To call Skyhold run down would be a compliment. As the weary group first breached the gates, Dellis knew they had their work cut out for them. He was sure in years past the keep had been a fortress worthy of admiration, but now it was simply overgrown and crumbling.

"This... is not what I expected," he uttered after a moment of contemplation.

"A bit of a fixer upper," Varric agreed with a chuckle as the refugees streamed past them, looking for shelter. Cullen had already moved beyond and was barking orders to his men to set up temporary shelters for the wounded.

"We need to focus on the basics right now," Dellis suggested. "Food, water, shelter..."

"There are enough buildings intact to provide shelter for the most of these people," Leliana told him with a nod. "I can send our remaining agents to scout for food and water."

"How many remain that are well enough to be put to work?" Cassandra asked from behind them.

"Fewer than I'd like," she admitted.

"Have them focus on finding fresh water," Dellis ordered. "I can take care of food."

"Alone?" Cassandra asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I'll take Sera with me," Dellis replied with a smile.

"Wait, what?" the elf said, suddenly turning toward them.

"We're going hunting," he explained, "just as soon as I can find a bow."

"Take one from one of the recruits," Cullen suggested, unable to hold a back a smile at the flustered expression on Sera's face.

"I haven't agreed to this!" she sputtered, crossing her arms and pouting like a child.

Once they were properly equipped Dellis dragged Sera out of the keep and into the mountains. The mountains themselves afforded little in the way of concealment, so he knew that hunting would be difficult, compounded by the fact that very little lived this high into the peaks. Their best bet would be the mountain goats that wandered through the Frostbacks. If they could manage to take down three of them he was sure that would tide them over for the night.

"So, what exactly am I supposed to do?" Sera asked, her face still twisted in a pout.

"Be quiet, for one," Dellis whispered back, pulling out his bow and readying an arrow. "Goats aren't like men. You can't goad them into letting you kill them."

"Pfft, boring then." Sera giggled as the ram Dellis had been stalking ran off as it heard her.

"Really, Sera," he complained. "It's cold out here and I'm hungry."

"Fine, I'll behave," she promised, a mischievous smile on her face. It would take them a full two hours before they managed to collect enough game to feed the refugees.

"That certainly could have been worse," Dellis commented as they sat at a table in one of the buildings outside the main keep. It seemed clear that the building had once served as a tavern, judging from the layout of the musty furniture that remained.

"It's your fault for taking me with, innit?" Sera grinned, reaching into her satchel and producing a bottle of wine.

Dellis's eyes brightened. "Did you steal that from the Chantry?"

"Cullen said 'grab what you can' so I grabbed what's important, yeah?" She pulled the cork out with her teeth and took a long swig straight from the bottle before handing it to Dellis. "Pretty sure Andraste won't smite me for drinkin' Chantry wine from a Chantry that's buried in snow, now will she?"

Dellis chuckled, taking a long quaff from the bottle and sighing happily. "I think we're both safe from the Maker's ire."

Sera snorted, letting Dellis take another sip from the bottle. "You should have seen how bothered Lady Battering Ram was while you were out missing in the mountains."

It was all Dellis could do to keep from spitting wine all over the table. "Lady what?"

"Lady Battering Ram," Sera explained as Dellis tried to hold back a laugh. "I heard Varric telling some stupid story about Kirkwall and I'm totally stealing that name for Cassandra."

"Maybe don't say that in front of her," he suggested, finally calming himself. "What do you mean she was bothered?"

"Oh, you know, going on about how there'd be nobody to close the rifts, blah blah blah, the Inquisition will fall apart without the Herald, blah blah," Sera mocked. "Bloody whiner, that one."

"That's an odd thought," Dellis returned, his brow furrowing slightly. "I'm not used to being indispensable."

"Don't let it go to that pretty head of yours, Trev."

He grinned at her. "You think I'm pretty, do you?"

"Don't be stupid," she laughed. "You're not my type."

"I am fully aware of that, Sera," Dellis replied with a smile, handing the bottle back to her, "but surely we can all be objective."

"Well then objectively you're an arse," Sera returned with a wicked grin, smiling even wider as his face fell into a pout. "C'mon, you big baby. It's why we get along!"

Dellis smiled as she snickered into the bottle as she drank. "You're not so bad, Buttercup."

"I hate that name," she growled, only making Dellis laugh. "You just wait, Trev."

"No pranks until we're all settled, alright?" Dellis returned, suddenly very serious.

"Fine," Sera grumbled, returning her attention to the bottle. "But once this place is up and running all bets are off."

Leliana sat at a desk in the top level of one of the keep's towers, leaning forward on her elbows and deep in thought. The tower itself would make a wonderful rookery, something she had lacked in Haven, but the reconstruction of Skyhold was the farthest thing from her mind.

Cullen had just left after delivering a list of casualties from Haven. Many of her agents had been lost in addition to far too many civilians. It would fall to her to notify the families. Appropriate, she thought, since their deaths were on her hands.

"There you are," a voice called from behind her. Leliana turned her head to see Cassandra cresting the top of the stairs. "I have been looking for you."

"What do you need?" Leliana asked coldly.

Cassandra was silent as she approached, taking a seat on the opposite side of the table. Though their voices echoed throughout the tower there was no one else there to hear them. "It has been hours," Cassandra explained. "You have not eaten and no one has seen you since shortly after we arrived."

Leliana sighed, pushing the list toward the Seeker. Cassandra gave it a brief glance before looking back up at her friend.

"The blame is mine," Leliana said in a soft voice.

"Do not be ridiculous," Cassandra replied. "The Elder One is the only one to blame for the loss of Haven."

"When the first of my lookouts went missing, I pulled the rest back," Leliana continued, her head bowed. "I waited for more information, confirmation of the threat. I was afraid to lose them, but instead we lost Haven and most of them died anyway."

"Leliana," Cassandra said sternly, waiting for the spymaster to look up. "Were I in your position I would have done the same."

"My people know their duty," Leliana insisted. "They know the risks."

"Risk is their duty," Cassandra agreed, "however it does not mean we should throw their lives away recklessly. Our forces are not tools to be used and discarded. They are not expendable."

"I'm surprised to hear you say that, Cassandra," Leliana replied with a scornful laugh. "You seemed perfectly willing to let Dellis sacrifice himself."

Leliana immediately regretted the words as she saw a small blush of embarrassment in Cassandra's cheeks.

"I'm sorry," Leliana apologized. "That was beneath me."

"No, you are right," Cassandra agreed with a sigh. "I should have done more to stop him."

"If you had stopped him we'd all be dead," Leliana reminded her, her gloved hand tracing the list of names. "It's hard to balance the needs of the Inquisition with the needs of my heart. Can we afford sentimentality when the world burns around us?"

"You balance my lack of sentimentality," Cassandra said with a small smile. "Do not blame yourself, Leliana. We need you as you are."

"You still surprise me sometimes, Cassandra," the spymaster said with the smile. "You should let the world see your softer side more often."

Cassandra snorted at the idea. "I must maintain appearances," she explained, now fully smiling. "What ever would I do if the Inquisition did not fear my righteous vengeance?"

"You might have more than one friend," Leliana laughed.

"I have need of only you," Cassandra smiled, taking Leliana's hand. "Do not let the Elder One break your resolve."

"I won't," Leliana promised, smiling in return.

It had been several days since their arrival at Skyhold, and the day to day operations were in place well enough that Dellis no longer had to offer his hunting services to ensure the Inquisition could eat. Josephine had worked tirelessly nearly night and day to establish trade routes for much needed supplies, and the war council was now assured that supplies would arrive regularly very soon.

With the responsibility of hunting now removed, Dellis had turned his attention to helping with the rebuilding process. The grounds were overgrown, but the keep itself was in shambles. While furniture in many of the outlying buildings was intact, the majority of that in the keep seemed utterly destroyed, especially in the throne room. Tattered and moldy curtains had hung from the ceiling until they had been torn down and burned outside the keep walls.

Dellis balanced precariously atop a rafter in the forge, a stack of planks laid carefully beside him. Cullen had been overly excited to find that among the things left in the keep were tools. They had found a cache of supplies within the forge, including hammers, nails, and other basics with which to rebuild. It had taken several days for some of the craftier of Leliana's agents to find and cut enough lumber to begin repairs.

Dellis tried vainly to balance both himself and a board against the broken roof of the forge. Nearly losing his footing, Dellis growled as he heard the hammer clatter to the floor while he repositioned himself on the rafter. A surprised cry from below prompted him to look down.

"Sorry about that," he called, seeing Cassandra picking up the hammer.

"Please do not kill yourself up there," she ordered flatly. "I do not know if Solas can heal a broken neck."

"I promise I won't fall," Dellis assured her with a laugh, carefully placing the plank back down on the stack. "Mind bringing that up here?"

Cassandra sighed loudly, as if to ensure he heard her, before picking up the hammer and climbing the two sets of stairs to the top level of the forge. Dellis carefully walked along the center beam, sitting down as he reached the crossbeam closest to the railing and letting his legs dangle on either side of the main rafter.

"You know, I don't think we've had a proper chance to talk since we got here," Dellis said as she handed him the hammer. "I haven't been able to thank you."

"For what?" Cassandra asked, her arms crossed over the arming doublet she wore under her breastplate.

"For saving my life," he told her with a smile, leaning forward and propping both hands on the rafter.

"I did no such thing," she returned with a shake of her head. "Cullen was the one that found you in the mountains and it was Solas who healed you."

"And you gave me your knife, which is the only reason you found me alive," he reminded her. "And I know you know it because you took the knife back."

She made a disgusted noise and turned away from him to leave.

"Hey, can't you take a compliment?" Dellis asked with a frown. The Seeker stopped, placing her hands on her hips, and sighed without turning around.

"It was luck," she told him, turning to glance over her shoulder.

"Or the Maker's will," Dellis suggested with a grin, prompting an annoyed snort from the woman below him.

"Do not joke at the Maker's expense," she warned grumpily, turning back to face him

"Who says I'm joking?" he asked, swinging his legs over the rafter and hopping down with a loud thud. "Perhaps it was divine intervention that made you give me your dagger."

"Do you really believe that?" Cassandra asked, a hint of sarcasm in her voice as he stepped toward her.

"It's no stranger than me being sent by Andraste," he replied with a shrug, reaching a hand up toward her hair. She swatted at him instinctively, causing him to pull back with a wry grin. He showed her the leaf he had plucked from her hair, eliciting a blush. "Hope that hasn't been there too long."

Cassandra growled at him, snatching the leaf from his hand and crushing it in her palm. "Why must you be so difficult?"

"It's my job," Dellis told her with a straight face. She stared at him for a moment before he burst out in laughter. "I'm sorry, I can't help it. The look on your face right now is so priceless."

"I hate you, Trevelyan."

"You do not," he insisted with a smile. "Deep down I make you laugh."

"Yes, because I enjoy laughing at myself," she scoffed, rolling her eyes.

"I laugh at myself all the time," Dellis said with a shrug. "If you can't laugh at yourself how can you be laughed at?" He paused for a moment as she glared at him. "I suppose most people aren't brave enough to laugh at you."

"I constantly question why you are," she replied with a huff.

"I probably should know better, huh?" Dellis paused, considering whether or not to proceed. The fact that she hadn't walked away after being teased was encouraging, but he knew pushing things could end in disaster. "Really, though, how are you doing?"

"How am I doing?" she repeated, almost as if confused.

"Losing Haven had to be hard," Dellis explained, shifting his weight as she stared at him. "No matter how much you try to convince us you're an emotionless super warrior, we know you're not."

"What do you propose I do, Trevelyan?" Cassandra asked, her tone a mixture of sarcasm and annoyance. "Should I sit and pout? Or cry about it? These things serve no purpose."

"If you hold it inside it will get worse," Dellis warned. "Talk to someone."

Cassandra stared at him for a moment before narrowing her eyes into a piercing glare. With a huff she turned and stalked away without another word. Dellis shook his head before turning his attention back to the rafters. The repairs needed to be done, but they could wait.

Dellis stood impatiently in Cullen's office as he waited for the Commander to arrive. It had been three weeks since arriving at Skyhold and the keep was now beginning to look livable. Having received several shipments of goods and materials since Josephine was able to set up the trade routes, the Inquisition's forces had been able to repair most of the glaring structural flaws as well as do something to furnish most of the buildings.

As he leaned against the Commander's desk the door opened, revealing Cullen and Leliana. Dellis frowned, wondering why both had come.

"About time," Dellis complained. "I thought you might leave me waiting here forever."

"My apologies," Cullen said with a slight blush. "Leliana was difficult to find."

"I wasn't hiding from you, Commander," Leliana claimed in her defense.

"Why are you both here?" Dellis asked, waving to remind them he was still present. "You're not kicking me out of the Inquisition, are you?"

Cullen laughed deeply at the comment. "No, hardly."

"Good," Dellis returned with a smile. "That would be incredibly awkward."

"It's much the opposite, in fact," Leliana explained, smiling slightly. "We have known for some time that the Inquisition is only as strong as its leader and yet we have had no one to take up that role."

"What, so you want me to help you pick someone?" Dellis asked with a shrug.

Cullen laughed nervously, rubbing the back of his neck. "Actually, Trevelyan, we hoped you would accept the role of Inquisitor."

Dellis stared at them both for a moment. "I must have misheard you, because I thought you just said you wanted me to lead the Inquisition."

"We do," Leliana confirmed. "The people know and respect you as the Herald of Andraste."

"I'm a criminal," Dellis reminded her. "There is no way I can lead the Inquisition."

"We did consider that," Cullen admitted, "but Josephine seems confident that she can smooth it over with the nobility."

"Wait, how long have you been planning this?" Dellis asked, a horrified look on his face.

"Since before Haven was attacked," Cullen answered, eliciting a panicked sigh from Dellis. "I know it seems like a lot, but you have been the binding chain that has kept everything together these past few months, whether you realize it or not."

"Dellis, you are more than your past," Leliana reminded him, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. "You have the strength and the will to lead where no one else can. The Inquisition needs you, and you need it."

Dellis took a moment to simply breathe as he considered what they had said. He knew why they wanted him to lead. The rumors implying him to have been sent by Andraste herself to save the people were powerful. His background as a commoner attracted the people while his deeds appeased the nobility. He was the perfect candidate, beyond the fact that he simply felt himself incapable.

"What about Cassandra?" Dellis finally asked.

"What about her?" Cullen returned, a look of confusion on his face.

"Has she agreed to this?" Dellis clarified. "She declared the Inquisition. I will not accept the role of Inquisitor unless she supports it and believes me competent."

"You care that deeply of her opinion?" Leliana asked with a smile. "It was her idea."

"She's the one that thinks I should be Inquisitor?" Dellis sputtered, staring at Leliana in disbelief. She gave him an encouraging nod, prompting him to sigh deeply. "Fine, I suppose. If you all think I'm the man for the job then I'll do it, but I can't guarantee my peasant-like ways won't embarrass us all eventually."

"Oh, don't worry," Leliana assured him with a grin. "Josie is fully committed to tutoring you in the ways of the nobility and the Grand Game."

Dellis sighed loudly as his companions looked upon him happily. "Maker preserve me..."