Cullen was bored. Not just bored, exceptionally bored. It seemed like ages since Uldred had been destroyed and the circle was being rebuilt. Greagior had assigned him to guard a long dark hallway where nothing changed...ever...he sighed.

He heard shouts from the stairwell. He could not quite make out what they were saying but something crashed...and was that a bark? He walked towards the stairs when she came around the corner. Isa? He thought to himself. She didn't see him, which became quite apparent. While tossing obscenities over her shoulder, she walked face first into his chest and fell back on the stone floor. She reached up and touched her nose which was starting to bleed. She looked at the blood on her fingers then looked up at him. Her eyes became daggers.

"AND YOU!" she shouted getting to her feet and standing on her toes to try to stare him in the eyes. He could see and feel the static electricity dancing on the ends of her braided hair framing her face – and fairly certain he could smell alcohol. "You and your stupid armor and your stupid face and your stupid eyes! If it hadn't been for you I wouldn't have trusted HIM with...EVERYTHING!" Her arms flailed above her head in frustration. He bit the inside of his lip to keep from grinning at her. He'd never seen her quite like this and somehow he found it amusing. He thought for a moment he felt the veil thinning, she was about to cast at him. He readied himself with the counter if needed, as he'd done so many times before, she saw it too. "YOU...YOU....JERK!!" and with that she kicked him as hard as she could in the shin...his plate mail shin. He heard a crack and was fairly sure that was a toe breaking as she crumpled to the floor again.

She sat against the wall, two hands on the injured foot. She looked up at him, tears welling in her eyes, and utter sadness in her face. "Oh Cullen..." she trailed off and laid her forehead against the knee of the injured foot she was holding. "....I hate you..." She began sobbing.

He moved an arm to reach for her as another body stumbled through the entrance to the stairwell. A nimble, blonde elf caught himself before he fell. He reeked of alcohol too. "Ah Bella" he said, with a strong Antivan accent. "I've been looking all over for you...though to be fair the trail of fits, smashing things, and...well...obscenities is fairly easy to follow around this big tower."

"Zev..." she mumbled almost incoherently "Zev...take me to bed..." With that the elf reached down and helped her to her feet. He put her arm over his shoulder and helped her limp a short distance down the hall to a room.

"I thought you'd never ask" he said teasingly. A mabari trailed on behind them into the room.

Cullen let out a sigh and relaxed the tension in his back. Shortly screams and things breaking echoed from the room. The door cracked open and the mabari skittered out, nails ticking on the stone to get traction frantically. The elf poked his head out..."Um...you there, ser Templar, can you ask Wynne when she comes up to check on us, as I know she is going to do, to send up hot water for a bath in the morning, and some clean clothes....and no matter what terrible, horrid, or fantastic noises come from this room...do not open the door." At that moment a vase shattered on the door frame near his head and he flinched slightly. "...this may be a long night..." and like that, he was gone again, a sly little grin on his face.

Cullen stared down at the Mabari who was settling in at his feet, keeping watch. "Well at least it won't be boring anymore." He says, and thinks for a moment he hears the Mabari snickering as they both stand guard at their post.