Okay here we go! It's not edited or anything, something just quick I did. I don't have any..what do you call them, beta people, so there may be grammar issues. Try to ignore. 
It's just a little moment between my inquisitor (Marigold) and Cullen. She's having some self-doubt and he helps her out a bit.
The fresh white snow in the courtyard crunched underneath Mari's boots as she quietly shut the heavy iron gate behind her. The weather kept everyone inside now, for the most part, but she craved the quiet cold of the solitude it provided for her. This was the smaller of the two courtyards, and Marigold didn't think it had been used for many years. It wasn't in great condition- a heavy tree stood straight and wise in the center, it's gnarled branches arching above in great sweeps. In the summer, she imagined it would shade the entire area, the bright green leaves casting a lovely shadows that would dance in the breeze. Now, however, the leaves where fallen and dead, the branches bare and covered in a fine white dust. There were great stone benches circled around the base of the great tree, two broken and crumbled, and a cobblestone pathway that was only visible in patches that the snow had not drifted to. It was a lonely place, but quiet and stately, almost beautiful in it's disrepair. Marigold had her own suite of rooms, of course, when she was at Skyhold, but she still had very little time to herself. Always knocking on her door with questions, decisions, someone requiring her presence. It was overwhelming now, this sense of duty and despair- something she never asked for but knew without question she had to see through to the end. Shivering against the cold, she brushed off one of the stone benches with a gloved hand and sat down, leaning back against the tree and closing her eyes as her thoughts drifted to the next fight, the next battle, the next moment, relishing the moment of quiet.
The clank of the gate being unlocked interrupted her peace and she turned around. She didn't think anyone else ever came here. Leaning forward she watched as Cullen quietly backed into the courtyard, closing the gate quietly behind him. As he turned, his eyes widened slightly. She sighed a bit and leaned back, shooting him a small smile. He wasn't here for her. It was clear he was surprised to see someone else in the courtyard and had probably only had the same idea she had. He hadn't moved from the gate as though he was loathe to interrupt or come closer. He was instantly apologetic.
“I'm sorry, Lady Trevelyan. I hadn't realized anyone else came to the north garden.”
She held her hand up when he turned to leave, looking at him.
“Marigold is fine. Please stay. I come here for the peace and quiet. You're welcome to join me.”
He looked conflicted for a moment and then decided to accept the invitation. He sat next to her and they sat together in a long moment of companionable silence. She felt his presence keenly, and her senses sharpened- acutely aware of the energy and heat radiating off of him. She was no longer cold, even has the snow had started again and was slowly drifting down in soft white flakes that stuck to her eyelashes.
“You're doing a good job.” he spoke quietly and carefully, not looking at her but at a small white rabbit that had somehow made it's way into the space and was burrowing it's tiny head into a snowbank. Marigold watched the rabbit play and warmed under his words. It meant everything to her that she wasn't mucking this up as much as she felt like she was at times. She felt at times she was doing everything wrong, making decisions that would come back and haunt her.
“I had a dream,” she started quietly “that I stood on the top of a high, barren hill, all alone and covered in blood, and all around me were bodies as far as I could see. No trees, buildings, mountains, just an endless sea of dead. Men, women and children. Everybody dead and it was my fault. I stood at the precipice of this hill and watched as the spirits of the sea of bodies rose and started coming toward me. From all around they pressed in like great white walls and the sky swarmed purple and green until I was crushed. ” Her voice trembled as she spoke and her eyes closed, remembering the vivid dream in detail. “I don't know if I can do this. I don't know if I can have all this blood on my hands. What if I fail?”
Cullen was silent for a long moment, watching still the small bunny play, innocent and carefree. “You will not fail.” His words were quiet but strong, direct. “You make hard decisions with grace and resolution. You are not cruel and have great strength of character and resilience. You have power and courage and you are admired and loved by everyone you meet. I have never doubted you will win this war for a second and I have never doubted your place in history- for we will survive and they will write stories of you, and how you saved us all.” He fell silent again and his words both warmed her and strengthened her.
“How can you be so sure?” she asked quietly, turning to look at him for the first time.
He met her look, his eyes searching her face.
“I just am.”
They looked at each other for long seconds, and the moment stretched out into eternity, intimate and warm. She felt reassured and grateful for his strength and presence, glad now that she wasn't alone in this cold courtyard. He reached forward infinitesimally for her hand, his warm and large and squeezed. Maybe she wasn't as alone as she thought. Maybe she could do this. Maybe they could do this together. She smiled at Cullen, squeezed his hand in grateful thanks and they turned their attention back to the playful bunny, but never letting go of the others hand.
Retour en haut
. I'm starting to think about whether I should stay away from the forums until I play the game. I don`t know, maybe I'll risk waiting until October arrives to start my media blackout.
