The Iron Dragon

Chapter 46. Are we there soon?

The morning came earlier than usual, at least that's how it had felt for me that morning. When the first birds started to chirp I opened my eyes, but they could not see anything around me, which reminded me of the cave in the cliffs where I usually woke up. I soon realized why I was not in my usual environment and everything that had happened the day before came through my mind in fast pictures. I had joined the Inquisition and I was in one of their many camps together with the Inquisitor's group and of course the Inquisitor Lavellan himself. Next to me I heard a familiar loud snoring, which made me turn my head slowly in the direction of the sound. As suspected, the Qunari lay there, exactly on the spot where it had fallen asleep the last evening, and still seemed to be not quite under the guards yet, which wasn't really strange at this time of day, as the sky was just getting lighter again.

Slowly I sat up and took a quick look around the camp. Although there were already a few guards posted around the camp and watching the area attentively, the rest of the camp was probably still asleep. The fire had, of course, already gone out a few hours ago, and the only thing you could tell it had ever burned was the little bit of smoke that came out of the charred branches and twigs. In the tents I could still hear the soft breathing of the people, as well as their quiet heartbeat still something I really had to get used to. I stood up and stretched for a moment while my eyes looked up at the sky, which now very quickly took on the colors of the morning. I moved a little away from the camp and nodded to those I met on the way, who returned my gesture, even Scout Harding seemed to have awakened already and I wondered inwardly if she had slept at all. Nevertheless, she seemed awake and focused and that was certainly what the Inquisition needed. When she noticed me, she nodded at me in a friendly way and I returned the gesture before I spread my wings and took to the air. Even though I was now a part of something new, I still wanted to keep old traditions. I flew higher and higher through the sky and through the wet clouds and watched the sunrise, which as always was simply beautiful. I closed my eyes and bathed in the light of the sun and completely forgot about time. Only when I started to hear sounds far below me did I come back with my thoughts and decided that I should slowly return to reality. Downstairs there were some people awake, including the inquisitor, who smiled happily up at me when she saw me coming.

"And I had already had the terrible fear that you had decided to go, but I didn't think that you would do something like that.

"I was quite serious, by joining the Inquisition I would not simply leave you again. I have no doubts with my decision and therefore you can count on me being at your side for quite a while now". She seemed pleased, and I watched as some of the camp members started packing things.

"I suppose we'll be leaving for Skyhold very soon? ". Freya nodded and watched as I did myself.

"Skyhold is a few days of foot march from here. You won't be coming back for a while so if you have anything to do or anything you want to take with you, you should do it now, later you won't have the chance to do it and we might not be able to come back for a long time. The moment when she said that we would not visit this place for a long time hurt a little bit, I admitted that, but I was quite positive about this new stage in my life and I knew that my home would soon be a different place. I moved my fingers to the chain and my neck and then nodded.

"I think I have everything I need, I never really had many things I felt bound to". I preferred not to mention my riches, which rested well-protected in some of my caves, because I felt that I should perhaps mention this topic when I had settled in during the Inquisition, and I certainly had the chance to visit my treasures from time to time. The camp where we had spent the night would remain here, with some people who stayed here and did not accompany us. The rest of us set off for Skyhold, which I was looking forward to in a certain way. This place was truly surrounded by special stories and myths and had already seen a lot that only made me more curious.