A few weeks went by and Tori made every attempt to avoid Fenris and Cullen both. She trained with the Iron Bull and Cassandra and went hunting with Varric. She tried everything she could to have minimal contact with them, still so unsure of what she wanted.

As she walked through the halls of the Chantry one evening, Leliana stopped her for a moment.

"Tori, I was wondering if we could speak?"

"Of course Leliana, what's up?"

"Something has been troubling me. The Grey Wardens have been disappearing, but we haven't been able to discover why."

"I wonder if Branford and Alistair are OK..."

"Those were my thoughts as well, but I am concerned about the other Grey Wardens as well."

"What do you need from me, Leliana?"

"There is a Warden in the Hinterlands, by the name of 'Blackwall'. Could you seek him out and see if there is anything he knows?"

"Of course. Do we know where in the Hinterlands?"

"There is a cabin, near the Upper Lake camp. Our reports say he is there."

"I'll take Theon and head out immediately, alright?" She hugged her. "We'll find out what's going on with the Wardens, I promise."

"While you look for this Warden Blackwall, I will send word to Denerim, make sure that Branford and Alistair are safe and well."

"Let me know what you find out?"

Leliana nodded. "Of course."

Tori smiled. "It'll be OK, Leliana."

"Be careful, Tori."

"I will. I'll see you in a few days."

"You shouldn't go alone, milady." Ayle said as she helped Tori pack.

"It'll just be for a few days and I need some time alone." Tori said.

"Are you sure?"

"I'll have Theon with me, so don't worry. Besides, I can be there and back in just a few days round trip."

"You know the Commander won't be happy. He worries about your safety."

Tori sighed. "I know... Fenris won't be happy about it either... But they can get over it..."

Ayle handed her the pack and smiled. "Just be careful, milady."

"I will. I'll see you soon."

Tori sneaked out of the Chantry and made her way passed the guards and to the stables where she went to get Amantheon's saddle, but she couldn't find it.

"Where is it..?"

"Looking for something?"

Tori jumped and turned to find Cullen standing there, arms crossed. "Maker, Cullen you scared me!" She looked at him. "What are you doing here? I thought you went to bed an hour ago."

"I could ask you the same thing." He looked at her pack. "Going somewhere?"

Tori sighed. "I was going to the Hinterlands, if you really need to know. Leliana asked me to look into finding this Warden Blackwall guy, maybe get some answers as to why the Wardens are disappearing."

Cullen sighed. "You were planning on going alone, weren't you?"

"I need to time think things over..." Tori looked away. "You can't stop me, Cullen..."

Cullen smirked and stood aside as Amantheon came up, fulling saddled and ready to go. "I wasn't planning on it."

"Did you get Theon ready?"

Cullen nodded. "If you're so determined to go, fine, but you aren't going alone."

"You're not coming with me are you?"

"I won't let you go alone."

Tori sighed. "There's no fighting you on this is there?"

"Not a chance."

She climbed up into the saddle and reached her hand down. "Let's go then."

Cullen took her hand and climbed into the saddle behind her, his arm wrapping around her waist to steady himself as Amantheon stood.

Tori smirked and looked back at the Commander. "Hold on tight now, Cullen. I don't want to have to catch you if you fall off mid flight." She ignored her blushing cheeks as Cullen's other arm wrapped around her, grasping onto the front of the saddle as she urged Amantheon to the sky.

They flew silent for a while, but when the moon came out from behind the clouds, Cullen saw the world in a new light. "By the Maker... Is this what you see, Tori?"

Tori smiled at that and nodded. "It's just as beautiful during the day. Up here like this, Theon and I get to be free. Up here, you see how beautiful the world is and you almost forget that its nothing but chaos below."

"It's amazing up here..."

Tori looked around, smiling. "It really is."

"How long are we planning on flying for?"

"With just you and me, Theon can fly probably three days. It won't be too long, though. According to Leliana the Warden we're looking for is in a cabin near our Upper Lake camp. We should reach there by midday tomorrow if we fly straight through."

"Tori, can I ask you something..?"

She nodded. "Anything."

"Why did you break things off with the King? You've always loved him."

Tori looked down, not expecting that kind of question. She spotted a clearing and guided Amantheon down to it. "I need to stretch my legs." She said when they landed and she quickly slid out of the saddle.

Cullen dismounted behind her and quickly caught up as she started to walk around the clearing. "Tori, don't ignore me."

She rubbed her palm and kept going, trying to think of what to say.

"Tori!"

She stopped and turned back to face him, tears she hadn't realized were building up slipping down her cheeks. "You want to know why I broke it off with Alistair? I did it because we've tried being together, but it's like the Maker has other plans for us. We couldn't keep torturing ourselves with a love that couldn't come to pass, no matter how much we prayed it would. He has the fate of the kingdom to worry about and that includes finding himself a queen and producing an heir to the throne who can carry out his line. I have the fate of Thedas, maybe even the world, to worry about. I don't have the same luxury he does, I can't afford to find someone to spend the rest of my life with right now." She felt her fists clenching and she tried to compose herself. "I broke it off with him because he's the King of Ferelden and I'm the Herald of Andraste. He still has a bright future to look forward to whereas I don't know for sure what my future holds for me beyond the chaos and death and destruction we face every day. This mark is killing me slowly and we don't have a way to remove it right now, but it's the only thing that can close the rifts. My future is uncertain, Cullen, and I can't put anyone through that knowing the pain it would cause them."

Cullen stood there, dumbfounded. He hadn't realized she had kept so much emotion bottled up. "You're future isn't uncertain, Tori."

"What future is there I can look forward to?" Tori asked, looking at him. "What is there for me to hold onto beyond the call of duty, beyond all this suffering? I could lose any one of you at any moment and there'd be nothing I could do to stop it. I have no magik, no special skills or talents, I go around blind as I try to put on a brave face for everyone else around me. I fight to protect everyone I love, everyone that I treasure, but what good does it do when so many others perish because I fail them?"

Cullen was silent, unsure if what to say.

Tori sighed and put her hand to her head. "Just forget it... Forget I even said anything..." She started walking back towards where Amantheon waited.

"Tori, wait..."

She ignored him and climbed back up onto the saddle. "Let's go. I don't want to waste any more time."

Cullen felt defeated, no words coming to mind to make her feel better. He climbed up into the saddle behind her, grasping on to the sides. Tori urged Amantheon into the skies and they continued their flight.

"Tori..."

"Cullen, please. I don't want to talk right now..." Tori said, refusing to look at him.

"Lady Herald, Commander Cullen, welcome."

Tori slid off Amantheon's back. "Hello, again." She offered a half hearted smile. "Any news?"

"None yet, Your Worship."

Tori nodded. "Please see to it that Theon is fed and rested? We've had a long flight."

"Of course."

She grabbed her sword and her bow, then started heading up the path towards the Upper Lake.

"Herald, wait a moment!" Cullen called, trying to hurry to catch up to her.

Ignoring him, Tori marched up the path and stopped when she reached the top of the hill. She looked around and saw the cabin. When Cullen had caught up to her, she had already reached the cabin.

"Blackwall? Warden Blackwall?" Tori called, looking at the gruff older man.

"You're not- how do you know my name? Who sent..." Blackwall started to ask, but an arrow was fired and he raised his shield.

Tori looked and saw what appeared to be bandits charging at them.

"That's it. Help or get out. We're dealing with these idiots first!" Blackwall said, then looking to the young men with him, he said, "Conscripts! Here they come!"

Tori drew her sword and jumped into the fight, Cullen quickly joining in. Tori cut down one, two, then three but one of the bandits shot an arrow at her. She grimaced when it struck her leg, but she ripped it out and used it to slit the throat of the bandit trying to sneak up behind her. She cut down the bandit nearest her, then turned as Blackwall felled the last of them.

Cullen sheathed his sword and looked at her, not seeing the blood dripping down her leg against her black leggings.

"Sorry bastards." Blackwall said as he looked the bandits.

Tori sheathed her sword and looked at him, trying to hide the pain from her wound. She watched as he addressed the conscripts, telling them to go back home to their families and take back what the bandits stole from them. She forced herself to go over to him.

"You're no farmer. Why do you know my name? Who are you?" Blackwall asked, looking at her.

"I know your name because I'm an agent of the Inquisition." Tori said, adjusting her weight to her other foot. "I'm investigating whether the disappearance of Wardens has anything to do with the murder of the Divine. That and I have good friends within the Wardens' ranks that I worry for."

"Maker's balls, the Wardens and the Divine?" Blackwall asked, pacing. "That can't- no you're asking, so you don't really know." He sighed. "First off, I didn't know they disappeared. But we do that, right? No more Blight, job done, Wardens are the first thing forgotten."

"That's not true, Blackwall." Tori said. "I fought with the Wardens during the Blight and one became the Hero of Ferelden while the other became King. The Grey Wardens are a noble order that have always strived to ensure peace in the lands and defeat the Blight when its arises. I saw first hand what Wardens are capable of and I could never forget it."

"That's kind of you to say, but that is not a view shared by many." Blackwall said, regarding her with interest. "One thing I'll tell you: no Warden killed the Divine. Our purpose is not political."

Tori nodded. "I know, but I still need answers. The Hero of Ferelden and the King are both still Wardens, despite current standings, and the kingdom needs them both. I've known them for many years and I'd hate to find out that something happened to them as well. The Wardens will always remain a great importance to Thedas and having lost so many at the Battle of Ostagar and threw Loghain's incessant hunting of those who escape, your numbers greatly dwindled. The Wardens need to rebuild their numbers so that they are ready when another Blight comes."

"I'm sorry, lass. I haven't seen any Wardens for months. I travel alone, recruiting." Blackwall said. "As you said, we must rebuild what was lost, but there's not much interest with the Archdemon a decade dead and no need to conscript with no Blight."

"What about those young men?" Tori asked.

"Treaties give Wardens the right to take what we need. Who we need. These idiots forced this fight, so I 'conscripted' their victims."

"I know of the treaties you speak of. We used them ourselves to secure alliances with the Circle mages, the Dalish elves, and the dwarves of Orzammar. Those treaties served us well and without them we'd have lost everything to the Blight. Loghain would have won and we would not be here today. But conscripting simple folk like those young men, simply because they were the victims of thievery, doesn't that abuse the power of conscription as a whole?"

"They had to do as I said, so I told them to stand. They won't need me next time."

"You could have taught them to fight without conscripting them." Tori noted. "But, your skills are great enough to where it would seem you taught them much anyways."

"Grey Wardens can inspire, make you better than you think you are." Blackwall said.

Tori smiled at that. "That is a lesson I learned well back then. It is something I've continued to remind myself with any time I doubt myself." She turned to leave, bowing her head. "It's been a pleasure, Warden Blackwall, but I must apologize. This didn't help me find the answers I seek at all."

She started to leave, trying not to limp as best as she could, Cullen not far behind her.

"Inquisition... agent, did you say? Hold a moment."

Tori looked back at Blackwall.

"The Divine is dead, and the sky is torn. Events like these, thinking we're absent is almost as bad as thinking we're involved." He said, looking at her. "If you're trying to put things right, maybe you need a Warden. Maybe you need me."

Tori looked at Cullen, then back at Blackwall. "Warden Blackwall, the Inquisition accepts your offer. It'll be good to have someone of your skills within our ranks."

"Good to hear. We both need to know what's going on and perhaps I've been keeping to myself for too long." He offered her a smile. "This Warden walks with the Inquisition."

Tori smiled. "We have a camp just down the path that leads passed the lake. Meet us there when you're ready." She started to walk away, but then a thought popped into her head and she turned back to add, "Oh, and don't be afraid of the dragon at the camp. He won't bite, I promise."

Blackwall looked at her confused. "I will gather my things and meet you there."

Tori nodded and left with Cullen, heading back for the camp.

As they walked around the lake, Tori's wound was becoming more painful and she lost her footing, using the nearest tree as support.

"Tori, what's wrong?" Cullen asked, hurrying to her side.

"Damn bastards shot me in the leg." She said, looking down at the blood on her hand.

"Why didn't you say something sooner?" Cullen demanded, kneeling down to check the wound.

"I wanted to make it back to camp, but looks like it can't wait."

Cullen sighed and turned around. "Hop on, I'm carrying you the rest of the way to camp."

Tori shook her head. "Cullen, there's no need."

"It's not a request, Herald."

Sensing the seriousness in his tone, Tori leaned forward, letting Cullen hoist her up on his back. She tried to wrap her legs around his waist, but the wounded leg was slipping as she bled all over Cullen's armor.

Cullen quickly made his way down the hill towards the camp, blushing when Tori leaned forward and rested her chin on his shoulder- her breath hot against his skin.

"Thank you, Cullen..." She said, blushing a bit herself. "I'm sorry I was a bit reckless back there..."

Cullen sighed. "You rushed in too quickly, Tori. You could have been hurt worse than you were. What were you thinking?"

"After last night, I just..." She sighed. "I don't know... I'm sorry I worried you..."

Cullen sighed and a small smile played across his lips. "Just be more careful, alright?"

Tori nodded. "I promise."