She hadn't realized that she'd high-fived a Templar until they were halfway across the lake.
It started out as What in the void did I just do? She fought internally with herself on how wrong that was until they docked and faced the Gate of the Tower, Oh Maker it was huge, she gulped and Cullen put a reassuring hand on her shoulder.
Well, she thought, here it goes . She braced herself and watched those huge, metal doors open all too slowly, took a deep breath and walked inside, at least she didn't do it alone.
She decided if ANY Templar were to be likeable, it was Cullen. Not only did he try his best to make her feel safe, he also wasn't rough with her like Caroll was. She could swear she had a bruise on her cheek from when he slammed her into a certain someone's cold, hard, metal Chest-piece.
But still, she scolded herself, It could all be a lie this "Nice Guy" act. As she walked into the tower, the first thing she noticed was how open it was, not cram-pt or anything like she dreamt it would be, very open and.. homely?
It smelt like incense, and it was comfortably warm in here. Cullen lead her right up to a very old, bearded man in a green dress, and a stern looking man in Templar armor. "Well well well, is this our new apprentice I see?" the old one croaked. Cullen let go of her shoulder and she turned slightly to see the huge doors being closed behind them by four Templar's.
Trapped.
It was the other greeters turn, his voice was rather harsh, "So Cullen, how was it? Your first Apostate hunt?" "I-Oh , It turned out.. well Knight-Commander." he said.
"Good work, now what's your name mage?" it took her no time to figure out he was talking to her, she gave him a weird look.
"She hasn't really said anything, we know her names Kyra, but that's all we could get out of her and her mother." Caroll cut in. "Kyra , how old are you child?" the old one asked kindly.
"... 13." she said nervously. "Very nice, come with me child, we will get you settled, to my office." He beckoned her to follow, she looked up at Cullen and he gave a small smile. She turned and followed the old man cautiously up the spiraling starway.
Cullen watched her follow Irving slowly out of the hall. He hoped she'd be alright, maybe he'd check on her progress later today.
The sun barely showed outside, Dear Andraste it was early, no wonder none of the mages are up yet. "Alright boys good work, now go get cleaned up and get as much sleep as you can before shifts." Knight-Commander stated. "Yes sir.." he sighed and walked with his comrades out of the hall and up to the Templar Quarters.
He was absolutely EXUASTED, he only had enough energy to wash his face and remove his armor when he got to his quarters. He hit the bed and fell asleep almost immediately.
RAP RAP RAP. "CULLEN, the Knight-Commander needs you in the Harrowing Chamber, Immediately." I really wish Bran would yell through the door... I bet I barely got 2 hours of sleep. Nevertheless he got up and stretched, remembering the girl they brought to the tower earlier, he pondered her progress as he put his Armor back on and grabbed his Sword.
As he trudged up the stairs he thought, My first Apostate mission and 2 hours of sleep and Greagoir's already got me doing my first Harrowing, oh sod it all.
Resentful, he eventually got up to the Harrowing Chamber doors and walked in, across the room was Greagoir and Irving standing a few feet from the pedestal of Lyrium, he walked up to them a little nervously, finally feeling the full impact.
"AH, Cullen, your here, good. Well I've been thinking and you've really been pulling your weight around here. I thought you deserved an advancement in ra-" he was cut short by the Harrowing Chambers doors opening again , low and behold.
SHE walked in with two Templar escorts. SHE walked over to the group and gave him a smile, he returned it shyly/awkwardly. And it hit him head on, Oh maker, I can't.. no I can't .. DAMMIT GREGOIR . He began,"Magic exists to serve man…"
Many hours later Cullen stood at his post outside the Mages Quarters. Solona Amell had passed her Harrowing breathtakingly well, the whole time he was convinced he was going to have a panic attack, slaying her? Impossible in his mind, Could I really have done it? he thought.
The most beautiful girl in Ferelden and me of all the Templar's in the tower was assigned to slay her at her Harrowing, on the irony.
Solona had been his dirty little secret ever since he met her, he was 11 and she was 10. They hadn't been exact-ally friends, but they had been something. They grew up quick and strong, her with education, him with his training.
He grinned in his state of day-dreaming as he thought of all the times she had caught him blushing when she commented on his stubborn hair, or when she laughed at him when he counted the stairs up to his Quarters, maker I hate those stairs, he thought.
He heard giggling and snapped out of his trance, some female mages we're walking past, and he realized he'd been smiling like and idiot. Dammit all, I am a fool.