"I am pleased to report we won the battle, Inquisitor. When you went through that mirror, Corypheus and his archdemon fled the field. I'm not sure why." Cullen said.
"What he wanted was no longer within the Temple." Morrigan replied simply.
"Perhaps. He spent so long trying to get into the Temple, he probably couldn't have help his forces by that point." Cullen shrugged.
"Then... Corypheus is finished." Josephine jumped in, sounding almost giddy.
"If he is wise..." Lelianna said, looking to her, "He will hide and rebuild his strength before he attacks again."
Sili heard voices coming, like wind on a plain, He will not hide, "He won't hide." Sili stated.
"You hear it. The Well speaks to you..." Morrigan sighed.
"It's...voices. Whispering from so far away I can barely hear them..." Sili replied, tilting her head.
"If only one who understood such voices had used the Well's power instead." Morrigan stated to Sili, but in her subtle way.
"Then we'd have to rely on her interpretation of them and whatever she chose to tell us." Leliana shot back at Morrigan with just a hint more venom.
"Have I not been forthcoming enough for you, Spymaster?" Morrigan asked Lelianna before looking to Sili, "I told you what the Well could have done, Inquisitor. You should be hearing shouts from the heavens, not whispers."
"I'm doing all I can, Morrigan. Just help me now to understand it." Sili pleaded, trying to regain the peace, "Isn't that what you are here for?"
"Earlier you said you knew what needed to be done next. What did you mean?" Morrigan asked, almost annoyed.
"The dragon isn't an Archdemon. It's a dragon in which Corypheus has invested part of his power. Kill it, and his ability to jump to another being is disrupted for a time. He can be killed."
Leliana looked surprised, "That's... no simple task. Corypheus alone is powerful, but with his dragon..." She looked to Josephine and Cullen.
Go to the Alter, Mythal will come... the Voices whispered again, "I need to find Mythal's altar."
Morrigan huffed a laugh at Sili, "Whatever Mythal was... being or myth..." Though Sili ignored her, pointing to where the altar would be, causing Morrigan to sigh more, "You are determined, so be it."
Morrigan nearly stormed out of the War Room, but slammed the door none the less. Sili wanted to cry at the conflicts that raged within her mind. One looked at her advisors told her that everyone was on edge.
"Are... you certain of this?" Josephine finally asked.
"Certain, no." Sili admitted, "We have no choice. If Corypheus attacks Skyhold now, we won't be lucky a second time."
"I will see to Skyhold's defenses in the meantime." Cullen assured.
Sili nodded her thanks and decided that she was going to walk around Skyhold herself and see what she might find. Though, her first thought was to go through the garden, but Sili didn't want to be near Morrigan for awhile and opted to go through the rotunda. Solas was there, painting his frescos, but Sili swore she felt anger radiating off him.
"Why did you do it?" He asked, whipping around to face her, "You gave yourself to the service of an ancient elven god!"
"Calm down, what does that mean exactly?" Sili asked, backing up a step.
"You are Mythal's creature now. Whether you know it or not, everything you do now will be for her, you've given up a part of yourself." Solas seethed and Sili couldn't tell if it was against her or against the gods, which made her think.
"You don't believe in the ancient god, why are you so angry?" Sili asked, crossing her arms.
"I don't believe they were gods. No, but I believe they existed. Something had to start the legends, so mages, spirits, things we've never seen... you are bound to one now." Solas sighed, his anger seemed to be melting away, "Better you than Corypheus, but the next logical question. What will you do with the power of the Well once Corypheus is dead?"
The question took Sili off guard and she thought about it a moment, "I would try and restore the world to what it was once was."
Solas actually smiled at her, "You would do that? Make it exactly as it once was?"
"Well, maybe not that exactly, try and improve other areas." Sili smiled back, "Why's this important?"
"You are... not what I expected. You have impressed me and I am grateful that I have been wrong. Forgive my melancholy, Corypheus has costs us much and the Temple of Mythal did not deserve such a fate."
"I understand, but we will get our chance to repay him, soon." Sili replied, "There is an Alter of Mythal in the Wilds that I need to get to, would you like to go?"
"Yes, I expect with Dorian and Iron Bull?" Solas asked, "Dorian, he seemed, distant when he headed upstairs, like something was on his mind."
"Yes, and I will go check on Dorian. Thank you." Sili nodded and made her way to the stairs. She found the Tevinter mage sitting with his nose in a book, looking troubled. Dorian was in another one of his 'my homeland' moods, but this time, Sili could relate and understand.
"After hearing what Abelas said, that the Imperium didn't destroy the ancient elves... it would ruin Tevinter's reputation, but he had a point." Dorian stated, walking around Sili, "What am I doing to help my home? The answer is nothing. I sit here complaining, but I think I need to return home and do something."
"You're going back?" Sili asked, a hint of sorrow in her voice.
Dorian looked at Sili a moment before laughing, "Not until this whole Corypheus business is dealt with, my dear. You can't get rid of me that easily."
"Wouldn't want to waste all the glory on the rest of us?" Sili teased, slowly making her way back to the stair.
"By the Maker, no. The stories would be so dull..." He replied, a coy smile on his lips.
Sili smiled back before nodding and making her way down the stairs and out the main doors of Skyhold. She would have talked to Varric, but the dwarf wasn't in his usual spot, so the next logical place would the tavern.
Unfortunately, Iron Bull was off hiding somewhere, Sera drew her arrow and aimed it at Sili's face, and Cole was lost in his thoughts. The tavern was a bust so Sili headed up through the roof access to wander the rest of Skyhold. Though, she felt herself walking towards a certain Commander's office.
Getting closer, she could hear a lot of voices in his little office and Cullen handing out orders. Sili slipped in through one of the open doors and hid in the back corner and waited until he was done. He caught her eye and stumbled a moment before dismissing everyone.
He shut the door with both hands and hung his head between them in a loud sigh, "There's always something more, isn't there?"He said, looking to her.
Sili smiled at him, "Long day?"
He shrugged before heading to his desk, "I shouldn't complain, this war won't last forever."He started slowly moving papers as if looking for something without actually trying to find it, "When it started, I hadn't considered much beyond survival. But things are different now."
Sili pushed herself from her spot and made her way over to his desk, "What do you mean?" Worry evident on her voice.
"I find myself wondering what will happen after."Cullen looked at Sili with wild, but saddened eyes, "When this is over, I won't want to move on... not from you, but I don't know what you... that is, if you..."
Sili could have started laughing if Cullen wasn't so puppy-sick serious, so she settled on the best warming smile she could muster, "Cullen, you do need to ask?"
Sili walked up to Cullen and gently brushed the back of her hand down his cheek. Cullen closed his eyes at the touch and smiled, looking at her when he reopened them.
"I suppose not, I..."He started, having pressed Sili against his desk, he began to kiss her on the lips before trailing down to her neck. Sili leaned back a little more, then the sound of something crashing and breaking on the floor stopped them.
Looking around, Sili noticed that she had knocked a few of his ink bottles and other trinkets to the floor and looked to Cullen to apologize. The Commander just smiled and, with a swipe of his arm, cleared his desk and propped Sili on top. Sili was surprised and this gave Cullen an advantage at he leaned her over his desk and began kissing her again.
Sili was in heaven, having never seen Cullen like this and taking charge. She allowed him to take control, moving her body where he saw fit and ended up with her legs wrapped around him and her arms pinned above her. In a moment's realization, Iron Bull's 'advice' made sense as he once told her that even though she commanded the Inquisition, one day she would need to be one the receiving end. Back then, Sili had no idea what he meant as she felt she was always taking orders from Cassandra or Leliana...
Feeling hands on her chest and buttons slowly being pulled apart brought her back to the present, "Wait..."Sili stopped Cullen and he looked at her in horror. Sili could only guess and what he was thinking, but she just smiled at him and slowly eased herself off his desk and took his hand, "I think somewhere a bit more private would be nice, don't you?"
"Did you want to meet in your chambers?"Cullen smiled at her, "But I guess it wouldn't be any more private than here."
"There is one place..."Sili hinted, motioning to his ladder, "I've never been..."
Cullen's genuine smile returned and he went up the ladder, waiting at the top for Sili. Sili giggled and began her ascent, but slowed as butterflies began to fill in the pit of her stomach. Why now, after everything, would she be feeling nervous, but then the reality of the situation was dawning on her. She, Desilinaris Lavellen, leader of the Inquisition, was being invited to Commander Cullen's private room and she felt like a young private in his army.
Cullen reached out a hand to her, "Are you getting nervous, do we need to stop?"
"No!" Sili said, taking his hand quickly, "It's just... I've never felt like this... I've had to hold my emotions in check back with my clan and even more so now being the Inquisitor. With you, I don't have to and I don't know if I am doing this right."
"Believe me, you are..."Cullen smiled as he helped her up into his bed chamber.
Sili returned the smile and took a moment to look around, "There's a hole in your ceiling..."
"I know, don't mind. It doesn't get as cold as you think up here."Cullen replied, wrapping his arms around her waist and slowly kissing her neck, "We might need that later anyway."
Sili eased herself into his embraced and smiled, "By the Creators and Maker, Cullen Rutherford can make a joke. I have to tell Varric..." Sili laughed.
Cullen tightened his grip slightly around her waist, "You will do no such thing, my dear. That dwarf has enough and I still have some dignity left." He said, nipping her neck.
"Fair enough."Sili sighed, trying to hide the rest of her laugh.
Cullen turned her around and picked up where he left off, slowly undoing the buttons on her shirt. Sili was entranced by Cullen, how his body appeared ravenous, but his face could hold such a gentle appearance that even a child would feel safe. She felt her shirt fall off her shoulders and heaped onto the floor followed by her pants before watch Cullen step back a moment and stare at her.
Sili felt embarrassed for a moment before regaining herself and walked over to Cullen. She slowly, almost painfully for Cullen, undid his clothing, letting them drop to the floor, and leaving him in his smalls. She went to step back as he had, but he growly quietly as he picked her up and sat Sili on his bed. Cullen kissed her deeply as his hands roamed and messaged her body and limbs.
Before she realized it, he had her breast bindings off and discarded with the rest of her belongings. Now there was only one piece of clothing left on her that kept Cullen from taking her right at the moment, but he was almost avoiding the area completely. Sili understood that he wouldn't do anything without some hint from her...
Sili grabbed Cullen by the shoulders and pulled him down onto the bed with her, locking their lips together. Cullen moaned into her mouth as he steadied himself above her on the bed. A thousand thoughts ran through his head at once and his hesitation must have showed as Sili broke off the kiss.
"Cullen?"She asked, "What is it?"
"I..." Cullen stumbled on his words, "Are we good, is this okay?"
"You're not happy unless you are commanding... So Commander, what are your orders?"Sili said, a sly smile spreading across her lips.
