Running On Empty: Friends Close and Enemies Closer
The next morning I found myself dressed in my leathers and out my cabin door to find Solas. If I as going to traverse the Storm Coast, I was going to do with it the closest people I had as friends. Despite Leliana's explanation and encouragement that I had all I needed to know (doubtful), I still wanted people I could trust at my back. I was also going to put Leliana's Warden-hunting on the back burner for now, a bit out of spite. I waved to Varric as I passed, he had already been made aware of the fact that we were, once more, going to head out. I never gave that poor dwarf a break. If it had been anything less than meeting with a Qunari spy, I would have considered taking Sera.
"Good morning, Herald." Solas greeted me as I trudged up the steps. He looked about as crisp as the morning air did in the glittering light of the morning son and wasn't that just poetic? I grunted, as I was two levels below the devil when it came to being a morning person. He waited until I was level with him, watching me with distant eyes as I sighed and settled into my heels next to him.
"Is it Herald, now, Solas?" I quietly asked. "I didn't think I had fallen so far."
His demeanor relaxed a bit. "No, you haven't. I expected some frustration from you for having overstepped and caused you discomfort."
"No, you didn't, buddy." I sighed and scratched at the base of my skull under my braid. "I... wanted to say I was sorry." His brow curved up to his non-existent hairline and I chuckled. "Right? I know. I - I know what you were trying to do, and I appreciate it. I'm just sorry that the dam broke the way it did."
"... and I apologize for not realizing how close I had gotten." He bowed his head with closed eyes. "I will be more mindful in the future. I merely..." He struggled for a moment and my gaze bounced between him and the passing people that made their way to Aiden's cabin for healing. Solas took a steadying inhale. "There is much I wish to know about your - situation. So much to learn, so different from what I know. I feel as if perhaps I am one of the few, if the only, who could understand the sheer vastness of it."
I chuckled and kept my voice low. "You have a pretty good handle on the Fade, Solas. I wouldn't be surprised if you could understand my world better than I did. But. I did consider what you said." His gaze came back to me, but mine had dropped to the ground between our feet, my nerves failing me. "I'm still scared. Very scared, but... I will try." My gaze drew up and settled on his face. "I can't promise it will be easy for me, or that I'll always want to, but I'll try."
Solas offered me a rare, gentle smile. "That is all I ask, my friend. Do not seclude yourself insomuch that we may never find you again."
I grinned. "Nope, I'm too fucking loud for that."
"Quite," he sighed. There was a beat, and he ventured with a curious gesture of his chin toward Varric's tent. "I saw you speak with Varric before you went to bed last night. He promptly escaped to the tavern after." He raised his brow again at my sudden burst of laughter and waited, amused. "Something I should know?"
"Yeah, well." The snickers died out quickly at the thought of the Qunari and the mercenaries I was about to face. "It's the other reason I'm here. We're heading out to the Storm Coast today, and hopefully be there in a week and a half's time."
"Oh?" Solas' ears twitched, intrigued. "We just returned. Why so sudden a departure?"
"You're coming, so don't be smug." My finger made him aware of his position with a flick. "Yesterday I got an invitation to go see a mercenary group in action by the name Bull's Chargers. Ever hear of them?" At the shake of his head, I sighed. "Yeah, me neither, clearly. Leliana has already been trading missives with the commander and - the kicker's that the commander is a Qunari."
Solas remained the picture of sturdiness. "Indeed. That is not uncommon for Tal Vashoth to run in mercenary companies, although... it is a bit strange if they're intermixed with humans, but I digress."
"See, I didn't know any of that." My nose flared with my huff. "I had a crash-course on Qunari, their culture, and random tidbits of information with Leliana after a soldier of the company slammed with big guy with the horns explanation of what a Qunari was."
"Oh, dear." Solas fought a smile, that bastard. "I can imagine that was a bit shocking."
"I can un-forgive you, Solas. I swear it."
It was good to be back in good graces again.
In any case, Solas had left my side soon after to pack for the travel as we had planned to leave as soon as possible to retrieve the mercenary company. It was a bit desperate of me to go with the first one that appeared, but they were vetted by my spymaster and they did have reference in Val Royeaux (once Josephine was in the loop, she knew them quite well). That, and by the time we had another mercenary company step with enough men to help, it would be too late for Redcliffe. I needed the bodies to help with supplies, hunting, and clearing out the chaos. Hopefully they were the best ones to do it.
The scouts were going to be there long before we were, as Scout Harding had been rerouted from the Hinterlands to the Storm Coast. It would take us a week or so to arrive after them, still with no horses, but once more, with the company to help us get to Dennett, that problem would solve itself. Mid-morning found Cassandra, Varric, myself, and Solas packed and wearily ready for a trip out. We had no caravan this time, as the Storm Coast was too desolate of a place to be home to anyone like you could find in Redcliffe or its settlements. It was mostly military bases or the odd apostate that took residence in the area.
When we got there, I could see why. The clouds from overhead had slowly been creeping up on us as we traveled closer and closer to the coast, and I knew from experience that the weather was always a bit choppy when you were so close to the ocean. This was something else entirely. The rain was like a sheet that splattered over our heads and made the trek to the scouting camp a slip-n-slide that no one enjoyed. At some points Varric was almost up to his knees in mud and unpleasantness.
The storm had eased back the slightest bit once we were at the camp, but it still made keeping my eyes open difficult. There was no point in redressing to meet with the mercenary company. We stopped at the camp and rested our weary bones. Scout Harding and some of her party were still gone, and the mercenaries hadn't appeared yet, as there was no sign of the Tevinter company either. The night went through uneasily, as the ground was soaked and it made sleeping in the tent vastly uncomfortable. I never thought I would see the day that I would prefer the Hinterlands dust and dirt to the sorrowful mess that was the Storm Coast.
I was up by early dawn as Harding had returned and there were murmurings that the mercenaries had appeared. I dressed in my leathers, taking care with my underclothes to keep the chafing to a minimum. Cassandra was noticeably displeased with her armor, the clinking of the rainfall on her chest plate and gauntlets started to annoy her. The only one that looked mildly less inconvenienced than the rest of us was Solas and I was nearly certain we all hated him for it.
Scout Harding was coming up from the requisitions table as I exited my tent. "Your Worship! For what it's worth, welcome to the Storm Coast."
I grunted.
"I would have sent word sooner, but our efforts have been... delayed." She bowed her head slightly and my interest came to full attention.
"How so?" I prompted. Cassandra appeared at my right side, her gaze focused intently on Harding. The scout spared the seeker a look and she sighed, shifting on her feet a bit before answering.
"There's a group of bandits operating in the area. They know the terrain, and our small party has had problems going up against them." She replied with a twist to her bottom lip. A heavy exhale escaped me and my hand reached up to pinch the bridge of my nose. Of course this wasn't going to be a simple thing, I knew better to than to expect an easy trip to the coast, retrieve the mercenaries, and then get the hell out of dodge.
Harding nodded, as if she agreed. "Some of our soldiers went out to speak with their leader, but we haven't heard back from them yet."
"I'll see what I can do, Harding." I would have to make the first priority finding my lost soldiers. We were extremely thin on members for the Inquisition, and if there was a group going around and terrorizing my people, I would need to slap that down as quickly as possible. I didn't need them thinning the herd anymore than it was already stretched. With a huff, I shouldered my maul over into its holster and made my way down the precarious slope toward the gravel coast. As we neared, I could hear the clangs of blades and the buzz of lightning. I looked back to my companions who gave me swift nods and we bolted for the battle.
I was a bit more prepare this time. A mess of a fighter still, but swinging the maul was becoming easier after months of training and ambushes. Briefly I could see that the factions were different. It seemed the Bull's Chargers were all adorned in personal armor to fit their styles, I could spot Aclassi not far from me, and as Cassandra dashed off, I spotted the bare feet of an elven mage, her staff lighting through the rain. The Tevinter mercenaries were cloaked in white and silver. Varric stayed with me, with Solas casting a hastened barrier over us before he lost reach of Cassandra and followed her afterward. It was an odd sort of thrill that my companions trusted me just enough to leave me to fight.
"I got you, sweetheart!" Varric called from behind me. My muscles steeled under my skin as I rushed forward. Fighting on gravel terrain was excruciating and was the exact example referenced when quoting one step forward, two steps back. Every step I managed to surge forward, I felt my ankle sink through the stones. I was grateful Cassandra had forced me into wearing the high-water leather boots that came over my leggings, but god damn it did it feel like it did nothing to stop the soak that shook my bones.
A Tevinter mercenary entered my vision and I saw his staff twirl behind him, an electrical spark at the ready. Smart. The rain would douse fireballs and make earth spells difficult. I feinted to one side as Varric's arrow shot from Bianca and forced the mage to side step away from me. It was enough that I dug my heel into the gravel and gripped with both hands, swinging up and through the hip of the mage. Their staff came down with a clang and my arms shook.
Metal!
A reinforced staff made things trickier but I was sure I could handle it. I whistled to Varric as I retreated and another bolt flew just above my shoulder, startling the mage into a jump backwards. I needed space to pick up enough momentum for a blow, I was too small of a frame to wield the maul in close combat with the same deadly force as I had from afar. My second swing was over my shoulder and the mage watched with confusion, I was too far for the swing to connect.
It didn't need to, it hit the ground head first and I used the momentum to propel me forward like a vaulting pole. The head of the maul had a wider surface area than my feet did, and despite its weight, it wouldn't sink in as far. Once it launched me forward and my feet connected to the ground, closer to the mage, my hips twisted and spun me a full three-hundred-sixty degrees to bring the maul back up over my head. The mage had stumbled back in surprise, but a bolt from Bianca had capped his knee.
The head of my maul came down into his chest and his ribs shattered. I could feel the rattle of the bones breaking all the way up into my arms, heat seared up through my stomach and into my mouth, but I pushed through it and took another heavy step forward to drive the maul down into his chest cavity. He gasped wetly, gurgling under his mask, arms flailing uselessly to remove my maul, but collapsed as my weight crashed behind it.
I tried not to keep count of how many fell to my maul anymore. Not after all these months. Varric and I continued with another, I was not as swift of a fighter as Cassandra or Cullen, but the one or two that I managed to distract were one or two that my companions would not have to contend with in the end. One Tevinter had managed to sneak up on me in the chaos, a lightning bolt caught me in the back and I screamed, realizing too late that Solas' barrier had faded away.
"Herald!" Cassandra snarled as she ripped through the one mace-wielder she had been fighting. With swift swings, she relieved him of his leg and then his head, not waiting to watch his body slump toward the ground. Solas had already sped toward me using his fade step and dropped a barrier on me as the mage attempted another spell. I had gotten too far from Varric; I noticed my mistake as I looked up and spotted my archer surrounded by crafty rogues and dodging their daggers.
Fuck, I struggled to my feet. I had never been hit with a full lightning bolt before and my heart sputtered with violent protest, in complete disagreement to the sudden intrusion of an unnecessary jolt to the system. I couldn't control my lungs, they felt exposed beyond my ribs and snarled with every breath I tried to take. My arm was about as strong as noodle and trembled as I reached for it to bring it up. Cassandra reached the mage and tore through him with all the ferocity of a wild cat, but a rogue had come up to finish me. I rolled on my back and looked up through the rain, preparing for the blow.
I managed to drag my maul over me in time to catch the wrist that brought the blade down to my neck. I kicked hard, unable to see where it could land and forced the rogue to stumble away. A flash of blue passed over my head and Solas then stood above me, Varric just at his side, an intense growl over his lips as Bianca howled her discontent. My head fell back into the gravel, the rain smothering my face as the sounds of fighting soon died out. Solas stayed above me for a moment longer, his eyes scanning the area for danger, before his staff was fleetly whisked away behind his back and he dropped to his knees next to me.
"Jaime," he breathed, his exertion palpable through his words. I reached up and gripped his elbow with a shaky hand, my breath tumbled awkwardly through my lungs and my chest heaved. I patted his arm and waved off Varric and Cassandra as they surrounded me. Solas pulled at my shoulders to sit me up and I shook out my head, ears filled with water. I coughed and used my maul and Solas' offered hand to haul my ass up off of the ground. I was glad to have my full body soaked through, otherwise that mark of mud down my back would have been embarrassing.
"Well, there goes first impressions." I muttered darkly, patting my back before gingerly replacing my maul in its holster. I glanced at Varric, "I'm sorry I ditched you there, buddy."
He breathed a sigh of relief, "No, you're good, sweetheart, I just was surprised at how fast you were moving."
"Yeah, the Commander's new training routine." I griped. "Put sixteen thousand kilos on Jaime's back and watch her run three kilometers before she passes out."
Cassandra snorted. "Exaggeration. It was more around the count of ten thousand."
"Oh, har har." I snapped good-humored at her. She gave me a flash of a feral grin and it disappeared in the next drop of rain as we made our way over to the Chargers. Aclassi's back faced me as I approached and he covered what may have been his commander in front of him. I could only tell that because of the big points of broad horns that were visible on either side of Aclassi's shoulders. My heart hammered up to the base of my skull as I took steady, measured steps toward them. I had never seen a Qunari, but at least I was not as wholly unprepared as I was before Leliana's lessons. Aclassi turned to me once he could hear my steps and smiled warmly.
"Your Worship." He greeted. I bowed my head to him, avoiding looking at the shadow out of the corner of my eye for the longest moment before I finally turned. The air I breathed seized in my lungs and all the muscles along my jaw jumped and gripped my bones tight, my teeth hurting from the force of it. I'm sure my eyes went wide, but my shoulders and spine went stiff and it took all the strength I had left to draw my arms behind my back and clasp my hands together at the small of my back.
He was sitting, and he was already a thousand times bigger than life itself.
I could excuse my nervous, shuddering breath to the blow I had taken, to the cold of the rain seeping into my clothes, to the weight of my maul that betrayed me with sudden weightlessness at the sight of the creature in front of me. Whatever I had thought before about being prepared had been nothing but the biggest, fattest lie I had ever told myself; even worse than when I convinced myself I could be the Herald of Andraste.
Fuck me, he's a monster.
"So you're with the Inquisition, huh?" A swift glance passed over me with his good eye. "Glad you could make it. Have a seat, drinks are coming." He dismissed Aclassi with a wave and the soldier left with a nod. I could see no place to sit that wasn't in direct contact with the Qunari so instead I stayed standing. My companions were a ways away from me, close enough to defend me (I hoped), but far enough to allow me the illusion of leader and control. I was fucking shaking in my boots.
"The horns are a giveaway," I murmured, finally finding my voice. "The Iron Bull, I presume?"
Another glance, assessing me longer. He grinned. "Yeah, they usually are." Aclassi returned but with no drinks in his hand and I was relieved. I didn't want to be placed in a position of turning down a drink and being rude, but the mead and alcohol was stronger here than I was accustomed to back in my old world. The last thing anyone needed was a Herald drunk off her ass. "I assume you remember Cremisius Aclassi, my lieutenant?"
I nodded again to Aclassi, my smile sincere. "I do. I never did apologize for startling you like I did."
"It's alright, Your Worship." He snickered. "I should have seen it coming, just my luck." The tease eased my anxiety a bit and my shoulders lowered as Aclassi turned back to the Iron Bull. "Throat-cutters are done, Chief." I glanced about and I could see some of the Chargers were bouncing from one body to another. I was struck by surprise when I realized they were making sure that no one was pretending to play dead. I swallowed at the idea and brought my attention back to the Bull.
"Already? Have them check again, I don't want any of those Tevinter bastards getting away." The Iron Bull grinned at his lieutenant. "No offense, Krem." I blinked at the jab, the information hitting with the strength of a brick to the face. Aclassi is Tevinter? Christ, I need to do my research. I had been so focused on Iron Bull that I failed to follow up with Leliana on any of his members of his company. A sigh pushed through my throat with my frustration. Another problem for another day.
"None taken," there was a tilt to Aclassi's voice, like the joke had been an old one. He turned with another snicker, "At least a bastard knows who his mother was, puts him one up on your Qunari, right?" The lieutenant paced away to check back in with the rest of the company and my brain whirled. Leliana was right, he's going to test you. If he asked me to withhold the missives, it's because he's going to assess your reactions. Play the game. Another deep and exfoliating exhale as I focused my eyes back on the Bull. His gaze hadn't followed his lieutenant, but stayed with me, instead. He had watched my reaction to meeting him head-on, and my reaction to learning a morsel of information on Aclassi.
I smiled, patient. Let's play your game, The Iron Bull. You're not the only one with secrets.
"So..." He trailed off with a wayward glance at my companions. "You've seen us fight. We're expensive, but we're worth it... and I'm sure the Inquisition can afford us." I had to steady myself, focus like I had done at all my brother's chess games. It was a play where the moves always mattered, right up to the end. Just because a pawn was moved to an inconsequential space didn't mean it wouldn't be a devastating blow later if you weren't careful.
"I'm pretty sure I don't want to know how much it's going to cost me." I answered, the smile I had turning a bit roguish. It was easy with the mud on my face and my hair flattened against my head with the rain. The Iron Bull's head tilted and I almost swayed on my feet when his horns moved. A quiet reminder that fucking hell those still existed. I had nearly forgotten about them as I kept my eyes on his face.
"Wouldn't cost you anything personally, unless you bought drinks later." He chuckled. "Your ambassador, uh - what's her name? - Josephine? We'd go through her and get the payments set up." He waved a dismissive hand and leaned back on his rock like it was a throne, the smirk now in place. "The gold will take care of itself, don't worry about that. What matters is that we're worth it."
"The Chargers seem like an excellent company." I replied politely with my gaze shifted for a moment to see the members piling the bodies away. I looked back to The Iron Bull and my spine coiled tighter under my shoulders. There was something off about the smirk and I didn't appreciate feeling like I was an open book. My hand gripped my wrist firmly behind my back.
"They are, but you're not just getting the boys." The smirk smoothed out to a firm, pressed lines over his face. "You're getting me." He stood and I fought the sudden, instinctive scream of my muscles to take a step back. I refused to give way. The gravel under us hissed as he stood and his shadow passed over me. My heart shuddered and I took the moment to lower my gaze for a second to breathe and look up as he walked past me. Holy fucking shit.
"You need a front-line bodyguard. I'm your man." He gestured to where I had fallen and I winced as I followed him. So it had been something he had seen and it had placed me in a bad position to negotiate. It wasn't as if I had planned to use my strength as a bargaining chip, but to be seen as weak was just as bad. He led us a few paces away from his seat and out of the corner of my eye Cassandra and Solas followed me with their gazes. Varric was the only one that took a handful of steps to stay within range of Bianca. The Iron Bull continued, "Whatever it is - demons? Dragons? Name it. The bigger, the better."
Not sure they get much bigger than you - and dragons?
"And there's one one more thing, might be useful, might piss you off." He stopped and swiveled on his heel to face me again. "Ever hear of the Ben-Hassrath?"
My relief flooded my stomach, back on a topic I was semi-prepared to have. "A little bit. Spies, mostly, right?" The one eye he had narrowed on me and I presented my innocence to the court, keeping my chin up and my hands behind my back. He snorted and I was alarmed to see the breath come from his nose and steam through the cold rain. The sight made me shudder because how was that possible? He was shirtless and probably losing heat at a rate that would give me hypothermia.
"Right," he murmured. "Spies, secret policy. They handle information, loyalty, security, all of it... Or, well. We're spies."
And there it is.
My head tilted and when I made no move to answer his dropped bomb, there was a tick of a smile on his lips. By now he must've figured out that I either learned most of this from Leliana or had come across the information in some other form. I didn't care as long as he knew I was not going to be had by the game-play he was placing across the board.
"The Ben-Hassrath are concerned about the Breach. Magic out of control like that could cause trouble everywhere." His head shifted again and it took me a moment to recognize the gesture as a bow of his head. "I've been ordered to join the Inquisition, get close to the people in charge, and send reports on what's happening."
"I suppose that's fair." My voice came to me again, steadier this time. My heart was still fluttering in my chest. "If there's a hell-mouth threatening one person's head, it's probably a threat to everyone. Though, this does sound a bit one-sided, if I'm to be honest."
The Iron Bull raised a hand. "I also get reports from the Ben-Hassrath agents all over Orlais. You sign me on, I'll share them with your people." Oh shit, and that was another chip in the game I wasn't ready for, with so much weight on it that I knew turning him away now would be a mistake. Internally, I winced. Leliana would not forgive me passing it up and he probably was well aware of how desperately we needed information.
"I do find it funny that you're a spy and just readily gave me that information." My head turned up to him. If I had to wager a guess, he was probably a good foot taller than I was, and that was dizzying. The scarred face before me frowned and he sighed heavily through his nose again, the steam less visible now than it was before.
"Whatever happened at that Conclave thing, it's bad." He answered heavily. "Someone needs to get the Breach closed." The good eye traveled down from my face to my left side. The Mark seemed to hiss silently in my palm, the pulse a challenge beneath my skin. My fingers curled in tightly, alarmed by the sensation. I hadn't felt anything like that since the first day I had hiked up the mountainside with Cassandra toward the ruin Temple of Sacred Ashes.
"So whatever I am," he continued gently, perhaps having caught my frigidness. "I''m on your side." I needed something to do with my hands, they were starting to shake. My left hand instinctively came up to my face and rubbed at my eye.
I didn't miss the way Bull's eye followed it, but I ignored it. "What would you send in these reports of yours?"
"Enough to keep my superiors happy. Nothing that would compromise your operations." He refocused his attention on my face. "The Qunari want to know if they need to launch an invasion to keep the whole damn world from falling apart." That was another point to Leliana as she had hit the nail right on the head. I'm not even certain why I was surprised anymore. Bull paused for a moment, huffing. "You let me send word about what you're doing, it'll put some minds at ease. That's good for everyone."
"Fucking hell, yeah." I grumbled, my illusion breaking. The novelty of his uniqueness was starting to wear off as the pressure of what his presence entailed grew. I had never forgotten how dangerous the Breach was, nor how it affected the people closest to me, but it had slipped my mind that I was in a whole new world and it had other countries, governments, political climates just like my old one. The fact that I was smack-dab in the middle of it was starting to cause me physical pain.
My cursing had surprised Bull momentarily, he blinked hard. The re-assessment began again, because I was stiff to my shoulders from trying to keep up the illusion that I had everything under control. I didn't, and I wasn't Leliana. I couldn't play the game as well as she or Josephine could. Besides, it already sounded like Leliana and Bull and worked out most of the details, I was just a simple formality to keep me in the loop.
I'm not sure why that stung more than I thought necessary.
"What would we be getting in these Ben-Hassrath reports?" My inhale was deep and I looked up, one hand braced gently on my brow to act as a shield from the rain.
"Enemy movements, suspicious activity, intriguing gossip. It's a bit of everything." The chuckle rumbled up from his chest, "If your spymaster is worth a damn, she'll put 'em to good use."
That was bait, but I took it. "She?"
He paused and gave a well-practiced, nervous sounding chuckle. "I did a little research, plus I always had a weakness for redheads." Well, that was charming. I had known that Leliana was relatively well rumored as Lady Nightingale of the court, and deducing down the line of evidence, one could figure that a sleuth like Leliana would eventually end up in the Inquisition, it was practically in the name even if she wasn't a Spaniard. How he knew she was a redhead, though, I would have to mention to Leliana in case it was a point of concern.
"Welp." I sighed, my hand dropping from my forehead. "I wasted enough time, let's go." It was the first point I had won all day; Bull's weight shifted on his bad, braced ankle and he winced in pain and surprise. I nodded, acting as if I took no notice of it all. "Pack up your men and let's head back up to the scouting camp, we need to figure some things out."
"We're hired?" He clarified.
I stopped and turned to him, innocent. "Weren't you? I'm pretty sure I was sent here just as a formality. Too keep my feathers from being ruffled and making me feel important, no?" That was viciously unfair, as he had given me the opportunity to feel like my opinion was important, but I wasn't stupid. The deck was already stacked against me from the start. Bull stood apart from me, the gaze of cordial hospitality had been replaced by something stranger and sharper.
"You could reject he offer." He stated calmly. He didn't add anything beyond that, and it hurt my head to slither through the reasons why; anything he told me beyond that would be giving more information, confirming or denying things that had been discussed without my knowledge. He wasn't playing the mercenary company commander at the moment, he was playing the spy.
"I could," I answered softly, the rain catching most of my words. I took a step toward him, facing him fully. "But considering what I've heard of the Qunari, you'll find another way in. This is just more your style, being straight forward and blunt, because then who would suspect otherwise? They'd expect you to keep your word that the Qunari wouldn't intrude."
"How do you figure?" He was in learning mode, now. I was giving away too much, but I was tired and Redcliffe was at that back of my mind. The more time I spent here trying to justify myself or appease my ego, the more time I lost that could be spent helping the settlements of the Hinterlands.
Not that my mouth followed that logic, "I used the same tactic with my caregivers when I was a kid, for reference." He must have heard the concocted story by now; that I was raised as an orphan in a Chantry in Ferelden, burnt down during the Fifth Blight and I perhaps the sole survivor of the whole spectacle. I could intermingle my childhood with my siblings from another world into that, if I worded it right. I smiled, "Whenever I felt like I had been caught, but wanted the best chance to come out with what I wanted, I told the truth before it became a problem. We had a phrase for that."
His head tilt and his brow furrowed. Amused, his lips quirked. "And what was that?"
"Better to ask for forgiveness than permission." I answered promptly. "If Mother Olivia thought I was honest and sincere in my apology, I escaped the worst of the punishment. She would also forget the stash of sweets I took. A win-win, as far as I was concerned at eight years old."
"Well, well." His nose twitched with a soft snort. "Color me surprised."
I turned back on my heel and waved to my companions and had them follow as we trudged back up toward the camp. "The day I surprise you, The Iron Bull, is the day I buy rounds for the Inquisition."
"If that's the case, I could just lie and play it off." He laughed, not following me back as my companions caught up with me. I assumed he was waiting for Aclassi.
My reply was a snort, "And what? Miss out on the challenge? Nah, that ain't your style either." With my back turn I couldn't see his expression, but a quick flick of Solas' eyes told me enough. Cassandra took up my right side and Solas came around my left. Varric, always, at my back. The relief of leaving the conversation flooded me and I shivered with no relation to the icy touch of rain.
"I say that went well." Varric cut in from behind us. There was a beat or two that went by as we ducked under fallen trees and branches, the scouting camp not far from the beach. Harding was back at the requisitions table and a few more soldiers had appeared. I would have to start planning this right so I got the most out of this mercenary company.
"I don't know if it did." I finally replied. I stopped at the edge of the camp and turned to look down at the beach. I could see figures of the company dashing about to collect barrels and spoils from the Tevinters they had felled. "My suspicions were right that he had already settled things with the Inquisition. Knowing Josephine's name was a given, what with her being our ambassador, but he knew about Leliana." I hadn't told Cassandra or Varric about my conversation with the two heads of The Hydra concerning the Qunari. Solas was the only one in the full loop.
My eyes closed with a sigh, so many threads to keep track of, shit.
"He did?" Cassandra's sharp face furrowed. "How much did he know?"
"He didn't know her name, but that's more of a guess at this point." My eyes shifted to her. My hand ran over my flattened hair and scratched behind my ear. "I suspect he does, but he knew our spymaster was female and a redhead."
"He may have seen her at some point." Solas' voice was low. "Leliana did work for the Divine and was usually sent out to handle particular situations that required a swift hand. Given that the Bull's Chargers work out of Val Royeaux and Nevarra, it's likely. Spies know each other well, not by name, but by trade." I rubbed at my face with both hands. Cassandra shifted uncomfortably next to me and Varric remained quiet, contemplating. My poor viper was like me; we preferred things right to our face with little fanfare. Varric and Solas were more inclined to intrigue and gossip.
"Are we assuming The Iron Bull is a spy?" Cassandra sniffed, her gaze snapping back down toward the beach. I could see the shadow of the company as it made its way up the slope toward us. Our time was running out to discuss this freely.
"He is one," Varric rumbled with a sigh. "If I'm reading this right, Leliana already knew, and we were sent out here under the pretense of 'recruitment' but it was just to save Jaime's face."
"Yup." My lips popped. I shrugged when Cassandra turned offended eyes to me. "Hey, look, I just found out before we left. He was pretty much signed on whether I said yes or no."
"I don't like it." Cassandra growled. "The Qunari should not be making decisions for us, sending us spies under the guise of mercenaries. They play on our weakness, Jaime."
"I know they do, lovely." I couldn't offer her much more than another shrug; apologetic. "And it's a sore weakness, but I would keep the enemy I can see closer than not know whoever the second attempt was if I refused."
Solas nodded, his voice still lowered. "Agreed. The Qunari would not have stopped sending spies until one of them made it through, either as a courier, a messenger, or a scout. Something or someone smaller that would go unnoticed in our roster." The company was nearly to us now, with Bull leading the front and Aclassi by his side. My hand reached out and landed on Cassandra's arm and I waited until her eyes turned to me.
"Besides, we're going to vet them with my next plan." My viper seemed far from accepting of the idea, but I had earned some level of trust with her because she nodded and forced her mouth tight over her teeth.
"What do you have in mind?" She asked, her patience painfully thin.
"We're going to separate them." I said firmly, but the idea of sending Cassandra away was picking at my anxiety. "Scout Harding mentioned those bandits, remember? I see a few soldiers came back, but she's still stressed. Not all of them have returned. I'm... going to keep Bull here with me, and we'll clear the coast, but you, my dear, are going to lead the rest of the Chargers back to the Hinterlands." Every word that came out of my mouth made Cassandra stiffen under my hand. I gripped her bicep just under her plating to keep her from lunging at me.
"Herald, is that wise?" She hissed. I picked up on the fact that it was becoming a habit among my people to call me anything other than my name when they were displeased with me. Solas' and Varric's gazes bounced between me and the Seeker. I had perhaps two minutes left before the company was on us, if I judged the distance right from the corner of my eye.
"I'll keep Varric and Solas with me." I calmly added, but her words made me doubt. Would a mage and a dwarf be enough to stop a raging bull if I took a wrong step? "Solas has enough in his arsenal to stop Bull and Varric's a pain in everyone's ass. I need you to take these mercenaries and start helping Corporal Vale. Those people have waited long enough for the Inquisition to make good on its promises." It was a low blow, as the Inquisition was more Cassandra's project than mine, but playing to her honor and ethics was the only way to get her to play along.
Bull and Aclassi pulled up next to our group, the rest of the company spilled out around us. Scout Harding had been alerted to our presence by another soldier and she made her way down toward us, face stern and pinched with stress. I made space for my scout next to me and dropped my hand from Cassandra's arm, trusting that she would remain at my side. She did. Solas' fleet of foot movements brought him behind me, to present the picture of silent protector. Varric stayed at Cassandra's side. It was an interesting line up and Bull's eye roamed over us before landing on me.
"So here's the deal." I glanced between Aclassi and Bull, my main audience, and then down to Harding. "Scout Harding, The Iron Bull and his lieutenant, Cremisius Aclassi." Harding bowed her head and pleasantries were exchanged before I plowed on, eager to have this mess over with, I didn't like being the main source of attention. "Your company is going to be separated. Lieutenant Aclassi and the rest of the Chargers are going to be led by Seeker Cassandra back to the Hinterlands." There was a twitch amongst the company; I figured it was a rare thing that they were separated from Bull. The man in question made no sign of discomfort at the order.
I turned to Aclassi and the man straightened under my gaze. "Once at the Hinterlands your main priority will be to assist the refugees with supplies, shelter, and relocation. Seeker Cassandra will direct your movements majority of the time, but there is a soldier, Corporal Vale, who'll give you the finer details of what needs to be accomplished." Aclassi nodded, his shoulders still drawn back and straight. The rest of the company looked less liable to murder me upon the realization that they were to keep one of their leaders.
I don't know if I was shaking from the bitterness of the rain or my anxiety. "You've probably got some idea of how nasty it's been out there, so I'm not gonna lie; it's a shit-hole." The few laughs I gained was worth the tremble of my voice. My throat pulled down a hard swallow and I visibly shook, my companions and Bull looked over me with concern. "It's fucking cold, guys, don't give me that look." More laughter broke out and I was pleased to see that there was a fraction of relaxation to touch the Iron Bull's face and Aclassi's shoulders.
"In any case," I coughed with a fist to my mouth. "You're expecting heavy resistance, mages and Templars alike. Keep in mind that we're not going through like a purge, we're weeders." The metaphor was a strange one, but I was fucking nervous and impromptu speeches were not my style. Not to such a large crowd, anyway. "Anyone that surrenders or ask for sanctuary, you take in, regardless of what or who they are. Our main face is that we are a defender, not an annihilator. Clear?"
"Clear!" Aclassi and the rest of the company answered. The shake in my bones from the cold covered my surprise at the unified response. Bull's head tilted as he watched me, but it was easier to ignore him when I had Aclassi to look at, as he didn't have giant horns that made me nervous.
"Good. Now." I looked down at Scout Harding and the woman gave me a sideways glance. "My company and I will be staying here to look for those bandits. Leave a handful of our best and a few birds, we'll report any more activity. Pack up and head out to the Fallow Mire, looking for that missing patrol is your first priority, Harding."
"Your Worship." Harding fought a grin from her face, as it had been the first direct order I had given her. She, perhaps like the rest of my council, enjoyed watching my progressive growth. Snotty thing, she was, but I could love her for it as the confidence it gave me was appreciated. She saluted me with a fist across her chest and a bow and then turned to Cassandra. "Seeker Cassandra, we've gotten word that there's a caravan heading through the passage toward the Hinterlands. If we're quick, we can catch them."
Cassandra sighed and starched her spine. "Very well. Herald," my viper bowed her head to me, but her eyes flashed with warning, "Good hunting." I flashed her a nervous grin and waited until she and the rest of the crowd trekked up to the campsite, leaving me with the three men. I paused a beat for dramatic effort and then sighed with a gust from my lungs, slumping a bit in my armor.
"Yeah, you're dead." Varric played along, casual in his response. "You are so dead."
"Nah, c'mon." I teased with a glance back at Cassandra, once again avoiding Bull. "She loves me."
"Love to kill you, maybe." Varric laughed. My sigh was covered by Solas' chuckle as the elf came around from behind my back to my side, slotting in naturally next to me. Varric rubbed at the back of his head and turned his gaze up to pull. "Welcome to the Inquisition, where the Herald is cute and chews through her leash most days."
I squawked, "H-hey, once."
"Wait, once?" Bull finally picked up the thread of conversation, his good eye wide. "I don't know what's more surprising, that you actually had a leash, or that you chewed through it?"
"It was Seeker Cassandra's attempt at friendship." Solas deadpanned, brow high and hands behind his back. "Needless to say, but it turned out quite well."
"You're all a bunch of bastards." I snipped with a tug at my leather chest piece. "I hope you're ready for a slog through the rain, because that's what you're getting. Hop to, and all that shit." I muttered with a step out toward the path that carved inland from the coast.
