[sandbox]

[bringspeopletogether]

Back to Skyhold. Back to work.

Alistair resumes training with the Chargers a few days after his and Cullen's return; the company got back from Halamshiral just before the Basin group showed up, Bull explains, so he was giving them a rest before picking up exercises again. Krem fills Alistair in on all the details as they're exchanging blows. Some of it is just Orlesian Worst Game Ever nonsense, but since it ends with a whole lot of shamefaced nobles with no mercenaries to their names, Alistair's pretty damn pleased.

(Maybe he can get the new mercenaries in on his plan to dress up the training dummies in Orlesian garb. Hmmmmmm.)

Cullen's in a war room meeting by the time Alistair's done. He throws some water on his face and heads for the kitchens -- maybe he can split a small meal with Kieran before Morrigan's return.

Comments

[bringspeopletogether]

"What's a secret?" comes a mumbly, sleep-blurred voice from above them. "Something good?"

Alistair peers down at them, stifling a yawn against the back of his hand. (At some point, one has to accept that this is as much sleep as they'll be getting; apparently Alistair has hit that point despite the early hour.)

[howtoactfereldan]

"...it's a secret," he repeats. "Come down here. Tea will be done soon."

[bringspeopletogether]

"I asked if he ever sang about food during the Chant of Light," says Kieran, cheerfully.

Alistair pauses midway down the ladder, eyeing Cullen, and starts to smile. "Really."

[howtoactfereldan]

"Before you get any ideas," Cullen says, "consider how many other stories about you I could tell him."

[bringspeopletogether]

Kieran perks up. "What sort of stories?"

Alistair, who's just opened his mouth to say something, pauses again. Closes his mouth.

"So," he says, with cheerful blandness, as his feet hit the floor. "What's for breakfast?"

[howtoactfereldan]

Cullen laughs quietly.

"Cat sent us back with a basket." He points to it over on his desk. "Plenty left."

[bringspeopletogether]

"Wonderf -- " He cuts himself off mid-word with another yawn; sheepishly: "Wonderful."

As he shuffles over to the basket to relieve it of a bun or two, he asks Kieran, "How are you?"

"All right. Can we visit Sister Leliana after breakfast?"

Alistair blinks, and throws a quick glance Cullen's way: what's this about?

[howtoactfereldan]

"Leliana is better equipped to answer questions about the nature of Morrigan and Lavellan's arcane offensive capabilities than I am." Light. "I suggested that you two seek her out once you could put a sentence together."

(They will have to pass Fiona to get there. This has not occurred to Cullen.)

"You could bring the ravens any leftover buns. Might earn their goodwill."

[bringspeopletogether]

"Ah."

He bites into a sweet bun of his own, chewing industriously as he considers this.

"Well," he says, "I'm sure I'll feel coherent enough after this -- " He wiggles the bun from side to side. " -- and a cup of tea once it's ready. Which do you think the ravens will like more, the sweet buns or the savory ones?"

"Savory," says Kieran promptly. "They're carrion birds."

"...Right. So they are."

[howtoactfereldan]

"You mean carrion birds don't like a little dessert?" asks Cullen innocently.

[bringspeopletogether]

"They might," says Kieran, seriously. "I don't know. I've never been one."

Alistair covers any expression he might make by taking another huge bite of his breakfast.

[howtoactfereldan]

"Me either," Cullen says, and hands Alistair a cup of tea.

[bringspeopletogether]

"'Nkoo," says Alistair around a mouthful of bun, and leans to give Cullen an unthinking peck on the cheek.

[howtoactfereldan]

"Finish chewing first." Cullen wrinkles his nose.

[bringspeopletogether]

To his credit, Alistair looks properly contrite.

He swallows down his food and says, sheepishly, "I can blame that on still waking up, can't I?"

[howtoactfereldan]

Cheerful: "Absolutely not."

[bringspeopletogether]

"So cruel," says Alistair, heaving a sigh so over-the-top he can't be anything but joking, and takes a sip of tea.

Kieran giggles, quietly.

[howtoactfereldan]

"Only to my enemies."

Cullen sits back against the chaise. A charitable person would say he looked satisfied. A less charitable person might observe that he's radiating smugness.

"Foremost among whom are people who talk with their mouth full."

[bringspeopletogether]

Normally, this is where Alistair would crack a joke about Corypheus's true crime being bad table manners. It snags in his throat; it's far less funny than it would've been twenty-four hours ago.

He manages a smile anyway. Light: "It's much easier to stay off your enemies list than I expected."

[howtoactfereldan]

"That's not the only criterion." Cullen grins at him.

[bringspeopletogether]

Alistair snorts, amused, and...doesn't say anything else.

More unfunny jokes he doesn't want to share. More exhaustion after a poor night's sleep. It's an even guess why he's quieter than usual.

[howtoactfereldan]

Could be both, Cullen thinks.

"Kieran, when you're through with breakfast, you ought to consider making notes prior to your meeting with Sister Nightingale," Cullen suggests. "It's a good habit to get into. Summarize what you know, and then write down what you'd like to ask her."

It'll give Alistair a chance to breathe.

[bringspeopletogether]

Kieran nods. "I'm nearly done," he says. To Alistair: "How soon can we go?"

"Let's wait until sunrise," he answers, with a quirk of a smile. "Let Leliana sleep a bit longer."

(Assuming she's slept at all since the Breach opened. It wouldn't surprise Alistair if she hadn't.)

Once Kieran finishes off the last few bites of his breakfast, he scales the ladder to find the journal he and Alistair brought over last night. Alistair waits until the boy's out of sight; then he drags both hands over his hair with a long, long sigh before resting his face in one hand.

[howtoactfereldan]

Cullen rests a hand on his back, makes slow circles with his palm.

Little point in asking what's wrong, he thinks.

[bringspeopletogether]

Alistair leans into the touch.

Half-mumbled, after a moment: "How are you feeling?"