The snow was really making visibility stupidly poor, but Skyhold was within sight. Never did Dragana think she would come to call a building home. But Skyhold was her home. Her Inquisition family was there. Maybe one day her people would catch up to her and she could finally be amongst her own again. She tugged the hood down further on her face, and tugged the skins up around her. So close, but it might as well have been years away. The remaining journey felt like it took forever. She patted the horse's neck affectionately, feeling that the poor thing was tired. She looked back at her friends. Dorian, Iron Bull and Varric looked about as wrecked tired as she felt. She gave them encouraging smiles all the same.
She finally reached the courtyard of the keep, a large enough party waiting for her. The scouts must have seen them coming. Thank the gods... Among those awaiting her and her group was Cullen, the most unlikely of friends, but a small smile took form on her lips which was mirrored on his own lips. It was good to see his smile. He hardly smiled enough. The poor man looked like he hadn't slept in a month. She hardly had a moment to be concerned, before there was cheering as the horses cantered into the yard. She gave a smile and a wave, but in truth she was ready to drop from exhaustion. Cullen marched forward, shoulders back and chest out. She couldn't help but chuckle a little at him. He looked like a puffed up bird with the fur pauldrons only strengthening the image. He took the reins of her horse firmly in hand and held his arm out to help her down.
"Hi..." he said, quietly. She put a hand on his arm, pausing atop the horse for but a moment, just enjoying being back in the company of her best friend.
"Hey stranger." Without further ado, she swung her leg over the horse, dismounting. She would have collapsed had Cullen not held her up, his arm wrapping around her waist, unabashedly.
Cassandra was but a few steps away, waiting anxiously to say her piece and to order them around. Dragana could only admire her determination to the Inquisition. But honestly, she was the last person she wanted to see right now.
"Inquisitor, whenever you're quite ready we'll take your report in the War room." Before Cullen could chastise her, Dragana spoke up.
"I'll be ready tomorrow, Seeker. Thank you. I need to rest." She gave a small smile. "And give the guys the night off too. They saved my skin several times out there."
"More like all the time, blondie. You are just catnip to shades." Varric quiped, with a tired shadow of his usual smug smile.
Cassandra was going to argue but Cullen gave her a stern look and started to help Dragana walk towards the keep, making sure she stayed upright.
"Thanks... Riding for so long makes one a bit... Bow-legged." Had it been anyone else she had said that to, she would have feared that they would purposefully take that as an innuendo. But Cullen never resorted to such things. It was a nice break from the rest of them.
When he finally managed to get her out of the snow and they were alone, he scooped her up into his arms, not even paying attention to her protests.
"You can hardly walk, Inquisitor. Hush." Her face heated a little, but she just resigned herself to it and leaned against his chest. The rhythmic sway of his step nearly put her to sleep. He was so gentle and made sure not to jostle her as he carried her up steps. Without even thinking about it, her fingers twined in the fur of his pauldrons and her eyes closed for but a few moments.
"I missed you." he whispered. His voice cracked and was terribly husky. His words had been hesitant. She opened her eyes and smiled up at him.
"Of course you missed me. I'm the only one who can beat you at chess. You love to be defeated." she joked. But a warmth blossomed in her stomach. He had missed her. Well at least she had someone at home worrying about it. She was valued. And that just made all of the important things she had to do seem that bit more bearable. He chuckled quietly. She could feel the rumble of it in his chest, which put a wider smile on her face.
"Exactly. You keep this ego of mine in check. What would I ever do without you? Cassandra and Josephine have been driven demented by me over the last month." She could have sworn she felt his arms tighten around her a little. He opened the door to her chambers and carried her inside. She couldn't help but think of that old wedding tradition of carrying the bride over the threshold. Her face went a bright scarlet. Well she certainly wasn't the Commander's bride, that was for sure. He set her down gently on the edge of her bed and her stomach was bizarrely doing flips. They were only friends. Very good friends. There was no reason to think that this was weird, or stepping over a line. A line she just wanted to shove him over all of a sudden. When she regained her sense of reality she saw that he was kneeling before her unlacing her boots.
"Commander... Cullen. Please. You don't have to do that." Why was this so embarrassing? Why was she seeing this as something more than what a friend would do anyways.
"It is my duty to protect you. And take care of you. A lot of people depend on you, and I owe you a debt." That silenced her. The man owed her no debt. Not in reality. His own mind was a different thing. He was a stubborn creature, but she just had no energy to argue with him.
He pulled her boots off gently, then set to peeling the wet furs from around her shoulders. She was beyond arguing at this point. As awkward as she had thought it had been in the beginning, their silence was companionable. His fingers lingered on the side of her neck for but a second, but her hand shot up and captured his, holding his calloused fingers to her.
"I missed you too." She let him go and he stepped in front of her and bowed his head.
"Should you need anything, let me know. Otherwise, sleep well, Dragana." With that he left, his cloak swishing out behind him. She pulled her blankets up around her, feeling his fingers still on the side of her neck in that gentle caress. She didn't know why, but his presence just felt like a balm to an open wound she didn't even know she had.