(Edited)
Also posted on Ao3: Arterius_Rising
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The Storm Coast was a grand place. One of the favourites she had visited thus far. The rain splattered her clothes, face and hair but she felt as close to home as she had since travelling to the conclave on the Keepers orders.
"She does that a lot," Varric commented, alerting the rest of their four man group as Lavellan wondered away, drawn towards one of the towering rock formations which rose from the wet ground.
"You should be careful, my lady," Blackwall called after her, no doubt worried about her booted feet on the rain soaked, slippery stone. The poor warden looked to be growing more grey hairs by the minute, while Varric chuckled behind his fist.
"There is nothing to fear, Warden Blackwall," she returned, over her shoulder. The elvhen were always sure on their feet. She may not have been a hunter, but Lavellan had explored more than her fair share of dangerous places.
As she climbed the ridges, aiming for some of the ore-deposits which she had noticed from across the beach, she heard Varric elaborate; "This is nothing. You should have seen her in the Hinterlands. Climbed and jumped off higher than that! I am sure the Seeker twitched each time."
Lavellan ignored the others, leaving them to their own devices for a moment as she propped herself up and took the small chisel from inside her hip bag. As bits of the ore broke away into her hand, she slipped them into the bag. When she reached for the section above her head, she found it was higher than she anticipated.
"Fenehidis," she swore, pleased Solas was not around to hear it. Sometimes he reminded her far too much of her Hahren, other times he reminded her of one of the young hunters. It was odd, for him to seem so aged in his eyes and yet appear younger at times.
"Need help Boss?" The deep timbre voice of their new addition, The Iron Bull, came from behind.
Lavellan looked down over her shoulder to find the Qunari stood a few feet away, a small smile on his lips.
"Uh," she began, but he got a glint in his silvered grey eye before she could finish.
"Don't worry, I've got you," he said, at the same time his hands closed around her armoured side and lifted her up just enough that she could reach the final ore deposit. Lavellan stuttered, opening her mouth to tell him to put her down but then she remembered how badly the inquisition needed the ore to outfit the soldiers. So she chipped away, feeling strange with her feet dangling above the ground, only the Iron Bulls hands holding her up above his head.
"Huh," Varric's voice carried over the crashing of the waves. "Somehow, I can't image the Arishok volunteering to lift someone up to mine away at the rock in the side of a cliff. I don't even think Hawke could get away with asking that, either."
The Iron Bull only graced Varric with a grunt in answer. As Lavellan slipped the last piece of ore into her bag, he settled her down on her feet.
"Thank you," she said, a little flustered. Though her eyes were bright with achievement.
"No problem, Boss. It's why I'm here." He dipped his chin, humour laced his voice, but it was not unkind.
Walking off back down the beach, she noted Blackwall tense every time she jumped onto one of the rocks in passing, and she heard Varric laugh at her awkwardness. The Iron Bull didn't say anything on the matter, but nevertheless helped her out whenever she needed a foot up to reach that last piece of ore.