See previous chapters. Cheers!
Talented Tongue
Sera pushed Bull's horns out of the way as she stood, peering around the tavern in search of the subject of their conversation. Not spotting him, she sighed, letting go of Bull's horns and sat back down, a look of disappointment on her face. Melusine hid her smile behind the brim of her mug and watched Dorian do much the same.
"Where's this Thom at anyway?" Sera took a long swig from the jug of ale she'd procured without pay minutes before. The Inquisition could go bankrupt on Sera's drinking habits alone.
Bull glared at Sera, "I'm sorry, are the horns too much for you?"
"Quite the contrary," Sera winked, "I'm too much for you."
Bull growled and turned away. They were such adorable frenemies; it was hard not to watch them banter. Melusine sat up straighter and signaled when she saw both Cullen and Josephine walk in. They were gathering in the tavern to celebrate Thom Rainier's release and return. Only Thom Rainier was nowhere to be found for said celebration.
"I believe I saw Thom scurrying back out into the field," Vivienne swirled the wine in her delicate-looking glass, "if I'm not mistaken, there may be a certain scout on his mind." She smiled at the others, "But that's not for me to say, of course."
"Of course," Sera mimicked Vivienne's voice horrifically and earned a death glare from the mage. It was apparent to Melusine that they begrudgingly respected one another's abilities despite their fundamental differences. They would never cease to dig at each other, but then again, it wasn't in Sera's nature to stop digging at anyone she found too uppity, and that included Solas.
Cullen sat across from Melusine and not for the first time she mentally cursed the width of the table: it made playing footsy impossible without awkwardly falling to the floor. Sera had proved that only a few weeks before when she tried to annoy Bull covertly but ended up sliding to the ground, though her inebriation was partly to blame for the lack of stealth.
"Did we miss anything?" Varric approached the table, with Cassandra not far behind.
As far as Melusine was aware, no one aside from herself and Cullen—and maybe Vivienne, considering her powers of observation—suspected anything between the dwarf and Seeker. But it wouldn't take long for the others to deduce the reality considering how often they came and went together these days. Melusine looked around the table and saw Dorian raise his eyebrows in question. Well, maybe now the Tevinter was catching on too.
"No," Josephine pushed two cups toward them, "we only arrived and are still waiting for Leliana."
Solas' smile was coy, "I saw our spymaster recently. She was speaking rather seriously with one of Bull's lieutenants."
"That's right," Bull slapped the table, "about damn time too!" He raised his glass in a silent toast before guzzling the rest of his drink and signaling for a refill.
"Well then," Josephine stood, and one by one, the rest of them joined her, "to the successful return of a friend."
They drank.
"To the Inquisitor," Varric spoke as he raised his glass again, "and her talented tongue becau-"
Cullen choked, cutting off Varric's words and earning confused and concerned looks from their companions. Bull pounded on his back as Cullen's face continued to redden. Melusine laughed, then tried to hide her smile, but it was too late. Dorian saw the smile, looked to Cullen's state, and let out a laugh of his own.
"Talented tongue indeed."