The herald is a restless creature these days.

It's something those who have made the last leg of the journey have all witnessed. Now that they have found Skyhold, the sky has turned black with the ravens sent out to inform the others and begin arranging to have guards and templars go and lead them here with the scouts. The few hardiest servants who came with the soldier's have been making quick work of the areas they can light fires first and the great hall. Until later everyone is bunking together for safety and ease of warming one location. Stone doesn't keep heat well, not at all, and the few areas they have located beneath crumbling walls that have far older looking architecture may be put to use later on but for now there is no stone mason amongst them to say where the areas are safe to go.

If a soldier was going to refuse the drudgery of tearing down vines or clearing muck, helping to scour stone and rotted wood to be pulled away it is silenced before voiced at the sight of their Herald. Armor once more traded for thicker layers that do not match and her hair in a tight bun, the elf does not hesitate to get dirty alongside her fellow servants. More than one clenches their jaw but says nothing at the eerie sight of a woman with her glowing hand upon her knees digging out dead rodents from crevices.

Indeed it has them to a single soul, putting their pride aside to help make the place safe and better to live in.

Still, Din'ara is almost never staying still unless her two closest companions are with her these days. She does not enjoy being cooped up inside and with Sera and Cole flanking her the trio often climbs to the highest part of Skyhold's sturdier towers. Leliana soon ceases to jump hearing their chuckles and voices muddled by the ever present breeze atop the rookery and keeps her own instructions softer instead so as not to be overheard. Cole has managed to endear himself to Sera, and the two have peculiar arguments good naturedly under Din'ara's amused smile. That Cole is also always repeating Din'ara's thoughts has turned into...something else indeed. An essential part of the group that is never taken for granted. For the first time everyone has an easier time discussing things with the silent figurehead as now the spirit boy is content to air her thoughts. With work, Solas involved for most of it out of sheer necessity, they have managed to help Cole figure out to omit the softer thoughts that explain the louder ones. To pin point which ones Din'ara would be speaking if she chose to. It needs constant practice however and Sera is happy to help them along on simple matters that Solas has been anything but willing to be present for such conversations. It is part of the not so new routine the elves have of watching the soldiers -male and female- and the scouts who still devote parts of their day to practice. The Herald herself chooses to do so before dawn, and those who most often joined her on quests have taken to doing the same. Later on, others practice and it gives plenty for the two women to observe and comment on. Another chance for Cole to work on his grasp of filtering thoughts and with Din'ara not refusing his attempts, for him to grasp more about how mortal minds work.

"..powerful legs that one, strong back. Flexing and capable of holding weight even while distracted.." Cole mutters idly as Sera chuckles, splitting the bread she's going to share with Din'ara as they are astride a wall, looking down upon the soldier's training always turns into rather risque commentary.

"Mm. Like doing it with one standing eh, Shady Lady Bits? Guess that's not so bad with how your bits would fit. Not quite as nice in my situation but yanno if one's standing an I'm kneeling.."

Din'ara laughs soundlessly and Cole shifts his talk. "Teasing is more fun, the elusive suggestions and coy smiles, the taunting hunt laid down. A reminder of days beneath dappled leaves that echo with the calls of the sylvan's and wolves. Teasing, suggestive eyes and always wondering. But not here. None actually causing a true rush of the pulse, a desire to trail lips and teeth along skin or shed garments to twine limbs together." Cole tilts his head then, hat flipping slightly in the motion. "So much of your thoughts are of coupling even if you don't act on them. It seems to be important to you."

"Alive." Din'ara coaches him how to glide along her multitude of thoughts easily with short answers and Cole just blinks.

He trails along her thoughts then, gently, the sensation not unlike the very breeze tugging at their skin while they watch over those who have come with them to Skyhold. Cole allows her to sense his interference, the overlay because it allows her to shift her thoughts and have entirely silent conversations mostly on her end. He plucks at one, as her eyes moved over one of the soldiers, a rare elf in the group, a scout, lingering on the lithe form as he shifts to draw back his bow. In response she pulls up memories of strong arms around her, eagerness and comfort both depending on the encounter.

Cole's wavering attention then drifts yet further, he's come to be at ease with the constant sexual jokes Sera makes along with Din'ara's own carnal interests but he is still trying to figure out why mortals dwell on it so often. The closest he can imagine is that it is just how they are made so their races don't die out.

"Fun. Nice." Din'ara agrees and Cole shrugs. The wisps of pleasure and enjoyment he sees in her thoughts are not so different then the things he enjoys if the how is gone about in varied ways.

"So is petting soft bunnies."

Sera whoops then in laughter. "I like petting a diff sort o fur!"

"Oh yes. I see." Cole blinks. "Not as soft as rabbit ears though."

And while Cole is entirely confused as to why that makes Sera bawl in laughter and Din'ara lean into him as she laughs silently, he is pleased to have brought such a lightening of their days upon them. It is immediate, this way of helping.

Even if it seems that Solas always looks disgruntled when he shares the information with him later. For some reason Solas does not enjoy knowing that Din'ara finds many of their scouts and soldier's appealing in form. Cole tries to explain but it only makes Solas's mind go quieter, a way that the ancient elf uses to block Cole from his thoughts. Perhaps it is all the exposure to Sera's quicksilver ideas that it makes him more inclined to tease Solas so. If he would just allow himself to open up to the souls here, it would help him. Make him far happier.

But Solas is older than Cole, and much more stubborn.

()()()()()()()()

The first groups begin to return and slowly Skyhold is coming together. With her earlier concerns over exits and safe means to escape when first beholding the fortress there are changes being made to Skyhold's structure that are not just future plans. Gardens and chantry halls are discussed, and in her typical fashion Din'ara cuts to the heart of the matter with Cole happily lounging nearby to expand upon her curt words.

"Garden."

"Long winters and harsh springs can mean few supplies, easy to create a siege in this place so far removed. So easy to find ourselves trapped in our bolt hole, but a garden means access to at least some sustenance and healing herbs. Ideally we should look into laying birds and perhaps livestock that would do well in the mountains here, seed it for if we need them later." Cole pauses, smiling softly as Din'ara glances back over her shoulder and the thoughts that dance across her mind then are ones he keeps his silence on.

Pleasure suffuses his being at the utter gratefulness and fond affection sent his way for being able to shape all her thoughts for her. Directing the important parts and keeping out all her amusing side thoughts. Those, while he does like repeating them because Din'ara does not mind startling those around her with the extent of her true feelings upon things, would not help in this. No, they need them to act and not be petty.

Though Cole does want to giggle because the ranting in her thoughts about making space for them to go and pray to a statue of a woman when they certainly can't eat it in bad times is funny.

()()()()()()()

Sera chuckles and is relieved when finally the last of the Haven Refugees had made it back, it's rather touching to witness her Inky-sister moving to embrace Roderick and the way the old man fusses over her. Personally Sera still doesn't like him, very few do but he's had a lot of better features come out since he took the well being of one reluctant herald into his keeping. Besides, now that he is there he can finally take over from Mother Giselle on handling a lot of the frantically faithful and maybe get the few Templar's that they have in their little group to mellow out. If nothing else, Sera is glad to see the self righteous old man because Din'ara is so fond of him and for just a moment Sera's eyes can witness how Din'ara's shoulder's soften and her burden is less if only because she feels she can go to this one man for advice. Advice he's proven to give for no true benefit of his own.

Yeah he's a windbag, and Sera doesn't like his type, but if there's anything the Red Jenny has come to realize, it's that tolerance comes in this crazy group. She's putting up with Elvhen Glory after all aint she?

()()()()()()()()

All that positive ground they'd gained though is blown away when they lead a confused Din'ara up before the others and try to hand her a sword, name her inquisitor.

Really no one should be alarmed any more at how swiftly the armored warrior can run away and hide.

Blackwall snorts and sums it up, even as all the observers seem to be more entertained at the sight of their reluctant leader out of sight so swiftly. That Cassandra is grumbling loudly and stalking off to find her lets the others mill around. The aggrieved countenance of the advisors only entertainment to the many crowding into the central square. Din'ara hasn't changed a bit.

"Least.." Blackwall says with a jaw cracking grin. "The fruit hasn't arrived yet. Or who wants to bet they'd be coated in it?"

"No one is foolish enough to take that bet." Dorian drawls, though he's noticed a certain hobo apostate has disappeared with the chatty spirit, likely off to hunt Din'ara down. Hopefully before Cassandra finds her.

"Word is.." One of the cheeky soldiers who helped bring in the last group pipes up. "Chancellor Roderick brought a bag of apples along for her. So she does have some."

It really is saying something that the crowd as a whole are now taking bets -with Varric and Sera handling the books on who is betting what and for what circumstances- on the first to be hit with said apple is.