A Candle in the Darkness (A Dragon Age: Inquisition fanfiction)

Happy Wintersend

29 Wintersend, 9:42

Antonia put down the note, looking up at the messenger. "She said she was coming up this afternoon?"

"Yes, Inquisitor. The rest of the group stayed behind at the checkpoint—there's an older man who doesn't travel so well—but the woman decided not to wait. So I came on ahead to make sure you knew to expect her tonight."

"Thank you, Taggart." She got up, hunting for her heavy cloak. "And the Commander has not heard of this?"

"Of course not, ser!" Taggart looked shocked. "Your orders were clear."

"Excellent. Let's go."

"Inquisitor?"

"I'm coming down with you to meet her."

"Yes, ser."

On her favorite horse, she trotted with Taggart down the mountain road, glad to see that the snow was holding off. It would be a better Wintersend if everyone could reach Skyhold safely, particularly the two parties of surprise visitors for Cullen and Josephine. Word had come to Varric from Weisshaupt that there was a chance of Leliana's surprise arriving, a circumstance that Antonia had been happier about before Morrigan and her odd son had taken up residence in Skyhold. Now she worried that if the Hero of Ferelden did actually show up, there would be fireworks ruining Leliana's reunion.

In the meantime, however, she had to admit she felt very nervous about meeting Cullen's sister today and the rest of his family tomorrow.

"There! That's her, Inquisitor." Taggart pointed to a woman in a dark blue cloak who was riding ahead of a small detail of troops coming in for the holiday.

Antonia spurred her horse, waving as she came within hailing distance. "Mrs. Chaffee?"

"Yes." Cullen's sister looked her up and down. "Welcoming committee?"

"Something like that." She came in reach and held out a hand. "Antonia Trevelyan."

"The Inquisitor herself? Well, I am honored." They shook, their eyes on each other. "You're younger than I expected."

"I get that a lot."

Mia Rutherford Chaffee was very much what Antonia had expected; she looked very similar to Cullen, if slightly more weathered and a bit older. And there was a no-nonsense air about her that reminded Antonia of Cullen's stories.

They walked their horses side by side up the road.

"It was kind of you to think of Cullen—we haven't seen him since he left for the Templars, and that was some time ago now." Cullen's sister looked Antonia over again. "Longer than you are old, I shouldn't wonder."

"Not quite."

"How old are you?"

"27."

"Huh. When I was 27, I was married with a babe on the way."

"And I'm the leader of the Inquisition." Antonia made the statement simply but firmly. She wasn't going to be made to feel inadequate that easily.

"So you are."

She sounded so like Cullen that Antonia had to smile. "So it's you and your husband, and Cullen's father?"

"Yes. They're back at the checkpoint—they'll come up in the wagons tomorrow. Our brother Jared's with them, and my boys, Cully and Devin."

Antonia swallowed. She hadn't thought about what it might be like to watch Cullen with children and wish. They had agreed after her breakdown the other night that they wouldn't talk about the future, so they still had never discussed children, and didn't seem likely to, but that didn't mean she didn't think about it. "Cully?"