Hey! Updating a few hours later than normal, but it's still Friday, but like thirty minutes! Enjoy the chapter!

The Inquisitor had some rather interesting traveling companions that much Marian Hawke understood from briefly speaking to some of them at the Tavern. The Iron Bull and Sera had easily become her favorite drinking companions and general chaos starters. The three of them had more than once had drinking contests that led late into the night, causing many a half dressed table dance and drunken singing. It was just like Kirkwall, expect the company she kept wasn't completely criminal, the drinks were of better quality and everything was different. At least Varric stayed the same, but he didn't live in the Tavern, the blasted dwarf had to live in all the way up those fancy castle stairs. And, Marian hated stumbling up those stairs drunk.

Even though The Herald's Rest had become Marian's favorite place to spend her down time at Skyhold, there were still times when it made her uneasy. More often than not soldiers would give her hard stares or grab a weapon. All thoughts of a fight were quickly diffused by the hulking Qunari watching every interaction with one very functional eye, but Marian never quite felt safe.

Then there was Anders, who was being kept under lock and key between her, Bethany, Cullen and the Inquisitor. Vengeance was doing its best to attempt a full possession, but just couldn't seem to pull it off. Maybe the demon felt uneasy staying in this place for too long. Did it have some sixth sense feeling that it was going to be exorcized or maybe all the Templars were worrying it? Either way, Anders was continuous moody, which only made Marian want to drink more, though she always had wild tales to share with her lover afterwards.

When she wasn't dealing with Anders, who was starting to go a little stir crazy from all of her hovering, she was spending time at the Tavern learning all she could about the mysterious Inquisitor. Despite being at Skyhold for a few weeks, she hadn't really gotten to talk the fearless leader past their initial meeting. So, she asked around a bit. Marian was going to be traveling with her for a few months and wanted to make sure that she wasn't some insane serial killer.

All she had been able to find out about the woman was that she Dalish, one hundred and fifty percent sure she was never going to convert despite the Mothers' insistence, she hated nobles, the kids thought she was funny, the soldiers thought she was a monster on the battlefield and when training, was kind hearted, saved the lives of all the people there, and stuck up for mage rights.

By all rights the woman should be a saint. She could honestly be the next coming of Andraste with how these people spoke about her. So, Marian went about asking her friends about her.

Sera claimed she stuck up for the little people, but was too elfy…Marian wasn't sure what that meant and kept going. Bull claimed she was a warrior that covered herself in the blood of her enemies, but she took no joy in dragon hunting, which was apparently a mood killer for him. Varric said the woman was novel worthy, but he wants to see if her story ends in tragedy. Marian steered clear of Cassandra, she tended to stutter and blush around the eldest Hawke and it made her uncomfortable. She also refused to talk to Vivienne, they tended to argue more than speak. Blackwall only had positive things to say about the Inquisitor. He seemed to idolize her much the same way the other occupants and soldiers tended to. Then there were the two mages. Solas had a stick up his ass so Marian didn't really bother with him. He didn't seem like the gossiping type, but he spoke to the Inquisitor quite often and normally in elven. Dorian thought that it was novel that Marian was asking about the Inquisitor and told him that her worst quality was her outdated sense of fashion and the fact that she seemed enjoy taking him out on adventures in the most grotesque of places.

All in all, there was nothing really to report about the woman. She was nice, end of story, but something just seemed off to Marian and it had to do with their introduction. The Inquisitor knew Marian was bringing Anders and threatened her without batting an eyelash. When the Inquisitor spoke to her there was no compassion in her voice, she was strict and unbending. It wasn't what Marian had heard from everyone else.

Anders was still being watched around the clock, whether they could see the spy or not, they knew Leliana wasn't going to leave Anders, a possessed mage, to be left only under Marian's supervision. Though, Marian hopes they enjoy watching the copious amount of sex she and Anders tend to partake in to pass the time.

But, even Marian needed a break from Anders and Vengeance's never ending battle with each other, so she would go and drown her sorrows for a bit. The Iron Bull was fun especially when it came to drinking together. Hawke enjoyed the copious stories he had about his mercenary team. It seemed that they got into some rather interesting situations when they were on their own. They were even hiding a mage, or Marian was nearly positive Dalish was a mage. She claimed that she was using a bow, but Marian was ninety nine percent sure that was a staff.

Krem was a gift to humanity, only for his constant calm presence in the face of his Qunari commander. It was actually Krem that got Marian to see the softer side of the Inquisitor first hand.

It was early in the afternoon when Marian had found both Krem and the Inquisitor sewing stuffed nugs and halla for the children of Skyhold inside the tavern. It was cute and a little disconcerting that the leader of the Inquisition was sewing in a dimly lit tavern corner with a Tevinter mercenary. Apparently, the Inquisitor was still recovering from her escape from Haven and was only allowed up and about for part of the day, so here she was spending time sewing and talking with Bull's mercenary team.

Things got interesting when Bull wanted to attach wings to them, which Krem approved of, and then continued his idea by suggesting that they catapult them off the far end of Skyhold to see how far they flew, which Krem gave him a firm no. Ellana had given her mercenary commander a disapproving glare, which Bull had the decency to look a little ashamed of his suggestion before she went back to her work on her halla. It looked quite realistic and Marian knew that she would make a child extremely happy when she was finished.

Sera was another fun one, she couldn't sew, but enjoyed chatting away while Krem and the Inquisitor worked. The young archer approved of making little stuffed nugs for the kids, since it was for the little-little people who had lost nearly everything at Haven and the kids tended to help Sera in quite a few pranks around Skyhold, so their happiness was key.

Sera was so young to fighting and it broke Marian's heart a little bit to see how much she hated herself and her heritage, but at the same time, Sera was a main player in a small rebel band that stretched across Thedas. The girl wasn't as innocent as she seemed no matter how damaged she was. Honestly, Marian wanted to help her Friends of Red Jenny. They could be doing a lot of good in Kirkwall and she wondered if Varric had thought of that yet, since he is the future Viscount. Sera honestly reminded Marian a little bit of Isabella, if only for her crude humor and obsession with breasts, but it brought a smile to her face nonetheless.

Then there was Cole, a squirrely spirit of compassion. She had almost forgotten about him, again. He was sitting on a few barrels next to the Inquisitor talking about how wiggly nugs are and how the stuffed animal was feeling as it was being stitched up, which went from cute to disturbing rather quickly. He seemed nice enough, but Marian had known Vengeance when it was still Justice. She just hoped that the Inquisitor knew what she was getting into with spirits.

Though, Cole was the most human non-possessed spirit she had ever seen. He had made his own body, basing it off of a human he had met, but nonetheless, created a physical body outside of the fade. Here this spirit was watching the stuffed animals be created with rapt attention. He then delivered the toys for the Inquisitor and Krem so they didn't need to stop working. The Inquisitor was trying to teach him that being seen and being remembered wasn't something to fear. The Kid, as Varric called him, seemed to enjoy the joy the toys brought out of the children and did as the Inquisitor asked without complaint.

"Would you like one too, Champion? You've been watching her all afternoon?"

Marian jumped in her chair, pivoting on her chair to see Solas leaning against her table. She frowned, when the hell had he gotten here?

"No, halla and nugs aren't really my style, now a dragon on the other hand…"

Bull raised a mug of ale in silent agreement.

"Would you like me to put in a request for you?"

Marian snorted, pushing a stray piece of hair out her face before going back to tracing a finger along her table. "Hardly. Why are you here, Solas? I've been here two weeks and I've yet to see you in the tavern. Why the change of heart?"

The elf gave her an unimpressed glance before motioning to the woman sewing the halla. Of course, she was the reason he was here. "The Inquisitor missed her healer's appointment and I was tasked with finding her."

Ah, so he's here to play healer.

Marian waved a hand dismissively. "If I dropped dead every time I'd missed a healer's appointment I'd have died a hundred times over and I was run through by a Qunari's blade."

She heard a tankard of ale clatter behind her and gave Bull a sultry look over her shoulder that had the Qunari somewhat hot and bothered.

"Yes, well, Ellana was nearly crushed by a mountain. Her ribs were badly damaged." He replied surly, pulling her away from her game of teasing. He was never any fun. Solas never liked to play along, his loss.

The elf turned away from her and walked over to the Inquisitor, who was so busy sewing that she hadn't even noticed him standing in front of her. Solas tapped her shoulder and she narrowed her eyes at the interruption. Solas put a hand on his hip, no doubt a disappointed frown on his face. The Inquisitor looked crestfallen for a moment. Maybe she wasn't as bad of a patient as Marian thought…

"Would you believe me if I told you I lost track of time?"

Then again, maybe not.

"Considering that this is the third one you missed, no."

Oh, how daring this apostate elf was to talk to his leader like that. Marian hadn't seen anyone question the Inquisitor in such a manner before. Then again, Marian isn't privy to any of the conversations that she has in the war room that don't pertain to her, so, she might be missing out.

"Are they still waiting for me?"

"Yes, now come before I have to drag you there."

He was very daring and Marian noticed a few people watching their interaction with more than polite curiosity.

The Inquisitor rolled her eyes, putting down her needle and thread and gave Krem a long-suffering look before standing up from her chair. Krem gave her a small salute, but never stopped working.

Solas held out an arm for the Inquisitor, which she took with exaggerated exhaustion. She even added in a slight swoon, much to the amusement of her friends. Then Solas whispered something into her ear, which caused her burst out laughing.

Marian wasn't sure what Solas had told her until a few days before they left for Crestwood. She was greeted to the sight of a green stuffed dragon sitting in front of her bedroom with a neatly written note from the Inquisitor saying:

If you wanted one, all you needed to do was ask.

~Ellana

Maybe Solas had some humor to him after all.

This chapter had a little bit more interception from Hawke than most others will, but I thought getting her opinion on the Inquisitor and her inner circle members was fun to write. This chapter was like nine hundred words shorter yesterday. It got beefed up last night when I realized I couldn't give you guys such a tiny chapter. Though, I like where I went with it. Stuffed nugs are super cute and a real thing!

Crestwood is fast approaching so more action is on the way and then plot twists! Ah, I'm so happy!

Thanks for all those that are reading, following, reviewing and favoriting! It's means a lot and keeps the chapters flowing!

See you all next week,

Animerocker