note: updated as of 7/17/20. Thank you to my Beta Lissaena for going through this

Chapter One

The Iron Bull hadn't even realized she was there until it was too late. He was in the midst of a fight with Venatori, and as if by magic, she appeared in front of him. The golden metal of the twin daggers, coated in fresh blood, flashed across his vision. The warrior who had been working hard to get the upper hand on Bull was now laying on the ground, eyes wide, gripping at his slit throat. Bull was almost sorry for the poor bastard, who was now drowning in a pool of his own blood at Bull's feet, almost. Bull's attention was focused on the cloaked figure in front of him one moment, then it vanished in the next. It was rare to startle the Ben-Hassrath Qunari, yet the woman who had walked out of the shadows both unnerved and slightly aroused him. Her face was obscured by her hood, but The Iron Bull knew exactly who it was: the Herald of Andraste.

He watched the rogue move around the battlefield as if it was a choreographed dance of destruction and effortless brutality. She quickly finished off each of their attackers and pushed his Chargers out of harm's way when needed. She was almost silent. Most people wouldn't be able to hear her gliding around the fight with the sounds of the crashing waves and chaos around them. Bull was not most people. He had honed in on the faint clinking of the jewelry around her wrists and on the delicate chains that seemed to be suspended from somewhere underneath the ever obscuring hood as she floated through the havoc. Before Bull knew it, the battle was over and there he was, standing in the same puddle of now congealed blood. He was mystified by this woman. Bull had heard the rumors of the Herald being enchanting, but nothing had prepared him for the art she created as she fought and shed the blood of her enemies.

"Chief, did you get a concussion or something? Do I need to get Stitches to come take a look at you?" Bull shook his head, clearing away the daze, before looking down to his second in command. Krem, the man in question, had a shit eating, and knowing, grin plastered on his face. The Iron Bull had been caught ogling the shadowed figure.

"I'm fine. Go crack open one of the casks for everyone to celebrate," The Iron Bull said as he made his way towards the Herald, who was crouching on the ground. She was looting through the pockets of the fallen and taking stock of the spoils.

"You know," Bull crossed his arms. "I'm not positive, but looting the dead might be looked down upon in the Chantry." The figure stilled for a moment before standing up and turned towards him. Her face was still obscured, but he could feel her eyes sizing him up.

"What they don't know won't kill them," her voice was thick with an accent that Bull couldn't pinpoint. It sounded slightly Antivan, but not. "In any case, they're not using any of this anymore. Might as well make some use of it."

Silence filled the space between them, neither knowing exactly what to say as they sized the other up. He tried to find a face in the shadows, to find something that would clue him into who this person truly was. Bull thought he could see cat-like eyes sizing him up. He swore he could see angular features that were just as sharp as the Herald's daggers, but were softened by full lips in a smirk. Yet the moment he was sure he could see her, the vision was gone.

"You must be The Iron Bull," she raised a dark gloved hand out to him, the row of golden and jeweled bangles clinking against one another from the movement, "It's a pleasure." Bull took her hand into his much larger one and bent to kiss it, as he would with one of the Orlesian ladies. It never hurt to flirt a little with a potential boss.

"Herald-" Bull was interrupted by the woman tutting and shaking her head softly.

"My real name, Hissrad," she demanded softly for only him to hear, causing the smile on Bull's face to drop. His grip on her hand tightened and his back straightened. For once, Bull did not have the upper hand, and a sense of unease sunk into his core.

"The pleasure is all mine, Sinfi Moon," Bull let her pull her hand away first before continuing. "Can we skip the 'I'm a spy, you're a spy, everyone's a spy' conversation?" He received a delighted laugh from underneath the hood. Bull decided at that point, what disturbed him the most in this situation wasn't that she knew some of his secrets, but the fact that he was unable to actually see her face and use his actual training for this situation.

"Yes, lets go straight to negotiations regarding sharing classified information to save the worlds," her plural use of 'worlds' seemed intentional to Bull; some sort of olive branch of information. Thedas was not the only land in the world, as much as they assumed so.

Sinfi went back to looting through the deads' pockets, taking anything she deemed useful; which in Bull's observation, everything was useful. He had yet to see her face, even with all of the movements she made. He was sure that her hidden features were intentional, and possibly, magically ensured.

"Negotiating is much easier if both parties are facing each other and can look in the others' eyes."

"Is that the classified information you want so desperately; to see the mysterious face of Herald?"

Yes, the mysterious Herald who was always in the shadows, or skillfully obscured as not to look intentional. Rumors floated about what she looked like underneath the hood and floor length coat. Some said her beauty rivaled Andraste herself, so she covered herself in respect to the Makers Bride. Others said the Herald was a spirit from another time, and a small, but loud, group argued she was a demon in disguise, sent to kill off humanity. In the end, the only people who knew what she looked like were those trusted in Haven, and they refused to elaborate on the words whispered in the Orlesian court. Which made Bull's job a little more difficult.

The rumors he had gathered about Sinfi rarely had any proven truth. He was able to secure her name, she was nomadic, and did not have claim to any land in Thedas. The records of her The Iron Bull were able to secure, were few, far in between, and rarely had details on the ghost of a person. Either Sinfi covered her tracks well, or she had people helping with that. The only concrete items Bull had found were notes of her in Kirkwall during the uprising and the Arishok attack. Before that, she, or someone else matching her description, had been listed in a report, as a side note, of her working for Queen Anora before she was dethroned by Alistar and his partner, the Hero of Ferelden. Some say this shadowy figure was the one actually behind the queen's dethronement, but there was never any real proof.

"It's one of the things I have been asked to report back on, the woman of mystery. Normally I don't kiss and tell though," Bull said with a flirtatious tone, causing the rogue to shake her head and laugh. Sinfi said a few words under her breath which Bull couldn't understand. The language sounded honeyed and tempting, making The Iron Bull feel drawn to the source.

"Shame your handlers don't agree with your rule," Sinfi said with a sigh and examined a dagger before tossing it into her useful pile. Her voice turned harsher, "What are you willing to give me in return?"

"Your spymaster and you will be able to have access to the reports I get sent and the ones that are sent out. Hell, I'll even let you submit edits to the reports before I send them," Bull watched her still before looking over her shoulder at home.

"That's a large offer just for a face. There must be something else you would like?" Sinfi watched him. For the first time, he could see almond shaped eyes with golden pupils watching him, another olive branch.

"What are you willing to give me?" Bull tossed back to her. He could feel her smirk as she stood and sauntered towards him, hips swaying slowly.

"I will let you see my reports to my master, but you won't be able to make changes- Do you know Thieves' Cant?" she asked as she stopped in front of him. Sinfi was smaller than he anticipated, the top of her head only reaching just above his pecks. The Iron Bull shook his head no, causing her to sigh softly.

"Pity. I'll give you a basic cipher. If you have any further questions, you can ask me. Access to read my reports regarding Thedas, a cipher, and my face should make it an even deal," Sinfi turned to walk away, picking up her pack now filled with pilfered items. "You and the Chargers can travel with us back to Haven. You can discuss payment with Josephine there." Sinfi started to walk away.

"When will I get to see you?" Bull shouted over the crashing waves, causing Sinfi to pause mid-stride. She was silent for a moment, obviously distracted by something before looking back to him.

"In Haven, come to my cabin," Her voice flitted on the sea breeze to him. "And remember, lips sealed to everyone but your report." with that, the mysterious Herald walked away towards the rest of her companions.

Ben-Hassrath Report:

Infiltration into the Inquisition was successful. Intel was correct about Sinfi Moon's status as a spy for an unknown source. Have compromised status to gain trust, open communications, and shared information.

We are leaving the Storm Coast for Haven tomorrow.

Hissrad

The trip to Haven was long, but luckily the inquisition had some horses at their disposal which made it slightly less grueling. They were a day away from base camp and Bull was looking forward to the actual rest that came with Haven. True to her word, Sinfi had given him a cipher and a practice letter for him to learn from. There were minimal instructions for him to follow; he knew it was a test from her to see his abilities. At first, Bull assumed the task would be easy. He had written and read coded letters before without issue. Having a pre-made cipher would have generally made this task beyond simple.

What Sinfi called Thieves' Cant though, was a different beast entirely, where it twisted around on itself. Translated sentences made little to no sense, making him wonder if this had just been a prank. Bull was stubborn, whether it was from pride or the odd want to impress the other spy, he needed to crack the code on his own. Krem even took note of the insistent scribbling on scrap parchment paper. The first few days he said nothing, but after five consecutive days, Krem decided to pick up a discarded page to see what Bull was actually doing.

"Dearest Grandfather, I have arrived at the family summer home in good health. You were correct that bird watching is most splendid here with all of the exotic breeds... Chief what the actual fuck is this?" Krem put the page down and looked to Bull in confusion.

"It's a code, Krem," he grumbled in frustration as he put down the quill and ran an ink stained hand down his face, leaving a trail of black ink in its wake. He let out a few swears in Qunlat.

"He is too prideful to admit he hasn't cracked it yet."

Both Krem and Bull jumped at the voice and looked to Sinfi who was sitting on the table across from them, golden eyes filled with mirth at Bull's struggle.

"Maker, how long have you been there?" Krem said, hand to his chest as if to stop his racing heart.

"Does it matter?" Sinfi said with a shrug and rolled her eyes slightly. She had been choosing to keep her eyes visible around Bull instead of the entirely shadowed visage; another olive branch towards good will and working relations. If Bull had to deal with another spy, at least she was decent to her coworkers.

"The Iron Bull had yet to respond to my letter for almost a week. I felt it was time to come and see the progress of my new pupil."

"So what does it mean?" Krem asked and looked back to the page confused. Sinfi made a noise to respond, but Bull quickly cut her off.

"Don't, I'll crack it," Bull growled as he went back to the page he was working on. He knew he was close. There was a drawn out silence before he heard Sinfi's jewelry clink as she got up from her perch. She drifted next to him and the pile of papers, looking over his shoulder. The smell of incense teased Bull's senses as she stood close to him. Sinfi was silent as she went through them, studying his attempts to crack the code. She looked over to Bull, her eyes much softer and understanding than previously.

"You're close. You need to combine these two and then run it through the cipher again. That should help you get on your way," she sighed and handed the pages to Bull. She paused before continuing, "You're doing good for only five days. It can take years to master this."

"How long did it take you?" Krem asked quietly. Bull could feel her soft smile aimed towards his second in command.

"That's like asking when did you forget how to fight with your sword and it started to feel like a dance with an old lover?" she let out a sigh, Bull eyed her as she played with some of the golden bangles at her wrist. "We are trained from an early age. We learn everything like a normal child, but also spy craft, until every aspect of it is like second nature-"

"- and you don't know where the spy begins and you end." Bull finished quietly as he stared at the ink covered pages in front of him.

Bull believed in the Qun, he had to believe in order to stay sane from all of the shit he had seen and done on Seheron. Yet at the same time, he knew how it felt to slowly feel like you were losing your own sense of self. The ever present question haunted him like all spies: what part was The Iron Bull and what part was the tool of destruction forged by the Qunari. Bull had to believe in the Qun. If he didn't, the answer to that moral quandary would undo everything.

"Yes," Sinfi whispered. They stayed there in their silence, lost in thoughts. Krem looked between them, the realization slowly dawned on him of what he had brought to light in both the Herald and The Iron Bull. Sinfi shook her head and took a few cautious steps away from them.

"I should take my leave, there's much work to be done before we pack up and leave for the day. Krem, I think any more answers you would ever want are in that note The Iron Bull has," As soon as the words left Sinfi's mouth she was gone from the tent, leaving a wordless Krem and a pensive Bull.

The Iron Bull-

There is much more than meets the eye. Thedas is not the only one that is threatened by this. There is more to this than a hole in the sky that threatens everyone's existence. I will explain what I can if you are willing to listen.

The Iron Bull sat in front of the Inquisition's Ambassador, Josephine Montilyet. The odd pair were silent as she read through the standard agreement with the Chargers. Bull watched her flip through the pages and cut through the legalities with practiced ease.

"Have you seen her yet?" the ambassador from Antiva asked aloud as she paused on one of the last pages. The Iron Bull knew it was where his and Sinfi's verbal agreement had been lined out along with any stipulations or clauses they both agreed to.

"Not yet, I didn't want to give the wrong impression by running straight to a woman's cottage," Bull smirked as Josephine watched him with a critical eye, he shifted slightly in his seat under the stare. "But, you have seen her," he stated without question.

"Yes."

"And?" Bull asked. There was obviously something the ambassador wanted to say, but held back. Bull had gleaned enough information from Sinfi's practice letter that it was a warning to prepare him for something. He assumed it was about who or what Sinfi was. The details were still fuzzy, but he would crack it in a few more days.

"And," Josephine signed and set down the contract gently. "She is not what you expect. It took me some time to get used to what the Herald looks like. Her appearance and ability to practically appear out of thin air was a terrifying combination at first. Once you know her, it feels ludicrous to have ever been startled in the first place. I worry, though, about the ramifications once the world finds out who she is." With that her eyes bore into Bull, a clear warning.

"I see," Bull said. "I was planning to tell higher ups in my next report, but I may be able to hold off on that information."

"If I add on three more zeros to the end of this final number, how much more silence would that buy?"

Bull eyed the ambassador for a moment. Normally, he wouldn't have taken the bait of being paid off, but his chargers needed some new gear. Bull couldn't understand why exactly it was priority number one to the Qunari to know the face of the inquisitor when there was a giant hole in the sky. He didn't like being paid off, but he knew he would be able to push this information aside for a while before it was noticed. After all, both Krem de la krem and Bull were freezing their asses off.

"I can hold them off for four to six weeks max. At some point, no matter what information I give them, I won't be able to hold off their interest," Bull stated. Josephine relaxed slightly in the chair.

"Done," with that the ambassador added the three zeros and signed the document, pushing it over to The Iron Bull to do the same. With a few movements of the small quill, it was settled.

"Welcome to the Inquisition."

Ben-Hassrath Report:

We have made it to Haven. Outlook is grim after the death of the Divine and there are questions on where to go from here. From what I've heard there are two options, either go to the Templar stronghold or meet with the grand enchanter Fiona.

I have been unable to obtain an non obscured visual of the Herald, companions are tight lipped about her. Currently working on building trust, this may be a long term mission.

Hissrad

My contacts and I know you have been digging into my past. We request you to stop. What we can share is this. My name is Sinfi Moon. I am not originally from Thedas, but instead, a nomadic people called the Vistani. I have been assigned to keep tabs on the area out of concern for the events that led to the destruction of the Kirkwall chantry and now the events of the Conclave.

Bull still had more flowery language to cipher through, but he knew more information was hidden under the depths.

"So, Tiny," Bull looked down towards his new companion, Varric. "Pinky's fitting in well, don't you agree?"

"Pinky?" Bull gave the dwarf a confused look and received a chuckle in response.

"The Herald," Varric said and motioned towards the hooded figure across the tavern. She was at the bar pouring ale and helping Flissa with the large crowd.

Ever since coming to Haven, Bull had kept an eye on Sinfi to see who she was outside of battle. It shouldn't have surprised him that she didn't stop. If there was somewhere Sinfi could help and lend a hand, she did. Find some lost text? Done. Need more herbs? Already got them for you. Need a shoulder to cry on? She was right there. Raise morale? Let's have an open bar at the tavern tonight. The Iron Bull was convinced Sinfi was the embodiment of lightning with the amount of energy she held. The only time Bull saw her taking time for herself was late at night when she would finally go back to her appointed quarters, or when she passed by the horses, who she would always stop everything to visit with.

Since he had set himself next to the horses, talking to them then turned into questions aimed at Bull. They had gone through every odd ball question about the Qunari and the Qun, to questions about him. Whenever he thought she was done with the questions, there she was again, with the horses and another onslaught of quick questions for gut reaction answers. The questions in themselves didn't surprise him, she was a spy and needed to know who she was working with. What did surprise him, though, was how she effortlessly ended every conversation with a flirtatious comment and then sauntered away, hips swaying in a slow hypnotizing pattern.

"She's got a talent for that," Bull agreed with a nod and looked back down at Varric.

"When she became conscious after she dropped out of the breach, I worried that she wouldn't be able to handle this spotlight of accusations and adoration," Varric leaned back farther in his chair watching Sinfi from across the room. "Yet, here we are with her thriving and telling the Chantry to fuck off all on her own, forming an inquisition, and gathering her own motley crew. Kids, they grow up fast don't they?"

"It's impressive," Bull looked back up towards Sinfi. Across the room her golden eyes caught his single grey one. He couldn't see it, but he could feel a smile from under the shadows of her hood, "She's not a kid though."

"You're not wrong. Yet growing up not really having a home, being trained to be a spy from birth, and 'doing your duty for your people,'" Varric attempted an impression of her accent as he threw up air quotes around the words. "Doesn't sound like much of a childhood to me."

Bull grimaced slightly. From what he had read in Sinfi's note, the Vistani were an odd group, but Bull wasn't really in the position to judge. After all, he had been raised in what the majority of Thedas considered weird. So what if she was from a nomadic group who worshiped horses and prioritized the group over the individual?

"Nor does starting an inquisition or closing rifts in the sky," Bull countered.

Varric grimaced and looked back towards Sinfi, "Touche Tiny."

"Now what I really want to know is why Pinky?" Bull asked with a laugh.

Varric watched Bull and Sinfi eye one another from across the room before answering, "Looks like you'll have to figure that out on your own."

Bull didn't respond, but he couldn't help but wonder: What kind of bullshit nickname was that?

With note in hand, The Iron Bull found himself standing on the steps to Sinfi's private cottage a few nights later. He had spent over a week in Haven and Bull had yet to find the will to knock on the door. At first, he wanted to translate as much as he could of the note. Then, the excuse turned into finding out as much information he could to be better prepared for their encounter. Finally, there were no more excuses, and it was just him stalling. The longer he could stall the encounter, the longer he had before he would have to write up a dossier about one Sinfi Moon of the Vistani. Bull raised his fist to knock, then he heard her as if she had known he had been there all along.

"You can come inside Iron Bull, it's unlocked," her voice sounded sickly sweet, luring him into her den. Bull put his hand on the door knob, and with a slight inhale, walked inside the cabin.

The cabin itself had been decorated from the dreary Ferelden style and now was covered with colorful and sheer silks, lights shimmered softly through the fabrics like starlight. The Iron Bull had seen a lot of shit in his life, but this was new. He had been to every corner of Thedas and had never seen anything like this before. Scanning the first room, Sinfi was nowhere to be seen; but, as if on cue, her voice drifted from behind a privacy screen and silk drapes, "Give me a moment, I'm almost finished."

Bull could hear some sloshing of water from behind the screen, where he assumed a concealed tub had been placed. Bull was surprised; sure Sinfi had agreed to show him who she was, but this was not exactly what he had imagined. Not that he would complain.

"Take your time," Bull said with a smirk as he sat down on one of the piles of pillows covering the floor. "I like what you've done with the place, nice change of pace." He could hear Sinfi laugh as more water lapped at the sides of the tub.

"What I think you're trying to say is that it's not as dull as anything in Ferelden or dreary as the Chantry," Sinfi sighed softly from behind the screen before continuing. "Thank you. It reminds me of home."

"And where exactly is home in your mind?" Bull asked.

Sinfi was silent for a moment as she found the right words, "Home is my vardo with the Vistani. They're these special colorful wagons with curved tops." Her words were soft. Bull could hear the smile on her lips as memories flooded her, "In my culture, when you become of age, you are given a foal to train and raise as your own. Once the head of your traveling group thinks you and your horse are ready, and bonded completely, you're given your own vardo. From that point you are given a choice: either the freedom to leave the Vistani and our ways, or take your place in the troupe."

"And you…?"

"Stayed," Sinfi answered. "But my place takes me away from them often, unfortunately."

"You miss them."

"Yes, they're my family," Sinfi said, her words heavy with homesickness. Silence fell between the pair.

Bull had become accustomed to the silence between them, they were both spies who lived in a world of secrets. With the world currently in chaos, keeping secrets from your companion, who was possibly the key to fixing it, was not necessary. It was hard to teach an old dog new tricks.

"I miss Par Vollen sometimes," Bull decided to tread softly on this new ground of openness.

"What do you miss the most?"

"It's a tie between the people, the Qun, or horn balm," Bull smiled as Sinfi let out a laugh at the final part.

"Horn balm, I'll have to remember to keep a look out for that for you," Sinfi said between laughs. She let out a sigh before speaking again, "I would like to tell you a story that's been passed down in the Vistani."

"I'm all ears," Bull said as he looked up towards the twinkling lights. This was not the plan, nor close to it, but he wanted to see where this led.

"Long ago, there was a world filled with divine beings. Together they created hundreds of creatures, all unique in their own ways. The gods and goddesses and mortals lived in harmony, for a time," silks rustled from behind the screen as Bull waited patiently. "Then, fighting erupted between the divines. Time has since lost what exactly caused the wars, but in the end, it doesn't really matter now, does it? What was done was done.

"Scrambling, the divines scooped up handfuls of their beloved creatures, each whisking them away to worlds of their own, far away from the others. Some of the celestial creatures decided it was best to ally together, as it would be safer in numbers if war broke out once again. Others sought to rule alone, as to never have a chance of conflict within the ranks. Not everyone was able to grab all of their beloved creatures. Some were only able to grab one or two, whereas others were able to grab hundreds," Sinfi paused to give Bull a moment to let everything sink in.

"You believe there are 'other worlds' out there," Bull shook his head in disbelief. The hole in the sky was one thing, other dimensions was another. But even as he voiced his disbelief, the last portion of the letter sprung to mind. At first, Bull had dismissed it as not being translated correctly because it made no sense.

Before we meet you must understand and accept a few truths. First, Thedas is not alone, there are many worlds that mirror this one.

"Look, I know it's hard to comprehend, but it's true. In Thedas, there are four main creatures: Humans, elves, Dwarves, and Qunari. In mine, there are many more; even divisions within the races. Some of them look very similar to what you know, whereas others look more like monsters," Sinfi paused before continuing in a much smaller voice. "What if I told you these other creatures walked among you?"

Second, Threads tether each of these lands together through, what you call, the fade. What happens in one world creates a ripple into the others, no matter how big or small.

"Then I would have to believe, wouldn't I?" Bull said as he looked toward the privacy screen and watched as the silken curtains shifted. As if the world had slowed down, he watched as the elusive Sinfi Moon walked out of the silks, and he was speechless. Shadows slowly melted from her body and the clinking of jewelry filled the silent room.

Lastly, some of my people have the ability to see these Threads and can help alter the more harmful outcomes... We can not see what is coming which makes us concerned.

Sinfi Moon was nothing like The Iron Bull had ever seen.

Sinfi was wrapped in sheer, cream silks, covering only the essentials for modesty. The vast amount of skin that was visible was the color of dawnstone, pink and jewel-like with its iridescent shimmer under the magical lights. Golden cat-like eyes watched him. Confidence exuded from every inch of her stance, but deep in the pools of her eyes, he could sense the worry. Black, raven hair tumbled down her back in silk waves, still dripping with bath water. Her ears had a slight point to them, similar to an elfs, but nowhere near as long and slender.

There were two things though that truly made The Iron Bull's breath hitch. Protruding from Sinfi's head sat two large, curled horns the same color of her flesh. Delicate, golden chains wrapped around the rough exteriors of the horns. Gems of every color dangled from the chains and caught the whimsical lights of the cabin. If that was it, Bull would have assumed she was just a small and oddly colored Qunari, but as she stalked towards him, hips swaying in that hypnotic fashion, Bull saw behind her was a long tail. The thick appendage was the same color and texture as her skin. Her tail flicked around her calves in slow controlled motions, the arrow-like tip twitching in anticipation, like a dragon readying an attack.

Bull found he was unable to move from his spot. Before he knew it, Sinfi was in front of him and his head was eye level with her stomach. The smell of sandalwood and embrium on her skin was intoxicating. Her skin looked soft and plump, causing Bull to have an impossible time keeping his hands planted on his knees.

Yup, Sinfi Moon was in fact a desire demon. Bull was sure of it.