LAST SNOW

Vast, infinite, quiet but the sounds of grieving families, empty save the lost, marching in search of home. Cole loved the snow, but he hated it. Its voice was like an angel as it sung, but the storms yelled far louder, and the ice told stories of times frozen in place, echoes. Uncomfortable in the mind's eye, pictures, glimpses of the lost and the abandoned. It chilled the spirit to his core.

He watched from a distance as the herald marched onward, he stopped when she stopped, and carried on as she proved her strength and determination in the worst of odds. He was captivated, in awe of this woman, no more so than any fascinating thing, but beyond that something compelled him, and he wasn't sure if it was merely curiosity or an inner knowing that something was different. Something was special.

The elf, Solas, walked beside her, he left paw prints in the snow that no one noticed, when he spoke Cole could see his teeth, but they did not frighten him. He liked Solas, he was… Nice. He liked a lot of people here, the strong ones, the ones that changed the music, and didn't conform to it. They left different colours, but they couldn't see that, either. The inquisitor, though, was by far the brightest. She burnt, she glowed, she was special. She made the terrified screams bearable.

They walked for days, the bitter cold claimed many lives and Cole made their moments as peaceful as he could. He hated that they suffered so, but there was little he could do for many of them. The ones that fought the strongest hurt him the most, because they weren't ready to die, and Cole could do nothing for them. He tried.

Now, many of the weakest had been lost, and the grief of their loved ones was almost crippling to the spirit. He wore a mask of indifference, and those who could see him hated him more for being so emotionless, but he wasn't.

The snow slowed their steps with each passing moment, cold gripped the living and they fought weakness, willing themselves to continue. Each person trapped in their own mind, waging personal wars only Cole could hear. They were tired, too tired, their faith kept them strong but their bodies would fail. They couldn't keep going, they had to rest but there was no place safe, no place protected, so they continued.

The climb was too steep, the path too long. Their steps faltered, slipping, sliding, landing in the wrong places. He swooped in under an elderly man, catching him before he fell, possibly plummeting to his death over the side of the mountain, he was safe now.

"Thank-you." The man whispered, tired, weary.

"You… Are welcome." Cole replied gently. The man was fearful of him, but not, confused, uncertain, but trusting. He'd come to serve, to assist, to stop the screams, the horrible, horrible noises that grasped at his mind like sickly grey-skinned hands reaching from a bog. It was overwhelming, suffocating, it dragged him deeper.

"They're scared, they want to go home but they can't, there is no home left, what will they do, how will they survive? The world is ending, the sky is crumbling, and the demons-" Cole caught his slip too late, the man stared with wide eyes, Cole could see his own reflected, similar, the same, but not really.

Then they softened. "You're a strange boy." The man said, gaining the strength to carry himself once more. Cole was hesitant to let him go.

"Am I?" he asked, curious. The man chuckled.

"Indeed you are."

They walked in silence for a short while before the man spoke again. "Are you a demon? He asked, cautiously."

"No."

"Then what are you?"

"I'm Cole."

The man smiled. "Well then, It's nice to meet you, Cole."

The skies were dark, drenched in navy paint while a million eyes peered down restlessly, blinking faster than the eye could track, twinkling. Cole sighed deeply, his own eyes captivated with the beauty above them. So bright, blindingly so, and they sung such pretty tunes. He found himself humming along with them, but he quickly fell silent at the rush of disapproval from those who could hear him. He glanced around shyly before making them forget, quickly moving closer to the herald and her comrades. They made no notice of him as he tilted his head this way and that. Listening to their private conversations.

He could hear their worries and concerns but found that most trusted in the heralds leadership, and it gave them no small amount of relief. They were uncertain, yes, but not lost like the people further back. It occurred to the spirit this was as close to the herald as he'd been since they fled haven. He moved closer, curious, she vibrated, trembled, unclear but focused. He liked her sound, it was… Comforting. The others heard it too, but they didn't. Their souls heard.

She was warm and bright, she stood out, her steps left colours- "Excuse me?" Came a gentle voice, firm, bold, but soft around the edges. Cole tilted his head slightly, peeking up from beneath his hat, his hands clasping defensively before him. The herald regarded him with deep blue eyes, like ink and oil.

"I'm sorry." He said quietly, slowing his pace.

The herald stopped, and her followers all turned their attention to him. He felt small. "My steps leave colours?"

"I- Yes. In the snow. When you walk." He gestured at her feet.

"I don't see anything." She said, more curious than anything.

"I'd be surprised if you did." Cole replied honestly. The herald made a soft Hmm sound before turning around again, waving her comrades to follow. Cole stayed in his place, waiting for others to pass, before the woman stopped again, glancing over her shoulder and giving him an unusual look. He stared at her until a smile crossed her features and she waved once more.

Cole looked behind him, but when he turned around the herald still stared at him expectantly. He made a step towards them, which seemed to please the woman, and she turned away to continue onward.

He followed close behind the group after that, slipping away only to help those who needed him.

Read and Review

This chapter is much shorter than I expected, I'm still learning how to write him properly

and I feel like I'm not quite getting it. Something is wrong, different, almost but not quite.

Anyway, let me know what you think my weak points would be, I really want to get his

character right without it being to hard to follow, or too easy, if that makes sense.

I guess something just feels off, but not sure what it is.

anyway, hope you like it so far, regardless! Thanks for the reviews, favorites and follows!