A/N: Silkenslay, thanks for the story follow! Most of this chapter is canon scenes, but the tavern scene is all mine. I was going to try to post the link of what Samira is going to wear, but I forgot how to properly get it on here without it not showing the link, so if you're interested in seeing it you can message me about it, it's really cute!
Chapter 9: A new place
Samira opened her eyes when the voices stopped, seeing a darkened tunnel that lay ahead of her. Clutching to her side, Samira gasped at the nudging pain that plagued her but she would not let it stop her from finding a way out. When she stumbled on a group of demons down the passage before the exit, it took all of Samira's strength to hold them off until her mark did her work for her. A new power came to be that opened a fade rift, dealing just enough damage to her enemies to finish them off.
This 'anchor' continues to surprise me!
As she exited the tunnel, Samira noticed the cold winter winds of the night had increased ten fold; she surmised it might have had something to do with the avalanche from earlier. She clutched to herself as she trekked through the snow, hoping to find some sign the Inquisition was still around. Time went by and still there was no sign and Samira had started to lose hope as she began to hear wolves howl not far off. The snow was up to her boots, beginning to soak through, making Samira all the more miserable and cold trying to fight through it. As she started to near an opening between two rock walls, she saw some hope.
"Embers? Recent?" She said outloud to herself in loneliness, seeing an abandoned fire before walking between the rock pass.
"There! It's her!"
"Thank the Maker!" Came the voices of Cullen and Cassandra who so happened to be searching in the area, where a camp was established nearby. Samira sank to her knees, letting them give out in exhaustion finally. All sense of strength and coherence was lost to her while Cassandra and Cullen helped her down the hill with an arm around each shoulder.
"The Herald has come back to us!" Soldiers whispered among themselves as Cassandra gently helped set Samira down inside a tent and left her be. Samira fell backwards on the bed roll and finally was able to catch her breath. All she wanted to do was sleep but her thoughts gnawed at her.
Fucking Corypheus...what he said can't be true...the Maker may have turned his back on us but he can't be dead!
"I just heard they found you!" Came the voice of Blackwall as he seemed to rush into the tent, concern in his voice.
"Low and behold, I am alive!" Samira found it in her to appear as normal as possible, given the circumstances.
"Woman, you are absolutely insane…" He came to her and crushed her in a hug, barely leaving her room to breath.
"Ooh! Ouch, careful, I think I'm bruised just about all over." He let up and gave an apologetic look on his face as he settled next to her.
"I'm just relieved to see you come back in one piece. What happened?"
"Well, I probably fell more than twenty feet through this hole in the ground that led to an underground passage. Must have had Andraste's luck for the snow not to bury me…" Samira's voice grew quiet now that she was alone with the man again. The last few hours she had no time to think of herself, only on what was required of her and now was the first time she could think of that.
"It felt...wrong to let you face that thing by yourself." Blackwall replied, breaking the silence that held thick in the air after her last statement.
"Blackwall, it's fine really, I-" And then he did what she never expected him to do, he cut her off with a kiss. She instinctively reacted, her lips joining with his softy, but they did not part. Blackwall took her in his arms and did not falter on his path, but Samira did. She broke it off, confused but too exhausted to protest it.
Maker, what is happening to me...
"What was that for?" Samira's cheeks flushed in surprise and embarrassment to feel so out of control.
"I wanted to thank you, my lady. I've never seen anyone do what you did. It took courage."
"If a kiss is what I get for almost sacrificing myself to save the Inquisition, I wonder what I'll get for saving the world!" Samira awkwardly ran a hand through her cropped hair and tried to make sense of the confusion of her feelings for the man. She was insanely attracted to Iron Bull and even had some degree of feeling for him (although they were not typical feelings), but Samira found herself thinking of Blackwall as well.
It's that damn beard of his, I swear. And the eyes…
Samira mentally reprimanded herself for the thoughts, she knew nothing good would come of it if she pursued him.
I could never give him what he needs.
"I'm sure we would figure it out." He winked at her and got up.
"But for now, I'll leave you be. You should rest."
"I can't sleep, as tired as I am. I should go out there and see what's going on." He helped her up and out of the tent, as she still felt strain pulling at her leg.
"We need a consensus or we have nothing!" Samira heard a heated debate as she took a place sitting next to Mother Giselle.
"Please, we must use reason! Without the infrastructure of the Inquisition, we're hopeless!" Josephine said as the leaders fought around the campfire on what to do.
"You should be resting, Herald." The mother compassionately said in a calm demeanor she always had.
"They've been at it since I came back."
"They have that luxury thanks to you. The enemy could not follow, and with time to doubt, we turn to blame. Infighting may threaten as much as this Corypheus."
"Well, not like I'm getting any sleep. I should go help them plan." Samira sighed, her eyes feeling heavy but her mind keeping them wide awake.
"Another heated voice will not help. Especially yours. Our leaders struggle because of what we saw. We witnessed our defender stand and fall...and now we have seen her come back. Your actions are becoming more and more miraculous to the troops. It all seems ordained, does it not?"
"You make it sound like I rose from the dead! What troubles me is Corypheus said the heavens were empty, nothing golden." She shook her head at the notion.
"The living are not meant to make that journey. Perhaps these are lies he must tell himself, rather than accept that he earned the scorn of the Maker. I know I could not bear such." As much as Samira wanted Mother Giselle's words to comfort her, she could find none.
"Mother, we need more than faith now." She resigned herself to the conversation, obviously her faith troubled more than ever. She looked around the camp and saw all of her companions, glad that they were alive but discontent with losing Haven.
Things have changed.
And when all hope seemed to have been left where Haven now lay buried, Mother Giselle stoked the Inquisition's fire by softly singing.
"Steel your heart, the dawn will come. The night is long, and the path is dark. Look to the sky, for one day soon, the dawn will come." Giselle sang out next to Samira, and slowly more people joined her in the song, starting with Leliana who had the most beautiful voice.
"The shepherd's lost and his home is far. Keep to the stars, the dawn will come."
"The night is long, and the path is dark. Look to the sky, for one day soon, the dawn will come." Even Cullen joined in as members of the Inquisition flocked in front of Samira, some kneeled in front of her, others rose their fists to their chests in respect and loyalty. Samira had tears in her eyes as she joined in the song, feeling the power of hope and resilience fill her heart.
"Bare your blade and raise it high. Stand your ground, the dawn will come." They all sang the chorus one last time together, their voices strong and willful, their spirits finding their purpose again.
"That was...beautiful, Mother Giselle. Thank you." She spoke her gratitude as the camp livened up again, bursting with voices now instead of somber silence. Samira wiped a stray tear away from her eye and finally knew what it meant to be the Herald of Andraste, whether it was the truth or not.
I've never felt this duty and loyalty to something before, I think this is what I want to do.
"A word?" Solas came out of the shadows where he usually lingered, not the one to be at the forefront of things. She followed him to a more secluded spot overlooking a cliff close by.
"A wise woman, worth heeding. Her kind understand the moments that unify a cause, or fracture it." Solas lit a torch with the wave of his hand and placed his hands behind his back.
"I've come to learn that in a very short time, Solas." Samira said, leaning on her staff she planted into the ground. She was still very tired and sore, but with time to herself she planned on using magic to expedite the healing.
"The orb Corypheus carried, the power he used against you, it is elven. Corypheus used the orb to open the Breach. Unlocking it of course caused the explosion that destroyed the Conclave. I do not yet know how he survived, nor am I certain how people will react when they learn of the orb's origin."
"This whole mess is confusing, I can see how Elves are an easy target."
"History would agree, but there are steps we can take to prevent such a distraction."
"We need to figure out where the Inquisition will go now, with no home…" Samira lamented.
"By attacking the Inquisition, Corypheus has changed it. Changed you. Scout to the north, be their guide. There is a place that awaits for a force to hold it. There is a place the Inquisition can build, grow."
"We'll set out first thing tomorrow then! I must tell the others...Solas?" Samira said, her voice excited.
"Yes, Herald?"
"Thank you, for everything." He nodded to her and she couldn't help but almost skip off back to the camp. After bringing Cullen, Leliana, Josephine, and Cassandra on board, Samira sat down at the campfire with Sera, Varric, and Iron Bull.
"It's good to see you back with us, Samira." Varric said, passing her some bread and cider.
"Oh Maker, thank you for this!" She found herself scarfing down the bread quickly, grateful.
"I can't wait to get a drink." Bull said, winking at Samira when no one was looking.
I see nothing has changed with Bull. Wonder if he's still mad at me?
"I would stay longer, but I think I'm going to find a tent and rest before we head out tomorrow." When she crawled inside the tent, she took her boots off and didn't bother undressing further, knowing she would freeze even with the enclosure to block out the night's wind.
"Boss?" Iron Bull peeked his head inside, careful of his horns getting in the way.
"You can come in." She said softly, her body finally beginning to relax.
"I thought we could talk. I wanted to see how you were holding up." Bull surprised her, they never talked about personal feelings.
"Well, you might as well keep me warm." She patted the bed roll, beckoning him to sidle up to her.
"That's my girl." He lay down and put his arm around her, bringing all of his warmth with.
"I thought maybe you'd still be mad at me after what I said before."
"Me, mad? Maybe I was a little jealous, but I'm fine now. I was more worried about you after it seemed like that Corypheus asshole killed you." He snorted, the matter of death light on his lips.
"I'm used to being a loner, so I wasn't that concerned about anyone missing me to be honest." She shrugged, although deep down she really did care.
"That's a load of crap and you know it, Boss. I'm Ben-Hassrath, remember? I've probably got you read better than you know your own self. For all the confidence and sex appeal you exude, you're being hard on yourself." Bull chided her, knowing her too well now.
"Perhaps you're right, I'm just too stubborn. I was on my own for so long, I'm just now getting used to all of this. I don't trust easily." She said, nuzzling her face against him.
"You trust me or you wouldn't let me do the things I've done to you!" They chuckled at the thought.
"Oh, Bull. Okay, you've got me there. Besides that, you have been a good friend to me."
"Damn right I am, woman!" He kissed the side of her head and let her fall asleep.
Samira woke when dawn approached, her body stiff from the bedroll. She poked her head out of the tent and saw the rest of the Inquisition was beginning to rise, so she decided to go out and find what she needed for her potion. She made do with the spare amount of elfroot she could find, tucked away into the crevices of the Frostbacks and retrieved the rest of the ingredients from Adan.
"What's that?" Blackwall asked as he rose from his sleep.
"Just a little something to get me back on my feet. Uck!" She cringed at the taste as she swallowed.
"I thought you should know that Raven has been looked after. Threnn thought she might like being around me more, so I made sure she got her sugar cubes!" He smiled as realization hit Samira that she had not seen her horse since the battle.
"Oh, Maker she's going to be so mad at me! Thank you." She leaned up and kissed him on the cheek before speeding off to find her.
"I know you're mad at me, I'm sorry!" She hugged Raven around the neck and kissed her on the snout, more happy than she'd ever been to reunite safely with her old friend.
"She is happy to see you." Cole surprised Samira, seemingly appearing out of thin air.
"Yes, she is!" She laughed as Raven neighed in reply, brushing her cold nose against Samira's face.
"Are you ready, girl?" Samira began to saddle the horse up as the rest of the Inquisition finished packing up everything. The Inquisition travelled mostly on foot through the Frostback's for two days with Samira at the forefront. The land was vast, Samira felt like she would never see the end of white. Solas said they were almost there, which only made the mage more eager to find their destination. When she reached the edge of a cliff, she crawled up the rock and looked at all of the tall peaks the Frostback had to offer.
Now that I don't have to worry about this place killing me, I can see how beautiful it is!
"Solas! Are you sure we're near? You said that two hours ago." She asked, but Solas only beckoned for her to continue up a nearby hill. And that is when she saw the wonder. Samira's eyes widened in amazement when she reached the top of the hill for what she saw was a grand castle perfectly situated in the side of the mountain.
"Skyhold." He spoke the name and Samira knew it was all destined to be. She began to make her way down the hill wordlessly, beginning to run even though the Inquisition had to stay at a slow pace.
"Look at this beauty! Come on, everyone!" She yelled over her shoulder to her friends who were just as glad as her.
The full Inquisition arrival took about an hour for everyone to reach the main gate, by then Samira had already raced around the grounds that was to be their new headquarters.
It has so much potential!
After Samira was done venturing, she laid her belongings down in the main towers bedroom, automatically laying claim. She unpacked in a messy fashion, throwing her clothes over her shoulder as she looked for the brown suede bodice she tucked away, never having a chance before to wear it. She threw off her clothes and changed into a slim cotton tunic and proceeded to put on the armless bodice that laced up in the front. The tunic was made to hang off her shoulder, so bare skin showed between the tunic and where the bodice started on top of her shoulder. Samira particularly liked the design as the collar stuck up instead of laying downwards like regular material would, but that's why she chose it.
The materials thick, certainly not flimsy so I know it's durable.
Samira wore her usual pants and laced up her boots and finally joined the Inquisition, seeing they were just now finishing bringing everything in. The main courtyard brought her in the same area as Cullen, Cassandra, Josephine, and Leliana who seemed to be deep in conversation. Cassandra was the first to notice her and waved her over. The others mysteriously slipped away as Samira stood in front of the Seeker.
"Word is quickly spreading across Ferelden. Skyhold is becoming a pilgrimage for all now." She beckoned her to walk with her up the side stairs that led to the upper level of the courtyard and continued.
"If word has reached these people, it will probably have reached the Elder One. We have the walls, the numbers to put up a fight here, but this war is far more than what we anticipated. But we now know what it was that allowed you to stand against Corypheus...what drew him to you." They reached the top of the stairs and turned a corner and stopped briefly before going to the main stairs.
"I'd like to say it's because he's an insane monster, but maybe it was because of my efforts for the Inquisition. Or probably both, he's definitely psychotic! But I do know he wants me dead." Samira brought her hand up and saw it glow softly as if it was reflex to her thinking about it.
"The anchor has power, but it's not why you're still standing here." They continued walking.
"Your decisions let us heal the sky, your determination brought us out of Haven. You are the creature's rival because of what you did, and we know it. All of us." As the pair walked up the stairs Samira was surprised to find Leliana ready to greet them; an ornate longsword held out in offer with her head bowed.
Why's she got a sword? And why is she bowing her head to us?
"The Inquisition requires a leader, the one who has already been leading it." Cassandra said as Leliana approached Samira with the sword.
I've been ambushed!
Samira smiled when she looked out and saw the gathering of Inquisition members looking up to her, Cullen and Josephine among them.
"You."
"I must have heard wrong, but a mage at the head of the Inquisition?" Samira said incredulously, feeling there would be plenty of people against the idea of it.
"Not a mage, you." Cassandra said, not caring about who she was.
"Well, last time I checked, I practiced magic." Samira replied, slightly sarcastic with some cynicism.
"Of course there will be some objection, but times are changing. Perhaps this is what the Maker intended." Cassandra gestured her forward.
About time for some damn change!
"The Inquisition would be nothing without you, Samira. How it will serve, how you lead: that must be yours to decide." That left the mage to think for a moment as she stared at the beautifully crafted sword and grasped it with her right hand.
"I'll set an example as a mage, of course. Corypheus intends to be a god, to rule over us all. He must be stopped." She said with newfound determination, as the Inquisition had inspired her as much as her actions had inspired them.
"Have our people been told?" Cassandra called out to Josephine who answered with a smile.
"They have, and soon the world."
"Commander, will they follow?" Cassandra asked, all formality in her voice.
"Inquisition, will you follow?" The commander strode out in front of the huge group which replied in cheers.
I can't believe this is all happening to me! This is so frigging cool!
"Will you fight? Will we triumph?! Your leader, your Herald, your Inquisitor!" Cullen roused the crowd to a roar as he turned and rose his sword to Samira, causing her to beam with pride.
Damn, Cullen! Thanks for that speech are in order!
Samira rose the sword in the air triumphantly in acceptance of her new role. She couldn't help but laugh at Josephine who got embarrassed for her apparent "unladylike" celebration with the crowd.
"Tonight, we drink, Inquisition!" She called out, deciding this was a day of celebration for all to partake in. When everyone had settled down, Samira joined her advisers to survey the great hall that would be the center of Skyhold. Although it had been abandoned for a long time, Samira instructed Josephine to gather as many workers who could start working on clearing out all of the rubble.
"So this is where it begins." Cullen said as he looked around the hall.
"It'll do just fine I think! Could use some love, but Josephine and I will start working on that as soon as possible." She winked at the woman, knowing she would appreciate the help.
"It began in the courtyard, this is where we turn that promise into action." The spymaster spoke up.
"But what do we do? We know nothing of this Corypheus, except that he wanted your mark." Josephine spoke even as she looked over her notes and wrote down random thoughts.
"We'll have to look more into it. Can he strike at us here? We can't let Skyhold turn into Haven." Samira rested her hand on her dagger hilt like she usually did even when danger wasn't around.
"Skyhold can withstand Corypheus. After what you did with one trebuchet, I'd bet against direct attack." Samira listened to Cullen's expert advice, agreeing, but knowing the Inquisition could still be vulnerable to the magister in other ways.
"We do have one advantage though. We know what he intends to do next. In that strange future you lived, Empress Celene had been assassinated, and the south was conquered with a demon army. I'd feel better if we knew more about what we were dealing with." Leliana obviously didn't like being in the dark since it went against the whole point of her profession.
"I think I know someone who can help with that." Varric said as he approached the group.
"Varric, love! Hope you've settled in alright." Samira beamed at her dwarven friend.
"Thanks for asking, kid. You'll have to join me in Wicked Grace tonight! Anyways, everyone acting all inspirational jogged my memories. So I sent a message to an old friend. She's crossed paths with Corypheus before, and may know more about what he's doing. She can help." They shook hands in comradery.
"You're on. I'm always looking for new allies. When will she be here?"
"It'll be some time, but when she does get here, it's probably better we meet her in private. I'll set up a meeting on the battlements when she arrives."
"Well, we stand ready to move on both of these concerns." Josephine said as she scribbled down the plans. The ball was still a few weeks away, so Josephine had time to secure an invitation.
"On your order, Inquisitor." Cullen said, which reminded Samira she was now truly the leader of something, something very important.
Inquisitor, that does kind of have a ring to it.
"I know one thing, if Varric has brought who I think he has, Cassandra's going to kill him!" Leliana left it at that, Samira having no idea who she was talking about.
Huh. Must have to do with something pre-Inquisition.
"Well, if that's all, I think I'll set to getting the tavern up and running! We can't have our soldiers without a drink and a good song to warm their morale!" Samira almost skipped off, tending to its restoration.
"Now, boys. I know we don't have a lot of time to clear this place out and set things up, but let's try to do our best so we can all have a drink tonight!" Samira helped the workers clear out all the extra beams of wood and rubble that lay in disarray, and by the time they were done two hours later, she had worked up a sweat.
"I love seeing a woman get her hands dirty, boss!" Iron Bull called out to her, standing in the entrance of the tavern.
"You know, a big Qunari like you could break a sweat too and help us!" She teased him as she swept the dirt from the floor into a dustpan.
"Inquisitor, do you want us to start bringing in the tables and chairs?" The lead worker asked her as the tavern was ready for set up.
"Of course! I heard the new bartender is a dwarf named Cabot, you can refer to him on where to place all of it." The workers walked out with their new task which now left Samira alone with Bull. Samira finished sweeping in front of the fireplace, then set the broom to the side, tired but still exuberant as the effect of becoming Inquisitor was still fresh in her mind.
"Sorry, boss. Had some business to attend to with the Chargers, making sure everything's in order." He walked up to her and grazed a finger along her cheek.
"Oh, likely excuse! So, are you going to kiss me or not?" She teased him, feeling playful amidst all that was to do with Skyhold's repairs.
"You're lucky we're not in your room right now, or I'd tear your clothes to pieces, Kadan." He lightly pushed her against the brick and could feel the heat of the fire warm their bodies.
Oh, I'm glad to have this simplicity back. A good man to heat my body...
"You ass! This bodice is practically one of kind, I don't think I could sleep with you again if you ruined it." She winked and leaned up to kiss him, which he happily accepted. But even with that supposed simplicity, Samira was still finding herself thinking about Blackwall in the corner of her thoughts. Even when she was distracted by Iron Bull, the thought of it made her stop kissing him and pull away.
"What was that for?" Bull asked, not sure why she would stop when she never had a problem with it before.
Shit.
"I'm just...a little tired is all. There's so much to do!" Even though she fibbed, somehow Bull bought it, or just chose not to press the issue any further this time around.
"I can imagine, but that's because you're the Inquisitor now! You're doing good for yourself, girl. I'm happy for you." He smiled, and Samira knew then that he cared for her in his own Qunari way.
Even though their relationship was friendly casual sex, Samira knew deep down he cared for her more than that. That conflicted her; she knew she was playing with fire thinking of two men in ways more than a friend would, and it scared her because of her reservations with love. As she had been doing previously, Samira avoided the thoughts and feelings the best she could and continued on with life trying to be blissfully ignorant of them.
"Ah, here's the boys! Pretty soon we'll have this tavern up and running and I'll get Maryden in here to play us some songs! I might even sing with her." Samira brought her cheery facade back up and announced when the men started to bring tables and chairs in.
"I think we'd all like that, your worship!" The lead worker complimented her as they started their work.
"Thank you, I appreciate that!" She smiled and continued working, this time with Bull's help.
Samira coordinated with Cabot on where Bull was to put the giant casks in the back room of the tavern and soon Samira saw some Inquisition members gather outside the tavern. When the sun was setting, all their work and what they could do at the time was finally finished, leading Samira to exit the tavern and address the members.
"My dear ladies and gentleman of Skyhold, I humbly welcome you to a place where we can all relax to fine music of the lovely bard, so to speak minstrel, Maryden Halewell and drink our worries away! But what shall we call it?" She quizzically asked the group, deferring to the Inquisition to name it.
"Your worship, we was talking about, waiting for the tavern to open...and we thought we could call it, Heralds Rest?" One woman called out, which warmed Samira's heart at the suggestion.
"That's a wonderful name, very fitting as I'll be here quite a lot in my spare time, if I any. I want you all to know, this is a place where we can leave our burdens behind us, so come celebrate our arrival at Skyhold and have a drink on me!" Samira knew her coin purse would probably end up empty, but she didn't care. She wanted to be good to these people.
They believe in me, and that's more than I ever got out of my family.
Once everyone was settled into the Herald's Rest, Samira volunteered to help Cabot serve drinks, as Flissa had joined the Chantry after being saved at Haven.
"You plan on joining us any time?" Blackwall called out to her from a table upstairs where he sat with Bull, Varric, and Sera. Cabot basically shooed her away, telling her he had everything covered and to enjoy herself.
"Don't start without me!" Samira hurried up the stairs and sat in the seat Blackwall had pulled out for her.
"You won't steal a win from me again!" Sera said cocky, but she ignored the fact she had to play against three other players this time.
"So, what will the stake be then? I'll put five coppers down. Oh, before I forget, where's Dorian? I haven't seen him all day." Samira wondered where her cousin could have been, when she knew he loved the game.
"Mustache is too busy perusing the library in Nightingale's tower. He said he'd catch the next one." Varric said, lighting up a cigar.
"Varric, are you starting a bad habit?" She chided him as she took a swig of ale in her mouth ironically.
"Ey, you're one to talk, Inky-drinks-a-lot!" Sera laughed at the name, always amused by the silly things that came out of her own mouth.
"I don't have a problem! I just really enjoy a good drink." Samira defended herself as she played her turn of the game.
"Yeah, yeah. I just thought it'd go good with the drink." Varric said and on they played. As Samira slammed down a couple of drinks, she started to regret betting five coppers at the start of the game.
"Ha! I win!" Iron Bull slammed his fist down in triumph when he drew the Angel of Death card and narrowly beat out Varric with a stronger hand of suits.
"Oh, bollocks! Here's your fiver coppers, now go buy a lady a drink! Ha!" Samira smirked as she knew Bull would do it, so she had no worries with losing the coin. Sera coughed up two coppers, Blackwall and Varric gave their three coppers over to the Qunari.
"Must be nice to have the winner wrapped around your finger, Inquisitor." Varric said when Bull went downstairs to get more drinks, but couldn't help holding in a teasing chuckle.
"Varric! He is not wrapped around my finger." She indignantly protested, but couldn't help but see Blackwall's eyes pierce her frame.
"If you say so, Samira…" Varric said, puffing on his cigar that was halfway gone now.
"Yes, I do say so. Samira Trevelyan has never been tied down!" Samira grabbed her drink and stood up on her chair daringly to prove her point.
"Oh my, you gonna fall if you aren't careful, Inky!" Sera giggled to herself, easily the drunkest of the bunch, Samira probably coming in second, and Varric a close third.
"I'll say this, it would take quite a man to capture my heart, or whatever you wanna call it." Samira brought the mug to her lips and hiccuped, and started to sway, about to lose her balance.
"Aww, shit. I knew the Inquisitor couldn't hold her alcohol!" Varric exclaimed, laughing at the sight of her.
"I've got this...or maybe not." As she seemed to sway away from the chair and forward, Blackwall had enough wit about him to rush forward to catch her luckily.
"Whew, that was a close one, Herald!" Blackwall chuckled almost nervously, causing Samira to wonder why there was always a conservativeness about him.
"My hero! Look at him, everyone! A gallant warden here to save the Inquisitor!" Samira called out to the rest of the tavern who merrily cheered and raised their mugs.
When the drunken cheers died down, Samira brought her eyes to Blackwall's and found herself entranced by the grey color once again. Varric and Sera talked among themselves, knowing not to pry, or at least Sera was too drunk and distracted to.
"I love your eyes." Samira blurted out, almost feeling awkward but the alcohol gave her courage.
"As I do yours, my lady." As he sat her down, Bull came running up the stairs to announce the Chargers arrival at the tavern.
"Boss, the Chargers are pouring back drinks in your name! They want to get drunk and sing songs with you, you've gotta see this!"
"Oh, well, it looks like I am required downstairs, care to join in the comradery?" Samira smoothed her tunic and bodice out and they left Sera and Varric to contest another heated game of Wicked Grace. The Chargers were in the middle of their song when the trio reached the bottom floor.
"For every bloody battlefield, we'll gladly raise a cup. No matter what tomorrow holds, our horns be pointing up!" Samira clinked her mug with the group and was insisted on having one last drink, which this time she sipped slower.
When she swung her hand down to her side, it grazed Blackwall's, Samira pretended not to notice. Blackwall clearly noticed as he looked down, the back of his hand softly moved to feel the skin of hers.
"Warden Blackwall, would you escort a lady to her chambers? I think I've had enough drink for one night." Samira couldn't help but to smile because they both knew speaking like a noble wasn't how she usually spoke.
"Wouldn't dare dream of any one else doing it." He held out his arm and escorted her out while Bull was surrounded by the Chargers in the middle of a story, so he didn't seem to notice her leave. The sun was long set and the night sky was peaceful as the rest of the Inquisition was beginning to settle in.
"It seems there's a lot of stairs to this place. Have to get my stamina up if I'm going to be running around here." They entered the great hall and nodded to the few nobles and merchants that were wrapping up business for the day before finding the door that led to the Inquisitor's chambers.
"I think you're just fine the way you are. Doesn't seem to phase you a bit." Blackwall commented, not realizing Samira was just filling the silence to talk.
"Oh, have you taken a gander, Warden?" Samira jested as they walked the winding tower to her room.
"Samira, you wound my honor!" Blackwall feigned offense, Samira glad he was loosening up in their new home.
"You should do that more often, you know." Samira said as they reached her door.
"Do what?" He asked, obviously needing a clue.
Oh, Blackwall.
"Well, loosen up like you just did. You usually seem tense, like too formal. And then theres…" She leaned in close to his ear and could tell his attention was fully on her.
"Also take more ganders, I won't mind." She whispered into his ear, her inner devil taking all the control from her senses that would object to this line of talk.
Before she would let him reply, she pushed a finger to his mouth in silence and left him standing there as she slipped behind the door and shut it. The last glance Samira had of Blackwall was of him standing there practically slack jawed and it was then Samira knew it was time to end her night of drinking and games, both of the card type and carnal.
A/N: So, I figured I kind of packed in a lot in this chapter, but I wanted to move the story along and with that finally came some more of that awesome slow burn Blackwall romance! Samira is still trying to quench any feelings she has (the reason I hinted at before with a certain mage she was involved with will come to light, explaining more of why she's closed off to love in an upcoming chapter) but she's been moving closer and closer to confronting that and having to deal with this little love triangle that's growing with Iron Bull and Blackwall.
Next chapter expect some smut (I'm not giving anything away :P), you can expect a conversation with Blackwall in the romance direction with the battlements talk and Revelations to appear. Thanks for reading! -Erulastiel
