Solas resided in the study beneath the library and the aviary. The tall, circular tower loomed over the castle grounds like a temple, and the sound of ravens singing could be heard from the ground.

Before she made it to the building, a commotion divided her attention. She heard several people shouting, and thuds. She moved toward the sound, went around a building and found two Inquisition soldiers brawling, with a thick ring of people around them cheering them on.

Talyn wasn't the only one who had found them. She saw Cullen shoving his way to the center, where the fight was happening. Talyn did the same. She cut through the ring like she was wading through water, the people giving little resistance. In fact, when she touched someone they jumped away from her like she was a spider.

She reached them before Cullen did. With her lyrium tattoos shimmering in the morning sunlight, she slipped between them and put a hand on both of their chests, shoving them apart.

Once she did that, the people scattered to the wind, going back to what their were doing, acting like nothing had happened.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" She asked the both of them.

Their faces were bruised and bloody, their eyes full of fire. Although they kept glaring at each other, they couldn't make eye contact with their Inquisitor.

"You are both soldiers of the Inquisition! Have some respect for yourselves." Cullen snapped as he arrived.

They both looked at the ground, and mumbled an apology to their commander.

"It's not me you need to be apologizing to. You've wasted the Inquisitor's time. Time she could be spending finding Corypheus."

Talyn wasn't about to tell Cullen that she was actually wasting her own time visiting Solas.

"Sorry, Inquisitor." They both said to Talyn.

Talyn let her hands fall to her sides. "See to it that it does not happen again." She told them.

Cullen barked orders at them, some kind of unpleasant job that was going to be their punishment for their fight.

Cullen ran a hand over his face and sighed.

"Rough day?" Talyn asked, her tone light and friendly.

"You have no idea."

Talyn laughed. "I haven't had the chance to say it, but you've done a great job with our defenses. Much better than I would have done."

"Now if only I could keep my men in check." Cullen looked up at the walls that surrounded Skyhold. "At Haven, we had no time to prepare. That town could never have survived a dragon attack. But if Corypheus and that dragon come to Skyhold, we'll have a better chance."

Cullen looked back at her. "You could have died. I will not fail you again."

That was the second time someone had told her that today.

"Cullen, you never failed me." Talyn said gently. "No one knew that Corypheus would be at our doorstep."

Cullen smiled. It seemed like a sad smile. Then he changed the subject.

"You made a wise and just decision today Inquisitor."

Talyn winced, much like how she did when people called her Herald. But she let it go. She was the Inquisitor after all.

"Those nobles didn't think so. The council definitely didn't think so." She replied.

Cullen laughed. "Everyone craves death. Except for you. You find mercy where others cannot. That's why I agreed that you should be the Inquisitor."

Talyn snorted. "A few weeks ago I was about to rip out Alexius' throat."

It was Cullen's turn to be comforting. "Anyone that had been put in your position would have done the same. The important thing is that when you were called to decide Alexius' fate, your first thought wasn't to send him to the gallows."

The same smile that Cullen had given Talyn was on her face now. "Thanks, Cullen."

They stood there awkwardly for a moment. It seemed like Cullen's cheeks were turning red.

"Well, I should get back." He said quickly.

"Oh, of course." Talyn replied.

He walked away, and Talyn went back to what she had been doing.

The inside of Solas' study was quiet. The noise from the library and aviary above him couldn't be heard. Solas had sound proofed his space with magic, ensuring that he would have the quiet he needed.

The room was circular and spacious, with a high ceiling and bookshelves tall enough to touch it. In the center of the room was Solas' desk, which he currently was sitting at. On one of the walls there was the beginning of a painting, but it was too early to tell what the painting was.

Solas didn't look up from the ancient text he was reading, but from some other room a teapot and a cup floated in, and settled themselves on the desk in front of the chair sitting opposite from Solas.

Talyn smiled, and walked over to him. She sat in the unoccupied chair and poured herself a cup of tea, holding it with both of her hands and gently blowing on it. Almost immediately, the tea cooled down much faster than it should have.

Solas still didn't look up.

She found it fascinating, watching him read. The intensely focused look on his face, the way his eyes danced across the pages. She could watch him for hours and be content with herself.

"Is there something you need?" There was a smile in his voice.

Talyn raised an eyebrow. She could feel the tips of her ears get warm. "Am I not allowed to just enjoy your company, Solas?"

He finally looked up from his book, leaning forward, resting his arms on top of his book. "You look like you have much on your mind."

Talyn laughed at that. "When don't I?"

But there was something that had been bothering Talyn all morning, ever since the ordeal with Alexius had been dealt with.

"Josephine said that there would be dancing. At the ball." Talyn said awkwardly.

Solas raised an eyebrow, and waited for her to continue.

"I… well…" She ran a hand through her hair. "I don't know how to dance. All of those fancy high class people are going to meet the Inquisitor for the first time, and I can't dance. I'm going to make a horrible impression, and who would respect the Inquisition if-"

She stopped ranting, because Solas was trying to contain his laughter. She started to get angry.

"Well it's just lovely that you can laugh about this Solas, because I don't find it funny at all."

He stood up, still chuckling to himself. He went around the desk, and Talyn turned herself and the chair so she could still face him, slamming the chair on the hard floor violently enough for the legs to make an audible cracking sound. Then she crossed one of her legs over her knee and crossed her arms over her chest, glaring at him.

He bent down slowly so he was eye level with her, resting his hands on the arms of her chair, his face close to hers. Talyn's heart started to race, and it wasn't from anger. She could feel her ears and cheeks get red hot. She cursed herself and her uncontrollable blushing.

Solas was smirking as he said in a low voice, "calm down, and take my hand."

Then he stood up straight, and offered her his hand.

Now Talyn was embarrassed. She sighed angrily and grabbed Solas' hand. He pulled her out her chair abruptly, making her gasp and run into him. He was still smiling when he took her other hand and placed it on his shoulder. Then his hand rested on her waist.

There was only one other time Talyn could think of where she was this close to him, that morning in the gardens of Castle Redcliffe, where they almost kissed.

"This is very simple. I'm sure even you can get the hang of it." Solas teased.

She squeezed his shoulder. Hard.

He just laughed, completely unphased by her iron like grip.

Then he started to move.

Talyn stepped on his foot. "Sorry!" She blurted out.

He laughed again. "It's alright."

For the first time in her life, Talyn was clumsy. Solas' close proximity to her made her nerves dance, her hands shake. But he was patient, and laughed off all of her mistakes. But soon enough Talyn was twirling and laughing with him.

"Have you spent your whole life dreaming?" Talyn asked as they danced to silent music. It seemed like such a simple question, but Talyn had never asked it before.

"I've spent much of my time in the Fade." Was Solas' response. "But I've started to enjoy life outside of it."

"How so?" She asked.

He smiled. "You train your will to control magic and withstand possession. Your indomitable focus is an enjoyable side benefit. You have chosen a path whose steps you do not enjoy because it leads to a destination you enjoy. As have I."

Talyn smirked. "Indomitable focus?"

"Presumably. I have yet to see it dominated."

Then Solas did something Talyn didn't expect. After she twirled, Solas pulled her close, so that there was no room between them. He looked down at her, his face inches from hers, and then said in a low voice, "I imagine that the sight would be… fascinating."

Talyn was speechless. His silver eyes and that inviting smile took away her voice, as payment for the song that was singing in her heart. She just stared at him with wide eyes as her pulse beat faster, like she was in battle.

It was just like the garden. All Talyn had to do was reach up and kiss him.

The door to Solas' study slammed open, and the two of them broke apart like insects escaping the light.

It was a servant. "Oh, um… I apologize Inquisitor." He looked as awkward as Talyn felt. "Seeker Cassandra needs your help."

Of course she did.

Talyn looked at Solas. "I, uh, better go deal with this."

He nodded. It honestly made Talyn angry, how he was so calm and collected all the time, while Talyn looked like bottled up chaos that had just been released.

"Of course, Inquisitor."

Just like in his cabin back at Haven, Talyn gave him a rude hand gesture as she walked out the door.

She could hear him laugh as it shut.

The weeks that went by were all the same. Every day Talyn would go back to Solas, and they would dance. He would do something that made Talyn blush, and she would awkwardly leave. Josephine got an invitation for the Inquisition, by the Duke Gaspard himself. Talyn would be his guest. So at least twice a week Josephine would steal her away in order to find Talyn the perfect dress, which meant that Talyn stood for hours at a time while seamstresses took her measurements and discussed the dress with Josephine. During these sessions, Talyn imagined all of the horrible, terrible things she could do to the seamstresses.

She found Iron Bull hanging out in the tavern, laughing with his Chargers. She smiled when they made eye contact, but the look in Bull's eye made her smile fade and immediately exit the building. He looked so… angry with her.

It was then that she realized why everyone had avoided telling her about Bull, and warned her to stay away. He blamed her, for Dalish and Skinner. Just like she blamed herself. Not just for her dear friends, but for all of those that had died because Corypheus wanted her. Bull was under contract with the Inquisition, but she was sure that if he could he would have left Skyhold long ago.

And that hurt her, so much so that when the nightmares of the redheaded woman appeared in her dreams, Bull was standing alongside her, his eye crimson and burning with rage and his sleek, silver greatsword coated in her blood.

She mourned for her friend as if he had died. He might as well have, because she knew that there was no coming back to where they had once been. Bull and Talyn were so much alike that they finished each other's sentences. Now Talyn was lucky if Bull would even look at her.

She was sitting in Josephine's corner of the castle, where the ambassador was pacing, and fiddling with the expensive rings on her fingers. .

"Josephine, if you keep frowning you might suffer from permanent damage." Talyn teased.

"This is not funny." Josephine snapped, her amber eyes narrowed.. "The Orlesian nobles are going to pick you apart, study every aspect of your behavior and use it against you. You'll be part of the Game."

"The Game?"

The more Josephine talked, the more her accent came out. "That's what they call it. Those who play the Game are polite, even likable on the outside. But every word they say, every gesture they make has a hidden meaning to it. If you are going to survive this mission, and gain the respect the Inquisition needs, you must play the Game."

Talyn resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "I think I'll be just fine, Josephine."

Josephine finally sat down at her desk."I hope so Inquisitor, because if you fail, the world is going to end."

Talyn left Josephine's study. Talyn wasn't worried about this "Game", she was more concerned with her dancing abilities. But with Solas' help, hopefully Talyn wouldn't make a fool of herself in front of hundreds of people who were already on the fence about Talyn and her Inquisition.

It was going to be a long journey to Orlais.

"... No. Absolutely not." Talyn firmly told Josephine.

"You're the Inquisitor, you must ride in the carriage."

Talyn was looking at the tall golden carriage drawn by six horses with sleek, black coats. The Inquisition's insignia was carved into the door of the carriage, the eye with the flaming sword. Josephine ordered it be made for their journey to Orlais.

"If you'd like to ride in that box you can be my guest Josephine. I'm getting my horse."

"Will you at least ride in it when we approach the castle?" Josephine pleaded.

Talyn sighed. "Fine. But until then I'm riding my horse."

Just the thought of sitting in that box for hours made Talyn's skin crawl. She would much rather be on horseback, so she could look at the sky and all of the beautiful scenery she otherwise would have missed.

But Josephine, Cassandra, Leiliana and Cole made use of the carriage. Solas didn't care for the carriage either, but Talyn had a suspicion that he too chose to ride a horse just to be near Talyn. It was a hopeful suspicion. With the carriage, they were slower than Talyn would have liked.

It was fall in the Hinterlands, the trees were turning into deep crimson and bright gold leaves. It amazed Talyn how much the world changed once she left her mountain plunged into eternal winter. She saw badgers and squirrels foraging for food to save from the snow, brown bears eating berries and preparing for their long slumber. Even the birds flew by the thousands to the South, where it would be warmer for them. Sometimes there would be so many birds in the sky they blocked the sun for a few moments.

It was beautiful to her, absolutely fascinating. The others didn't understand, especially the soldiers that traveled with them. To them it was just autumn. But to Talyn it was so much more. The only ones who seemed to know what Talyn meant was Solas and Cole. When they made camp she would sit by the fire with Cole, talking to him about the things they had both seen that day. It was hard to decipher Cole's cryptic words sometimes though. With that dreamy tone of voice he would tell her of all the people they had passed, and how they had felt. One man was worried, traveling at neck breaking speeds down the path to hurry back to his pregnant wife. Another was a young boy with dreams of becoming a Templar. And then there were more than a few who felt nervous and scared as their carriage rolled by, with the Inquisitor riding alongside it.

It was a good distraction for Talyn, a way to keep the worries of her role at bay.

One night Talyn was alone at the camp fire, staring down at her arms, and the tattoos that reflected the firelight like water. The spirals went down to the very tips of her fingers, wrapping around her bones like snakes. She reached up and touched her face, where those same spirals ran up her neck and adorned her features.

She wished that others weren't so terrified of her. Even those who resided in Skyhold gave Talyn a wide berth, out of respect and fear. Even those that loved her and called her their savior were nervous around her. These markings that were seared onto her body made her look like a wild animal. And maybe deep down that was exactly what Talyn was. She was a skilled murderer. Man and monster both had fallen underneath her arrows and her sword. She was stronger, faster than any human elf or dwarf that Talyn had ever met. She could hear so much better, see much more than they could. And when she felt uncontrollable rage her hands erupted into flames. She wasn't normal.

Maybe that was her whole purpose, what the gods had created her to do. Maybe they had molded the perfect blend of mortal and monster to create a dark creature such as herself. No matter how hard she tried to be good, there was always that side of herself lingering in the shadows of her mind. Solas had reassured her that she wasn't as dark as she thought she was, but still, she couldn't get those thoughts out of her mind.

"You're scared." Cole appeared by her side, as if from thin air.

"Pala!" Talyn cursed in Elvish. She let go of the hilt of her dagger on her thigh. "Cole, don't sneak up on me like that."

"Sorry." Cole said in response. "You're afraid of who you are."

Cole lacked social skills. And his strange telepathy magic was getting annoying.

But Talyn sighed, and stared into the fire. "All I want to do is save this world, and the people I love."

"You're not a murderer Talyn."

Talyn looked back up at Cole, into his sky blue eyes that seemed so distant but present at all times. "What do you mean, Cole?"

"You are a goddess of fire and wind. You embraced Death and survived."

Talyn smiled. "Thank you Cole. But I don't think that helps me."

Talyn gasped when all of a sudden, Cole disappeared. She stood to her feet, and held out her hands, trying to feel if Cole had somehow turned himself invisible.

"He's a spirit." Another voice from behind her explained the phenomenon.

Talyn whirled around and saw Solas. "He's a what?"

Solas chuckled at Talyn's shock. "An anomaly, probably created by the Breach. I do believe he's a spirit of Mercy. It is the most logical guess, at least. He's bound to this world for some reason, making him a solid being."

"That's… well, I would say that's not possible, but given my own circumstances I can't say much." Talyn sat back down.

"I'm glad he's still around. I was afraid he would leave. It's refreshing, having a spirit to speak to." Solas sat down next to her.

Talyn often forgot that Solas had spent most of his life in the Fade. Most of the friendships he had built were with the spirits that resided in the other world. Talyn guessed that it was the biggest reason why Solas didn't really seem to speak to anyone as often as he spoke with Talyn.

"I just can't believe I couldn't tell."

"You're not the first. If everyone knew what Cole was they would try to drive him out for fear of him being a demon." Solas' face grew dark. "It's sickening, how ignorant people are. The things they don't understand they try to destroy."

"Like mages…" Talyn said.

"They locked them up in towers, and only let them out when their gifts were needed. And those who refuse to be in a tower were hunted down and either forced to join a Circle or die. I would have preferred to be in Tevinter at this point, if it wasn't for their use of slaves."

"And that was the reason the mages revolted, isn't it? Why the Templar-mage war began?"

Solas smiled. "Among other reasons."

Talyn looked at the dying fire again. "Cole said something interesting about me before he disappeared."

"And what did he say?"

She looked at Solas. "He said I was a goddess of fire and wind. Do you know what he could have meant by that?"

It was Solas' turn to look at the fire. "Spirits are often hard to understand."

He stood to his feet. "We should rest. Tomorrow we should be in Orlais."

And soon the dreaded ball. Talyn sighed. "Yeah, you're right."

So they laid out their mats on the hard ground, and slept under the stars.

Talyn was standing in the middle of a field. The dewdrops resting on the dark blades of grass sparkled like a sea of diamonds underneath the full moon. The cool summer wind whistled a melody through the sighing trees, and thunder boomed in the distance. She closed her eyes and lifted her face to the sky, breathing in the smell of lilacs and pine trees. This world of eternal night was serene, and it filled her with a sense of peace she hadn't felt in a while.

She felt eyes on her, so she turned around and peered into the trees. There was a strange, shimmering haze inside the forest. She walked towards the tree line and stopped just as her feet hit the line between the moonlit field and the forest.

She watched the shadow walk toward her and smiled when she saw who it was. Solas smiled back at her at her and reached for her.

But Talyn backed away, and tilted her head, a playful smirk dancing on her lips.

That made Solas frown, and he took a step towards her.

Talyn took a step back.

"Come here," Solas said softly, pleadingly. Like a starving wolf desperate for a meal.

She laughed, the sound ringing in the air. And then she shook her head.

"Catch me if you can!"

Talyn took off running, leaving a trail of fireflies floating into the sky behind her. She heard Solas' laughter, and then nothing but the sound of her own footsteps.

She ran into the forest, weaving in and out of the dark trees. The iridescent fog that coated the air felt like peppermint on her skin. For a moment she thought she heard a growl, but when she looked back to investigate there was nothing there. She dodged a tree and kept her focus on what was in front of her.

And then, out of nowhere, Solas appeared in front of her. Talyn skidded to a stop before they collided. Within the blink of an eye her had her pinned against a tree, a wolfish grin on his flawless face.

"Caught you." His voice was low and silky, and it made her breath catch in her chest.

"What's my prize?" He asked, his eyes flickering to her lips.

Talyn grinned and placed her hands on his chest. She could feel his heartbeat pounding against her fingertips. When his gaze went back to her eyes, she let out a mischievous giggle, and shoved him away from her.

"Games not over yet."

This time, when that seductive, primal smile graced his face, Talyn noticed that his canines were sharper, like fangs. A growl rumbled low in his chest. The sound made Talyn's whole body tremble, and her lower belly tied itself into knots.

Talyn started to run again, before she could change her mind about her game.

Suddenly, the scenery around her changed. She was no longer in a dark forest, but in the Guardian Grove that Solas had shown her months ago. The shining bone white trees with their silver leaves formed a ring around her like a beautiful, inescapable prison. She slid to a stop and looked around. But she was the only one in the grove.

It was too quiet.

Solas slammed her into the ground, making her shout in surprise. But it didn't take long for Talyn to regain her composure and fight to get him off her. They rolled around in the grass, both fighting to pin the other one down. Their wrestling was brief and ended with Talyn straddling Solas' waist.

"I win." Talyn teased him breathlessly.

Solas laughed. "Yes, you do."

He looked different in this quiet world. There was something ancient in his eyes that glowed like the stars above them. Talyn rested her hands on his chest. She could feel the hard muscles underneath his shirt, and the mana underneath his skin. She had always known that Solas was powerful, but she had never felt the force of his magic until now. It reminded her of a volcano just waiting to explode. She shivered at the thought of what destruction Solas could cause with that much power. Her lyrium reacted to it, the glow coming off her body rippling like water.

Solas reached up and touched her cheek, fascination written all over his face.

"Beautiful." He whispered.

Talyn could feel the heat rising to her cheeks. She smiled down at him. She didn't know where her courage was coming from. All she knew was that for the first time since she woke up, Talyn felt whole. She reached out to touch the jawbone that hung from a leather string around his neck. The bone was black with age and looked just as deadly as whatever creature it must have come from. She ran her finger along the sharp teeth still embedded in the bone.

"You really think so?" She asked him softly while she toyed with the bone.

He stared at her as if she was the only person in the entire world. For the first time his guard was down. Talyn could see his torn, beaten soul, could almost feel all the pain and love and fear that was carried in those eyes. And he spoke in a whisper, "the moment I saw you, I felt the whole world change."

And just as fast as it happened, Solas shut down in front of her. She could feel him pulling away from her, putting up the barriers he always kept firmly in place. He turned his gaze away from her, and she could feel that he was about to push her off him.

No. Talyn wouldn't let him shut her out this time. She refused to let him seal himself in his walls of ice where she wasn't allowed to go. Not this time.

She placed her hand on his cheek and turned his face towards hers. He watched her curiously. With her heart pounding nervously, she leaned and kissed him.

And he was perfectly still.

Talyn jumped off him and stumbled backwards like he was on fire. She tripped over her own feet and fell, then scrambled to get up again. Her face burned with humiliation. She had thought that he felt the same...

She couldn't look at him, but she heard the guilt in his tone when he called out her name.

"I-I'm sorry." She stammered out, her voice barely audible. She turned and ran away.

She didn't make it far before Solas grabbed her arm and yanked her back, crushing her to him.

They fit together so well, it was as if the gods themselves had made them for each other. In that moment, nothing else mattered but Solas. He surrounded her, took over all her senses. Each kiss sent an electric spark down Talyn's spine, every touch made her heart beat faster until she felt it would explode. In Solas' arms, she finally felt like she was home.

And then he pulled away from her, his hands on her cheeks. His eyes were dancing, his smile was contagious.

But he said, "no. We shouldn't do this here."

Talyn frowned, that feeling of euphoria gone. "What do you mean? No one else is here."

Solas' smile was teasing now. "Where do you think we are?"

Talyn turned her head to look around. "We're in the Guardian Grove."

Solas pulled her back into his arms and placed a kiss on her forehead. And then he whispered in her ear, "it's time to wake up."

Talyn lifted her head and looked around. She was back at the camp. She looked up at the sky and saw the pitch black sky. Reality came crashing back down on her. Then she looked down, and saw that while she slept she had rolled off of her sleeping mat and had her head on Solas' chest.

She was blushing fiercely. She frowned and watched him. There was no indication he was awake. She even whispered his name and got no response.

She rolled back to her sleeping mat and fell asleep, the ghost of his kiss still on her lips.

When I rewrote the dream scene, I listened to Feel Like Falling by Digital Daggers. I totally feel like that's their song. You should check it out!