Chapter 11: The Cracks Within
Chapter Summary: Mixed messages and confusion abound as Kirah's two favourite men experience the fallout from her actions.
Bull got to the great hall as soon as he could. Early breakfasts were not his thing, but they were Kirah's and every moment since Krem interrupted his antics the night before, he felt a deep need to tell her nothing had happened. It was a lot busier than he was used to, but, like him, she towered over most people and was easy to spot.
'Hey, good morning,' Bull began, sidling up to her.
'Morning,' Kirah responded blankly, meeting his eye briefly. She reached for the bread with a bandaged hand and winced.
'What did you do to your hand?' Bull asked concerned, reaching his own bruised digits out to hers.
'Nothing,' Kirah mumbled as she pulled back quickly. Not quick enough, however, as Bull grabbed her wrist. The Inquisitor shot him a look, a warning. Back off or be stabbed with a fork. Bull held on for a second longer before letting her go.
'I think we should talk,' he began.
'This really isn't the time, Bull,' Kirah growled and walked away to a far table.
'Sure, boss,' Bull conceded, walking in the opposite direction.
VVV
Bull tried to speak to Kirah all day. First, she was in the war room with her advisors, then she was talking to the traders, then sparring with Cassandra until he lost trace of her altogether. As darkness fell, he resigned himself to the fact he wasn't going to get his chance. Stepping heavily up the stairs to his chambers, he was vaguely aware of determined footsteps behind him and turned round. Dorian was advancing with ominous purple energy throbbing around his palms.
'How could you?!' he snarled at Bull.
'Whoa… what?' Bull asked, hands raised in defence.
'I knew you'd be a brute, but this-' the air around Dorian crackled menacingly. Bull knew he'd have to select his next words wisely.
'Dorian,' he said slowly. 'I can see you're upset, but I don't know what you're talking about… Calm down and tell me what I've done.'
The mage frowned and then spluttered, 'Kirah's hand!'
Bull's ignorance was obvious because Dorian visibly deflated and, thankfully, the purple orbs fizzed away.
'OK,' conceded Dorian pinching the bridge of his nose and closing his eyes. 'You clearly haven't the faintest clue what I'm talking about, have you?'
Bull shrugged. 'Let's do this somewhere more discreet. Come to my quarters,' he demanded more than asked.
They marched up the stairs and entered Bull's room. Dorian looked up at the hole in the roof and sniffed. Bull shook his head and poured a glass of one of Cabot's concoctions for each of them while the mage sat down gingerly on a chair.
'Kirah came to me this afternoon asking if I would help heal her hand,' Dorian began. 'It was bandaged and when I unravelled it… it was badly burned.'
Bull stared at him. Burned. 'Did you ask her what happened?'
'Of course I did, but she told me she fell in a fire which is frankly absurd.'
'Why would you think I had anything to do with that?' Bull asked incredulously.
The mage paused as if weighing his next words. 'Mercifully I don't know anything about your sex-capades, but I imagine they're a little rougher than the average non-Qunari coupling, yes?'
Bull frowned. Why does everyone seem to know about us? 'Yeah…' he mumbled.
'Well, I assumed there would be a bit of, how do you say, slap and tickle? Of controlled exercises in pain and delayed gratification… Stop me if I'm on the wrong track?'
Bull could swear Dorian was enjoying this. 'Hmm…mm,' he grunted.
'Ergo I assumed, wrongly, that you might have been involved. Look, now it seems a little ridiculous, I'll admit. I'm not sure how she did it, perhaps it was an accident with some cooking apparatus, but her hand was badly burned and would have been very painful. To be honest, I'm not sure why she waited so long to come to me, but you horned beasts are a lot tougher than us. Less stylish, but certainly tougher.'
After a few moments of silence, Bull inhaled deeply. 'I'll talk to her… when I can find her. But I have to ask, mage, had you intended to fry me earlier with your crazy purple hands?'
Dorian smirked and shrugged.
What is it with these 'vints? Bull thought. So damn dramatic. But he was glad someone else was looking out for Kirah, she had quite the loyal following.
VVV
Bull entered Kirah's chambers. He vowed if she still wasn't there, he'd stay until she turned up, no matter how long that was. But as he reached the top stair he saw her, leaning against a door frame looking out over the mountains.
'Hey boss,' he called softly.
Without turning she answered, 'Oh hey, are you alright?'
'I'm good. It's you I'm worried about.'
Kirah turned to face him, for a moment it looked like she might try to brush him off, but she merely sighed. 'I shouldn't have asked you to sleep around, Bull.'
'So why did you?' he asked, walking towards her.
'It's complicated,' she groaned, sliding down the door frame to sit on the floor.
'Listen, firstly, I didn't sleep with anyone,' Bull stated firmly. When Kirah frowned in disbelief, he explained about not really wanting to do it in the first place, how he'd considered making up stories and then how Krem burst in on his harem, sending the ladies screaming.
She laughed softly, visibly relieved. 'It's completely my fault. I would have been fine if we started this thing as an open relationship, but I suppose I left it too late and then… I didn't want to share you.'
She looked exhausted, vulnerable. Bull was angry at himself for not seeing this coming. Why can't I read her as well as everyone else? Annoyingly, Kirah seemed to read him well.
'It's not your fault. I'm amazingly talented at hiding my emotions, even from myself.'
Bull frowned as realisation dawned. Clearing his throat, he nodded at her now healed hand. 'Did you… do that to yourself?'
Kirah's face fell.
'You need to tell me everything, kadan,' Bull said softly.