Chapter Five

Difficult Decisions

It took almost a day of hard riding to return to Skyhold. It was late in the evening when Cullen entered the newly repaired gates. He left his horse with some soldiers and walked to Herald's Rest, aching from the journey. Even as his body protested, his pace was brisk; he almost jogged, drawing a few curious gazes as he threw open the heavy door. In the back of the tavern, he found Iron Bull, the Qunari leaning against the wall in his usual spot.

'Bull.'

'Commander,' he said with a nod, 'you look ruffled.'

Cullen ignored the comment and the smirk that accompanied it. 'Have you seen Valina?'

'Up on the ramparts. She got back about half hour ago. I wouldn't go near her, though. She'll throw a dagger.' He pointed at a bloodied bandage on his arm. 'Seriously.'

Cullen turned on his heel, relief flooding him. He faintly heard Bull call out a warning behind him, but he ignored the Qunari's words, his mind a rush of thoughts. When Valina had first arrived at Skyhold, she frequently went to a section of the wall near her quarters to think or observe the daily workings of the fortress, but the longer she had stayed, the more she had favoured a section near his quarters, claiming she had a better view of the training ring.

He took the stairs two at a time, slowing as he got closer to the top of the wall. He paused on the last step, peeking around the stone. Valina was leaning against the wall, staring out at the mountains that surrounded the fortress. When he took the final step, he heard something sail past his ear.

'The next one won't miss.'

Cullen felt a chill roll down his spine. He loved her voice for the life that danced within, but now her words were hollow, just like the last smile she had given him at the lake.

Cullen steeled himself and took a few steps closer. 'Valina, I–'

'Save your half-assed apology,' she said, 'I don't need it. I'm a mercenary, remember? No one trusts me, so I shouldn't have expected you to.'

'I do, Valina, I was just shocked by what happened.'

She turned to face him. 'I'm calling bullshit, Commander,' she snapped, 'you just don't want to admit that without me, you'd be dead right now.'

'I can look after myself.'

'Clearly not. You didn't even notice that he was concealing a weapon.'

'I did, actually.'

'What, when he reached for it?' Valina said, and something dark flashed in her serpentstone gaze, 'I didn't grab his blade for fun, Cullen. I grabbed it because even when he was half dead, he could still move fast enough to stab me in the side nearly. You'd have had a dagger in your neck before you could even think about drawing your sword.'

'You… you grabbed the blade?'

Valina rolled her eyes at him and ripped off her glove, thrusting her hand toward him. Angry cuts lined her palm, the wounds roughly stitched together. He realised she had probably had to do it while riding, and he felt his chest tighten as if he had been hit. Her voice filled his mind, the memory surging forth.

…I was trained to do whatever was necessary to defend myself, even if it meant taking an attacker's weapon by the blade…

Valina had been unarmed, at his insistence, and still, she had put her life in danger, all to save him. Anger burned hot in his veins as he realised that she could have died in that house. But for what? For a lyrium addicted former Templar, who hardly had the strength to stop himself from descending into madness?

No.

'Why would you do that? Why would you put yourself in harm's way? You could have–'

Something in her gaze snapped. 'Don't pull the chivalry act, Commander, because it doesn't work on me,' she snarled, and he could feel the bite in her words, 'you are the one that insisted I shouldn't carry a weapon. I have been in my fair share of dangerous situations by choice, but don't you dare flip this on me as if it's my fault. As far as I'm concerned, you put me in harm's way.'

'Only because I…' his fists clenched at his side. He could not deny that she was right, but surely that was just a part of this war? 'If you have such a problem with how the Inquisition does things, why are you here, Valina?'

A bark of laughter escaped her. 'Because you asked me to be here!' she said, 'your Inquisition needs me and you know it.'

Cullen stormed closer. Anger churned in his stomach, searing him from the inside as he approached. He pushed her back against the wall. She did not flinch, even as his hands hit the stone beside her, boxing her in.

'We have plenty of agents at our disposal,' he snapped, his tawny gaze bearing down on her, 'you said it yourself, Valina, that you didn't even want to be involved in this. Why don't you just leave?'

'Because none of your agents a fraction as good as me.'

Cullen leant closer, barely an inch between them. 'What game are you playing?'

'The game you want me to play, Commander,' Valina said, and he could feel the heat of her breath caress his lips, 'you just keep changing the rules.'

Her serpentstone eyes captured him. The colour in her irises flared, a heated answer to his own gaze. With the smallest look she could draw him in, and he found himself falling once more.

From the very first moment they met in the Winter Palace, she had maddened him. She was as addictive as the lyrium that called him in his weakest moments, and he desperately craved a taste. He felt his anger dissolve, turning on itself, replaced by a desire so hot he thought he would ignite.

Valina grasped his shirt, using her strength to turn him. Just as he had done, she pushed him back, pinning him against the stone. Her body moulded to his, her thigh wedged between his legs. A broken gasp escaped his lips as her nimble hand slid between them, cupping him through his pants. When she rubbed the heel of her palm along his growing length, he moaned, the rich sound rumbling deep within his chest.

'Oh handsome, I could read you from a mile away. You're an open book to me, and I like reading,' she purred, her lips trailing over his neck, 'you can't bluff me, Cullen. Stop trying.'

Valina pushed away from him, turning on her heel. She disappeared down the stairs without looking back, and he sucked in a ragged breath. He stared at the space where she had been. The heat of her thigh lingered on his own, as did the touch of her hand. He realised they hadn't been fighting about the mission, and he felt his chest constrict tighter.

…One day, you'll work out what you want to do with me… I look forward to that day, Cullen…

He was pulling her in, wanting all that she offered to him. He was desperate to find comfort in her embrace, to spend hours listening to her sultry voice breathing his name and exploring every inch of her sun-kissed skin, desperate to have her name tumble from his lips in abandon as they shared the passion that danced between them. But as soon as she got too close, he ran from her, too scared to let her see that his strength was failing.

Cullen stalked to his quarters, slamming the door behind him. He leant his forearms on the door, his hands balling into fists, preparing to punch the wood, but a creak sounded behind him. The snarl dropped from his lips when he looked at his desk; Dorian sat behind it, his feet propped up on the sturdy table top, surprise written on his face.

'Need to let off a little steam, Commander?' the mage asked, glancing down, his eyebrows arching impossibly higher, 'or a lot…'

'What do you want, Dorian?' Cullen asked, harsher than he intended, but he was too tightly strung to maintain any air of civility.

'Well, I was going to see if you felt like a spot of chess and then sneakily ask how the mission went, but I think I have my answer.'

The mage glanced down again, and Cullen pulled at his surcoat, trying to hide the bulge in his pants.

Dorian dropped his feet off the desk, walking around the table to one of the doors. 'I wish I could stay, Commander, but Mal would be ever so jealous,' he said, barely stifling a smirk, 'I'll… leave you to relax, or whatever you need to do.'

The door closed behind Dorian, and Cullen climbed the ladder. He stripped quickly, throwing his clothes wherever they fell. He just needed to rest. The return trip to Skyhold had been long and arduous, and he could feel exhaustion weigh on him. He tossed back the covers and slid beneath them, expecting to collapse into the warmth of the bed, but every brush of the sheet was torture on his sensitive skin. Thoughts clouded his mind, and an ache settled over his bones.

Cullen's hand brushed something soft beneath the pillow. He grasped the silky material, and a curse fell from his lips. The black gloves stared back at him as if shaming the thoughts in his mind, but he was drawn to them all the same. When he pressed the gloves to his cheek, the scent of roses hit him, and he could take no more. He rolled onto his back, his hand trembling as it trailed below the covers. He slid the sheet down from his hips, and a moan vibrated in his chest as he grasped his aching cock, stroking slowly.

His mind emptied of his warring thoughts, replaced by her serpentstone gaze and wicked lips. He imagined her hand on his skin as he stroked from base to tip, and he felt a drop of pre-cum bead on the head. Soon, his breath came in sharp gasps, his toes curling. His back arched from the mattress as he quickened his hand and a shiver rolled down his spine.

Cullen muffled his cry with the gloves, feeling his seed land on his chest as he came in hot lashes that burned his skin. He slowed his strokes, drawing out his orgasm, revelling in the slow sparks that tingled on his skin in the wake of his release. He was panting as he stared up at the broken ceiling, a bead of sweat rolling slowly down his neck. The release, the culmination of weeks of pent up desire, soothed a part of him, but the guilt that followed surged stronger.

Valina was the embodiment of control and strength, while he was weak. He had not managed to tell her how he felt, how much he enjoyed her company, how desperately he wanted to claim her lips and caress her skin, despite how desperately he wanted to find the words.

Cullen resolved himself. He needed to deal with this madness, needed to stop the nightmares and doubt. Tomorrow, he would see Cassandra.

Valina stayed in her room all night, calming her mind. After a few hours of sleep, she cleaned the cuts on her hand and replaced the stitches. As midday neared, she left her quarters. She passed the training ring, pausing for a moment to watch two soldiers spar before she started toward Herald's Rest, her stomach grumbling eagerly, but she paused again when she heard muffled shouting in the building beside the training ring.

Valina glanced over, her ears straining to hear the voices. It was not rare to hear shouting in the stronghold, but it was normally soldiers shouting, competing. One voice never dominated. She darted to the side of the building, carefully turning the doorknob and opening the door a crack just enough to hear better. She crouched low, pressing her ear to the small gap.

'...you asked for my opinion, Cullen, and I have given it. Why would you expect it to change?'

'I expect you to keep your word,' Cullen shouted, 'it's relentless, Cassandra. I can't–'

Cassandra's voice remained even. 'You don't give yourself enough credit. You have made it this far. I doubt any other has done so before you.'

'If I am unable to fulfil the vows I made then nothing good has come of this. Would you rather save face than admit–'

'And people say I'm stubborn! This is ridiculous, Cullen.'

'Why did I even bother coming here?'

'You tell me.'

Valina heard a chair clatter to the ground, and then a door slammed. A feminine sigh echoed in the room. Valina opened the door slowly, peeking into the room. The Seeker's back was to her, her hands resting on a table.

Valina approached. 'Cassandra?'

The warrior spun to face Valina, her fists rising slightly, prepared for a fight. Her eyes locked on Valina and she quickly dropped her hands. 'Maker's breath, but you startled me.'

'I'm sorry, I didn't mean to. I heard shouting.'

Cassandra's gaze assessed her. The woman was perceptive, and though she had once questioned Valina's presence at Skyhold, she had seemed more amicable lately.

'You know that Cullen was a Templar?' she asked.

'From the moment I first saw him, yes. It's obvious in the way he carries himself.'

'Did he tell you that he is no longer taking lyrium?'

'No,' Valina said slowly, and pieces began to click into place in her mind, 'he didn't.'

'I thought, what with the time you have spent together…' Cassandra shook her head subtly. 'It doesn't matter. He's not willing to listen.'

'To what?'

'To reason. Cullen thinks he needs to take lyrium again, that he is failing in his duties, but he is stronger than he believes.'

'How is he failing?'

'I do not know. From what I have seen, he has been vital to the strength of the Inquisition, but his past plagues him,' she said, leaning on the table, 'mages have made their suffering known, but the Templars never have. They are bound to the order, mind and soul, and someone is always holding their lyrium leash. I have been monitoring Cullen carefully, as he asked. He has a real chance to break that leash. I believe that he can prove to himself, and anyone that would follow suit, that it is possible. He can do this. I knew that when we met in Kirkwall.'

'You knew him before?'

'Yes. He is a fine warrior and an excellent commander. We cannot lose him, but he does not see how strong he is. I wish I could make him see that.'

'Thanks, Cassandra.'

The Seeker nodded, and Valina left her.

As Valina walked up the stairs towards Cullen's quarters, she finally understood why he had nightmares, why he was distracted.

Why he had tried to distance himself from her.

As she approached the door, she heard something shatter inside. She opened it carefully, peeking in through the crack. A wooden box lay smashed on the stone floor, the contents shattered and strewn across the cobblestone. She glanced at his desk. Cullen leant on the edge, his head down, his shoulders heaving.

Valina bent down, picking up the damaged injector. She stared down at the brass instrument. For something so small, it was capable of causing so much pain.

Cullen looked up as she stepped into his office, glass crunching under her boots. She met his gaze. His usually bright eyes seemed dark, and she could see that they were tinged red from tears.

'Valina, what are you–'

She held up the injector. 'This is why you were distracted.'

He bowed his head, and she could sense his shame clouding the room. 'Yes.'

She gripped the small instrument tighter in her hand. 'Cullen, what is going on?'

'Why do you care?' He snarled as she stepped closer. He attempted to move from his desk but almost collapsed. He caught himself and sucked in a pained breath.

Valina fought the anger the swelled in her. 'You may not believe it, but I do have a heart.'

Cullen looked up. Valina was not guarding her gaze; she was opening herself to him again. He could see concern, anger, fear, all churning deep within the green depths of her serpentstone eyes.

He rubbed his hands over his face. 'I know, I'm sorry,' he said. His skin was pale, and she could see exhaustion settle over his eyes. 'The other day, when I told you about my past, what I did before I joined the Inquisition...' He shook his head. 'I lied to you, Valina. I never told you what really happened in Ferelden's Circle. Or Kirkwall.'

'Then tell me now.'

She placed the injector on the edge of the desk and reached for him. Her hand covered his. He looked up in surprise. He met her green eyes, expecting judgment, but he found only peace within them.

He took a deep breath. 'The Circle was taken over by abominations,' he started, 'the Templars… so many of my friends were slaughtered, and I was–'

He struggled to say the word, even after ten years.

'It's okay, Cullen.'

He remembered what she had told him, remembered what she had endured in the name of her safety. If anyone could understand, she could.

Cullen took a steadying breath. 'I was tortured. They tried to break my mind, for so long... How can you be the same person after that? Even still, I wanted to serve. I thought if I continued to serve the Order that I would eventually recover from what happened. So, I was sent to Kirkwall. I trusted my Knight-Commander there, and for what? Her fear of mages drove her to madness. The Kirkwall Circle fell, and innocent people, so many innocent people died in the streets. I… can't you see why I want nothing to do with that life anymore?'

'Yes,' she said, 'anyone who had been through what you have would never want to go back.'

He pulled away from her, turning to the window. He leant against the wall beside it, staring out through the glass. 'Don't, Valina.'

'Don't what?'

Cullen glanced back to her. She was leaning on his desk, her eyes locked on him.

'You should be questioning what I've done,' he said, 'I thought it would be better this way. I believed that, without the lyrium, I would regain at least some control over my life again, but these… thoughts… won't leave me.' He looked down at his hands. They shook, and he snarled at them. 'How many lives depend on the success of the Inquisition? How many thousands… I pledged myself to this cause, and I will not give less to the Inquisition than I did the Chantry.' He clenched his teeth, staring at the injector on the desk. 'I should be taking it.'

Cullen raised his hand, intending to punch the desk in his frustration or reach for the injector, he was not sure which. Valina caught his fist before it landed. He struggled against her strength, but her hand was still weak from the wounds. She had to grab his arm with her other hand.

Her green eyes blazed at him. 'Fuck the Inquisition,' she spat, 'is this what you want?'

She held his gaze, and he stopped fighting. There was no other answer.

'No,' he breathed, 'these memories have haunted me for so long. I should be used to it by now, but if they become worse… if I can't endure this...'

He reached for the injector, and she snatched it away from him. She dropped it, crushing it with her boot.

'You can.' She touched his hand once more, pulling down the wrist of his glove to bare his skin. Her soft touch anchored him, her finger tracing patters over the patch she revealed as a soft smile lit her lips. 'You are strong, Cullen. If you can put up with me for as long as you have without going mad, then you don't need the lyrium to keep your sanity. You're stronger without it.'

'Valina...'

She placed his hand on the table gently, turning to the door, leaving him to his thoughts. Outside Cullen's quarters, Cole was perched on the wall. When he saw her emerge, he hopped down, stopping beside her.

'I heard fighting.'

'It's okay Cole,' she said, touching his shoulder.

He glanced at the door. 'It will be. He is quiet, behind the noise. The little bottle makes him shake, but he tests the chains.'

Valina watched the rogue; his eyes were fixed on the door.

'How do you know that? I didn't think he had told anyone except Cassandra.'

'I can feel people, in their minds. I can soothe their pain. Make them forget.'

'Why don't you make him forget?'

'Because that is not what he needs.' Cole stepped closer to her, turning her palm up. He traced the wounds gently for a moment before he dropped her hand, staring at her. 'I used to feel so much anger from him, but since you came, he sounds new, like echoes of laughter on an empty riverbed, not for sailing, but safer. You are what he needs, even if he can't feel it yet.'

'Cole, I…'

The rogue wandered off before Valina could find any words. She took his place on the top of the wall, staring down at the fortress below. She pondered his cryptic words as she watched the troops train in the ring until the sky darkened and lights glowed from the busy tavern. Thoughts churned in her mind. She wanted desperately to comfort Cullen but did not know if she could soothe him; whenever she took a step towards, he took two back.

She heard the creak of door hinges and glanced back to Cullen's quarters.

Cullen rubbed his temple as he emerged. When he looked up, he saw her on the top of the wall and panic flashed in his gaze. 'Valina! Marker's breath, please get down from there!'

'Yes dad,' she quipped, swinging her legs back over the inner wall and hopping down onto the cobblestone path. She leant back, tucking her hands behind her to touch them to the stone. Cold seeped from the stone, soothing her as he approached slowly as if he expected her to run away. When she stayed in place, she thought she heard him sigh with relief.

'I wanted to thank you, Valina,' he said, rubbing absently at the back of his neck, 'when you came to see me… if there's anything…' He sighed, his hand dropping. 'This sounded better in my head.'

'Cullen, be honest with me,' she said, 'were you going to tell me about the lyrium?'

'I...' he glanced down. 'I don't know. I have wanted to tell you, but at the same time, I'm... I'm ashamed.'

'Why?'

'Because this makes me feel so weak Valina,' he said, his voice soft, 'I didn't want you to see me like that.'

'The pain... is it always that bad?'

'It comes and goes,' he admitted, 'sometimes I feel like I'm back there, but it has been better lately, since you…' He glanced away from a moment, rubbing his neck again. 'I am sorry, Valina. I know you don't believe me, but I do trust you. And I'm… I'm glad you're here. I've never told anyone what truly happened to me at Ferelden's Circle. I was… not myself after that. I was angry, and for years that anger blinded me. I guess sometimes, it still does. I'm not proud of the man that made me, but now I know I can put some distance between myself and everything that happened.'

'Cullen, I know your past has been horrific, but it has shaped the man you've become, and...'

By the Maker, I wish he could see how strong he is...

She fought the urge to clear her throat. 'Cullen, I like who you are now.'

'Even after–'

'Maker's breath, festis bei umo canavarum…'

Her accent deepened, and he felt a shiver roll down his spine. He'd heard her curse in Tevene before, but never more than a word or two. She tended to slip into the language when she was frustrated.

I deserve her anger...

'I have no idea what that means,' he admitted nervously.

She rolled her eyes. 'You may not have noticed, but I've spent almost every waking moment in this fortress hitting on you and trying to get under you armour, something that normally takes a matter of minutes, not weeks,' she said, trailing her fingers over his chest plate, her hand pausing to rest over his heart, 'Bull might think it's just because you're smoking hot, but it's not. I like spending time with you, playing chess or telling stories, or just sitting in silence and watching so many thoughts play out on your face. You've done nothing to change how I feel about you. '

'Valina,' he whispered, struggling to find the right words, 'I can't say I haven't wondered what it would be like to…'

A soft blush tinted his cheeks as she asked, 'to what?'

'To… to have you,' he said, 'but we're at war. I didn't think it was possible that I–'

'I didn't come to Skyhold just to help, Cullen. I came for you. I told myself it was just because I wanted to see if I could make you blush so much that your ears smoked,' she said, and she couldn't hide a smirk, 'I never expected this either.'

'It seems too much to ask,' he said, and he eased closer to her, 'but I want to, Valina.'

Cullen pushed her back against the wall, cupping her cheek with his hand. She loved the smile that lit his lips; she revelled in his rough edges, in the stubble on his jaw and the scar on his upper lip that pulled at his skin when he smiled. He probably thought of it as a flaw, but it only made him more enticing. He leant closer, and she felt his breath fall softly on her lips, heard his breath hitch as he neared.

'Commander!' called a breathless voice. A scout clambered up the last stairs beside them, leaning on his knees for a moment.

'What?' Cullen snarled. He snapped his gaze to the scout, and Valina thought she saw daggers fly from his tawny eyes.

The scout held out a report, oblivious to the glare that Cullen levelled at him. 'From,' huff, 'Inquisitor.'

'Can it wait, Jim?'

The scout finally looked up, his eyes wide as he stared at them. Cullen was still pressed against Valina, his gaze icy. To Jim's surprise, Valina wiggled her eyebrows at him. He barely stopped his jaw from dropping when she winked.

Jim cleared his throat. 'I… it will be in your office.'

The scout turned on his heel, sprinting toward the door.

Cullen sighed. 'I think I need to–'

A frustrated noise escaped Valina and she grasped Cullen's shirt roughly, dragging his head down to hers. She claimed his lips, and he felt desire ignite inside him. He pressed her back against the wall, harder than he had intended, but she did not seem to mind. She pulled him closer, her body moulding to his. His hand trailed down to her hip. He clutched her thigh, dragging it up his body, and she melted into his embrace. She moaned against his lips, and he nearly lost all control at the throaty sound. When he pulled back, panting, he was pleased to see that she was just as affected as he was.

'That was… nice,' he said, tracing her cheek with his thumb. His gaze was golden, his eyes trailing back to her lips.

'It took you long enough, Commander,' she whispered, before drawing him back down. His tongue traced her lips, a silent plea to deepen the kiss to which she eagerly surrendered.

When he pulled back again, far more reluctantly, his skin was flushed. 'I… I should see what that scout wanted, but maybe later–'

'I'll give you ten minutes,' she said, breathless, 'then I'll be in your bed, and I will be waiting for you. Impatiently. Don't make me wait, Cullen.'

A smile lit his lips as he pulled away from her. He did not dare look back as he walked to his quarters, knowing he would be unable to resist even the smallest flash in her wicked green eyes. He threw the door open but almost stumbled over his feet at the sight that greeted him.

'Cole?'

The rogue was sitting on his desk, his feet bouncing. He looked up from beneath his large brimmed hat. 'Cullen.'

'What are you doing in here?'

'I wanted to check on you.'

'Thank you Cole, but I'm fine. Could you please get down from there?'

'Oh, right,' the rogue said as he slid from the desk, fixing the sheets of paper he disrupted, 'this is where she belongs.'

Cullen baulked at the words. 'What in the–'

'I've heard it in your thoughts when it's hot,' he said, 'she feels it too. You are quieter now, with her. This desk should be hers...'

Before Cullen could open his mouth, Cole slipped from the room. Cullen shook his head, moving to his desk. He found the parchment and broke the seal, reading the report.

He crumpled the parchment with a curse, marching to the door which would take him to the main hall.

On the other section of the wall, Valina saw Cullen exit his office. She followed him, sprinting to catch up. 'Cullen,' she called, 'what is it? What's happened?'

He passed her the report when she reached him. She unrolled it, keeping pace with him as she read. 'Fasta vass,' she snapped, handing it back to him.

They burst into the war room to find Leliana, Josephine, and the Inquisitor waiting.

'It's been confirmed?' Cullen asked as he approached the table, Valina on his heels.

'Yes,' Leliana said, 'we just received word from Hawke and Alistair. The Wardens are at Adamant.'

'Then we must lay siege to the fortress.'

'Adamant Fortress has stood against the darkspawn since the time of the second blight,' Leliana said.

'That means that it was built before modern siege equipment, then,' Cullen said, 'so we will be able to do significant damage to the walls with a good trebuchet.'

'Lady Seryl has already made arrangements to lend us some trebuchets,' Josephine said.

'There is still a demon problem to address,' Malakar said, 'the Wardens have summoned an army. We can breach the gate with as much force as we like, but if the Wardens already have their demons, it may be pointless. '

Leliana shook her head. 'We can take advantage of choke points in the construction and limit the field of battle, then–'

'We can cut off their reinforcements,' Valina said.

'And carve a path so you can reach Warden-Commander Clarel,' Cullen finished.

'Or a lot of soldiers will die in vain,' Malakar countered.

'Not if I am the one to carve the path,' Valina said.

All eyes fell on her.

'Our soldiers know the risks,' Josephine said, 'they know what they are fighting for.'

'So they should die for it?' Valina asked, 'I'm worth a battalion of the rookie soldiers out there. I can carve through a man a second in the heat of battle, all without getting blood on my coat. Let me help.'

'You can't go in by yourself,' Cullen said.

'I never said I would,' she quipped, 'but if I'm out there, the chances of survival for your men are significantly higher than if I'm not.'

Cullen went to argue, but Leliana stopped him. 'She's right, Commander. We need experienced people out there. It will be difficult to get the warriors to turn against Clarel directly, but they may be sympathetic to our cause if we present a strong united force. The mages, however, are slaves to Corypheus.'

'So they will fight to the death,' Valina said.

Cullen sighed. They were right. But, more than that, he would not try to stop Valina. He knew her strength and resolve, and to deny it would destroy any future he might dare to imagine with her, just when he had managed to seize hope for it.

Cullen resolved himself. 'We are ready to march, Inquisitor,' he said, 'at your word.'

Malakar leant on the table. For a moment, the weight on his shoulders appeared crushing, but when he lifted his head, there was a powerful resolve in his eyes. 'Then we march for Adamant,' he said, 'tonight.'