Chapter Text
Retrospectively, the guard at the front gate realised that letting the commander of the Inquisitions army outside at just past midnight clothed in nothing but a thin shirt and breeches wasn't the best idea. When he had hesitated at the time, Cullen's bloodshot eyes had fixed him with such a menacing glare, and his deep rasping voice spoke with such authority that the guard had no choice but to let the commander out. While Cassandra's efforts to keep Cullen's withdrawal a secret succeeded in keeping the soldiers faith in their commander, it meant the guard was not to know Cullen was suffering from a bastardous combination of lyrium withdrawal and nightmares from his time at the Kilnoch Hold Circle and Kirkwall.
Cassandra was growing impatient as she warmed up for her morning spar with Cullen. He rarely missed it, as it gave him a chance to wake him mind and body, and would usually be the only true combat sparing he would get in the day, the recruits were too green for him to let himself fight unreservedly. Resigning herself to the fact Cullen had skipped out, probably an early morning meeting in the war room with the Inquisitor, she began to clear the snow around a training dummy to spar with. When the snow suddenly vaporised, Cassandra leapt back, startled.
"If I knew it were that easy to scare you Cassandra, I would have done it earlier. Don't you usually train with our Commander of a morning?"
Cassandra turned to face Dorian, a look of anger on her face.
"What is wrong with you Dorian? You could have burned me!"
He laughed and shook his head as if disappointed.
"Have you so little faith in my magic, seeker?"
It was at that point a messenger ran up to the two. Bowing swiftly to them both he turned to Cassandra to speak.
"Lady Seeker, I have an important missive that must be attended to immediately."
Handing it over, he took a step back to give her a modicum of privacy to read it. Cassandra has barely read a few words before she looked back up at the messenger, confused.
"This is addressed to Commander Cullen-"
"Apologies milady seeker, he was not in his office and when I called out to his upstairs quarters he did not answer."
She nodded distractedly and continued to read the missive.
"It is unlike the commander to shirk his duties." Dorian prompted.
Cassandra nodded absently in agreement before jotting down a few lines on the missive, shaking it so the ink would dry, and passing it back to the messenger.
"Give this straight to Leliana, she should be in the rookery above the library." The messenger thanked her, bowed to the both of them and jogged away.
"Anything important?"
"Nothing you need to know Dorian. If you would excuse me I need to check on Cullen-"
"Excellent I will accompany you."
Cassandra was unhappy that Dorian was to follow her, however one look at his face showed he was determined to go with.
"Why are you so intent on seeing Cullen?"
"Well either I'm hoping the good commander has yet to wake up and I will be treated to his delicious nakedness " - "Dorian!" - "or I have read every every book in the library and am bored to tears."
When they arrived at Cullen's office Cassandra noticed his boots sat next to the ladder to his bed.
"Excellent, he must still be asleep."
Dorian had cocked his head to the side and was listening intently.
"I hear no breathing or movement Cassandra, I don't think he is up there."
Cassandra had to admit that was true, and when she scaled the ladder Dorian was proven correct. What alarmed her more was to see Cullen's warm gear, complete with his ever present feathery pauldrons, were thrown over the end of his bed.
"Where the hell could he go in this snow without anything warm?" Cassandra asked worriedly.
Dorian looked over her shoulder at the room, devoid of any answer.