A/N:Hey Gang! I'm really sorry it has taken me so long to get this out. I have been having some health issues, and frankly this chapter decided to try and take off on it's own. I had to buckle down and get the characters back in line. Thanks for your patience with me

Chapter 38

It was gratifying to know that so many of the Wardens had understood what the new potion for the Joining meant for the Wardens as a whole. Not so gratifying to know that so many of them heard the Calling and believed it to be real. The red haired mage tried to take comfort in the knowledge that there were over two hundred Wardens that had joined the Inquisition and were eager to help, but it wasn't as much comfort as she hoped.

Stroud and Hawke had left for the Western Approach in Orlais; meanwhile Bronwynn had been informed of several strange happenings in Orlais that the nobles were demanding the Inquisition; meaning she, deal with. She was saddle sore and weary and wanted nothing more than a hot bath and soft bed.

"I enjoy fighting beside you Bull," Cassandra said suddenly, breaking the silence.

"I do too, Seeker," the Benhassarath spy replied jovially.

"I will enjoy taking off my armor and sinking into a tub full of hot water and rose petals more, however," the woman teased.

"Oh now that's just cruel! Who has sex smelling like roses? A nice frangipani, maybe," he retorted causing everyone to laugh. Bronwynn enjoyed hearing them interact, especially as they teased and tormented one another. She rarely had to intervene to keep the peace and it was good. Whenever they came across Inquisition outposts, their camaraderie never failed to raise morale.

"Speaking of baths, Inquisitor; when are we going back to Skyhold? My armor could use a good cleaning," Vivienne asked in her haughtiest tones; mostly to annoy Serah, Bronwynn was sure.

"Haven't you been paying attention Madam?" Serah quipped with her normal sarcasm. "Oh, wait, of course not, you don't know how to tell direction," she went on. "We'll be at the pass to Skyhold in an hour, your stuck up ladyship," she went on like that for several minutes; until Bronwynn turned and frowned at her. Sera didn't care that Vivienne didn't like her; but she hated having Bronwynn upset with her.

"Thank you darling," Vivienne said after a moment of silence. Bronwynn just shook her head and kept moving. They were all getting rather irritable.

"How do you put up with it for weeks, my love?" Cullen asked her the following evening before they headed to the dining hall for dinner. She just laughed.

"Normally Sera keeps it toned down enough I don't have to worry about it," she answered as she undressed. He narrowed his blue eyes at her as she turned away from him to drop her clothes into a basket.

"Well Serah isn't the one who instigated it this time," he grumbled, making her laugh.

"Vivienne is looking for a fight, I think," Bronwynn said as she sat down on the settee by the bed. She was now wearing only her bra and panty, both of which were nearly the same color as her peaches and cream skin. Her Commander kept frowning at her as she reached up and began to undo her braid.

"Bronwynn, my love," he said. "We are supposed to be getting ready for dinner," he reminded her. She dropped her hair and laid her arms across the back of the settee; thrusting her still full breasts out.

"Well; ready for something, at least," she smiled wickedly at her Templar.

"We have important guests," he said to her with severity. She just smiled sweetly and crooked a finger at him. He shook his head and stayed where he was.

"Oh no," she said as she rose from the settee; her bare legs flashing warmly in the firelight. "I have decided that dinner is secondary right now," she told him as she wrapped her lithe arms around his neck and kissed him. She twined her fingers through his hair and pressed her lips firmly against his, gently nipping at his closed lips.

When he opened his mouth to kiss her back, she stole his breath with the passion she infused in the kiss. He growled in response as his own slow burning passion exploded.

"Help me get this armor off," he demanded as his hands twisted the leather bindings. She slapped them away and made short work of the chore, sucking on his tongue as she did so. He twisted his fingers into her hair and held her firmly until he felt the breastplate loosen. Once it was on the floor he tried to move to a chair so he could remove his boots, but she slid her hands under the band of his breeches and dropped to her knees as she pushed them down.

"Bron!" he half shouted half growled as he attempted to stop her. His breeches fell to his ankles; her right hand wrapped firmly around the shaft of his cock and her left hand flexed on his hip bone. He flexed his hands on her shoulders, his fingers gripping hard enough to leave imprints as he tried to push her back.

"Mine," she said in her own growl when her green eyes met his blue. The possessiveness of the statement made him smile until her raspberry lips wrapped around the head of his dick. When her emerald eyes closed and she moaned in pleasure he fought hard to control his own reaction.

"Maker," he groaned as she took her time tasting him. She dipped her head and took him deep into her mouth, using her tongue to trace the veins that lined his dick; she swallowed softly when she had him all the way in her mouth. She lightly scraped her teeth along his penis as she pulled her head back to the tip; sucking slightly on the mushroom tip.

She felt him shudder from the pleasure and smiled. She enjoyed pleasuring him, giving him the same treatment he gave her. When his cock jumped in her mouth she breathed in hard, the smell of his arousal increasing her own. She cried out softly when he forcefully pulled her away and stood her up.

"Let me get my clothes of, minx," he complained; to which she gave a sultry laugh. He had kicked off his boots and breeches and started to reach for her when he saw her hands as they caressed her breasts. His already cobalt blue eyes turned an even deeper shade and he shook his head with a deep growl. She slid the brassiere off her shoulders after untying the back. Even after all the times he'd spent on her breasts, the sight of them still made him salivate with desire. She made sure his eyes were following her hands, to watch them as they untied the thong to her panty. The cloth floated to the ground; unseen as it bared her auburn capped pussy.

Bronwynn took several slow steps backward, leading her lover to the bed. Before she could climb atop it; however, he was in front of her, on his knees. Her gasp of pleasure matched his from earlier when he used his tongue to flay her clit. He pushed her stomach to lay her on her back and used his shoulders to spread her legs wider.

Her supple fingers twisted in his blond locks as she raised her hips to give him better access to her pussy. He stroked one lip the the other with his tongue, tracing a familiar and exciting pattern. When he thrust two fingers into her passage she squealed and tightened on them. Cullen made a sound of encouragement as he twisted his fingers inside her and sucked her clit.

"Slow down, oh, slow down," she begged him. He didn't listen. When he felt the tremors that signaled the start of her orgasm he moved up her body, putting both her legs on his chest; her heels on his shoulders and thrust into her. She screamed her orgasm and it rang throughout the room. He gritted his teeth and squeezed his eyes closed to keep from coming inside her right then.

Hands holding her hips, he readjusted his legs and sank deeper inside her. Her own hands reached above her head to twist into the quilt while her calves flexed and she dug her heels into his shoulders to raise herself higher to take him deeper.

Now he took his time. Slowly he withdrew; holding her legs tight to keep her from pulling them down to gain more leverage. He gave a low chuckle when she moaned his name in a pleading manner. He reversed the movement just as slowly; garnering another pleading moan from her.

The warrior counted each thrust. Long stroke out then long thrust in, again and again until she grabbed his arms holding her legs and pulled them apart. Wrapping her legs rightly around his waist; she pulled him off balance and twisted so she was on top. He rolled them so she was on the bottom once more, tangling his fingers into her silken hair and sealing her mouth with his. They were both sweating and panting as they moved as one to reach the cliff's edge.

He came before she did, but he didn't stop until she was begging. He collapsed onto the bed beside her, pulling her to his side as they panted and cooled off. Cullen grabbed the hand she had placed on his chest when she would have moved it; preventing her from using the spell she was about to use.

"If you're not warming the water, don't bother," he said with a grin. She laughed and leaned up to kiss.

"Fine," she groused as she rose from the bed. "I'll warm the water instead of bringing food to us."

Bronwynn woke with a start as Cullen's night terror began. Her heart broke once more, knowing she could do no more than be there for him until he decided to speak of it.

"No, no more," he moaned then started awake, looking around lost for a brief moment. "Bronwynn?" he asked when he felt her next to him.

"Aye, Vhenan," she whispered sleepily.

"Did I wake you?" he asked her, his voice rough from the terror of the dream.

"Aye, but no matter," she replied as she moved closer to snuggle next to him. When his arms wrapped tightly around her she sighed and went back to sleep.

Cullen lie awake pondering what he should do. He hadn't told her how hard it was getting, doing without the lyrium. The pain was sometimes nearly unbearable; often it made him senseless. More and more often he was standing over his desk with the infusion kit open; staring at it with rage and longing.

Then there were the dreams. His mind's way of torturing him for deeds past as well as imagined. Had she known the dreams were getting worse she would have insisted on making the dreamless sleeping draught for him; yet he hated the fact that he needed it. She claimed speaking of it would help him; but who could he talk to? He could let no one know of his weakness, he could not appear to be giving less to the Inquisition than he had to the Chantry.

Forget, he heard the spirit clearly and frowned as he looked around to see it. For tonight, forget it said again. He felt as if awakening from a hazy dream. Remember she loves you.

Cullen wasn't sure what the spirit had done, but he knew it was helping. Then he smiled as he thought about the last thing it said. Remember she loves you. His mage would be leaving again in the morning; and he owed her for making them late to dinner that evening.

Cullen gently disentangled himself from her and moved quickly but quietly to the wardrobe. He kept an eye on her sleeping form while he retrieved the silk ties Iron Bull had gotten for him. Cullen was still unsure how he had managed to have that particular conversation without bursting into embarrassed flame; but was glad he had. Bull had given him several tips and ideas.

He carefully moved her so she was on her stomach then bound her hands above her head, leaving enough room for her to pull without hurting herself, yet be unable to untie the binding. He carefully lifted her hips, placing pillows under them. The other bindings he tied around her ankles and the posts at the foot of the bed. Long ties,they would still hamper her movement. Indeed, they were just long enough for him to position her knees where he wanted them.

Cullen was stiff and ready to take her right then, but that wasn't the plan; yet. With her hips supported by the pillows and her knees under her hips, not only was her shapely ass in the air, her auburn covered pussy was exposed to his view. He moved so he was behind her and began to caress and massage her ass cheeks. When she began to sigh and stretch into his touch he added strokes along the outside of her pussy, along the lips. Her gasp of pleased surprise goaded him on to longer caresses.

"Cullen?" he heard her asking, but didn't answer with words. Instead he pressed the small of her back, forcing her to lower it, which forced her to lift her hips higher and spread her legs for more stability. He knew when she felt the ties when she said Um with another question. His answer was to slip his tongue between her labia and flicking her clit, then tracing his tongue up her slit.

The Templar took his time tasting her,lapping up her juices as her body responded to his ministrations. She was rocking back against his mouth after a few moments, and within five she was saying his name in a pleading tone. At ten minutes he felt her body begin to tremble as she reached her climax; then he stopped licking her and went back to simply rubbing her ass.

He switched to caressing her whole back and legs while he waited for her to calm down. Although he didn't let her completely relax. He did enjoy the taste of her; and told her so after his next taste.

Leaning over her from behind, letting her feel the heaviness of his erection against her soaked pussy; he reached under her to cup her full sensitive breasts, rolling her raspberry nipples gently. This was when she realized what the ties actually did. She couldn't move far enough to forward to slide herself onto his dick; and he'd prevented her from rolling her hips with the pillows and the position of her knees.

"Please, Cullen," she begged.

"Please what. my love?" he asked her. Before she could answer; however, he gently pinched both nipples and then slid one hand behind her and in between her legs. He opened her labia and caressed her clit slowly; preventing her from speaking. Just before she started to orgasm he stopped once more; this time leaving the bed. Her cry of frustration made him chuckle.

Bronwynn turned her head to the right when she heard the door next to the bed open. Her handsome lover strode into the room and she growled when she saw the smile on his face. Her body was aching with the need for relief and he was smiling about it. She took a deep breath to call his name; and the action sent ripples of pleasure from her nipples to her clit as her nipples rubbed against the sheets. Instead of calling her name she cried out in surprised pleasure. Bronwynn heard Cullen chuckle once again as he rummaged in the room; and though it infuriated her it also made her hotter.

The mage attempted to stretch her arms to reach the silken knots that bound her hands to the headboard, but couldn't get both her hands to one or the other. She tried bringing her hands closer to herself to untie them from her wrists, but couldn't do that either. Although she could touch fingers, that was as close as she could get her hands.

Bronwynn kept losing her concentration as every movement reminded her body of her desire. Cullen had come back into the room to see her attempting to move more forward to release the tension on her arms; when she moaned as that caused a different pressure on her very sensitive clit. He closed his eyes and counted to twenty in dwarven and reminded himself of his plans for the night.

"C-cullen," she cried out as he sat back on the bed.

"Yes, my love."

"Wh-what are you going to do to me?" he loved that there was more anticipation in her voice than curiosity; and zero fear. To know she trusted him implicitly helped soothe the constant ache and worry in his mind.

"I am going to keep you up all night," he said to her, whispering it in her ear, enjoying the feel of her delighted shiver.

"I love that you are so ready for me, Bron." He slid his middle finger inside her still wet pussy, taking a deep breath when she clenched tightly on it. He slowly moved his finger deeper inside her, slowly enough she tried thrusting her hips back to take him deeper inside her; but he simply took his hand away.

Bronwynn groaned in frustration when he moved away from her again. She wanted more, but before she could say so there was a soft touch on her leg that distracted her. She couldn't move her head enough to see what he was using to touch her and it made the sensation more erotic than she would have thought. It wasn't long before she was writhing in pleasure once more, begging and pleading him to touch her, kiss her anything to relieve the pressure.

Cullen finally gave in to her pleading when her breath caught on a sob from the pleasure and pain of his torturous ministrations. He positioned himself behind her again only this time; instead of his fingers slipping inside her passage he thrust the head of his dick just inside her. His fingers flexed on her hips to pull her back against him; which stretched her torso out so that once more her nipples were rubbing against the linen sheets. His breathing quickly began to match hers as he fought to control his need to pound into her.

Bronwynn started coming the moment he hand entered her and each deliberately long thrust merely prolonged the pleasure. She was past the point of screaming out her pleasure; she could only gasp and sob with it.

"Maker, Bronwynn," she heard him groan out before he shifted his grip and his balance; once more pushing the small of her back down to tilt her hips higher. Each thrust now was fully inside her; deeper than before and every stroke wrung out more pleasure from her body.

Cullen felt her pussy clench tightly enough on his dick to actually stop his movements. Her entire body stiffened and she screamed more loudly than he'd heard in a long while. He shouted in response as she wrung an orgasm from him as well.

The two were panting heavily, exhausted from the exertion but sated when they heard a crackling that didn't sound as if it belonged. When they looked blearily around they saw what looked like a small person made of fire dancing around the center of the room.

"Bronwynn," he said as he still gasped for breath. "Tell me you didn't set one of your spirit friends on fire." She huffed out a laugh that quickly turned to a whimper; her body still trembling from the aftershocks of her orgasm.

"No," she answered between her own gasps. "It looks like a fire sprite," she said. "Untie me," she asked. He did so quickly and she called the small creature to her. It was just a small person made of fire, and it seemed to be quite jolly. Cullen had heard of them, of course; but he'd never seen one. She smiled at it then whispered to it for a moment. She turned a deeper red than her hair before sending the creature back to where it had come from.

"Why are you blushing?" he asked her as he pulled her back to him to hold her in his arms while they recovered.

"It came because I lost control of my magic," she mumbled. He was startled for a short moment; then he began to laugh heartily. He hadn't ever done that to her; make her lose control. When she tried to move away from him, calling him names he only laughed harder.

"Oh, no my love, I'm not finished with you yet," he said before stealing her breath with his kiss; and although her mind twinged at the thought of another round, her body immediately responded to his touch.

True to his word, Cullen kept her up the rest of the night; they hadn't fallen into an exhausted sleep until dawn had pinked the sky. When Elizita had come in just before dawn she had quickly made her way out of the room. When she had returned several hours later she had kept as quiet as possible to allow her Lord and Lady to sleep. She had even made sure to stop Sister Nightingale and Seeker Pentaghast from waking them.

Which meant that neither woke until noon which amused the entire keep. Especially when their Inquisitor came tearing out of their quarters shouting curses about how late it was; followed by their Commander laughing heartily at her antics.

"We can always leave tomorrow morning, Your Worship," Cassandra said soothingly to the disgruntled mage; which actually did nothing to sooth her, especially as Cassandra was trying so desperately not to laugh while she said it.

Cullen caught up with his lover on the training field where she was grumbling as she started lining up mages for training. When he took her elbow and turned her toward him she reached out with her other hand to smack his armored shoulder and grumbled even more; although no one missed her smile as she did so.

"I promise, I'll not keep you up as long tonight," he said just loudly enough for those closest to hear him say before he kissed her. He walked away quickly; laughing even harder, when she shrieked into his mouth and pulled away with electricity dancing in her fingers.

"Argh!" he shouted with surprise; still laughing, when she hit him with a small jolt of lightning.

"Inquisitor," Bronwynn turned and smiled at the Qunari spy as she entered the Herald's Rest. "Come meet the boys," he ordered jovially. Bronwynn noted he always seemed to be happy; and she wondered what he was keeping hidden.

"Chargers," she said with a small bow. There was a chorus of 'your worship' around the room as she sat and picked up the pint the barmaid put in front of her. He introduced them each, giving short back story for how he found them all.

"Never let it be said you can't find good talent," she said with a grin. He chuckled in response and they spent the next several hours getting to know one another. He pulled her aside as they broke up for the evening meal.

"I've gotten word from my superiors," he said.

"About?"

"They want to form an alliance, with the Inquisition," he said, and she could hear something in his voice. She moved them off the path and asked about it.

"I'm just used to them being 'over there'" he said, and she let it go even though she didn't fully believe him. "It's a good thing, Bronwynn," he said earnestly.

"I'll take all the help I can get," she said with a sardonic chuckle. He grinned at her and walked away. "Even if I don't trust their intentions," she said to herself after he was out of earshot. She went to the central tower inside the keep to speak with her spymaster.

"You aren't concerned they'll try to use this to their advantage?" Leliana asked, to which Bronwynn snorted in derision.

"Of course they will, isn't that what all our so called allies are doing?" Bronwynn countered.

"Good, I was afraid you didn't see that," the bard said with satisfaction. Bronwynn just shook her head at the woman. "What is it you want us to do?" Leliana asked curiously.

"The information they have given us points to the Storm Coast, right?" Leliana nodded in the affirmative.

"Let us get agents out there to make sure we only have to deal with what they are telling us we do," she said. "I'm quite certain it isn't" she told the woman who again nodded, this time in agreement.

"I, too, am certain it isn't," she replied. "I'll get Harding and her crew back out there right away," Bronwynn nodded her thanks and took her leave.

"My contact should be here," The Iron Bull was saying as an elven man came out of cover behind some trees. The dark haired man was smaller than most elves that Bronwynn had seen, but when he spoke she figured it was due to his being from Tevinter.

"He is," the young man said with mischief in his voice. Bull grinned when he saw him.

"Gatt! I thought you were still in Seheron," he exclaimed.

"I was, the Ben Hassrath decided I had finally calmed down enough to leave," he turned to Bronwynn.

"Inquisitor, it's a pleasure to meet you. Hissrad's reports speak well of you," Bronwynn could hear the doubt in the younger man's voice but she let it go. She wasn't about to defend herself to a viddathari any more than she defended herself to anyone else.

"Pleased to meet you as well, what are we looking at?" she asked as she pulled out a map of the Coast. He pointed to two locations on the map where he said there were Venatori encampments. Bronwynn narrowed her eyes as he completely ignored the marking where her Lead Scout had placed a third camp of Venatori. Granted, Harding had noted that it seemed mostly a landing area; but he still should have mentioned it.

When she looked up at The Iron Bull she saw his mouth had tightened slightly; he had noticed the glaring omission as well. Good, then he wouldn't balk when she sent people out with the Chargers.

"I'll let the Chargers know what they'll be doing, boss," he said to her; and it was a sign of how upset he was that she could hear the disgruntlement in his voice. Bronwynn nodded at him and moved to the rest of the party.

"Solas, Blackwall, Cole, Dorian, Sera; I'd like the five of you to head out with the Chargers," she said and Solas nodded with superiority.

"You see it for the trap it is then, good" he said with satisfaction.

"This viddathari didn't point out an obvious camp," she said by way of agreement. She kept her voice low enough it didn't carry over the sound of the rain as it hit the flora.

"Orders are to make him prove he's still ours; make him give up the mercenaries. They think he's gone Tal-Vashoth, but I know he hasn't. He'll do the right thing," Cole said suddenly.

"You know, dear, I hate it when he does that; but I happen to like the Chargers. Ill mannered though they are; they are quite efficient," Vivienne's voice wasn't in it's normal haughty tone. There was cultured anger there.

"I agree with Viv," Sera said with her own biting tone. "The Chargers are ours," and Vivienne nodded her agreement. Bronwynn gave a very evil smile as she nodded her own agreement.

"Keep them alive, and let's show the Ben Hassrath they shouldn't overestimate their power and influence, eh?" she asked, everyone in the party gave a low chuckle as they split up to do just that.

"Where are they going?" Gatt asked the Inquisitor, and no one could miss the suspicion in his voice. Bronwynn kept her own voice calm and distant, however. As if the answer was obvious and of no consequence.

"I don't think we need eleven people to take out a small camp of Venatori, Gatt. I sent them with off to check out the beach to make sure there weren't any areas where the Venatori may be landing," She said as she checked her gear to be sure she had what she needed readily available. She looked up at him after a moment and smiled with malice.

"Shall we go kill some Venatori assholes?" she asked him. Had he been watching Iron Bull he would have been concerned about that look; instead he simply nodded and pulled his daggers.

The six of them made short work of the two groups of Venatori they ran into; and Bull proudly announced his Chargers had already taken care of the the other group. As they watched the Dreadnaught blow the Venatori ship out of the water; however, he noticed a group of Venatori coming from the encampment that Gatt hadn't mentioned.

Bull was watching the elf carefully when he mentioned the group, and it was clear the young man didn't have the same training to be a Keeper of Illusions that Bull did; his face gave away that it had been part of the plan all along.

"Well, let's see what Vivienne, Solas and Dorian have prepared for the Vints," Iron Bull said with no small amount of satisfaction as the three mages stepped out of cover. Gatt's eyes widened when he saw them and the energies in their hands. He turned quickly to see that Bronwynn's hands were also encased in energy.

"Oh, this is one of those times it's good Cole is a spirit," Bronwynn said to the Qunari with a laugh full of wicked mischief.

Suddenly there was water bursting from the ground to the left of the Vints, blocking them from breaking landward. Rocks appeared behind them with loud thunder as they rose from the ground; blocking them from retreating. They had no choice but to either keep moving forward and attack or try and swim the Waking Sea.

Solas threw up a barrier around the three of them when the Venatori mages threw a volley of fireballs at the group; and two of the swordsmen went down in a bloody mess when Sera hit one with an explosive arrow. Everyone on the hill with Bronwynn heard Cole's disembodied voice shout now; and Bronwynn made a sweeping motion with her left hand.

"What in the abyss is happening?" She heard Gatt cry out as the sea swelled up into a large wave; dragging the Dreadnaught closer to shore as it did. The wave crashed over the Venatori mages and fighters that were left, silencing the screams of the men as it pulled them back out to sea with it as it retreated from the shore. Bull grunted with appreciation as the Dreadnaught was rocked onto a sandbar as the water retreated completely, leaving the area at a truly low tide.

"Oops," Bronwynn said with chagrin. "Didn't mean to use that much."

Silence reigned for several long minutes.

"One by one they followed me, laughing, to the sea," Cole quoted with awe in his voice, which sent the rest of the group into nervous laughter; except for Bronwynn who simply smiled with satisfaction at the Ben Hassrath agent.

"Well, I think that takes care of the Venatori who are smuggling red lyrium, don't you?" She said to the elf, who was still staring at her with horror.

"I'll get the Chargers and the others," Bull said as he moved away. "I'll see if we can help get the Dreadnaught back in the water and off the sandbar," he was muttering to Cassandra as she and the rest followed him. Bronwynn heard the horn sound and saw the other group heading toward the sound; but made no move to follow. She also felt Cole's presence still, and she wondered at that for a moment.

"What are you?" the elf asked her; the fear in his voice evident.

"I am saarebas," she said. He heard the menace once more in her voice, and this time realized it was directed at him.

"Don't you want this alliance?" he asked her with curiosity.

"I do," she answered him honestly. "But it's going to be on my terms," she said with that same honesty.

"Wha-" he started to ask, but stopped. It was clear he was far from comfortable with the idea that someone other than his superiors knew more than he did.

"Look, I neither know nor care why you joined the Qun," she said to him. He frowned at what he perceived as a change of subject. "But Hissrad hasn't abandoned his beliefs." His brown eyes widened with shock at how she was able to touch on his thoughts.

"Your superiors sent him out here to play Tal-Vashoth and are now suspicious that perhaps he's gone native," she still had that menacing smile on her face; there was still menace in her voice. "Because he is so good at his job?" she hissed.

"They shouldn't have abandoned him when he needed them," she went on. "When he asked for help; for re-educating." She snarled, and though there was venom and anger, it was clearly caged and controlled. He opened his mouth to speak, but she raised her hand to forestall anything he could have said. "You didn't mention the landing party that had already landed before we got here," she said to him, anger making her green eyes flash. He gulped.

"You expected me to let Hissrad command my troops," she went on. "As if I; a lowly saarebas, poor human mage, would be unable to see the trap you laid before me." He didn't even realize he was nodding his agreement.

"Well that was a mistake you'll be sure to notify your superiors of, right?" she said to him.

"I am the Inquisitor."

She had not raised her voice, and although she did sound as if she would happily remove his testicles; she had made no violent motions towards him.

"The Ben Hassrath has valuable information on the Venatori that I can use," she went on implacably. "We have information that the Ben Hassrath can use." She waited while he swallowed and nodded his understanding.

"Then we can be allies; but allies doesn't have to mean friends," she said to him; now leaning down and forward so she was in his face. "Tell your superiors that they should pay more attention to what Hissrad tells them in his reports," she whispered at him. She stood and turned half away from him before stopping and turning to look back at him over her shoulder; red hair whipping in the wind from the constant storm.

"We're heading back to Skyhold, let us be your hosts while you wait on your superiors to answer," she said with that same smile