These Are the Nights That Never Die

by AsylumDoll21

She is Tal-Vashoth, She is the Inquisitor, and he loved her... Horns and all. But would he to realize it in time? Or would he let political influences stop him from finally claiming something for himself regardless of judgement? And does she even feel the same way about him? P.S.- I own nothing but I wish I could lay claim to Varric's luxurious chest hair XD! may be rated m later.

1. Alone Time

There was a dusky grey tinge to the sky as he stepped out of his tent that morning. They had been on the move for the inquisition for 2 weeks now and were making a return trip to the hinterlands in a few days time. Rolling his shoulders back he bent backwards and heard his spine give a satisfying crackle. He was up before even the elf today, sort of a grumpy lout if you were to ask him. But he supposed there was always that hint of misunderstanding between elves and dwarves. He quickly headed down the hill from the encampment with a slight spring in his step. A bath seemed in order as even he was beginning to get offended by the smell.

Stripping down to nothing more than the chain around his neck and the hoops in his ears, he waded into the river, sucking in a breath as the bitter cold water swept over his bare skin. He was grateful for this time alone, one more minute with that seeker questioning everything and accusing him of anything and he would've sworn to leave right then and there. Of course he wasn't going to show it outright but his patience was far beyond tested. Then there was the spy master, Leliana. She had a kind face when you were looking at her, but her eyes seemed to go cold if you looked away. Almost like if she looked hard enough she could uncover all your secrets… which, he mused, was probably true. He was glad she wasn't around much. To be completely honest she kind of made him feel on edge.

But then there was her… she almost literally fell from the sky. Never mind it was because she stepped through a rift to get here. He'd seen all different types of her kind, but never one with her soft complexion. Even her skin was a more vibrant shade, as if it were more alive than the others. He'd never thought in a million years that there would be a Qunari with such… Human qualities. Her eyes were a bright blue with a purple tinge to the middle of them. And they were sad. Sad eyes that reflected all the pain she'd been through, every loss that had been inflicted upon her. And every blow she struck against the ones who wronged her made her hard. Her demeanor, her actions, her words. All harsh, but without that look she had given him that day, he never would have had the curiosity to dig deeper into the enigma that was the inquisitor. But it wasn't just her eyes that were striking. She was very well endowed by the maker and he was lying if he said it didn't interest him to see what she might have for talent in the bedroom. She was tall, with broad shoulders that curved delicately down, her collar bone was a slight contour over her large… dammit. He sunk down in the river and dunked his head. Attempting to wash away the tempting images of a woman he had never even seen naked. It was depressing enough that he knew he couldn't have her, too many political hoops to jump through. Besides it would have been a nightmare trying to explain it to the inquisition leaders.

When his head broke the surface if the water he gasped for breath and smiled to himself. He ran a hand through his hair and finished his musings as he bathed. He finally turned and made his way back to the shore, the smooth stones under his feet were a welcome sensation and barely affected the dwarf's tough skin. He slowly sauntered towards where he'd left his clothes, and dressed carefully, enjoying his last moments of quiet and sanity. But then there was a scuttling noise behind him. He whipped around, staring out into the surrounding woods. There was a thick tree line between the river and the camp blocking the view of the tents and the fire pit. Nothing seemed to be moving from there and the noises had stopped. The dwarf finished getting dressed and wandered back to the tents lined up in a semi-circle. He kept his ears perked up and stepped lightly. Moving towards his tent he took one last look around before backing into his tent and turning around… only to run smack into the chest of the Qunari woman he had spent all morning fantasizing about. The dwarf simply turned as she covered herself and heaved a sigh of irritation.

"My apologies Inquisitor, I seem to have mistaken your tent for mine. Similar color and all that. But you might want to get dressed. There's something outside." He spoke calmly and lowly, attempting to convey as much urgency as possible in the few words he could think to say after such an intrusion. Normally he wasn't one to be embarrassed of a woman's body, but this one was purely an accident. One which the generally stout dwarf was completely unprepared for.