Chapter Text
Azalea was sitting on the stone wall on the outskirts of Haven, her back to the wooden palisade as she watched the soldiers train. And one particular commander training them. The sight was something to behold especially to the Circle raised girl who had until recently never left Ostwick. She wasn't as sheltered as some of the circle girls, she had had sex before. Once. And she wasn't sure if she had even loved the man. Oh she had been fond of him and trusted him, but love? In truth she didn't really know what love was and she hadn't had the chance to find out. He had tried to kill her before they had the chance. Remembering that made Azalea grimace in distaste. She had mourned Derrek and what could have been, she had had two months to do so, but it still hurt and made her look at all templars in a new light. Even this Commander Cullen, who she had barely spoken two words to so far. She could not deny how he attracted her - tall, blonde, muscled physic, and she couldn't deny that part of the attraction was his templar abilities - but it was also all of that that scared her. Azalea sighed. She would think that she had had enough of running to templars after what they had done.
Pushing away from the wall she landed with a soft thud, the powder-like snow coming to her ankles. She smiled at the sight, snow still being something of a novelty to her. Oh she could create ice on a whim, she was quite talented with ice spells, or so First Enchanter Lydia had said while she was tutoring Azalea. But it was one thing to understand the theory enough to create ice, it was another thing entirely to see it falling down from the sky naturally. It coated the mountainous landscape around them and, were it not for the green-hued breach in the sky, the sight would be simply spectacular.
Deciding she should make herself useful rather than sitting around daydreaming, Azalea started off towards the trees, picking elf root as she went. The plant was common enough but was used in so many healing recipes in so many different ways that they never seemed to have enough of it. There was to be a council meeting later today where they would discuss the ongoing mage and templar war and a possible lead of someone who may be willing to help them, but Azalea had time yet. She wouldn't stray too far, of course, but there was plenty to find just in and around Haven.
It was perhaps an hour later that she made her way back to town. Cullen was still training the troops and a part of her longed to go up and talk to him, to strike up a conversation. But then what would they talk about? Azalea had never been the kind of woman who was good at holding idle conversation and even if she was, she got the feeling such a thing would only annoy the commander, especially while he was busy training the troops. With a sigh she walked past without saying anything, intent on giving the elfroot she had gathered to Adan.
* * *
Cullen watched the mage as she first left Haven and then came back once more carrying a bag of something. She was... Interesting. He had had Lelliana's agents look into her background and what they had found was different to what he had expected. Being that she was with the rebelling mages' delegation he fully expected her to be either from one of the circles that had had troubles of that nature in the past, Kirkwall or Feralden perhaps, or at the very least to have been a trouble maker. But she was neither of those things. Rather the reports he had received seemed to indicate that she enjoyed living at the Circle. She rarely petitioned to leave, and when she did it was only to visit family on name days or religious celebrations, always observed the chant of light, and was the Ostwick's First Enchanter's apprentice while she had been learning. She didn't have so much as a sneaking out of the dormitory at night infraction against her name. However, Lelliana's agents hadn't been able to establish what had caused the Templars to enact the rite of annulment against the Ostwick circle, nor how she and her fellow mages had escaped and wound up with the rebels. And now, it was likely that the only person who knew was Azalea herself since all her comrades had died at the conclave and she wasn't particularly forthcoming in talking about herself.
"Shield up!" Cullen called out, as much to cover his own wandering mind as to remind the soldier to protect himself.
They had a meeting later today and Cullen couldn't help but wonder how Azalea would react to it. Of course, being a mage, he was sure that she would be more sympathetic to their cause, but at the same time, she had avoided the few mages at Haven, even talking to Minaeve very little and only regarding research of the rams and druffalo they had killed for their meat and leather. Cullen shook his head and ran a hand through his hair, frustrated.
"Sir?" his lieutenant asked, puzzled by his commander's actions.
"Get me a practice sword," he commanded.
Untying his cloak and tossing it aside, he took the offered sword saying, "Take over Lieutenant," before moving around the tents to where he could hear a distinctly female voice grunting with exertion. For a moment or two he watched as Cassandra fought the dummy before her. She was good, but then he didn't expect anything less; seekers went through similar training to templars after all.
"Care to fight something that will hit back?" he offered.
Cassandra paused in her fighting and looked up, a half smile on her lips. Her inclining head and the action of raising her weapon into a ready position was acquiescence enough so Cullen moved in. Unlike Cassandra, he hadn't yet warmed up so to begin with they took it easy. When both could tell he was warmed up enough the speed picked up, as did the ferocity of the attacks and the strength of their defence. For a while they merely spared in silence, both enjoying the rhythm of the combat and taking advantage of the clear head it required. Cullen hadn't spoken much to Cassandra recently but he knew she felt the loss of the Divine and their current situation just as strongly as he did, perhaps even more so being that she had interacted with her a lot more.
Eventually though, Cullen broke the silence. "Our mage Herald, what do you think of her? Do you think the Maker sent her?" he asked, parrying one of her strikes.
"That is two different questions," Cassandra said, striking out once more, low this time. Cullen darted away as she continued. "Yes, I believe the Maker sent her. Do I believe that was Andraste behind her in the Fade? I don't know. I do not think it matters. She is what we needed when we needed it." Their dance of swords continued for a little while Cassandra gathered her thoughts. "As for what I think of her, it is hard to say, she hasn't been particularly open. But she has been willing to help from the start, even more so when she learned that she could help, that her mark would close the rifts. That, to me, is more important than whether I like her personally or not. Why do you ask?"
Cullen swung high and Cassandra dodged easily, her sword flicking out almost contemptuously in response. "She is more important to the inquisition than she acts. I wanted to know if I needed to have her watched, if she could be trusted. She did arrive with the rebel mages after all."
"As opposed to the rebel templars?" Cassandra countered, both in words and in swords. "I don't believe you have anything to worry about there. She wants to help, she sees the importance of closing the breach, that is what is important. Now are you going to fight me or continue gossiping?"
Cullen smiled at the teasing and renewed his efforts once more, this time in silence.