The mountainous breeze was barely a change for the Inquisitor, as they rested their forearms against the chilled stone walls above the inner courtyard. Such a time it had been since they had settled in Skyhold, a wondrous place that they'd dare to say was the most defensible place in all of Thedas. Regardless of personal thoughts, the Inquisitor soon ran a hand through their hair, before heavily inclined boots made another apparent to them.
"Inquisitor?" A female voice, soothing yet still somewhat alluring; the rather lucky Champion of Kirkwall. "I hear you've been wondering a lot about me. At least, that is what Varric would imply. So! Why not break the ice a little, eh?" The Champion gave a warm smile, at least warmer than the cool air around them. The Inquisitor rubbed their forehead, before turning themselves and clasping their hands together.
"Varric would tell you such things; I've heard a lot already. About you, that is. Did you really work at the Blooming Rose for a time?" The Inquisitor smirked lightly, their head tilted a touch to allow strands of hair to fall off their shoulder.
"Ahaha, well, he wishes that were true. Only a few small callings brought me to that place, I would've loved to have stayed a while, but time was of the essence." The Champion admitted, shrugging a little at the unfortunate circumstance, though her demeanour remained largely positive. "Though, such things aren't what I'm here for, unfortunately. Can't say I've been to a place quite like Skyhold, to be honest."
The Inquisitor watched with intrigue, as the Champion continued. "You seem quite... quiet, you know? Reminds me of a friend I used to know."
"Is that so?" The Inquisitor chuckles softly, before looking up to the sky. "I guess I can be quiet sometimes. It's all come by so quickly; the Breach, this mark, becoming Inquisitor..." A soft sigh escaped their lips. "I accept it, though it has been quite a wild ride for a while. Nothing like back home." The Champion smiled a little, before she stepped closer and gazed up at the same patch of sky.
"You remind me of myself; albeit, I did start in quite a hovel before reaching a decent status. You've been thrown into it, which in itself is admirable for what you've done thus far. You're handling this very well, Lady Inquisitor." She lifted a well sculpted brow, glancing across to the other with a slightly smug expression. The Inquisitor laughed softly, looking back until she glanced away after a few moments locked.
"Thank goodness for wildlife, is all I'm going to say. I'd've never been strong enough to face these dangers without the things they taught me; I sound like an elf, to a degree—no offence of course. I'm somewhat fond of this Merrill character, Varric seems to write her in an endearing tone almost." The Champion's features faded a touch upon hearing that name, though she redoubled her efforts to smile, just a little.
"Merrill is... Well, Merrill. She's... Yeah. Let's leave it at that." Trevelyan frowned a touch, perhaps thinking the tale written by Varric didn't include some details after all. With a sigh, Hawke waved her hand dismissively. "It's okay, we're all curious about everything."
The Champion stood there watching the clouds for a few moments, before clearing her throat after noticing Trevelyan simply remaining as she was. A small smile crept to her lips, if only to remind her of some she had lost, both temporarily and permanently. "I best leave you to it, then? Good day, Inquisitor." Her voice seemed a little more chipper than her internal reckonings.
"Oh! I'm terribly sorry, I must have spaced out for a moment. It's been quite a while since I've been able to, well, have some peace." The Inquisitor fumbled her words somewhat, though remained as composed as ever. Hawke smiled, if only for courtesy.
"Quite. Though, I do have one last question." The Champion sat herself upon the wall, crossing her arms and frowning a little. "Is it true that there are not enough rooms for all of your soldiers?" The Inquisitor seemed a little startled, though she soon beckoned to Hawke to follow. They would trudge along the wall, the view almost as mesmerising as it was dangerously calm.
"Yes, an unfortunate situation. Though we are doubling up on some rooms... It's a mess." Trevelyan sighed, though she appeared a little more bothered than she would let on; as she gazed to the hand with that hideous mark of supposedly elven origins. Could she truly be the Herald of Andraste, or just another myth to add to the pile within Thedas? The thought immediately stopped as Hawke showed a look of surprise.
"Well, I can stay in the stables then." The answer just about shocked the Inquisitor, though she immediately shook her head. "I mean, I am just a Kirkwall citizen freeloading on your turf, Lady Inquisitor. I'd hate to hog the limelight, especially with a world crisis and all." The Champion speaks in the most sincere of ways, so as to be certain that her words were not condescending.
"I... Don't think that would be a good idea." Trevelyan winces a touch at the prospect of the famous heroine sleeping in such a sty as the stables were at this point. There were even ancient droppings of horses from ages past, for Maker's sake! With a sigh, she simply stopped in her tracks, Hawke soon following suit. "You can stay in my quarters, Champion. If the best of us cannot be treated well, what does everyone else wonder?" The Champion ponders it for a second, before she lowers her head a touch and twiddled her thumbs for a second or two. A sly grin soon spread across slightly chapped lips, a hearty laughter soon escaping while the Inquisitor remained rather blank, in all honesty.
"I didn't take you for the type."
After a short delay, the woman became instantly flustered, hands raised as though accused of the highest treason. Hawke could simply laugh; though she wasn't without a slight piece of concern riddled amongst her exhales. "I only jest, Inquisitor. Though, if that is the truth-"
"Not at all!" Trevelyan blurted out, before she covered her eyes with a hand, a slight look of anger creeping onto her visage. "I'll be sleeping elsewhere, Champion. I'll be fine."
"What's to say I wouldn't be fine in the stables, though? I'm sure I've slept in worse." Hawke cocked a brow, though the Inquisitor seemed final on her decision. "Surely sleeping anywhere but your own bed would be a little... Odd." With a small shrug, she was content with sleeping /anywhere/ for the moment.
"I'd offer the same to the Hero of Fereldan, if I'm honest. Please accept my offer, Champion." The Inquisitor crossed her arms, an odd air of authority consuming her form. While Hawke wanted to refuse yet again, she decided to concede.
"Alright, you've got me, Lady Inquisitor. I promise not to blow up your room." Hawke gave a cheeky wink, smiling afterward. "Though, I barely think I compare to someone who did, indeed, save the world." Trevelyan frowned a touch, though she simply shrugged the comment off and continued walking.
"Your tales are just as far spread, scandals too - but mostly the good parts. I'd say you're definitely a prominent figure, even if you don't feel that way." The Inquisitor spoke from the heart, as she clasped her hands together and walked into the nearby tower, the dusty interior only accented by the holes in the ceiling.
"Well... Thank you then. Do you have a name, or will it just be Inquisitor this entire time? I know the threat of Corypheus is about, but it can't hurt to know at least that." Hawke pressed a touch, leaning against the open doorframe with an almost sly look across her entirety, arms crossed.
"Evelyn, Evelyn Trevelyan. Or you can simply call me Eve, or continue with Inquisitor." She gave a smile, though it was somewhat short lived. The day had become late, nighttime soon to approach; noticeable with the extra coldness which ravaged the woman's form. Noticing this, the Champion wrapped a friendly arm across the shorter, somewhat smaller woman's shoulders.
"I'm Marian; yes, I know. Though I'm sure Varric used my actual name in those books of his." A chaste smile later, and she began to lead Evelyn toward the main building, an impressive work of masonry and engineering.
"Was it a strenuous journey, to get here?" Evelyn asked, as she grabbed a couple of blankets from her quarters, Hawke already comfortable in some nightclothes. The Champion simply shrugged, stretching herself out upon the bed she had been given so graciously.
"It wasn't any more difficult than travelling to the reaches of the Free Marshes, really." With a small sigh, Marian stood herself up, walking toward the Inquisitor in a somewhat confrontational way. "Really, Evelyn... I do feel bad for taking your bed. Please, I'll be fine elsewhere." With a soft huff, Evelyn crossed her arms once more, though her anger showed a little bit more than before.
"Honestly, I'd feel better if you stayed up here. And rather than risk a plethora of rumours, I'll sleep elsewhere; the world keeps turning, fade rifts are green, all is well." A slight tick was present in her eyes, as the Inquisitor felt the familiar scalding pain across her palm; as though the Breach had not been sealed. Evelyn winced a touch, though did her best to hide her weakness.
"What's a rumour or two in a worldly crisis? Surely my title holds /some/ weight, Inquisitor." Hawke narrowed her gaze, cerulean eyes focused, yet thoughtful all the more. "If Varric's tales are to be followed completely, you'd only find a part of me, the part I showed to the world. Not even he knows about how my love life has gone. It is possible for us to lay together without anything happening; I can assure you of this." Marian seemed to be talking from personal experience now, though she steeled her gaze a little more.
"I... I simply cannot. I've not... slept with another before, and don't plan on doing so for a while." Evelyn met Hawke's resolve, an almost unyielding one at that, emerald irises traced with tiny, bright green lines which revealed her nature, her courage, but also her fear too. With a soft sigh, she turned away from the Champion before making her way toward the door. "I mean no offence, Marian. I simply have some things I'd need to sort out before even something as innocent as that." With a somewhat sad smile, Evelyn made her way out.
•—•
A small frown creased the Champion's brow, her form shifting while she mused from a troubled sleep. Even now, after so long, thoughts of her old companions still seeped through to shake her core. They had all impacted her greatly, yet as thought a turn of the blade, it hurt to merely think of them. Hawke needed some air, though the somewhat flimsy looking balcony didn't look appealing enough of a place to ponder such thoughts. With a shrug, she headed downstairs to the heart of the Inquisition.
The door creaked open to the main hall, where the chill seemed to be at its peak. Without any fires, it looked eerily ominous with the rather large hole in the wall high above the throne which once sat the previous Inquisitor some eight-hundred years prior. Marian lightly stepped over toward it, hearing a low noise, though it quickly became clear who was shuddering in the rather large, yet dull chair. With a deep breath, the Champion allowed mana to flow through her form, before it manifested as a small fire, which illuminated the immediate area extraordinarily. The old, worn patterns of shredded banners and carvings were a wonder to look at, though Hawke quickly moved to the Inquisitor's side, certainly shuddering from the excessive cold.
"Poor thing..." She soon scoops the woman up into her arms, the flame now floating in the air obediently. Evelyn stirs a touch, though her arms cling to the Champion's form without delay, the warmth she held enough to strive for. This gave the taller one an odd feeling, though it wasn't unlike a time she had felt before. Without delay, she made her way back toward the other's quarters, hoping to ease her shivering which was once rather violent shuddering, despite the blankets she had taken with her.
Hawke couldn't decide if this woman was too kind or utterly foolish. Giving up her own bed to accommodate someone she barely knew? Though, with a soft sigh while she opened the door to the Inquisitor's quarters, she noticed that Evelyn had calmed considerably, practically asleep once more. The relief washed over her, while she placed the other down within the still warm bed; the wonders of covering one's place before leaving a room proved to be helpful.
The Herald stirred again however, her eyes coming to open while Hawke placed the sheets over her slowly warming form. "Shhh..." She cooed in that voice, a blink from the Inquisitor almost alarming, though that green gaze soon came to close once more. Content, the Champion brushed a few strands of brunette hair away from the sleeping Inquisitor's face, moving after to seat herself down near the still glowing remnants of the fireplace, the warm still holding at least enough warmth to survive the night. She placed her staff between her arms and legs, much like her sibling would, even if she could still feel the guilt to this day.
"She's a Mage, just like you..." Marian muttered, her body curling up considerably, while she sighed a wispy breath. "I'm still so sorry, Beth."