Cullen was looking over their strategy for attacking Adamant when Jacquelyn arrived at the camp. They were hoping to begin the attack at nightfall, and had just been waiting for the Inquisitor to arrive with her group. She made straight for him, a serious look on her face. But he could tell she was pleased to see him, and he smiled at her.

"Inquisitor," he greeted.

"Commander."

"Everything went well in Crestwood?" he asked.

A sigh escaped Jacquelyn and she shook her head slightly, rubbing her neck. Cullen frowned slightly, turning to face her fully, showing he would listen to everything she had to say.

"We closed the rift," Jacquelyn told him, "but when we returned to New Crestwood, the mayor was gone. Once we are finished here, I will be asking Leliana to send agents out to search for him. It is better for him that the Inquisition finds him before Siara does."

"What happened?"

"He confessed to flooding the caves, knowing that there were refugees in them."

Cullen stepped forward and pulled Jacquelyn in for a quick hug, feeling her lean on him for a moment before they both pulled away.

"I'm sorry you had to deal with that," he said.

"I will be all right," Jacquelyn assured him. "For now, let us concentrate on the matter at hand. What is the news?"

"Blackwall is out ensuring that everything is in place," Cullen informed her, immediately switching back into Commander mode. "He will rejoin us tonight for the attack. We have men getting into position here, here, and here," he pointed at the areas on the map as he said this. Jacquelyn stood by his side, watching him, taking everything in.

She listened silently as he briefed her, taking in the plan and memorising it as much as she could. She would be in the main charge, after they breached the walls. She would take Siara, Anders, Solas, Bull, and Blackwall and make her way to where they would hopefully find Warden Commander Clarel. With any luck, they would be able to put a stop to this before too much blood was shed.

The signal was given and rocks went flying into Adamant's walls. A cheer arose from the soldiers as parts of the wall went flying, crumbling to the ground with a loud crash. The next round of burning rocks were loaded into the trebuchets and launched at the walls, the Inquisition's forces marching forward on Cullen's orders. Jacquelyn and her chosen companions stood at the ready near the front, standing behind soldiers with shields raised to protect them from volleys of arrows that the Wardens shot at them.

Cullen didn't like it, having to let Jacquelyn enter the fortress first. But she was the Inquisitor, she had to show she was just as willing to fight as anyone else. It was good for morale, and they needed morale to be as high as they could get it. They could win this fight, Cullen knew they could, but that didn't mean it was going to be easy. Grey Wardens were among the most skilled warriors in Thedas.

The Inquisition's forces marched forward, the ladders being raised. Soldiers were ready to jump off them onto the walls of the fortress to take down archers while the gates were being broken by the battering ram, but there was only going to be so much success in gaining a foothold on the battlements. It was enough for the ram to burst the gate open, Jacquelyn and her companions stepping through the rubble into the fortress and immediately joining the battle.

Cullen pushed away all his thoughts of concern for Jacquelyn for the moment. He had to concentrate on the fight, or he wouldn't be able to help her. He could hear a Warden call out a warning to the rest of them.

"Pull back," he cried. "They're through!"

Cullen strode forward in the moment of quiet that Jacquelyn had.

"All right, Inquisitor," he told her. "You have your way in. Best make use of it."

Siara was just finishing off a warden, turning to watch them with a small but determined frown on her face. Cullen knew she was a mercenary, but he struggled to imagine her on a battlefield. He'd always pictured her in smaller jobs, not laying siege to a fortress. But she seemed in her element, not in the least bit phased by everything happening around her.

Anders crossed over to her, saying something that Cullen couldn't quite hear, and Siara gave him a wry smile when she replied.

"We'll keep the main host of demons occupied for as long as we can," Cullen continued, his attention flicking back to Jacquelyn and the job at hand.

"Do not take too many risks, Cullen. Keep yourself and the men safe," Jacquelyn told him. She had a concerned frown on her face, making it to her eyes. He could see how much she cared about him. He didn't want anything to happen to her, either.

"You keep yourself safe, too," he said. "Warden Stroud will guard your back. Hawke is with our soldiers on the battlements. He's assisting them until you arrive."

Cullen looked up as an Inquisition soldier was pushed from the battlements, a demon looking down at them for a moment before slithering off to find another victim. A sickening hatred filled Cullen for a moment. He wanted to get up there and help to clear the battlements, but for the moment he was needed where he was to coordinate the attack. He turned back to Jacquelyn, motioning to the battlements.

"There's too much resistance on the wall. Our men on the ladders can't get a foothold."

"Then I'll take Anders and we'll clear as much as we can," Siara said, both Jacquelyn and Cullen turning to look at her as she approached. "Jacquelyn, you go find Hawke. Anders and I will catch up with you once we've thinned the demons a bit."

"Are you certain?" Jacquelyn asked. "There are many demons."

"No kidding," Siara scoffed. "Anders and I will be fine. You just get a move on."

Jacquelyn nodded, then motioned for Bull, Blackwall, and Solas to follow her. Cullen looked at Siara.

"We'll do our best to cover the Inquisitor's advance," he said. "Make sure you watch your back."

"This isn't my first battle, Commander. I know what I'm doing."

"We should get a move on," Anders interrupted before Cullen could say anything more. "If we want to be able to catch up with the Inquisitor and the others, we need to move fast."

Siara nodded, turning and making her way towards the battlements. Cullen watched them go for a moment, then headed back to the main forces. He needed to make sure that Jacquelyn had as much help as she could get while she advanced, and part of that would be making sure that they gained a foothold on the battlements as soon as Siara and Anders had cleared them enough for the ladders.

They didn't have to wait long until sections of the battlements were free enough for the men on the ladders to get a foothold. Anders and Siara were doing a good job, moving swiftly. Cullen could see Anders blasting away, holding demons and wardens off with ease. But he'd lost sight of Siara.

He frowned, scanning the walls. It took a while, but he managed to spot her. Siara was very obviously being forced back. Cullen couldn't see how many demons were on her, but he knew they were pushing her into a dead end. He could see her struggling, fighting back where she could but knowing that there were enough demons that she couldn't hold them all off for long. He looked back to where Anders was, seeing that the mage was too busy with his own problems.

"Get a ladder up," he ordered, pointing to the section of wall. He needed to get up there to help Siara, before it was too late.

"But, ser - "

"I know it's not cleared! Just do it!" he snapped. The poor soldier he'd yelled at just nodded, motioning for a small group of men to move a ladder into position. In a way it was fortunate that Siara was distracting the demons. No one paid any attention to the ladder leaning against the battlements, meaning it was perfectly safe for Cullen to climb up. He jumped from the ladder and took in the scene before him.

Five demons were advancing on Siara, slowly pushing her against a wall. She was doing her best to fight them back, but there were no safe openings for her. One demon would lower its guard, but there would be at least two more to step in and attack Siara if she made any move against it.

Cullen acted on instinct, covering the distance between him and the demons in mere seconds. He could feel the rush of power flood through his veins as he called on the lyrium, calling down a holy smite to stun the demons for long enough to dispatch them.

The demons writhed, struggling to figure out where to attack as Cullen cleanly cut through them. One by one they fell to the ground, then vanished into nothingness. He then turned to Siara, lowering his sword.

"Are you all right?" he asked.

"I'm fine," Siara said, pushing past him. "I need to catch up with Jacquelyn."

Cullen turned to watch her go. She hadn't moved to help finish off the demons, and as she left she'd brushed against him. He noticed the subtle flinch she made away from him. But the thing that really got him was the look in her eyes.

She'd been scared. But not of the demons.

She'd been scared of him.