Char: Iron Bull & Val'Aishlym, mentions Dorian & Val'Aishlym

Summary: What else is there to fear but fear itself?

Sprout: Enter The Bull

Augmented Emotions

"I grew up somewhat of a pariah of my clan," the suddenness of the proclamation threw Bull out of his thoughts. He and the elf had been sitting quietly next to each other in the tavern. He didn't really know what brought on the sudden topic but he was eager to learn more about the silent elf.

"Really now?" Iron Bull turned his attention to the elf. He was staring up at the ceiling.

"Yes. I never really engaged in conversation with the clan, I normally just kept to myself." He mumbled. "My father was a hunter. My mother was the former First before she passed away."

"Was your mother a fire mage?" Iron Bull asked. Maybe that was the reason he hated being around fire. If his mother was a fire mage, fire must have painfully reminded him of his deceased mother.

"No. She practiced Spirit and Storm magick."

"You have any siblings?" Bull asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes. A brother," he stared down at the table.

"He a mage like your mother or…?"

"Complicated." He mumbled. "He likes to throw knives." Iron Bull raised an eyebrow. What did he mean by complicated? "We had our own little group. Just the three of us," there was a small grin on his face but it was gone just as fast as it appeared. "My brother, our cousin, and I." He looked back up at the ceiling. "We hunted together."

"Sounds like you three were close."

"Yes," Val'Aishlym looked at him. "We were inseparable….I miss them sometimes…"

"Why don't you write them? Or…Maybe you can tell Cullen and the others to search for where your clan is so you can visit them?" Bull suggested. Val'Aishlym looked slightly startled. He turned to look at Bull.

"I can't." that was all he said before he stood abruptly and walked away. Iron Bull raised a confused eyebrow.

"What was that all about?" Bull looked to his left to see Krem approaching him and staring after the inquisitor. "You sure do know how to run them off fast, huh, boss?"

"Not as fast as you, of course." Bull mumbled.

"You okay, boss? That comeback was oddly stale." Krem raised an eyebrow.

"'Lot on my mind," Bull grunted. Krem smirked and Bull rolled his eye. "Not like that, leech." Krem chuckled.

…

..

.

"Boss?" Bull rounded the railing in the Inquisitor's quarters. The elf had been missing for a bit, it was starting to worry the advisors. Bull volunteered to search for him and he had finally found him. Bull raised any eyebrow. The elf was laid across the bed with just his sleep pants on staring up at the ceiling.

"Bull," Val'Aishlym mumbled, staring at the Qunari with half lidded eyes. Bull had to surpress the shudder of desire that suddenly shot through him. The elf was laying there, a picture of sensuality. His hair was spread around his head like a silver, silken halo. His arms were spread out across the bed while his legs dangled off the edge of the bed. He had sat up slightly to look at Bull then laid back down to stare at the ceiling.

"You went MIA on us boss. What's up?" The Qunari walked to stand in front of the elf. Said elf sat up and ran a hand through his hair. He stared up at Bull.

"I like you," he suddenly said. Bull's eyebrows rose. "I like you because you're not a human."

"What about Dorian?" Bull backed away from the elf until the back of his legs found the couch. He sat down with a grunt and relaxed a bit.

"I don't know…." The elf mumbled. "Did I ever tell you…that I can feel other's emotions?" Bull's eyebrows rose.

"Really? Are you secretly an elf spirit?"

"No." Val'Aishlym snorted. "I can't explain it without telling you everything…something I don't want to do," Val'Aishlym sighed. "When we were in the Fade…After I had gotten back all my memories…I almost couldn't even continue…" So that was what this was about. The elf was still troubled over their trip to the fade.

"I remember you saying something about arcane warriors using fire. Was that what you saw afterwards, then?" the elf nodded. "Did all this feeling other people's emotions happen after all this?"

"In a way…yes…" Val'Aishlym mumbled. "The emotions….they trigger memories….memories that I had kept buried – that I didn't want to remember…." The elf curled in on himself on the bed. "The despair…the betrayal…the anger…the hate….the helplessness…the madness….the self-loathing….the uselessness…the emptiness…" That sounded like-

"You mean everyone's fears?" The graveyard was compiled of everyone's darkest fears….He hadn't seen one for the elf. He assumed the Inquisitor didn't really fear anything. "I never saw a tomb for you…" Bull recalled. Val'Aishlym sat up.

"Of course not. At the time, I feared nothing. The terror demon took my fears along with my memories…" Bull furrowed his brow. What if the terror demon had taken something other than his memories from him? He'd have to talk to Solas.

"What do you fear?" Bull asked. He knew it couldn't just be the arcane warriors. Something else had to be troubling the elf. He saw the elf tense all over. After a while of tense silence filling the air, the elf spoke again.

"I like talking to you, Bull," he mumbled. "Because you're not human."

"Uh…yeah…"

"Please don't change my mind about you," There was a dark warning in the tone of voice he used. Maybe he feared humans? It'd explain why he was so tense all the time – they were surrounded by humans. Bull stood up.

"Everyone was looking for you. I think they wanted to speak to you in the war room about something. I tried to ask what it was about but they just gave me this grim look and just said to come look for you." Bull frowned. "I don't think the news they bare will be pretty. I'll see you later, boss."

"Goodbye."

Iron Bull spared the still elf one last glance before he walked down the stairs to exit the room. When he exited, he almost ran over Dorian. The mage was glaring at him. He rolled his eye. The human had been silently glaring holes into him and it was starting to grate his last nerves.

"Let him rest," Bull said, causing Dorian's eyes to narrow even farther.

"What?"

"He's a bit worn out at the moment. Come back tomorrow if you need to talk to him." He said. The mage didn't budge. Bull sighed inward. "I know you hate me but bite your tongue for this one moment and trust me on this. The boss is in no condition to talk with anyone." The elf was likely would skewer anyone human that started speaking. He was a bit out of it right now and tense. He doubted anyone of the human persuasion would be safe in that room with him – mage or not.

"Move." Dorian grit out. Iron Bull shrugged, walking around the smaller man.

"Suite yourself," your funeral. He mumbled under his breath. He'd have to seek out Solas and ask him a few questions…