Cassandra had just finished patrolling Haven after looking for Cullen and finding him missing from his usual haunts. In the absence of the commander, she'd made certain that the guards were on point and that preparations for their ascent to the Temple of Sacred Ashes were coming along smoothly. Thus far, everything seemed to be in order.

Could this really be it?

Would they seal the Breach?

Finley had argued the whole way back from Therinfal Redoubt and Redcliffe—when she had the energy—that they would need to find out what had happened to the mages before they did anything else. She wanted them there when the Breach was sealed. Cassandra had hoped to speak with her about that, after she'd had time to settle down a bit, when they weren't both helping with last minute preparations for the march up to the decimated temple.

There really wasn't going to be much time, in the end. The templars were arriving, and plans were already in motion to make their move with their assistance rather than that of the mages.

Finley would not be pleased.

Little could be done in that regard, though. This needed to be dealt with sooner than later. After all, this was but one facet of why the Inquisition existed.

There was still so much to do afterwards. They would need to find the Divine's killer, locate the missing mages and put an end to the Mage Rebellion—peacefully, if possible—restore the Chantry's power, close the smaller rifts… The list felt endless, but this would be a tremendous victory. It would be…

It would be a miracle, if it could actually be accomplished.

Everyone was feeling the weight of it, and everyone was terrified that it wouldn't work. A few groups of people tried to joke around, but their jokes fell flat, the laughter that met them forced. Cassandra had needed to scold Bull and his Chargers for a few pranks, but aside from them, almost everyone just had a grim countenance about them, praying for the best and preparing for the worst.

Cassandra was concerned about the red lyrium at the temple. After the effect it had had on Cullen, she worried that, as Finley had pointed out, they might lose some of their templars to its call. That was why she and Leliana had arranged for there to be twice as many scouts and regular soldiers as templars accompanying them. They would not be taken unaware.

Leliana had been quick to point out that this precaution was no different than what they would have had to do for possible abominations amidst the mages, and Cassandra was loathe to admit that she had a point.

In the end, both factions had their weaknesses.

However, their alliance had been made—unofficial as it was, and would stay, if Finley had her way—and there was no way for them to contact the mages. The templars would have to prove themselves.

Cullen would have to prove himself.

She had faith, but he was worried. He hadn't said anything, but he was pushing himself harder than before, impossible as it seemed. Perhaps it was because there were so many templars present. As much as he supported them, they were a constant reminder of what he had left behind. He said he wanted no part of it, but abandoning something that had been a part of one's life for so long did not come without regrets, insecurities, and doubt.

Cassandra still considered herself a seeker, but she, too, had technically left her order. She suspected that Cullen was like her, able to see what their respective orders could be and feeling trapped, unable to shape them thus.

Perhaps once the Inquisition gained more power they would be able to fix both. Perhaps then they could forgive themselves for their shortcomings.

They would close the Breach. They would.

And they would bring justice to the fallen.

If she could just find Cullen… Where had he gotten off to?

In the very least, Chancellor Roderick had finally seemed to accept that the Inquisition wasn't something he could stop. She hadn't seen much of him in the last few months, though that was partially because she'd been out traveling so much. From what she'd heard from Leliana and Josephine, however, he had indeed fallen silent.

She thought she saw him around earlier that morning, but if he was about, he was keeping his head low. Perhaps he intended to wait and see if the Breach could be closed before breaking out a new lecture on how they were damning themselves.

Typical.

Cassandra stopped near front of the Chantry. Mother Giselle was leading a prayer for the coming battle, and dozens of people had taken a brief repose from their preparations to listen. However, what surprised her most was that both Sera and Finley were there, leaning against the poles that propped up Leliana's tent, listening quietly.

When the Herald saw her watching them, she offered a small wave before returning her attention to the revered mother.

It was oddly comforting to see them there.

And it was always good to see that Sera and the Chargers' demolitions expert, Rocky, weren't attempting to resume their study of whatever that qunari explosive was that they'd been talking about when Cassandra had found them, just before she and the Herald had left to gather allies.

Thank the Maker for small mercies.

Listening, Cassandra found that the particular part of the Chant Mother Giselle was reciting was a fairly common one, chosen to reassure the most people with its familiarity, no doubt.

She listened to the prayer for a few minutes before a voice whispered in her ear, "I would have thought you of all people to be well fortified for the battle to come."

Jumping, Cassandra turned to see Ser Yorric standing behind her, a friendly enough smile in place. "Though I suppose it's also reassuring to know that even a lady such as yourself still takes comfort in the Chant of Light from time to time."

She frowned, trying vainly not to let the flush that was rushing to her cheeks show. "I was looking for the commander."

"I see," Ser Yorric replied, striking a contemplative pose. "And just what must a man do to make the seeker seek him?"

"His job," Cassandra stated, voice drier than she'd intended.

Though Ser Yorric put a hand over his chest as though he'd been wounded, his smile never faltered. "I would imagine it would be a lack of doing his job that would have you searching, myself."

"Cullen is not shirking his duties."

"As you say," Ser Yorric replied, doing his best to don a serious expression. There was a glimmer in his eyes that he couldn't extinguish. It made Cassandra uneasy. Why was he looking at her like that? "I was wondering, if you've a moment to spare from your search…"

"What is it?"

"The Breach quivers before us—"

"Hardly."

"—on the verge of being sealed, as it is." Ser Yorric pointed toward it, hardly dissuaded from his pestering. "After that eyesore is dealt with, what becomes of the Inquisition?"

"We will hunt those responsible."

"Will there be a brief reprieve from responsibility, or is this an instantaneous transition?"

Cassandra appraised him carefully, trying to figure out what he was on about. "The lower ranks and soldiers will likely see some down time as we assess where we are and gather information."

"But not the higher ranks?" Ser Yorric pressed.

"What is it you want?"

"A pleasant evening with a sister in arms, if she would be interested."

Narrowing her eyes, Cassandra crossed her arms. "And what does that have to do with me?"

He stared at her, blinking twice before tilting his head. "Truly? Must I spell it out for you, my dear lady?"

There was no time for this. She needed to talk to Finley whilst the Herald was still easy to amidst all the commotion and preparations.

Turning away a bit too abruptly, Cassandra quickly skirted the crowd, leaving Ser Yorric behind at the edge of those gathered, unable to follow without making a scene. She thought she heard him call out as she hurried off, but told herself that she had too much to do to dally with him.

Even if he was good company.

He was skilled enough that he had joined in the personal guard that traveled with Finley and her entourage, and that had been a blessing when they'd snuck into Therinfal Redoubt. And he did have a lovely smile.

Perhaps once the dust had settled a little...

She'd walked as she slipped into her thoughts, not realizing how each step had drawn her nearer to Finley and Sera until Sera let out a sly laugh, a bit too smug and loud as she whispered to Finley, "Seeker's seeking something."

Maker, help her. Just how many of those jokes was she going to be subjected to in a single day?

Cassandra paused, eyeing the two, suddenly wondering if they were truly as innocent as she'd assumed. Tempting as it was to ask what they were up to, she simply arched her eyebrows. "Have either of you seen Cullen?"

As Finley shook her head, Sera snorted. "She's seeing lots of him, wouldn't you know?"

Cassandra's hand found its way to her hip. "And what does that mean?"

"Absolutely nothing," Finley hissed, her cheeks a few shades darker. She glared pointedly at Sera before reluctantly looking back at the seeker. "He…had a late start this morning. I'm sure he's at the training grounds or the war room by now."

Her voice was clearer than it had been in days, and the circles under her eyes looked a touch better, like she'd finally been able to get some decent sleep. While Cassandra was relieved to see it, she couldn't hide her suspicion. "What have the two of you done to the commander?"

Sera let out a cackle this time, distracting more than a few of the parishioners. Mother Giselle continued on as though she hadn't heard them. As Finley dragged Sera further away, so as not to gain a proper audience, Cassandra followed them. Sera decided when they were far enough away, twisting out of Finley's grasp and grinning from ear to ear. "If you were looking for the commander, shoulda checked our Ladybits' quarters. They were all snuggled up and cozy. Various pieces of clothing tossed about the room—"

"He took his boots off," Finley snapped, almost frantic. "There was nothing more. I fell asleep on his shoulder, and he was too nice to move." Before Cassandra could process what it was that either of them were saying, Finley grabbed Sera's hand and began to drag her off. "We've potions to make."

Even as she allowed herself to be dragged away, Cassandra could hear Sera making kissing noises. She stared after them in silence.

Were the whole lot of them going mad?

Or perhaps it was just her.

Or the fact that something so serious was coming up, and despite it all, everyone was desperate to find other things to occupy themselves with.

That last one made the most sense, and Cassandra settled on that as she returned her attention to finding Cullen, even as she realized she'd meant to talk to Finley about the mages before getting so distracted. Perhaps she could get Cullen to be the bearer of bad news instead—assuming Finley hadn't already heard about the change in the situation.

Speaking of, she would need to find him first.

Cassandra had started her earlier search in the training grounds, and had been rather surprised to find him absent. His subordinates had seemed a little lost themselves, though they'd quickly figured out what to do when Cassandra had asked them why they were just standing around idly.

Not wanting to disrupt the sermon by walking through the crowd to check the war room, Cassandra headed back toward the training grounds to see if she could find Cullen. This time, he was there, giving orders and reviewing incoming reports. It was as though he hadn't been missing only an hour before.

Everything seemed so completely normal…until he reached up and rubbed the side of his neck, as though it was paining him—as though he'd slept awkwardly. When she reached his side, she could see that he definitely had a crick in his neck. He kept tilting his head and rubbing at that same spot, desperate to be rid of a foreign ache.

"You should see Finley."

Cullen nearly leapt out of his skin, whirling to stare at Cassandra with embarrassment plastering itself across his features. When Cassandra merely motioned to his neck, he checked himself. His cheeks donned a rosy hue of their own. "I, uh, that won't be necessary. I'm fine."

"Cullen," Cassandra began, choosing to ignore that whatever Sera had said happened between him and Finley had been a bit more than what Finley had tried to downplay it to, "If you decline healing, it will set a poor example for the soldiers."

"I just…" Cullen trailed off before accepting a report and getting a bit too engrossed in it for a bit too long. When he finally looked up, he'd regained at least some of his composure. "I don't see a need to waste her magic on something so trivial."

It was a lie, and the both of them knew it.

However, Cassandra had more pressing issues to deal with, as did they all. Suppressing the urge to ask for more details about what had happened betwixt the commander and their Herald, she motioned toward the report still in his hand. "Have you been able to find anyone who had any news on…"

...-...

A/N: Thank you to creepypasta-queen on tumblr for betareading, and to everyone who reads!