Could We?: Ch 1 Talk

He had formed an image of the Qunari. In Kirkwall, he had seen quite a few, and so it hadn’t been hard to do so. Qunari were tall, muscular, white-haired, and grey skinned. Horns of different shapes and sizes attached to their heads. They were the only race to have horns, hence why they were referred to as ox-men. They painted their upper bodies with some type of red liquid. They had sharp claws and teeth. That had been the image Cullen had expected. That image had been shattered instantly upon actually meeting the Qunari prisoner.

To start, she had been… well, a she. Whispers—and sometimes angry shouting—of the unconscious ox-man had led him to believe that the prisoner had been, in fact, male. However, Cassandra had introduced her as the prisoner. He had been taken aback by her appearance. Yes, he had gotten the tall and horned parts right, but that had been all. He hadn’t noticed her at first for he had been too focused on slaying the demon in front of him. But after the demons had been slain and the small rift closed, she had had his full attention. Come to think of it, it had been his first time seeing a Qunari female. She had dark hair pulled back in a bun. One of her horns hadn’t been sharp like the other as though it had been cut in a haphazard manner. Not a splash of paint had covered her features. Then again, the bulky mercenary coat had concealed most of her body. She had piercings, too. One silver labret piercing, and three small hooped earrings attached to her right earlobe.

Cassandra had introduced them. Admittedly, he had been in shock about her appearance that he had not responded right away. However, she had not responded at all. She had merely narrowed her yellow eyes, and then had turned away. Cassandra had awkwardly attempted to smooth it over by saying that it hadn’t been the time for small talk. Though she had been right, Cullen had felt highly offended. In her eyes, had she only seen him as another insignificant human not worthy of her time? Had she been thinking he wouldn’t survive, and so she had not thought to speak to him? Did all humans look the same to her, he had wondered. But he had no time to continuing pondering the Qunari’s rude behavior. There had been many others that needed his attention at the time.

Then she had, miraculously, closed the biggest rift in the world. It had taken so much of her strength to do so, and it had not been sealed completely. Still, the Qunari female had saved many people that day. During her slumber, the people of Haven had shifted their image of her. The Herald of Andraste, they now called her. They believed she had been sent by the Wife herself in their darkest hour. Cullen, however, was not yet convinced of the title. She was still an unknown. Although she had the power to seal the rifts that had appeared in the world, there were still many unanswered questions regarding her involvement. What had she, a Qunari, been doing at the Conclave? Her intentions were unclear and that had caused wariness.

Perhaps the Commander still felt a bit… irked by their first encountered, which caused him to be biased in his opinion of the Qunari. Still, his viewpoint was not completely unfounded. That is the reason Cullen had taken it upon himself to watch her accommodation. Villagers had stopped their assassination attempts, so he did not have to worry about an intruder. When Haven was quiet and few guards were stationed, he watched her lodging, waiting. From the moment she stepped out, he would observe her from a distance and discover her goal. Whether it be benign or malevolent.

He had been at this for three nights already. Tomorrow would mark the third day of her unconsciousness. If she had not awoke by then, Cassandra would turn to more drastic measures to wake the Qunari. She believed the horned woman would been a great help in righting the world—or at the very least, closing the rifts—but they could not wait forever for her to wake.

Then quite unexpectedly, the wooden door creaked. Then silence. If Cullen had not been paying close attention, he might have missed the sound entirely. He tensed, watching the door slowly open. Her horned head peeked out first. Her eyes darted around before she exited her dwelling. She had changed her attire. She now wore the clothes that had been custom-made for her. The leather clothing hugged her body, especially the trousers. She still wore boots, but they were not bulky like her other pair. They looked tight around her legs. For the most part, her new outfit appeared durable, yet light.

The horned woman rolled her shoulders. Left first, then right. Then she moved, quite silently away from her lodging. Her gaze scanned the village, seemingly taking in the village. Cullen lowered himself. He was no rogue, but he was sure he wouldn’t be sighted in the spot he had chosen to watch her. “What is she doing?” he wondered as the Qunari moved further and further away from his sight. He had to follow her. And so he did.

As quiet as he could, Cullen followed the giant all throughout the village. No one else seemed to notice her presence. However, she did not attempt to make her presence known. He watched her eyes stray on the gates of the village as though contemplating. If she had left, that would erase whatever burden it would place on her. She could disappear and leave the world in chaos. She did not, though. Instead, she turned away from the gate and headed further into the village.

The Qunari headed up the steps to the largest building in the village. Cullen halted, though, when she entered the Chantry. He had to follow her, of course, but entering right after her would arouse her suspicion. She would hear the door opening and closing. So the Commander waited. He pressed his back to the wall, straining to hear any movement within the Chantry. There was not. Still, he waited. Just a few moments more. Then, as slowly as he could, he opened the door. Fortunately, it hadn't made a sound. Cullen began scanning the large room before the door could shut behind him. He did not see her.

Had she gone in the far room or-? He suddenly heard footsteps. Cullen squinted into the darkness. There were a few candles lighting the path, but the light could not reach the entire space. A shadow moved to his left. The footsteps sounded as though they were fading... down. The dungeons, he thought. Why? Admittedly, his wariness shifted into curiosity. Perhaps she was searching for something not returned to her? But her personal items had been set up in her quarters. At least, that is what he had been told.

Carefully, Cullen made his way down the stone steps. He peered around the corner. No sight of her. Still, the dungeon wasn't the most well lit place. The Commander moved forward at a slow pace. He didn't see anything out of the ordinary. Perhaps he had gotten it wrong. She might not have come down here at all. Cullen stopped. Inaudibly, he sighed. Perhaps he had gotten all of this wrong. The Qunari had had multiple opportunities to escape, become hostile, or simple not fight at all. Cassandra had told him that she had been cooperative since she had become conscious. He ran a hand through his hair.

The Qunari was conscious now. She would be formally introduced tomorrow. He could simply wait for that time to gain information. After all, she had already shown that she would not leave. Not so soon, at least. Cassandra truly believed she could be helpful with that hand of hers. For a moment, Cullen shut his eyes. Yes. The Qunari was an asset. He could not deny that. Instead of keeping watch like her bespoke guardsman—though in all honesty, she was a mercenary, which needed to be watched on principle—he might try a different approach to obtain information. At the very least, he might not stay up all night, keeping track of her. When the time came, he would ask her directly what her ambition could possibly be.

On that mental note, Cullen turned around, intending to go back up to the main floor. However, his face collided with a wall… made of flesh. He stumbled back a bit in surprise. Then he lifted his gaze, meeting impassive yellow eyes. The Qunari…! He felt his body become numb. She had caught him. Alone. In the dark. “My… What a brave person,” she began. Her voice was low, yet strong. His mind immediately compared it to iron dipped in honey. He could not begin to fathom why. “To follow me into my domain—you must be brave, Commander.” Her domain…? The dungeons? What could she-?

“Of course…” Cullen thought. The darkness. She was a rogue, despite her build. The shadows aided her style. At first glance, he had assumed she had been a warrior, specializing in two-handed weapons. Instead, she had dual weapons attached to her back. He had gotten so many things wrong about her. “It…” The Commander cleared his throat, ignoring the shiver that went down his spine. “It was not my intention to-”

“Be lured here?” The Qunari stepped forward, causing Cullen to move backwards. “Tell me, Commander, why were you following me in the first place?” It was then that he realized that she had recognized him. Then she could distinguish between humans? He hadn’t been just another face in the crowd to her? “I don’t like being followed.”

“No, Qunari, I don’t imagine anyone would,” Cullen rejoined. He recalled the many times he had caught Hawke following him, intending to pull some ridiculous prank. Surely the only reason he had caught her so many times had been because she had always brought along her elf.

“Hm… Cheeky,” the Qunari remarked. He hadn’t meant to be, but before he could explain his retort, she continued. “What did you intend to find by following me? My darkest secrets?” Cullen’s stomach jumped. He did not know why.

“I-” Again, he cleared his throat, averting his eyes for a just a moment. He willed his body to stop reacting in such a strange way. The situation was not necessarily hostile, but if he said the wrong thing, it could shift to aggression quite quickly. “I only wished to know why you were sneaking about.” She scoffed. “But since we’re here, I would like to directly ask you if you have… conflicting interests, Qunari.” Her left eyebrow arched. She bit down on her lower lip. It came back wet. Cullen found himself swallowing.

“Conflicting interests…?” she repeated. “I had believed that this—whatever this is—planned on figuring out just what happened at the Conclave, fix whatever happened, punish those responsible if need be, and save the world. Was I wrong?” Slowly, the Commander shook his head. “Then I am not sure why you are asking such a question. Our interests are the same.” She crossed her arms. “Or are you thinking because I’m Qunari that I planned on using this opportunity to convert as many people to the Qun as possible?” She leaned down, face mere inches from his. She did not seem to mind that he had to bend back as she towered over him. Cullen had always believed himself to be tall—taller than most men. But compared to her… She was, at least, a head taller.

“Wait, I-”

“Because I’m Qunari, you believe I have hidden motivations for staying?” She continued, ignoring his attempt at… apologizing? Well, she hadn’t been wrong. It had assumed things about her. “Because I’m Qunari-" Her voice had not gained volume, but somehow became more and more intimidating. "-I’m a heathen—a heretic—that only stands for the sole purpose of dominating and controlling? Because I’m Qunari, in your eyes I’m sneaking about and not just getting to know my current surroundings?” With each question, she appeared less impassive. Her expression had become angry. “Well, what if I told you I’m not Qunari—that I don’t know one single line of the Qun? What then, Commander?”

“I… well, I… I would apologize for my assumptions…?”

Her lip twitched. He heard her teeth grind together. Apparently, it had been the wrong answer. Or perhaps the manner in which he had answered had been wrong. Either way, it resulted in him being pinned to the wall. She had moved so quickly, he barely recognized what had happened. He wasn’t necessarily pinned, just trapped. Her hands were pressed hard against the wall, right hand next to his head and left hand by his side. Cullen swallowed hard again. Her face was so close. He could make out her features quite clearly. She… She had freckles. Brown freckles. And her teeth. Her canine teeth were sharp. She could pierce his skin easily with them. Would she grin maliciously against his neck before lapping up his blood with her tongue? Cullen tried not to shudder at the thought. But the most distinguishing feature was her eyes. They were not yellow, but hazel. Light brown with streaks of gold. Her eyes were like strange gems that had yet to be discovered.


“I’ll tell you what’s going to happen…!” Her voice snapped the Commander out of his thoughts. He focused on her face, breaths resuming. “You will not follow me again. You will not treat me like a suspect. You will not question my intentions again unless my actions prove to be concerning. You will not—and listen carefully because this is the most important one—you will not refer to me as Qunari ever again! I am a person! Not an entire race or religion, or whatever you think Qunari are! I have a name! It’s Akásha Adaar! You will address me by name or you will not address me at all! Do we understand one another, Commander?!” It took him a moment to respond. Maker’s breathe, what was happening to his mind? She was definitely threatening him, and yet… and yet…

“I… understand…” Cullen hadn’t realized he had been panting until he had attempted to speak. “This won’t… happen… again.” Her demands had been… reasonable considering the circumstance. From the start, he had gotten everything about her wrong. Her reaction to him was understandable. Slowly, she reared back, never breaking eye contact with him. The further she went away, her freckles seemed to fade and the color of her eyes seemed to return to being yellow.

“Good. That’s good.” Her arms dropped to her sides. The aggression in her expression had disappeared. “I would hate to have the Commander of our forces be incompetent—someone incapable of realizing his mistakes.”

“Yes… That would be a…” He coughed. “Not good thing.”

“If you want to know something about me, just ask. Surely you can manage that?” Cullen stiffly nodded. “May I continue exploring in peace, Commander?”

“A-As you were.”

She arched her brow, and then smoothly turned away. Her new jacket billowing behind her like a cape. “Oh, and… You might want to get some sleep,” she advised. “I would hope the Commander wouldn’t allow just anyone to pin him.” With those parting words, she continued on her way.

Cullen watched her go until she was out of his sight. Once he was sure he was gone, her name left his lips. “Akásha… Akásha… Akásha…” He whispered her name again and again, hoping it would stick. Another confrontation like that—he did not wish to antagonize her. The Qunari… wasn’t Qunari, after all. She wasn’t a suspect. She wished to help their cause. She was an ally. He needed to accept that, not continuing to treat her like a miscreant. She was a person like everyone else, and it had been wrong to so hastily judge her. He wouldn’t want his entire existence to be placed under one word. Not like him. Not like Templar…

But it was strange, wasn’t it? Each time his tongue tasted her name, his face grew warmer. His eyes opened slowly. He came to the realization that he had been touching his lips. Hurriedly, he dropped his right hand. Cullen cleared his throat several times, and tentatively looked around. Right. Sleep. Of course. Whether he had been taken off-guard, or his lack of sleep had caught up with him, she had been right. Just anyone shouldn’t be allowed to pin him.

“But I am beginning to suspect that she isn’t just anyone,” Cullen thought.

0-0

The next morning, news of the Herald’s revival had spread throughout Haven. Soon, she would appear with Cassandra and be introduced to the war table. More importantly, the Inquisition would begin preparations for completely sealing the Breach. For that, they needed the Qu—Akásha and an enormous source of power. Presently, the three of them could not decide which group—mages or Templars—would be the best power source. He would rather choose the Templars, but Leliana had been steadfast on her decision on the mages. Josephine decided to remain neutral.

They were attempting to discuss alternatives when she and Cassandra entered the war room. He could tell they had been having a conversation before Cassandra opened the door. The slightest tug of Cassandra’s lip left Cullen wondering what it had been about. However, the warrior woman got right down to business. First were introductions. She introduced Josephine first as the ambassador, whom commented on the horned woman’s height. Leliana was next. Cassandra unabashedly introduced her as the spymaster of the Inquisition. The redhead tried not to seem indignant, but it clearly showed.

Then it was his turn. His body immediately tensed. Her eyes had finally turned to him. But her expression was too hard to read. He did not know how to respond. Should he pretend last night did not happen, or…? “Yes, we have met.” The horned woman’s gaze never wavered. Cullen hoped his gulp had not been as audible as his ears made it out to be.

“Lady Adaar,” he said, nodding his head once. “I am pleased you survived.”

“As am I, Commander.” Her gaze left him then, moving to back and forth between the women. “You all have such impressive titles. It’s a pleasure to meet all of you.”

“I mentioned that your mark needs more power to close the Breach for good,” Cassandra remarked. Leliana spoke up that mages would be the best option, to which Cullen disagreed and attempted to explain the usefulness of the Templars. The warrior woman seemed to agree with Leliana, but the Commander urged them to listen.

“Enough.” The argument was halted by the taller woman. All eyes fell to her. Cullen noticed her right ear twitching just a bit. “The way I see it, we don’t have the luxury of choosing either side at the moment. Both are angry, confused… devastated. I may not remember what happened at the Conclave, but I know the reason for it. It was held to attempt peace between mages and Templars. The only reason they agreed to meet was because your Most Holy requested it. Right now, we don’t have that type of influence. We don’t even have a smidgen of that influence.”

“Agreed,” Josephine said. “The Chantry has denounced the Inquisition, you specifically Mistress Adaar.”

“Why am I not surprised?” Josephine began explaining that the Chantry feared that what people were calling a Qunari—the Herald of Andraste. They thought it was blasphemy, and they were convinced the entirety of the Inquisition were heretics for harboring her. During Josephine’s explanation, the taller woman’s expression didn’t change. “Herald…? Me…? Andraste?! Pardon me if I start laughing.” Despite the comment, she remained stoic. Cullen wondered what her laughter sounded like. He suddenly wanted to hear it.

“Now who holds the impressive title?” he asked in jest. She hummed, seemingly in thought. She then shrugged her right shoulder.

“I’ve always wanted a fancy title,” she replied. Cullen chuckled at her dry humor. “Seriously, though, without support, what the Inquisition has set out to do is impossible. We need an in.”

“Yes, and we might have found one with Mother Giselle,” Leliana stated. “She is requesting to speak with you. She knows those involved far better than me, and her assistance could prove to be valuable.”

“Then I should see what she has to say then,” the Herald said. “Where is she?” The redhead answered that she was currently attending to the injured near Redcliffe. “Understood.”

“While you are there, might I suggest looking for opportunities to expand the Inquisition’s influence?” Cullen spoke up. “We shouldn’t rely on just one source if we are to reach our goal.” She nodded her head in acknowledgement.

“I will send scouts ahead of you to pinpoint Mother Giselle’s location,” Leliana stated. “I will alert you when I have the report. Until then…”

“Alright. I’ll get ready.”

She and Cassandra left, dismissing the war council. Once they were gone, Leliana turned, addressing the two that remained. “Well, what do you think?” Cullen tensed as though he had been put on the spot for interrogation. He had to tell himself that his fellow advisor had asked both he and Josephine. Admittedly, it hadn’t sank in until the Antivan woman answered first.

“It’s too early to say,” she said. “Though, I do believe she could be exactly what the Inquisition needs.”

“I agree,” Leliana nodded. “She’s a little on the cold side. Hopefully, Mother Giselle will see past that.”

“… She has a good head on her shoulders,” Cullen remarked. “I have no doubt she will understand the steps we need to take in order to seal the Breach completely. She’s a force that will undoubtedly shake this world.”

“You… sound in awe, Commander,” Josephine commented with a smile. Cullen tensed again. “Do you believe she is the Herald of Andraste? Do you think she was sent?”

“It does not matter what I think,” he replied, heading for the door. “It only matters what she does. In the meantime, yes, I think I will call her Herald.” With a nod, the Commander left the two women to their own devices. Honestly, calling her Herald meant that he did not have to call her by name. Saying her given name left his body feeling strange. Calling her Lady Adaar just didn’t feel right. For now, Herald left no reaction. Perhaps she wouldn’t mind…

Cullen made his way outside the Chanty, only to witness the start of a brawl between the mages and the former Templars under his command. It took him raising his voice to get the two groups to begrudgingly disperse. No thanks to Chancellor Roderick, whom had remained to argue. Or to annoy most likely. “And yet you’re the only one who insists that we can’t work together.” The voice that Cullen was quickly becoming accustomed to caused him to turn. The Herald walked his way, yet her eyes were on the Chancellor. Had she seen everything? Had she heard him defusing the situation?

“We might work together, but only if the Inquisition accepts the Chantry authority!” Roderick rejoined.

“There is no authority,” Cullen stated, shifting his gaze back to the man. The Chancellor then went on to saying that it would be one soon. The man basically went on a tangent. The Commander had to force himself not to roll his eyes to show his annoyance. Then he had the nerve to mention that she was still implicated in what happened at the Conclave. Cullen could no longer hold his tongue. “I will not have our Herald of Andraste be swept under a carpet. She is bigger than that, and she will right this world with or without the Chantry’s authority!” Roderick looked flabbergasted by the proclamation. He didn’t think to look her way.

“I was merely stating-” the man began.

“Remind me again why you’re allowing the good Chancellor to stay?” the Herald smoothly cut in. Without turning away from Roderick, Cullen answered with a wicked smirk.

“There’s no use in turning him into a martyr simply because he runs his mouth,” he stated. Expectedly, the Chancellor’s face paled at the thought. Beside him, the Herald chortled. Despite the cold, a sliver of warmth course through his body. He wanted to see. Did a smile linger on her lips? Oh, he wanted to see. But he kept his gaze on Roderick. The man had been intimidated by his words and had seemed to physically waver. Good.

“Alright. Make sure no riots break out in my absence,” the Herald said. She turned to leave.

“The wolves will remain standing when you get back… I hope,” Cullen responded. Roderick pursed his lips, clearly offended. The Herald, once again, chuckled. Though her back faced him, he could see her shoulders shake a bit. Cullen decided that he quite liked the sound.