He was bare-chested and grizzled, his eyes dark with lack of sleep.
No good, Blackwall thought, sleep is not going to happen tonight.
Pulling breeches and a shirt on, he crept downstairs and into the stables. The Inquisitor's horse, a nimble Dalish All-bred called Bonnie, stood in the stable as if waiting for his attention. He murmured and opened the stable door, slipping inside. "Waiting for me were you girl?"
Getting his pocket knife out, he cut the apple into pieces and fed the Inquisitor's eager mount. Many was the night he came and groomed Bonnie, talking in a low voice. He often found he could tell the horse anything.
"Life is so much more simple if you're a horse. No falling for someone you can't have – or thinking they deserve so much more than you."
The horse gave a low neigh and shook her head as if disagreeing with him. Blackwall chuckled at her response.
"You don't agree with me. Each to their own."
It was then he heard the quiet footsteps in the stable. "Who's there?" He reached for a sword that just wasn't there and moved to the front of the stable.
A red-haired dwarf stepped out into the low light of the stable. "It's just me, Warden Blackwall."
"Inquisitor Cadash! I d-didn't know… I mean I didn't know you were there." He could feel himself stammering like a man who'd never bedded a woman. Idiot.
Natalia Cadash smiled at him and stroked Bonnie's nose. "I wondered who had been taking such good care of my Bonnie. Dennet doesn't have the time."
Blackwall frowned as he continued to groom the horse's mane. "She's a patient horse and easy to groom. I just thought I'd help is all." He could feel his cheek flush at his lie.
"And she's good at listening too. When we're at camp, she listens to me." His eyes met hers and for the first time he wondered just how much the Inquisitor had heard.
Her hand on his arm, her voice became blunt. "Go to bed, Blackwall. I want you at your best when we go into the Exalted Plains tomorrow." She let go of his arm and continued, "And perhaps you can teach me how to groom my horse when we're in camp." He saw the trace of a smile and had the urge to trace his thumb across her lips.
"I'd be glad to, my Lady." Blue eyes met her green and he swore he saw her swallow hard before disappearing into the night.
Strangely, as he lay down, sleep came straight away.
