When Solas said that he knew of a place where they could regroup and rebuild, this was not what she'd been expecting. Skyhold was a fortress, it was a wonder, and it was exactly what they needed. There was room for everyone, for the soldiers, the scholars, the medics, and everyone in-between. There was so much to explore, and even more to do. Often times Delani would stand overwhelmed and undecided on whether she wanted to help unload the steady flow of incoming supplies, or if she wanted to familiarize herself with Skyhold's grounds.
After concluding that she could both explore and help unpack, she assisted Dennett in getting the stables ready for the exhausted and temperamental mounts. She shouldn't have been as surprised as she was to discover that the human Horse Master had been able to rescue every last one of her mounts. The man was dedicated to his job, and she appreciated him for it. She didn't know what they would do without him. Most weren't bred for the mountain air, Dennett explained to her as she laid out the bedding. If they didn't tend to the creatures properly, they risked losing them.
Once the stables were ready, she helped Dennett get all of the steeds into their respectable spaces. A smile coiled her lips as the large creatures quickly settled in, as if they knew that this was their home and that they could finally relax. Delani walked through the stables, making sure that all of the mounts had everything they needed, before stopping in front of her favorite one. Cornelius, the red hart, stepped up to the gate and huffed in her face in greeting.
Laughing at the magnificent creature, she stroked the side of his face up to his ear. He was an enormous thing, with a temper that made most others give him a wide berth. When it came to Delani, though, he was gentle and calm. They'd formed a special bond, and he didn't throw her even under threat of being mauled by a bear. Halla were intelligent steeds, smarter than horses and even most children. Cornelius was no halla, but sometimes he was too smart for his own good.
She stole an apple from the barrel behind her, and checked to make sure that Dennett's attention was elsewhere before giving Cornelius the treat. The hart quickly nabbed it from her open palm, knowing that the treat was their little secret. He scarfed it down quickly before nudging her for another. Patting his nose, Delani murmured, "That's a good boy," a smile on her face and a laugh in her voice.
A somberness threatened to bud inside of her. Cornelius was the closest thing that she had to home. He reminded her of her clan's halla, and everything that reminded Delani even slightly of her clan had the tendency to make her sad. Giving Cornelius another loving stroke, she didn't turn to Dennett when she asked, "Did you need anything else, Dennett?"
The human groaned as he lifted a sack of seed. Voice strained under the weight of burlap sack, he replied, "Not at the moment." He moved the seed into the corner of the stables, near the barrels that they would be poured into, and patted his hands clean on his trousers. Offering Delani a grateful simper, he stated, "Thank you for your assistance, Herald."
She returned his smile with a polite, yet pleading, one of her own. "Please, Dennett, call me Delani." All of this 'Herald of Andraste' nonsense was getting old. If she was going to be spending much time in the stables, like she was planning on, he could at the very least feel comfortable enough to call her by her first name.
The expression on his features was acknowledging of her request but respectfully declining the familiarity. Without further addressing her statement, he moved their attention to all of mounts accommodating the stables. "These beasts can finally relax. 'Bout time too, they were getting bite-y."
Delani hummed in understanding. Their travels had been long and tiring, by the end of it everyone was feeling bite-y. Returning her gaze to Cornelius, she rubbed his neck as she asked, "Do you mind if I stay a bit longer?" She glanced over her shoulder to catch Dennett's reaction, only to have the hart nuzzle her ear. Giggling away from him, she pushed Cornelius's nose away from her face and finished her thought. "I haven't brushed Cornelius in a long time, and I think we both miss it."
The human's expression was amused as he regarded her and the mount. Crossing his arms in front of his chest, he casually shrugged his shoulders before admitting, "Normally I'd be more than happy for you to stay and brush him down," his expression turned serious as he finished his statement. "But I think Cassandra wants to speak with you."
Surprised, Delani glanced over her shoulder to where a group was starting to form. Curiosity and dread started to take root in her gut. She could feel that something was about to happen, but she didn't know what. The uncertainty was making her uncomfortable. Stepping towards the stable's exit, she stared a little while longer at the amassing crowd.
Without looking back at the Horse Master, she wondered, "Do you have any idea what she wants to speak with me about?"
"I'm not privy to that information, my lady," he answered, his tone only slightly apologetic; if only for the fact that he didn't have the information she was asking after. "I'm only here for the horses."
A sigh spilled from her, her discomfort growing with the feeling of foreboding. She knew that something was about to happen, and also that she couldn't avoid whatever it was. The group gathering on Skyhold's lower grounds was already double what it had been just moments ago. Answers lied within that crowd, as did something else. Setting her jaw, Delani decided to get whatever was about to happen over with.
"Thank you, Dennett," she said, "I'll speak to you another time."
He mumbled a reply and she stepped forward, pushing herself towards the growing commotion. A part of her insisted that she turn tail and run for the hills, whatever was about to happen she probably wanted nothing to do with. A larger part of her was intrigued. What did Cassandra want to speak with her about? Why was the crowd forming? What was about to happen, and why did it feel like it involved her?
Delani quickly found Cassandra. She was accompanied by Cullen, Leliana, and Josephine. They were in the middle of a discussion before Cassandra noticed her approach and waved her over, bringing her to the others' attention as well. They shared a knowing look that made Delani nervous, before dispersing before she could join their circle.
As Delani came to stand in front of Cassandra she tried to convince herself that the look in the other woman's eyes wasn't sinister. Cassandra noticed the wary glance that Delani gave the crowd and said by way of explanation, "They arrive daily from every settlement of the region. Skyhold is becoming a pilgrimage."
Delani didn't reply and Cassandra started walking. Sticking closely to the Seeker's side, Delani divided her attention between the purpose of the gathering crowd below and listening to what Cassandra had to say. Since arriving in Skyhold everyone had been preoccupied settling in. Delani hadn't really interacted with Cassandra or the others, and now she felt out of the loop because of it. She was missing something, on the outside looking in, waiting for something to happen. The whole thing made her uncomfortable.
"If word has reached these people, it will have reached the Elder One. We have the walls and the numbers to put up a fight here, but this threat is far beyond the war we anticipated." She paused at the top of the stairwell, looking to Delani with a hint of admiration in her brown eyes. There was something more there too, wheels turning, plots unfolding. When she spoke, her tone was casual, but Delani could tell that Cassandra was up to something, and that she wouldn't like it.
Cassandra glanced down at Delani's marked hand when she finished her thought, "But we now know what allowed you to stand against Corypheus, what drew you to him."
Delani also looked down at her hand. The mark ran like a scar over her palm, the green glow a constant reminder that her life would never be the same. She used to be a hunter for a Dalish clan. People had always turned to her for direction, but this was different. Before she was just an elf among elves, now she was the Herald of Andraste and people looked to her for guidance and approval. They regarded her as though she were more than herself, and Delani didn't like it.
Andraste, the Maker, the Creators, what did any of them matter? She wasn't chosen by some higher power to be something greater. She was just a woman with the misfortune of having a terrible sense of timing. People followed her because of their own misinterpretation of unfortunate events. The anchor was the work of magic, not divine intervention, and yet superstition came more naturally to these people than logic.
Without looking up from the glowing scar running across her palm, at Cassandra, Delani rebuked, "He came for this and now it's useless to him, so he wants me dead; that's it." There logic, why was it so hard of a concept for people to grasp? Why make her more than what she was when the truth was so much easier to understand?
The look Cassandra gave her was sympathetic, but the shine in her eyes revealed just how little she believed Delani's words. She turned and started walking again, giving Delani a sideways glance to make sure that she was still following closely at her side. "The anchor has power, but its not why you're still standing here." she said, starting up the stairs for the center building in Skyhold's courtyard.
As she climbed the stairs, Cassandra explained, sincerity in her words, confidence in her tone, "Your decision let us heal the sky, your determination brought us out of Haven. You are the creature's rival because of what you did. We all know it."
Leliana was waiting at the center platform with a gorgeously crafted great sword held reverently in her hands. Her head was bowed respectfully, a twinkle in her eye that Delani came to understand to mean that she knew far more than she was letting on. The nerves that had started to bud in her gut finally sprouted, fully blooming and anxiously weighing down in her stomach.
She glanced back at Cassandra, hoping that the other woman would save her from whatever it was that was about to happen, but the look the Seeker gave her was telling. She was behind this, or at least had a hand in it. Delani wouldn't be saved, this was happening and she was expected to play a part.
"The Inquisition requires a leader, the one who has already been leading it." said Cassandra, an encouraging smile playing at the corners of her mouth. She was regarding Delani with such confidence, such faith, such certainty, and it terrified her. Without the slightest bit of doubt, she stated, "You."
Delani's wide eyes moved from Cassandra down to the crowd that had formed on the lower grounds. They were all looking up at her. Soldiers, pilgrims, workers, and merchants, people of every background, every upbringing, all looking to her with something resembling awe in their eyes. This wasn't right, she didn't deserve this. Yes, she'd closed some rifts, killed some bad people, resolved some conflicts, but nothing that truly merited this.
Swallowing hard, she fought hard not to panic and high tail it as far from Skyhold as possible. Could she be the inquisitor? Her, an elf? Snapping her attention back at Cassandra, she had to make sure that the shemlan's head was still on straight. "You're offering this to an elf?" Delani asked, demanded more like, knowing that this respectable position would normally never be offered to someone like her. "Are you quite sure you know what you're doing?"
The smile that lifted Cassandra's features was reassuring. Wordlessly, she admitted that much thought had gone into this decision, and it wasn't one that they made lightly. She and the others had likely reviewed all candidates and this was the best outcome that they'd come to. The position was being offered to Delani not only because there was no one else, but because they felt that there was no one else more deserving of it. Delani thought that they were insane.
"I would be terrified handing this power to anyone. But I believe it is the only way." She walked toward Leliana, trying to usher Delani ever closer to the blade. Cassandra's features were stern with resolve and warm with reassurance. Delani was not in this alone, but only she could accept this responsibility. "They'll follow you. To them being an elf shows how far you've risen, how it must have been by Andraste's hand."
Delani tentatively approached Leliana and the blade, warily holding its gaze as if eyeing a high dragon. She couldn't see the difference. Taking that blade felt equivalent to poking a dragon and Delani felt disinclined to do either. Her entire body was shaking with foreboding, uncertainty, skepticism. Could she do this?
She barely heard the woman when Cassandra started speaking again. "What it means to you, how you chose to lead us, that is for you alone to determine."
Her stomach was rolling, anxiety, nerves, and paralyzing fear keeping her from moving for or away from the sword, from the title that came with taking it. What would it mean to be Inquisitor? What would change that hadn't already been changed? Delani unconsciously reached for the carving knife always strapped to her side. She felt the worn hilt, worried on the old leather. She could help by being Inquisitor, not just the people in general, but her people. Elves were mistreated, disregarded, esteemed as less than human, no more than beasts. Yet here she stood, being offered the position of Inquisitor, becoming more than anyone could have ever imagined.
Elves across Thedas needed someone to fight for them, to remind the rest of the world that their lives mattered. She couldn't do that as a hunter. Being just another elf wouldn't protect her clan from the constant threat of being attacked by ignorant shemlan. Fading back into the background wouldn't help change the lives of millions for the better. To not take that blade would be to put herself in front of the needs of countless lives.
Feeling the carving knife's hilt helped to remind her that her father would have wanted her to be more, to be better. If he were here he'd tell her to take the blade, to be the difference. He'd look at her with pride in his chestnut colored eyes, and remind her of the faith he'd had in her abilities. She could be the change she wanted to see; she could make the difference. She could do this, she had to do this.
Her hand lifted from the carving knife's hilt, slowly reaching out to the blade still held in offering by Leliana. Grinding her teeth, she forced herself to stop shaking. Her life was going to be changed by this, again. To think that merely months ago she'd just been a hunter, leading only her clan's hunters. Her biggest concern had been keeping away bandits and making sure the clan had enough to eat. Simpler times. Now she was to be Inquisitor, and she would rule armies.
Delani took the blade and was surprised by its weight, the weight of this decision, the weight of this title. Taking a deep breath, she admired the shine of the sleek blade, the dragon that wrapped around the hilt and danced over the metal. It was a gorgeous sword, deserving of a queen, of an Inquisitor.
Without looking away from the sword, she vowed, "I will lead us against Corypheus, and I will be an ambassador. I am an elf standing for Thedas, the Inquisition is for all."
Cassandra came up behind her, pulling Delani's attention with her. "Wherever you lead us." she respectfully replied before approaching the edge of the platform. Looking toward the mesmerized group of onlookers, Cassandra's booming voice wondered, "Have the people been told?"
A smile hinted at Josephine's features, proud and prolific as she loudly responded, "They have. And soon, the world!"
Satisfied with the other woman's answer, Cassandra moved her attention to Cullen. "Commander, will they follow?"
The look on Cullen's handsome features left little room for doubt. Turning around to face the crowd, he sought to quickly erase what little uncertainty remained on whether or not Delani would be accepted. "Inquisition, will you follow?" The crowd cheered. "Will you fight?" Their cries grew louder. "Will we Triumph?" The voices gathered in the courtyard were deafening.
With a grin on his lips, Cullen unsheathed his sword and pointed it toward Delani. His confidence was unwavering, his trust unbending as he shouted over the boom of hollering voices, "Your leader, your Herald, your Inquisitor!"
Well, that settles that, I suppose, thought Delani before lifting her blade into the air, their cheering succeeding what she'd assumed to be their maximum decibel. These people believed in her, had faith in her. They thought she was chosen by some divine force, when the truth was so much easier to grasp. And none of that truly mattered. Chosen or not, holy or not, Delani was the Inquisitor now, and the whole world was about to change because of it. She only hoped that she didn't fail and get every last one of them killed.
There was an energy in Skyhold, radiating from the people who now inhabited it. An excitement and eagerness that had not been there before. Change was upon them and they were no longer afraid to meet it head on. They had a leader, the Inquisition had a face, and she was beautiful.
Maker was she beautiful. Did she even know how beautiful she was? Cullen stared at the woman, blade in hand and pointed upwards in show. Her auburn hair was being gently blown back by the wind, as if the Maker himself was caressing her lovely features. Her clay colored skin glowed like bronze under the sunlight, sea green eyes shining with trepidation and forced confidence.
For a moment he'd been afraid that she wouldn't accept the title, that she would refuse to become Inquisitor. And could he really blame her if she had? Being Inquisitor meant something life changing. It meant she could now dine with kings and queens, that she could command armies, it meant that she was now an indisputable authority that demanded nothing short of respect.
After a moment of understandable contemplation Delani had taken the sword, and Cullen felt a wave of relief wash over him. As Inquisitor she became their leader, but it also meant that she was staying. He didn't know why it was so important to him that she did. Truly anyone would be safer far from the Inquisition's battles, and she'd be standing at the forefront of them all, but if she stayed it meant that he could get to know her better, and Cullen desperately wanted to get to know her better.
Not ever in his life had he met a woman so capable. She fought with vigor, lead with confidence, and had this smile that made his knees weak. If anyone could do the role of Inquisitor credit, it was she. She would command armies, his soldiers, him, and the thought made him feel nothing but a foreign resounding calm. Knight-Commander Meredith had mislead him, abused her powers, dehumanized her charges, but he knew that Delani would be different.
Delani was nothing like Meredith, she was more than Meredith could have ever dreamed to be. She was more than the Herald of Andraste, and Cullen had nothing but respect and admiration for her. As the elf woman descended from the stairs, great sword sheathed at her side so that the people could see, Cullen couldn't help but acknowledge that perhaps his feelings were a bit more than respect and admiration.
Would it be so farfetched for him to be romantically attracted to Delani? Yes, he decided. She was the Inquisitor now. He was the commander of her forces, her advisor. Professionalism demanded that he respect her as his superior and not regard her as a potential lover. He wouldn't have bedded Meredith, after all. But that comparison was lacking, which also helped to further his own point. While Meredith had been an older, and more experienced, woman, at her best she was also half the woman that Delani was.
After everything that Cullen had been through, after everything he'd done, all the vile things he'd thought, he didn't deserve someone like Delani. He choked down the thought, he was no longer the man he'd once been, he deserved more than he gave himself credit for.
Why was he even thinking about this? Entertaining the thought was pointless. Delani was her own woman. She could decide for herself what she wanted, and he knew that it would never be him.
She was proud of her people, and cared so dearly about being an elf. Getting involved with a human was frowned upon by her kind. Even if she could someday see him as more than just an advisor, more than the Commander, would she even want to pursue anything romantic with him?
When a pit started to form in his stomach he shoved away the thoughts and turned away from the dangerous trail they would lead him. He was content where he was, and with their relationship being what it was. That contentment probably wouldn't last him long, but for now it was enough.
He watched as she accepted congratulations and praise left and right. She was smiling, the expression on her face uncertain and hesitant, though no one else seemed to notice. He could understand her trepidations, but he also knew that if anyone could do this it was her. Cullen wanted to congratulate her himself, to make sure that she knew that he had faith in her abilities, but she was preoccupied and he had other things to attend to.
There were a million things left to do. The main hall needed to be cleared of rubble, the battlements needed to be fortified and manned, guard rotations needed to be established, and the surrounding area needed to be thoroughly mapped. Delani now had a trove full of new responsibilities that she would need to attend to as well. They were both terribly busy people, and stealing a moment of her time would've been more selfish than professional.
Yet when Delani approached him, smile on her full lips, he couldn't help but feel grateful that she'd pulled herself from the horde of gawkers to speak with him. The short woman stood before him, a laugh in her eyes that he'd become so accustomed to seeing. The smirk at the corner of her lips was teasing and Cullen found himself charmed by the very sight of it.
"Commander," she said, mischief in her voice, playfulness in her eyes.
Cullen couldn't help the smile that unearthed on his lips. Bowing his head in greeting, he respectfully returned, "Inquisitor."
Crossing her arms in front of her chest, Delani schooled her features to faux-seriousness and cleared her throat. "I have a favor to ask of you, vhenan'ara."
The sound of his given nickname made his heart jump in his chest. He wanted to know its meaning so badly, but couldn't bring himself to submit to the terms of her agreement. The lack of decorum was disrespectful, and all that Cullen had for her was respect. Knowing that she wouldn't reveal the meaning to him today, he eagerly replied instead, "Name it."
"The next time the four of you decide that you want to make a life altering decision," she quirked a semi-scolding eyebrow, a finger tapping against her bicep as she regarded him, "and it's my life that you'll be altering, please run it by me first."
She glanced back at the crowd that had only just started to disperse. Without looking back at him, Delani grumbled, "I would have appreciated a little forewarning before stepping into all of that."
A laugh sounded from Cullen. She was right of course. Forcing her blindly into that situation, while tactful, was also inconsiderate. He, Cassandra, Leliana, and Josephine had put her on the spot, forcing her answer.
Trying, and failing, to wipe the small smile from his lips, Cullen replied, "I'll take it under advisement, Inquisitor, but I make no promises."
Delani pursed her lips, dissatisfied with his answer. Narrowing her eyes into playful sharpness, she observed, "You must really dislike my name, Commander."
His smile spread widely across his lips. Resting his hands on the pommel of the sword on his hip, he rebuked, "You know, for a woman who hates titles being thrown around, you seem fairly quick to avoid using my name as well."
"That's fair." she conceded with a slight nod. After a second her smile returned, brighter than before, taunting him in a way that reminded him of his eldest sister. Arching an eyebrow that challenged him to dispute her next statement, she said, "But you seem to prefer me calling you Commander over Cullen."
Before he could respond one way or the other, her smile turned wolfish and she inserted, "It does have a nice ring of authority to it, I must admit."
"Inquisitor!" Someone shouted from the upper courtyard, beckoning Delani's attention.
She looked over her shoulder to find Cassandra waving for her to come. Sighing, Delani shook her head and looked at the ground for a second. Cullen wondered what she was thinking about, what was going on in that beautiful head of hers. When she looked back at him the smile was back in her eyes, feigned as annoyance.
"Inquisitor for five minutes and I'm already being put to work." She offered him a departing smile before excusing herself from their conversation. "I'll speak to you later, Cullen."
He nodded, allowing her to leave his presence without protest, though he did secretly wish for more time in her company. "Inquisitor," said Cullen by way of goodbye. He watched as she turned to climb the steps and meet with Cassandra.
There was a confidence to her stride, her steps cocksure and lithe. Delani Lavellan was a woman of merit, and he was glad that she'd had the misfortune of being sent to the Temple of Sacred Ashes. Everything that had brought them to this point had happened for a reason. She was the Herald of Andraste, the Inquisitor, and nations would bow at her feet. Cullen was proud to be a part of this movement, and was honored to serve a woman such as she.
A soldier came up to him, report in hand, snatching him from his thoughts. Cullen accepted the report with a sigh. There was work to be done. There was always work to be done.