ROGUE🖤 (Cole x OC! Lavellan) ✓ [COMPLETED]

Ch. 4 *Missing*

COLE
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Everyone is frightened.

We evacuated to the higher parts of the mountains, and after hours of running, we set up camp in the middle of nowhere. Safe from Corypheus and his Archdemon dragon.

Hopefully, at least.

I sit on a bed, hands clasped and eyes staring down at the snow.
The others have been arguing, screaming practically, for hours.

"Where is she?! Why haven't you found her yet?!"

"We've done what we could! She's gone!"

"We should've stayed with her! How could we have just left?!"

"If we had done that we'd all be dead! We're here now because of her!"

"And what are we going to do? Wander these mountains until we're found by this Elder One?"

"ENOUGH! This is getting us nowhere!"

The pain hurts...it's like a blade to the skin, cutting slow, deep. I want to help, but there's to many hurting. Too many to make them forget.

I slam my hands over my ears and run outside of camp, far enough away to not hear anyone's thoughts or voices.

The silence makes me sigh a breath of peace. The first few moments of quiet I've had in days.
I exhale deeply as the wind blows harshly against my skin. For anyone else, they would shiver, but not me.

I think about everything. How we're out here in the mountains, vulnerable. How we have no forces, no fortress to stand against the enemy, and I think about Nalia.
She's missing...she's been missing for hours.

No one has bothered to look for her, and I understand why.
Looking for her means we're risking running into Corypheus. We risk getting lost, or worse, dying.

She's on her own right now. That is if she's even alive.

I lean against a rock wall, staring out into the snowy night sky.
Legs hurting, insides freezing, exhaustion taking over, 'embers? Recent?'

My head snaps up, and I see a figure, slowly making it's way towards me.

One of there hands is glowing green, and before I can react, they collapse onto the snow, face down.
I run to them, kneeling beside them. I flip them onto there other side, only to see that it's Nalia.

Her eyes are shut and face pale from the cold. Her body is shuddering, lips blue, and her breathing is ragged.

"She's dying...slowly." I say in my head.

I gather her into my arms, one arm under her legs and the other around her back.
I lift her up, and she grunts softly, not opening her eyes.
I almost slip while going down the little hill, but I hang onto her tightly.

Her eyes flutter open, barely. "C-Cole?" She whispers, her voice faint and faraway.
I glance at her. "It's alright," I say to her.
Her breathing slows, and her body begins to relax.

I enter the camp light, and Cullen is the first to see us.

"It's her!"

"Thank the Maker!"

"She needs rest," I say quietly, bringing her to a spare bed and laying her down. "She'll live, now."

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NALIA
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Visions of Corypheus flash in my head. I hear his words repeat over and over again..the Anchor...not holy...an accident...

I slowly open my eyes to see firelight shining against the white of the tent.
I sit up quickly, regretting it seconds later when a pain rings through my head.
I raise a hand and touch where the pain hurts most.

"Confusion filling your head, making you question your belief, 'was it real at all?'."

Cole is sitting beside me, his face covered by his big hat.

I stare at him in disbelief. "Did you just read my thoughts again?"

"Yes," he answers, "it helps me understand people and there pain."

Another question I will be asking myself for hours. How does he do it? Read thoughts? Feel there pain?

"What happened?" I ask, looking around at everyone who seems to be arguing. There shouts are loud enough for practically the whole mountain to hear.

"You emerged and then fell. I carried you, and now we're here. Is your head alright?"

"Y-yes," I say softly, "kind of."
I get up, "I should help plan."

"But your still hurting," he gently pushes me back down. "Lie still..."

I almost listen to him, but at the same time, I know that we'd be wasting time if I sit here and do nothing.
"The sooner we distance ourselves from Corypheus, the better..."

I gently walk towards the fire, wobbling a little. My legs feel so weak...after hours of walking I feel like I need a month off from being on my feet.

But I need to keep pushing. For everyone. For the world.
There's so much at stake now...realizing that our problem was not just the Breach, but the one who created it...

Corypheus...what is he? I need to understand him better. Maybe someone here will know a little bit about him.

I take a seat beside Josephine, discussing what's our best next move. The obvious answer? Find someplace that'll be our stronghold against him and his Archdemon.

But where? We're in the middle of nowhere... and we don't have any other allies willing to offer a place to stay.

I glance around at everyone, before my eyes land on Cole.
He's staring right at me, through his blond bangs that covers a part of his face.

"Haven was unexpected. We lost many, but those who are alive are here with us. It's not your fault."

Did I just...hear his thoughts?

I look away. Was he in my head again? He did it once, maybe he could do it again?

I don't know...

"We need to find a place," I whisper.
"But where?" Josephine asks before sighing. "And who would willingly want to help the Inquisition. People believe that we are a problem."

"I know," I want to say, but I bite my tongue.

At times like these, people pray to Andraste. But not me...

Instead, I close my eyes, and pray to the Elven Gods.
"I honor the ancient ways as best I can. I ask for your guidance in this journey...please. Show me the way..."

When morning dawns, we break down camp and begin our hike across the snow covered mountains. We're heading into the unknown, unprepared, unwillingly.

May the Gods guide us...