"Freedom finally!" Stretching, I smirk at my new found freedom as I continue down the cool stone step stairs to find myself in the judgement hall; my ears perk up at the mumblings of Josephine. Curious, I decide to investigate.
"Strange…"
"What is it Goldie?" I ask curious as she perk sup surprised to see me.
"Oh Fennic, nothing ignore my ramblings," She smiles weakly.
"Come on I'm interested," I smirk.
"Well, Solas has ordered quite…strange books," Josephine exclaims making me frown.
"Strange books?" I enquire curious, dirty books? No...nooooo...
"They are quite simple books for one with such…vocabulary," Josephine explains as my eyes widen in slight fear and panic at the idea, don't tell me Solas bought me those books, he said he keep it on the low.
"Maybe he's taking a break, you know relaxing?" I offer steeling my voice.
"I suppose maybe I'm just over thinking things…" Josephine waves it off.
"Yeah you should relax," I assure the busy girl who nods as briefly, I hear the sound of footsteps making me turn to Meredith bowing her head to me, passing me a report as I leave to head back home, only then to frown at the strange movements of some scouts.
"Meredith, tell me do those scouts seem familiar?" I question wary as she follows my gaze her brow furrowed.
"No mam," She reports.
"Right…I'll be right back," I whisper, speed walking over to find Bull and the Inquisitor of course they attack now. Quickly, ignoring the burning pain of my muscular limbs and sore aching torso, I approach the battlements.
Quickly, I draw my blade as one of the scouts strikes at Bull the other attempts to strike at the shocked Eve.
"Bull Fen!" Eve calls out in concern.
"I got it!" Bull growls as swiftly, I grba the one with the poison baled and slit their throat, making them collapse on the ground in a pool of ruby red, gurgling.
"Sorry for cutting in," Smugly, I smirk at the two.
"Ebost issala Tal Vasshoth," The agent spits out making my eyes narrow at the typical message to those who betray the Qun as I glance at Bull, allowing him to toss the wounded scout over.
"Yeah, yeah my soul's dust. Yours is scattered all over the ground though so…Sorry Boss thought I might need backup," Bull grunts plucking out the blade as he turns to me and Eve.
"Shouldn't you be resting?" Eve questions.
"The doctor let me go…stubborn guy but I got him to crack," Cheekily, I smirk as Bull catches on while Eve frowns lost.
"Guess I'm not even worth sending professionals for…so how did you find out?" Bull turns to me intrigued.
"Gut instinct besides those guys were acting off, asked Meredith she never knew them and Meredith knows EVERYONE. Literally, she is the definition of a social butterfly," I explain.
"Why didn't you tell me ahead of time?" Eve frowns.
"If he had warned you, the guards would have been tipped off," I answer for Bull who nods.
"She gets it." He smirks and I simply shrug.
"Are you alright? Both of you," Eve questions turning to both Bull and I.
"Fine. Hurt myself worse than this around in bed," Bull smirks.
"What you and Dorian do has nothing to do with us Bull," I remind him as he smirks.
"What if they used poison?" Eve frowns.
"Oh of course they did, they wanted him dead, wanted it slow no doubt due to being a traitor and traitors must pay," I shrug at the simple logic.
"Oh they definitely used poison, Saar-Damek, liquid form," Bull tells her.
"Oof," I wince knowing of the poison's effects on most though Bull is oddly okay, unless…
"Honeysuckle?" I gather.
"Honeysuckle," He nods.
"What? How can you be so calm!?" Eve panics.
"Eve you're talking to the two people with death threats sent to them and assassins on their asses twenty four seven, typically after that you sort of grow numb to it," I sigh shaking m head at the shocked Eve.
"If I hadn't been dosing myself with the antidote. I'd be going crazy and puking my guts out right now. As it is, stings like shit but that's about it," Bull reports.
"I hoped the ben Hassrath would let you go," Eve sighs guiltily.
"They did. Sending two guys with blades against me? That's not a hit. That's a formality, just making it clear that I am Tal Vashoth, Tal Va-fucking-shoth!" Bull seethes, spitting out the words like they were venom.
"This shouldn't change you, a title shouldn't change you, you are more than some title and neither does this," Eve assures him.
"That was just a role. This is my life as one of those…I killed hundreds of Tal-Vashoth in Seheron, bandits, murderers, bastards who turned their back on the Qun. And now I'm one of them," Disgusted, Bull snarls.
"Bullshit!" Shocked, we perk up at the first curse coming from the angry Eve.
"You're a good guy!" Eve argues.
"Without the Qun to live by..." Bull begins.
"Shut up! You are a good man if they don't see that then they are missing out!" Eve barks.
"You are more than what the Qun gave you Bull. You have someone to rely on you have someone you want to protect; you have a family of your own to care for. Those people, they will stop the madness from consuming you, you will stop the madness from consuming you because they rely on you as you rely on them," Sternly, I explain to him seeing his angered glare soften into relief from my words.
"Thanks Boss, Fen. I'll get cleaned up, then tell Red what happened. Hey boss, whatever I miss, whatever I regret…this is where I want to be. Whenever you need an ass kicked, the iron bull is with you," Proudly, Bull promises bringing a smile to Eve's lips.
"Thanks Bull," Eve thanks him and turns her back to us leaving as I then turn to Bull.
"Good, then after that we can get to the bar; I think someone owes me a drink…" Smugly, I smirk as Bull smirks back at me.
"Fen I heard you planned the dragon thing for me, risking your life like that thanks…" Bull smiles grateful.
"What you expect me just to leave your sorry ass to mope, not my style besides Dorian wouldn't shut up worrying about you," I complain.
"He was…worried?" I raise a brow at the hopeful tone.
"Yeah, you know how Dorian is," I shrug.
"Hey you don't think it's weird right?" Uneasy, he questions me surprising me.
"Why would that matter, you never care about what others think," I point out puzzled.
"Yeah but you're a good friend Fen, the closest I've had that I haven't slept with. I just…you've seen both sides of Tevinter and the Qun do you think…?" Bull sighs.
"Bull…what do you think?" I questions startling him.
"I…it's not weird," Bull answers.
"It isn't as long as you too are consensual and are not forcing one another. Also if you love one another," I bring up.
"Of course." Bull nods.
"Then good, honestly, I think you two being together is good, shows a sign of hope for maybe the empire and the Qun. I understand why many would be fearful but I'm not, not when it's you too…" I turn my back to him.
"Thank Fox, I mean it and I'd like that…" Bull tells me as I head to the tavern, ready for a good old pint.
Cheerfully, the sound of roaring and cheers make me smirk. I raise a brow when noting Eve coughing, practically having having a fit as she pounds on her chest no luck as Bull laughs, unaware of her struggling. Sighing, I rush over to the first timer, giving her a strong yet firm pat, silencing her coughing as she turns to see me join her by her side.
"F-Fen," Coughing, Eve holds her neck, smiling weakly at me grimacing, looking pained as she tries to regain her breathing from her loud coughing fit.
"First time, really you? This first timer?" I frown at the giddy Bull, stealing the pint from the struggling girl, calling the tavern bar keep over, ordering her a softer alcoholic beverage.
"I can…I can handle it," She hisses.
"No you can't, so what's going on?" I ask leaning in, taking a sip of the stolen pint from Eve.
"Celebrating our win against that badass dragon!" Bull roars excited making me smirk glad to see his spirits lifted.
"To killing a high dragon like warriors of legend!" Bull roars clinking his pint with mine and Eves as we take a gulp, seeing Eve briefly grimace at it, not as bad as the pint I have which makes me smirk, truly enjoying the burning sensation.
"This…this is beautiful," I whisper in awe like I'm on cloud nine or as my brother would say the maker's bosom.
"What was that?" Eve points to my drink.
"Maraas-Lok," Bull smirk as I take another gulp of the drink smirking as I pat my chest, enjoying the pain. This is just like the hangman's pints, I smirk.
"What does that mean?" Eve turns to me for a translation.
"Drink!" Bull and I chorus, taking another gulp as Eve complies, coughing briefly from the weaker drink.
"I know right? Put some chest on your chest," Bull laughs adoring the taste not that I can blame him, I smirk enjoying the flavour and scorching sensation.
"That little gurgle before it spat fire and that roar. What I wouldn't give to roar like that," Bull hums, almost moaning making me shake my head at the already drunken fool.
"I'm sure Dorian wouldn't appreciate it," I smirk recalling Dorian mentioning his wish for discretion but failing ultimately due to the Bull's blunt nature.
"The way the ground shook as it landed. The smell of the fire burning…Taardisdath-An Halman," Bull smirks.
"You really do have a boner for dragon's don't you?" I snicker.
"It's a Qunari thing!" Bull defends making me roll my eyes.
"You know Qunari hold dragons scared? Well, as much as we hold anything sacred," Bull smirks refilling his and my pint.
"Here your turn," He smirks as Eve drinks her drink, wincing but adjusting to the weaker taste.
"What did that mean? That Qunari phrase? You shouted it during the fight too," Eve questions curious as I raise a brow, did he? Huh here I thought I would have noticed.
"Oh, Taardisdath-An Halman? Closest translation would be, I will bring myself sexual pleasure later while thinking about this with great respect," Bull smirks fondly at the memory.
"You shouted that while it was breathing fire at us?" Eve frowns glancing at me only to see me shrug.
"I know right!?" Bull grunts excited.
"Does…does Dorian know that…?" I question genuinely curious.
"Nah I don't question his Tevinter shit he don't question mine," Bull shrugs.
"Right." I mutter trailing off having no further comment to make of.
"Say Fen don't suppose you can speak dirty in Qunlat?" Bull asks.
"Yeah, why?" I respond.
"Wait you can?" Eve frowns.
"People are weird." I shrug.
"No shit, have you tried it on Solas?" Bull snickers.
"No way, don't know about you but I'd prefer to be laid then listen to his lecture on how stupid the Qun is…" I grumble as we all take another shot.
"Yeah! The second cup's easier. Most of the nerves in your throat are dead after the first one," Bull praises.
"I wish I had this when I first slayed a dragon," I smirk.
What was it like? Did it breathe fire? Strike down, bat its wing, dominate…" Bull goes off.
"It the fire while having its kids fight for it, little shits they were," I growl at the memory of them nipping, distracting us from the real dragon taking us by surprise and knocking us out.
"Ataashi, the glorious ones. That's our word for them. Ataaaasssshhheee," Bull slurs as I sigh at the drunk.
"Why are they sacred?" Eve questions intrigued.
"Well, you know how we have horns? We kind of look more…dragony…than most people. Maybe it's that. But a few of the Ben-Hassrath have this crazy old theory. See the Tamassrans control who we mate with. They breed us for jobs like you'd breed dogs or horses. What if they mixed in some dragon a long time ago. Maybe drinking the blood, maybe magic. I don't know. But something in that dragon we killed…spoke to me," Honestly, Bull confesses to us as I blink puzzled by his words.
"When you put it like that. I'm worried; I killed one of your gods or something…" Eve confesses.
"Nah one of Tevinter's gods maybe. They worshipped dragons right? Kill the shit out of them all you like. Dragons are the embodiment of raw power. But its uncontrolled, savage. So they need to be destroyed. Taming the wild. Order out of the chaos. Have another drink," Iron Bull explains as Eve and I comply, earning Bull a laugh from Eve's expression. "Haha! Nice! To dragons!" Bull gulps down his pint, excited.
"To the Iron bull!" Eve grins.
"To the inquisitor and the most bad ass elf I've ever met," Bull celebrates.
"To me! And others…" Suddenly, Eve snatches the pint from me making me raise a brow when she bravely takes a gulp just as the sudden slam of the chair startles us as we turn to Eve, head down on the table, knocked out…pint clattering to the ground, the drink flowing out and staining the floor below, much to my disappointment.
"And this is why kids shouldn't drink…"