The rift shudders, crackles and with a great snap fades from view. Cassandra has to press her lips together to stem the tide of thankful prayers that clamor for release in her throat, but she can't help the upwards quirk of her mouth when she spies Cullen's wide eyes, still staring at the space where the rift had been.
He turns to face them when Cassandra leads Adaar forward, his expression questioning as he examines the Qunari woman, but before any of them can speak a high pitched young voice shouts:
"Cassandra!"
Save for Cullen, all of them freeze, confusion tangible until a young girl comes bouncing out from a snowdrift, golden hair dotted with frozen flakes, a dagger clutched in her slim hands.
Cassandra's eyes immediately snap to Cullen, who appears equal parts guilty and unhappy and for the barest seconds Cassandra finds herself wondering if Cullen has been hiding a bastard child, but-
The girl, no more than perhaps 7 or 8 years old, skids to an unsteady stop before the small gathering, dressed in strange blue trews and a rather.. puffy black jacket covered in a red rose pattern. Dimples are clear in her cheeks as she takes them all in before she glances pointedly at Cullen.
"Didn't I tell you that they would be here soon? I could have fought, I would have been fine!" And she brandishes the dagger - almost a sword to her short arms - in an unruly spinning move before smiling up at Cullen again. "I have played, you know."
Cullen looks sick to his stomach, but introduces the girl, Blayre- "My nickname is Blayre-bear, but, well, only my family calls me that," and the Inquisition... gains a foundling child.
Cullen gathers up Cassandra, Josephine and Leliana into the war room as soon as the Herald is being tended by Solas and Adan. When the three women enter, he simply gestures helplessly at the girl leaning over the map covered table, reading out names of countries, rivers and towns, blue eyes following her fingertip as she traces The Imperial Highway.
"Hi," she says, after she's finished mispronouncing Montsimmard as Mount-simmered. Cassandra notes that she doesn't appear quite as joyful as they'd found her on the battlefield after having hidden from a host of demons in a snowdrift. Her eyes are slightly glassy with tiredness, but Cassandra isn't surprised. The trek back to Haven, even being carried, would be hard on a young child.
"Hello," Josephine responds first, blinking rapidly before glancing at the other people in the room. "Cullen? Who is-"
"Blayre," the girl responds, standing up straighter, her lips slightly pursed. "I can help you guys. I want to help you guys, at least, for a while, but then you have to send me home because-" Blayre's dimples are there and gone as she clenches her teeth, trying not to frown, trying not to cry. "I miss my mom and dad and brother. Already. And I can't miss school! We're learning about multiplication and it gets hard when you miss a day and-"
"Blayre," Cullen says, weary, as if he's heard this speech more than once already. He sighs, hesitating before he faces the women, leaning on the table beside the- beside Blayre as he speaks. "I sense no magic from her and she's no demon, but she knows things. She- she appeared a few moments before we realized the rift was spawning more demons and was trying to steal a-" Cullen pauses as Blayre holds her dagger aloft.
"Yes. That. Said she got lost, but she recognized the Breach, saw it while her mother was.." He trails off, looking back down at the girl, but she's sighing and leaning on the table, chin resting on her forearms.
"Mom likes Dragon Age stuff," Blayre says, as if that explains everything, and then yawns.
"Perhaps we should let her rest while we continue this discussion," Leliana murmurs, her eyes intent on every detail.
Josephine hurries around the table, drawing the girl into easy conversation about having something to eat and perhaps sitting with Minaeve, who shares her office. “You’re very pretty,” Blayre says as she’s led off, waving at the lot of them over her shoulder before she and Josephine disappear from view.
"Her mother likes the Dragon Age?" Cassandra asks aloud, eyebrows drawing together in confusion when she glances at Cullen.
"I have no idea. But she knew that whomever you brought - wasn't sure whether they'd be a man or woman, human, dwarf, elf or qunari, but- she knew they'd be able to close the rifts. Knew they could stabilize the Breach. Knew, by name, that the apostate and Master Tethras would be with you." Cullen blinks when both women begin speaking at once and then waits until they stop before he continues.
"She also says the person behind the Divine's death is a creature named.. Cory-face?"
