"Scrutiny"

After everyone had looted the bodies from the battle with the bandits, we slowly made our way to a nearby Inquisition camp. There were three large tents set up that would be used between the people in the party. I didn't necessarily feel like sharing space with anyone, so I set up my own tent nearby which was only about half the size of them. I remained rather quiet as the others seemed to converse among themselves happily.

The camp was positioned near a small waterfall, a tiny pond area with lily pads positioned underneath the stream. There was a lake up the hill, that I knew was where they'd recruited Blackwall if I remembered correctly. Judging by the cabin I saw on our way down the staircase, I wasn't wrong.

I was carefully picking some Blood Lotus near the small stream below the waterfall. My small fingers picked at the plant as I thought about what Adan had offered. He said if I grabbed my own supply of Blood Lotus he would give me a discount on my favorite item. Antivan Fire. It worked for me.

There was one slight problem that I seemed to overlook, aside from my abnormally bad luck. The terrain I was currently crouching near as I picked the plant out of shallow waters was quite slippery. I felt my boot slip as it crossed my mind a bit too late, sending me face first into the freezing water. I was submerged completely in the deeper part as I flailed about. I flew up into a crouched position, gasping for air and letting out a girlish shriek.

I could hear laughter not far away in the camp near the fire as they caught sight of my accident. I felt my face turn pink as I scrambled my way out of the water, shivering as the cold wind hit my body relentlessly. My clothing stuck to my body and felt heavy, so I started to squeeze out some of the water while I grumbled under my breath. It was evening now and the sun was starting to fall behind the horizon, making it so I was able to see some stars on the opposite side of the sky. The Blood Lotus I was collecting was lost in the depths of the water, floating away and out of my reach now.

Growling, I stomped back toward camp with my rusty hair plastered to my scowling face. My boots made a squelching noise with each step and my clothing still dripped and clung to my body despite my attempts at getting the water out. This made me feel a bit more exposed than I'd like, so I swiftly made my way toward my tent.

"I don't think it's warm enough to go swimming, Screech." Varric offered his advice as I walked by and I flipped him off before I dove into my tent in all my soggy glory. Sighing when I was inside, I rummaged around in my pack and found a plain tunic and some pants. It was hard getting the damn things off, since my fingers were freezing and seemed to refuse to listen to me. Once I was finished changing, I swiftly made my way over to the fire to take off my boots. I'd be without my boots all night, so hopefully we don't get attacked. Ugh. I needed to be more careful.

" – So basically we defended the whole town from fifty bandits, only to get paid in rice." Krem was sharing a story with Varric as I approached and I heard the dwarf chuckle. Only? Rice was a good commodity to have, though.

"Well, we didn't go hungry for months. Can't really complain." Dalish shrugged, her big grey eyes lit up with the amusement. I blinked, walking up to the fire and began positioning my wet clothing on an unoccupied log.

The pale blond haired man let out a grunt, as if agreeing with her. It seemed as though most of the others had retired for the night, leaving only a few. I silently wondered where Cole went off to.

"Enjoy your bath, princess?" I heard Dorian say as he sauntered back into camp, making me raise my brow. Where had he disappeared off to?

"Call me that again and I'll cut up your dress." I sassed back, knowing all too well that he valued them as such. It was actually getting pretty dark out, making it hard to see any further than where the fire illuminated. The moon wasn't really that bright tonight and the clouds seemed to drift by to hide it. The wind blew by and seemed to go right through my clothing, making me shiver and scoot closer to the fire.

The Tevinter scoffed, looking appalled as he held his hand up against his chest. "You really know where to hit a man where it hurts, don't you? And it's not a dress, it's a robe."

"Don't worry, I have spare clothes you can borrow." I stifled my amusement and tried to keep my face straight. He scrutinized what I was wearing and squinted. It looked like he was about to say something before –

"I found dinner!" Bull butted in happily, walking in from the same direction Dorian had. Both my eyebrows raised as he stumbled forward with a bloody looking wolf clutched in his huge hand.

"Ugh. Not again, Chief."

I'm just going to take a wild guess and say the wolf interrupted their special time together in the woods. I watched him start to skin the thing so that he could set it over the fire to cook. I stared blankly into the fire for awhile, watching as the flames seemed to dance as the light flickered across everyone's faces as they spoke quietly. A few of the Inquisition scouts ambled by, keeping watch for any activity outside of the camp.

I sat there and ignored their banter, thinking about where my friend could have gone. I didn't see him around the fire, maybe he was sleeping in one of the tents? I allowed my eyes to scan the darkness out around the camp, not really expecting to see anyone or anything. Apparently I was wrong, because in the distance, I could see a the faint outlines of a figure and a wide brim of a hat standing by the pond that I had fallen into maybe an hour ago.

Letting a breath out of my nose, I slipped my damp boots on and attempted to make my way out there quietly. It seemed unlikely, since every time I took a step my boots made a squishing noise from being wet. Frigging hell. There were a few rocks in the grass that I stubbed my boot on and I cursed silently, almost falling on my face in the process. Regaining my balance, I walked slowly and waited for my eyes to adjust to the darkness. Out here it was almost impossible to see.

When I got closer, Cole was standing near the waterfall, his feet at the edge of the pond as his eyes focused into the dark. He was looking out toward something I seemingly could not see. The light from the fire, back at the camp, offered little in terms of illumination. The moon would occasionally peek through the clouds and greet us with a dim glow.

Even with such little visibility, I could see the expression on his pale features. His eyes looked despondent. Lost. The sound of the crashing water behind his figure seemed muted as I focused on him. A small frown tugged at my face, seeing that he was gradually getting wet from the mist that floated around the base of the waterfall.

"Cole." I called, stepping a bit closer. He made no indication that he'd heard me as he continued to stare out into the distance. Silently hoping that he wouldn't lash out at me for 'sneaking up' on him, I gently grabbed his arm near his elbow. He jumped, turning toward me with widened blue eyes. I stared back worriedly, "You're getting wet."

My voice sounded drowned out, even to me, as I tried to speak to him. So I opted for dragging him away from the pond about halfway to camp. He didn't even seem to put up a fight as I led him away. We were still out of sight, though, as the underbrush and trees seemed scattered about to offer protection.

My thoughts kept flickering back toward that look on his face. I've seen that expression before. It was the same one I used to give myself in the mirror years and years back, when I was wracked with the guilt of not being able to save my siblings. I could only stand by and watch. Foster homes are not all sunshine and rainbows.

Shaking that thought out of my head, I turned toward him and began to wipe his face off with the long sleeve of my sweater. At least he wasn't soaked, like I had been when I fell into the pond. The possibility still remained that he could get sick since he was more human now. I knew not his limitations and what he was vulnerable to, but it was better to be safe than sorry.

Cole didn't speak a word as I fretted, thoughts buzzing and zipping around in my head. His expression had not changed as the moonlight slowly died out as it hid behind the clouds again. Seeing that look on his face almost felt like it physically hurt me. I would never wish that pain on anyone, especially not him. Sure, I've seen that same look on his face when he thought no one was paying attention. When no one was around talking to him or he wasn't helping people around Skyhold. No one seemed to notice, either. But I saw.

I thought that maybe if I let him have some time alone, he could work it out. Whatever it is. That is what I did, after all. So I would leave Cole in the silence, to think. But not everyone copes the same way and the heaviness in his eyes seemed to only get greater and greater with each day. Little by little.

I was wrong. But what do I do? What can I do?

"You're hurting." He finally spoke as I let my hand fall to my side. I tilted my head, looking at him almost incredulously. Cole was sitting out here looking completely miserable and he tries to address my feelings?

I made a noise that sounded like a mixture between a grumble and a sigh, "I should be the one saying that. I'm not blind."

"I never said you were … blind." I shook my head at his statement and heard him shift around, holding something up to me. Peering down at his hands, I could barely see what it was but offered a small smile in response. He'd been picking Blood Lotus. The distraction wasn't going to work on me, though.

"I don't need to be gifted to know that you're in pain, you know." I informed my friend in attempt to get him to elaborate. I wanted him to talk to me, give me something to go off of so that I could try and ease his pain. If at all possible, that is. The thought that I might not even be able to help made my shoulders slump.

"You feel it, too. Right here." He pushed his hands against the middle of my chest, "I'm hurting, so you're hurting. H-How can I … How can I help people if I just cause more pain? I don't-"

"Cole, it's called empathy. When you see someone that you care about hurting, you can feel it too. It's … hard to explain. But don't worry, it's normal." Not something I was used to, either. I was never really an empathetic person, but it seems a lot has been changing lately.

"But … I don't matter. You shouldn't-" I felt anger flare in my chest and I glared up at him, making him pause and choke back whatever it was he was about to say.

"I shouldn't? I shouldn't what? Not care?" I snapped and growled in frustration and I gripped his hands. No. I couldn't get angry, especially not now. It's not like he could control what he was feeling. I knew that.

"If it helps." Cole's voice came out flat and I hissed, trying to bury the sharp pain that laced through my body in response. Trying to push me away won't work!

"Too late, can't stop now." I fumbled around, grabbed the Blood Lotus from his hands and turned toward the camp. "Grab your bedroll and meet me in my tent." I spoke before I walked off without looking back. I could hear him following from behind, his shoes making a squelching noise as he walked. Which told me he must have been wading in the water. My brown gaze flicked to the darkened ground beneath my feet, a frown etched into my face.

I ignored the curious glances of some of my companions near the fire, slipping into my tent and putting away my little gift before curling up underneath my blankets. It wasn't long until I heard the flap to my tent move and a figure crawl in. It bothered me how Cole could so easily just dismiss himself like that, saying that he didn't matter. He did. To me, anyway. And I'm sure that Varric would have a few choice words to offer if he'd said something like that around him.

When he was just about settled into the bedroll next to mine, I grabbed his shirt and pulled him into my arms. Grumbling about how much of an idiot he was, I felt him wrap his arms around me in response. I don't know what it was that was bothering him. Well, I may have a slight idea, but I would give him something that I never got to have in times like this.

I remembered wishing that someone would be there for me. To just listen. To care. Everyone was too scared to say something to hurt me, I was left alone in my thoughts to 'get over it'. I wouldn't let that happen to Cole, because he wasn't alone. He would never be alone, so long as I had a say in it.

I felt him start to quiver as he squeezed me tighter, burying his face into my chest. No words passed between us. None were needed, as we both slipped off to sleep.

I awoke the next day with a jolt as someone kicked my foot from outside of my tent. I snorted, opening my eyes blearily and looking up at the offending person.

"Heading out soon." Came the gruff tone of the tanned man from the Chargers. Dimmed light came from behind him and poured into my small tent, telling me that it was dawn. Stitches, I think his name was. I grumbled a response that was incoherent, even to me, and let my head thump back onto the flat pillow that came with the bedroll I was currently on.

I looked down and saw that Cole was still curled up right beside me, his arm rested limply on the slight curve of my waist. Sighing, I ruffled his hair.

"Time to get up." The only response I got was a sleepy grunt as he clutched the back of my shirt. I've never cuddled before, so this was kind of new to me. I could see why people liked it, though. I felt the contentment buzzing around in my chest as he blinked up at me sleepily. He looked cute with his hair all ruffled up, blue eyes unfocused from sleep.

It took awhile, but we eventually untangled ourselves and began to get ready for the day. I rummaged around in my pack, making sure everything was there as I stood next to my horse. My bedroll was strapped to the back of the saddle and the tent was put away, I began to think. Worry.

I was never good with words and couldn't sufficiently comfort people the way most could. I'd never really cared to figure that part about socialization out, finding it far too confusing and not really worth my time. I only learned what I needed to know to 'fit in' and not stand out, really. I hefted myself onto Skittles and felt her shift underneath my weight as she adjusted. I felt inadequate and wished I could do more.

Everyone was relatively quiet as we steered our horses down a trail slowly, their hooves making only light clopping noises. The dirt beneath would get kicked up a little, sending it floating through the fresh morning air. The sun was out and it was completely clear today, making it warmer than it was yesterday. It was welcomed as I stared forward and followed Bull to wherever we were headed.

We didn't get far when Rocky, the dwarven man from Bull's Chargers, came out of the bushes and informed us of a Venatori camp that he'd scouted ahead and saw. We were going to ambush them, so that brings us to the present as we crouched in the bushes a ways away and watched them amble about in their camp. It looked like they were simply scouting the area, only one of them being a warrior.

I was crouched next to Bull, Dorian and Cole as we stared. Well, I glared, feeling hate and rage course through me at seeing them. I still couldn't help how I felt about the group. Not only at what they'd done to me, but when I started to learn about what else they did … it only proved to strengthen the amount of hate I held for the group.

I pulled out an Antivan Fire grenade and clutched it in my hands as I shook, but felt a hand being placed on top of mine.

"The rage will only make your arrows miss." Cole repeated quietly what Sera had said to me many times before during our sparring sessions. Varric had even said it once. I shut my mouth and began to even out my breathing, not even realizing until now that I had almost been hyperventilating.

I heard a soft discussion at my left between Bull and a few of his Chargers on what they were going to do. We stared, getting ready to ambush them – but never got the chance.

I heard a loud roar as it grumbled through the air, causing my face to turn pale and my body to freeze in place. Everyone crouched lower, seeing two bears lumbering into their camp. Fucking. Bears!

We watched as they ripped through the camp angrily, hearing the Venatori mages and rogues scream as they tried to fend them off. The tents were swiftly torn down by the angry wildlife and they were able to take out one of the bears. In the end, the only thing left was a bloodied and injured bear while everyone else lay strewn out in the camp, torn apart and dead.

I stared blankly, thinking about how anticlimactic that had been. Peering over, I saw the blank looks of almost everyone else in the party as they saw the sorry state of their enemy's encampment.

The Venatori's plans were, to put it simply, for world domination. They wanted to rule over Thedas and have allied up with a wannabe God. But …. these ones got their plans foiled by the angry wildlife in the Hinterlands. It was quite amusing, now that I think about it. Scoffing, I chucked my Antivan Fire grenade out at the camp and watched as it exploded into a mass of raging fire and engulfed what was left of the tents that were torn apart. Ah, yes, the injured bear died too. I hate bears.

"That was quite excessive, no?" Dorian commented, "Though I will not disagree, I detest the group just as much as you."

"We could have found some valuable information in that camp …" Bull glared down at me with his one eye, but I didn't really see any fire behind it. He wasn't really mad, but probably a wee bit disappointed, so I sighed.

"Sorry. Sometimes I just … want to make things go –" I wiggled my fingers with a blank expression on my face, "Boom."

I got a slap on the back, making me jump in surprise, as I heard someone start to laugh from behind me, "You're not so bad, girlie!" Came the rough voice of Rocky, their demolition's expert.

"Oh no … no no. We don't need another one." Dalish groans, holding her head in her hands as her blonde hair tumbled forward. The pale blonde man, who I think was named Grim, grunted from beside her as he looked over at me.

Hours later, we sat in the bushes in another location as we overlooked a burning Venatori camp. Smoke rose angrily and billowed into the sky. Some of the men ran away out of the tents as they were on fire and tried to roll around to put it out. I stared passively, pockets now completely empty of Antivan Fire grenades. Screams echoed in the background as my companions looked exasperatedly at me. Well, most. A few of them looked almostamused, but that's beside the point. I may or may not have had five of them when we traveled into the Hinterlands a few days ago.

I also may or may not have done this just to spite Bull.

"Someone really needs to keep those away from you if you can't learn to control yourself, girl." Bull actually sounded a little irritated now. I don't know what's gotten into me today, but I felt like terrorizing the Qunari. I never got to get back at him for being an ass and selling me out to the Ben-Hassrath, so here I am.

"So it's 'girl' now? That hurts, Bull. Right here, where my heart is supposed to be." I put my hand on my chest and frowned. He stood up and stalked over in my direction. I, still crouched, flew into a standing position and looked at him defiantly. The warrior completely dwarfed me as he stood within arms reach with his head held high, so my defiant look probably didn't work on him.

"Shit." I heard Krem say from somewhere in the back, along with some quiet whispers. He wouldn't hurt me, right? No.

I flinched when I saw his huge ass hand come up in my vision as he reached around to my back. I felt him grasp a huge chunk of my sweater as he lifted me off the ground, my feet dangling as I stared up at him with widened brown eyes. You're fucking kidding me, right?! It was like he was just lifting a kitten by the scruff of it's neck, making me hiss and flail. He simply smirked at my failed attempts to wriggle away.

"You will pick 100 Elfroot leaves for Stitches while we're waiting for the others to return." He spoke authoritatively, shaking me side to side. "Got it?"

I glared and crossed my arms, looking over at my friends for help. Dorian looked like he wanted to laugh, but was covering his mouth with his hand as he composed himself. Varric was in a similar state, but did not speak up in my defense. Krem was conveniently averting his gaze with a small smirk as he looked at the underbrush at his right. Cole just sat there with a passive look on his pale face, his hat almost completely covered his expression. Hey! I thought friends were supposed to have eachother's backs! I practically screeched in my head.

The only response I got was a small twitch of Cole's lips, but he didn't say anything.

God damn it.

Sighing, I allowed my body to slump from my position as Bull turned and dropped me next to Stitches. I fell on my ass, feeling like a scolded child and I saw a tanned hand come into view holding out a pouch to me.

"Alright, I kinda deserved that one." I conceded silently, grabbing the pouch and standing up to follow everyone as we made our way to the horses.

It took me hours to even get remotely close to the number of Elfroot leaves that Bull had asked for. I stayed within screeching distance as I ambled around looking for the damn plant. Did I mention before that I was bad at finding Elfroot? In the game, you could use a blip thing. I had no such luxury here. I'm pretty sure I've said that before, though.

Sighing, I looked at the fat pouch that was strapped to my belt loop at my right. It was full enough, I thought. Though the amount was closer to 70 or 80, not 100. It's not like he will sit down and count them one by one, right? Chuckling, I turned and made my way back to where everyone was waiting just outside of the Crossroads. The horses were tied off, yet again, to a fence as the others simply sat around in the grass and relaxed as they waited.

Blinking in confusion, I saw Lynn and Sera come into view somewhere in the distance just as I stumbled out of the brush near the woods. My boots crunched on the path as I walked over and stopped so that I was away from everyone else. I spotted Cole standing up to walk over to me, I crossed my arms and tilted my head.

"The Iron Bull is not actually angry with you." My friend spoke as he walked up to me, "He can't go … easy on you in front of them. The Chargers. It's to keep respect, leadership."

"I was kind of being an ass anyway." I shrug and see him nod as if agreeing with me. I choked, did Cole just –

"I said some things to The Iron Bull. When you were hurt. I said things I didn't mean because I was angry, scared. He cares, you know. He sometimes wishes he didn't tell them." He spoke softly, grabbing my hand and pulling it toward him as he stared down at it. "The Ben-Hassrath."

"Are you … saying I should forgive him?" I responded after a moment or two, brown eyes downcast. I mean, I wasn't really angry at him anymore. But part of me still felt a bit put off about it because I'd almost died.

"Yes. Holding onto it hurts you. Hurts him. He can tell." Why must Cole always act as my voice of reason? Sighing I allowed a small smile to slip on my face as I looked up and locked gazes with him. He was right, I could forgive him but that doesn't mean I'll forget what he did to me. Trust cannot be so easily earned back, after all.

"I'll try." I responded and he seemed to brighten, his blue eyes lighting up.

Third Person

Lynn and the rest of the party had gone to Redcliffe for a couple of days to finish off a few errands that she left unfinished since her last time in the Hinterlands. They slowly made their way back, with an extra tag-along.

While they were there, they stumbled upon a young Dalish elf who was looking for someone by the name of Angel. Startled, Lynn asked what the girl looked like and he'd explained Lyn's sister to a T. He'd even mentioned that she dressed oddly at times, because she wasn't from around here.

Some of the others didn't seem to trust him, mostly Cassandra, but Lynn decided that he could come back to Skyhold with them to reunite with Angel. Said young elf was walking beside her presently, his big purple eyes alight with hopefulness. Eren had a rather carefree demeanor, albeit a bit irritating at times, as he walked with a prance in his step. His black hair fell passed his shoulders, the left side completely shaved off which was the side his black vallaslin was on.

Lynn watched in her peripheral as Sera twinged Eren's pointed ear, flipping it so that it bounced.

"Ow! Fenedhis, woman! What did I ever do to you?" He whined in his higher pitched voice, looking at her with a frown on his slightly feminine features. Even for an elf, he looked quite delicate and could almost pass as a woman. The Inquisitor chuckled. Sera had been giving the young elf grief ever since he'd tagged along back at Redcliffe.

"You're too elfy, that's what! You even use those words. Use words that make sense!" The blonde elf pushed, causing Eren to grumble under his breath. Sera had quite the distaste for anything Dalish and Lynn almost felt bad for the poor boy.

"Enough, you two. You've been at it since Redcliffe." Cassandra ordered from beside Sera, "It's starting to give me a headache."

"Agreed." Solas spoke, not even bothering with looking over at the two.

"But I'm not –" Eren began, but was cut off.

"Enough." The Seeker emphasized in a more stern tone, causing the elf to deflate and slump forward. His lip stuck out in a pout, but otherwise didn't say a thing. The leaves on the tall trees rustled as the wind blew by, it was a clear and beautiful day.

They neared the meeting point and saw the second group already waiting for their return. The Chargers were all sitting around in the grass talking amongst one other. Bull and Varric were walking in Lynn's direction to greet her. Dorian was rummaging around in his pack for something. Lyn and Cole were … holding hands?

The Inquisitor grinned devilishly, seeing the two stare at one another with the same look she's seen Sera give her at times. The wavy haired elf wondered if the two even knew, yet.

"Eugh!" Sera sounded grossed out as she looked at the same scene before them, her round face scrunched up in disgust. The two in question broke out of their daze and looked over at the loud elf at her side. "Why is she so close to it?"

"The same reason why we're so close?" Lynn smiled at Sera, getting a raised brow from her. The statement slowly sunk in. The blonde archer shook her head furiously, choppy blonde hair flailing about as she tried to get that image out of her head.

"What?! That's gross!" Sera blurted, her hands opening and closing in front of her. The archer did not agree with who Lyn had chosen, finding it dangerous and creepy. It just wasn't natural!

"Love you too, Sera."

"N-No. Not. Not us. Them!"

First Person

We had to make camp that night, seeing as how we were only about halfway to Skyhold by the time it got dark. As we neared the mountains, the snow on the ground began to get thicker and thicker. It was much colder now and I could see my breath every time I exhaled. A rather large fire was built in the middle of our small encampment as we sat around to warm up. I looked up and saw that it was clear out, the stars twinkling in the distance.

I stared for awhile, remembering some of the things I'd learned back home about them. How distant they actually were and how vast the universe was. It made me feel rather small, actually. Every time I stared at the stars I got the same feeling. It was humbling, but still fascinating all the same.

Looking to my right, I saw Cole sitting on the snowy ground beside me. Our layers helped with staying warm as we sat in front of the fire.

"What do you see when you look at the stars, Cole?" I asked, genuinely curious on his interpretation of them. I watched as he peered up at the sky and tilted his head, blonde hair falling to the side so I could see his curious gaze. He was quiet for awhile and I let my eyes slowly trace his features. My hand twitched and I got the urge to draw again, the sky as the backdrop and the way the light from the fire lit up his face. It was quite the sight.

"They are so far away … some of them are gone. Burning bright, like the sun but distant. The light is warm and takes longer to get here." I smiled at him as he spoke, "There are so many of them."

"The universe is a vast place. It is inconceivable even to the people in my world." I sighed, leaning back and falling into the fluffy snow as I stared. I could hear the dull hum of quiet conversation between the others across the fire. "The stars are very much like the sun. Though ours is considerably smaller than most."

"Some of their songs are older than the rest, bigger. Brighter." Cole fiddled with the hem of his jacket, his blue gaze flicking down and over to me as I lay on the ground beside him. Silently I wondered if perhaps I wasn't simply thrown into a different universe, just to another world across the galaxies. Snorting, I sat up and shook my head. Thinking about it would just give me a headache and I didn't really want to know, anyhow. Too confusing.

When I looked over, Cole seemed to give me a look but otherwise didn't say anything.

"Here I thought it was confusing when the Kid and Chuckles talked." Varric was not far away as he sat in front of the fire with a small journal and a quill.

"You were able to comprehend the entirety of Cole's analysis of the stars?" Solas sounded intrigued, though bordering disbelief, his face showed none of it. I swear, that man needs to smile more. I was also a bit surprised he was even having a civil conversation with me. Well, if one could even call this a conversation in the first place.

"What do you want, an Astronomy lesson? They've accomplished much from my world and it would take … a very long time for me to explain what I know." I scratched my head, not realizing how arrogant I sounded. I was honestly thinking about the possibility of writing a book or drawing some diagrams. "I could sketch some things, but that seems like too much work. I don't know the minute details, but its fascinating."

Bah. I'd be called a lunatic, it's not worth the trouble. I bet the people here still thought the sun revolved around the planet. I chuckled underneath my breath.

"I admit, I find myself curious about this other world you speak of." The bald elf answered, hands folded in his lap as he looked away and into the fire.

"Yeah yeah. A thirst for knowledge, seems like you. If I ever find a way home, I should throw some texts back through for you." I paused for a moment, "If at all possible, that is. I don't even know how the hell I got here."

"I still find it hard to believe …" Varric seemed to have put his quill away, only holding his journal now.

"She's not lying." Cole offered in my defense, "Sometimes I can see flashes. Memories of tall buildings. Metal carts that drive with no horses and paintings that move."

"Is that why you stare at me a lot? I bet they are quite interesting, yes?" I rocked back and forth with my legs crossed and looked up at him, referring to my memories of home. Thinking about it still made me a bit sad, since I missed it at times. But now I just don't think about it at all, having given up on the idea of even returning.

"They're harder to see, like trying to see through muddy water. I reach out, but that only makes it worse. Kicking up the dirt, cloudy, murky. I have to wait until they surface."

"I bet that's not the only reason you stare at her, though." Varric muttered, just loud enough for me to hear. I snapped my attention to him and squinted, feeling my face heat up.

"So, what are you writing?" I quickly steer the conversation away from me, pointing at the small book in his lap.

"Oh, you know. Just ideas for my new book about the shit the Inquisition has gone through. The Inquisitor said it was alright." Varric shrugged, running his stubby finger over the binder almost lovingly. I tilted my head, thinking that it was actually a good idea to write down the things that the Inquisition is doing. Didn't he do the same thing for the Champion of Kirkwall?

I knew little about writing, only that it was difficult. I'd tried to write a few fanfictions back home, but never anything serious. I did, however, like to read. Reading was a great pastime and with the right book, it could be quite enlightening. I read one of Varric's books once and he was a pretty good writer. Though I'd never tell him that.

"I mean, think about it. The Inquisitor gets into all kinds of trouble; falling through a rift and surviving the Conclave, learns she can close said rifts, falls into the Fade physically. And we haven't even defeated Corypheus yet." The dwarf continued, his hands gesturing in front of him to emphasize his point.

"Well, if put like that … Yeah." I responded slowly, realizing that the voices I heard speaking before were now mostly quiet as they stared at Varric as he spoke. He seemed to have a knack for that, getting people's attention and telling stories that enthralled them.

"I'm not even sure if the readers will believe half the shit I write about." He pauses and looks around the camp, "Oh! Not to mention the romance found along the way. The people love a good romance."

I groan, wondering how that could even be remotely interesting to people reading the book. I wouldn't mind reading the parts where the Inquisitor is in peril and the battles along the way. But romance had never appealed to me, no matter how much my sister tried to shove it in my face back home.

I half listened as he continued to talk about how the Inquisitor found love with Sera and how odd of a couple they were. Then there was Blackwall and Josephine, though the two of them were not together. The Warden seemed to prefer to pine in silence, offering small gestures of affection from time to time.

"Then there is Bull and Dorian. Two worlds tearing them apart, Tevinter and Qunari, with only love to keep them together." Varric spoke dramatically, hand over his heart with a wide smirk on his face.

"Could you make it sound angrier? Love is a bit soft." Bull spoke up from not far away as he eyed the dwarf interestedly. Dorian, however, did not look at all amused that their personal lives would be put into a book for all to see.

"Please stop helping the dwarf." Dorian sounded exasperated as he looked over at us. A few of the other's chuckled at his expense.

"How about passion?" Varric threw out a different word, getting an approving nod from the Qunari.

"Yeah, that's better. Love is all starlight and gentle blushes." Bull motioned toward me with his huge hand and I narrowed my brown eyes at him.

"Why the hell are you pointing at me?!" I practically screech, but was promptly ignored.

"Passion leaves your fingers sore from clawing the sheets." He practically growled out, continuing as if I hadn't even spoken. I felt my face turn pink at the implications, fighting to keep an image from forming in my head.

"Ah! Let's not forget the oddest couple of them all." Varric added swiftly, as if just remembering. Oh my – fuck. Here we go. I had a tingling sense for the incoming shitstorm. "The surly woman from another world, who has a soft spot for-"

"Shut up, Varric!" I cut him off, hoping that he wouldn't continue. "I'm not soft."

"Innocent spirit boys?" Dorian offers helpfully, completely throwing me under the bus. I felt my face turn a shade darker, hearing Sera make a disgusted noise in response from my right. She was sitting next to Lynn, who was observing all of us curiously as we spoke. Vivienne was across the fire and I couldn't really see her, but I saw enough to decipher that she was eying me warily. Blackwall had his eyes closed and his arms crossed, but I could tell he was listening.

"She didn't even deny it!" Sera protested, the fire illuminating the disgusted expression on her face. Her eyebrows and nose both scrunched up in distaste as she looked at Cole. I frowned, but otherwise didn't speak up. Why should I? It wouldn't really matter.

"It's quite obvious the two are close. I mean, they do share a tent." Dorian drawled, threading his fingers together as he glanced back at me. Or rather Cole and I. I knew that he was fascinated by him and the possibility (I was still not even sure, so I won't make assumptions here.) of him having an attachment to me that went beyond friendship. I blushed and looked away, trying not to think about it.

"Is that bad?" Cole asks, tilting his head to the side as he looked over at Dorian then back at me as if he heard my inner turmoil. I sincerely hoped he didn't hear me. He would, no doubt, ask questions later if that were the case. The thought of trying to explain to him the depths of my feelings kind of terrified me, to be honest.

"No, they're just being idiots." I grumbled to my friend quietly.

"But I like cuddling, it makes me feel warm. Content." I let out a nervous squeak when he said that, pretty much announcing it to the camp. I heard someone choke, but I was unsure of who because I refused to look up at the group. I bowed my head to allow my messy waves to cover my face, which was now likely completely red from his declaration.

Peeking up, I saw Solas looking at us with a troubled expression on his face. He also seemed a bit irritated at me as he flicked his gaze in my direction. I frown and look back down at the snow beneath me.

"You don't feel any adverse changes, Cole?" I heard the elf ask, sounding a bit concerned for his welfare.

"No. Should I?"

Sera squawked in horror and Bull boomed with laughter alongside a smirking Dorian. I lifted my head and stuttered out,

"I-It's not-" But I was cut off as Sera and Vivienne's simultaneous protests drowned out my voice.

"She cuddles with it! That's frigging gross!"

"You really shouldn't encourage that thing, my dear." Vivienne put in as she stared at me disapprovingly.

"Like that!" I finally finished after hearing their collective voices. Son of a bitch, this couldn't get any worse. I felt a surge of irritation at the both of them for referring to him as a 'thing' and an 'it'. I let out a growl, wanting to tear into someone's face with my fingernails. Though I was unsure which one, at this point.

"Solas is not a thing!" Cole sounded genuinely offended as he looked over at the tanned mage.

"Well said." Solas sounded almost amused, though I could see the lingering irritation underneath his eyes.

Averting my attention, I saw Bull's Chargers and the little elf mage that we'd taken in somewhere in the background conversing quietly with one another. I focused on them, trying to put my mind on something else. It was quite obvious most of the companions disapproved with how close I was with Cole. I hadn't heard a word from Cassandra, though, as she sat quietly somewhere in the back and simply pretended she wasn't hearing anything. The same went for Lynn, as she observed from the sidelines. For that, I was grateful.

The only ones that were accepting were Varric, Bull and Dorian as they seemed to poke fun. It was like they enjoyed getting that reaction out of me.

At this revelation, I made a tactical retreat to my tent while mumbling for them to get me when it was my turn for watch.