After several silent contemplative minutes, a knock on the door startled them. When the unexpected visitor called after her from outside, they sat up exchanging looks as the world came rushing back to them with a vengeance. Cullen stood and grabbed a blanket wrapping it around his waist while Evelyn did the same, though she remained seated by the fire. She turned her back to the door and tried to compose herself. Resigning herself to letting the Thane handle things, she simply watched him from over her shoulder, combing her fingers through her mussed hair - at least she would try not to get involved. He gave her one last hard look having composed himself for the encounter, and she nodded turning back to the fire as the soft yellow glow outlined her body. She jumped when she heard him throw open the door forcefully, the back of it slamming into the wall.
There was a tense silence for a few moments before Cullen spoke. "You are a guest of the Hold, but my hospitality and goodwill only go so far, Axlan." She turned her head over her shoulder, her eyes matching the Thane's intensity, but not quite his ire. As the two conversed, something from in the darkness caught her eye. Beyond the door, she saw a silhouette off to the side where Cullen wouldn't be able to see. Knowing Axlan came with four men, only one being wounded, it was safe to assume the third man was off to the other side of the door. Her mana reflexively came forward to be summoned at a moment's notice.
Fearing Cullen was about to be jumped unknowingly by the three men, she stood and made her way to the door hugging the pelt to her. "Did I not tell you earlier whoever gave you your information should be flogged?" A smug smile crossed her lips briefly before her face became unreadable.
"Seems I have been misinformed about the nature of your relationship with blondie here. Even you lied to me." Axlan didn't seem phased by the situation before him, brazenly regarding their state of undress amusingly.
"Did I?"
"You said you were going to challenge him?"
"Well, until that time I am his to do with as he pleases. Isn't that how it goes?" She gently clung onto Cullen in a show of solidarity, putting one arm in his, "Where I'm from in the Lowlands, lies and spying is something we are used to." He continued to eye her up and down trying to make her flinch, "You never did tell me what the arrangement was between you and Aysel? What did she get out of all this?"
He scoffed angrily, "Marriage to me."
She attempted to hold back a laugh but her sudden outburst drew his cold stare, "And I'm sure you had no intention of making good on that promise, correct? Not if you succeed in your pathetic attempt to kidnap me. She must've known that and that was why she was also trying to become Lady of this Hold." Cullen glanced away in disgust at the whole situation. Her head tilted with amused pity, "How many times have you bedded her since then, all the while having no idea you were just her fallback?"
His face contorted in rage at the idea of coming in second to Cullen, seemingly again, and as he went to jab a finger at her, he was struck backward by an unseen force. The Phoenix's mana was quicker than him, and even though she had barely used any power, the brute still found himself reeling on the ground, as did his men. At seeing the depth of Axlan's treachery, the resident Thane took a step forward but was stopped when she pulled him back still having a grip on his arm.
"I've recently found out," glancing up at Cullen before turning her raptor glare on their guest, "that to get something through your thick Avvar skulls I have to literally pound it into them. Let that serve as a warning that should you attempt to come after me again that a sore arse will be the least of your concerns. Especially now that you have no Templars to throw at me."
Cullen glowered, "You and your men will be gone before first light. May the Lady have mercy on you if you're still within my territory by then, because I won't." The wolf merely laughed as he brushed himself off before skulking into the darkness. The man had a knack for making her feel uneasy even in victory. She returned to her spot beside the fire while he lingered by the door making sure he indeed left.
After staring off into the flames to shake the tension from her neck and shoulders, she looked behind her at the Thane who had been watching her deep in thought. Her cheeks began to burn at the attention, though he wouldn't be able to see it in the dark of the hut.
"He's not one to quit, is he?"
"No. I fear, in his case, giving you my name will not stop him from his next scheme." She sighed heavily as the weight of circumstances came back to her. "You handled them well though. I hadn't seen his other men, no doubt another poor attempt to steal you, and possibly kill me at the presented opportunity."
"Should I have taken their lives instead? They will just be more trouble in the future."
"No. Whoever would be their next Thane would most certainly wage war on us, and we just aren't prepared for that right now." He rubbed a hand down the back of his neck, "I did enjoy watching you knock him on his arse, it was impressive."
"A compliment? Don't make me slap you again. That's not what we do apparently."
He chuckled rubbing the cheek she had whacked twice, "Gods woman, I don't know what that was." There was a quiet lull in the conversation as the events of the night replayed in their minds. "I've never--"
"Neither have I," she turned to seek absolution in the flames. He didn't say another word which helped her in pushing away the urge to confront the fact that she enjoyed it - enjoyed him. Rather than wait for him to voice any more confessions, since he seemed to be as unsure as she was, she changed the subject, "Are you staying or going?"
"Going. I should go see what trouble Axlan is making upon his exit." Listening to him dress and rearm himself, she became lost in thought watching the flames dance before her. The Thane, upon exiting, asked if she'd be alright to which she responded with a faint nod. When she was finally alone, she groaned resting her head in her hands, shaking her head. While she felt lighter, a small part of her had been reignited. The part of her heart that had been broken by the monster who tormented her for years, had been reforged. The damaged part that had allowed her to feel something during sex was alive again. Moving over to the bed, she laid down no longer feeling the buzzing intensity of the mead, but rather the fluttering of excitement. She thought herself broken from her past, but Cullen, unbeknownst to him, had rekindled the part of her she had forgotten.
No, he was not to be forgiven just because they lay with each other. He clearly was as confused as she on how to proceed, and what would be best is to forget it happened and continue as before. Was that what she wanted though? To be at odds forever with him? What if tonight was the gateway to a deeper understanding of each other? They both had hit their breaking point and together worked through it, granted in a highly physical way, but it had worked.
However, if he thought this would resolve the complexities of their marriage, he was sorely mistaken. She knew she still had to confront him, and the sooner the better, before her resolve waned. No, this evening did very little to change their dynamic. It didn't fix anything; it merely provided temporary relief for one of the many issues that plagued them, a balm that would likely dissipate in the morning light. Yet, as slumber beckoned, she found solace in the phantom presence of his essence enveloping her, drifting off into the Fade with a serene smile.
***
The morning brought her a new clarity as the sun peaked over the horizon. Fate had come knocking on her door last night to try and take her away again and her dalliance with Cullen could not go unaddressed. Even if it was only a day, she didn't want to wait any longer to issue her challenge. There was a prophecy hanging over her head and one way or another, by the end of this day, she would know if she was to become Lady of the Hold or be freed from her obligation.
Most of the clan was still asleep after a vivacious night of activity, but Evelyn's adrenaline was pumping with purpose. She wrapped a hand on the door of the Rutherford's longhouse with an unmatched resolve. A few seconds of silence brought on another barrage of angry knocks. This time there was a murmur from somewhere behind the door, and a barely awake Branson opened it. Amid a 'good morning,' she pushed past him heading straight for the room at the back of the house. Rosalie stood from her work of making breakfast, watching her with some confusion as she sped past. Using a knockback spell on the double doors, they flew open banging against the walls.
Assuming that the only reason he was still in bed was because of a late-night chasing Axlan out of the hold, Cullen had instinctively grabbed his sword and was standing on the bed posed to attack at her dramatic entrance - naked. Evelyn's eyes were flickering with flames and her jaw was set tight ready to deliver to him her terms.
Her victim though was coming to from his sleep and grabbed some kind of pelt from the bed to cover himself with, "Gods woman, at least turn your back!"
"Shut up, I saw you naked last night."
"WHAT!?" Came a high-pitched shriek from the room behind them, accompanied by a shattering dish.
He pinched the bridge of his nose, squeezing his eye shut, growling, "What do you want?"
"You claimed me as a stolen bride last night, so I'm here to challenge your claim."
The two other Rutherfords popped their heads in the door to listen, both listening very intently. "You, get out!" barked the Thane and they quickly shut the doors. "You were saying?" Just then there was a commotion in the next room. The two listened as Rylen and Cassandra's voices were raised inappropriately alarm looking for the Thane. Knowing they were headed their way, Cullen quickly slipped on his pants and downed the entirety of the glass of water on his nightstand never taking his eyes away from hers. When the doors opened, a whole crowd of people stood back by the screen wide-eyed watching the stand-off happening before their eyes. "For the love of--"
"No, they can stay so I don't have to repeat myself," his face flushed, looking very uncomfortable discussing this in front of his siblings and council. She took a few steps forward so she was in the center of the room, "As I'm sure they are coming to tell you, I burnt my hut down." His face was contorting to give an indignant 'what' but she continued despite his question, "I did it because I will never be returning there."
Thoughtfulness tried to break through the sleep still in his eyes, "What is your challenge then? Name your test."
"I will be claimed by way of the hunt. You either claim me or let me go."
"What does that have to do with why you burned down your home?"
"I either leave Redhold a free woman or I return to live here with you. Regardless of the outcome, I will not be needing that decrepit shack any longer." He took a step closer to her, causing the emotions of last night to resurface when the same coolness hardened in his eyes. Her eyes trailed down his chest for a moment before snapping back up to his, but they were thankfully deep in thought looking about the room.
Suddenly, his face turned to stone, "I accept your challenge. When do you wish to begin?"
"Midday, today. Is that too soon for you?"
"Not at all, I'll be ready."
Rylen cleared his throat sheepishly, not wanting to get in the middle of two hotheads such as them, "We can have our hunters follow at a distance to make sure there's no outsider interference and you get back to the Hold without trouble." Evelyn shot a glare back at him. "Sorry lass, but I wager you'll be back with us before sundown."
"Because you all did so well the first time. At least Kitsa cannot aid you this time." Rylen, always finding her wit amusing just flashed his disarming smile and chuckled quietly.
She spun on a heel to leave, but he caught her arm halting her. She turned her head to see the Thane trying to suppress a hungry grin whispering, "So eager to be back in my bed, Trevelyan?" His finger pushed back her hair revealing the dark splotches from where he had marked his territory last night.
She scoffed, whispering back, "Don't flatter yourself. If I lose, I will share the room with Ros until we're wed." She tore her arm away with a huff and the crowd parted for her. The Augur and Dhara bowed their head to her slightly, Rylen and Cassandra still looked shocked and awed, the Rutherfords smiled and laughed and Dorian…
She gazed incredulously at the mage as to why he was here, "What? I'm nosey!"
The Phoenix looked over her shoulder to Cullen, "Be sure to bring this one with you, you'll need a skilled healer to treat burns." Her threat made his scarred lip smirk, which was not what she expected.
At midday, the whole of the Hold gathered with anticipation by the gate. Their Thane had been challenged, by no other than his stolen bride, the Phoenix, who was to save the Avvar from extinction. After storming out of Cullen's house, she had gone back to prepare herself for the fight ahead. Her magic burned through her veins all morning making her skin rosy and moist. She donned a heavy cotton shirt with light chain mail under the leather armor Cassandra lent to her. Dhara had stayed with her all morning after the challenge was issued to help her prepare. She laced the armor up at her sides and down her arms. Taking her mind off the task at hand, Evelyn admired the intricate detail placed on the armor. Decorative knots and metal studs adorned the upper half of the set, while the lower belt and thigh protection were for pure utility. She opted to wear her comfortable leather boots over the Avvar bulky fur leg coverings, sacrificing her warmth for speed.
Dhara insisted she paint her face, as was the custom, to which she hesitantly agreed having no idea what the eccentric mage was going to do to her this time. To her surprise, it was simply a thick bold line of black across her eyes. She apologized for not doing more, timidly explaining to her that it was because she was a Lowlander. That an Avvar bride would be decorated wildly with all kinds of adornments, whereas non-Avvar were marked as if cattle. Taking it as a badge of honor despite the intended insult. She'd show them just what this Lowlander was capable of.
When it was time for the hunt, she and the other women of the clan descended into the market. It was tradition that the women of the bride's hold join in solidarity behind her. It was to stand as a testament to show support for the bride in her endeavor, as the women behind her were wives, mothers, sisters and daughters all in some way touched by the bond of a union. Along the way, they were to offer her advice which some took seriously while others joked hoping that she'd make a man of their Thane.
The menfolk were already waiting for them in the market, and standing there, arms crossed, was Cullen staring at her with a lethal intensity. He was in his armor with the lion helm tucked under his arm. As she approached him, a hushed silence filled the market as everyone tried to listen to history in the making. The Phoenix, the one they had waited for, prayed for, had challenged their Thane. Cullen was not just fighting for himself, but his family and the entirety of the clan. She knew the pressure he was under, she was subject to its physical manifestation and release last night.
"I'll give you a two-hour head-start. Better make the most of it." His eyes had set on its prey and for the first time, he made her nervous. Her eyes never left his, even if they unsettled her, but she couldn't let him see that. She would have to outsmart the master hunter, and if need be fight him.
Something was eating away at her though, "Is it possible to speak with you, in private before we begin?" He sighed, thinking as he looked about only moving his eyes, but his face held firm. He gave a nod and led her into the Great Hall. It was still a mess after the Wintersend celebration, as tankards and food were lying about, along with overturned chairs and tables. Standing beside the door, she began without pause, "I don't want to have to kill you, you know." He stood up straighter and his eyebrow drew up, "If I'm forced to use my magic on you, you will die."
"How do you know it'll come to that?"
"Well, I'm certainly not going to just let you win--" a thought crossed her mind stopping her, "You don't actually believe last night changed anything do you?"
"Of course not," his nose scrunched with a scowl, "how thick do you think I am?" Her face lighted, "No, don't answer that. You made your feelings towards me very clear. You see me as a liar, brute, barbarian without honor or compassion."
"And I'm selfish, rebellious, undeserving and insufferable." She shook her head trying to get back to the problem at hand, "And yet, I do believe you to be a good leader and brother to your family. I don't want to be the reason for their sorrow."
"Tell me, if you do somehow manage to defeat me, where will you go?"
"Not sure. Perhaps I come back here and take your job if you're set on dying in this pursuit."
He half-heartily laughed, "I see."
"Cullen, I mean it. Just let me go, don't fight me."
A profound pained expression crossed his face, so much so she felt her face mirroring his, "You know I can't." He didn't need to say more for she knew exactly why. With a heavy sigh, he opened the door for her to leave and they filed out.
Cassandra escorted her to the gate. The huntress stopped her before she could run off. Worry invaded her facial features and she ran her hands up and down Evelyn's arms. "Whatever the Gods have in store for you, I hope you find peace with it, my friend." She gave her a reassuring squeeze back. "And if you do have to fight Cullen, hit low and on his left, he has an old hunting injury that makes his shoulder stiff when it's cold. It limits his range of movement with the shield." She smiled and gave a small chuckle at the advice.
"If I make it home, I'll send you some of those Orlesian chocolates I've told you about," she joked heart-heartedly, having to fake a smile. The sudden thought that this could be the last time speaking with her pained her greatly, realizing that she never said goodbye to the others if this was to be it. Walking through the gates alone, she looked back once and immediately regretted it. A pang of hurt was felt in her heart as she thought about leaving her new humble life. Did she actually want to go home or had that want been so drilled into her from her first days with them that she didn't know how to let it go? Her father had told her not to, but where else could she hope to find help? Certainly not in another hold, perhaps the dwarves could be of assistance?
Suddenly, leaving began to lose its appeal. The freedoms she had begun to enjoy living in Redhold could not be found elsewhere in Thedas. When the gates of the Hold groaned shut, she knew there was no going back. She was to be hunted and she needed to give it her all or risk another visit from the gods. Who knew what they would do to her if they met in the Fade again? Endure or perish, Hakkon's words were as vital now as they were then.
Taking off in a sprint, her resolve hardened, she would not - could not - be easy prey today.