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The nobles from Orlais have just arrived and the Inquisitor is nowhere to be found. They titter and tut as they mill about in the middle of the main hall, drifting through conversations as their people attempt to get work done around them. Josephine spends half the morning searching for the Inquisitor before she gives up and seeks out an expert. Finding Cole takes nearly as long, given that he flits around Skyhold like a bird and his attention is never captured by any one thing or place for terribly long. At last, she manages to catch up to him while he’s braiding a strand of flowers and long grasses together on one of the battlements and she breathes a sigh of relief.
"Cole? Cole, I would like your help with something. Would you mind helping me?" The young man hums quietly as he tucks a bright purple flower into his strand, his wide hat keeping the sun out of his eyes mainly by very nearly covering his face.
"Yes, that would be okay," he says. "I can finish this on the way there." Cole hops up and starts walking along the battlement, at first toward Josephine and then past her. Josephine blinks.
"Where are you going?"
"We are going to find Inquisitor Alhana. That’s what you came for help with. I know where she is." Josephine perks up and starts to follow Cole down the stairs and across the courtyard. "Inquisitor Alhana is resting her mind. Taking time to think through her thoughts," he murmurs, his attention focused on his hands as he adds sprigs of elfroot he has pulled from his pocket into his weaving. He doesn’t look up to watch where he’s walking and Josephine keeps a careful eye on him as he picks his way through the hustle and bustle of Skyhold without looking. She follows him across the courtyard, through the main hall, and down a narrow set of stairs. Clipboard held tight in her hands, Josephine keeps all her attention on not tripping over the mossy stone steps.
They emerge into a large room and she can feel the fresh air on her face and hear the rumbling of water moving quickly and with force. Looking around, she vaguely remembers setting foot in this place once as they walked through Skyhold with the workmen and discussed how to effectively repair and use each space. This room, if such a large place could be called such, was delegated to be the armory and workshop. Tables of crafting designs and various materials are positioned strategically about the room. Racks of weapons and armor line the walls along with chests and what appears to be a variety of designs for the Inquistion’s sigil pinned to the rough-hewn stone. The far wall of the room doesn’t exist, leaving the space open to the air and the stunning view of the mountains. Water rushes underneath the stone at her feet, she can feel it, and she watches as it races over the edge of the cliff.
Josephine takes it all in as Cole meanders through the room toward the far end of the open-aired cavern. He sits down cross-legged near the edge and she can hear him let out a soft sigh before she registers the small form he’s sat down next to - the Inquisitor. Josephine moves forward, mouth open to address her and gain her attention, when Cole’s words come back to her. Taking time to think through her thoughts.
As she comes closer, trying to minimize the noise she makes as she moves, Josephine sees how the Inquisitor is knelt down, weight settled back on her heels, back straight and eyes closed. Her breathing is deep and even, silent, and the slow yet rhythmic movement of her chest is one of the only signs she’s not frozen in time somehow. The slight wind drafting through the cavern flutters her hair around her head, her bangs caressing her forehead and wispy strands escaping her long braid to curl at the nape of her neck. Beside her is Cole, settling in, tying knots into his woven strand of flowers, grasses, and herbs. When he’s finished, he hums softly, a short note just loud enough to be heard over the water.
Almost as if Cole’s gentle hum is a cue, life and movement begin to return to the Inquisitor before her eyes. Her fingers twitch, the muscles of her arms and leg tense and relax in waves, and slowly she blinks open her eyes. Her breath escapes her in one long, controlled exhale and her eyes dart over to Cole. A smile appears on her face that Josephine’s not sure she’s ever seen before. It’s a patient, fond expression and she wears it until she finally moves, kneeling up to rearrange herself to imitate Cole’s position. Cole says nothing, doesn’t even look at her, until the Inquisitor speaks.
"Hello, Cole. I’m happy to see you," she murmurs, and Cole twists in her direction. "Are you having a good day?"
"All of the kitchen cats got something to eat. The healers had fresh bandages this morning. The children played games and sang songs in the garden. The bard found her notes on her new ballad," Cole replies, dragging his finger along the stone. The Inquisitor smiled and allowed their knees to touch together.
"You have been busy. Good job, Cole. You are very important here and do so much for us. I am very proud of you." Her voice, her words, the way that Cole seems to uncoil and relax in her presence, it all makes something warm unfurl in Josephine’s chest. She feels strikingly like she’s interrupting just by being there to witness this scene.
Cole reaches out and snags the edge of the Inquisitor’s sleeve. There’s silence for a moment, but it isn’t uncomfortable or pressing. Cole lifts up his woven strand, now tied off in the shape of a circle, for her inspection. Her eyes are bright as she runs gentle fingers over the flower petals and rubs a thumb over the leaves. Cole puts it in her lap and she immediately places it on her head, wearing the wreath like a crown.
"To help your thoughts, Inquisitor Alhana," he says in that way of his, saying one thing and meaning a thousand more. Her hand comes up to tilt the brim of his hat up slightly, enough that she can look at his face.
"It’s lovely. It will warm my heart and heal my mind, I’m certain. Thank you, Cole." The boy - and Maker, sometimes she forgets he’s not simply a boy because he looks achingly young and small like this, next to the Inquisitor - offers her a rare smile, beautific and bright, as she takes his hand and they stand up as one. The Inquisitor doesn’t seem surprised to see her standing a short distance away, and Josephine finds she’s not surprised to know that the woman had known she was there.
"Hello, Ambassador Montilyet," she says. "I am sorry I was gone so long. Dagna left for a meal some time ago as I was working on my armor and this is the best place in Skyhold to gather my thoughts."
"It’s quite alright, Inquisitor. Several noblemen-" Ever so slightly, the Inquisitor tenses and a slight rigidity appears in her frame. For a moment, Josephine pauses. She remembers how the nobles who visit Skyhold whisper when they pretend they think the Inquisitor can’t hear, speaking just loudly enough for their words to carry. Rabbit-eared upstart, they say. Foolish girl believes she’s worth something, accomplishing something here. She watches Cole’s eyes flit from the middle distance, to the Inquisitor, to the stone floor, to his woven flower crown that she donned with no hesitation, to their hands clasped at their sides. She’s reminded rather suddenly of the nights when little Yvonne would crawl into her bed and beg for a story after days when Josie had felt strung out and exhausted by her studies. She’s struck by how that memory resonates with this moment, the feeling of caring for someone you loved anchoring you to the present instead of thrashing in your mind against a million unrealized thoughts. She swallows her planned words.
"Some noblemen have brought us some whispers from Orlais. We have been discussing our next move and it seems as though we need to wait to hear back from some of Leliana’s people with more information before we are able to make a sound decision on the matter one way or another. Unfortunately it’s just the waiting game now, I’m afraid. I will personally keep you posted of any updates."
The Inquisitor immediately relaxes, appearing almost as calm as she had in her meditation earlier. A bit of that smile, the one she gives Cole, appears on her lips. As Josephine looks at it, it feels like relief.