There was a ringing in her ears unlike anything she heard before. Muffled voices were screaming all around her while she tried to focus her vision so she could see straight. Panic, there was so much panic and fear in the air and she couldn't understand why. There was a woman approaching her now. From what she could see she had black short hair, she wore a warriors' armor and her sword was drawn out, pointing directly at her body. Was she talking to her? She could see her lips moving but couldn't make out a word she said, the ringing still howling in her ears. She felt her body go limp as her world went black.
"What of the prisoner?" Asked a voice.
"Still unconscious. Only time will tell at this point." Answered a woman.
"We don't have time! Demons are pouring from the sky as we speak, if we don't do something soon-" Snapped a man's voice but it was cut off from the woman's voice.
"You don't have much of a choice, Commander. Get up there and do what you can." She practically snarled out at the man, who had only stalked off grumbling a few choice words.
Voices surrounded her left and right, but she could hardly make them out as she came and went from consciousness. She felt a pair of gentle hands handling her limp body, replacing what seemed to be gauze from what she assumed was wounds she earned. The hands that had tended to her left, but one pair remained. She could feel someone cradling her right hand, running their fingers over something that caused a burning to erupt in her body. She wanted to scream, wanted to cry, but her body wouldn't let her move. It was like that for several hours as the voices around her faded in out, hardly making since of their words as she strained to listen.
Mamae, where is she? Why can't I hear her voice? Why isn't she hear? I don't feel her. Her mind tortuously echoed its thoughts, causing a surge of panic to seize her heart. Without warning the young girl sat upright, her eyelids snapping open in full alert to take in her surroundings. Five guards were stationed around her, their swords drawn out and pointed at her. Her hands were bound together in chains as she tried to move from her spot, wanting nothing more than to cower in fear. Tears began to well up in her perfect green eyes when she didn't see her mother anywhere in sight.
"Iras Mamae?" She asked in a trembling tone. No one made a move to answer her, but she saw the guards exchange looks as one whispered to another. One of them nodded and left the room. "Iras Mamae?!" She asked again, this time her tone sounding more frightful and torn as more tears poured from her eyes and down her bruised cheeks. The door slammed open and a woman stepped forward. She wore warriors amour, her dark hair was cut short, save for the small braid that wrapped around her head; but what shook her the most was the expression she wore on her face. There was no warmth behind her features, her eyes were cold and alert, looking down on her as if she were some wild beast ready to strike. She attempted to sniffle up her sorrow, but her tears only kept coming as her voice fell silent.
"What is your name?" The woman asked with a bite in her tone. The door closed behind her as the guards retreaded backwards against the walls, their swords vanishing from sight as the woman approached her. She wanted nothing more than to retreat backwards into the shadows, to hide away from her questioning glare. After a moment, the woman bent downwards so that she was eye level with her, she could see brown eyes narrowing at the sight of her. Was she in trouble? Did she do something wrong? Teary green hues stared back into narrowed brown ones, before falling to look at the ground. "Your name." She heard the woman ask again, this time her voice seemed a tad softer.
"Ir Eva," she said in such a small voice that it almost sounded like a whisper. It felt like a lump had developed in her throat that she could not swallow.
"Eva." The woman repeated and she nodded in response. She noticed that she spoke like the humans do, did she not understand their language? Her mother told her not everyone would, which is why she taught her mans' tongue.
"My mommy…" Her voice cracked as she tried to swallow another sob that wanted to burst free, but her tears continued to fall. "Where is my mommy?" She asked again, more clearly this time. The woman stared at her for a moment as her hard expression faltered. Eva noticed immediately and she bit her lower lip, trying to be patient for an answer.
"I-I'm sorry." The woman said in a gentle tone and Eva made the connection immediately. She pulled her knees against her chest and hid her face in her lap as she sobbed to herself, not caring if the guards or this stranger witnessed her tears. She heard shuffling in the room and the door opened again, this time another woman stepped through. Eva took a small peak and noticed she dawned a purple hood along her head, covering her fiery red hair.
"I thought we agreed to wait to deliver the news." She said in a crisp tone.
"I couldn't do that to her, she deserved to know the truth." The dark haired woman spoke.
The other woman sighed before looking to the small child. Cassandra was probably not the best one to send in to deal with these matters, but she was too busy dealing with the townspeople that wanted this girl dead for a crime she may or may not have committed. Leliana slowly approached the girl and took a seat across from her. She crossed her legs and waited patiently for the young girl to look at her.
Eva lifted her tearful gaze and saw the redhead staring at her. Her features were softer than the dark haired woman, but there was a coldness to her eyes from what she could see, despite the sad smile she wore on her lips.
"I am sorry for your loss, little one…" She finally broke the silence between them, and Eva nodded in acknowledgement. "My name is Leliana. What is yours?" Her tone was laced with warmth and curiosity. Eva was good at reading people.
"Eva." She stated, her bound hands rising to wipe her dampened cheeks. What startled her was the glowing green that was etched into her palm, causing Eva to thrust her hand outward in surprise. Was this the source of her pain earlier? Her hand felt hot and tingly. How did she not notice this earlier? Especially with the eerily glowing green light.
Leliana and Cassandra both shot each other a look as they saw her reaction to her own hand. Was she innocent? There was no way a child could wield such a power, and judging by her reaction, she seemed to have no idea what was going on, either. Splendid. Leliana directed her attention back to the young girl, and ever so slowly she made a movement to grasp her glowing hand. After a long moment of staring her hand she finally broke her concentrated look and spoke out gently.
"Do you know what this is?" Leliana asked cautiously.
The small girl looked to her once more, a questioning look held in her sad green eyes. Biting her lower lip, she gently shook her head and looked back down to her hand. She was just as confused, if not more, than everyone else in the room. Outside she could faintly make out the shouts of anger and she could only assume it was directed at her.
"We need to show you something." Leliana spoke once more, shaking the small girls' attention from her hand and back to her. The redhead rose swiftly and grasped at her chain bound hands as she gently pulled her up. Eva wobbled on her feet at first, the feeling of standing was foreign to her. Just how long was she unconscious for? Her legs were stiff and her body equally so. It felt like she got knocked off a Halla. Steadily the two of them made their way out of the room and down a large hallway full of prisoner cells. Was she in a jail? Green hues looked around frantically at the cells. No one else seemed to occupy them. They were now in a large lit hallway that was devoid of life, it was just as empty as the cells. Eva froze for a moment as the shouts got louder, it was coming outside and she knew that was where the redhead was leading them. Leliana paused as she looked down to the girl with a frown, Cassandra was right behind them.
"It's alright, we won't let anything happen to you." Cassandra said from behind. Biting her lower lip, Eva nodded a bit and started moving once more. The large doors swung open as she narrowed her eyes, the sun blinding her temporarily. Suddenly Eva stopped on her own accord, her green hues widening in surprise as she looked to the sky. It was damaged, torn, and thrown into chaos. She could feel the energy pulsing to life from the sky, and it was so very angry. A large pulse echoed through the sky, the glowing green shifting and becoming larger. As it pulsed, Eva winced and looked to her hand once more. It had the same glow of green as the sky, and it burned like no other. The green energy around her hand crackled and popped, causing her to collapse on her knees as she cradled her right hand; tears threatening to spill once again.
"We call it the Breach." Leliana spoke gently as she bent down to her level. She made no motion to touch her but only gave her a sympathetic look. "It spreads in the sky as well as your hand, and each pulse that passes it seems to be getting stronger. Eventually, it will kill you. Unless we act now." Leliana wasn't one to beat around the bush in such dire times, and she couldn't afford to do so now. The girl had to know that her life hung in the bounds.
"I don't even know what it is." Eva said shyly, the pulse that tore through her hand had stopped but she remained in her crouched position. "How do I stop that thing?" She asked as her attention went back to the giant tear in the sky.
"We have a theory, but we need to get you up there first. Cassandra will go with you."
Cassandra stepped forward, placing a hand on the girls shoulder. Eva looked back in her direction for a moment before nodding. What choice did she have? It wasn't like she could run away, especially after she was told this thing was going to kill her. She had to be brave or at least try to be regardless of how terrified she was. Eva stood, and nodded once more but this time it was a nod of determination.
"I will meet you at the forward camp, I must gather my scouts and prepare for the worst." Leliana said before standing and stepping aside. Cassandra kept a firm hand on the girls shoulder as she guided them forward through Haven. Angry looks came from all directions as they made their way to the gates.
"Do they hate me?" Eva asked in a near whisper but loud enough for the Seeker to hear.
"They grieve for the loss of our most holy, they need it." There was softness in her voice as she spoke.
Most holy? Oh, she must mean the Divine. She remember her mother speaking to her about her, which ironically, was why they were here today. She didn't know the extent of the details, but she knew that her mother was to meet the Divine for some reason regarding their clans' people.
-
It was a long way to the sight of destruction, and Cassandra had stopped them several times as Eva went to hide among the bushes as demons appeared. They attacked in numbers of two or more, and Cassandra was her only line of defense. Eva had no special abilities, no fighting abilities, she was essentially useless. The Seeker was well equipped however, to deal with the demons at hand. She fought bravely and never backed down, and most impressively she received little injury after each encounter. Eva only heard of demons from her clan leader, stories of people becoming corrupted because they would often give in to their darkest part of their hearts. She never thought much of it until now.
"Another rift!" Cassandra exclaimed as they made their way to a hill top. There were at least 5 demons this time, but Cassandra was no longer alone. Eva could make out two others and a few soldiers from Haven that combated against them.
"We must seal the rift!" A male's voice exclaimed. Was that her job? And if so how exactly was she supposed to do that? She felt her hand tingle and pulse once more as the last demon was struck down. Suddenly a man appeared beside her and grasped her hand, shoving it up and forward towards the rift. Eva gasped as her hand and the rift connected, and her eyes slipped shut as the pulsing worsened. It felt like her body was receiving a surge of energy that didn't belong in her. With freshly fallen tears the rift crackled and turned in the air, and finally vanished from sight. "There now," spoke a tender voice. Her eyes shot open and she saw an elven male lowered in front of her. His eyes were a grayish blue and his ears were just as pointed as hers.
"Did I do that?" She asked in a combination of shock and fear. The male nodded and offered a tender smile. Eva looked back to Cassandra who looked just as surprised as she did.
"It seems my theory was correct. She has the ability to close the rifts, thus may possess the same power in closing the breach." The man was now talking to the others, standing once more. He practically towered over Eva. She barely came up to his knees.
"And here I thought we'd be ass deep in demons forever." Another voice called out and Eva looked over to see a small man talking. He had a strange weapon that she'd never seen before. He looked back over to Eva and grinned at her. She could feel a blush creeping to her cheeks at the sudden attention and from being caught staring. Honestly could anyone blame her?
"Names Varric," the man said as he approached Eva. He offered her his hand and she cautiously took it, giving it a small shake before retracting her hand.
"I'm Solas, if there is to be introductions." The other elf said in a cheery tone. He bent down to her level once more and offered his hand as well, giving it a gentle shake. They knew she was being cautious with them and they could hardly blame her for it.
"Eva…" She mumbled out, the blush on her cheeks only deepening at the attention she received. They were probably the nicest strangers she met so far since she awoken.
"A pleasure," Solas said with a smile before releasing her hand and standing upright once more. He leaned against his staff and looked to Cassandra. "It seems she is the answer to our survival." She could hear Cassandra sigh and nod in agreement with his statement. Did that mean she had to close more rifts like that thing from earlier? Did that also mean there would be more demons she had to encounter?
"I can't fight." Eva suddenly burst out as she looked down to her feet, suddenly finding her white slippers interesting as she felt gazes on her.
"That's alright." Solas said gently with a smile.
"We will protect you and after all this I will teach you to fight." Cassandra offered.
"Assuming we live through this." Varric added and she could hear Cassandra grunt with disapproval as she shot the dwarf an angry look.
-
They had reached the forward camp without issues, and also managed to close another rift. It was a quick travel through the camp as the Seeker, from what Eva could see, was trying to keep her away from a certain man that she saw arguing with Leliana. Then they separated once more with the promise to meet again, charging with the soldiers to get to another rift- Or did Solas call it the breach? So much was happening that it was difficult to keep up.
They finally met with Leliana once more, and as promised, she had her men stationed with her. Were they expecting something awful? The demons so far seemed manageable with each rift she closed. "This was the original rift and so far the biggest of them all." She heard Solas comment, curiosity was in his tone as he glanced over the area. Eva peaked around Cassandra and gasped. There were various corpses that seemed to be burnt in place, and still on fire. The ground was black like it had been torched by something massive, and odd red stuff was growing all around out of the ground.
"Red lyrium?" Varric asked in an astonished voice. "Seeker?"
"I see it, Varric." She said in an annoyed tone.
"Don't touch it, that shit is bad stuff." Varric said. Eva noticed the shift of anger in his tone.
"What now?" Eva asked as she went to stand beside the Seeker. Even though she liked the others that had accompany them, she felt closest to Cassandra as far as trusting anyone went.
"We seal the rift." Solas said.
Right. That should be easy, right? She managed to close at least two so far without there being any catastrophic event happening. Biting her lower lip Eva nodded in agreement, but unconsciously she latched onto Cassandra's leg as fear reared its ugly head. Cassandra blinked and looked down at the sudden contact, and her once stern gaze softened a bit. She couldn't deny that she felt sorry for the girl, she was so young to have a burden like this thrust upon her and lose her mother in the same day. Varric noticed the scene between the two and smirked.
"Well Seeker that is the softest expression you've made since I've had the pleasure of knowing you!" Varric chuckled.
"Watch it, Varric." Cassandra hissed out in irritation.
-
There was screaming all around her as soldiers fell. Why did she think this was going to be easy? When they approached the rift something unusual happened. She heard her voice and the voice of another, along with her mothers. For a split second Eva thought she might have found her mother once again, that Leliana and Cassandra lied to her about her being truly gone. It all but shattered her heart once more when she realized it was just a reflection of some kind. A trick or delusion.
There was no reaction time. Solas was right about this rift being different. Something huge and monstrous was spat out, it was vastly different from the other demons they encountered so far. Its cruel laughter echoed through the area as it shielded itself from damage, summoning an electric whip to lash out at others. Eva just managed to dodge out of the way, wanting nothing more than to hide from its angry glare.
"We must break its defenses!" She heard Cassandra shout out to the others as they charged forward.
"Use the mark!" She heard Solas yell out to her. The mark? How was that going to help them defeat the demon? Shaking her head, she banished her thoughts aside and charged forward. The demon was distracted with the others as she was able to get out of its view while being near the rift. She felt the same familiar pressure and tingle in her hand as she forced it forward towards the rift. It crackled with power as the energy surged from it, whipping around the air viciously.
"NOW! ATTACK NOW!" She heard Cassandra yell to the others, followed by the demon going down on its knees. For a moment the rift seemed to calm as it clouded the air. Did she bring down the demon from by disrupting the energy? The others were laying in the beast like no other, while Leliana and her men fired arrows ruthlessly.
"More are coming!" She heard a man yell and she whirled her head to see more demons pouring out. They all seemed to charge at her at once. Did they sense the mark? Eva's eyes went wide as she took a step back, fear seizing control of her body.
"Eva, move!" She heard Solas yell, and she certainly tried to move. Her body was tensed up and felt like stone. She closed her eyes in preparation as a demon glided in front of her, its claws shifting above its head as it was about to strike her down. Eva gasped when she felt a pair of strong arms wrap around her, hauling her away from the hoard of demons that drew near her. She opened her eyes to meet the gaze of amber colored ones.
"It's alright, I got you." The man said to her as his attention shifted back to the demons that redirected their route and was now heading for them once again. With her in one arm the man drew his sword with the other, cutting down the demons in his path. Eva watched with wonder when the demons fell to his sword. He didn't even seemed exhausted fighting with just one hand and supporting her weight with the other. A cackle tore through the air once again as the large demon stood to its feet. It was covered in gash wounds and blood, but so were the others.
"Its defenses are back up again!" Cassandra called out. "Prepare yourselves!"
"I can help!" Eva's silence broke out as she looked up to the blonde haired man. His eyes widen a bit at her sudden outburst. "Please, I can get the defenses down!" She persisted this time, determination in her voice. Cullen blinked as he gently set her down on the ground but remained near her as she ran to her original spot once more.
She felt her hand pulse once more as she rose it up, wincing a bit as her hand began to burn just enough for there to be pain. The energy from the rift swirled and cackled once more, but this time the demon noticed and drew its attention to Eva. Her eyes widen as the ground shook violently from its heavy steps. The blonde haired man was once again in front of her, his sword drawn and ready. The demon stopped nearby and she heard its laugh again as it summoned an electrical whip.
"WATCH IT!" Cassandra screamed but it was too late. Cullen was struck down from the whip, not expecting the attack. Eva's eyes were the size of moons as her attention went from the rift to the demon that was now approaching her. Its large hand rose in the air as it flexed its fingers.
"EVA MOVE!"
She was almost there, she could feel the energy drawing out of the rift, and she just needed a few more seconds! Her eyes snapped closed when she saw the demons hand coming down, its claws instantly making contact on her small form. She cried out in pain, and as her body went flying, but she was successful in disrupting the rift once more, rendering the demon useless. Eva landed with a heavy thud on the ground and she could hear the others attacking the demon once more, she knew that this time they would be victorious in killing the thing. Pain surged heavily on her chest as she rose a hand to gently touch at her abdomen. There was blood, and a lot of it. She didn't wear armor like the rest of them, she had given them everything they found because they were the ones fighting, not her. Probably not the smartest idea. More shouting happened around her as she felt faint now, the loss of blood not helping in the slightest.
Solas appeared at her side once more, his hand twining with her glowing one as he lifted her hand up. The familiar pulse tore through her as the rift closed, then her world went black.
-
She felt awful. Her body was sore and ached in places she didn't even know existed. There was silence around her and it was a nice change for once. But where was she? What happened to the others? Did they make it out safe and was the demon banished? With a low groan, Eva forced her eyes open. From what she could tell she was alone. Her first instinct was to call out to her mother, but the memory came crashing down on her like a ton of bricks. Right. The thought grimly echoed in her mind as she felt a swell of tears well up in her forest green eyes. She didn't like crying, but at least she was alone to grieve. Or that is what she thought.
A box hitting the ground made her gasp as she tried to wipe away the tears that had escaped down her cheeks. She saw an elf in the room, who looked terrified and surprised that she was awake. They stared at each other for a moment before the elf dropped to her knees and bowed on the ground. Eva lifted a brow in confusion. No one has ever bowed to her before.
"Apologies, miss! I didn't know you were awake!"
"Er… It's okay. Where am I?"
Eva tried to shake her surprise and confusion, but today just seemed like one of those days that everything strange would happen. The elf lifted her gaze for a moment before lowering it back down to the ground.
"Haven. Everyone is in an uproar because of you. You saved us, you closed the rift." The elf said in high praise.
"So that means we're safe…" Eva sighed with relief, allowing the feeling of calm to finally claim her body. It was a nice change from fear and panic.
"Yes Herald."
"Herald?" Eva's eyes snapped up to look at the elf again, confusion masking her features at the odd name. "My name's Eva. Not Herald! I'm not a boy!" She snapped as her eyes narrowed at the elf. The elf seemed to panic once more at her reaction.
"Seeker will want to know you're awake! At once she said, at once!" The elf shuffled off the ground and nearly bolted for the door, leaving Eva to stare after her in utter confusion.
A frown lined her lips as she shifted off the bed, wincing at the sudden pain that erupted in her chest and abdomen. Right, the demons claws got me. The memory flooded back into her mind as she gingerly lifted herself off the bed. The pain wasn't as bad as it was when it first happened, but it was definitely still there. Slowly she made her way to the door and opened it slightly. The town was ironically quiet. She opened the door and her eyes immediately widen. Instantly she slammed the door shut, a small blush creeping to her pale cheeks. Everyone was outside her door and most of them were bowing. She didn't expect the entire town to be waiting for her. What was going on?! She stood there for a moment and leaned her forehead against the wood of the door. A sigh escaped her lips as she contemplated just staying in the small cabin instead, but she wanted answers and wanted to find a familiar face. The elf said the Seeker was waiting for her to wake up? She knew Cassandra was called a Seeker thanks to Varric. She wanted to find her more than anything.
Summoning up her courage Eva slowly opened the door again, shunning away her shyness that tried to rear up on her. She stood at the doorway for a moment as she felt the eyes of the town on her. There were mummers she couldn't make out and others she could. Something about this Herald business again, and other stuff that wasn't all that nice to hear. She brushed it off as best she could as she slowly made her way through the crowd of people, their gaze following her every move.
"Hey kid, glad to see you're up and moving!" Varric called out, and Eva immediately went straight for him. He stood near a fire while attempting to warm himself up from the frigid weather. Eva noted that it was colder than what she was usually accustomed to. "Didn't think you'd be up for a few more days at least." Varric continued as he moved to stand next to her, casting wary glances at the people that still gathered around to get a look at the young girl. "You certainly drew in a crowd."
"Why are these people watching me?" Eva snapped out, her eyes narrowing as she stared at the fire as she tried her best to ignore the blush deepening on her cheeks. She could practically feel her embarrassment seeping out. "And why are they calling me Herald?! I'm not a boy!" She added in frustration.
Varric blinked and stared at her for a moment, and slowly a grin appeared on his lips. He released a lightened laugh at the girl, and she shot him a look of confusion at his reaction.
"Sorry kid, couldn't be helped. They know you aren't a boy and it's not a name they're calling you. It's a title."
"A title?" Eva asked, her eyebrows raising at his words but the confusion still lingered in her expression. Varric nodded at her before looking back to the towns' people.
"Something about Andraste or whatever, Cassandra can explain it better than I can." Varric said while waving his hand in the air before turning his attention back to her. "Just glad to see you're alright, Eva." She couldn't help but smile when she heard him calling her by her proper name.
"Where is Cassandra?" Varric pointed to a large building just above them. Thankfully it wasn't a long walk since Eva couldn't move too fast because of her wounds.
"You'll find her all the way down the long hallway of the chantry." Varric commented off handily. "Want me to go with you?"
"No, it's okay. I can do it myself." Eva was quick to answer. In reality she didn't want any more attention drawn to her, and someone walking beside her would definitely do just that. Varric smirked at her response and nodded, his attention shifting back to the fire. Eva made her way slowly up the staircase and was greeted by more whispers and mummers of her. She hated being the center of attention, so naturally this didn't sit well with her. Thankfully she reached the chantry and with a great deal of strain, managed to push the door open. It was practically empty inside which was a welcomed change of pace for her. She stopped just short of another large door and she truly didn't have enough strength or energy to open another heavy thing. She could hear yelling inside and angry voices. A voice she didn't recognize and Cassandra's.
"Seeker you must see reason! She is guilty! She needs to be taken to the capital for trail!"
"Absolutely not!"
Eva bit her bottom lip at their conversation, their anger seemingly progressed. Were they talking about her? She was still confused as much as everyone else, but she did all she could to help Cassandra and Leliana in closing whatever it was in the sky. Her shyness peaked as she timidly knocked on the door, the conversation inside dying instantly. The door swung open and Eva was greeted by an angry glare and an unknown face.
"Chain her!" He spat out and Eva stepped back. Her eyes growing wide in fear as she saw the two guards inside look at her. When they made no motion for her she looked back at the man who was shoved aside.
"Ignore that and leave us." Cassandra said as she stepped aside, welcoming Eva inside. Still gnawing at her lip she slowly made her way inside the room. There was a large table at the center of the room with a giant map laid out on top of it. She noticed a few toppers to that marked several locations.
"This is insanity." She heard the man grumble with disapproval clearly in his tone.
Cassandra pulled out a chair for Eva to take a seat on. She had a feeling she wanted her out of the way when dealing with the angry man. Leliana was there too, but she remained silent when the two went back and forth with one another. Eventually the man gave up, but did so begrudgingly. Eva shifted in her chair as she watched him leave the room, his temper still obvious.
"I apologize you had to see that." Her attention was brought back to Cassandra, who was now looking at her from across the giant table. "I had every intention of coming to see you, but as you can see I was tied up." Eva nodded a bit as her tension slowly faded away.
"How come people are calling me Herald?" Eva finally broke her silence with the question that had been driving her mad since the elf was in her room. She saw Leliana's lips turn into a smile from the corner of her eyes, and she glanced to the other woman.
"You saved us from chaos. You calmed the breach in the sky and it stopped spreading. The people recognized that." She spoke swiftly. Eva noticed the accent in her voice and how lovely she sounded when she spoke. But did she really mean what she said? She stopped that thing from growing? Eva suddenly looked down to her right hand and noticed that it had also stopped spreading. She really thought that the ugly green glow would engulf her entire hand at the rate it had been spreading.
"I don't like it. It makes me sound like a boy." Eva commented suddenly, earning a laugh from Leliana and an amused smirk from Cassandra. Cassandra approached Eva and bent down to her level.
"We owe you our lives. I do not think you did any wrong here, just at the wrong place at the wrong time. At the temple… We heard voices, do you remember what happened?"
Eva tensed in her chair as she bit her lip once more. She felt grief engulf her heart once more when she remember her mother's voice. Her eyes lowered as she slowly shook her head. Cassandra frowned, knowing full well that she was grieving for the loss of her mother. She shot a look to Leliana before looking back to Eva. Just as she was about to say something the door suddenly opened once more, causing the young elf to jump in her seat, wincing when she felt pain shoot through her abdomen once more.
"I heard she was awake and wanted to see for myself." Eva snapped her attention upwards and recognized the man immediately. He had thrown himself between her and the demon to try and protect her.
"Eva you remember Commander Cullen, right?" Eva nodded at the question as she watched the man approach her. He bent down in a lowered position just in front of her and offered her a warm smile.
"You can just call me Cullen, Herald." Eva narrowed her eyes at the unpleasant name.
"Don't call me that! I sound like a boy!" She protested and Cullen's eyes widen at the sudden outburst. A low chuckle escaped his lips as he nodded.
"Alright then. I'll stick to Eva. By the way, that is a very pretty name." Cullen grinned at her, his eyes twinkling with kindness and warmth.
Eva returned his gaze and her eyes suddenly widen at the compliment. No one called her name pretty before. A small blush crept to her cheeks as she looked away, muttering a thank you under her breath. Cullen laughed again as Leliana joined in this time. Eva gazed at Cullen once more when he stood and made his way around the table. He was scanning the map in front of them and Eva noticed how oddly he was dressed. What was that giant fluffy thing hanging around his shoulders? Curiosity got the best of her when she hopped off her chair and approached him again. He didn't notice her coming since she was so small and her head didn't even pop up from the war table, so she tugged at his pant leg which seemed to startle him for a second before realizing it was her.
Once again he bent down to her eye level but she didn't return his gaze this time. She was too fascinated by the giant fluffy thing wrapped around him. Slowly her hands rose from her sides as she gently brushed her fingers against the fur, catching the man off guard. Cassandra and Leliana watched with amused looks. Cullen was always good with entertaining children, but this took the cake for them. After a long moment Eva pressed her hand against his furs and Cullen shifted his gaze to her small hands stroking his cloak.
"It's really fluffy," she said in an astonished tone of voice. "Is it alive?" She heard laughter from behind her as the women chuckled amongst themselves. Cullen shot them a glare before returning his attention to the small girl. A smile spread across his lips as he shook his head.
"It's not alive, no. It's just fur. Lions fur." He said as his hand fumbled with the ties of his cloak. "Just a coat to wear to keep me warm in the cold weather." He continued as he removed it from his shoulders, gently placing it among her own shoulders. The rest of the material dragged on the ground and the furs were entirely too big against her shoulders. It practically engulfed her head.
"It's really warm." Eva commented as she wrapped it further around herself, being careful not to damage his clothing. "Can I wear it outside? It's too cold for me and I don't have a coat of my own."
"We'll have to fix that, but for now you may wear it." Cullen smiled at her and she beamed a smile of her own in return.
"Thank you!" She chimed, almost tripping over the material before making her way back to the chair. Cullen laughed along with Cassandra and Leliana at her reaction.
-
The next hour was the most boring hour of her life. Well except that one time she received lessons about different types of plants and their properties. She wasn't really included in this conversation because it involved strategic strategy, which she had no idea what that was. The three of them went back and forth about a solid plan for aid, and just as they were about to give up the door opened once more. Eva looked over and saw a woman standing in the entrance with dark hair and darker skin. Her grey eyes twinkling in amusement at the three arguing. She held a clipboard in her arms with a candle attached to it.
"You all seem to be forgetting a very important fact." Her thick accent echoed in the room as she made her way over to stand next to Cullen. "No one will talk to us right now, especially you." She said as she pointed in Eva's direction. She blinked in confusion at her words.
"But you're talking to me right now?" Eva said as she heard Leliana chuckle once more. The woman's expression shifted to amusement.
"I suppose I am! Yes! What I meant was other people that may be able to help us."
"Oh…," Eva said as she leaned back in her chair. She suddenly felt very tired, almost feeling like she exhausted her stamina for the day. She was still recovering from her injuries and had a lot of excitement to deal with today. The four adults went back to their long and boring conversation for what seemed like hours. Eva didn't even think about leaving. Anything was better than getting stared at by all the strangers in the town. But she was fighting a losing battle.
Two hours went by quickly for the adults but had dragged on for Eva. They were finally able to make a decision that they could all agree to.
"Eva-," Cassandra paused as her attention fell upon the sleeping child. Her head was leaned back as she was cocooned in the warmth of Cullen's cloak. It was clear to everyone she was exhausted and this meeting did not help.
"It seems she's fallen asleep." Leliana's gentle voice chimed in but it was just above a whisper. How the girl could fall asleep with the four of the practically yelling at each other was beyond her.
"I will take her." Cullen spoke up as he moved from around the table. "I have to meet the recruits and will pass by her cabin."
Cassandra didn't argue, for she had to go over some paper work with the other two women in plans of getting mother Giselle here at Haven.
"Thank you, Commander." Cassandra said as she went back to the table, looking over the map once more.
Cullen gingerly picked up the sleeping child, making sure to mind her wounds as he cradled her sleeping figure. She was light as a feather, save for the giant cloak that engulfed her sleeping form. Leliana moved to open the door and Cullen nodded his thanks as he passed through. There were a few 'awws' that echoed in the hall as he carried the girl bridal style. Cullen rarely showed his soft side to people, but children naturally brought it out in him. This girl had spunk and determination. She also made Leliana laugh, several times, which was a rare occurrence in and of itself. There were many that watched the two as he made his way out of the chantry, and he did his best to ignore the stares he received.
"Hey Curly!" Varric called over rather loudly, and Cullen made a hushing sound as his gaze shifted to Eva. "Didn't even see her all bundled up in there. And here I thought you were cradling your cloak." Cullen rolled his eyes at the dwarf before continuing on.
Gingerly Cullen set the sleeping girl onto the bed, lifting the blanket over her already wrapped her figure. It couldn't hurt to have the extra warmth, it was rather chilly in the area they were stationed. Last thing they needed was her getting sick while she recovered. He took a moment to look over her features. She was definitely elven as her large ears pointed out from her shoulder length hair. He knew she'd grow into them eventually, but it added an extra sense of adorableness to her. Her hair was white as freshly fallen snow and he hadn't seen anything quite like it before, but it truly suited her. However, what mesmerized him the most was her eyes. They reminded him of the first day of spring because of how strikingly green they were. They held such determination for her age, which was rare. And after everything she went through he was surprised to see that the look hadn't faltered. He could also see the sadness in them, and he knew the loss of her mother weighed heavily on her mind. Did she have any other family with her or were they too lost in the explosion? He would have to seek out Leliana's abilities to answer that question.
The tips of his gloved finger tips gingerly brushed a strand of hair away from her face, causing Eva to shift slightly in her sleep. That reminded him that he should fetch the healers to speed up her progress and stop any discomfort she may be feeling from her wounds.
"Rest easy, little Herald." Cullen smiled at her sleeping figure before standing and turning away, leaving the child to rest as long as she needed.