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"My Lord! My Lord Inquisitor!" Da'nehn heard from behind. He was on his way to the library to see Dorian after intense morning in the war room.
The messenger was breathing heavily when he finally stopped to bow before the elf.
"What is it?"
"Commander Rutherford is asking for your Worship's immediate assistance." The messenger said and left to his other duties.
"Fenedhis!" Swore the elf. He thought about stopping by the library for a brief moment, but moments with Dorian were never brief. And Cullen never used words like "immediate" without a reason.
Solas seemed surprised that after a short greeting Da'nehn didn't take the stairwell to the library, but instead went out to take a path to Commander's office and quarters.
Something started growing in the Inquisitor's stomach, placing itself heavily in his guts. Something bad happened. He didn't know all the soldiers in the Inquisition forces, but grieved every life lost for their cause as if he had personally sent each and every one of them to the war. Each figure on the war map was heavy with lives. Every time he saw one taken off it, his jaw hurt from holding tears.
"Inquisitor!" Cullen greeted him with a smile. Not deaths then. "I was hoping you could help me with new volunteers."
He was stacking papers on his desk into a neat pile.
"Volunteers?" Da'nehn was puzzled. "I have no experience in leading an army…"
"It is not that. A new group arrived this morning. The claim to be from your clan." Commander was closely studying Da'nehn's face.
"And you think it's a trap?"
"The boy's sharp." Thought Cullen and spoke. "We are in contact with the keeper from your clan. I think she would have mentioned…"
"Had she known."
Commander raised his brows.
"I was the only one sent to the conclave, two went with me on their own." Da'nehn cleared his throat. The burned bodies still haunted his dreams. "Let's go and meet them then."
"Official protocol… "
"Cullen." The elf interrupted. "They are my people, I won't drag them through the main hall for all those nobles to gossip."
Commander nodded and stepped from behind his desk.
"Besides…" Da'nehn's voice was cold as ice. "If it is a trap, it will be easier to handle with less incidental witnesses."
Commander lead him to the main gate, where a camp for all new arrivals had been prepared. They stayed there when they wounds were bound up, stomachs were filled, families reunited. Laugh of children of all races could be heard even by the tavern. It was incredible how little ones always found joy in hard times like this. Both Cullen and Da'nehn smiled at grimy group chasing a chicken by the stables.
"Last tent Inquisitor" directed the Commander.
Elven eyes adjusted to gloom of the tent quickly. He recognised three figures, two men and a woman, in typical Dalish light armors. The gear was familiar. Colors, type of joints, pattern on the leather.
"Andaran atish'an" he said. The lump in his gut started to hurt.
"Aneth ara lethallin." One of the men answered and approached him.
"Yaen?" Da'nehn didn't trust his eyes. Familiar face seemed like an image from dreams, not from reality. But he felt he was being hugged, his mind frozen and absent.
"Idra, Findrel, what are you doing here?" he finally asked when the other two approached him to exchange greetings. He heard Cullen easing his stance by the tent's entrance.
"You can't get all the glory yourself lethallin" said Idra, putting a finger between his ribs. "We came to help!"
She was a fine huntress, a head taller than Da'nehn, dark skin and hair black as raven's feathers made her look like a statue. Findrel was her twin brother. They even shared Falon'din's blood marking.
"The keeper let you go?"
"It's boring now, after the whole fuss was settled" said Findrel, stretching. "She told us to keep an eye on you."
Da'nehn snorted.
"Commander, meet the three best hunters of clan Lavellan." Inquisitor looked to the tent's entrance. "After I left, that is." He smiled.
Idra snorted and spoke, as the eldest of them, even if by mere minutes.
"Andaran atish'an Commander. Deshanna Istimaethoriel Lavellan sends her regards and support, grateful for Inquisition's help with our matters." Cullen nodded. "I am Idra, this is Yaen and my brother Findrel."
"We are as grateful."
"Commander, I believe Sister Nightingale will benefit from their expertise the most." Da'nehn said, hoping that Cullen would understand.
"I will speak with her now."
He did.
"Fen'Harel ma ghilana! Are you nuts?!" Inquisitor asked when Cullen left. "This war is crazy. Demons everywhere, walking corpses, and you volunteered to join?!"
Idra shrugged. Findrel crossed his arms on his chest.
"You can't have all the fun to yourself. Inquisitor…"
"You think this is a game…"
Finally, Yaen spoke, looking at his toes.
"No, we don't, lethallin." His voice came from the back of his throat. "We know this is serious. We know the world is at stake."
He looked Da'nehn in the eyes.
"That's why we came to help. We… I thought you would enjoy some company of your people."
Inquisitor looked at him. Yaen cut his red hair short, but apart from that he didn't change. His skin was still olive, and Da'nehn was sure it shimmered gold in the setting sun. His eyes were still golden and glittering. His lips…
Young elf shook his head.
"Leliana's people will come for you soon." He said. "Be direct and respectful."
Idra bit her lip and nodded.
"You should find service for her to your liking. If you need me, find a messenger with a purple ribbon. And I would avoid the main hall. The nobles will eat you alive."
He went silent for a minute and continued, looking at Findrel.
"You can tell Leliana, nobody else." Tall elf nodded, playing with a flame between his fingers. "There are templars here." The fire disappeared.
Da'nehn sighed, trying to get rid of burning feeling in his guts.
"Mythal enaste lethallin. It is good to see you." He smiled and left the tent. A little too quickly, but his chest was heavy and head spinned. His feet took him up the stairs to the wall, where he hoped the cold wind would clear his mind. He heard silent steps behind him halfway to the top of the wall.
"Da'nehn, wait."
Yaen jumped three stairs with each step. Redheaded elf was smiling shyly.
"Can we talk?"
Da'nehn nodded. The fireball inside him burned. Yaen followed him up the stairs. The sun was high up, adding magical glow to the mountains around them. Cold wind played with Da'nehn's hair and coat. The place seemed peaceful, but he was burning.
"So… how are you?" Yaen asked and took a step closer. Inquisitor looked at the mountains taking a step back.
"I'm fine."
"Fine?"
"It was hard, at first." Da'nehn admitted. "I think I got used to that."
"You look well…"
Gold shimmer on his cheekbone, blush entwined in a black tattoo.
"Your wife must be missing you…" words like arrows, sharp, quick, tearing. He looked away.
Silence, a sigh.
"She understands what's at stake."
Yaen took a step back.
"Do you?"
Familiar steps on the stairs, whisper of silk robes, rattle of jewelry.
"You are terrible amatus!" Dorian crossed his hands, looking at Da'nehn. "How long must a man wait?"
Only then did he notice the other elf.
"I am sorry, I thought you were alone…"
"My people…" Inquisitor's voice almost betrayed him, he mustered his calm. "My people decided to join our cause."
"Oh I see. Pardon my manners." Dorian straightened his pose, put his right palm on his chest and bowed. "Dorian of House Pavus. How do you do."
Yaen nodded, introducing himself. Da'nehn approached Dorian, talking his both hands into his own.
"We're catching up. It won't be long."
He almost stepped away, but closer to Dorian the fire in his belly vanished, replaced by warmth of the mage's presence. They rarely kissed in public, but the elf needed this more than ever, to let himself know where and when he is. Soft lips tasted like honey and herbs.
"I'll find you in the tavern ma vhenan?" Da'nehn asked when they parted. Dorian smiled, kissing the inside of the elf's right palm.
"Yes. Do try to be quick. The Chargers are back."
Inquisitor looked at him as he walked down the stairs and away.
"A shem?" Yaen sounded shocked. Da'nehn's silent laugh was grim.
"A shem." He admitted and turned around. He wasn't burning anymore, but there was ice in his eyes. "A truthful shem. A loving shem. Handsome as fuck shem. A shem who fought for who he is."
Yaen was speechless, frozen, like a statue on the wall.
"A shem who is not ashamed of me."
"I was not…" Yaen started, but Da'nehn interrupted him.
"It's good that you are here." The Inquisitor took a few steps towards the stairway. "It is better to grow up without a father, than to grow up with one who doesn’t want you."
It wasn't until he started moving again until a question reached him.
"How did you know?"
"The keeper wouldn't let you go otherwise."
Da'nehn crossed his arms on his chest, small rock he kicked sounded like a drum in silence between them.
"I don't know what you were expecting…" he said, looking at his own toes.
"That here…" he heard, Yaen's voice was breaking. "That here we could be… us."
"The is no us Yaen. You destroyed us." He looked back at the other elf. "... when you didn't fight for us."
"The world is not that simple."
"The world is very simple when you don't lie." Da'nehn bit his lip and straightened his pose. "After you speak with Leliana, there is no going back." He said, stepping down one stair. "If you want to, go now."
Yaen finally moved, looking at the mountains. "No… I want to help."
"Stay away from him." He heard, as Da'nehn went down to the battlements.
The tavern was loud. The Chargers indeed lead the evening with stories, loud songs which were mostly obscene and noisy dealings of cards. Iron Bull, in the middle of it all, waved to Da'nehn and went back to entertaining Sera, who was stuffing her face with sweet buns. The elf approached Dorian, who was busy with cards, sitting with his back towards the door. Slim fingers started stroking mage's shoulders as Da'nehn burrowed nose in his hair.
"You are ruining my hairstyle!" Dorian complained half-heartedly and dealt in.
"Try not to lose your robes this time…" Da'nehn murmured into warmth.
"You did not complain!"
Krem snorted and passed. The elf leaned down so he could whisper into Dorian's ear. "I need you alone ma vhenan, can we go?"
The mage looked at him, studying his eyes carefully.
"Of course amatus."
Da'nehn let him get up.
"Hey Dorian! You can't deal in and go!" Bull raised his brow and gestured towards the pile of coins.
"Next round is on me." The mage took his lover' s hand.
"Shut up Bull!" Sera cackled gesticulating with a bun. "It's Inquisitor's business."
Loud laughter hit their ears, but it was friendly.
They left the tavern. The sun was still up, people were busy around, but Da'nehn wanted to be selfish for a little while longer, just today. He dragged Dorian to his quarters, not parting their hands, whispers of nobles followed them crawling on the stone floor.
"What's wrong amatus?" Dorian asked when the door closed behind them. Da'nehn leaned on the cold wood and smiled, pulling the mage closer.
"Nothing's wrong. Everything's perfect."
Dorian looked puzzled.
"You are perfect and I am lucky to have you."
"I am aware, but do tell me more."
Da'nehn shook his head and leaned forward for a kiss. Soft lips tasted like home.