This is going to be a short one. I am writing a climax chapter, and need a moment leading up to it.
Chapter 6.
When an announcement is made across the courtyard, that the inquisitor and her party is back, people gather around them. Some come for the latest news and reports, others to help them onload their equipment. Either way, it is an exhausting welcome, when all you want to do, is go lie down in a soft bed, with nothing around you except peace and quiet.
Being an inquisitor has unfortunately spoiled Ih'tal to a degree where she ends up missing her soft feathery bed, with her mountains of pillows. She loves her room in the tower, with the huge windows, and open space. The feeling of peace, in the huge castle. Still among the people, but isolated. And for an inquisitor, that is a hard-earned privilege.
So, while smiling, greeting, and answering questions, she tries, as stealthy as possible, to make her way to her corridor. And step by step, she manages to get closer. One step for every greeting and for every inquiry. Thankfully, Dorian catches her trying to sneak away, and with a wink distracts the rest of her entourage, so she can make a break for it.
Up in the tower, she immediately finds peace. Her bed is calling for her, and without removing her clothes or shoes, she throws herself on it and falls headfirst into the fade.
She hears her mother sing. It is an old tale about harmony. A time before the Evanuris started to enslave their own kind and marking them with the vallaslin. She lies with her head in her mother's lap.
Looking down, she sees the young body of herself as a child, where a young Mythal sits beside her mother, and listens to her song as well.
She missed this. A loving mother and father. A sister who stood by you, so you never had to be alone. The feeling of belonging and the feeling of home. She loved them all. And even when she became an adult and choose a different path than her sister, it never turned to envy or hatred. They respected each other and accepted that they didn't want the same things. Ih'tal was heartbroken when Mythal began turning a blind eye on the suffering of their people. And in the end, she lost her beloved sister because of it.
She felt a stirring in the fade. And knew that someone was watching her, in her own little corner of the fade. It was too subtle to be a spirit, but she knew who it was.
She didn't care. She just wanted this dream to last a little longer. Ease her burden for a while, before reality demanded her attention again.
She woke up when she heard a maid put a platter of food on her desk. Although the maids were trained in moving as silent as possible, Ih'tal still had a habit to wake up at the slightest sound. It was both a blessing, for example in the field where it sometimes meant life or death. Other times it was a curse, as in a busy castle it sometimes meant waking up several times.
Still, she was rested, and the days troubles seemed a bit less daunting. The food smelled great, and someday she had to remember, that, when choosing the party of Blackwall, Sera and Dorian, while a menace in battle, none of them could cook. So, a decent meal was much appreciated.
After she had her fill and changed her clothing to a more acceptable daywear in the castle. She began ascending the stairs. Josephine was ready with updates, nobles coming and goings, and new missions added to the war table. Ih'tal quickly told Josephine to send word to Cullen and Liliana, to meet them at the war table later today. She wanted to check in with Dorian first and debated on which route to take. The fastest would be venturing into Solas open room. She couldn't avoid him forever, so she decided on acting, and take the most direct way.
Moving past the doorway, she found Solas deep in thought. When he didn't spare her a glance she moved past him, and right before she made it to the stairs, leading up to the library, she heard him speak. "Inquisitor. I know there is still much to be said, and I prefer to do it in private. I would like to ask for your permission to join you in your room, after the evening meal".
