Chapter Three
The Hinterlands provided a respite for Beatrix from all the snow and ice…and from a certain Commander who undoubtedly must have been cursing as he cleaned his armor and boots. She felt mortified about the whole thing, though she had warned him. Damned Commander was as stubborn as she, or even more. She was glad she hadn't seen him before they left.
She had, however, left precise instructions for Josephine to write a missive to her parents informing them that she was alive and well. There would be more time to write them personally when she cleared everything up here and got the horses for the Inquisition. She didn't think their stay in the Hinterlands would be long.
She was wrong.
Everything needed fixing. For starters, immediately after they arrived they had to save Inquisition soldiers from mages and templars who were fighting very close to their forward camp. Once that was dealt with, Beatrix saw a rift in the distance and had trotted over to close it, her team right behind her.
Of course, that wasn't the only rift in the area. By the time she reached the Crossroads proper, she was physically exhausted, only to find that they had arrived in the middle of a battle – mages and templars alike attacking the refugees and villagers.
The world had gone mad.
Once that was dealt with, they met up with Corporal Vale who urged them to help out. Beatrix couldn't say no. People were literally starving and cold during the nights as they huddled near small campfires. So she had to get them meat from rams they killed in the hills and look for supply caches left abandoned by the rebel mages, which contained blankets and warm cloaks among other necessary things. This meant running into two more rifts along the way, as well as bandits and more mages and templars.
She spoke to Mother Giselle, and found her to be quite agreeable, more than Roderick at any rate. The kind mother urged her to go to Val Royeaux to talk to the Chantry priestesses there. Giselle then told her she would go to Haven to give Leliana a list of names – the ones that were at least willing to talk to the Inquisition. Then she left for Haven.
Beatrix sighed to herself as she got busy with tasks she still had to do. Indeed, it felt like the whole world had been dropped unceremoniously on her shoulders.
She managed to finish all these tasks in a week, but there was still work ahead for her and her team. They still had to find Master Dennet, the horsemaster who had horses that the Inquisition needed. He lived in a rural area outside the Crossroads, so Beatrix set out with her team, Scout Harding and some Inquisition soldiers to set up camp once they arrived.
It was here that matters got complicated. Really complicated.
Dennet didn't want to send his horses to Haven because it was dangerous out there. He wanted an end to the mage and templar war in the Hinterlands, and he also wanted them to talk to his wife and his farmhand, Bron.
This meant that he wanted things done, aside from stopping the mages and templars.
After speaking to the horsmaster's wife and Bron, the farmhand, the team walked to their camp totally exhausted and decided to take a break. Beatrix sighed as she eyed the pond right next to the camp. She didn't want to take her armor off in front of everyone. However, she desperately needed a bath, so she walked on ahead getting closer to what sounded like running water.
The joy she felt at discovering a brook was cut short. Above her head, a rift cackled and popped and suddenly came to life. She let out a scream to alert her team and waited, falling into stealth automatically.
Bloody demons.
…
The crow flew directly to Leliana's arm, and settled itself there. The spymaster quickly took the parchment tied to its leg, and motioned at it to fly off after giving it a treat. What she read had her chuckling to herself for a few moments. She turned to one of her agents and ordered him to inform the other two advisors to meet her in the Chantry in an hour.
Humming to herself, Leliana looked through the papers on her desk and found two that she needed for the meeting. She took these and the missive in her hand and walked to the Chantry to show the letter to Josephine. She had known the Ambassador for quite some time now – they had been close friends in the past. She wanted to share her letter with her before the meeting, for she knew Josie would simply love it. At the very least, it would make her laugh. Smiling, she knocked on the door before letting herself in.
Josephine smiled when she looked up and found the visitor to be Leliana.
"Anything I can do for you, Leliana?" Her rich Antivan accent filled the room. At that moment, Minaeve, who shared the room with Josephine, let her know that she was heading off to speak to the alchemist. Josephine nodded and Leliana's smile followed the elven girl until she left the room, closing the door behind her.
"I received a missive today from the Herald," Leliana replied once they were alone, holding out the parchment to Josephine. "I thought I would share it with you before we go to the meeting room."
Josephine smiled gratefully as she took the parchment and unrolled it, clearing her throat with a smile.
Sister (Leliana)Nightingale, Ambassador Josephine, Mighty Commander,
I thought I would be staying here only to talk to Mother Giselle, get the horses from Master Dennet, and seal some rifts. I realized that more things needed to be done as the Crossroads were under attack and I had to help the refugees – some were literally starving to death! That part is fine. I like helping people. So, I thought I would be done in a week at the most, then back to Haven to write to my parents (I trust you sent word to my parents that I am alive, Lady Ambassador?).
I was wrong. This place has lashed out at us with a vengeance.
There are so many rifts, that when one formed above my head while trying to take a bath in a brook, I felt my patience was at an end. Let me tell you that the demons are not the only thing that are annoying. The BEARS! What the fuck is wrong with them? They are getting burned alive thanks to Solas, but they continue to attack!
Honestly, I thought bears were smarter.
As if that wasn't enough, I keep running into crazy bandits with a death wish. I ask you, if you see that all your companions are getting killed, wouldn't you surrender or run away? Nooooo. Not according to these idiots. Not only that, the weapons they wielded to attack us looked like something the recruits wield when they're training in Haven.
So I'll be staying much longer because I have to kill some wolves now and REALLY put an end to the mage-templar war. By the way, I need the Mighty Commander's help. People here need watchtowers built to protect them from the bandits and BEARS. Could he send some soldiers that'll build the bloody things and some to keep watch?
Also, I trust Mother Giselle is in Haven already? Or soon to be there at any rate. (She was (smart) lucky to leave.) Sister Nightingale, she will give you a list of names of clerics in Val Royeaux who would talk to us amicably about the Breach. I didn't ask her what she meant by 'amicably'. I assume we'll talk of this upon my return. Judging by the look of things here, that won't be anytime soon. I forgot to mention I have also uncovered something the Carta is up to, so I have to add that to the list of things to do around here.
Speaking of rifts, I've closed fifteen so far. That's for your records. Truth be told if I see another demon, I'll probably scream and yell at it while I slash it to death. Well, more than I usually do.
We are all (exhausted, annoyed at the work we have to do,) fine, but clearly looking forward to getting back to Haven. I'm looking forward to seeing you ladies again – you've been far too kind to me – but I must confess that our little village isn't very 'peaceful' while the Mighty Commander is on the loose! Maybe I should stay on one side of the village and he on the other?
Beatrix Trevelyan.
P.S. Lady Ambassador, did you remember the chamber pot?
"Oh!" Josephine exclaimed as she finished reading the letter out loud. Jumping up she ran to the door. "I forgot about the chamber pot!"
…
Cullen unwillingly clutched the report on Beatrix Trevelyan he had been given in the meeting room. The meeting had just ended and he was now tasked with putting together a team to send off to the Hinterlands to build the 'bloody watchtowers', as Trevelyan herself had referred to them. He was tired of the name 'Mighty Commander'. He was also very much annoyed at her last sentences directed at him.
With a deep sigh, he stuffed the now wrinkled parchment into one of his coat pockets and focused on readying a team for the Hinterlands. If she thought for a moment that she could order him around, she had another thing coming. He knew putting up the watchtowers was a good idea, but the more he thought about the missive she had sent, the more annoyed he felt.
Barking orders at his twelve best recruits, he turned away once he saw they were off to the blacksmith. They would be properly outfitted and given high-quality weapons. Since he had told them they would be leaving first thing in the morning, Cullen strode to his cabin to wash up and catch up on reports that awaited his signature.
He quickly washed and put on a fresh tunic and loose breeches. Taking the report about the Herald out of his pocket, he smoothed it out the best he could and set it on the far left end of his desk. He held off reading the report on Trevelyan, because he didn't really want to acknowledge that he cared about what was written. However, he soon realized that he was having trouble focusing on the other reports. The one he was looking at now made no sense to him – he had read the first paragraph three times. His eyes kept flitting to the wrinkled report on his left.
With what sounded very much like a snarl, Cullen threw the parchment he had in his right hand on the desk, and snatched up the wrinkled report of Beatrix Trevelyan. He smoothed it out on the hard surface of his desk again before he started to read.
Beatrix Anna Trevelyan of House Trevelyan in Ostwick.
House Trevelyan Coat of Arms: Two golden vines on each side, forming two golden horses rearing up on their hind legs on a field of green with a golden shield in the middle and a single silver sword in the middle of the shield.
House Trevelyan motto: Modest in Temper, Bold in Deed.
Father: Bann Alexander Aristide Trevelyan.
Mother: Lady Eleanor Margot Trevelyan from the noble House of Reinhardt in Kirkwall.
Siblings:
Andras Marcus Trevelyan: second child of Bann and Lady Trevelyan, recruit of the Templar Order. He is presumed to have been killed during the Conclave explosion, although the Herald believes he could be alive somewhere. If this is the case, his current whereabouts are unknown.
Maximillian Bryce Trevelyan: youngest child, eight years old. Next in line to inherit his father's title and estate since the explosion of the Conclave killed Andras Trevelyan.
Beatrix Trevelyan is the eldest of the Trevelyan children. She was to be sole heir of the estate, but chose to give it all up in favor of her brother, Andras. She was sent to the University of Orlais for four years to study History of the Chantry and Thedas. She also trained in wielding weapons (daggers, specifically) and learned how to use a bow. Her instructors took her around Orlais and the Free Marches to visit points of interest that had to do with the History of the Chantry, but it was during her travels that she perfected her combat skills, learning how to defend herself properly.
Aside from breeding horses, the Trevelyans are well known for their vineyards – their wine is said to be the finest in the Free Marches. The eldest child usually inherits the estate and titles, while the other children are taken away to serve the Chantry as Clerics or Templars.
The Herald is reluctant to discuss her travels in Orlais and the Free Marches, but my scouts have interviewed people who know her. She is said to be kind to others and willing to help the defenseless and the poor.
Cullen let out a groan of dismay, followed by a deep sigh. He rubbed his forehead furiously, wishing the headache he now had would go away.
This was brilliant. Fucking brilliant.
The Herald of Andraste was a noble.
…
"What the fuck are you doing here?" Beatrix demanded angrily.
Cullen scowled at her, his golden brown eyes flashing. "You wanted watchtowers built, didn't you? I'm here to organize things and make sure they are built fast. I will stay out of your way."
"I didn't wan-ask you to come!"
"I'm sure you didn't," Cullen replied with a smirk. "Trust me, I don't want to be here. Now, can I have a map to know where I'm building the bloody things? Surely you have one?"
"Ugh!" Beatrix replied as she whirled around to stomp angrily into her tent.
Varric was following the entire display before him with a wide grin until Cullen's eyes fell on him. He then coughed nervously and turned towards the pond. Cassandra was just returning from a wash at the brook, so she hadn't seen or heard anything and was mildly surprised to see Cullen standing in the middle of their camp, at least a dozen soldiers with him – all carrying axes. As for Solas, he was calmly sitting on a log, reading a tome with strange symbols on the cover. He didn't even look up.
"Commander!" Cassandra called out as she approached. "I had no idea you were coming here."
"I'm here to ensure the watchtowers are built fast and in an orderly way. We need those horses after all."
Cassandra nodded, looking around. "Where's the Herald?"
"She marched into her tent a few moments ago. I presume she's retrieving a map that will show me where they want the towers built," Cullen replied with a sigh.
"Ah, I see."
At that moment, Beatrix opened the flap in her tent and walked out, holding a parchment in her hand which she extended to Cullen. He took the parchment, the smirk on his face appearing once again, along with an overall smugness about him that infuriated Beatrix even more.
Cassandra could see that the Herald was very angry. In fact, the anger was rolling off her in waves. Varric was once again smiling and watching them both with interest, but Solas hadn't moved.
What happened next stunned them all, even Solas, who at that moment happened to look up.
Standing on the tip of her toes, Beatrix Anna Trevelyan grabbed Cullen's face and yanked him down towards her. She then kissed him on the lips, hard and furiously, letting go a few moments later. Spinning around she marched away, heading towards the brook.
Everyone watched her walk away and turned to look at Cullen.
The silence was deafening.
The shock on Cullen's face disappeared almost instantly, only to be replaced by a deep red blush that reached his ears. He cleared his throat and looked down at the parchment he was holding, trying to get a grip on himself. He succeeded, of course, but not without a struggle. Straightening himself slightly, he turned to face his soldiers.
They were all smiling at him.
"What are you all smiling about?" he barked, the smiles before him disappearing. "We have work to do! Follow me!"
…
Beatrix clenched her fists as she sat on a rock overlooking the brook. She was breathing hard, still angry at Cullen and his stupid smirk.
If only he hadn't been so damn infuriating over the whole thing, she would have ignored him and that would have been even better punishment for even daring to appear with his men.
After a short while, her heart stopped pounding and her breathing calmed. She heard footsteps behind her and turned her head, her hands moving to her daggers automatically. When she saw it was Varric, she relaxed and gave him a small smile as he moved to sit next to her.
They didn't speak for some time, content to listen to the noise the merry brook made as it raced over the stones and rocks below them. The sun was slowly dipping down – the pinks in the sky heralding a spectacular sunset. Even though the nights were bitterly cold in the Hinterlands, it was still warm enough to sit back and enjoy nature, and so they did.
After a while, Varric broke the silence.
"Never thought I'd be saying this since I don't get along with nature, but this place is beautiful."
Beatrix grinned as she turned to him. "It's one of the best spots around, I daresay. After taking care of the crazy wolves, that is."
"That demon got a lot of slashing and a good share of cursing," Varric chuckled. "It really didn't stand a chance once you attacked."
She laughed at the memory, then grew silent once again. She knew Varric wanted to ask about what had happened, so she just let him. She didn't want it to turn into a big deal, especially now when she found herself remembering Cullen's soft lips and the way he had started to kiss her back, the faint scent of fresh mint enveloping them both.
"I didn't exactly come over to ask you this, but I confess I'm curious. Why did you kiss Curly?"
She sighed and turned to him. "I would have expected you to understand exactly why I did it, Varric."
"I do know. You did it to stop him from smirking at you."
"Then, what's your real question?" Beatrix sighed with a smile.
"I only want to know if you liked it," Varric smiled back widely.
Beatrix rolled her eyes and groaned, a soft blush tinting her cheeks.
"By the Maker! Really, Varric?"
He laughed, then shook his head.
"It's okay. It's not like you'll tell me anyway, right? Which brings me to why I came here. Not to interrogate you, to be honest."
The snort that came out of Beatrix's lips was followed by a peal of laughter that was contagious. Varric couldn't help but laugh along with her.
"Really? Why did you come here, then?" Beatrix chortled.
"To let you know dinner is almost ready, and the Seeker is doing all the cooking. I suggest you make a few more elfroot potions. Just to be safe, you know."
…
Cullen drove his men to near exhaustion while they were in the Hinterlands. He avoided meeting Trevelyan ever since the kiss, but was slightly annoyed to discover she was avoiding him as well. That kiss kept him awake at nights, even though he knew very well why she had kissed him. It certainly had achieved its purpose because his smirk had disappeared completely. It also stressed the fact that she knew she had won the argument in a way. What 'the argument' was escaped him though.
Truth be told, he hadn't the foggiest idea.
What he did know was that it had fueled his unwilling desire for her, in spite of her being so disagreeable. He also suspected she was a little crazy. That thought didn't help him much either, because his imagination conjured up images of her kissing him wildly and then straddling him, tearing off his clothes with her bare hands.
All these thoughts made the nights unbearable and during the days he would yell at his soldiers to work, but this failed to chase the images away completely. Cullen ended up chopping wood himself and building the towers with his men. This helped a lot and also sped the work up considerably, considering he barely stopped – not even to drink water.
His soldiers had a sneaking suspicion that he was not even human by the time the blasted towers were done.
The day they were finished and marched towards the forward camp was a day Cullen actually dreaded, since he had to face her. To his relief, he discovered she had set off with her team to explore the area even more. Something about Solas sensing elven artifacts.
He wrote a message informing her that the towers were built and got ready to leave, washing up in the brook first and drinking a lot of water next. He allowed himself to have some breakfast with his men afterwards.
Feeling a lot better and without a backward glance, he and his men walked onwards to leave the Hinterlands and head back to Haven.
Fate, however, had other ideas, and he met the Herald and her team before they even had a chance to reach the road.
…
She was beautiful. There was no way around it. Her raven hair, sapphire-blue eyes and pink lips paralyzed him and he didn't – couldn't – utter a word. Unlike him, Beatrix had a lot to say.
"Just where the fuck do you think you're going?"
Cullen's right hand flew to the back of his neck where he rubbed. There was a lot of tension there.
"I – um," was all he could offer.
Beatrix eyes widened slightly and she blushed. His golden eyes spoke of adoration. Pure and simple. She shook her head and willed herself to calm down.
"Have you finished the towers already?"
Still deprived of speech, Cullen nodded his head, looking away. Anywhere was fine, as long as he didn't look at her.
She nodded and pursed her lips. "I see. Thank you."
Without another word, she brushed past him, Cassandra following close behind with a nod at the Commander. Solas nodded as well, but Varric had a huge grin on his face, his eyes sparkling mischievously. Cullen groaned inwardly. Without a doubt, he knew the dwarf knew what he was feeling. He would just have to prove him wrong – if only to stop him from all the teasing.
He shook his head and gave a signal to his men to move out. As soon as they reached Haven, he would have a nice, cold bath. Freezing cold if possible.
That would take care of things. For the time being.
…
As it turned out, both Cullen and Beatrix avoided seeing each other really well in Haven. She would go into stealth if she needed to visit Harritt, the blacksmith, which was close to where Cullen stood most of the day, training his recruits.
The first time she appeared suddenly right next to Harritt, it scared the poor man out of his wits. She contritely promised she wouldn't appear like that in front of him again, and kept her promise, appearing instead outside the forge. Far enough from Cullen to see her, at least.
Or that's what she thought.
At the moment, they were all standing in the 'war room', which meant that Cullen was in the room with her. This had been very awkward for Beatrix, but fortunately, they were sticking to business and both were behaving in a very professional manner.
Varric sighed to himself, wishing he was somewhere else. They were all discussing about what to do about the Breach. Solas had been the last one to speak. He told them that closing the Breach would require a vast amount of magical energy, possibly the same amount of magic that was used to open it.
"Well, correct me if I'm wrong, but wouldn't that kind of magic be dangerous?" Beatrix asked.
"It would be dangerous; magic is always dangerous," Cullen said slowly, looking down at the map.
"If you don't know how to handle it," Solas commented quietly.
"True," Cullen conceded, straightening himself as he looked at Solas. "Even so, I think we should approach the templars for help. They could suppress the magic, and this would help the Lady Herald immensely in order to close it."
"Pure speculation," Leliana disagreed. "The mages can give the Herald the magic she needs to work with."
"I was a templar," Cullen pointed out as patiently as he could. "I know what they can do."
"We need enough power to close the Breach, Commander," Cassandra said. "Power that only magic can supply."
"Indeed," Solas agreed. "The will of the mages alone would help her."
Varric sighed. "Mages and templars. Mages and templars…"
"Same old, same old, eh, Varric?" Beatrix dimpled at him. He grinned back at her with a wink.
"But the templars could make it safer," Cullen insisted, ignoring Varric and the Herald's comments.
"I have to agree with the Commander on this one," Beatrix said quietly after a few minutes, not daring to look at Cullen, who turned his head so fast to look at her, there was an audible snap. "Even so, we'll have to go to Val Royeaux to speak to the mothers there."
"I'll let them know you'll be there," Leliana promised.
"Is there anything else?" Beatrix asked. Everyone remained silent. "Great, so I can finally eat something!"
"Make sure you don't drink this time," Varric chuckled.
Beatrix rolled her eyes at him as she led everyone out of the room. She didn't even steal a quick glance at the Commander. Every time she thought of the kiss, she would blush herself silly and she wasn't ready to make believe she didn't like it.
Shrugging to herself, she made her way to the tavern.
A nice plate of lamb chops and mashed potatoes would probably help her overcome her awkwardness. At any rate, it would probably help her to think better afterwards.
…