Purity engenders, wisdom, avarice and ignorance, folly, infatuation and darkness. ~Cyril Connolly
Chapter 4
The Folly of Passion
Emel awoke in a groggy, headache induced haze. The events of last night were a blur to her as she tried to peace them together. Emel could remember the trip to Redcliff, the death of the Templar, and- that was it. She didn't even remember how she got back into her room or stripping down to her smalls. The mages body ached as she tried to get out of bed but her protesting muscles made the action slow and jerky.
Until a hand on her shoulder all but scared the daylights out of her.
"Rest, your body hurts. You fell asleep after the binding. So I brought us back." Twisting her body she saw the spirit sitting on the edge of her bed watching her with a calm expression. He looked perfectly normal (or as normal as one would describe him) and despite his lack of head dress he looked like the strange young man who arrived on her doorstep at Haven. Not a demon. Emel thought as she sighed a breath of relief.
No, not a demon. a voice echoed back to her. The blonde mage jumped as she stared at the spirit wide eyed.
"What was that?!" She cried.
"What was what?" Cole asked not understanding her question.
"I heard something just now." Sitting up in her seat she looked at the spirit dumbfounded.
"That's because I spoke to you. In your head. You knew I wasn't a demon and I'm not. I'm Cole."
Emel looked at the spirit with her mouth wide open. She was shocked and deffinitly more alert than before. Cole was in her head now, not just reading the little tidbits from her time in the circle but speaking to her.
"Could you always do that?" Emel asked. "Could you always talk to people telepathically?"
"No, I talk with my mouth not with a telepath- or whatever that is. I can hear you better though, your songs sing louder, stronger. I can feel what you're feeling much better than before and it's not just hurt. I could feel the warmth of your skin as you slid under the blankets, the slight fear you felt when I touched you and the haze you felt when you woke up. You're just clearer to me now." Emel sat up so she was face to face with the spirit, or rather her spirit now.
"Cole, what happened after the ritual?" Compassion moved closer so they were only inched apart and Emel was drawn in by his eyes. Her lips were slightly parted and she knew what people would think of the situation if they walked in. The thought made Emel's face heat up causing her to flush down to her chest.
"No one saw, no one will see." The spirit assured running a hand through Emel's hair to tame the tangled locks. Emel closed her eyes but didn't shy away from the touch as her stomach fluttered. "Solas was waiting but I told him you went riding because you were upset. You rode around all night and when you came back I helped you into your room."
"And what did Solas say about that?" Emel asked in breathy sigh and for a moment she thought she saw Cole do the same. She rested her head on his shoulder as he began to lightly scratch her scalp. She felt like a cat as his short nails hit her sweet spot.
"Solas said nothing, but he's suspicious. He won't say anything out loud. He thinks you broke the amulet."
The mages eyes opened wearily, "I knew he would think that."
Suddenly the spirit pulled away and made his way over to her desk causing Emel to instantly miss his warmth. Compassion made his way over to Emel's desk and instantly she noticed the tray that lay there. Emel also noticed the spirits beloved hat as it hung from the back of her chair precariously. As Cole brought the food over she noticed it was a small assortment of sweet breads and fruit. Instantly her mouth watered and she snatched up a nectarine taking a bite. Juice flooded her mouth and she let out a satisfied moan.
She heard a laugh, a soft strangled little thing as it floated through the air. It took only a moment to realize it was Cole as he looked at her curiously.
"Is it that good?" His queried, his voice a little sing-song and with laced humor.
"It is, do you want some?" The mage instantly bite her tongue. She knew better than that. Cole didn't eat. Spirits didn't have to take in sustenance as the old songs sustained them well enough. "I'm sorry, I forgot you don't eat."
"No, don't be. I'll try if it will make you happy." Emel nodded and held out the peachy colored fruit to hand it off to the spirit. Instead of taking it, Cole grabbed her by the wrist bringing her close yet again and took a bite. It was very clumsy and juice poured from the flesh of the nectarine covering her hands as he took another. "It's sweet," the spirit mumbled. Emel let out a small giggle at the sight of the spirit eating like a starved man but when she noticed the mess he was making in her hand she stopped.
"Cole, you're making a mess." Emel stuttered hoping none of it dripped onto her white bed sheets. It seemed she didn't have to as the spirit pulled her even closer and eyed the little drops of liquid as they traveled her arm. Mesmerized Emel watched as Cole slowly lapped the fruits essence from her skin. Wide eyed and strangely intrigued by the sudden strange behavior Emel wasn't sure what to do. The act was to intimate for the young mage to fully understand what was going. When the blonde male finished cleaning her up Emel pulled away feeling both light headed and still a little sticky.
Of course that was when someone decided to bother her. The two jumped as they heard a slight rapping on the door.
"Inquisitor? Are you awake? You're needed in the war room. We have much to discuss about happenings in the western approach."
It was Cullen, probably sent by Leliana or Josephine to come and wake her. "I'll be there in a minute!" The Inquisitor informed as she hurriedly threw back her sheets and sprinted to her dresser throwing clothes around. She didn't even notice Cole watching her curiously until she was just about to take off her bindings.
"Um, Cole. Can you turn around?" Emel said making a turning motion with her index finger.
"Why?" The spirits voice was full of innocence which was a strange contrast to his bizarre behavior earlier.
"Because it's indecent to watch people get dressed."
"I don't mind," the spirit stated not moving a muscle. "I used to watch people undress all the time in the spire. Until Evangeline told me not to but we're bound so it's alright."
Emel could feel her face go scarlet, whether it was anger or embarrassment was a different story. "Why did you watch people undress?"
Cole thought about it for a moment scratching his cheek. "I don't know. People do strange things when their naked or even half-naked. Besides it's odd that people throw their clothes around to put different ones on. Sometimes I forget they can even come off."
"Well, even if you don't mind watching me undress I still would like some privacy, please!" Emel whined not wanting to think about the "strange" things Cole saw people do while naked. The mage grew up in a circle and knew very much what others could do when naked.
"Inquisitor, are you there? I hope I won't have to come in there and wake you myself." Emel forgot all about the commander of her armies for a moment and decided that instead of fighting with Cole she would just have to bare with her peeping tom. Besides if Cullen walked in on her topless and a gazing spirit in her room he would probably go full Templar and start chanting the Littany of Andralla.
Alright, maybe that was a bit too dramatic but it certainly sounded funny...
Finally dressed she made her way to the door and greeted her commander. "Good morning." Emel said a little breathless.
"Good morning," Cullen laughed as he looked at the inquisitors messy locks and haphazard appearance. "Were you talking to yourself or are you just going crazy?" Cullen said giving her one of those smiles that made the new recruits and tavern girls swoon. In a small, secret place deep, down inside she had to admit it made her swoon a little as well.
"No, no one but me. Just gibbering to myself." Emel's voice cracked in a way that made it obvious she was giving her commander a load of bull.
"That's why you look like the cat that swallowed the canary." Cullen snapped his fingers.
"What cat are you talking about? Let's go!" Emel said grabbing the commander by the furs and pushing him out the door. Emel turned and saw Cole standing by the staircase with a disappointed look on his face. Breathing out an apology she walked with Cullen to the war room where Leliana and Joesphine awaited them.
The two smiled until Leliana noticed a few pieces of fur sticking to the Inquisitors hand. "What's that?" Leliana noticed as Emel blushed, trying to wipe off the hairs.
"Stupid Nectarine!" Emel ground out.
The meeting was basic as Emel was informed of various political factions that wanted her help in return for favors. A group of bandits had taken adamant and Emel was uncertain whether or not she wanted to take care of the problem herself or send her soldiers in. Adament was still fresh in everyone's minds and a group of people who would live there after a demon attack was either stupid or up to something.
"No one should live there. Bad things happen." Had been the words Cole told her after adamant. Sadness, pain and death; all were machinations of fear that drove the Wardens overboard.
"It should be torn to the ground." Emel breathed out frustrated.
"I agree, sadly but as a Grey Warden fortress it is not a wise course of action. I have quite a few wardens who are more than willing to drive off the bandits and clear out the fortress if necessary." Emel nodded her head.
"We'll consider that an option. What about Sebastian and Kirkwall?"
Josephine, forever with a quill in hand, looked over her papers. "It says that our efforts in aiding Knight-Captain Evangeline were helpful. Sebastians forces have been stalled momentarily and given Kirkwall's forces reprieve."
"Good," Looking towards her spymaster Leliana stood attentively waiting her turn.
"We also have reports from our scouts in the Exalted Plains. They claim the area is troubled with deserters from the Civil war in Orlais. Not to mention reports of walking dead at Gespard's battlements and Celene's army all but disappearing after entering an abandoned elven fortress."
The Inquisitor sighed as she absorbed the information. "Send the wardens to fight the bandits Cullen. I'll head out with some of my inner circle to the exalted planes. I have a feeling if we help either group we could garner favors from either side."
"Precisely what we were thinking, Inquisitor." Josephine added as she scribbled down the information. Leliana quickly left after Josephine leaving only Emel and Cullen still in the war room.
"Inquisitor, I was hoping I could have a moment." Cullen made his way to the mage who looked at him with full attention. He respected the way she was always professional (or at least most of the time) but wished she could be more relaxed in his presence. He wasn't a Templar anymore and he tried to make everyone understand that. "I was hoping we could take a walk around the battlements."
"Oh," Emel looked at the commander suspiciously but followed him anyway. As they made their way outside the human shivered as she was assaulted by the cold mountain air. The sky was beautiful today as small wisps of clouds divided the vivid, blues. Walking around Emel spotted Cassandra as she trained in the courtyard with bull and his chargers. She could see the healer as she tended to the wounded which were becoming fewer and fewer the past several weeks. The inquisitor could barely spot Blackwall in the stables and he went about making some wooden statue or piece of furniture. The commander stopped pacing as he look towards the mountain landscape away from the daily bustle of Skyhold. "What did you want to talk about?"
"I heard about your last mission. I just wanted to make sure you were fine."
"Of course I'm fine. I just needed to get away from Skyhold for a while-"
"Solas has been asking some very strange questions lately. I caught him at the stables speaking to Dennet and trying to ask the scouts what happened. He fled after he caught wind of me. The scouts turned in their reports so I know what happened and why you went with them. What I don't understand is why he would be so interested and whether or not we should be cautious."
Emel looked at the commander with surprise. Solas was questioning the scouts? That seemed awfully straight forward and yet so very much like the elf. "No, I think he is upset and is looking for answers."
"To what?" Cullen questioned.
"A plan that backfired."
Solas knows. A voice whispered in her head. Emel looked for the source but found none.
"Are you alright?" Cullen asked looking at the Inquisitor.
"Yes!" She replied back in a yip.
"You could tell me if something's wrong. I would help you, all you have to do is ask." Cullen took a few steps forward. More than what was comfortable for the mage. Sure Cullen was handsome, very handsome in fact, but Emel wasn't interested in a man that a few years ago would have cut her down without mercy. As the ex-Templar took her hand staring at her intently something strange happened. From out of nowhere Emel saw an apple fall and hit Cullen in the back of the head. The ripe fruit burst into chunks that messed up Cullens furs as it trickled down his armor and into his tunic.
"Makers balls!" The man shouted as he spun on his heels. "Who did that?" Thrashing about looking for the culprit he missed the boy with the large hat who watched them innocently from his perch on the tower roof. Cole held the tray with that mornings breakfast on his lap. How he got up there was a mystery. Emel smiled and excused herself making her way towards her spirit.
A/N: Hehe, behold the extreme power of the fluff. So Coles acting a little OOC and Emel isn't so put off by it. Admittedly I had this scene in my head since I started writing this story. Not to mention Cole notices a little, teeny, tiny crush Emel has on Cullen and pulls a Sera to keep him off. (It's a really teeny crush =.=') Solas is also suspicious of Emel and time will tell when he rears his egg shaped head again, lol.
Time for some replies to some reviews!
Syrlith: I know. It's boring reading the same thing over and over again. David Gaider even says that one of the reasons Cole wasn't a romance was because at this point his character is still at it's dark and creepy stage. Anyone who has read Asunder could tell you that Cole is an ex-serial Killer. He killed people for pleasure or- well- reasons that weren't like they are in inquisition. Cole also isn't a child which I find weird when people coddle him. You never even touch him in the game. He is the equivalent of a manically, depressed, young man not an attention needy child.
Tenshi Aburame: No don't die! Lol, here have some fluff to wipe those tears. Neither Cole or Emel want you to die from their story! Things just happen that way!
Kimmik777: No cliff hanger this time... Kind of?! Lol. Everyone needs a break from suspension but it will start up again soon enough. After all this is a dark fanfiction.