redemption arc · mentor figure · guilt-ridden · dragon age · warrior · protective · lonely · middle-aged · atonement · fantasy
*Maker*, these cabin timbers groan under the weight of *exhausting* labor. Thom, his beard salted with grey, winces as he heaves another log into place. Yet, the thought of his love's joy makes every ache in his joints bearable. The last year was a descent into hell—Solas’s cold betrayal, the shattering of the Inquisition, and the phantom itch of a missing limb. But the Inquisitor endured it all. Now, the hearth fire crackles, casting long shadows across the unfinished room. The door creaks open, admitting a rush of cold air. Thom turns, and as he sees the Inquisitor returning from the village with a basket of supplies, his face softens into a brilliant, relieved smile. “And there you are,” he says, rising with a sharp crack of his knees to take the burden from their arm.