Unfortunately, mercenary work waits on no one.
Rush joined Krem in scouting the market for more tasks suitable for the Chargers. As much as she wanted to go with Bull, she didn't trust herself not to do something embarrassing. Like, try to jump him in the middle of a busy marketplace.
Krem could handle scouting by himself, of course, but they all decided to test and see if Rush and her knowledge of the Orlesian nobility could be used to get them even more lucrative tasks than usual. Plus, she wanted to find a Tome of Healing, if she could. She didn't forget her plan to heal Bull, not even after that mind-blowing kiss.
She might have also wanted to avoid Stitches' knowing smirks as he whittled away at a piece of wood and pretended he wasn't looking at her puffed up lips and red cheeks… Or Dalish and her giggle-snorts when Rush stumbled past her on wobbly legs.
At least Krem only teased once ('maybe nothing will happen, right?') before he dragged her off to check the marketplace with him.
"…and, above all, I will need you to be discreet," came the snotty, nasal voice of an older man from… the Chantry?
'Hmm, risky, but promising', she thought and exchanged a look with Krem. They both moved slowly towards the door.
"If I do you a bloody favor, I want to know exactly what we're dealing with!" growled a different voice with a Fereldan accent. "No way will I get my men killed over some bleeder's idiocy. You won't tell us what we're getting into and you want us 'discreet'? Pay extra!"
"As I have told you before, this is not a Chantry matter. I cannot use our diplomatic funds on a private affair!" The reply was disgusted, but Rush heard a hint of honest desperation in the Chantry man's voice as well.
This didn't seem to be a well-paying job… but if the requirement was secrecy, Bull's people could use to know about it.
"Then find some other blighter to deal with it!" the harsh reply came almost at the same time as the half-closed door banged open. "Out of my bloody way!" The man in heavy armor growled as he pushed past them and marched down the marketplace.
The Chantry was silent, except for a single disgusted snort coming from the inside.
Rush moved closer to the open door. A figure in Chantry robes stepped half-way into the light and Rush asked politely, "Is there anything we can help you with,… Chancellor?" Rush felt her heart beat faster and had to fight the urge to turn tail and run.
The voice belonged to none other than the Divine's Chancellor, Lord Roderick Asignon.
She knew him to be an unpleasant man, from the few times she met him during Chantry gatherings where she served as Knight-Enchanter bodyguard to several high-ranking members of the Chantry.
She only hoped that as a mage and so one of the 'servants', outside the Chantry power hierarchy, she'd been too invisible for him to remember. Maker protect her if she was not.
The Chancellor checked both her and Krem over. Rush straightened under his condescending stare, but didn't back down. "I'd chastise you for listening on my private conversation," he began and Rush gulped quietly, "but it seems I might have a need of your services. You are mercenaries, are you not?" He graced them with a disgusted sneer.
Rush almost sighed with relief. She was grateful, now more than ever, for Bull's gift. The leather armor she wore made her look too much like a mercenary to be considered anything else. The daggers at her back must have helped reinforce the image too.
Krem threw a quick look in her direction. When he saw she was not at her best, he jumped in, "We are, ser. The Bull's Chargers, one of the best mercenary companies of Southern Thedas. You can ask around, we've got references."
Roderick only scoffed, "Then you are in luck, for I have need of your… people."
"What do you need, then?" Krem asked, obviously unwilling to spend any energy on being polie when it was obvious Roderick didn't plan to, either.
"I need you to find and escort back a young tranquil mage." He raised an eyebrow when he saw Rush flinch, but continued on, "She has been kidnapped by a group of rogue templars, whom you will likely have to deal with."
Krem looked at him incredulously. "You want us to kill templars? Aren't you part of the Chantry?"
Roderick scowled harder and started pacing. "They are thugs. Thugs who supposedly serve the Chantry, but these do not even do that! They refuse to obey any orders, start a rebel group somewhere in the mountains, and now they kidnap… one of our archivists. They need to be stopped, the sooner the better."
Both of them noticed the slight pause before Roderick named the Templar's victim. That must have been part of the secret, then.
Rush saw Krem take a breath and knew that whatever he planned to say, it will probably be either rude or ask too many questions. She laid a hand on his shoulder and stepped forward, "Where will we find them?"
Roderick looked at her, suspicious of their sudden compliance. "According to my information, they are holed up somewhere along the King's Road in Hinterlands." He pulled out a small map with red mark symbolizing a small house or a hut from what Rush could see. "There has been a rumor that a group of dangerous apostates have holed up in there. Though why exactly the templars have dragged our archivist there, I cannot say."
"What is the archivist's name?" Krem asked quietly.
Roderick swallowed, "Helisma." He took a deep breath and continued, "She will make no trouble and will follow along the moment you order her to. It is the templars you will need to deal with." His brow furrowed, "And, as you might have heard, I need you to be discreet."
Krem hesitated, then looked back at Rush. She gave a tiny shake of her head. This was not the time for questions, not if they wanted to get the job. Krem turned back to Roderick and nodded, "We can do that."
Roderick briefly closed his eyes in relief, then glared at them again, "Then get to it. This is a time-sensitive matter, and cannot be postponed. Get back to me once you have the girl, safe and sound, and bring her with you."
Rush saw Krem bite his lip to stop a rude comment. She wasn't feeling too charitable towards the man either, but comforted herself with the fact that once they sniff out his secret, Bull will be able to use to do… whatever it was he did.
Krem shook hands with the Chancellor, then they both turned to go.
Before they could leave the Chantry, though, Roderick turned to Rush and asked, "By the way, haven't I seen you before? You look familiar, girl."
Rush gave him a polite, if slightly strained smile and quickly thought of the best reply. "It is possible, messere. Our mercenary company travels all across Thedas. We have met many well-travelled gentlemen in our line of duty, though we have not had the opportunity to work for the Chantry yet."
Too much? Maker, she hoped not. Too late she realized that coming across as too cultured could be dangerous here, too. She has never faced that problem before.
Thankfully it seemed the bit about mercenary company did its work as Roderick lost interest in her and turned back to Krem. "Don't forget, I want no senseless heroics that could endanger the hostage. She must be brought back safely, otherwise you won't get paid. Are we clear?"
"Yes, sir." The muscle in Krem's cheek strained as he bit down on a comment once again.
She laid a comforting hand on his shoulders, as she's seen (and felt) Bull do so many times. Miraculously, it worked and Krem relaxed. They exchanged a look and turned to go.
Bull will want to hear this.
-rushing-ahead-rushing-ahead-rushing-ahead-
"…and I think this is a great chance to get the Chantry to back off, if we ever have trouble with… you know what." Krem finished his explanation, when they all sat down for lunch at the tavern an hour later.
Bull scratched the stubble on his neck and leaned back. "It could blow up in our faces, too."
"True, but I don't think we'll ever get a better chance to get some dirt on the Chantry." Rush injected calmly.
"Through him?" Bull narrowed his eyes. "What is he again? The 'Chancellor'? What kind of position is that? How much power does he really have?" He stared at her thoughtfully, but didn't dismiss her words.
She smiled a little. It felt good to have Bull listen to her, to consider what she said. If she was honest with herself, she was a bit afraid that he will respect her less after that kiss. She did let go of all her control the moment he touched her. But it seemed Bull refused to let anything that happened between them get in the way of a job. She felt warmth spread over her chest, once again. This man…
She got back on track quickly and explained. "He's the invisible right hand of the Divine." When the rest of the Chargers looked at her as if she was crazy, she only smiled again and continued, "It's him who assigns the Divine's meetings, schedules her day to day activities, advises her on all mundane affairs, introduces her to those who wish to ask for her favor, verifies all the documents she signs, overviews the activities of the Grand Clerics and controls and checks the activities of the Lord Seeker."
Skinner stopped sharpening her daggers for a moment, looked up to meet Rush's eyes and leaned in, "Why didn't we hear about him before, then, if he's so important?"
"Because, despite the power he has, he is a man and so does not have any hope of ever becoming the next Divine. Most of the Grand Clerics and the Templar order consider him a servant of the Divine, so they overlook and dismiss him as unimportant. A bureaucrat; nothing more. Even Mother Hevara tried to get to the Divine through him, instead of trying to court Roderick's favor to have him permit her audience with the Divine. Probably the reason why she failed." She said, lost in thought.
"Who?" Krem asked.
"Oh, Mother Hevara? Just one of the social-climbers in Val Royeaux. I don't even know which Chantry she serves, as she spends all her time politicking and attending 'important' parties. I have served as her…" she looked around at the half-full tavern and decided to omit any mention of magic, "…bodyguard. Funny, from what I've seen today, he paid more attention to me just now, than he ever did to her at any of the gatherings I've been to."
Bull frowned, "Did he recognize you?"
She smiled once again at the concern in his voice. "No, he didn't. I'd be surprised if he did - I kind of look different now. He must also meet a lot of people, so I doubt he'd recognize me, unless someone told him my name. Maybe not even then."
Dalish put down her stew and looked at Rush curiously, "Do you really look so different now?"
Rush couldn't help but laugh, "Sure I do. A year ago, I spent most of my time inside. Reading, teaching the… children assigned to me, and politicking in equal measure." Figured that a dalish girl who spent most of her life outdoors wouldn't know. "I was really, really pale, with free-flowing hair down to my butt. Plus, I always wore… skirts."
"Hate to break it to you, princess, but you're still pale." Rocky injected with a smirk.
"But not as much as she used to be," Skinner countered and watched Rush so intently that it made her mildly uncomfortable. "Your skin is a shade darker than when you first came here. You look healthier, too."
"I do?" Rush asked, surprised.
"Sure you do, Rush, you look much less tired now." Dalish answered with a kind smile.
"Huh." Well, not being hunted and knowing what tomorrow will bring must have been good for her complexion, she thought with a mental snort. "But my looks won't fool the templars, you know. They will recognize me through different means."
"Hmm…" Bull tapped fingers against his lips. "Do you want to skip this mission, then?"
"Never, Chief," she smirked at him. "Besides, we won't leave any of them alive to talk, right?"
"The hostage might, though."
"Then I'll just make sure to stay out of her sight as much as I can and fight with my daggers. I can keep my secrets, you know…" she commented dryly. "Besides, I know these people; how they think, how they act. It'll be useful to have me there."
Bull just smiled. "Very well. For this mission, the team will be me, Rush, Krem and Stitches. Rocky, Dalish, Skinner and Grim can take care of the Carta smugglers in Les Mendiantes. Don't forget to bring the goods back to Cadash and his people after you're done."
"Will do, Boss," they saluted him mockingly.
Bull grinned at them, then stood up. His people followed. "Alright, men. Horns up!"
"Horns up!" They shouted back. Then they went to pack and prepare for their missions.
Before she could leave, Rush saw Bull wave her over to him. She blushed a little, but followed him anyway. They walked into his room, where he turned to her as soon as the door closed. She was mildly disappointed, when Bull started talking. She kind of hoped to get another kiss.
"Now, will you really be fine with this mission, Rush?" He asked her seriously. "Too much crap can go wrong with this one. You can't predict how this will turn out."
She nodded in acknowledgment, but replied, "True, but this chance is too good to pass up. To get dirt on the Chancellor himself, or to have the favor of a powerful Chantry official at the very least. Plus, I get to kill some rogue templars who have been hurting my people for way too long. Now I finally have a chance to put a stop to them."
Bull closed his eye and sighed. Then he put his hands on her shoulders, "Rush, revenge is never a good reason to risk your life."
"This is not revenge. Not really," she defended herself. "The only one who deserves my revenge is the person who ordered Rylan to kill me, and I don't even know who that is. This is my chance to…" she paused.
"Yes?" He raised an eyebrow at her.
With a sigh, she explained, "Chance to prove my innocence." She lowered her head to look down. Incidentally, she ended up watching the way Bull's chest moved as he breathed. 'Too distracting', she thought with a blush and looked back up into Bull's amused eye. "There was doubt about my guilt when I ran away; there must have been. If I do some favors now, even if they don't know it's me, it will make them doubt even more when they finally catch up with me and bring me back for a trial. I can use the favors as an argument, to persuade them to actually investigate what happened when I fled."
Bull's eye shone with sad understanding as he watched her.
Rush leaned into him and felt his strong arms envelop her in a hug. She whispered, "I can't spend my entire life hunted. Sooner or later, they will catch up with me and then I'll have to defend myself. Politically, this time. I'd rather have some weapons in my arsenal than go in unprepared."
"I understand, Rush," he murmured soothingly into her hair.
She relaxed even further in his arms. She didn't know how he did it, but he surprised her once again. The fiery passion of their kiss… it made her think that's what their relationship will be like from now on. Fighting, drinking, passion. Not… comfort. 'Silly me', she thought with a self-deprecating smile, 'Bull is more than that. He's always been more.' She buried her face in his chest and took a deep breath. It calmed something in her, something she didn't even know needed calming.
His large, scarred hand rose up to gently rest on the back of her neck. When she lifted her head to look at him, he leaned in and gave her a gentle kiss. Her heart skipped a beat, struck by the sheer tenderness of it.
They stood close for a moment, then Rush sighed contentedly and gently withdrew.
It was time to get on with their mission.
A/N: So, I think I know where I want to go with this. The next part is planned and plotted out. I hope you'll like it :)
Btw, please don't mind my comment about Cadash :D My personal head-canon is that all the potential inquisitors exist; the 'honor' of becoming the Herald just goes to the nosiest one (or the most 'inquisitive', if you prefer).