwall to stay behind when Varric steps forward.

"I would like to stay behind."

My brows shoot up in surprise as I frown. "You want to stay back?" I ask, struggling to keep the hurt out of my voice. "Are you sure?

He nods and I notice Cassandra narrow her eyes at him. "Why?" She demands.

Casually he turns to her. "If you must know, Seeker, I have some business I need to take care of."

With a sigh, I nod to him. "All right… Then that just leaves me, Cassandra, Blackwall and Dorian." I glance between them. "Unless any of you have objections?"

The men shake their heads while Cassandra continues to stare down Varric. "What kind of business?"

"Cassandra!" I snap before Varric has a chance to reply. She raises a brow at me. "That is quite enough." I growl. "Varric is not some suspicious nobleman that needs to be questioned about his motives and everything he does. He is our friend and ally and should be treated as such. Do I make myself clear?"

Pursing her lips, she nods. "Yes, Inquisitor."

I glance at Varric. "I apologize on her behalf, Varric. While you will be missed during our journey, you may stay behind if you wish."

"Thank you, Lena." He grins.

I turn to address the group once more. "Now that that is settled, everybody with exception of Nevan can go."

Nevan shoots me a questioning glance as the others begin to silently file out of the room. Varric stays where he is and waits until the door shuts behind Cassandra before he speaks. "Mind if I talk to you for a moment?" He asks.

I motion to a still bewildered Nevan beside me." Mind if he stays?"

"Sure." He shrugs, walking towards me. "I want to talk to you about the business I need to attend to."

"Varric…" I frown. "Cassandra was out of line. I don't need to know-"

He holds up a hand to stop me as his mouth turns upward unto a grin. "I'm staying behind so that I can try getting in touch with my contact. Remember when I said that I knew some people who could help us?"

"Yeah." I nod." You said you know of some Grey Wardens."

He nods. "Yes, I need to contact them too but the main person I need to contact is a man who has dealt with Corypheus before." His grin falls. "This man has been in hiding for a couple years now and is the reason that Cassandra doesn't trust me."

My brow furrows. "I'm not sure I understand."

Sighing heavily, he brings his hand up to rub his neck. "It's complicated." He frowns before meeting my gaze once more. "For now, all I can tell you is that he's important and I need to contact him. That's all I can tell you for now. When the right time comes, I'll need you to meet with him so he can tell you all he knows about Corypheus."

I nod hesitantly as I try to process all this. "I trust you, Varric." I smile. He returns my smile as he begins to walk back towards the door. "Well, I'll leave you so you two can talk."

As he leaves the room, I turn my attention to Nevan who shifts uneasily from one foot to the other.

"I don't understand why you would want to speak to me." He frowns. "Have I done something wrong?"

"No! Not at all!" I say quickly, leaning against the giant table. "I actually have a proposal for you."

His brows knit together. "A proposal? What for?"

This words about his fear of being locked up during my absence echoed in my head. I cross my arms across my chest. "I would like you to travel to the Storm Coast with my party."

Mouth falling open, his eyes grow wide as he looks at me. "What?" He asks, his voice rising in pitch.

I offer him a reassuring smile which doesn't seem to help. "You've been stranded here at Skyhold for a year." I explain, softly. "Surely you'd like to get away from Skyhold for a while?"

He looks away, fidgeting with the end of his tunic. "I…" He begins to say before trailing off.

"I'm not going to force you." I frown. "We'll be gone for a while. If you would feel safer here, you're more than welcome to stay. I just figured I'd offer."

He bobs his head as he looks around the room, probably weighing the pros and cons in his head. I wait patiently, casually looking around so I'm not pressuring him with my stare. After a few moments, he nods.

"Alright." He finally says. He turns to look at me, his mouth set in a determined line. "I'll go with you."

My brows shoot up in surprise. Part of me expected him to decline. "Really?" I ask. "You're aware that you'll be traveling for hours on the back of a horse, fighting and camping with my companions and I for at least a month?"

He seems a bit taken back by this but quickly recovers. "I understand. I would still like to go."

Smiling, I nod. "Very well. Welcome to the gang, Nevan."

Within the next two days, supplies arrive from Denerim and preparations are made for our journey to the Storm Coast. As the morning we're supposed to set off rolls around, my four sleepy companions stumble out of their tents and quickly eat before suiting up.

As usual, Wynne joins me in my tent to help me with my new armor. For what seems like forever, tension filled silence fills the tent.

"I'm sorry." I finally say, hoping to ease the anger radiating from her.

"For? She asks tersely, not meeting my gaze as she yanks my tunic that begins to bundle up beneath my hauberk.

"Having you stay behind." I frown. "What I said was true. You are a very talented healer, Wynne. This is exactly why I trust you to stay here and run the infirmary." I pause for a moment to see if she has a comment but she says nothing. "Haven was a hell that nobody had anticipated. We lost a lot of good people and many were injured. We don't have many people left who have your level of skill. If we did, I would be taking you with me."

She sighs. "I understand and accept your reasoning." She says, quietly. Her gentle blue gaze meets mine. "You're the leader of the Inquisition now so your safety is critical. I worry about you. You tend to be reckless in the field and have received many injuries." She frowns. "I just don't want to risk you getting a serious injury and then having me too far away to help you."

Touching her hand, I offer her a smile. "I promise you that I will be more careful. Injuries happen but if I do get hurt, I'll have Dorian with me." She gives me a reproachful look. "He might not be a specialized healer like you but he's capable of helping in an emergency." I think back to his help at Redcliffe Castle and grimace. Pushing the thoughts aside, I shrug. "If it comes down to it, perhaps Nevan has some methods he learned when he was with his clan."

Her brows furrow. "You're taking the boy?"

"I am." I nod. "I offered for him to tag along since he hasn't left the fort in a while."

"It would be nice for him to get back out there but are you sure he's ready?" She frowns. "He's been secluded from the outside world for a very long time." Grabbing my cloak from my cot, she wraps it around me and fastens the clamp.

"He's done well with adjusting to being around us so far." I shrug. "I'm sure he'll be fine."

After equipping my sword belt, quiver and bow, Wynne helps me put my pack strap around me before we exit my tent and begin walking towards the barbican where my small party is waiting for me. As we arrive, I see a meek looking Nevan talking to Varric while the other two men are already hurling insults at one another while atop two of the four horses. Taking notice, Cassandra rolls her eyes at the men before striding over to us.

"There's only four." I state, motioning toward the horses. "There's five of us."

Cassandra's brows furrow. "Four is all that Dennet had left." She shoots a quick glance at Wynne who shrugs. "Who is the fifth person?"

"Nevan." As I say his name, he looks over at us. "I offered for him to tagalong and he agreed. It's about time he gets out of Skyhold for a bit." Before She can question my judgment, I walk over to the horse where one of Dennet's assistants quickly place the mounting block and helps me up into the saddle. I call Nevan to me and he carefully approaches me with Varric in tow.

"Am I walking?" He asks, eying the last horse nearby as Cassandra swings up into the saddle. I shake my head.

"Of course not!" I say, holding out my hand. "You're riding with me." He hesitates and I frown. "Have you changed your mind about joining us?"

By now, the two men ahead of us have ceased their bickering to turn back to see what's happening. Nevan glances around at everybody watching him before shaking his head. "No." He says quietly, sticking out his hand.

"If you're afraid of falling off," Blackwall begins. "I can assure you that as long as you hold onto her, you'll be fine. She is an excellent rider." He offers me a smile and I nod.

The poor kid's cheeks redden as he takes my hand. He's surprisingly light as I pull him up and he situates himself beside me. "Hold onto me." I say quietly behind me. I offer him a grin. "I promise not to read into it too much." Blushing, he nods and tentatively grabs my waist. Taking the reins, I look over at Cassandra. "Ready to head out?"

She opens her mouth to speak as I hear my name called from behind us." Nevan and I look back as we see Cullen jogging over to me, a small metal shield in his hand. Coming to stand beside our horse, he holds the shield up to me. Taking it, I hand it to Nevan to use as a comfort barrier between us as I raise a brow at the Commander. "Is that for Nevan?"

He shakes his head. "No. It's for you. To ensure your safety in the field, Leliana, Wynne and I agreed that you should start taking a shield with you." He motions Cassandra. "Since I didn't have time to train you to use a shield, Cassandra has agreed to help you while you're out."
I shoot her an appreciative grin which she returns. Turning back to Cullen, I thank him once more and he casually touches my leg as he wishes us a safe and swift journey, giving a small squeeze before he walks over to stand beside Wynne.

"Try not to get killed out there." Varric smirks. "You're kind of important now."

"Only kind of?" I say with a mock frown. He chuckles and turns to look at Nevan. "Good luck out there, Dalish. Keep safe and make sure Lena here doesn't fall off a cliff or something."

"That was one time!" I chuckle, earning some curious glances from Cassandra, and Cullen. "Don't worry. It was a small cliff and I misjudged the edge because of the snow."

"Whatever helps you sleep at night." Varric chuckles. Once more we get a round of blessing and get told to have a safe journey before I tap my horse's flanks with the heels of my boots and we head out.