"We're going where?!" CJ looked up from the book she 'borrowed' (more like lifted out of Cassandra's pack when she wasn't looking) at the sound of a loud voice. Blackwall, sitting a little ways down the river bank from CJ looked up as well.
Cassandra did not sound happy. Of course, she hadn't been too happy ever since the whole Val Royeax situation. Not that CJ could blame her. Lord Seeker Lucius had been Cassandra's leader before she left the Seekers. And now, he had turned his back on her.
"Storm Coast." Talon answered. They were walking down towards where CJ and Blackwall were sitting. CJ hastily slid the book into the pack beside her. It would not do to let Cassandra see the book when she was already so annoyed. "We've received an offer of alliance from a group of mercenaries who are currently camping there."
"Mercenaries?" Blackwall questioned, raising an eyebrow. "We are grasping at straws, are we not?"
"Isn't the Grey Warden motto to accept any and everyone who wishes to join?" CJ responded. Blackwall nodded slowly while scowling slightly. She grinned at him.
"So, we're going to the ocean, huh?" Varric came up to the group, Sera and Solas trailing behind him. They must have been arguing again, CJ mused. Sera had a distinctly pleased air to her while Solas was more stone-faced that usual. "Excellent. I haven't been to the ocean in years!"
"This is not a field trip, Varric." Cassandra rounded on him.
"Isn't that exactly what it is, though?" CJ cut in. "We're going out into the field, and to get there, we'll be taking a trip. Field. Trip. Field trip!"
Varric and Sera laughed.
Cassandra scowled at her, but CJ just grinned. "Come on Cassandra, it will be fun!"
Two weeks later, Cassandra was looking at CJ with barely hidden amusement. "You were right, CJ! This is fun!"
It was CJ's turn to scowl now, as she looked up at the woman from her current position in a mud filled trench. The area was littered with them, and CJ had managed to find four-now five- of them. Cassandra and the rest of the group found this to be quite hilarious. CJ? Not so much, really.
"Next time, you're taking lead." She exclaimed as she climbed out of the trench.
"But you're so much quieter than I am." Cassandra grinned. "Everyone agreed last night, did they not?"
"I knew that was going to come back and bite me." CJ muttered.
Varric offered CJ a cloth, and she used it to wipe most of the mud off. "I'll wash it and give it back to you." She said. "Thank you."
"No problem, CJ."
"Sir!" A voice sounded out, and the group turned. "We've been waiting for you!"
"Scout Harding!" Talon greeted. "How is everything going? Anything I should be aware of?"
"The Mercy group have been doing a very good job at keeping an eye on things." Scout Harding answered as she returned CJ's greeting with a wave. "They've stopped several attempts by bandits to interrupt the trade routes we're setting up. Good work on getting them to side with us instead of trying to kill us."
"Some of my better work." Varric exclaimed, and dodged the hand Talon directed at his head.
"All right, all right." Varric laughed. "Maybe CJ helped some. The rest of you lot were useless!"
"Useless?!" Sera cried. "I'll show you useless, won't I?"
"Have you seen any signs of the group we were to meet?" Cassandra asked, turning her back on Sera who had just tackled Varric to the ground.
"Bull's Chargers, they go by." Scout Harding nodded. "I believe they're camped just down on the beach." She pointed off to the left, towards the ocean. "Their leader goes by the name Iron Bull." The smile CJ had had while watching the wrestling match dropped off like melted butter at the sound of the name.
"Iron Bull?" Solas asked. "What kind of name is that?"
CJ barely listened to the response. It couldn't be the same Iron Bull, right? Just a coincidence? That must be what it was. Just a coincidence.
"You all right?" Sera's voice cut through CJ's thoughts. "You look kind of pale."
CJ forced a smile onto her face. "Fine." She answered. "Thought I felt something crawling in my armor." Sera shrugged.
"We're moving out to meet this Bull and his chargers. I hope there's a looker in the group. I'm running out of options in Haven." Sera gave CJ a rakish grin and CJ shook her head. That girl was incorrigible, really.
Just a coincidence. CJ thought as she fell into step behind Talon. Just a coincidence.
