the mage and the templar (dragon age fanfic)

at least i got everyone's attention

Something was chasing her, something sinister and downright terrifying. The fear inside her was all that kept her going, the young woman running through the darkened area in search for any escape. She could feel them on her heels, the sounds coming from them shaking her to her very core. She was almost certain there was no way out, that she would end up dying in this place, but there's a light just up a steep incline. She moves quickly, ignoring the way her legs burn as she tries to climb up the hill. There's someone at the top, they're reaching for her but she can't quite reach them. She feels the terror coursing through her veins as the creatures grow closer and with one final push she reaches for the outstretched hand.

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Gwen Trevelyan wakes with a start, sitting up from her cot inside the small cabin she had recently started to call home. She can still feel her heart racing, the green mark on her hand aching ever so slightly as she tries to even out her breathing. It had been nearly a month since the tragic explosion at the temple and Gwen was still having nightmares of that place. She was still trying to make sense of what happened, the little bits and pieces of her memory not nearly enough to help her understand. All she knew was that the mark sealed the rifts and for that reason alone she was named The Herald of Andraste, a name she would've never picked for herself. Gwen was no chosen one, how could she be? She was a mage, something that most everyone in all of Thedas feared. She was no chosen one, at least not in her own eyes and certainly not in the eyes of many others.

Gwen lets out a weary sigh as she pulls herself off her cot, deciding that it's time to get up and prepare herself for the day ahead. Gwen quite liked the simplicity of life in Haven and often looked forward to spending time with the many people that lived in the village. Gwen felt free here, a feeling she had never truly believed she could ever experience. She had been born into a life of privilege with parents who had kept her hidden behind walls for as long as they could before the Templars came to take her at the age of ten; to the circle of Ostwick where she had spent more than half her life until recently. There were still Templars in Haven, Commander Cullen Rutherford being the one she was around the most. He was an interesting man to say the least, he didn't seem hostile towards Gwen but she could sense how uneasy he was around her. She felt the same towards him, her own history with the Templars at Ostwick more than enough to heed caution. He always seemed to be watching her during their war table meetings, looking away whenever she so much as glanced his way. She didn't think much of it of course, probably just his way of making sure she hadn't turned into an abomination or something along those lines.

Cullen was the least of her worries anyways, that fact more than clear as she steps out of her cabin. The breach was still there, glowing green and pulsing as if to remind Gwen she still had yet to close it. They were working on a plan, but Gwen was starting to feel like they'd never reach a consensus. Cullen wanted to go to the Templars, naturally, while Josephine wanted to go to the mages. Gwen agreed with Josephine, feeling the mages would be more capable of powering up her mark than the templars would be of suppressing the breach. Cullen of course was completely against the idea, despite the fact that Gwen had seemingly uncovered some sort of Venatori plot. It made more sense to go with the mages, but Gwen knew they wouldn't decide until everyone could at least agree to do so.

They were running out of time though. The breach may of stopped growing, but fade rifts were scattered across the land that kept appearing because of it. She could barely keep up with the ones in the Hinterlands at this point, a new set of rifts seeming to open up every time she rode into the valley. She was beginning to wonder if Solas was just making things up when he said those eleven artifacts would help strengthen the veil, but she knew better than to question the strange elf.

Gwen walks around the small village for a little while, greeting people here and there but never really striking up a conversation. She's trying to keep herself distracted for the most part, not wanting to dwell on things that were out of her control. She's walking just out of the gates when a voice startles her, nearly causing her to jump but she's quick enough to catch her bearings.

"You there! There's a shield in your hand, block with it. If this man was your enemy, you'd be dead," Cullen says, shaking his head before turning towards one of the men standing next to him, "Lieutenant, don't hold back. The recruits must prepare for a real fight, not just a practice one."

"Yes, Commander," the Lieutenant says before he walks off. Gwen is standing next to Cullen now, having walked over out of curiosity and also because she really did admire the way Cullen trained the Inquisition's soldiers. He was a natural born leader, yet another thing she found herself admiring about the commander.

"Good morning, Hearld," Cullen says once he catches sight of her, not that he hadn't realized she was approaching. He could sense her magic far before he could see her, the feeling of it like little needles prickling his skin. He doesn't let that feeling stop him from being polite however.

"How goes everything, Commander?" Gwen asks, sharing the same level of politeness. Cullen looks out at the soldiers on the training ground for a second before glancing back at Gwen.

"We've received a number of recruits, mostly locals from Haven and some pilgrims. Although, none made quite the entrance you did," He says, folding his arms across his chest as Gwen smiles a little.

"At least I got everyone's attention," She says, trying to keep the conversation light. She had never really gotten the chance to just talk to Cullen, her own fear of templars and his fear of mages seeming to keep each other at a distance. Cullen seems to find it amusing though, a small smile of his own appearing on his face before he answers.

"That you did..." Cullen says, trailing off but he found himself wanting to continue the conversation, "I was recruited to the Inquisition in Kirkwall, myself. I was there during the mage uprising."

"Oh? What was that like?" Gwen asks, also wanting to continue the conversation. Cullen catches sight of one of his lieutenants trying to catch his attention and he starts to walk in that direction as he answers Gwen's question.

"I saw firsthand the devastation it caused. There was tension between Templars and Mages long before I arrived. Eventually it reached a breaking point... There was fighting in the streets, Abominations began killing both sides... It was a nightmare. After Knight-Commander Meredith went mad... Cassandra sought out a solution. When she offered me the position to command the Inquisition's army, I left the the Templars to join her cause," Cullen explains, grabbing a report from a passing by scout as they continue to walk. "However, now it seems like we face something far worse."

"The conclave destroyed, a giant hole in the sky; things aren't looking good," Gwen says quietly, earning a nod from Cullen who has finally stopped walking.

"Which is why we're needed. The Chantry lost control of Mages and Templars, now they argue over who will be the next Divine while the threat of the breach remains. The Inquisition could act where the Chantry cannot. Our followers would be part of that, there's so much we can-" Cullen interrupts himself before he gets too far. He could talk for hours about how much good The Inquisition could bring but he was certain that Gwen wouldn't want to sit there and listen to him talk. "Forgive me, I doubt you came here for a lecture."

"No, but if you have one prepared, I'd love to hear it," Gwen finds herself saying, having enjoyed listening to Cullen talk. He was passionate about what he did, she could see it in the way his eyes would shine as he spoke. The statement brings forth a soft chuckle from Cullen, the commander feeling a little grateful that he hadn't bored Gwen with his rambling.

"Another time, perhaps. I uh...." Cullen forgets what he's about to say, finding himself staring at Gwen for some odd reason. Had her eyes always been that blue? Or was it just the sun hitting them just right?

"There's still a lot of work ahead," He manages to get out after getting his mind back on track. As if to prove his point, another scout has approached the pair.

"Commander, Ser Rylen has the report you wanted on our supply lines," The scout says and Cullen takes that as his opportunity to excuse himself from the conversation. Gwen bids him farewell before heading over to speak with Cassandra who wasn't too far away. Cullen finds his eyes following her as she walks, wondering if she'd done something different with hair and that was why she looked different to him... or maybe it was the new armor Harriet had made her, it was fitting quite nicely it seemed. Cullen is quick to look away when Gwen glances in his direction, trying to act like he hadn't just been staring yet again. He didn't know what it was, but he often found himself looking at her.