A/N: I'm returning to fanfiction after a long hiatus and I'm rusty as hell, so be patient with me. This is pretty much a pure romance between Cullen and Mage-quisitor, slightly AU whenever I feel like it. I'm following the game and there will be spoilers, but I don't feel bound by its constraints so it won't be word-for-word.

I have to thank my awesome beta Bain Sidhe for making my story readable. She is an amazing writer and you should run - not walk - to her profile (linked in my favorites) and check out her work. I am completely in love with her Cousland/Loghain fic "From the Ashes" (srsly guyz it's sooo gooood), and although it's not even my fandom, her Pirates of the Caribbean story "A Vagrant Gypsy Life" is some of the best writing I've found on this site, period. Go read, you will not be sorry.

Madness. Utter madness.

The air was thick with the stench of charred stone, burnt flesh, and demons. Ashes drifted down from the sky like tainted snowflakes and a foul breeze blew them in dismal little whirlwinds. Above it all, the Breach loomed, a vile green horror that yawned above the remnants of the Temple, spitting out demons and Maker knew what else.

"We have to get up there!" Cullen shouted to his men. It was a hard climb. Despite the cold highland air, he felt sweat trickle down his back as he pushed his troops up the mountainside. He knew they were frightened, and to a man, none wanted to get any closer to the gaping rend in the sky, but they had to find out what it was, what they were dealing with.

"Commander!"

A distant shout drew his attention. One of Leliana's scouts stood on a crumbling wall, perhaps two hundred paces ahead. She motioned frantically for Cullen to join her. Muttering an oath, he picked up the pace, jogging over jagged rocks and trying not to lose his footing in the unstable rubble. As the soldiers ran, he heard the lieutenant next to him, a young man at least ten years his junior, panting with exertion. He made a mental note to add uphill sprinting drills to the training rotation, if the entire world didn't blow up before he had the chance to develop his men. The Breach groaned and hissed above them, filling his nostrils with the sickly sweet scent of demons.

"What is it?" he asked the scout, a Fereldan named Palmer if he wasn't mistaken.

"A woman, ser!" she exclaimed, pointing across a field of ash and stone littered with smoking corpses. Two more scouts warily circled a prone figure on the ground, arrows drawn and ready.

"A survivor?" Cullen asked, astonished.

"Can't tell, ser, I didn't want to touch her. She has this… this thing on her hand and I…." Palmer hesitated, looking uncomfortable, but then met his eye directly. "I guess I'm afraid, ser. I'm wondering if she might be the one what did all this."

"Well, we will certainly need to find out," Cullen replied resolutely. He jumped lightly from the wall and strode across the ruined … courtyard? Great hall? Impossible to tell what it once was, for now it was nothing but ash and embers. He tried not to look at the blackened bodies locked in agonized positions that betrayed the horror of their final moments.

"Maker preserve your souls," he murmured, but he kept his eyes on the woman on the ground. Unlike all the other bodies, she was not burned down to the bone. She seemed to be whole and he didn't see any smoke rising off of her, but what was this about her hand?

"Commander!" The scouts guarding her sounded distinctly relieved to see him.

"Report!" Cullen barked.

"She came out of the Breach, ser! Fell out of it almost like she was pushed!" Hillman replied, sounding as amazed as Cullen felt.

"She fell out of the Breach?" Cullen could hardly believe his ears. "You saw this?"

"Yes ser, and so did Macey."

"And I saw a woman behind her!" Macey added, "but that one didn't come through."

"Another woman? Who?"

"I don't know, ser, I just saw her shape and then the whole thing kind of drew back in on itself and I couldn't see anything anymore. We ran over to check on this one, and that's when we saw her hand." He pointed his arrow at the woman's left hand, which was glowing with the same green light that seemed to ooze from the hole in the sky.

"Is she alive?"

"I'm not about to touch her, ser," Hillman admitted. "But I think she is."

Cullen refrained from rolling his eyes as he knelt down to examine her. She was dressed in simple traveling clothes, and her long brown hair was coming undone from an elaborate braid. He gently picked up her arm and turned her hand over to examine her palm. The green light flared and flickered in rhythm with the pulse he detected in her wrist.

"She lives. Although if she caused this atrocity, she'll wish she hadn't," he vowed grimly.

Carefully, he rolled her over onto her back and peered at her face. He found himself a little disappointed. She looked so ordinary. He half expected someone capable of this much destruction to be hideous, or perhaps deceptively beautiful, but she just looked like a regular woman, neither exceptionally comely nor terribly plain. He didn't recognize her as anyone he knew, which was a relief.

"Macey, find Seeker Cassandra and tell her to meet me in Haven. You, Hillman, find some rope, we need to bind her in case she awakens and attacks." Hillman's eyes widened and he nodded, sprinting off like a scared nug.

"I suppose I'll be hauling your blasted hide down this mountain, since everyone else is too gormless to touch you," he growled reproachfully at the unconscious figure before him. Beneath her eyelids, her eyes slid back and forth frantically, and she grimaced as if caught in a nightmare.

"I hope you are," Cullen hissed. "I hope you suffer night terrors for the rest of your short, miserable life. Maker knows the rest of us will."

The woman grunted as if in pain and flexed the hand with the glowing mark. Cullen grabbed the hilt of his sword and wished that Hillman would hurry back with that rope. She remained unconscious, however, even as a whimpering cry escaped her lips. If it weren't for the mark on her hand, Cullen would have tried to comfort her, but it seemed too likely that she was responsible for the explosion of the Temple and he couldn't bear to consider soothing a vicious mass murderer. Instead he kept a firm grip on his sword and glared at her, silently willing her to open her eyes so that he could demand answers. After what felt like an eternity, Hillman finally returned. Briskly, Cullen bound her hands and feet and then slid his arms under her back and her knees, cradling her to his chest like a child.

Unfortunately, she weighed quite a bit more than a child. He grunted as he struggled to his feet with less grace that he would have liked. He supposed he should be thankful that the Breach spit out a smallish woman instead of a bloody big Qunari, but gratitude was in short supply as he carefully picked his way down the mountain with her limp body in his arms. By the time he reached Haven, his back was protesting so insistently that he wondered if he'd spend the next three days hunched over like an old man.

"Commander!"

By the Maker, he was tired of people shouting his rank at him. Although it was too dark inside the Chantry to see her, he knew who was coming. Lady Cassandra emerged through the doorway like a thunderstorm, her dark brows drawn together over her severe features, her arms pumping vigorously as she strode out to meet him and inspect his burden. She peppered him with questions as he deposited the woman in one of the holding cells beneath the Chantry, her voice growing louder and shriller by the moment. His information, such as it was, proved totally unsatisfying and Cassandra made her displeasure known in no uncertain terms. Cullen rarely minded the Seeker's blunt approach or her hot temper, but he found that his patience had worn thin.

"I apologize deeply for my utter failure to intuit the intentions of an unconscious woman. Or perhaps you feel I didn't scamper up the mountain quickly enough to watch her fall from the Breach with my own eyes? Whatever my error, let me atone for it on the field; I have no more answers for you than I have already given." He immediately regretted his attitude but honestly, he knew nothing about the woman. Did she expect him to make something up?

"Have a care, Commander," Cassandra snapped, then closed her eyes and rubbed her brow. "Forgive me, Cullen, you have done all you can. This whole situation is just beyond comprehension. And if she did this?" She whirled and jabbed a finger in the direction of the body on the floor. "If she murdered Most Holy and all of those other people, I swear by all that I am that death will be a respite for her!"

"Hear, hear," Cullen replied dryly, his eyes narrowing as an elf approached the prisoner. "Who is this?"

"This is Solas, Commander." Cassandra stood a little straighter and Cullen realized she was about to deliver unwelcome news. "He is an apostate, but he knows more about the Fade than any mage in Haven. He offered his assistance willingly when the Breach opened, and I have accepted it."

"Commander," the elf greeted politely, inclining his head slightly.

Cullen glared at him, and then at Cassandra, and shook his head. "I defer to your judgment, Lady Seeker, although I cannot approve. With your leave, I must return to my men."

"Stay safe, Commander," Cassandra said, already turning her attention back to the woman on the floor. Maker help her, if by some strange coincidence she didn't open the Breach, he hoped she could convince Cassandra of her innocence before she had her hanged.

...

In the days that followed, the mystery of the prisoner niggled at the back of his mind, but Cullen had little time to dwell on it. Smaller versions of the Breach started appearing all over Haven and the surrounding area, belching demons and terrorizing the civilians. His troops were occupied day and night with combating these horrors, but with no way to seal the rifts in the Veil, it felt like a lost cause. Morale was starting to sink and Cullen had to cajole, berate and even threaten his men up and down the mountainside as they raced from rift to rift, trying to at least contain the invasion. They couldn't last much longer at this rate; even working in shifts, they were surviving on only scant hours of sleep and with no victory in sight, he knew they would soon reach the end of their ropes. If they couldn't find a way to close the rifts, he'd have to recruit more troops, or come up with a different system, or…something. Something would have to give.

He thrust his sword into a green creature that seemed to be made of some kind of foul smoke. He gagged as its sweet stench filled his mouth and nose, its ethereal form fading away as he rent the air where it floated. A wave of nausea rolled over him as another one of the things spat a ball of magic at him. He staggered a little as he waited for the sickness to pass, then charged. From the corner of his eye he saw Cassandra drop down from an embankment and join the fight, with her dwarf and elf in tow, as well as a mage he didn't recognize. Cullen was grateful that the Seeker had joined them as they battled the demons that swirled around the rift. She inspired the men with her grace and courage and he knew they would fight harder in her presence.

A hulking shade lurched towards one of his foot soldiers and knocked her down. With a roar, Cullen attacked, slashing it with his sword and driving it back all the way to the wall. He poured every ounce of his energy into shredding the demon to bits, hurling a stream of curses at it as he bashed his shield against its strange, squishy body. The creature disintegrated and Cullen braced his arm against the wall, grateful for a moment to catch his breath, when a loud boom nearly startled him out of his skin. Turning quickly, he realized with relief and astonishment that the rift was no longer pulsing in the air. It was gone, as if it had never existed.

"Well done, Lady Cassandra!" he called out, striding forward to shake her hand. "How did you do it? Was it your elf?"

The elf glowered at him and Cassandra shook her head. "No, Commander, it was the prisoner. She can seal the rifts with the mark on her hand."

Cullen looked past her to the mage who was standing several paces off near the dwarf from Kirkwall. She smiled tentatively and gave him a sort of awkward little wave, then glanced at her glowing hand and quickly hid it behind her back. This was the mage he had fought alongside? He stared at her in disbelief and then turned back to Cassandra, a thousand questions on his tongue. The Seeker held up her hand to forestall him.

"I know, Commander, it defies understanding, but she can close the rifts and she's willing to try the Breach. She's our only hope right now."

"So you no longer believe she caused all of this?" he asked, keeping his voice low so that the others wouldn't hear.

"I don't know," Cassandra said with uncharacteristic hesitancy. "I'm beginning to believe she did not. Why would she help close the rifts if she was the one who opened them in the first place?"

"Perhaps she only intended to open the Breach. Or perhaps she only intended the explosion, not the tears in the Veil. Perhaps she is buying time to save her skin. Who knows her reasons?"

He glanced again over her shoulder to where the mage stood, leaning down slightly to talk to Varric. Whatever he said must have amused her, for she let out a short bark of laughter and shook her head reprovingly at him, grinning. Then she caught Cullen's eye and his frown chased the laughter off her face. She looked away from him and said something else to the dwarf, who simply shrugged.

He glowered. "Have care, Cassandra. I do not trust her."

"I will take no unreasonable risks, Cullen, but when our options are so limited, we must pursue every opportunity." Cassandra's voice drew his eyes away from the mage.

"Of course. My men will keep the path clear for you. Leliana has gone ahead."

"Thank you, Commander. Maker preserve you."

"And you, my Lady."

Politeness dictated that he acknowledge the others in her party, so he offered a curt nod in their general direction and then turned his attention back to his men. Many were injured, but their spirits had improved upon the revelation that it was possible to close the rifts. He helped Keller limp across the rocky terrain and then assigned another soldier, who he knew desperately needed rest, to escort him to the infirmary.

"I don't want to see you back on the field before tomorrow, soldier. Report to Captain Giles after you see Keller safely to the healer."

"Yes ser," the man replied, relief clear on his face. Cullen made his way among the men, sending some to be healed or re-provisioned, determining others were safe to continue fighting. Then he rounded them up and announced the Seeker's plan.

"Men! You all know Lady Cassandra, Right Hand of the Divine! She has come up with a plan to close up that damned hole in the sky, and she needs our support. We must protect her back and flank at all costs. Nothing gets through our lines to the top of that mountain, no matter what it takes! We cannot fail! Do you hear me?" He shouted the last line, his sword raised.

"YES! SER!" his men shouted back, filling him with pride.

"To arms!"

The fighting was fierce but scattered as the men slaughtered the demons emerging from the rifts. Cullen had no idea if the creatures moved with purpose or just mindlessly attacked anything they encountered, but he didn't intend to observe them long enough to find out. It felt more like a series of intense skirmishes than a cohesive battle, but despite the confusion and difficult terrain, his troops managed to keep the demons back from the mountaintop. Eventually from the site of the explosion, they saw a glow and heard a distant boom. Like most of his men, Cullen couldn't help but look up to see if the Breach still glowed in the sky.

It did. Cassandra's plan must have failed.

Gritting his teeth with determination, Cullen redoubled his efforts against the demon before him. There was no reason to lose hope. Even if she couldn't seal the Breach, the prisoner could close the rifts, which would go a long way towards improving conditions on the field. Perhaps they simply hadn't found the right method, or perhaps she needed a special staff, or …

"Commander!"

Cullen whirled to see Cassandra marching down the hill with Leliana, and behind them a big, burly warrior carrying the once again unconscious mage, slung over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. Cullen took a second to thank the Maker that someone else would have the honor of lugging her down the mountain this time, and then raised his hand to hail the Seeker.

"What happened?"

"Mixed results, Commander," Leliana informed him. "Order your men to withdraw to Haven. Anya has stopped the Breach from expanding, and only she can close the rifts, so until she regains consciousness there is little good we can do here. We will tell you what happened back at the Chantry."

"As you wish, Lady Nightingale." He issued the order and led the march back to the little village. Once he had seen to his men and given directives to his captains, he made his way to the Chantry to find out just what in blazes was going on.

"Seeker Cassandra and Sister Leliana await you in the War Room, Commander," the guard at the door informed him. The "War Room" was really just an office at the back of the Chantry that Leliana had commandeered for their use. She had a table with a map on which she plotted any new rifts that appeared, and it was here that the three of them usually met to discuss their plans. Not that they had many plans, nor much time to discuss them, in the aftermath of the disaster at the Conclave.

The women were standing at one end of the table, talking in low voices. They greeted Cullen with exhausted smiles and waved him over.

"Well, what happened?" he asked without preamble, impatience adding bite to his voice.

"As I said, Anya was able to halt the expansion of the Breach, but the effort absolutely drained her. She needs more power to close it completely." Leliana sighed.

"More power? Is that wise? What do we even know of this woman?"

"Plenty, I'm sure," the Sister laughed, "as I carefully researched everyone who was to attend the Conclave. But most of my records are back in Val Royeaux. I've messaged one of my agents to send a summary of her file by raven post haste, and the full documents will be delivered as soon as possible."

"We know what she's told us so far," Cassandra supplied. "She says she remembers nothing of the explosion –"

"Of course she doesn't," Cullen interjected dryly.

Cassandra frowned and continued. "But when we tried to seal the Breach, I heard her voice, like an echo of a memory. The Divine called out to her for help and Lady Trevelyan answered. I believe she tried to save her."

"Oh she's a Lady now?" Cullen asked. He was shocked that Cassandra of all people seemed to be buying this mage's story without reservation.

"So she says," Leliana answered with a smile. "She claims to be the youngest daughter of Bann Trevelyan of Ostwick, and a mage of the Ostwick Circle."

"She can't be a Lady if she's a mage! Mages forfeit all rights to title and property when their powers become evident." Cullen realized he sounded pedantic and was also perhaps missing the forest for the trees, but honestly! How could they believe this rubbish?

"Be that as it may," Cassandra replied, rolling her eyes, "the fact remains that Anya is the only person we know of with the power to affect the Breach, and she has pledged her willingness to aid us. Assuming she recovers, I believe it is time to officially form the Inquisition."

"I agree," Leliana said. "And I think we should contact Fiona and enlist the rebel mages to help us close the Breach. With their power – "

"What?" Cullen exploded. "Leliana, you can't be serious! You know what destruction those mages have wrought all over Thedas! How can you imagine an alliance?"

"They have caused no more harm than the templars, Cullen, and with more cause to do so. I do not suggest this alliance as a gesture of support for the mages, but rather as a matter of practicality. We need more power behind Anya so she can seal the Breach, and the mages can provide that."

"Don't you think it will appear as though the Inquisition is taking sides?" Every particle of reason within Cullen protested this idea. It would surely end in disaster.

"Perhaps," Leliana replied. "I think it will depend greatly on the terms of our arrangement."

"Why don't you recruit the templars instead?" Cullen asked. Although he was more than ready to leave the Order behind, he would feel much safer with an army of templars aiding them than the core of the mage rebellion.

"I don't think they can do it," Leliana replied honestly. "You didn't see what it was like up there, Cullen. That Breach is an enormous whirlpool of energy. I think we need the kind of power that only comes with innate magic."

"I reluctantly agree with Leliana, although I share your reservations, Cullen." Cassandra didn't sound happy, but she did sound resolute. "The only thing that matters is sealing the Breach, and I believe the mages will give us a better chance of success."

"Well, when you write up your record of this meeting, please remember to note that this idea has been advanced over my vigorous protests." Cullen took a deep breath and regretted sounding so peevish. He knew a fit of temper would do him no credit, but he could not stand by and allow this awful plan to come to fruition without at least attempting to dissuade them.

"Duly noted, Cullen," Leliana said with laughter in her voice. She paused and cleared her throat. "I believe that is most of what we know at this point. There are a few other details…"

The women filled him in on the rest of what happened during the attempt to seal the Breach, and all they knew of the stranger who seemed to be at the center of their hopes and fears. As they concluded, Cullen asked where she had been taken.

"To a cottage near the front gate. Would you like to see her? I find I am drawn to her myself, I will walk with you." Leliana offered him a charming smile and he held out his arm to her, which she took graciously, their argument put behind them for now.

"Do you know what the villagers are calling our mysterious mage?" Leliana asked as they strolled down the path to the lower part of the hamlet. "They call her the 'Herald of Andraste.' The believe Andraste was the woman my scouts saw behind her in the Breach and that she sent Anya here to save us."

Cullen considered several replies before he settled on a neutral response. "How interesting. Do you believe that?"

"I don't know," Leliana admitted. "A part of me would like to believe that Andraste intervened on our behalf, but if she did, why did she not save Divine Justinia? When I think of that, well…" Lady Nightingale trailed off, her expression dark.

"I still think the most likely explanation is that this woman is the cause of everything. It seems far too coincidental that she would happen to be the sole survivor and also happen to have the power to affect the Breach." Cullen was glad for this opportunity to express his reservations to Leliana without Cassandra present. The Seeker seemed bizarrely convinced that the mage was innocent and Cullen couldn't understand why. He said as much to his companion.

"You sound just like Chancellor Roderick," Leliana teased him.

Cullen made a sound of disgust. "Maker preserve me. But do you not see my point?"

"You haven't spoken with her, Cullen," Leliana replied thoughtfully. "She seems so sincere, so bewildered by all that has happened, and she seems to genuinely want to help. Of course, I have certainly been fooled before," she sighed, and a shadow of grief quickly crossed her face. "But I am older and wiser now, and I have quite a bit of experience with interrogations, as does Cassandra. I am also inclined to believe her."

Cullen shook his head. "I haven't spoken with her, and I trust you, so I will defer to your judgment. It just seems so odd that it would happen by chance!"

"Maybe it didn't," Leliana said. "Maybe Andraste did thrust her through the Breach to save us all."

"Perhaps."

They had reached the cottage and entered quietly. Adan, the village alchemist, stood up to protest their intrusion but when he recognized them, he bowed courteously and stepped outside. The mage was asleep on the bed, one arm flung behind her head and the other resting on her stomach, the one with the glowing hand. Her skin was pale and she looked like someone who had been ill a long time, not just a few hours.

"Who are you, Anya Trevelyan?" Leliana murmured.

"If that is indeed her name," Cullen added darkly. "How do you know you have records on her? If she came to the Conclave with the intent to destroy the Temple, I doubt she would have registered."

"That will be confirmed in due time. She said her party was a late addition. The Circle at Ostwick tried to stay neutral during the mage rebellion and their envoy to the Conclave was a last minute attempt to preserve peace within their own ranks, as well as across Thedas."

"Convenient."

"Cullen." Leliana hesitated and then looked him in the eye. "Do you think you would be so suspicious if she were a templar instead of a mage?"

"This has nothing to do with templars or mages," he replied stiffly. "This has to do with facts on the ground, and the facts don't add up in her favor."

"I know better than most what you endured during Uldred's rebellion," Leliana began softly.

"Trust me, my Lady, you don't know, nor do you want to," he interrupted. That was the last topic he wished to discuss, especially with someone who had witnessed the most humiliating experience of his life.

"I do not presume to know all, but I know you suffered, and you have just cause to be mistrustful of mages—"

"I quite take your point." He felt rude cutting her off so curtly, but he could not bear the conversation. "I will consider your words, but I have no wish to speak of this further."

"Of course. Forgive me if I overstepped." She bowed slightly and then huffed a low, disbelieving laugh. "She certainly doesn't look like an evil mastermind."

"I thought the same when I first beheld her," Cullen said softly. "And yet, Anders didn't look evil, either."

"True," Leliana conceded with a sigh. "But Anders was known to be a renegade. Anya has never expressed anything of the sort."

"That you know of!" Cullen said, and at Leliana's gentle shushing, lowered his voice. "She wants you to think she's innocent! Why would she confess to any radical ideas?"

"Of course she wouldn't, but Cullen." Leliana placed a firm hand on his arm. "For a moment, set aside your suspicions and put yourself in her place. She is a gently reared lady from a noble family and by all accounts a rather sedate Circle, suddenly thrust into the center of the worst sort of trouble imaginable. If she's innocent, just think of how awful that would be. How we treat her now may have a huge effect on how this all turns out."

"The same could be said if she is guilty, my Lady."

"I know." Leliana sighed and patted his shoulder, then yawned. "What I would give for a hot bath right now. Why did the Divine have to choose a location for the Conclave with so few amenities?"

Cullen felt his ears grow hot at the idea of Leliana in the bath, and he cleared his throat. "Well, I believe she chose it for the religious significance of the Urn of Sacred Ashes…"

The spy's musical laughter washed over him, embarrassing him even more. "I know why she chose it, Cullen. I just want to take a bath. Ah well. I think I'll take my leave."

"Goodnight, Leliana."

He stood for a few more minutes, regarding the sleeping mage before him. She seemed more peaceful than the first time he observed her in such a state. Her eyes did not move restlessly beneath her eyelids, nor did she whimper or grimace. Her complexion was rather pallid and grey beneath the sprinkling of freckles across her cheeks, and her mouth had a sunken-in look that further emphasized her slightly overlarge front teeth, but he imagined anyone would look unwell after such a trial. Cullen realized with a twinge of guilt that he wanted her to be the one responsible for the explosion and the Breach, because then the mystery was solved, the culprit found, the situation resolved. It would be so much easier if they already had the criminal in hand. But to see her lying abed, so vulnerable and wan, he had to admit to himself that she had certainly paid a personal price for her attempt to help. It seemed ungrateful to continue to hold her in such deep suspicion, even if he wasn't quite ready to fully abandon the notion of her guilt.

"Alright, you," he muttered. "I'll give you the benefit of the doubt, since you seemed to have charmed everyone else into doing so. But I'm watching you, Lady Trevelyan, and I do not intend to be taken for a fool!"

With that decisive utterance, he turned on his heel and strode out of the room.