When Fantasy Becomes Reality
Chapter 5: Haven
Aurora awoke with a start. Blinking her eyes rapidly, the last thing she remembered was that massive green explosion. She dragged her aching limbs to the edge of the bed and sat up, she looked around, it looked like she was in a log cabin of sorts. There was a second bed which had been disturbed recently, Aurora stood up and walked over, there was some parchment on the bed which read “Woke up before you, gone for a look around – come find me when you wake up, B x”.
Aurora stretched and thought back over the last 24? Or was it 48 hours? She had no idea how long she’d been out of it. All she knew is that she wanted to fight again. Fight. That reminded her of the Commander. Just thinking of him brought a slight blush to her cheeks.
She looked around and found the door; she made her way out of it. She looked around and the townsfolk were staring at her, probably as they did at Blaire when she walked out. Aurora smiled politely; she heard fighting to her left so headed out the gate to the battlements.
There he was again, right by the tents, that Commander. Her heart pounded, blushing again, “what am I a teenage girl? You’re 29 for God’s sake control yourself” she gave herself a mental telling off. Took a few deep breaths and made her way over to him.
He noticed her out the corner of his eye, thank the Maker she was awake. Thank the Maker that they were both awake but this one, this one had something special. He ran his hand through his hair and down the back of his neck “control yourself Cullen” he muttered under his breath.
“Commander” she greeted him as she watched the soldiers train, she crossed her arms behind her back, “They seem to be training well, you’re clearly an expert at this” she mused.
“Well I do have years of experience with the Templars” he responded back, and turned to face her, “I didn’t know you were awake” he says with a hint of concern.
“I think I only woke up 5 minutes ago, Blaire seems to have been awake longer than me, I don’t know where she is. I’m sure she’ll be fine this place seems secure enough” she said.
“Makers breath I realise that we haven’t been properly introduced, Commander Cullen Rutherford in charge of the inquisitions forces” he held his hand out for her to shake, a small smirk appearing on his mouth at the left hand side, a scar cut his top lip.
“Aurora Trevelyan, but everyone calls me Rora for short” she took his hand and shook it, she could swear she saw him blush at the contact.
“But Auroras such a beautiful name why would you…” Cullen cleared his throat, realising his overstepped his mark, “never mind. Are you here to train? I watched you fight out by the rift, you’re good but you could be better”
“Then give me a sword and shield Commander,” Aurora stated, “and I’ll show you what I’m made of” she said with a hint of a flirt.
“Makers breath” Cullen muttered, while cocking one eyebrow, he turned away to get her some weapons. He handed her a basic training shield and sword then grabbed one for himself.
“You seem to forget you have the shield when you are fighting, like most of these soldiers do, block, it’s not hard” he teased her.
She held her ground ready for the Commanders first blow, ready to block, for some reason she had this overwhelming desire to show him that she was a good fighter. Cullen’s first strike came, he was holding back, testing her seeing what she could and couldn’t do. She blocked him with ease and managed to use the little force he had put into the attack against him pushing him back slightly.
Cullen raised his eyebrow in surprise, “Did you see that Inquisition? That’s how you block” the soldiers took little notice, it seemed like they were too focused on what they were doing to care much what the Commander and Aurora were up to.
Cullen liked it that way, with her in front of him and no-one else paying attention he could talk to her or tease her as much as he liked.
Aurora took her stance again, ready for more although this was only practice it still felt good to be moving after that battle with the demons. Cullen sent another blow her way, this time she didn’t block as well as she thought and the force from the man sent her flying. Or so she made it seem.
Cullen swore under his breath and went to help her up, she used this against him, threw her whole-body weight into it, he ended up on the floor and she straddled his waist. She looked down at him triumphantly; she leaned down and whispered in his ear “too trusting Commander”.
His breath caught in his chest, as she pulled away her smelled her scent, her own unique musk along with a floral hint of some kind.
She stood up, “until next time Cullen” she smiled at him and walked away.
He watched her go, her hair glinting in the remains of the sunlight, the way she sashayed as she walked, that bottom, those legs. Makers Breath, he was falling for her and falling hard.
Some of the troops had noticed that last little wrestle between the Commander and the now dubbed Herald, or one of them at least, “As you were!” he barked at them. He needed a drink. He headed inside to the pub.
Aurora went back into Haven to find Blaire, she couldn’t wait to find her to tell her what had happened. She found her with Solas, apparently, Blaire had a thing for elves with egg shaped heads from the look on her face.
She cleared her throat, “I’m not interrupting anything am I?” she asked.
“No, we were talking about the fade and rifts” replied Solas, “I’m sure we can continue this discussion soon”
Blaire shot a look at her sister, one of annoyance but also of slight relief, she hadn’t seen her awake since the breach.
“C’mon sis, let’s get back to our cabin, I have much to tell you” Aurora said.
As soon as they were out of ear shot of Solas, Aurora started to quiz her sister, “I knew you liked him, from the minute you started speaking to him. It’s his voice isn’t it?”
“Well yes but…” she stopped walking and looked at her sister “what have you been up to? Why are your clothes so dirty?”
“Erm…. Well I…” she stopped mid-sentence as she saw the Commander looking rather annoyed and heading towards what looked to be the pub, he smiled and nodded at the Heralds but didn’t say a word. Aurora blushed again.
Blaire cocked an eyebrow, “Of course you went for him, you have a thing for Army guys, don’t you?”
Aurora rolled her eyes, “I think I embarrassed him, I beat him in front of all his men, kinda ended up with me straddling him”
She looked at Blaire her mouth was hanging open, “We haven’t even been here 2 minutes and you’re straddling the Commander of the Guard?” she asked her sister, “well you’re getting yourself noticed”
“Yeah ride ‘em cowgirl!” Varric chimed in.
“Shut up Varric!” Blaire fired back and quickly ushered her sister back to the cabin where they woke up.
When they were back in the safety of their cabin Aurora spilled about what happened to Blaire. “So erm yeah…. There’s an attraction but there’s something about him, a slight arrogance, I guess we’ll have to see what happens”
“Anyway enough about me, tell me about your day and your time with Solas” Aurora sat cross legged on her bed waiting for the story.