Prompt: Every so often, a dream catcher must be emptied of the nightmares it has caught. Who does it and what do they see?
Dreamcatcher
She handed him a dreamcatcher made of wood and string. The rim was wrapped in cloth and in the center was twine fashioned into a webbed pattern, adorned with softly glowing beads. Extending from the hoop, feathers tied delicately from the clothed swayed back and forth as he held the object. He didn't quite know what it was, but anything coming from her was a treasure.
"Elwyn, this is beautiful, but I-if you don't mind me asking, what is this?" Cullen asked sheepishly, rubbing his neck as he gazed at the object. The elf smiled as her large lavender gray eyes peered at him.
"It's meant to help you with your nightmares," She paused as she recollected her gift from Cullen's hands and held it up as she explained, "back in the clan, some of the children would get nightmares when we travelled to new places and these dreamcatchers would be given to the them to help catch all of their bad dreams. I was hoping it might help you."
Cullen's heart sank. Never before had he received such a thoughtful gift; handcrafted at that. He felt unworthy of the Inquisitor's affection. She was always so kind, thoughtful, and brave. Oh, how wonderfully brave she is to have been thrown into the Inquisition with the weight of Thedas on her shoulders and so many odds against her. Yet she always took it in strides. He loved that about her and questioned what he ever did right in his life that lead someone so spectacular to love someone like him, a broken ex-templar recovering from a lyrium addiction. He didn't deserve her.
"This- it's wonderful! I don't know what to say other than-,"
"Well don't thank me yet. Hopefully it works," she interrupted as she pushed the hoop back into Cullen's hands, "I asked Dagna for help enchanting the beads. I'm nowhere near as talented as any of the Dalish craftsman, but I think we managed to enchant it correctly and if anyone can do it I'm sure its Dagna. She is a professional after all." Cullen wrapped his arms around her and pilled her into a tight embrace, never wanting to let go of her.
"Are you sure you have to go?" he sadly smiled.
"I'm sorry Cullen I do, but I'll be back soon. Ten days at most! I'll be back before you know it. Ar lath ma, vhenan." She muttered. They broke their embrace as Cullen gently caressed her face with his calloused hands tracing over her vallaslin.
"Arr leath ma, venan." Elwyn giggled at his mispronunciation.
"You keep practicing. Perhaps by the time I return you'll be speaking Elven better than me."
"Now that is a tall order. You place too much faith in me Inquisitor."
"Hmm, do I now? Well I guess we will have to see when I get back now won't we commander?" With one last kiss goodbye, she headed out for the next mission.
Cullen had a remarkable amount of reports, letters to shift through, and troops to attend to after Elwyn left. The hefty workload, through tedious at times, served as a good distraction from her absence. He presumed after Coryphaeus's defeat the Inquisition wouldn't be as pressed on issues, but with leftover rifts, pain-in-the-ass nobles, and Maker knows what other problems that keep popping up, the Inquisition is still quite busy. At least the "end of Thedas as we know it" threat was no longer looming over everyone's head.
As the day dragged on and exhaustion set in, Cullen could feel a headache starting to fester. He decided to wrap up the leftover reports and letters, locking them inside his desk before blowing out the candles to his offices. Gleaming off the snowy mountains, the moonlight lit up a very vacant Skyhold. The empty courtyard was serene and peaceful, a nice change from how busy and bustling it was usually during the day.
Cullen quietly tip-toed across the bridge into the rotunda where Solas use to be. He made sure to keep his footsteps light while on his way to Elwyn's quarters, cautious not to make any loud noises and draw attention from anyone still awake. He felt silly. He knew most, if not all of Skyhold, knew of their relationship, but he still felt very conscientious of people's stares and jibes if they saw him sneaking into Elwyn's bedroom late at night, whether she was there or not. He made that mistake once around Leliana and she still has yet to let it go. He did however swear to Elwyn he would start sleeping in her room on nights it would get too cold or would start snowing, especially since the gaping hole in his roof seemed to be a permanent fixture at this point. It also didn't hurt that her blankets always smelt lightly of her, comforting him in her absence.
He made it to her bedroom, clutching his present in his hands. He didn't know if it would work or not; nothing ever seemed to quell the nightmares that plagued him every night. Though hesitant, he was curious to see if this Dalish charm would make any notable differences. Feathers dangled back and forth as he hung it above the bed frame. Cullen undressed and laid flat on his back, staring at his dreamcatcher, praying that it would work. Before he knew it, he was fast asleep.
She was there with him in a house he didn't quite recognize, warm body lying next to him as her small hand ran through his hair. His eyes flittered open to Elwyn's steely lavender grey eyes gazing lovingly at him.
"It's about time you woke up vhenan." She said as her hand migrated from his hair to stroke the side of his face.
"El? Where are we?" She looked puzzled and laughed.
"We're at home silly. Don't you recognize our house when you see it?" He sat up, quickly scanning the room. It was cozy and warm; a fireplace was roaring in the corner and he could see snow sprinkling down from the window. The elf wrapped her arms around him with a tight squeeze and though he was mildly disoriented, being with her seemed to make time stop and his confusion okay. Suddenly, a soft cry echoed throughout the room.
"What is that?" Cullen asked in a panic, half expecting something terrible to occur. After all, it is moments like these where things normally go wayward… and fast.
Elwyn looked at him quizzically.
"Relax Cullen, it's just Thalia." Who?!
The elf dropped her arms from Cullen and wiggled out of bed, giving him a confused look before exiting the room. Thalia? He wondered. Moments later, Elwyn came back with a fussy baby in her arms. Golden curly hair bounced up and down as she walked as the baby's giant, curious, grey eyes scanned the room.
"I think she just wants to be with her dad." Elwyn smiled as she handed Cullen the small child. He took her and cradled her in his arms in amazement. The fussy baby stopped her wiggling as soon as she saw his face. She was perfect; Her gleeful little smile, mother's bright eyes and round features, giant curly blonde hair tousled in every direction. Cullen couldn't help but to choke back tears as she extended her tiny hand reaching for his own disheveled hair. Elwyn sat next to the two, resting her head on Cullen's shoulders as they both gazed at their giggling little girl. Never feeling happier, he kissed Elwyn's forehead, slowly taking in how right this moment felt. Then suddenly, he jolted awake.
The mid-morning light was streaming through Elwyn's bedroom, when Cullen realized he slept in much later than he anticipated. He overslept for the first time in nearly a decade! He felt refreshed, muscles no longer ached and energy at his disposal. It is his first descent night's sleep in ages and Elwyn was to thank. Of course, everything that ever seemed to go right these past few years were always because of her. He had a pep in his step throughout the day. Dorian even made sure to point how annoying he found it, though he was not sure which was more overbearing, Cullen's new-found optimism and happy-go-lucky attitude or the smugness every time he bested him in chess.
He looked forward to falling asleep again that night, wondering what other dreams awaited him, hoping for more dreams of Thalia. He never considered having a family before, he never even thought he would make it this far, but to hell with it- there is a first time for everything. He supposed the maker had a different plan in mind for him after all.
The rest of the week Cullen had dreams that made him eager for the next night. His head
swirled of bliss about what he hoped the future would hold. Children, adventure, Elwyn.
The last night before the Inquisitor's return back to Skyhold, he could hardly contain himself, eager for her to come back. He wanted to tell her in person about the wonder of her dreamcatcher. As he crawled into bed, gazing up at the dangling hoop, he noticed the glowing stones seeming dimmer than they have before.
Are my eyes playing tricks on me? He thought. He brushed it off and quickly shut his eyes, eager to surrender to sleep.
Just on cue, Cullen was walking along a dock on the lake near his hometown, Honnleath. Elwyn's lithe figure was perched over the edge of the doc, bare feet skirting lightly across the water. She didn't look up to great him as he approached. He sensed something very off, perhaps even melancholic in her posture as she gazed into the calm waters.
"El?" he asked. No reply. "Elwyn, love, are you okay?" No reply. Cullen sat down next to her. Her toes made little ripples in the water as she moved them in circles, eyes still gazed over and staring into the murky waters. He took her hand in his, hoping to comfort her as best he could.
"I'm going to have to give this back to you Cullen." She finally uttered under her breath. Her head downcast, she cupped Cullen's hands and pressed a small object into his palms. It was his brother's coin that he gave to her during their trip to Honnleath.
"Love, I'm afraid I don't understand."
"I don't think I can be with you anymore Cullen. The mark, it is getting worse… it's hurting so much now. I can't do this to you." Tears began to roll down Elwyn's cheeks as she stood up and jolted into the dark forest behind them. Cullen leapt up in attempt to pursue her, desperate for answers and wanting nothing more than to tell her it would be alright, but he lost her. Not a noise stirred in the silent forest. Suddenly, beating from the trees and echoing in waves, the familiar sound of lyrium's song grew louder and louder each passing second.
"Elwyn! Elwyn! Please come back!" Cullen yelled, trying to find her and block out lyrium's song. Everywhere he walked, in any direction, he left a red trail of dust as he ran. The song echoed louder and louder until he was surrounded by a sea of the red crystals that grew closer together until he was trapped by the sharp jagged edges. He could feel them begin to press against his skin until they punctured him like a knife. Overtaking him, he started to cry out hoping someone, anyone, would hear him. To no avail the serrated red crystals began to course through his veins, trails of red running up and down his body before they impaled him all the way through. Wracked with pain and the cursed song ingrained in his head, everything turned dark.
Cullen jolted up, drenched in a cold seat, damp curls sticking to his skin, and tried to regain his breath and process what just happened. It was still dark out, quiet, and no more of that dreaded song stuck in his head. The moon casted a dim light into the Inquisitor's bedroom. He pressed his hands into his temples as if he were trying to ebb the nightmare away. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the dreamcatcher hanging from the bed post, no longer glowing as it once did. So it wasn't just my imagination. The beads really did give out. He rolled them between his fingers, trying to see if the spinning it would somehow get them to glow again, but the beads remined dark. He fell back into bed staring at the ceiling, entertaining the thought of going back to his old nightly routine of restless sleep and nightmares. At least he would have Elwyn back with him soon
The sun finally peaked from the mountains, engulfing Skyhold and Cullen in its warm light. He dragged himself out of bed, the familiar feeling of drowsiness accompanying him from his awful night's sleep, as he made his way to his office to continue work from yesterday.
A few unread reports, a half-drunk cup of terribly cold tea, and now the dulled dreamcatcher was strewn across his desk. He took his place and start sifting through reports and left-over letters, hoping to free up some of his work so he could later ask Dagna about the dull beads.
Knock Knock. He gazed up from the papers as he saw his door open and a lithe frame emerged from behind it.
"My my, you're up a bit early this morning aren't you commander." Elwyn greeted him with a smile. Her slender body leaned against the door frame as her dark hair draped over her shoulders. He dropped his work and stood up to greet her with a hug, embracing her tenderly. Small frame hugging him back, the familiar smell of her hair filling his nose as he held her tight,
"I missed you." He said while laying a gentle kiss onto her forehead. "how did it go love?" Still in his warm embrace, she laid her head on his chest. Time always seemed to stop whenever he held her.
"Oh, nothing out of the ordinary. You know how dealing with nobles are. In short, he angered the wrong people, assassins got mixed into it. It was a mess. If you're really interested I think I wrote a compelling field report. It's rather riveting." She added sarcastically. "but enough about that, how are you vhenan? How was the dreamcatcher?"
"Where do I even begin? I haven't slept that well in years. Years! I actually had wonderful dreams for once. All of which involved you of course, but something did happen to it last night. I don't know what exactly, but the beads, well they use to glow, and now they stopped. I'm not sure if that was something I did or some other variable." Cullen let go of Elwyn long enough to walk to his desk to hand her the defunct dreamcatcher. She took the dream catcher and examined the beads, twirling them in her hands.
"Oh, its full."
"Full?"
"Yes. They can only catch so many without being emptied. I can empty if for you and it should work just as it did before!" Cullen looked perplexed.
"You can empty it?"
"Of course. It's not that hard, I just need a vial. Here come with me." She grabbed his hand tightly as she led him through Skyhold to the undercroft. The waterfall filled the cavern with whooshing sound of water hitting rocks, the only sound heard in the room. Normally Dagna and Harritt would be working and chatting, but the early hours of the morning left it vacant.
Elwyn let Cullen's hand go as she rummaged around the potions table. She grabbed a vial off the table and held the dreamcatcher up to the vial, beads sitting on its edges. She gave the bead a few taps as wispy clouds spun into the vial, forming shapes of crystals and disfigured demons before settling at the bottom of the vial, in a cool blue liquid.
"Oh Cullen," Elwyn said in shock "your dreams… they're awful." She looked at him with concern before returning to emptying the dreamcatcher. Bead after bead, nightmares shook and fell into the vials, all taking form of Cullen's usual night terrors; blood mages, demons, death, loss, and lyrium. After the last bead was dripped clean of nightmare, the beads once again returned to their bright green glow.
"It should work now. I'm sorry Cullen. I knew your dreams were bad to say the least, but I didn't quite realize how awful they actually were," Elwyn said as she placed a hand along Cullen's cheek. "and I'm sorry I should've told you how to empty it, I thought it would have lasted a bit longer than ten days."
Cullen scooped Elwyn up in his arms and started leading her off out of the undercroft. "Don't apologize love. You've given me back sleep, that's something I can never thank you enough for. Now, Inquisitor, you're coming with me. You must be exhausted from your journey." Cullen carried the Inquisitor back to her quarters and laid her down gently on the bed, slowly undressing her. Hot kisses trailed down the areas of newly exposed skin as little gasps and moans escaped from Elwyn. She fumbled to yank Cullen's tunic off, throwing articles of clothing on the floor until nothing was left between them and cascades of hot wet kisses made up for lost time.
The morning sun shined through the glass windows of the Inquisitor's quarters, casting a halo of light around them, entangled in each other's arms. Cullen brushed his fingertips lightly against Elwyn's face as she slept, carefully tracing her vallaslin with his fingertips and brushing her dark hair out of her face. He could feel his eyes growing heavy and body surrendering to the soft mattress and the warmth of Elwyn pressed against him.
He turned the ring over and over in his hand, wondering if she would like it. The silver slender ring left little impressions of flowers and vines on his fingers from pressing down on it so hard. He couldn't help to feel the nervousness pool up in his stomach as he continued to fiddle with the floral band. At least the cool air blowing in from the mountains helped quell his anxieties, if only for a little bit. Elwyn came out of her room onto the balcony, wrapping her arms around Cullen with tight squeeze.
"Star gazing vhenan?"
"You could say that." He smirked. She took her place, leaning over the balcony's rails, staring at him as if she were trying to read his mind.
"Are you okay Cullen? I can't tell if you're about to be sick or not."
"Perfectly fine," he muttered while rubbing the back of his neck. "I'm more than fine actually. El, there is something I need to tell you." He took her hands gently into his and cleared his throat.
"You've made me happier than I ever thought possible and every time I think about the future, I can't picture it without you. I still don't know what I've ever done to deserve you, but if you'll have me, I promise to spend every day trying to make you as happy as you have made me. Elwyn will you marry me?"
Her eyes started watering in disbelief as Cullen took the floral band and slid it onto her finger. Elwyn jumped into his arms, hot tears streaming down her face.
"Yes of course I will! A million times yes!"
"I need to find a ring!" Cullen exclaimed, jolting up out of bed, mildly disoriented from the dream.
"Mm … did you say something?" Elwyn murmured from her pillow.
"No love please go back to sleep," He said softly to the sleeping elf, coming out of his dream induced haze. "I just realized I have a few things I want to do."