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

Good Luck Charm

4 Guardian, 9:42

"You'll write more often?" Mia asked anxiously. She was clinging to Cullen's upper arms as if reluctant to let her brother go.

"I'll try."

"I know what that means. It means no," she grumbled. Turning to Antonia, she said, "You'll write occasionally and keep us informed if anything happens we should know about?"

"Yes, I will."

"Good. You I believe." Mia let go of Cullen and hugged Antonia. "And when this is all over, you'll both come to South Reach? I know my mother will want to meet you."

Antonia pushed down her fears and nodded. "We'll do our best."

"All right, then."

Jared leaned down and pecked Antonia on the cheek. "Goodbye, sis. Take care of him, will you?"

"'Sis'? Getting a bit ahead of yourself, aren't you?"

"Close enough." He grinned.

"Besides, you'll come back in a couple of months so we can put you to work, right?"

"Yeah, if you can find something for me to do."

"It's a big Inquisition."

"I thought I got a say in this," Cullen said. He hugged his brother, then shook hands with John and the boys.

"We'll talk about it later." Antonia turned to Cullen's father, who put a hand on her shoulder.

"You two take care of each other."

"Yes, ser."

Cullen reached to embrace his father, who put a hand on his cheek. "I'm proud of you, son."

"Thank you, Father."

Everyone was loaded into the cart, except for Mia, who waited for the last hug. She and Cullen held on to each other for a long moment before she let go and took John's hand, allowing herself to be pulled up into the cart.

Antonia stood next to Cullen, watching as the cart rolled out of the gates of Skyhold. "You sure you don't want to ride down to the checkpoint with them?"

"No. Extended goodbyes ... they make me nervous."

She nodded. "I can see that. Back to work, then?"

"Not quite yet." As the gates closed, Cullen turned to her. "I haven't given you my Wintersend gift."

"Please tell me you didn't send for my family."

"No. Should I have?"

"No! Definitely not. Flissa has stern orders to resist any such attempts."

"Don't you want to see them?"

Antonia sighed. "Eventually, I suppose. But not for a while. It's not that I don't like them, as such, just that ... they didn't really know me before, and they really don't know me now, and it would be awkward. And I'd rather save awkward for later."

"Well, it isn't your family." He put his arm around her shoulders, and Antonia thrilled to the casual contact. It wasn't long ago that he wouldn't have done that in the middle of the courtyard.

"Then where are we going?"

"You'll see."

"My quarters are the other way."

Cullen laughed. "It's not always about that."

"You have to admit, it's often about that."

"Yes, well, you have a point."