Bull grunted, pulling on the wool yarn and trying to loop it around the tiny needles in his hands. Squinting his good eye, he muttered, "How does Boss do this all night?"
He had watched Fen'lath knit every night in camp, making sweaters, scarves, socks, and hats for her team as they headed for the Emprise. Solas could put on every piece she'd made him and would be completely unable to move, but would be warm.
Dorian spent every night plastered to Bull's side, shivering and sticking icy-cold feet on his shins, and he wanted to do something to help his kadan. So, he had watched Fen for the past few days, figuring out how knitting worked, and snagged himself a skein of nice peacock green wool and a pair of needles. As it turned out, observational skills could only teach him so much. The yarn kept tangling around his fingers, refused to loop around the needles, and when it finally did, it wouldn't slide gracefully into the little woven knots that flew off Fen's needles.
Then there were the needles. Bull had gotten wooden ones first, only to have them splinter and break the first time he clutched them to pull the yarn tight. After undoing all the loops and obtaining a pair of metal needles, things had gone better, but they were decidedly… crumpled. His fingers had already crushed dimples into them, and one was bent from trying to examine the loops of the sad-looking scarf slowly emerging from his efforts.
"Yarn crap, needle crap, demon-possessed knitting crap…" He grumbled as a stitch dropped off the needle instead of sliding over the yarn he'd finally gotten into place. Bull practically draped the scarf across his nose as he delicately maneuvered the needle around to pick the loop back up, leaving a pulled spot in the chains and rows. "He better appreciate the things I do for him."
"What in the world are you doing, Bull?" He flinched, realizing he hadn't heard Fen walking up on him, her patrol around the camp perimeter finished. "Are you… knitting?"
"Trying to, Boss."
She sat down next to him and looked over his handiwork. "Dare I ask?"
"I'd be much happier if you didn't." Bull was thankful for his Ben'Hassrath training, or his cheeks would be darkening with embarrassment.
Fen just raised an amused eyebrow and tilted her head inquisitively.
Attempting to ignore her, he went back to struggling with the yarn and needles. His audience had her chin propped on a casual fist, the flickering firelight casting shadows across her face. Another stitch dropped, and this time he wasn't able to catch it before the chain reaction left a laddered hole down the scarf. Bull snorted out of his nose in frustration, restraining himself from throwing the whole thing into the fire, needles and all.
"I can fix that, if you want."
"Mmrrh."
"Fine, but remember I offered."
Bull struggled with the scarf for another hour before admitting defeat and throwing it in his rucksack. Grumpy, he roused Blackwall and Sera for their watch shift, and picked a snoring Fen up from her spot next to the fire. Solas stirred just long enough to help get her into their tent and tucked into the bedroll next to him before he was back in his Dreamer Fade crap.
Flopping down next to Dorian, who immediately attached himself to Bull's side like a limpet, Bull allowed himself to pout a little. He was used to being good at everything he tried, thanks to his training and memory, but a ball of yarn and two metal sticks completely stumped him. Curling up on his side and letting Dorian be big spoon, he let out a huff and drifted off to sleep.
As they were making camp three days later, a scout came thundering in from the Exalted Plains with a package for Fen'lath. She let out a delighted squeal and tore it open, running her fingers over skeins and skeins of halla wool yarn. Bull felt a grin crinkle the corner of his eye as Sera ran over to see, her disgust with all things 'elfy' overridden by the chance to get a skein of yarn for herself to do some 'stabby sewing'.
Once the spoils were divided, Sera ran off with two skeins of bright orange and yellow yarn for a new sweater, while Fen squirrelled the rest away in her packs and tent. He turned his attention back to sharpening his axe, checking the edge in the fading light when he felt Fen walking up behind him, "You know that was just a one-off incident, Boss."
"A girl can dream, Bull," she laughed and hunkered down next to him. She had a flat, wrapped box in her hands, and handed it to him. "Happy Nameday."
He gave her a sidelong glance, "I don't know my nameday. The Tamassrans don't tell us because it's not important information."
"Well, I'm making today your Nameday, then. Just open it, stubborn lunkhead."
Undoing the twine and tearing away the plain paper, he opened the box like it was full of gaatlok. His jaw dropped when he saw the thick, heavy-duty knitting needles sized for his hands, and the heavier weighted yarn in the same peacock green he'd been attempting to knit with.
"Surprised?"
"What was the first sign?"
"The look on your face, really."
"Ha ha, Boss. How did you get this?" He lifted out the yarn, running his fingers over it. The soft wool caught on the rough texture of his skin. Even just resting in his hand, he could feel how well it held warmth. Dorian would love it.
"I sent a raven to Keeper Hawen after I saw how much trouble you were having with Dalish-sized needles and yarn weight. His spinners are very good, and those needles are ironbark. You could probably quite literally kill someone with them if you needed to, and they wouldn't even get scratched. Start looping, and I'll get my knitting so I can show you how to do this properly."
Bull felt his eye water. Damn it all to the Void, Fen was a good friend, and his kadan would have something from him to wear. Granted, given the size of the needles, even with the heavier weight of the wool, it would probably look like his scarf was made of chains looped together… Dorian would still wear it with pride, if it went as he wanted. Hopefully, it would soften him up enough to accept the dragon tooth Bull was carving when the time came.