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Fortunately for Bridget, she was awaited in the hallway by one of the few people she actually wanted to see right at the moment. Varric looked up at her and grinned. "The Iron Lady does have that effect on people, doesn't she? You look like you could use some cheering up, and as it happens, I'm just the dwarf to provide it."
Bridget eyed him warily. Varric's ideas of cheering people up could get extreme. "What exactly do you have in mind?"
"If you'll hurry along, you'll find out." As he led her through the corridors, he added, "We almost had to start without you, and no one wanted that."
"No, we couldn't have that, could we? Varric, what exactly am I missing?"
"Oh, didn't I tell you?"
"I believe you did not."
His answering grin confirmed that he had not, indeed. They exited the main keep and went across to the tavern, where Varric took her to the back room. Around the table there were seated … everyone. Cassandra and Dorian, Cullen, the Iron Bull, Josephine, Rainier, and, much to Bridget's surprise, Cole.
They all smiled at the sight of her, and Bridget smiled back, but with some concern.
"Found her at last!" Varric called out. "Ruffles, deal her in!"
Bridget sank into the chair next to Thom. "What are we doing?"
"What's it look like? Cards."
Cards. Bridget had never been especially good at cards. But it was difficult not to be happy with a night spent with her friends. They were all quaffing ale like water; she asked for a plain cider instead.
Josephine's face was bright and happy as she shuffled—rather deftly, too, Bridget noticed. "I do hope I recall the rules. It's been ages since I played a game of Wicked Grace."
She dealt the cards and everyone was silent for a moment, looking at their hand.
Cassandra frowned at hers. "Are three drakes better than a pair of swords? I can never remember."
"Well, now that we all know what you have, Seeker, it hardly matters. Remember how I said not to show anyone your hand? That rule includes not announcing it to the table."
She transferred her glare from the cards to the dwarf but didn't offer any further remarks.
"There's a crown on his head, but a sword, too. His head didn't want either." Cole looked up at Varric in some confusion.
"Don't talk to the face cards, kid."
Cullen was fidgeting as he looked at his hand, and he pushed his chair back as though to leave the table. "You seem to have enough people. I have … a thousand things to do."
As if the rest of them didn't. But Cullen always pushed himself too hard. Bridget wondered if what he had done in his past was truly terrible enough to deserve the penance he forced on himself, the utter rejection of love and pleasure and friendship she saw in him. She couldn't imagine so.
Dorian seemed to agree with her, because he put a firm hand on the back of Cullen's chair, preventing him from rising. "Losing money can be both relaxing and habit forming. Give it a try."
Over his cards, Varric eyed the Commander. "Curly, if any man in history ever needed a hobby, it's you. Sit down."
Cullen looked a mute appeal at Bridget. She smiled and shook her head and stared pointedly at his cards until he picked them up again.
Once everyone was settled, Josephine nodded. "Dealer starts, then. Ooh … I believe … I'll start at … three coppers. Do you think that's too daring? Maybe I'll make it one … No. Boldness! Three it is."
The Iron Bull rolled his single eye. "Seriously, who starts at three coppers? Silver, or go home!"
There was a twinkle in Josephine's eyes as she put her silver down.
Dorian and Varric and the Iron Bull placed their bets, as well. Next to Bridget, Rainier said, "Sounds good. I'm in."
Bridget hadn't even looked at her hand yet, but what was the point of playing and sitting out the very first round? "I'm in, and I raise another silver."
"You haven't even looked at your cards," Cullen protested.
Varric chuckled. "Our illustrious leader is betting we're bluffing."
"You are bluffing," Thom pointed out.
"All the better."
Multiple rounds went by, and then everyone by mutual accord took a break and refilled their mugs of ale and got up to stretch their legs. When Bridget returned to the table, Cullen was in the middle of a story, looking far more relaxed than Bridget had ever seen him. She sank into her chair, reaching for Thom's hand, but didn't interrupt the flow of the tale.
"The poor recruit ran out into the dining hall in nothing but his knickers. And this … profound silence filled the hall as seventy mages and thirty Templars all turned to stare at once. Then a slow round of applause began. And spread until every soul was on their feet. A standing ovation."
Giggling, Josephine asked, "What did he do?"
"Saluted. Turned on his heel. And marched out like he was in full armor."
Dorian chuckled. "Good man."
"That's how you know it's true: I could never put that in a book. Too unlikely," Varric said.
"Another round of drinks?" Bridget asked. "I'm buying."
"Careful, or you'll bankrupt the Inquisition," the Iron Bull bellowed.
"In a good cause, though," Josephine assured him.
Cullen stood up. "I've got this round. Don't start without me."
By the time he got back with a tray full of drinks, Varric was in the middle of a long tale. It was quite some time before they returned to the game, and Josephine had dropped all pretense of having forgotten how to play. The pile of coin in front of her increased steadily.
She was outright chortling as she leaned forward to scoop in the takings of the most recent hand. "And the dealer takes everything! Oh, dear, do I win again?"
"You know you do," the Iron Bull growled. "'Three coppers too much'?"
Josephine beamed at him. "It's amazing how quickly it all came back to me."
"Isn't it, though," Dorian agreed. "Amazing."
Cullen was watching her closely across the table. "Deal again. I've figured out your tells, Lady Ambassador."
"Commander! Everyone knows a lady has no tells."
A collective groan went around the table.
"Then let's see if your good fortune lasts one more hand."
"Don't be a hero, Curly. You can still get up with your dignity intact," Varric warned him, but Cullen waved his advice off.
Bridget didn't want to leave Cullen on his own facing down Josephine. "Speaking of dignity, I want another chance to win mine back. Deal me in."
Thom glanced at her with raised eyebrows, and she shrugged. Both Cullen and Josephine outclassed her as players, but that was part of the fun, wasn't it?
Unfortunately for Cullen, he was bent on proving that he could defeat Josephine, and was led into hasty bet after hasty bet, until finally he was left with nothing on but his knickers. Bridget hoped he wasn't expecting a standing ovation.
Across the table, Cullen and Varric looked at each other, a warning in Cullen's eyes. "Don't say a word, dwarf."
"And ruin the perfect moment? Wouldn't dream of it."
"He did try to warn you," Cassandra said severely. She pushed her chair back. "I'm leaving. I don't want to witness our Commander's walk of shame back to the barracks."
Dorian leaned back in his chair, eyeing Cullen's admittedly well-muscled chest. "Well, I do."
"Never bet against an Antivan, Commander." Josephine grinned, folding Cullen's trousers neatly in front of her. She stacked his breastplate on top of them.
Cole stared at the pile of clothes. "It comes off. I didn't know it came off."
Thom leaned over and whispered in Bridget's ear. "Neither did I."
She stifled a giggle as Cullen, having noticed that most of the rest of them were distracted, got up and scuttled hastily out of the room.
Bridget walked over to Varric, who was standing next to the fire. "I'm glad you decided to join us," he said.
"You didn't give me much choice."
He laughed. "No, I didn't. It's too easy to mistake you for the Inquisitor. It's easy to forget you're not just an icon or a symbol, like those statues of Andraste holding bowls of fire. At least it is for me. When this is all over, let's do this again."
She smiled. "Count on it."