"What are we doing?"
Katrina just about jumped out of her skin as the voice came from nowhere, just behind her. Whirling to look over her shoulder, she stared at the hulking figure who was somehow crouched on the same outcrop of rock she'd climbed up to, looking out over the hold.
Eyeing the man, she took in the thick black hair and beard that covered his face—vaguely reminiscent of Thane Blackwall's—and the crystal blue eyes that peered at her from beneath thick black eyebrows, raised in curiosity. What really caught her attention, however, was the streak of red smeared across his nose.
Maker, was that blood?
The outcrop wasn't small by any means. Rather, it was big enough for more than a few people to sprawl out—almost like a natural balcony—and considering how easy it had been for her to get up here, the Avvar likely used it often. She should have considered that. Climbing a cliff wasn't much different than scaling a wall—actually, so long as there wasn't ice, it was considerably easier.
The Avvar hadn't yet figured out how well Katrina could climb, however, and she'd rather hoped to keep it a secret for a little while longer. After all, it was nice to be able to slip out of places whenever one wished.
Not that Katrina had wished to slip off on her own here at the Lions' hold.
Well, she hadn't wanted to.
Now, though…
Katrina had lain out on the outcrop, with her head just close enough to the edge that she could see out onto the winding streets of the hold, but still duck down low enough to not be seen if anyone looked her way.
Or so she'd thought.
She'd decided early in the morning that she'd needed a break from reading. She was quite certain she would go blind soon, despite Cole having told her multiple times that she would be fine. Even without the threat of diminished eye sight, she had been too restless to be holed up indoors all day. She'd needed to stretch, to walk.
To find that damnable thane who'd been avoiding her.
She'd thought it would be an easy enough task, yet everything had been so hectic in the hold. Or perhaps that'd been because she wasn't used to being out and about without Cullen at her side. A lot of warriors and hunters and the like had been returning to the hold, and everything had seemed a bit busier than usual. She'd felt a little lost wandering the streets of the hold by herself and had decided that a higher vantage point would help her tremendously.
Realizing that he was still waiting for an answer, she shrugged a little, "I was just…enjoying the view."
The man sprawled out beside her, peering out over the hold as well, eyes glittering as a grin stretched his face. "It is nice."
He'd crossed his arms and propped his chin up on them so that he could stare out with ease, and Katrina eyed him, trying to place him. She'd met quite a few members of Cullen's hold in the last month, though it had hardly been everyone. When she couldn't place him, she figured he must be one of the many she'd yet to cross paths with.
Perhaps this was his perch.
"I don't recognize you," he commented a little offhandedly as he let his gaze wander the hold, eyes seeming to trace the curving paths through the buildings. "Are you here to spy on behalf of the Spindle Webs?"
"I wouldn't be doing a very good job if I was," Katrina commented. When he laughed, she shook her head. "No, I'm a guest here. For a while."
Shouldn't he have known that? Or perhaps because he hadn't met her, he hadn't made the connection.
After all, in the last month, she had been getting into the swing of things in the Avvar culture. She wore the leathers they'd given her well, and didn't look too out of place—at least she thought so. She'd been outside more, leading to a decent tan and her freckles were definitely more prominent then when she'd first arrived. The sun was bleaching her hair, too, making it look even lighter, if that was possible. All in all, she thought she fit in rather well.
In retrospect, her hair was probably shining like a damned beacon up where she hid, as the sun was out in force this afternoon.
"A guest," the man mused, still inspecting the hold. "I haven't been back in a while, and I didn't know there was a guest here. I suppose that would explain the accent, though."
"Katrina," she introduced herself offering a short nod.
He eyed her a minute and then grinned again, nodding back. "Garrett."
"Well, it's nice to meet you, Garrett."
"You as well," he replied, then paused and laughed. "I don't normally get such friendly greetings."
Katrina couldn't help but smile as well. "Neither do I."
The two of them settled into a brief silence for a while, both content to watch the world pass by beneath them. Katrina had braided her hair that morning, and as the wind gusted by, she was grateful to have thought to do that, again. After all, nothing like a banner of white gold waving from a hiding spot to out you.
She considered that and glanced at Garrett. Almost immediately he was looking back at her. Was he watching her more than the world below? "Am I really easy to see up here?"
"You are from over…there." He pointed off a way to the right. There was a lonely path that wandered up the side of the mountain, a bit further from the rest of the hold, toward some sort of cave that Katrina had yet to visit. In fact, Cullen had asked her not to go up there, as there was little she would need that way. She hadn't considered breaking his one request of her, as she was rather fond of him. "I was walking up and happened a glance to the side. Thought I'd come say hello." He paused before adding, "You should be careful, though. If you were up here when a raid happened, you'd get stolen without anyone ever knowing." Even as he finished, he seemed to consider his words and drummed his fingers against the rock beneath them. "Though, I suppose our dear thane here would let you know if there was a prospective one incoming."
"He'd have to bother to talk to me to do that," Katrina muttered before she could stop herself. As Garrett's eyebrows shot up, she rolled her eyes and slumped down against their perch. "He's mad at me for something ridiculously stupid."
"Really?" Garrett shifted a little closer to her. "You know, he is very tightly wound. I keep waiting for him to snap." He laughed at that, though Katrina was too irritated with her memories to find any humor in it. Garrett nudged her. "What happened?"
"I don't know if I should spread that story," Katrina replied, mouth twisting to the side. She crossed her arms much like Garrett's were, resting her head against one crook of an elbow so that she could look at him.
"If it makes it better, I'll be heading out again fairly soon, so I won't be around to spread any unscrupulous rumors."
Despite the protest that all but commanded itself out of Katrina's mouth, she frowned, her lips a thin line. Cullen had started this by avoiding her. Surely one couldn't be faulted for voicing disquiet. "You know, what? I'll tell you. Because I don't understand what was so bad about what I said, and no one will explain it to me."
"I'll happily explain it to you," he encouraged.
They both shifted back a bit on the outcrop so that they were further from the edge. After all, it wouldn't do to have anyone see them while they gossiped. "Alright, so. Cullen—"
"He lets you call him Cullen?" Garrett's eyes glittered like the Fade itself was trying to escape them.
"I…well, he hasn't corrected me," Katrina shifted a little. He had requested she call him Thane Magicsbane forever ago, but she'd been calling him Cullen this last month, and he hadn't objected.
"I'm sorry, go on," Garrett rolled his wrist, motioning for her to continue.
It felt oddly home-y to be talking like this, off in some quiet place, almost as though she and Amelia or Clarence were whispering about other nobles in some sitting room or garden. "Well, he and his sister were arguing about why he hadn't stolen me—"
"But you're a guest." Garrett interrupted. He tilted his head. "You don't steal guests."
"Yes, well…" Katrina fought back a blush, though she was certain it still colored her cheeks. "It's a long story, but his sister was saying I should have been stolen, not invited as a guest." She paused to see if Garrett would interrupt again, and when he didn't, she kept going. "I wasn't really paying attention, so I don't even know how they got onto that subject. Something to do with my family and then…" She let out a scoff and shook her head. "I don't know. But they were arguing, and so I said that he couldn't have stolen me anyway—"
She cut herself off as she saw the look of pure, unadulterated joy settle over Garrett's face.
His head dropped down, and his shoulders shook for a moment before he finally managed to rein in his mirth. When he lifted his head, he had smudges of dirt on his forehead. He propped himself up on his elbows, chin cupped in his hands "You told the Thane of the Red Lions that he was incapable of stealing you?"
"What…?" Katrina shook her head. "No. And I explained to them: you can't steal a Free Marcher from an Orlesian any more than you can steal an Avvar from an Orlesian." When he still looked amused, she shook her head. "We don't belong to them. You can't steal someone from someone who doesn't own them."
"I think you are misinterpreting words, Lowlander." Though she wondered how he knew, it quickly dawned on her that her talk of Orlais and the like, as well as her accent, probably tipped him off. "You sound as though you think we Avvar consider our women property. That is not it. There must be an agreement between clans that women can be taken, yes, but…"
"But what?"
"It is…hard to explain."
"Well, you could try. No one else has bothered to. They just got offended," Katrina pouted. "And anyway, parents in the Lowlands basically sell their children for political gain, mostly daughters. It felt similar. The Orlesians cannot benefit from an arranged marriage they have no authority to set up, nor can I be stolen from them as I've no real ties to them. The same goes for any Avvar tribe I might stay with. It is a logical comparison, and it makes sense."
When she was ready to defend her point further, Garrett held up a hand, still grinning like a fool. "Alright. I believe you."
"You don't sound it," Katrina muttered, sitting up a little and glaring toward the ground.
He simply laughed again. "I'm sure Thane Magicsbane understood that it was a cultural gap, as well."
"You wouldn't think that the way he's been acting," Katrina muttered.
"Oh?"
"I said that two nights ago, and it was like I kicked a wounded puppy. He's been avoiding me ever since."
"Two nights ago," Garrett echoed, oddly curious about the timing.
"And then he tells me I should sleep in my own bed for a while." She turned her glare to Garrett, oblivious to the way the sparkle in his eyes had doubled. "It wasn't that big of a deal."
"You share his bed."
Katrina was surprised how embarrassed she felt at the comment. She'd sort of gotten the impression that sharing one's bed wasn't nearly as big a deal here as it was in the Lowlands. Glancing down, she picked at her nail, mumbling a weak excuse as she wondered if she was breaking some sort of rule, "He's…warm."
At that, Garrett collapsed against their perch, cackling. Katrina wondered if perhaps she ought to avoid telling him anything further. He was clearly enjoying this too much, and even if he was about to go off on another hunt or scouting missing or…whatever it was that had him leaving again, when he got back, he seemed a bit too amused with this story to keep it to himself.
She was tempted to leave him there to choke on his laughter, but she wanted to make sure she got his word that he wouldn't go around gossiping upon his return.
After what felt like an eternity of him most definitely laughing at her, he finally managed to calm himself, his face red as he gasped for breath. When he noticed how unamused Katrina was, he tried to don a serious expression. His lips trembled, however, rebelling against his attempts to keep them in a straight line. "I think you should not worry so. Perhaps something came up. Perhaps he knew he would need to be out of bed early and into bed late, and didn't want to wake you with his coming and going."
"Sounds like nugshit to me," Katrina muttered. "He could have said something, anything, if that was the case."
"Perhaps he thought you would have more faith in him than that," Garrett offered.
She felt guilt needle her stomach and eyed him, suspiciously. "I have faith in him."
"Then why do you fret that this is such a big deal when you haven't talked to him about it?"
"Because I can't find him to talk to him," she protested. "He's avoiding me. His siblings, too."
"Hmm…" Garrett drummed his fingers against the ground before finally pointing at her. "I think I can help you."
Katrina perked up a little. "You know where I can find Cullen?"
"Ah, no," Garrett sat back, scratching at his ear before he glanced down and brushed some dirt from his leathers. "I'm not sure where your beloved thane is at the moment…" He was grinning again when he saw her blush at his comments. "You would not be so put out if he didn't mean a great deal to you."
Despite the truth of it, Katrina sat up as well and kept her head held high as she let her gaze wander out over the hold again, hoping against hope to see a glimmer of golden curls in the streets below. Of course there was nothing. "Perhaps I merely dislike the slight."
"A truly Lowlander objection." Holding his hand out to her, he motioned with his head toward the cliff. "Run away with me." When she rolled her eyes slowly toward him, unamused, his grin returned again, a wide and welcoming sight. It was rather infectious, and Katrina found it hard not to smile back. "I jest, dear lady. But I was serious about the help. I happen to know Branson's favorite spot to work on his gear or simply think. I can take you there."
Maker's mercy, but it seemed like the first good thing to happen in days.
Since her unfortunate comment…
If she couldn't find Cullen, perhaps Branson would be able to give her advice on how to get back into his brother's good graces. Glancing back over the hold, she tilted her head. "Which way?"
"Come."
Rather than head back toward that cave, Garrett slipped down the cliff face, careful to stay in shadows and behind the various shrubs growing out of the stone. As he started down, Katrina looked out one last time and paused when she saw Cole standing in one of the streets looking up at her. Despite feeling that she certainly could have used his help earlier, he'd been absent the last few days. Even so, there was no reason to mad at him. He was a spirit or God, and there were likely more people who required assistance than she. Katrina offered him a short wave before heading over to the cliff face.
Garrett paused only once to offer Katrina a hand, though he was grinning like a fool again when he saw how well she kept up with him.
Katrina glanced out over the hold a few times to see if anyone had noticed them as they headed down. She had to say she was a bit surprised by the paths Garrett took, never crossing any of the main streets, and sticking mostly behind buildings and the like. It was almost like wandering the alleys back in Starkhaven.
Well, there was a considerably lower chance of being murdered, here, of course.
It wasn't until they reached the southern wall blocked in the hold from the woods beyond that Katrina gave pause.
Glancing over his shoulder at her, Garrett nodded his head toward the wall. "Branson's a bit like his brother. He like's quiet. His little haven is just outside the hold."
"And we're not going through the gate because…?"
"The gate," Garrett began, slowly, "is back west, and I don't think you want to spend an hour going up to it and then back down here, just to find Branson left in the amount of time it took us to follow more acceptable routes. We climb the wall, and we'll be there in minutes."
Katrina considered it a moment before nodding. "Fair enough."
With that, she strode over to the wall to scale it with her newfound friend.
…-…
Things had been going well.
In the last month, Cullen was desperately careful to avoid the subject of Katrina's family—it had brought her to tears once, and he couldn't bear to see her crumble like that again, especially when he could think of no way to fix the damage that had already been done. That fire in her that burned so deep seemed to make all of her emotions equally so, when she dared to let them free. The memory of her crying against him, clinging to him as she confessed that her world had fallen apart… It was something he didn't want her to have to face again, if he could help it.
Perhaps it was cowardly on his part, but he wanted to stave off that moment for as long as he could.
Aside from that, which had been progressing fairly well—aside from annoying Rosalie—life had seemed better than it had been in a long time, at least for Cullen. He wasn't as worried about the little details that went into managing the hold.
While he was concerned that Lowlanders might attack, his scouts were thorough and many of their mages conferred with the Gods regularly. The Gods were acting as extra eyes all through the mountains, it seemed.
It made Cullen wonder why they hadn't better defended the Wolves. Perhaps that attack on Mia's clan had been what had pressured the Gods into this hyper-vigilance, but something about that seemed off. He'd attempted to address the issue with Morrigan once, but she had made it clear that she had no intention of speaking about her clan with him any further than whatever might be relevant to their current endeavors.
How much of the picture was Cullen missing? Hadn't someone indicated that the Wolves had somehow brought this upon themselves? Where had he heard that…? Had it just been a passing rumor from someone in the hold?
Not even notions of self-sabotage on Thane Blackwall's part could keep his spirits down long, though.
At the end of the day, Cullen had Katrina. Every night, she had found a reason to come talk to him as they were heading to bed and then somehow she was always curled up beside him as they drifted to sleep.
There was a pleasantness to it that he couldn't place.
Did he want her in more primal ways? Of course. Did his dreams turn toward sliding his hands along her bare skin, their clothes carelessly tossed about the room, her body held firmly against his own? Almost every night.
But this, whatever it was that they had, was nice in its own way.
It was like a dream itself, like a breath held just before a fall, the butterflies' wings in his stomach poised to flutter through the plunge, but not ready to move just yet.
And then reality had finally come crashing down, scattering the whispers of romance with more impending responsibilities.
"Have the Gods found the Lowlanders yet?" Cullen asked as he stared into the ethereal flicker of flames at the center of his augur's hut. Cassandra sat beside him, waiting as well.
Galyan's red hair fluttered from an absent wind, his eyes glowing as he watched the flames dance, casting shadows across his slender frame as though he were sitting half in the Fade himself. "They are not being clear."
Two days ago, Grim had returned to the hold from a hunt early, with a rather dire report. It was a small consolation that Jim had gotten the message confused and that the Lowlanders themselves were not laying claim to the Wolves' territory.
What was happening was still far from ideal, however.
Ideal…
That would be the Lowlanders forgetting about Katrina altogether.
Even without the prospect of Lowlander neighbors, Grim's report had been a miserable one. While he'd been hunting, up near their border with the Wolves' former territory—part of the reason the hunters were going so far was to keep an eye on their borders, and to make sure any new clan moving in would know where their lands stopped—he'd stumbled across a small skirmish.
The White Feather Hawks had been exploring the area, inspecting the resources that had been left behind by the Wolves, to see if it was worth staking claim to the area. They'd been resting midday—as the days grew hotter, the Avvar found themselves slowing down while the sun was at its highest—when suddenly the Lowlanders had been upon them.
There had been two, according to Grim.
Only two.
And yet, they'd fought with a ferocity that Grim was not looking forward to seeing again. They'd worn cloth around their faces, keeping their features mostly hidden, but Grim was certain that one had been a woman and the other an elf. The elf had been the truly dangerous one with his daggers, while the woman had shown clear signs of fighting being a new skill to her.
Grim said that the White Feathers had been ashamed to admit that they might have lost that fight, two on two as it had been. One of them had been knocked unconscious, and the other, a man Grim referred to only as Duncan, had said that, upon incapacitating his fellow scout, the Lowlanders had demanded—in very strange accents—that he lead them to wherever a 'Lady Trevelyan' was being held hostage if he wanted to live. They had threatened that the full force of the Lowlands would bear down upon them if he failed to acquiesce their demands. They'd used a lot of larger words in common, most of which meant nothing to Duncan, but he'd understood common well enough to know the threat.
Duncan had been attempting to figure out what they were talking about when the Red Lions had arrived. The Lowlanders had not been completely unreasonable, and when he'd explained that he was not native to the area in question, they had conversed with one another in a foreign tongue he hadn't recognized.
Grim and his small hunting party had joined in the fray upon seeing a fellow Avvar cornered by Lowlanders and turned the odds in the Avvar's favor. Their numbers had forced the Lowlanders to retreat, though Grim was sorry to inform Cullen that they hadn't been able to capture or kill either.
Rosalie had been sent to investigate the Lowlanders, as she was one of the best trackers their hold had—she was also incredibly good at not being seen, and falling back. The only person she didn't seem to know when to back down against was Cullen.
What it meant—had to mean—however, was that the Lowlanders had figured out that Katrina was not with the Wolves.
Grim had left his hunting party to finish the hunt while heading home to warn Cullen, and Duncan had gathered his fellow White Feather and headed back to speak with their thane.
Thane Everburning had apparently been a lot closer to the Wolves' territory—and the Lions'—than they'd expected, for word had reached Cullen that he was en route not even an hour after hearing Grim's report. The White Feathers must have been in dire need of a new home, if they were already prowling so close. Likely it was thanks to their current thane and his…unorthodox ways of dealing with damned near everything.
Cullen had spent the rest of the discussing increased patrols throughout their lands, particularly closer to the hold. Several of the further groups he'd sent were being called back in case the hold did have to endure some sort of onslaught, as well.
He'd figured that he would speak with Katrina and Morrigan about the progress of the translations that evening after talking to Grim, but…
He scowled at the fires in front of him, the scene from two nights ago bubbling back up into his mind.
It's not like he could have stolen me anyway.
"Thane, you needn't sit here and wait for the Gods to speak. I'm sure you have more pressing matters to tend to," Galyan offered, frowning slightly as the light died down in his eyes, making him look like a normal man. He glanced toward Cassandra and then back to Cullen. "At the moment, I'd include regular sleep in such a category, if you were wondering."
"It's midday," Cullen murmured, running a hand down his face. He let it stop just below his eyes, covering the lower half of his face. Despite his protests, sleep did sound heavenly. He hadn't gotten much in the last two days, especially with Thane Everburning arriving yesterday morning in the early hours and staying until this morning.
At least the man was gone, now.
Thane Garrett Ar Leandra O White Feather Hold Everburning and Cullen had never gotten along very well—well, Garrett claimed a certain fondness for Cullen, though it was not reciprocated. They'd had their tiffs, but had still managed to work together on one or two occasions that had required it. Even so, Cullen preferred there to be a great distance between the two of them.
He'd almost rather have the Wolves come back than have the White Feathers move in.
And least Garrett hadn't met Katrina.
If the Gods would be so kind, their paths would never cross.
Cullen had two reasons for such wishes, though one was fairly petty.
Garrett was bound to jump onto the 'Look who fancies Lowlanders now' train of thought, and he'd likely be happy to drag Katrina into it. Cullen didn't want that happening until he knew where he and she actually stood.
He didn't want to demand Katrina make a choice about whether she would stay with the Lions or not, but it was a growing ache in his chest every time she somehow avoided giving him an answer and every day that she avoided the subject completely. He hadn't brought it up in the last two weeks, afraid that if he pushed the matter too much, he would have an answer he didn't want.
He'd been trying not to worry about that, trying to just enjoy the way life had gotten so much more…comfortable since her arrival. People had commented on it to him. Galyan had seemed particularly pleased with the turn of events. "She's good for you," he'd said a few days prior. "Everyone can see it. If the Lowlander mess can be dealt with swiftly, I don't think the hold would protest her continued presence."
It seemed everyone was fine with her staying, with the only hiccup being that she didn't seem to want to. That had to be why she never answered him, hadn't it? But why wouldn't she? They got along well, found each other's company enjoyable, she'd said herself that she had no home to return to. So why couldn't she say just she would stay?
It's not like he could have stolen me anyway.
That was there, nagging at the back of his mind.
It was a mess. A tangled, wretched mess that had rubbed the shine off of whatever it was that they had. It had marred the serenity of that blissful dream.
Well, that and the fact that the Lowlanders were already searching for her closer to the hold than they'd hoped.
And that Thane Everburning had come by and was soon to be a neighbor.
Cullen had meant to tell her about all the nonsense unfurling the night that he'd learned of it. After their evening gathering, he had planned let her know about the need for her to stay in for a few days, and that Rosalie would be gone for a while.
They'd gathered to listen to tales of the Lowlands, via one of Rosalie's trinkets, and the evening had been going well, when things had turned toward Katrina's family, and it had all spiraled down from there.
Rosalie had asked him what it was about Katrina's family that bothered him so much. She'd pointed out that Katrina's family was hardly a threat, anyway, and that if they wanted, they could keep Katrina without her family's permission, as they likely lived so far away that they wouldn't be able to start a blood feud with the clan.
Luckily, Katrina had missed most of that, having drifted off in her own thoughts.
Then, as if the Gods were intent to remind him that life was not always pleasant, when she had caught up with the conversation, Katrina made that comment about him not being able to steal her.
Cole had assured him that she hadn't meant anything by it—he was fairly certain she'd been trying to help—but it had just…
The sentence had repeated itself in his head in every dream he'd had thus far—despite getting little sleep, he somehow managed to be haunted by that—each one manifesting a reason for her to say it in a different manner.
Had he not proved himself strong enough time and time again?
Hakkon's biting rage, he had stolen her that night, when she'd stood against him. Surely she couldn't argue that she could have actually gotten away if she'd wanted to.
She'd made that attempt to ease her words, claiming freedom from the Orlesians and the Wolves, but it felt like a weak effort to undo the damage she'd caused…and she hadn't bothered to say that until after she'd looked at him. He must have been wearing his wounded pride despite his attempts to hide it.
She was a Lowlander, and he'd taken her from the Lowlands. No one—not a single soul—could argue that. Jim might have caught her first, but Cullen had kept her. Even if Jim had tried to claim a right to her, it wouldn't have ended with a marriage. Katrina would have fought his claim 'til her dying breath. She was not one to be contained with simple declarations.
With Cullen, though…
He hadn't tried to force anything on her, but to work with her. With good reason, too.
There was nothing that could have conquered those flames, that steel will inside of her. Docile as she could be when content, he still felt certain that she was a force all her own. One to be reckoned with.
Was that why she'd said what she had?
Did he not burn as brightly in her eyes as she did in his?
It had been the perfect ending to a miserable day that had started out so well. If he could have just stayed in that grotto, sparring with her and laying in the grass, living solely in the present…
He'd suggested they sleep in their own beds because of Thane Everburning's imminent arrival, though he hadn't specified why. He'd figured he'd tell her in the morning, after he'd had a night to nurse his wounded pride.
Cullen had meant to explain to her that she needed to avoid Thane Everburning, mostly because of the second reason. The valid one that wouldn't leave people regarding him with disapproval.
Cullen hadn't known whether Thane Everburning's clan might be one of the ones Cole had warned him about.
One of the clans that knew of and worked with the Orlesians.
Cole had come to him and assured him he'd be able to tell his fellow thane's intentions once he was there.
Of course he'd had arrived early. Cullen had swung by Katrina's room to let her know their morning practice had been canceled, and then spent hours discussing the Wolves' territory and working out borders and terms for being neighbors, as Thane Everburning was quite insistent on the matter. A burned out hold was nothing to deter him.
Cullen hadn't seen a point in dragging things on so long.
Cole had shown up long enough to give Cullen a nod of approval for sharing about the goings on, and so he had explained why the territory might not be ideal. He'd still kept Katrina out of it, though. If the White Feathers didn't know of Katrina's location, they wouldn't be able to give it away if they were attacked.
Despite warnings and talk of Lowlander antics, the White Feathers would not be dissuaded from taking up residence just north of the Lions.
After staying the night, Thane Everburning and his small entourage had headed off a little before noon.
Cullen had been relieved to see them go. He'd managed to house Thane Everburning and his people nearer the throne room in his hold. Unlike Thane Blackwall's hold, Cullen's home was not attached to his throne area, though there was a building near it—about as far from the throne as his home—for guests. He'd kept Katrina and Morrigan with him rather than setting them up there for security reasons—and to have an excuse to keep Katrina closer—and he'd been grateful for that when he'd found the need to house more guests.
With his fellow thane in the hold, he'd opted not to sleep the night before. He'd stayed vigilant, partially keeping up with reports of scouts and hunters returning to the hold, partially making sure that Thane Everburning didn't decide to go exploring the hold on his own.
It occurred to him at Galyan's suggestion that he get some sleep that he must be wearing his exhaustion rather clearly at this point. Coupled with last night, the night before, after he and Katrina's… misunderstanding, he'd barely slept at all due to preparing the hold for the incoming thane.
Still, midday was no time for sleeping. He'd crash tonight and sleep better than he had in…
Well, he'd been sleeping rather well with Katrina next to him.
He paused as it suddenly occurred to him that despite his intents, he couldn't remember explaining to her about the visiting thane or Rosalie's departure. It was with slowly growing unrest that Cullen realized he hadn't.
He hadn't told her anything.
Korth's teeth. How could he have…?
Forget the encroaching dangers, he was ruining things faster than they could.
Abruptly standing from his place beside the fire, Cullen nodded to Galyan and then to Cassandra.
"Going to listen to me, then?" Galyan teased as Cullen turned to go.
"I'm going to see how the translations are coming along," Cullen replied, ignoring the knowing smirks that stretched at both his augur's and arena master's lips.
With the Gods' graces, Katrina wouldn't be too upset with him. After all, it wasn't like he'd been purposefully avoiding her.
Tired as he was, Cullen had headed back to his home. He must have had a worn aura about him, for no one stopped him on the way, and in no time he was passing into his home and down the hall, to the room where Katrina and Morrigan would be reading at this time of day. As he'd stepped into the room, he'd frowned when he saw Morrigan was by herself. "Where is Katrina?"
"I assumed you'd let your training run long," Morrigan muttered, flipping a page in the book she was reading.
At that, Cullen frowned. "We didn't practice today."
Morrigan arched her eyebrows, head tilting to the side. "Then I believe you've lost your Lowlander. She wasn't in her room." Even as Cullen stood there, trying to process what that actually meant—obviously she was still in the hold, somewhere—Morrigan rolled her gaze up toward him. "She was quite distraught yesterday, as well. Seemed to think you were angry with her. When none of you showed up last night for your daily lesson on the Lowlands, it all but confirmed it. I could hear her pacing in her room half the night."
"Why would she have—" Cullen's eyes widened as he realized he'd never actually gotten around to telling her that Rosalie would be gone, either. Garrett's early arrival had distracted him and…
It was a poor excuse.
Hurrying out of his home, he let his gaze sweep the hold, wondering where he might find Katrina. Surely she hadn't gotten far. Perhaps, not knowing that there would be outsiders in the hold, she'd decided to explore today? He'd taken her around the hold a few times, though most of it was still fairly foreign to her.
Even as he remembered that she'd mentioned she liked their training grounds, enjoying the energy in the air as the Avvar trained, attempting to appease the Gods so that they might be granted a boone in battle, Cole was suddenly there, standing in front of him.
Relaxing a little, Cullen nodded toward the God. "Have you seen Katrina?"
"She's gone."
"What?"
"Low guard, pretty smile. All alone or all abandoned? A flickering temper with fear fueling it. It will be easy to make a point."
Cullen felt like his nerves were fraying at the edges. "I don't know what that means!"
"Thane Everburning decided to steal her."