A Morning Jog (DAI FanFiction)

Chapter 1

It was an early morning in Skyhold. The birds were chirping happily. The sun had barely just risen from the horizon, and the dew hadn't yet evaporated, still covering the vegetation. Evelyn slowly woke up from her slumber and rubbed her eyes. From her chambers, the rays of sunlight poured in through the stained glass doors opening to the balcony.

The young mage loved the smell of morning dew, reminding her of the good old days when she and her cousins used to escape her house and run around in the fields just after sunrise. However, that wasn't the only reason why she was in an exceptionally good mood that morning. Cullen Rutherford, Commander of the Inquisition, had asked her the previous day if she wished to accompany him in his morning run.

How could she refuse such an invitation? They only crossed each other a few times during their morning trots, giving each other polite greetings. Then there was his flustered face and stammering voice when he admitted noticing her rather athletic build, which didn't fail to make her smile. Such a dork.

The glimmer in his eyes when he awaited a response was adorable. The Commander wasn't conscious of what he was doing to her. The longing attraction between the Inquisitor and Cullen wasn't very incognito, especially at the War Table, under the eyes of Josephine and Leliana. Gossip didn't evade the Ambassador, while no secrets were unknown to the Spymaster. These were their specialties, after all.

Inquisitor Evelyn Trevelyan made her way to a small basin filled with water and rinsed her face. It didn't take long before she was wearing her training attire, which had been carefully folded by the servants.

Before she made her exit from her quarters, she stopped by the mirror, striking a pose and adjusting her clothing. She frowned in disappointment at the sight of her rather small chest. Well, the padding was useless... She suddenly blushed upon the realization of what she was doing, and especially the reason why.

It's just a run, nothing more. A friendly activity. Between the Inquisitor and her military advisor. Why was she so concerned with her looks when it came down to Cullen? Was she trying to impress him? She tried to convince herself it was the same as when she went for a stroll with the elf Solas. Except that Cullen went through great emotional strides by confessing his lyrium addiction and withdrawal and had put his full trust in her for this matter. They were growing closer than friends, but Evelyn refused to admit it.

As she went through the throne room, guards bid her good morning and opened the main doors for her. As she gracefully descended the stairs, she was welcomed by a handsome blonde warrior awaiting her, fidgeting with his fingers. He didn't bear the weight of his metallic armor and his fur collar; instead, he wore a thick sleeveless leather vest and lighter layers of clothing underneath. The vest rose his neck, providing him a certain warmth for the cool air, a remnant of the night. He had leather breeches and light exercise shoes that replaced the heavy boots. Seeing him without his armor and his fur coat still came out as very odd to her.

"Inquisitor." His low, husky voice ran chills down her spine, but she wouldn't admit it.

"Cullen, you can drop the title. We are friends now, aren't we?"

Right. Friends.

"Yes, of course. Good morning, Evelyn. I hope this isn't too early?"

Her name rolling out of his mouth was like music to her ear. She walked closer and stared at him for a moment. He shifted awkwardly, even leaning a hand on his non-existent sword sheath, only to have it fall over. It was one of his adorable nervous reflexes.

"I am an early bird, just like you," Evelyn said, smiling. "Shall we get going?"

She was already eager to go on an adventure. It wasn't a dragon slayer mission or anything serious like that, but she loved bonding with her friends, no matter how close they were.

Cullen had a knowing smirk on his face. "Follow me? After all, I am the one who invited you."

"Lead the way, Commander." For once, she didn't have the burden of having to decide. It felt great and relaxing, at last!

So many people depended on her and the Inquisition. The war against Corypheus and the expectation of restoring peace amongst Thedas wore very heavy on her shoulders. There was also the fact that she was a mage, which made her an easy target for judgment and hatred.

They began slowly, mostly trotting along the trail. Warming up was an important part of training, and Cullen made sure she was reminded of it. Under the bows of the nearby guards, they first made their way to the courtyard.

Evelyn broke the silence between them. She had pondered the following question for many weeks. "Have you ever been in a relationship with someone?"

Cullen's face became redder than it was already from running. "Me?"

Evelyn snickered. "No, Andraste herself!"

Cullen's awkwardness when she brought up his past relationships with women was priceless.

"I...I've had a few... encounters with some women, but I can't say they lasted very long." He ran his fingers through his hair.

The female mage was enjoying herself a bit too much. "What do you mean by encounters? Please enlighten me."

"As you already know, Templars are not supposed to succumb to their impulsions. Their faith in the Maker is the only thing that should be driving them. Some decide to falter under the temptation, while some prefer to remain faithful."

The credit for writing this story and chapter goes to pacman1017.
@pacman1017 permitted me to rewrite this story. I don't know why @pacman1017 deleted this story. The chapter was originally called A Morning Jog. 🐯 I may have done some rewriting and put the Chapter that @pacman1017 wrote into a shorter Chapter because I don't write as long as @pacman1017 does or if it didn't sound right to me when I read the story so vote, comment, and let me know what you think. 🦊

The chapter photo I got from Pinterest while searching it under Cullen and Inquisitor Trevelyan.

Published on October 26, 2023, at 9:43 p.m.