The sun warmed the air despite the snow still left on the ground. Tevis Cadash was standing in the sparring ring, sweat dripping from his temples, a warhammar clutched between his hands. He'd spent the last hour attacking a dummy, trying to hone his skills, but all he had to show for it was the disgusting stench of sweat. With a growl low in his throat, the former Carta dwarf dropped the weapon to the ground and wiped the wetness from his forehead. He was going to have to see if the Iron Bull would spar with him next time.
The sound of snow crunching beneath a pair of boots caught Tevis' attention. Turning, he shaded his eyes so that he could see the figure approaching. Dorian Pavus was layered in furs, many draped over his shoulders and even one wrapped around his head to keep his ears warm. Still, it didn't stop him from shivering violently.
"What are you doing out here, eh?" Tevis called to the Tevinter mage. "I thought ye didn't like the cold."
Scrunching his nose at the comment, Dorian glared at the Inquisitor. "Excuse me for coming to see if you were doing alright out here. We hadn't heard from you in quite some time and we were worried."
"We?" Tevis asked, crossing his arms over his chest. A smirk rested upon his lips as he watched the mage rub his arms, trying to create friction to fight the chill in the air.
"Yes, 'we.' You are aware that there are many people that serve with you, yes?" Dorian snapped, trying to appear curt with Tevis, but failing miserably. There was no hiding the delight in Dorian's eyes at seeing the dwarf whole and well, if a bit dirty. "How are you not cold? It is freezing."
Tevis shrugged before walking towards the fence that separated Dorian from the sparring ring. "It must be the ole dwarven blood."
"Or it could be the sun." Dorian replied, taking a moment to wave a hand to the sky before replacing it beneath the furs he wore.
The dwarf chuckled. The sun may be toasty, but that wasn't what kept him warm during this past few months of travelling. The idea, the very thought of seeing this young man, spending time with him, even if it was just sitting in the library as he read in a language that Tevis had never heard before, was more than enough to keep his heart eternally warm.
Reaching for Dorian's hand, Tevis nodded towards a building on the other side of Keep. "Would ye like to get a drink?"
"Maker, yes."
Dorian slipped his hand into the dwarf's before they turned for the building that served as the Inquisition's tavern.