The Iron Bull noticed quite the gathering at the front gates from his position in the sparring ring. A curious whispers all around as others shot covert glances at Lady Montilyet who greeted them. He figured they were expected. Perhaps some nobles. At least, someone with influence by the way he saw Josephine do a little curtsy.

A screech caught his attention, the pitch was that of glee, and he knew it came from his Asaaranda. Eye searching, he found her darting across the grounds, her long blonde hair flowing behind her, and she launched herself into the arms of one of the men. He held her like she was the most precious thing in the world, tight and possessive. Jealousy struck him hard, and it dawned on him, the group of elves all had their faces marked with a vallislin. Her clan.

Her voice carried, but the sounds were strange, foreign as she spoke in her native tongue to those who could understand. He returned his attention to Krem, who was studying him a little too close. "You good, Chief?"

"Yeah," he grumbled, lifting the shield once again. "I'm good."

::

Dalish sat on the fence, watching her Chief and Lieutenant go at it, infinitely more vicious than before the break. Her eyes shifted to her staff wondering if it might come down to her to break it up. Lately, The Iron Bull had become easier to aggravate. When she gave it a good deal of thought, it came down to the moment he had lost the Qun. All of his rules of self were out the window. Free of the Qun, becoming Tal-Vashoth changed him. It remained to be seen how much.

She had a great deal of love for the Inquisitor. Less for calming the Breach if she were being truthful. She loved Ashrielle for how she calmed the anger inside of Bull, soothed the savage. Being around her could make him go into a lull where he didn't need the battle so much. He was a good man. Dalish knew she'd follow him to the end, but she wasn't fool enough to deny his nature.

Krem blocked but the force knocked him back a good three feet, and before he could get his footing back, another blow hit the shield and knocked him to the ground. Bull raised his fist and Dalish jumped into the circle, and stood over her vulnerable comrade. "Enough, Bull!" she snapped, hoping he would think twice about hitting her while weaponless. She could tell Krem was back on his feet, but she remained firmly planted between them. "What in the Void was that about? This is training! He is your comrade, not an enemy!"

"Nothing," Bull said shortly, tossing his shield aside. "I got carried away."

"Wasn't nothing," she barely heard Krem mutter.

"Say again?" Bull snapped.

"You've got two ears," Krem snapped right back. "Your hearing is fine. It wasn't nothing. You saw the way Ashrielle greeted that guy and-"

Bull rotated his shoulder. "I said it's nothing."

"Greeted?" Dalish turned to Krem. "I noticed the clan come in, but I didn't pay mind to the Inquisitor's greeting."

"Jumped into some man's arms." He brushed some grass from his shoulder. "Chief's jealous." Dalish knew that Krem and Bull had been travelling together for years. They were as close as brothers. If Krem said Bull was jealous, he was jealous.

"Is that a normal greeting for your people?" Bull asked, looking somewhere over her shoulder.

She followed his gaze, and noticed Ashrielle leading the clan into Skyhold. Turning her attention to her beloved commander, Dalish softened. "You lived under the Qun. Our people are typically respectful of one another. Our clans are our family."

"So you're saying that it's normal. To jump. To wrap your arms and legs around a man who's not your lover?"

Dalish flushed and shifted uncomfortably. While not surprised that Bull would ask, she certainly didn't expect the conversation to turn into this. "She is affectionate. I'm not surprised she would behave like this. It doesn't mean she's bonded to him."

"Bonded?"

Teeth bit tongue to keep the curse back. "Forget it."

"Not going to happen," Bull snarled.

"It is the Dalish tradition equivalent to marriage for Humans. And I'm not saying that is what they are, nor expected to be, nor arranged-"

"Your people arrange marriages?"

"Arrange bonds, yes." Dalish huffed out a breath. "Breeding is important to the Dalish. We must bond with another Elf to continue our bloodlines, to pass on our culture to our children-"

"To another Elf."

Realizing what she had said, she swallowed hard. "Bull."

"Is it forbidden for her to be with someone outside of her race?"

"Bull-"

"Dalish."

She took a deep breath, and reluctantly nodded. "Fertility between an Elf and a Human is low, but any offspring is still Human. Between Elf and Dwarf is nearly unheard of. And…" She took a deep breath. "They won't let her back, Bull. Ashrielle, it doesn't matter if she's First of her clan, it doesn't matter if she's the Inquisitor, and brings peace to all of Thedas, if they know she is with you, she will be exiled."

He turned and stalked off. Dalish turned to Krem, and chewed on her bottom lip. "Is he going to be alright?"

Krem tried to work out the kink in his shoulder, even as his eyes followed The Iron Bull. "Yeah," he said unconvincingly. "The big guy'll shake it off."

::

Bull didn't want to think about it. Didn't want to think about her with her clan, the family she wanted, the life that had been taken away. He only had one thing in mind, and that was beating the breath out of some unlucky bastard, so it might as well be ones on the other team. He found Cullen in his office. Ordered himself some work with the Chargers.

Cullen flipped through papers. "Well, Venatori have been spotted in the Hinderlands."

"We'll take care of it."

"Did the Inquisitor sign-"

"I'm asking the Commander."

Cullen eyed the mercenary, and sighed, signing off his name. "I'll have a runner take this to Liliana. There should be Scouts will meet you at Upper Lake Camp."

Bull nodded and left, but not before he heard the Commander mutter, 'I'm going to regret this, aren't I?'

::

Ashrielle expected to find Bull in the tavern, however, he wasn't in his usual spot. Neither was Krem for that matter. Not a single Charger in the establishment, she left. Not in any of his usual haunts, she started asking soldiers, all of them happy enough to help.

"Saw him sparring with Krem earlier-"

"Last I saw, he was with you, Inquisitor."

"Entering the main hall, Your Worship."

"Aye, went to speak with Cullen in his office."

The last gave her a proper direction, and if Bull had spoken with Cullen, perhaps her Commander would know where the Bull had gone after. She climbed the stairs and walked in without knocking. Both Cullen and Cassandra had smiles on their faces from opposite ends of the desk, but turned to her welcomingly. "Inquisitor," Cullen greeted formally and rested his hands on the pommel of his sword.

Cassandra tapped her gloved fingers on the desk, shooting a grin Cullen's way. "We will speak later." She turned to leave only to pause and turn to the Inquisitor. "Unless you are in need of me."

"Perhaps." She planted her hands on her hips. "Do either of you know where Bull is?"

"The tavern, perhaps?" Cassandra offered with a small shrug.

"Checked, he wasn't there. Checked his quarters. And the sparring ring. And everywhere where weapons are stored and-"

Cullen cleared his throat. "He's on his way to the Hinderlands."

"The Hinderlands," she stared blankly. "Why?"

"He asked for a task. He was in a foul mood. I decided it is best to let him work it out. I have faith he and the Chargers can handle the Venatori before they can make a stronghold."

Her lips created a fine line as they pressed together in anger. "How long ago?"

"A few hours at most-"

And she stormed out without letting Cullen finish, a moment later she heard footsteps following her down. She whirled on him- only to find it was Cassandra. "You're going after him," the woman said.

"Are you going to try and stop me because-"

"No," Cassandra cut her off. "I'm going with you."

Arguing took time that Ashrielle didn't feel she had. "Fine." And she led the way to the horses. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Krem, and she nearly tripped over her own two feet. "What are you doing here?" A flicker of panic struck her. "Why aren't you with Bull?"

"We're currently in the middle of a… spat. Can't even call it a proper disagreement much less a fight. It's more him being a…. doesn't matter. We'll patch it up when he gets back."

"That's why he asked Cullen to go for a while? Because you two had a fight?"

Krem paused in the sharpening of his sword, and looked up at her with a frown. "Perhaps in part."

She huffed out a breath. "Just tell me!"

"He saw how you greeted that man in your clan. He's jealous. He's in the middle of a jealous fit." Krem frowned. "Didn't help what Dalish explained about your culture. That whole bonding thing-"

"Oh for the love of all the Creators, the Maker, the Ancestors, and Andraste herself-"

"Darkly dangerous. Love lit but livid," Cole touched her shoulder gently. "Mine. Mine. Mine, his mind screams, but still drowned out by the soft whisper of 'his.'"

The spirit's words gave her pause, yet she stormed toward the horses, now with Cassandra, Cole, and Krem in tow.

::

Given that the Chargers had stopped a few hours away to make camp, and hunt supper made it easy for Ashrielle and her companions to catch up. In one swift movement, Ashrielle was off her steed and stomping across the camp to where Bull stood. "You!" She tried to shove him with both hands, but his impressive bulk didn't move. "How could you leave? You misunderstood everything! And you left! You promised always, and you left!"

Bull tried to hold onto his righteous anger but the tears in her eyes made them seem even softer, lighter, vulnerable.

"I'm not bonded. Nor arranged to be." The tears slipped down her cheeks. "I am with you, ma lath. I made that clear to my clan-" her voice choked off by emotion, and she bit her lip to keep in the horrible sorrow.

"My clan. Not my clan. Not now. Not anymore," Cole said.

Bull put the pieces together quickly, and forced her to look up at him with just one finger under her chin. "You told your clan that we are together?"

"Yes," she whispered.

His hands dropped to his side. "Dalish told me you would be exiled for it."

She sniffled. "I am." A tear slid down her cheek and she quickly brushed it away. "I'm not the First anymore. I'm not a Lavellan anymore. I'm the Inquisitor now. I have a new family-" she sniffled again. "I have you?"

The way she said it more like a question than a statement broke his heart. He kissed her forehead, her nose, her lips. "Always. Always. I'm sorry-"

"Hot anger, burning, brighter, brighter-" Cole muttered.

"No one here is angry," Bull argued.

"Red!" Cole's hands flew up to his knives. He twirled around and disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

Cassandra had her sword and shield up, standing defensively between the direction Cole had disappeared facing, and Ashrielle. She saw it a moment later, coming through the treeline. "Red Templars!"

Bull's lips claimed Ashrielle's in a quick, hard promise, and led the Chargers into battle.

The staff grip was soft in her hands as she stood back away from the bulk of the battle with Dalish. The mages compensated for each other's shortfalls. They controlled the flow of battle; Dalish with walls of ice, and Ashrielle with walls of fire. As their companions fought close together Dalish brought the protective glyph to life, and barriers formed around each of them.

"Asaaranda! Light them up!" Bull called from the field.

Eyes narrowed on the enemy as she focused. Mana swirled and left her skin tingling. The lightning struck, leapt and struck again. The air itself charged with her magic. Each shot of lightning intensified as dark clouds of sympathetic formed over the field.

It didn't take long for the field to be cleared. Paralyzed, electrocuted, and frozen enemies make for easy kills. Ice clung to Dalish's skin like armour, she breathed out a white plume of air. "Are they all dead?"

"Probably," Bull shot a meaningful glance to his men who immediately took up throat-cutting duties.

Cole rejoined the party, his blades coated in blood. "There are scouts to the north. Hurt. Can we help them?"

Ashrielle turned to Bull. "Finish the task Cullen gave you. Return to Skyhold immediately after."

Bull bowed his head. "I am sorry for jumping to conclusions."

Ashrielle nodded. "Just come home in one piece. Cassandra, Cole, we'll escort the scouts home safe."

"At once, Inquisitor," Cassandra responded.

Bull easily lifted Ashrielle onto her mount. "Be safe."

She leaned down and kissed him. "You too."

::

Cassandra led her horse toward Skyhold, the wounded scout upon her mount. She glanced up at the Inquisitor. "You let Bull off rather easily."

"I don't want to fight. Not with him. I do enough fighting," Ashrielle whispered.

Cassandra sighed, thinking of the torch she held in her heart for another. "Yes, yes we do."

"We have to enjoy the time we have, don't we? Especially with all that is happening. Who knows how much we have left."

The weight of the Inquisitor's words was far heavier than that of her armour. "I suppose that is true."

"So, we should make sure that everyone we love, knows it."

Cassandra glanced up to find the Inquisitor's odd light blue eyes narrowed at her. Cassandra cleared her throat and nodded. "Yes. We should."

"Safe and solid, protecting and proud." Cole murmured. "He feels like quiet, stronger when you hold him."

Both he and Ashrielle turned to Cassandra, her cheeks and ears becoming first pink and then a deep red. She cleared her throat and pointed ahead. A cold burst of air blew snow from the branches and it swirled around them, the cold cutting deep. Cassandra shivered. "We are nearly to Skyhold. It will be nice to get near a fire."

Ashrielle couldn't stop the mischievous smile from spreading. "Or you could find another way to keep warm."

Cassandra's dark eyes widened as she stared up at the inquisitor in shock. "I-inquisitor!"

Ashrielle laughed. "What? I'd do the same if Bull were here."

The disgusted noise left Cassandra's lips, but they curved just slightly, and Ashrielle figured it a win.