"Inquisitor?" Tara recognised the voice as Leon, one of the Inquisition's recent recruits. "Your presence in the bar has been requested" he added before disappearing into the corridor.
Leon was barely eighteen and joined the Inquisition after demons killed his family. The Inquisition gave him hope and a cause to fight for. On several occasions she had overheard conversations between the staff or recruits about how attractive the young man was but Tara didn't see it. He was a Shem - and they all looked the same to her.
Tara sighed and turned back into her bedroom, closing the balcony doors behind her.
As she stepped out into the long corridor, she was almost bowled over by another Elf running past. "'help..." gasped the other Elf, panting as she tried to regain her breath. It was Sera, the newest companion to join the cause.
"Bull again?" asked Tara with a slight smile but before Sera could respond, a deep "Mayheeeeem" echoed around the walls. Sera pushed Tara into a nearby cupboard and squeezed herself in. Several tall wooden cupboards dotted the hallways of Skyhold, used for extra storage in case of an attack. This particular one luckily only contained a few robes but with the two Elves inside it was a tight squeeze. Tara leaned against the back panel and took a deep breath in. There was a musty smell and little air. Tara couldn't see anything in the darkness but she could tell the other Elf was facing her, she could feel Sera's body pushed up against her.
"Stay quiet" whispered Sera as she held a finger up to the Inquisitor's lips. Tara exhaled slowly and felt her cheeks start to flush as the sound of heavy footsteps got closer. Iron Bull was as beefy as he was tall and couldn't walk through the echoing halls of Skyhold without making noise. The footsteps slowed down as Bull got closer to the Elves' hiding place but they didn't stop and eventually faded out of earshot.
Sera opened the cupboard door and stepped out followed by a slighty pink Inquisitor.
"Why did I have to hide?" asked Tara.
Sera noted the change in face colour "...you liked it" she replied with a grin before running off.
Tara watched her leave as if in a trance and slowly ran her tongue across her lower lip where Sera had silenced her. Realising she wasn't focused properly, she blinked rapidly several times and shook her head to regain some normality before heading down to the bar.
She could hear the shouting, laughter and music from the bar long before she reached it. Skyhold was big but contained all the necessities. The bar was one of the first additions the Inquisition built. It was important to have somewhere to relax, especially with the current state of Thedas. A few of her companions sat around their usual table. The bar wasn't fancy, there was a lot of scratched wood and cold stone but it served its purpose. The bard was singing about the Hero of Ferelden and the off-duty recruits had crowded around to listen.
"I thought I asked you not to waste the messengers time for unimportant matters?" said Tara, looking towards Varric. The dwarf was leaning back on the chair and had his feet up on the table. "But it was urgent" chuckled Varric. "...besides, I didn't hear him complaining".
"The boy has a crush on the Inquisitor. It's not appropriate to be sending him to her bedroom" stated Cassandra with a slight hint of anger. "Would you prefer me to send Bianca?" he asked cheekily as he cradled the crossbow in his lap. Tara pulled out a chair and sat down next to Cassandra. "so what was urgent?" she asked.
"You need to relax" said the Dwarf. "Have a drink and have some fun. Go talk to Leon."
Elves in Thedas were considered to be very attractive to humans and Tara certainly wasn't the odd one out but growing up in her clan had soured her towards the idea of finding a partner. She had felt pressured to find a male to bond with, to have a child with and keep the Elven race alive and that was something she had no interest in. "He isn't my type" she replied flatly.
Varric smiled and lightly tossed a couple of gold coins to Blackwall. "Get a round in Beardy!" The Warden stood up silently and walked toward the bar.
"So, Inquisitor..." enquired Varric "what took you so long to get down here?"
"Sera" replied Tara.
"Oh really?" Varric's eyes glinted mischievously "speak of the devil"
Sera had entered the bar. She glanced over the area and smiled when she noticed her friends.
"That bard is a bit alright" she said with a grin as she sat down across the table from Tara, just as Blackwall returned with the drinks.
The Inquisitor could feel her face flushing again, so she looked down at the glass in front of her; partly to examine the drink and partly to hide her face. She wasn't very familiar with human alcohol. "So anyway", hissed Sera "that bloody Qunari keeps chasing me. He keeps going on about how he wants to chuck me at the enemy because 'Mayhem'" Sera stuck her tongue out while holding her hands to her head as mock horns.
Tara lifted the glass to her lips. The taste was harsh and left a burning sensation as the amber liquid slid down her throat. Her eyesight blurred and within seconds she fell forward. Her head hit the wooden table hard with a loud thud.