"Demons and Orlesian nobles, always shitting things up." Bull growled. He was standing in the practice yard with Krem. They were kitted up and practicing sweeps, a difficult maneuver when wearing full armor and balancing blade and shield or a two handed weapon.

"Relax Boss, Revas will chew them up and Leliana will spit them out." Krem growled and moved on Bull, he tripped and Bull knocked him on his ass.

"Ouch."

"Stop telegraphing, anyone could see what you were thinking." Bull growled and helped his second in command to his feet.

Krem grunted and stretched, shaking off even Bull's controlled blows could take a few seconds. The Tal-Vashoth was enormous, even for one of his kind.

"Right boss." Krem agreed and settled in to try again.

"We should be on the road." Bull sighed.

Dorian watched the colorful movements in the heart of Skyhold from the ramparts. Squads of fresh troops being run through their paces, illustrious guests receiving tours and escorts, Dennet running his soon-to-be-replacement through her paces with the latest shipment of mounts, Belle maneuvering an overloaded wagon through the hubbub with broad gestures and colorful Orlesian curses…it was an entertaining but exhausting display.

"Enjoying the view?" Revas asked and nodded toward the practice yard where Krem was once again knocked flat by his commander.

"Bull is going to break Cremisius one of these days."

"We leave in the morning, have you packed everything?"

Dorian looked at her. She frowned slightly at the obvious worry and sleeplessness in his face.

"I don't like leaving things unfinished."

"What-"

He held up a hand, "That vision that you…shared, with –"

"We warned everyone –"

"Yes, but nothing ever came of the warning except for increased vigilance."

"Right."

He looked impatient. "No evidence of the plan was ever discovered. No lyrium, no Gaatlok, no –"

"Shit."

"Yes, precisely. If the vision was true then either something has prevented it, possibly due to the warning, or it simply hasn't happened…yet."

"Time travel?" She asked with a groan. Redcliffe and Alexius's crimes were far from forgotten.

"Maybe. I believe that anyone able to repeat Alexius' achievements would be known and certainly the impact of using magic to warp reality on that level is known. There have been no symptoms."

"So, what you're saying is its weird and suspicious as hell but you don't have any real conclusions?"

Dorian, for once, looked nonplussed.

"Look, Dorian, I'm leaving tomorrow morning. It's past time. If you feel you need to stay here, alone or with Bull, that's fine. Really it is. But…we have to live our own lives now."

"He let the spy go." Dorian said finally. Confused by the topic change Revas cocked her head.

"Sara the Ben-Hassrath?"

Dorian nodded.

"Leliana insisted."

"We don't need to further antagonize the Qunari." Revas said and shrugged one shoulder.

"He didn't take it well. Which is odd, as he initially argued that taking her into custody was useless in the first place. "

"He was right." Sara had not shared a single secrete or revealed a single contact in the months since arriving at Skyhold.

"There was something about the way he did it…She said something to him and it made him…blush."

"Wait, The Iron Bull…blushed?"

Dorian nodded glumly. Revas thought about it for a few minutes as they both watched the ballet of chaos below. Belle finally managed to settle the wagon and began to direct its unloading.

"You're worried he wants to go back?"

"No. He can't go back."

"But you're worried that he wants to go back."

"If I return to Minrathous with him –"

"Dorian I am the worst person to discuss this with." Revas said sharply. Dorian looked stricken. She closed her eyes in frustration then sighed, opened them and smiled. "I'm sorry, go on."

He was quiet.

"Look, Dorian, you're already a political disaster right? You're a gay, politically questionable, Altus who betrayed his former master to the Evil Inquisition. Would revealing that you and Bull are a couple really be that bad? Hell at least you'll have the Chargers as back up."

"Right, because showing up with a small army of mercenaries and infamous Qunari battlemaster won't raise any eyebrows."

"Dorian, they're going to have to listen to you one way or another, especially if Bull and the Chargers come with you. You're too politically prominent and potentially powerful not to."

"Nice alliteration." Dorian mused. Revas blinked then sighed. "Well, there it is then. Tomorrow we ride." Dorian said with some of his characteristic cheer restored.

Revas watched him head down to Bull with an expression of dull puzzlement. She would never, as long as she lived, really understand Dorian Pavus.

The next morning they set out. Cullen, no longer a commander of anything but hopefully his own future, Dorian Pavus Altus of the Magisterium, The Iron Bull and his Chargers, and the cheers of the new and old residents of Skyhold.

As they rode along the mighty bridge leading out of Skyhold Revas wondered how many cheerful voices were raised in relief or triumph. In one fell stroke three of the Inquisition's most politically questionable members were leaving Skyhold and effectively retiring from service in the Inquistion. The Qunari spy, the Imperium Magister, the Templar Knight-Commander, and the elf-blooded rogue advisor to two inquisitors.

She shook the thought away as Cullen urged his horse to match her hart's pace so they rode side by side. Ahead Bull straddled one of the grotesque mutant nugs located via Orlesian contacts, the mount suited him immensely. At Bull's side rode Dorian, resplendent on a beautiful horse with a rich roan coat that shimmered with good health. Cullen's more mundane beast was familiar to the former Templar and tested in battle and rough terrain both. Behind the quartet rode and walked the Chargers and a small wagon of supplies.

"We won't make much distance today." Cullen said and glanced at the sky. It was late spring, late enough that the weather should be stable and mot paths no longer waterlogged or icy. Still the path from Skyhold through the frostbacks to the heart of Ferelden or west to Orlais was not easy. As the influx had increased the paths had been beaten smooth and somewhat wider but the terrain was rough at best and brutal in places. The supply wagon bore two spare wheels and an axle.

"We're in friendly lands Cullen and will be for weeks."

"That doesn't rule out political scheming, weather or –" She playfully shoved him, nearly unseating him.

"Relax, for one afternoon, in sight of Skyhold, on one of Dennet's best mounts…relax." She chided.

He flushed slightly and grinned at her then rubbed the back of his neck.

"I apologize –"

She laughed and urged her hart, a big red beast, forward at a brisker pace. Cullen grinned and caught up then settled into the new pace.

"So, Wycome." He said and seemed to run out of conversation.

"Why did you decide to go with me?" She asked.

"My work here is done, the Inquisition doesn't need me anymore."

"Not an answer."

"I'm no longer a Templar or a commander, I'm just a man with some skills. I still feel I owe some kind of amends for Kirkwall, how better to amend than serve Clan Lavellan and raise the status of elves in all of Thedas?"