As she walked into the cold, crisp air of the night, she felt a surge of relief. It felt nice to be alone for a moment. Though the vivacious atmosphere was lovely, her senses had been overwhelmed by the sounds, smells, and sights of the bar. Since she had awoken she had been surrounded by new(ish) faces and hadn't had time to really think about the situation at hand.
As she wandered through the dark courtyard, she discovered a row of little wooden huts that were similar in appearance to an outhouse. They hadn't included these in the game, but she could understand why. It would be quite a boring adventure if your character was constantly stopping to relieve themselves.
On her way back she decided to walk up the stone stairs to avoid going through the bar but found herself lost wandering the ramparts. The base was a lot smaller and easier to navigate in the game. It seemed that it wasn't a direct recreation, though she should have guessed that with the mere size difference.
The view was spectacular though. The mountains surrounding them were extraordinarily tall and tipped with snowy peaks, barely visible in the dark of night. The stars blinked clearly above, the constellations were different from her world and much more visible without all the fog from pollution. The air was cleaner and easier to breathe, it would have been almost preferable had she not known she had loved ones waiting for her.
Her mother, though an addict, was the most supportive loving person she had ever known. Her brother was strong and kind, always putting everyone else before himself. Her best friend Luna, her adopted sister, her closest confidant, was a beacon of light in the dark. And of course little Theo, her tuxedo cat who had gone with her through everything.
Alaina sighed heavily, her breath visible in the air. Why wasn't she ever cold? Back home she had always been freezing, a blanket constantly nearby. Everyone joked that she had enough fuzzy throw blankets to warm a whole country. But here she never seemed to need even a jacket. It was feeling more and more like she was in a borrowed body.
"Sadness slipping silently through the screen." The silent rogue had managed to sneak up without her noticing. As she spun around her nose bumped his chest as she attempted, unsuccessfully, to avoid stepping on his feet. His arms came to rest around her as he helped her regain her balance, his hands lingering on her biceps. She tried to appear casual as she leaned back against the stone wall, out of his grasp.
"Can you still make people forget Cole?" Her voice was soft and somber, perhaps if she forgot then it would be easier to let go of it all.
"No, not anymore. I can't start over again anymore." He wasn't sure why her features showed disappointment at this statement. Searching, seeking to stop the searing.
The tendril reached out and this time she let it in, showing images of her loved ones momentarily. As she closed off her mind once again, she managed to give him a weak smile. "They remember you, they won't forget."
Alaina nearly cried in relief, "Are they okay?"
"Where is she? This isn't like her. They think the worst but hope for the best." His answer didn't help her much, but she got the gist. They were alive and searching for her. Missing her, but they were okay.
"Thank you, Cole," In a moment of weakness, she pulled his form taut against hers in an awkward hug. Though at first, he was stiff in her grasp, he eventually reached out to carefully place his arms around the smaller woman. His arms were gentle against her body, as though he was afraid he would hurt her.
Her skin was heated against his own as she rested her head against his chest. He felt a flush grow across his cheeks and down his neck as she curled against his form. She was very small in comparison to him. The young blond felt glad to be able to bring her any sort of comfort.
When she finally pulled away, she immediately missed the feeling of him against her. Though he was thin, she could feel the outline of wiry muscles under his light clothing. A blush rose to her cheeks as she found herself thinking about what he might look like under them. The redhead was grateful once again that she could hide her thoughts from the rogue, which would have been embarrassing to have to explain.
"The place that you are from is very different from here isn't it?" His question was innocent but as she flinched he quickly added. "It's not my secret to tell."
Alaina sighed, there was no use in trying to hide what he had already seen. "Yes. It's very different from here, better in some ways and worse in others."
Opening her mind once more, she brought forward images of cars, television, hospitals, and grocery stores. His face seemed fascinated by these things and she continued flipping through things that she had experienced before her thoughts came to rest on her father and she cut off the images.
"Big hands, calloused and strong, always safe in them." Her green eyes stared out into the darkness. "He loved you, but he wasn't strong enough to fight the voices. He didn't want to hurt you, but he wasn't HIM anymore."
Her heart squeezed and she blinked the tears out of her eyes, "I know."
"I did it wrong," Cole had a frantic expression, "I tore it. Let me try to fix it."
The tendril snaked out, but the wall stayed up. Her clawed hand reached out to grab his own softly, "It's okay Cole, it's not your fault. It's been torn for a long time."
The rogue nodded sadly, still looking upset. But as she gently brushed her fingertips over the back of his hand he found that he was distracted by the warmth of her skin on his. It was rather pleasant. How often had someone actually touched him? She turned his hand in her own, examining his palm. The tip of her index finger ran lightly over his scars, his well-earned reward for his efforts mastering his daggers. Did these belong to him or the real Cole?
In the end, she supposed it didn't really matter, they were one and the same. The real Cole had wanted to leave his cell and the spirit of compassion had given him the chance. He would forever be remembered as someone who helped others, never asking for anything in return. Her ministrations continued for a while before she realized she had been basically holding his hand and she let it drop, blushing brightly.
"Can you show me to your room?" With her hand now free she reached up to nervously braid her auburn hair, "I got a little lost on my way."
"Ah yes," The spirit nodded, walking slightly ahead of her. He always seemed so happy to help, it was very...cute. "You turned left instead of right."
"I'll remember for next time," Alaina noticed he had shortened his stride to match her smaller steps so that she could easily keep up with him. "Thank you, Cole."
"You say that a lot," He watched her as she stared up at the night sky, her feet continuing forward without any hindrance. Her vibrant green eyes reflected the starlight and her hair scattered across her soft features in the slight breeze. He realized that he found her to be quite pleasant to look at, she was very beautiful. Though he wasn't sure if this was an original thought or something he had plucked out of the mind of another.
"I want to make sure someone says it to you," The wind nearly carried away her response as he opened a wooden door to enter his room. His heart warmed at her kind words and he thought of all of the people who thought he was strange or burdensome. Whenever he was around her, she seemed relieved, as though his presence made her feel safer.
The dark room was quickly filled with the warm light of burning candles and she could hear the muffled sounds of the tavern's patrons enjoying their drinks. It was a rather cozy room, not much smaller in real life than it had been in the game. They had repaired the falling ceiling and pushed an extra cot against the far wall, presumably for her to use. As she went to sit down on the small bed, Cole caught her elbow and led her towards his own bigger one.
"Soft, silky, more like the bed back home." He released her arm and gave her an excited smile. "I can bring you a cat if you'd like."
Her laugh was light and musical, the sound was a satisfying one. The young rogue found that he wanted to hear it again, but she instead turned and climbed into the bed, slipping beneath the covers. They weren't as soft as her down comforter at home, but they were a much warmer material which made more sense in this climate.
Cole turned to his own bed and began to undress, first taking his daggers from his back then resting his large hat on the nightstand. As he pulled his tunic over his back, he heard a soft gasp. Glancing to look at the redhead, he realized she had suddenly turned her back to him. Waves of embarrassment and a hint of something else, something a little more desperate, rolled off the girl.
"Why are you embarrassed?" His voice was curious as he looked at the mess of red curls that lay on the pillow.
"It's nothing." Her voice was muffled as she spoke into the pillow, as she inhaled she could smell him on the sheets and that made her blush even darker.
"Did I do something I wasn't supposed to?" He questioned, his voice genuinely curious. He had undressed in front of others before, specifically when getting his wounds treated. They didn't heal as quickly as they used to.
Alaina wasn't sure how to reply to this, no, he hadn't done anything wrong. It was her that did something wrong, she was the one who was having these thoughts for the young rogue. But all she could think when he removed his shirt was what it would feel like to run her hands over his skin, perhaps she shouldn't have agreed to room with him. One night and her heart was ready to burst out of her chest.
"No, you didn't do anything wrong. I'm just not used to being around men my age." She finally answered, looking up into his gray-blue eyes. "People normally aren't so casual about undressing, I was just surprised."
"Should I put my shirt back on?" His voice was genuine as he sought to fix the discomfort he had caused.
"This is your room," She shrugged, trying desperately not to admire the pale expanse of his abdomen. "You can do whatever you want."
"Alright!" The spirit seemed excited by this answer, he tossed his shirt onto the wood floor then proceeded to walk around the bed to lay beside her under the blankets. Though he was careful not to touch her skin, lest he cause her to feel embarrassed once again, she was at a loss for words. This was an unexpected response. It was her own fault, after all, she had told him to do whatever he wanted. She just hadn't anticipated that he'd want to sleep next to her.
As she turned to look at the young man that was currently laying in bed beside her, she found his eyes were already on her. His light blond hair was the color of straw and while his features were very handsome, she personally thought his blue eyes were the best part of his face. They were so gentle and compassionate, the very essence of a spring rainstorm. She couldn't imagine these eyes belonging to 'the ghost of the spire'.
"Can you show me more of your world?" His hand reached out to finger a soft auburn lock that rested on the bed between them. It was quite silky against his scarred skin.
"Yes, just please stay away from memories of my father." At his reluctant nod, she released the way against his eager tendril. The young woman tried to conjure images of things he wouldn't know of in this world. She flashed through her memories, pausing at things he might find interesting. Some of her memories felt blurry, less connected than they had been when she first arrived.
Cole frowned as she brought forth an image of the 'county fair', her happiness at that time in her life was now tinged with sadness at the thought that she would never attend another. She wondered how many things she would never see again. The last couple of years had been spent in quarantine and now she would never experience all the things she missed out on. She had never been to a concert, or driven cross country on a road trip with friends.
As he reached out a calloused hand to cup her cheek she realized that she had been crying, her body shaking softly. The gentle pressure on her face was enough to remind her that not all was lost, she was alive and had a place to stay. Her stomach was full of tasty food and she had at least one friend.
"Are we friends?" His voice was serious, but there was a glimmer of hope in his eyes.
"I hope so," She couldn't fight the yawn that broke through her lips, as his hand receded she found herself missing his touch once more. His skin felt nice against her own. Alaina felt her eyelids growing heavier, though she could feel his presence in her consciousness she felt no discomfort this time. Instead, feeling safe and warm, she fell into the gentle embrace of sleep.
When she awoke he was gone, but in his place lay a crudely carved wooden cat. As she closed her hand around it, she noticed that he had even attempted to outline Theo's pattern. A large grin was on her face as she held it above her, she wondered if he had asked Blackwall for his help or just borrowed his tools. Regardless, she cradled it to her chest, her heart warm.
As she got out of bed she noticed a pile of thin armor on the nightside table. Cole must have brought it to her while she slept. Undressing, she pulled her borrowed tunic over her head, letting it fall to the floor. She slipped her leggings off and hoped there was some sort of bra in the pile.
Instead, she found a sturdy cotton wrap that she assumed went around her chest. It managed to flatten her breasts, but it was in a slightly uncomfortable manner. The imagery of Cullen adding this to the pile made her laugh. A form-fitting beige tunic was pulled over the top of the makeshift binding and a pair of thick leather leggings that were a little loose made up the majority of the outfit. She couldn't imagine the outfit provided much protection, but as a candidate for a rogue, the regular armor might be too heavy to move quietly in. She carefully put the small wooden cat in her pocket, patting it softly.
Alaina pulled her hair into a tight ponytail to keep it from her eyes. With no idea how the training would go, she found she was a little nervous. The normal recruits trained to be warriors, not rogues, though following the regime would help strengthen her body at least. She wondered if she would have a specific trainer to teach her, she was fine with anyone as long as it wasn't Sera. That girl could be a bit much, and the thought of her training methods scared her a bit.
Perhaps she could ask Cole or Varric to teach her to pick a lock, it had been a pretty necessary skill in the game. Although she imagined getting caught in real life would probably lead to some jail time. As she walked out the door, shrugging on the long leather coat that went with the apprentice armor, she nearly ran face-first into Cullen's chest.
"Oh!" The commander caught her arms to steady her. He looked down at the lovely girl, who currently had her palms pressed to his chest plate, a result of nearly falling over. A brilliant blush had spread across her cheeks, and she hurriedly stepped back. "I apologize, Lady Alaina, I was coming to inform you that we would be starting training soon."
"Do you escort all your new recruits, Commander?" Her lips curved into a soft smile as she took his offered arm. His eyes lingered on her softly pointed ears and trailed down her slender neck, both now visible with her hair pulled back.
"No, but you are a special guest of our Inquisitor." He rubbed the back of his neck nervously, a red flush tinted his cheeks. "I wanted to make sure you knew the way."
"I appreciate your thoughtfulness," After getting lost the night before she was glad to have a guide, she probably would have ended up lost in Skyhold once more. "Though the recruits might think you are playing favorites if you keep calling me 'Lady Alaina'."
"You are probably right about that," Another charming smile. "However, there is nothing wrong with having a favorite."
The young woman blushed, she didn't remember him being this suave or this much of a flirt. Initially, she wondered if he would be one of the hardest to win over, but perhaps she was wrong. He was one of the few that didn't require approval to romance after all, although she did suspect he could just be using his charm to investigate her. She remained silent in the aftermath of his confession as they continued down through the bar and out onto the training grounds.
"Good morning Commander Cullen." The recruits were lined up waiting to be trained, Cassandra standing nearby. The light of the sun was barely beginning to peek over the mountains to the east, casting the entire hold in a dim glow. As the pair approached, the warrior narrowed her eyes at the peculiar woman on the Commander's arm. "And who is this?"
"Lady Alaina," He gave her a nod to join the recruits, which she did quickly as she mimicked their stance. A couple of men glanced over at her curiously but stayed silent. "She is a guest of the Inquisitor who will be joining us for morning training."
The tall Tevinter lowered her voice, "What IS she? She looks like some sort of demon."
Though Alaina didn't believe the other recruits could hear the harsh words, they were clear as a bell to her and she frowned. She guessed this was to be expected, Cassandra hadn't been welcoming of anyone until they had thoroughly proven themselves.
"A comrade who wishes to help the Inquisition." A soft smile touched her lips, he seemed to believe that she wanted to help the Inquisition. Cassandra, however, cast a skeptical look in the redhead's direction.
"The Inquisitor found a strange-looking girl laying in the snow by a rift and brought her here without any interrogation?" The expression on her scarred face was slightly frightening. Though she was a beautiful woman, she was strong enough to fight against the best.
"Cole said he didn't feel any ill will coming from her." Their whispered conversation was getting a bit louder, she was sure the other recruits could hear at this point.
"A demon defending a demon, how unusual." The short-haired woman scoffed, "We shall see if she is an asset, but I will not hesitate to cut her down should she be a liability to the Inquisition."
"This is not your decision to make Cassandra," The bearded Inquisitor approached from nearby, having overheard the conversation. "Though I appreciate your advice, as always, she says she wants to help, and I say we let her. The last thing we need is to turn away potential allies."
"Fine, but I will be watching her closely." Cassandra scowled and stalked away, nearly knocking shoulders with The Iron Bull as he approached them.
"I've never seen that woman with a smile on her face," Throwing a greeting nod to the redhead, he turned to Commander Cullen."I wanted to see what she's got. The kid is the only one who has seen her fight and he wouldn't describe it to me."
"Well, I think we can make that happen." Cullen turned to the recruits and spoke in a loud commanding tone. "Recruits! Pair off and spar! Let's see what you've got!"
Alaina was never good at finding a partner in projects and was the last choice for a burly bearded man. As he approached the red-haired woman, he wasn't sure if this was the commander's idea of a joke. A petite woman like her had no place on the battlefield, however, her slitted eyes showed that she was something more.
Alaina walked toward a nearby table, its large surface covered with dull training weapons. After patiently waiting her turn, she selected a pair of dented daggers as Christopher had suggested. The set of steel knives looked as though they had seen many battles and were good for little else than practice at this point. Her partner had chosen a two-handed sword, a clear indicator of his physical strength.
"Of course I get the demon," The larger man muttered, his eyes narrowing. The other's had already begun to spar when she came to stand a few feet ahead of him. "You can back out anytime little girl."
"I'm here to be trained as an asset to the Inquisition, just as you are." Her voice was even and composed, though internally her agitation flared. Growing up in a poor household, she had been taunted and bullied enough in school to know that nothing good would come of getting emotional in front of a man.
"I'm sure they could use an extra hand in the kitchen," The man's greasy brown hair shook as he laughed at his own joke. Ah, a sandwich joke. She should have guessed.
"Do not underestimate your opponent!" The Commander's comment was clearly a pointed one as he stood near the sidelines, his eyes on the small redhead. Her starting form was awkward and her stance was too narrow. Perhaps he should have taken some more time with her one on one. This batch of recruits had started training about a month beforehand, he hoped she wasn't too far behind. "This lesson is about disarming, we are not looking to maim our comrades."
"I'm not going to go easy on you just because you're obviously fucking the commander." He jeered, his lips curling into a cruel smile as he settled into his own stance. The dull sword was held in his hands firmly and his feet were staggered, his knees slightly crouched. "Maybe you'll learn your place is in his bedroom after this." The brunette man paused looking her up and down. "You've got a nice body, maybe when he's done with you, you can help warm up my bed."
Seeing red, she rushed forward, her movements incredibly fast and graceful. The daggers felt awkward in her hands, however, and the man managed to block her initial jab. He lifted a boot to kick her square in the chest but she had already shifted her weight to avoid it. Wrapping her arm around his leg she pulled, knocking him off balance. He fell to the ground unceremoniously and she quickly stomped a boot-clad foot on his sword.
"Well, would you look at that," The Qunari male commented from nearby, obviously impressed. The Inquisitor gave a loud clap as she stepped back to offer the man a hand to stand. Alaina had followed the instructions and disarmed him, avoiding all injury to her partner except a bruised ego.
"Little bitch," He grabbed a handful of dirt and tossed it at her eyes, obviously upset that she had so quickly won their battle.
As the grit obscured her vision, she attempted to distance herself from the man. His calloused fist cut its way through the cloud of dirt, aimed for her face. As she crossed her forearms to block the hit, she waited for the impact. When it didn't come, however, she realized she was staring at a wall of black leather.
"You lost." At the sound of Cole's soft voice, she dropped her arms, stepping to the side to observe the situation. The young rogue had grabbed the man's fist and tucked the man's arm behind his back, firmly preventing movement. "The battle is over." The man squirmed in the blond's grip, and when he was finally released, he turned to spit in her direction.
"I thought I would be fighting a human, not a demon bitch." He attempted to step toward her, but Cole blocked his path once more.
The Inquisitor was practically seething but before he could go over to knock some sense into the disrespectful man, Cullen held a hand up. His face was serious and, for the first time since Alaina had met him, he looked truly frightening. A true commander, he did not need to hit his underlings to set them straight.
"You will encounter many beings on the battlefields, but I do not need a man who cannot respect his comrades. Lady Alaina is not your enemy. You can choose to apologize for your underhanded tactics, or you can return to the barracks, pack your things, and leave." The blond commander stood in front of the recruit, he had shown promise but there was no room in the Inquisition for someone who would attack his own side.
Cole stepped back to loosely grab the hand that was limply hanging by her side. His fingers softly stroked her palm in comfort as she watched the brown-haired male square up to Cullen. She honestly hadn't expected to win. Having no previous training, she had expected to get disarmed almost immediately but found that his movements were slow and easy to predict. She suspected it had taken less than a minute for their spar to be over, save for the time spent on his trash talk.
He finally slumped his shoulders in obvious defeat, this job was the best he'd had in years. "I apologize for my insolence, Commander Cullen." Looking like a dog that had been kicked, he waited for his punishment.
"Don't apologize to me." His head nodded to the young woman, who was standing awkwardly by the spirit who had blocked the hit meant for her. "If she accepts it, you can stay but you will be punished."
"Lady Alaina," He sounded quite insincere as he tipped his head in a mock bow. "I apologize for my insolence towards a respected young woman like yourself."
Both the Inquisitor and The Iron Bull bristled at his fake apology, nearly stepping forward to correct the issue themselves when the redhead smiled. "I accept your apology on one condition." She looked at Cullen, a mischievous look in her eyes. "Can I decide his punishment?"
"That hardly seems fair-" The recruit started to complain but a harsh look from the older blond male shut him up.
"Of course Lady Alaina," He offered her a dazzling smile, curious as to what she would have the man who slighted her do.
"I think one week helping the scullery maid in the kitchen would set him straight," Her fangs glinted softly in the morning light as she gave him a dazzling smile. "They could always use another set of hands."
The older recruit was angry at the suggestion, his expression tight and cold. He obviously thought the assignment was beneath him. "I hardly think that's necessary."
"Angry, agitated, aggrieved." Cole softly whispered from his position by the young woman's side. "Next spar he will do much worse than just hit you."
"Sounds like a full month would be a better punishment," The Inquisitor glowered from the side, to which The Iron Bull shook his head.
"Five minutes with the chargers and I would have him begging Alaina for her forgiveness." The large Qunari had a very serious expression on his face, a couple of broken bones would teach the piece of trash to treat a woman with respect.
"I think three weeks would be enough," Alaina faked, pleading for the man, something that seemed to irritate him even more.
"Alright then," The handsome commander nodded, "Three weeks starting tomorrow. You will help the scullery maid and you then can rejoin our training."
After dismissing the other recruits for the day, Cullen approached the young woman who had stood to the side. The spirit was, irritatingly enough, still touching her. The young rogue was currently brushing the dirt from her clothes with gentle hands. Cole used his thumbs to wipe the dust from her face.
"I'm sorry for all that mess Lady Alaina," His hand rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. His gold eyes were apologetic as he looked at the young lady. "Things will be better tomorrow."
"It's okay, I can't say I wasn't expecting any opposition," The corners of her lips curled into a forced smile. The incident had upset her for very obvious reasons, though she wasn't sure why she expected the men of this world to be any different than those of her own. Having seen so many strong women characters, she had thought that gender equality was a little more common. A stupid thought for a world that still had slavery.
"I think after that show, it might be better to figure out alternative methods of training for Alaina." The Inquisitor's mahogany eyes turned to the girl. "You have the obvious makings of a rogue, I could ask Varric and Sera to help with some training if you'd still like to learn."
"Why not me?" The young rogue had a confused expression on his face. He was faster and better with daggers than either of them after all. "I could help."
"Are you sure?" Christopher questioned the young man, "You might hurt her during training."
"Yes," His voice was firm, she wanted so desperately to learn to defend herself. If he could help her with that perhaps she would allow him to untangle some of the hurt. He turned to look at the redhead who was watching him closely. "Can I help?"
"I'd love that." Her emotions showed that she was slightly eager to start her training with the young rogue. Cole was the best with daggers after all, and even if he wouldn't spar with her, she knew he could teach her a lot.
"Small hands, sharp edges, not too slim." His smile was bright as he disappeared to presumably go find her a pair of daggers that would be the best for her small form.
"That demon, I mean Cole, seems very attached to you," Cullen commented, his eyes watching the petite woman. She frowned slightly at his use of the word demon. How could all these people still distrust him after all of his efforts to help those of Skyhold?
"I think it's because I don't think of him as anything less than Cole," Her voice was slightly defensive as she thought of the blond.
"Well," The Inquisitor interjected, "It seems he will be taking over your close combat training. Sera is the best archer we have, so I will request that she help with your archery skills. Though I'm sure it'll cost me."
"If you'd like I can teach you more about battle strategy over dinner at the tavern sometime?" The Iron Bull flirted, leaning forward toward the young lady.
Alaina laughed at his response, her eyes lighting up. These characters were becoming more and more every day. She wasn't sure why she had ever been afraid of them.
"Or she can ask the Knight Commander," Cullen responded, his face full of pride as though he was positive that she would choose him instead. He looked at her expectantly, waiting for her to make her choice.
"I think that both of you probably have a lot of advice to give." The redhead straddled the line, if she chose one or the other it would feel like a loaded offer. "How about I meet with each of you once a week for dinner at the tavern and we can go over some different strategies?"
"That sounds lovely Lady Alaina," Cullen gave her a soft bow. "I have matters to attend to so I will see you later to discuss scheduling."
"I have to go find Sera and discuss your training," The Inquisitor gave her a nod in farewell.
"I have to go prepare for a trip with the chargers," The Iron Bull explained as he walked toward the stables. "We will be gone for a week or so, then we have our date."
"Our dinner to discuss battle strategy," Alaina corrected a bright smile on her face. Now she wasn't sure she had made the right decision to straddle the line, but it was too late for doubts.
By the time she had arrived back at her quarters a polished pair of bloodstone daggers lay on her nightstand. A note with scribbled handwriting that said For Alaina, sat beside it. As she tested the weight in her hands, she found that they were perfect. The stone was cool in her grip and felt like an extension of her own hands. Perhaps she could bake him some cinnamon rolls to say thank you.