Chapter Two

An Explosive Entrance

Cullen jerked awake. His blurry eyes glanced around, seeking an intruder. His empty office stared back, the room quiet but for the soft hiss of a draft. He rubbed absently at his face. A sheet of parchment unpeeled itself from his cheek, floating past the desk to land in the puddle of ink. He sighed at the shattered glass pot, a new stain on the cobblestone floor of his office.

His bones creaked as he rose, stretching from his awkward sleeping position. He had been waking more and more at his desk, working into the early hours of the morning in the hopes that his tired mind would struggle to produce nightmares. It seemed to have worked, if not how he had expected: instead of nightmares, he had dreamt of green eyes.

He stumbled to the door, stretching as he walked, and stepped out onto the battlements. He squinted into the bright morning sun, leaning against the outer wall. The crisp mountain air caressed his face and he took a deep breath, the air chilling his lungs and soothing his tired body.

It had been weeks since the events at the Winter Palace and scouts had been pouring in with news of new alliances and support for the Inquisition. But the work never ended. The Inquisitor had left for Crestwood days earlier with Dorian, Cassandra, and Iron Bull to meet with Hawke and a Warden contact in the hopes of finding the missing Grey Wardens. He found himself wanting them to return soon so that he could play chess with Dorian again. Their games were the only moments that cleared his mind and soothed the darkness that tormented him.

Cullen was almost feeling ready to face the new day when an almighty boom sounded somewhere below, followed by the screech and crash of metal. He nearly stumbled as the fortress shook beneath his feet. He moved to the other side of the wall, looking down at the courtyard. His eyes darted to the watch tower, but they were not looking out into the mountains.

'Intruder!'

Cullen sprinted to his office as the troops began to move below. He shot out the door onto the walkway that led to the main hall, stopping to stare down at the commotion. Shouts sounded, feet stomped, swords sang as they were unsheathed. He burst into the empty main hall, still quiet at such an early hour in the morning.

He heard more shouting as he reached the entrance steps. Approaching the base of the stairs, surrounded by Inquisition forces, was a hooded figure. They dragged a man bodily over the bumps and rocks in the courtyard, hardly bothered by the scout's weight. His clothes marked him as one of Leliana's agents. He was barely conscious, his head lolling on his shoulders as the intruder hefted him to the base of the steps.

The troops glanced nervously at Cullen; none seemed willing to approach. As Cullen reached the bottom steps, he could see the stranger held a dagger. The double-edged blade was tucked against their forearm, ready.

They dropped the agent, kicking him to the side.

'Don't be so dramatic, everyone,' they said, sheathing their weapon on their back with a matching blade, 'I'm just returning your property. Sorry about the gate, by the way. Might have gone a little overboard with the explosives.'

Cullen felt the hair rise on the back of his neck. He had hoped that by getting closer, he would get a better look at their face, but a mask covered their nose and mouth, the hood shadowing any skin that might have been revealed.

'What in the Maker is going on here?'

'You misplaced one of your spies.' They shrugged under the dark coat. 'I got tired of him following me around. Do you know how loudly he breathes?' They brought a gloved hand up, the tips of their fingers revealed. Cullen bristled as they picked disinterestedly at their nails. 'I put up with it for; I don't know, three days maybe? It was kind of funny to see someone so incompetent try so hard. But it just got super annoying when I was trying to read. So, I thought it was time to return him.'

'Who are you?'

They looked up from their nails.

'Oh, my handsome Commander, don't play coy with me.'

When they took a step closer, Cullen signalled for the troops to stand down.

'You know exactly who I am,' they said, fingers walking up his chest plate, her nails scraping the collar, tickling his neck, 'if you wanted to dance with me, you only had to ask.'

Their gazes met, and Cullen felt his breath leave his body. Under the hood, two jewels shone brightly at him, a wicked glint in her serpentstone gaze.

Maker's breath.

It took all his strength to pull away from her. His skin still felt hot where she had touched him. He cleared his throat.

'Everyone back to their quarters,' Cullen shouted. The troops shifted awkwardly, some glancing around the person in front to get a better look. He hardened his glare. 'Did I stutter?'

They scattered, none daring to look back.

He returned his attention to the woman before him. Emotions twisted inside his stomach. All at once, he was angry, nervous, exhilarated. He did not know if he should scold her for her brash entrance, or applaud the Maker for placing her before him once more.

'Valina?'

'The one and only,' she said, sauntering past him and continuing up the stairs. He followed, taking two steps at a time.

He caught up with her as she entered the main hall.

'I have to ask for your weapons.'

'And you just did. Doesn't mean you're getting them,' she said, glancing at the doors as she passed. She looked up at him, then down, and he felt his face heat as her gaze lingered. 'I promise you can strip search me later, though.'

He opened his mouth, but could not even issue a stuttered reply.

'Now, where is Lady Montilyet's office?' She stopped in the middle of the hall, assessing the doors before turning sharply on her heel. 'Oh, in here. Splendid.'

Valina marched through the two doors. When she entered the office, Josephine nearly fell off her chair, jumping up to stand beside her desk. Her eyes darted, a flash of relief on her face when she saw Cullen following closely behind.

'What in the name of–'

'Lady Montilyet, just the woman I wanted to see,' Valina said as she approached the desk. To her credit, Josephine stood her ground as Valina took the seat at the desk, though she glanced to Cullen.

'I have no intent to hurt you, and as long as you are polite to me, it will stay that way,' Valina said, 'so stop looking at the Commander for help because he's currently blushing far too much to be of use to you.'

'I am not–'

'Hush, handsome,' Valina snapped as she slid the hood from her head and pulled her mask down. She shook her hair out, the dark strands cascading down her back.

The door opened once more.

'Josie,' Leliana called, 'what's with all the commotion out front?'

Her eyes fell on Valina. The rogue turned in her chair, leaning casually against the backrest. 'Thank you for joining us, Lady Nightingale. I think we need to have a private chat later about personal boundaries,' Valina said, 'stalking people is very rude, especially after only one dance. If you're not careful, people might get the idea that you're desperate.'

Leliana composed her features. 'Marquise Voclain, I presume?'

Leliana joined Josephine at the desk. She sat on the edge. Adopting her usual intimidating stance would have no effect on the woman before her, and they both knew it.

Valina smiled. She leant her elbows on the desk, propping her chin up on her hands.

'Marquise Voclain is my mother,' she said as she met Leliana's gaze, 'surely we are past such formalities. You know my name. I gave it to you. So, use it.'

Leliana could not mask a smile. 'Valina, then.'

'Much better. Now, to business. I'm here, so obviously, I got your message,' Valina said, 'firstly, I recommend you spend more time training your scouts in their stealth tactics. They might be able to sneak up on a warrior, but even a poorly trained rogue would hear them half a mile away, and, well, clearly I am not a poorly trained rogue.'

'Noted.'

'You can also explain why they were following me.'

'We think you can help us,' Josephine said. She took her seat, her features composed.

'I can. Maker knows you lot need it with all those fade rifts still floating around. That does not, however, mean that I will.'

'This affects everyone,' Cullen said, forcing some composure as he stood beside the desk, leaning on it with one hand.

She shrugged. 'No, not really. It should, but it doesn't. Life is still going on out there, rift shit or not. There are just more people taking advantage of the chaos.'

'And are you one of them?'

'Probably, but mostly I've just been terribly bored,' she said, 'I only went to the ball because it was the culmination of a civil war, and I wanted to see who won. Plus, I heard that the Inquisition was making an appearance. And you did.' She winked at Leliana. 'And oh, what a scandal we caused together.'

'You're a mercenary, are you?'

'Yes, but that's not what you're really asking me, is it, Lady Montileyet? What you really want to ask is if I know anything.'

'And do you?'

'Yes. Things that would make your skin crawl.' She glanced to Cullen. 'Or tingle, whatever you're into. I don't judge.'

Her tongue darted out to lick her lip, the action so quick that he wondered if he had imagined it. She held his gaze for a moment, and his heart kicked in his chest.

'What I do or do not know is irrelevant this late in a war. But I am handy with blades, and I can manipulate even the most hardened people, and that's what you need. You need support, a lot of it, and I can get you that.'

'For a price?' Leliana guessed.

'You can't afford me, honey, though I would do a special deal for you,' she said, 'but, because I am bored, if you keep me entertained, I'll keep support pouring in faster than you can say 'Maker preserve me'. That I can promise.'

'How can we trust you?' Josephine asked.

'You can't, but you are facing a monster. You may think of me as one for the lack of a clear moral compass, but, at the very least, I'm prettier to look at, and that counts for something. Besides, do you really have a choice?'

'I suppose not.'

'Then we have an accord,' Valia said, standing in one lithe motion. She stepped closer to Cullen, leaning in. For a moment, he caught the soft scent of roses as she neared. The sweet aroma filled his nose, and he felt a shiver roll down his spine when she smiled up at him. She trailed her fingers over his torso as she had done before, but not where he expected. He stifled a gasp as she brushed past his navel, his cheeks flushing.

'Shall I pick a room, or would you prefer I bunked with you, Commander?'

His hand slipped off the desk. Although he could not speak, his body tried its hardest to answer for him.

'I will show you to a room,' Josephine said, having to bite back her laughter. She directed Valina to the door. The rogue threw a final wink at Cullen before she followed.

'Ah, my Antivan Queen, maybe we should share instead…'

Cullen rubbed at his face, trying to hide his blush. He had only been awake for an hour, and already he felt the crushing weight of a long day fall on his shoulders.

'She is going to be a handful. Normally I would avoid a chaotic neutral person; they can be very dangerous,' Leliana said, smirking at the door as it closed, 'but I think she will be a valuable agent for the Inquisition.'

'We can hope so,' Cullen said absently. He wandered out the door, intent on burying himself in paperwork for the day if only so he could try to keep thoughts of that wicked rogue from his mind.

Josephine spent most of the day setting Valina up in suitable lodgings, and then gave her the extended tour of Skyhold, using the time to assess the rogue's attitude. As Leliana had warned, she was impossible to read, but her assessment of the Inquisition base was ultimately positive. She even offered recommendations on improving the defences that Josephine planned to pass on to Cullen.

'And finally, this is Herald's Rest, the local tavern,' Josephine said, 'a fitting place to end our tour. Many of our troops like to hang out here when resting. The ale is not the finest I have tasted, but it is refreshing after a long day of business.'

Valina smiled. Josephine felt a strange flutter in her stomach. She was beginning to understand why this rogue seemed to affect Cullen with even the smallest smirk. Valina had an air around her that Josephine could only describe as sultry. The wicked turn of her lips pulled every man – and many women – to her gaze with the smallest quirk.

'Care to join me for a drink, my Lady?'

'Another time, perhaps. I have some Inquisition business to attend before the evening gets too late,' Josephine said, bowing her head politely.

'Too bad,' Valina sighed, 'I will struggle to find someone half as beautiful as you to keep me company.'

Josephine couldn't fight the colour that rose in her cheeks at the warmth she found in the green gaze.

'Goodnight, Valina.'

Valina entered the tavern. Heads turned, and even the bard fell silent. The space was packed with Inquisition troops that had witnessed the day's eventful beginning. Rumours circulated throughout the day, as did the story off her explosive entrance. A soft air of awe was palpable in the room, eyes following her as she sauntered to the bar.

'Ale,' she said as she eased into an empty seat.

The bartender rushed to fill her order. He watched as she took a deep drink, a glaze of panic over his eyes. He startled when she tossed him a coin.

'That should cover a couple at least.'

'Yes, ma'am.'

She drained the flagon, and he poured her a fresh one. As she lifted it, the stool beside her screeched on the floorboards. She looked up, a wicked smile lighting her lips.

'Well, well, aren't you just one gorgeous hunk of man,' she purred.

The Qunari smirked at her. 'It's nice to meet a woman who can hold her ale.'

'I can hold a lot more than that if you ask nicely,' she said, turning in her chair to face him, 'what's your name, big guy?'

'Iron Bull,' he said, leaning closer, 'what's yours?'

'Valina.'

'Mm. You're the rogue from the Palace.'

'I might be.'

'I've been told you're a bit of a tease.'

She arched a dark eyebrow at him, taking a sip of her ale. She licked the edge, Bull's eyes darting to her tongue.

'I might be,' she said again.

She placed the flagon on the bar, leaning a little closer as she asked, 'so, what do you Inquisition boys do for fun around here?'

She watched intently. His eyes darted to her lips once more, his nostrils flaring as he inhaled sharply.

'We do a lot of things.'

'But what's your favourite thing to do.'

'I did it recently, actually.'

'And?'

'I'm not sure you can handle it.'

'I'm not sure you could handle me.'

He exhaled, draining his flagon. He struggled to read her, just as he had at the Winter Palace, but when her lips curved he decided he didn't care.

'Ever killed a dragon?'

She smirked. 'One.'

'If you know anything about Qunari, you'll know how we feel about them.'

'How about you educate me?'

'Qunari hold dragons sacred. Well, as much as we hold anything sacred.'

'I had heard that.'

'And obviously, you know we have horns?'

'I did, but I've never seen any quite as impressive as yours.'

He smirked, a wicked look in his eyes.

'Well, we look more dragony than most people. A few of the Ben-Hassrath have this crazy old theory about that. See, the Tamassrans control who we mate with. They breed us for jobs like you'd breed dogs or horses. What if, a long time ago, they mixed in some dragon? Maybe by drinking the blood, perhaps by magic.' He shrugged. 'I don't know. But something in that dragon I killed spoke to me. Dragons are the embodiment of raw power. But it's all uncontrolled, savage, so they need to be destroyed. Today we tamed the wild; we made order out of chaos…'

As Bull spoke, she saw Cullen enter. He looked around the tavern, and when he found her among the crowd, she saw his breath hitch. He quickly glanced away, flagging down the nearest server to order, avoiding the bar. Still, his eyes darted in her direction, watching her interact with the Qunari.

Finally.

She drained the last drops of her flagon, smirking at Bull. She stood up, and he tensed beside her. She brushed her knuckles along the underside of one of his horns, smirking when he shivered.

'This has been fun,' she said, 'I'll see you around, Bull.'

As she walked away, she could feel his gaze on her swaying hips. Cullen tensed as she neared, his body rigid as stone when she propped herself on the table beside him.

'Are you feeling a bit jealous of the Bull?'

'Why would I be?' he asked. He took a deep drink of his flagon, avoiding her gaze.

'Because I can tell you're a Chantry boy, handsome, and Chantry boys have a thing for strong women.'

He glanced up. 'Who said– how do you know that?'

'Your troops train like Templars, and you, Commander, carry yourself like one.'

'That doesn't mean you know my type,' he bit out.

'Your eyes tell me otherwise.'

'How so?'

'It's the way you looked at me when you walked in. And in the glances when you couldn't keep your eyes off me, no matter how hard you tried.'

She leant closer, and the soft scent of roses filled him once more.

'And what did you see?'

He tensed when her hand grasped his shirt tight, drawing him closer. She brushed her lips over his ear, her breath hot against his skin as she said, 'hunger.'

She hopped down from the table. She traced her fingers up his thigh as she walked away, the heat of her touch lingering even as she left the tavern. His eyes followed her, trailing down her back to hips that swayed deliciously as she walked, her leather pants formed so perfectly to her cheeks.

He snapped his eyes back to his ale, draining it in a few large gulps. When a server walked past with a full tray, he snagged another, staring at the dark liquid as he tried to steady his thoughts.

The bench creaked beside him. He looked up at Iron Bull.

'What?' he asked, harsher than he had intended.

'She may not be a redhead, but she's got the same sort of fire in her waiting to be tapped,' he smirked at Cullen, 'don't get any ideas Curly. I'm calling dibs.'

The Qunari rose to his full towering height, rolling his shoulders as if preparing for battle before he followed Valina from the tavern. The ale seemed to sour in Cullen's mouth, a white-hot flash of jealousy searing him. He drowned it with another gulp of ale, wishing that he could sink into the table as he realised she had slipped from his fingers again.

Valina climbed the steps to the top of the wall. It was dark now. The air was cold on her skin as she stared out at the moonlit mountains that surrounded Skyhold. She glanced back as she heard heavy footsteps follow her up the stairs. Confidence radiated from the firm steps and casual place. She was not surprised to see they belonged to the Iron Bull.

She leant her back against the wall. 'Couldn't get enough of me?'

He smirked. 'I can take a hint,' he said, strolling towards her. He towered over her as he leant on the wall. She could see nothing beyond his broad body, his arms caging her in. 'You want to ride the Bull.'

'Tempting, big guy, but not tempting enough today,' she said, smiling up at him, 'but, if you are feeling horny, go flirt with that sweet brunette server in the bar. She had her eyes on you all night. I'm surprised she didn't try to put a dagger in my back when you started talking to me, she was so jealous.'

'So, if not me, then who has tempted you?'

'Mm, there are just so many beautiful people here… I don't know how I will pick.'

He pulled back from her. 'If you ever change your mind, you know where you can find me.'

'My safe word is Lazurite,' she said, satisfied to see a flash of heat in his gaze, 'just in case we ever need it.'

He smirked. 'I think we're going to get along.'

'We'll see.' She pulled her hood over her head and turned from him. As she walked along the wall towards her room, her dark coat melded with the darkness. Even in the shadows, she could feel his stare on her back.

Bull wandered back down the stairs and back into the tavern. He stopped beside Cullen, clapping him on the shoulder hard enough that the man nearly spat out his ale.

Cullen swallowed hard, surprised to see that the Bull had returned.

'Rejected?' he asked, unable to hide the satisfaction in his voice.

'Surprising, I know,' Bull said, 'apparently, I'm not the commander she is looking for.'

He clapped Cullen on the back once more before he went hunting for the brunette server. Cullen stared back into his ale, this time with a smile on his lips. Maybe he hadn't missed his chance, after all.