The Hanged Man was particularly packed that evening, especially given all of Hawke's companions were there as well as a few Templars. Cullen and Kora wandered off to a distant corner of the bar so she could give him more details of what they were up against.
"A darkspawn Magister?" Cullen's expression was disbelieving at first but settled into contemplation. "I assume you have a plan to deal with that."
"Yeah, pretty much kill it," Kora replied, taking a long drink from her mug of ale. "With all the other stuff going on getting that part done will be easy. Nothing you can't handle, anyway."
"I'm so glad you have such a high opinion of my worth," he smirked, drawing a giggle from her as she shook her head.
"Oh shut it," she replied, "I think you can handle the Carta by now."
"Yes, there is that." He knitted his brows together, looking down at the table. Kora took his expression for trepidation and reached for his hand.
"You do not have to come if you have reservations," she insisted. Cullen covered her hand with his free one and squeezed.
"That's not it. I was thinking I could speak with some of my contacts in their organization." He retracted back into his thoughts, his lips a thin line. "Maybe get some assistance if they are indeed a rogue operation."
"Don't bother," Kora said, "Varric has done all that and they are washing their hands of it. I have a good idea of what we are facing. As I already said, we just have to fight our way through them and kill this thing. After breaking a few blood seals…" She took another long drink and emptied her mug. Eyeing his still half full mug she sneered at him. "Pansy."
"What?" he asked, not really hearing her remark as it drew him out of his thoughts. She smiled and stood.
"You need to catch up," she smiled, tapping his mug with hers and walking over to the bar. He brought his mug over and placed it on the bar.
"I should really get back, the initiates I brought with me will need their rest," he said, almost seeming disappointed. Suddenly it dawned on Kora, she couldn't get a read on him no matter how hard she tried. For the first time since her re-appearance she had to ask what was really on someone's mind. To her surprise it was making her a bit nervous.
"W-What, you're leaving?" she asked, "We haven't even talked about the last eight years, Cullen." Her disappointment was flowing into her words, turning them into almost a whine. Shit Kora, all you have to do now is stick out your lip and you'll be six again, she thought. Cullen smiled at her.
"I see some things never change," he said. "Still always have to get your way." Kora laughed, relieved that he was still so accepting of her mannerisms, no matter how childish they would seem to most.
"Not always a bad way to be," she replied. She needed just a little more time with him, long enough to find out about the man he had become. "I know a little about you since… well, you know. I would just like to hear it from you." She looked up at her old friend, comparing the face she remembered with the one in front of her.
His hair was the same, strawberry-kissed blonde curls kept trimmed close to his scalp. Clean shaven, well manicured for a man whose favorite pass time was beating the shit out of practice dummies. Same fit and trim physique, but his eyes were what concerned her the most.
The dark circles and puffiness around his once bright amber eyes pulled at her heart. She knew the look, lack of sleep playing a large part in their creation, but her fear was there was so much more to it. Still unable to get any feelings from him, she put a hand on his arm and leaned in close.
"Are you… alright, Cullen?" she asked, not sure how to word her suspicions. If he wanted to discuss it he would, but if not…
"Yes," he replied quickly. "Yes, Kora, I am fine. Just tired, we should go." He waved to Carver and the other three initiates he had brought with him then lowered his face to whisper in her ear. "We have plenty of time to discuss it on the way to the Vimmarks." He pulled back and looked at her with a small smile, trying to alleviate her obvious concern. It faded when he saw her expression, worry and anxiety in full view.
"I…" she hesitated. Cullen put an arm around her shoulders and resting his head against hers.
"Will see me in the morning," he insisted softly. She swallowed and gave him a small smile, hope blossoming in his chest. He hated the idea of leaving her this way, knowing all too well the lingering thoughts were capable of keeping her up all night.
"You promise?" she asked, her voice a pitch higher than normal. He nodded and gave her a parting hug, squeezing a bit more at the end for emphasis.
"I promise."
"Prepare yourself," Fenris growled, slowly circling Kora with his greatsword ready to strike. Kora's eyes glittered as she adjusted the grip on her longsword, bashing the blade into her shield.
"Bring it Broody," she snarled back with a grin that made Fenris' spine tingle. The darkness in her was alluring to say the least but even Fenris had to admit it was a bit intimidating. He felt sweat trickle down his temple as he tightened his grip on the haft in his hand.
"Come on, Fenris, stop playing with her," Caden shouted from the edge of the clearing. "Just take her down, put her out of her misery." Elissa laughed, pulling her coin purse from inside her cloak.
"Care to put a wager on that, love?" she asked, dropping a few sovereigns into her hand.
Kora leered at her opponent, pulling on the anger deep inside her. Once she had it coiled tightly in her chest she forced it out into her limbs and released it, rushing Fenris with a war cry and shield bashing him into the shrubs 20 feet or so backward. From the side lines she could hear Elissa squeal and Caden groan. She couldn't stop herself from laughing as she walked across the clearing, helping Fenris to his feet.
"Sorry," she whispered to the elf, "when my brother runs his mouth I can't help myself." Fenris brushed himself off, a slight smile on his face.
"Thank you for that, but I will admit you are capable," his smile broadened, "and frightening." Kora smiled wide and turned toward the spectators.
"HA! I win! I made him smile, pay up dwarf!" she shouted as she placed her weapons against a tree and made her way over to the group. Varric shook his head as he reached for his coin purse.
"I should have seen that coming," he said as he counted out five sovereigns. "You two are like peas in a pod, both angry and broody in one lethal package." Kora put out her hand, holding her grin as Varric looked up at her, dropping the coins into it. "Cheater."
"Don't blame me because you bet against me," she said, giving him a wink. "Don't worry, you'll have your chance to win it back, I am sure." Merrill giggled in the background.
"I never thought that losing money would be so much fun," she smiled as she handed a few coppers over to Hawke. The mage laughed.
"Don't get too used to it Merrill," Hawke grinned, "Carver and his friends will be here soon enough. They can suck the fun out of any situation." Merrill scowled and gave him a light slap on the arm.
"Don't talk about your brother like that Hawke," she chastised. "He's the only one you have. Be grateful, I would have loved to have siblings when I was growing up." Her big green eyes trained on him, Kora noticed Hawke wince a bit before nodding his head in agreement. The wounds are still fresh, she thought. I'm not the only one who holds in their pain, or is there something...
"Good Morning!" a male voice boomed from the other side of the clearing. Everyone looked over to see a small group of Templars making their way toward them. Caden noticed his sister perk up and scan the group then smile. One of the Templars smiled back, making Caden visibly bristle until Elissa ran her hand up and down his back a few times.
"Everyone has someone from their past, love," she whispered, planting a kiss on his arm. "Even Kora." Caden nodded and tried to relax but knowing he wouldn't be joining them to keep an eye on things wasn't helping.
"Introductions," Kora spoke over the crowd, quieting them as only a person of her station could, "will be made along the way, we need to get moving. First, however, I want to stress the fact that we are all on the same side and working toward the same goal. There are no apostates or Templars in this group, only concerned citizens and friends. Any objections?" She looked around the crowd and nodded. "Good, let's gather our supplies and head out." Kora turned to Caden and nodded again. "This is where we parts ways, brother." Caden nodded.
"Do you have everything you need?" he asked, still eyeing the blonde haired man in his peripheral. Kora picked up on her brother's tension.
"What is it now, Caden?" she huffed out in frustration. "You're not still considering tagging along, are you?" He shook his head and sighed.
"No sister, I will take your advice on that at least." He glanced in Cullen's direction. "Who is he to you?" Kora smiled, giving him a pinch before letting her hand fall to her side.
"He is my friend," she said simply. "We served at Kinloch together. He was…" she glanced over at him and nodded, "he is very important to me." Realizing that came out a bit softer than she intended, she lifted the volume to make a point. "However, he is no more important than my husband and child, both of which I plan to return to in one piece. Is that answer satisfactory, brother?" She grinned at Caden, batting her eyelashes and he finally relaxed, smiling back.
"Yes, sister," he said, grasping her shoulders and kissing her forehead firmly. "Be careful, you hear me? No unnecessary risks." Kora laughed, motioning to the now gathered crowd of warriors, rogues and mages.
"I'm bringing a veritable army with me," she said with a wink. "I think I'll be alright." Kora and Elissa embraced then Cullen moved to stand next to her, crossing an arm over his chest.
"I will personally see to it the Arlessa returns safely," he tried to assure the Warden. Caden nodded back, a smile teasing the edge of his lips.
"And you've known my sister for how long?" he asked. Cullen laughed.
"Point taken, but I will keep a close eye on her. That I can promise." He looked at Kora with warmth in his eyes but then blinked it away, turning to face the Templars in the group.
"Let's get moving."
They camped alongside Sundermount, pitching tents and building small fires for cooking. Everyone took turns using the tents for privacy, removing their armor and putting on more comfortable attire. Once they were settled in and sat down to eat Varric began telling his tales, keeping everyone entertained. Kora looked around at them all and smiled to herself at how easy it was to bring these very different groups of people together when there was a common goal.
She reached out to get a feel for the mood of the group, sensing nothing but warmth, comradery and commitment. No one was staring anyone down and there was no tension or hostility. There was just a group of men and women who had a vested interest in the outcome of their mission and would do what needed to be done to be sure it was a success. Suddenly she felt an elbow in her side and turned to see Cullen smiling at her.
"Someone seems pleased with themselves," he said, bringing another spoonful of stew to his mouth. She laughed and shook her head.
"Aren't you?" she asked. "Look around, who would have thought something like this was possible? Granted it's a small group but I feel it's an accomplishment none the less." She took another mouthful of her stew and Cullen nodded.
"Agreed," he said as he scraped the last of his meal out of the bowl. "Let's just hope we can do what needs to be done." Kora nodded, took the last spoonful from her bowl, and stood up. She snatched Cullen's bowl from his hands playfully, eliciting a surprised 'hey' from him and brought them to the small brook to wash. When she returned she dropped them in the supply pack and cleared her throat for everyone's attention.
"Now that we are all gathered and there is food in our bellies I'd like to discuss why we are all here," she said, sure to look everyone in the eye before continuing. "I'll go over our mission, the short version, and if anyone has questions please leave them for the end." She took a deep breath and launched into the speech she had been preparing in her head for a month now.
Everyone listened intently, a few coughs and sighs the only responses she received. Cullen had shared what they discussed late the previous night with his people and Hawke had filled in his people as well. Lyle and his men had been briefed on the ship so everyone was on the same page. When she was finished everyone nodded their understanding.
"Any questions?" she asked. The three initiate Templars looked at each other but shook their heads, refusing to verbalize their thoughts. Picking up on their tension, Kora walked over to them . "Whatever it is, best to get it out now before it's too late. Let's hear it."
Cullen had brought along two men and a woman beside himself and Carver, all with the same dark hair and dark eyes, obviously siblings. The sister kept looking back and forth between her two brothers, finally sighing and standing to look Kora in the eye.
"Since no one else has the nerve to ask it, I will. How did you come by this knowledge, Your Grace?" she asked, a look in her eye that said she would suffer no bull shit. Cullen moved to stand but Kora put up a hand to stop him, meeting the woman's glare with one of her own.
"What is your name, Initiate?" Kora asked, speaking slowly for emphasis. The woman visibly tensed under her scrutiny, anxiety pouring off of her.
"Seanna, Your Grace," she replied, keeping her voice even. Kora changed her stance, cocking her hip toward the much younger woman and loosening her arms, trying to put her at ease.
"I have access to an abundance of knowledge, Seanna," she replied, keeping her voice low. "Having a sibling and a spouse in the Grey Wardens contributes to that. But this knowledge came from a very different source, one I wouldn't expect anyone to accept or understand on its own. You have only my word that it is accurate.
"If any of you wish to leave, no one will stop you, but I can assure you I have not been nor will I be telling any tales this evening. However to clarify, I will entertain questions regarding the circumstances surrounding our goal, nothing more." Kora held the woman's gaze until she finally nodded, returning to sit with her brothers. Kora nodded back then looked around at the others. "Anything else?"
"Yes, Your Grace," Hawke stood, "Would it not be beneficial to have Wardens accompanying us?". Hawke knew the answer, they had discussed it at length the night before. Picking up on his attempt to distract everyone from the obvious tension she gave him a small nod and began to explain as best she could, without giving too much away.
That topic brought up a whole new round of questions regarding the Wardens and their reasons for keeping their target alive instead of just ending it like they would have an Archdemon. With no answers available to any of them it became a conversation, everyone offering their opinion as to why. Kora finally sat back down with Cullen on the log they had been sharing, sighing with relief that she was no longer the center of attention. She glanced at the man next to her and smiled, reminiscing about what her life was like before Flemeth had interfered.
Greagoir made it a point to send all the new recruits on apostate-hunting missions every so often. They would spend their days tracking but what she looked forward to were the camps they would make at the end of those sometimes long and tedious days. They would laugh and joke, talk about their lives before and what they saw in their futures while they set up tents and prepared the evening meal. They would bond as only brothers and sisters could and she'd treasured every moment.
As was her habit on those outings she leaned toward Cullen until her shoulder touched his then rested her head on it. Kora stared into the fire, closing her eyes and letting her mind drift, pulling her into the past; a simpler time full of friendship and honor that seemed so foreign.
"You should go get some rest," Cullen's voice interrupted her thoughts, making her lift her head. She blinked several times, confused at first with where she was but then reality set in.
"Maybe you're right," she smiled and stood to address the group once more. "Good night all, and don't be too far behind me. We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow." Kora stood, stretched and left for her tent.
"A long day," Cullen repeated, sighing. A long day of keeping that woman from doing anything foolish. He laughed to himself as he shook his head.
Good luck with that.