I don't own Dragon Age.

:(

I walked back to camp after having spoken with Solas. I was sore; more body ached everywhere, especially where I had been stabbed, cut, thrown quite forcibly against a trebuchet, fallen into an icy cave. Everywhere hurt. Seeing everyone that I had worked with, whether I personally knew them or not, come together like that, even if they raised me up to a god I didn't believe in, it touched me. I felt a resoluteness stirring inside; tomorrow we would begin the walk.

"Elia!" suddenly I was in a hug, and I looked down at the dwarf hugging me. I couldn't help but hug Varric back. It was a short lived hug though. "I'm not much of a hugger." He said, shrugging. I smiled.

"It's alright Varric-"

"Don't ever do that again." He said, cutting me off, unusually serious. By the Creators, he looked awful.

"You'll have to be more specific than that." I said dryly, not really in the mood for being lectured.

"Scaring the piss out of everyone." He said, leading me towards a fire. The general mood of everyone seemed to have lightened considerably after they had sung that song.

"Well, I don't know if I'll be able to do that." I said quietly, sinking down onto a makeshift stool, warming myself by the fire. "Coryphe-what's his face is really interested in seeing me dead." Varric, Cassandra, and Solas had run after I had shouted at them to. I thought it would have been the last time I would see them, but thankfully I was wrong. I had a new soft spot for all of them though. Near death experiences do that to people.

"So. Any new developments with Chuckles?" Varric asked, and my face shot up, cheeks burning.

"I have no idea what you're talking about, Varric." I grumbled. Varric leaned in closer, nudging me with his elbow.

"Oh come on, nothing? Not even the way he stole you away right after everyone finished singing?" his voice was begging me to reveal something. I huffed, pursing my lips.

"I admire Solas. He is a teacher, and knows so much about things that people normally don't…" I trailed off, seeing Solas walk back into camp, seemingly just sliding in and out of the shadows before he disappeared from my sight.

"'Things that people normally don't', huh?" Varric caught that before I could.

"I swear-"

"Oh come on. You haven't made up with Curly yet, have you?" Varric raised an eyebrow at me.

"Curly…?" I had no idea who he was talking about.

"Your Commander who carried you back into camp, who stayed by your side until you woke…?" Varric trailed off as if it was obvious he had meant Cullen. I felt something churn in my stomach.

"Cullen…" my voice was quiet, staring into the flames. Varric put his hand on my shoulder, and I looked at him.

"Elia, listen-"

"There you are!" Cassandra came up to us, and I couldn't tell if she was angry or worried or both. "Herald, come with me." She commanded, and I looked at Varric, who only shrugged. I sighed in resignation as I stood up, with more effort than probably should have taken. Cassandra and Varric noticed, as both went to help me stand. "You need to rest." Cassandra's voice was firm.

"I agree with the Seeker." Varric's voice came from my side, and I merely nodded.

"Rest…" I muttered, simply following Cassandra as she helped me walk towards…wherever. She led me into a tent, where it seemed a bit warmer than it had outside, and she instructed me to sit down on the cot while she went and got Vivienne and Solas to administer some more healing spells. I felt exhausted. No small wonder, either.

"Elia." His voice sent a chill through me, and I slowly turned my head to look at Cullen, who stood in the entryway of the tent. There were dark bags under his eyes, his hair unkempt. But I felt a gentle warmth spread through my stomach as I smiled at him gently.

"Cullen." I said softly, and he walked over to me, sitting on one of the stools next to the cot I was sitting on. It was silent as I searched for something to say. He hadn't said anything; he merely sat on the stool, his eyes on the ground, his brow furrowed, unsmiling. His hands were clenched, his shoulders hunched. He looked dreadful.

"I'm sorry." His voice cracked as he spoke, still not looking at me.

"What for?" I was confused; what could he be sorry for?

"I should have-oh Maker." He released a sigh, shuddering as he did so, rubbing his hands together. "I should have stayed, with you. I should have made you leave with them-"

"Cullen, please." I reached out, placing a hand on both of his shaking ones. He finally looked at me, his honey brown eyes searching mine. "I stayed because I had to." My voice was quiet, and I shifted, moving slightly closer to him, taking both of his hands into mine. I felt the blush spreading, and so I stared down at his hands to avoid his intense gaze.

"You were injured, you could barely walk-"

"Corypheus wanted me." I said sternly, meeting his gaze again. "He wanted the Anchor. This-thing on my hand. He would have thrown you aside, like he did everyone else." I sighed; it was my turn to shudder. I closed my eyes for a moment before looking at Cullen again. "The Envy demon showed me what could happen. I…" my voice cracked, but I held the tears back as I searched Cullen's eyes for some of the feeling I had seen when I had kissed him before I ran off to my certain doom. I swallowed. "I couldn't let anyone else make that decision. It had to be me." He dropped his gaze, loosening his hold on my hands, but I simply squeezed a little bit tighter. "You helped inspire me, Cullen." I whispered, leaning in closer. "I saw the Commander of the Inquisition, taking charge, giving orders, making sure we were all safe." His eyes met mine again, and despite myself a tear had slipped down my cheek, unbidden. He freed a hand and reached up to wipe the tear away, and I felt myself lean into his hand.

"Elia…?" his voice was a question, low. I knew my face had to be dark crimson, but I didn't particularly care. His eyes kept searching mine, and I felt my throat go dry. It seemed we both leaned in a little bit more, and I began to close my eyes as his eyes seemed to glance nervously between my lips and my eyes. I could feel his breath on my face-

"I am completely capable of healing her by myself, thank you." We jumped away from each other as we heard Vivienne's voice right outside of the tent.

"We have a long trek ahead-"Solas, Vivienne, and Mother Giselle entered the tent one after the other. I closed my eyes, deciding now would be a good time to lie down, ignoring the fluttering in my chest, the pounding of my heart, the heat on my cheeks. "She must be ready for it. We all must." Solas' voice was calm, collected, like he always was. I opened my eyes briefly to see Cullen still sitting next to me, my hand still in his. I smiled.

-.-.-.-.

[CULLEN]

He had almost kissed the Herald of Andraste. His heart was still racing as Vivienne, Solas, and Mother Giselle argued amongst themselves. Elia had lain down, still holding his hand. He wasn't going to take it away from her either. She was already a slip of a person; especially being an elf. Yet now, after everything that had happened…

"Enough!" Cullen snapped at the two mages, who immediately stopped talking as he glowered at them. "For the love of Andraste, just heal her together and stop bickering about it." He growled, and Solas inclined his head; Vivienne had the audacity to at least shut her mouth. He didn't care if she was some grand emperial enchanter: the Herald needed help. She may have woken up but she still needed rest. Vivienne sat down opposite him, beginning to work her magic on the Herald. Elia's eyes fluttered for a moment before he felt the grip on his hand loosen as she fell asleep. He couldn't help but feel his gut clench at how peaceful she looked.

"Commander Cullen, if you would." He looked up at the elven apostate, surprised. He hadn't hardly spoken to Solas at all since Solas had joined them. But he stood up, slowly releasing Elia's hand, and followed Solas out of the tent, where Cassandra, Leliana, and Josephine waited.

"We must move at first light." Solas addressed all of them; something he definitely wasn't used to.

"And who put you in charge?" Cassandra asked, crossing her arms as she glared at him. Solas ignored her.

"I have told the Herald of a place where we can regroup; rebuild. She will address all of you once she reawakens."

"What do you mean-"

"We've already decided to make her Inquisitor," Leliana cut Cassandra off. "If the Herald trusts Solas, we should all trust him." She cast a forceful glare at Cassandra, who looked around, obviously outnumbered, and sighed, conceding.

"Solas…" Josephine's voice was almost small, as quiet as she was, when she spoke up. "How…bad is she?" A gentle smile graced the elf's features.

"Considering all that she faced, it could have been immeasurably worse." He said, clasping his hands behind his back. "Between Mother Giselle, myself, Vivienne, and even the Commander-" Cullen felt his face heat up as everyone looked at him. "She should be right as rain by morning." Solas smirked at him in a knowing way before he went back inside the tent, leaving him alone to the knowing smiles of the three women.

"What?!" he growled, turning away swiftly before anyone could say anything to him, off to make sure things were ready for the morning.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

[ELIA]

As far as Cullen and I went, my romantic feelings could wait. Waking up the following morning after the attack on Haven, I had no idea how they had done it, but I didn't care; I felt fantastic, and I made sure everyone knew it. Even if every time I shot Cullen a smile he would turn red and look away or not acknowledge me at all. He was confusing me; he says no, but almost kisses me, then ignores me? And it wasn't just a shemlen thing either. I would have it all sorted out after we made it to wherever we were going. I was…irritatingly positive, to say the least.

Solas' words echoed in my mind continuously as we trudged on. By attacking the Inquisition, Corypheus has changed it. Changed you. Scout to the north, be their guide. There is a place that waits for a force to hold it. There is a place where the Inquisition can build…grow…

We come over a rise, Solas and I. We had almost been joined at the hip for the last week. Even though everyone thought that I was leading them, at this point, it was really Solas, because I was completely relying on him at this point.

"Gods, Solas, how much farther? I don't know if we'll be able to contain the grumbling-" I asked, before he stopped me.

"Lethallan, do you trust me?" he had a mischievous sparkle in his eyes that under any normal circumstances, I would have said no.

"You know I do." I said quietly. Then, he simply inclined his head to just up the hill (I say hill; mountain pass, pass between two huge mountains more like a hill, you get the idea). Curious, I stepped ahead of him, and my steps slowed to a stop at the view in front of me. Solas was next to me then, obviously pleased at my amazement. "Solas…this is…"

"Skyhold."

Try reading that last part with Elia with the music that they play when you see Skyhold for the first time in the background.

Kind of awesome.
Anyway. This is a filler...a necessary filler, but I hate fillers...
At least there's some more unexpected sexual tension! I make it up as I go. -sheepish grin-