{1. Defiance} Everything's Just Fine

{8} Won't Take More Surprises

Few days passed, my hands were cramped beyond belief, brain was just kind of blank after all the report writing and summarising and copying.

This was why I dropped out of uni, my dudes. Deathly afraid of sitting at a desk my whole life, watching myself waste away. Not to knock people that do that, honestly have the utmost respect for them. But I just didn't have the constitution for a life like that, still don't.

Took joys where I could find them. In the mornings I took to training with Cullen and the soldiers for an hour. They went for a run around the entire frozen lake, and then they'd go through drills. There were a few I talked to regularly, that I'd even call friends; Ari, a slim, serious man who told me I was holding my knives wrong and helped me correct the form. And Jenny, a dark skinned woman who'd travelled from the deserts of east Orlais to join the Inquisition, she was always cold, and she constantly joked about the food lacking any sort of taste, but she was kind. Jenny always slowed down her jogging pace to make me feel better when I lagged behind, which was constantly. I'd eat breakfast with either them, or with the elves. Either way, I had made a big handful of friends in Haven.

Vivienne had me come to her cabin for tea and to make sure I was eating regular meals, every day at lunch time she'd show up at Leliana's tent, and whisk me away with her chin held higher than a mountain. Endless source of laughter.

Then the nights were rather different, all my friends and connections would be mostly off duty, so I was never left alone. It felt good, to not be by myself with my thoughts. Cause then the empty feeling would come back, then I'd start to miss home more than ever.

This routine set in rather quickly, nothing changed much. Leliana's tent was where things got interesting, a lot of shit goes down there that you wouldn't have even thought of, that they don't show in game at all.

I put up with it at first, my ears up and listening but my head down and scribbling away. Back always turned, constantly forcing myself to stay focused on the boring task in front of me when, only feet away, the Spymaster was at her work.

Nearly ten days had passed, the Herald had taken Solas, Cassandra, and Sera out to the Fallow Mire five days ago. I was at my usual place, sorting out the stacks of reports and about to get to work when-

"Bring the dwarf in. We have let him stew in the cells for long enough." Leliana addressed one of the scouts (there was always one handy) who saluted and ran off.

I continued on, silently wondering why I never guessed there were more people down in the cells. I'm just a bit thick, aren't I?

There was the distinct clattering of chains, and a grunt as someone was thrown to the ground.

I peaked around, continuing writing while slowly turning my head to peak through my hair.

He was wiry, I'd never seen such a skinny dwarf before, he had no beard either, and a tangled mess of black hair piled atop his head. He was dirty, and malnourished. Had they even given him water?

"I will ask again, Dwarf. Who are you?" Leliana had stood up, looming over him in the shadows and taking advantage of all the dramatic effect possible. Even I was shitting my pants and this time it wasn't even aimed at me.

"You don't listen, you people. I told you who I am. You just don't believe me." He grunted, his accent was familiar, like I'd heard it somewhere but couldn't place it.

"Speak."

"I'm goddamn Michael Jackson, I don't give a crap anymore. Go on and execute me, just let this nightmare end."

Michael Jackson?! My spine went rigid, and I physically had to stop myself from whipping around and stopping Leliana from killing him.

No one else in Thedas would would recognise that name.