Cullen got right to work on the reports brought to him, trying to keep himself distracted- which was proving to be a challenge every time he heard Leah's laughter.
Outside by the fire, Leah sat with some of the soldiers she had begun bonding with and they chatted over drinks- sharing stories they had heard or tales from their journies. They would laugh and cheer, enjoying themselves quite a bit.
After a couple of hours, Cullen took a break and stretched his legs. He checked in with the watch guards, then double-checked their camp defenses before making his way back towards the fire. As he began to approach, though, he noticed that Leah was getting a little too friendly with some of the men for his liking. It seemed innocent enough, but his stomach knotted at the sight and he had to turn away.
'It was one kiss, one impulse-driven kiss, there's no reason this should be bothering me so much.' He made his way toward the edge of camp, taking a moment to breathe in the chilled night air.
After a few moments, Leah approached him- having seen his expression from across the fire before he took his leave. She hesitated, unsure if she would be intruding or not, but she took a step forward and placed a hand on Cullen's shoulder. This was a mistake.
Cullen hadn't heard Leah join him and reacted upon instinct, grabbing her wrist and pinning her to the tree he had been leaning against. "Don't sneak up like that on me."
Leah was surprised by the darkness behind his amber eyes, the forcefulness in his reaction as he towered over her. "I-I'm sorry, I d-didn't mean to."
Cullen let go of her and stepped back. "What did you need?"
"Y-You looked like something was bothering you, so I wanted to check on you."
"How sweet of you."
Leah watched his face momentarily, taken a bit aback by the sarcasm. "Come on, tell me what's really on your mind?"
Cullen sighed and looked away. "It's nothing to be concerned about."
"I don't believe that for a second." She tried to reach up and turn his face back towards hers. "Please, talk to me?"
Cullen smacked her hand away. "I said it was nothing, Leah, so just leave it, will you?"
Leah withdrew her hand and stepped back, hurt but not surprised. "I-I'm sorry, Cullen. I'll leave you be."
Cullen stood there, more angry with himself for reacting in such a way than anything else. He pinched the bridge of his nose, rubbing it slightly. 'Maker, this is a mess...'
After a few moments of silence and solitude, Cullen was suddenly greeted by the smell of food and someone clearing their throats. He turned to find a woman around his age standing a bit behind him with a bowl of steaming food.
"Commander, you were not present for the dinner call so I was asked to bring it to you instead."
Cullen took the bowl from the woman and found a hearty stew with beef and vegetables. "I see, thank you..."
The woman stood there a moment, just eyeing him, then handed him a spoon. "Don't burn yourself, but you should eat it while it's still hot. There's a big storm brewing, best to fill your belly with a hearty meal before turning in for the night." She fiddled with the ties on the bag fastened to her belt and pulled out a roll. "Here, have this as well. Can't have our Commander going about on an empty stomach."
Cullen took the spoon and roll from the woman, her bluntness somewhat refreshing compared to what he'd been used to lately. "Thank you."
The woman waved as she turned away and returned to camp, leaving Cullen to wonder who she was exactly. He found a boulder to sit down on and ate his stew in peace. The warm, hearty broth was a welcome in the chilling air. As he ate his dinner, he looked up at the sky and could feel the charge in the air.
'She was right.'
Leah sat off to the side with some of the other soldiers and noticed that the woman who made everyone's meal had returned to camp.
Her name was Emery, she was a bit older and taller than Leah, she had umber hair and sage-green eyes that suited her fair skin well, and Leah noticed a scar peeking out from behind the bangs she kept swept over her left eye. She was a nice enough woman, did a lot of the cooking for the company, and she had greeted her in passing a few times. Beyond that, however, she knew nothing of the woman.
While Emery went back to her work, Leah was wondering what Cullen's problem was. She had never seen him react like that before and it honestly terrified her a bit. While he didn't actually hurt her, she knew that he could have if he hadn't held back.
'Are his withdrawals taking that big of a toll on him? Or was it something else?'
Thunder crashed overhead and the cooks had set up a tent over the campfire and their workspace to keep things dry when the rain came. Not long after, lightning danced across the darkened skies and the rain resumed.
Leah hadn't seen Cullen return to camp, but she noticed movement in his tent so she assumed he made it back OK. She made her way over to where Emery was working and asked for a moment of her time.
"What is it?"
"The Commander, did he seem like he was doing OK when you brought him food earlier?"
Emery shrugged. "He looked like a man reliving a horrid memory. He doesn't seem to have slept well in some time, too, so here's hoping the stew helps."
Leah sighed. "I see... well, thanks, Emery."
"Sure, no problem. I was going to bring him some hot cider the lads brewed in a bit, I can check on him again if you'd like?"
"You don't have to, but thanks for the offer."
Emery could see her worry. "Look, it may not be my place to say anything as I don't know what your relationship with the Commander is exactly, but as a healer, you should take personal feelings out of the equation and focus solely on the patient's needs. You won't be able to adequately help your charges if you get too emotionally involved."
Leah knew she was right and thanked her for the advice before taking her leave.
Emery watched her disappear into the rain, fading from view, and shook her head. 'Some people never learn.'
