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Her Destiny Lies Elsewhere	By : TheStarvingArtist Category: +A through F > Dragon Age (all) > Dragon Age (all) Views: 7181 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN DRAGON AGE. This is a work of fiction, and I make no money from it. This fic contains dialogue from the game.

Chapter List
- 11
- 12
- 13
Author's Note:
*fingers twitch erratically* I have been writing this for like... ever now... it feels like I haven't finished/posted a chapter in a couple of weeks, though I know it's only been a few days... *rubs face* I was hoping this would stop from getting so emotional, but whenever Cole is involved, it just... yeah... sigh... Anyways, relationship and actual romance stuff to be brewing in the next chapter, I'm so stoked, I've been wanting to write the fun stuff since I decided on the pairing XD
Also, can you tell I don't like Gatt? (I posted this chapter a bit ago, but the italics were gone in half of it so I had to fix it)

Review Replies:
Rhino: Yep, she torched the swoop! And yes, she dances. That's my other favorite thing about Rio, that she dances. It's so much fun to write, and plan, and think about, really, it's just lots of fun (and I get to watch all kinds of videos and stuff!) Some actual dancing still to come in the next couple/few chapters. *nods*

**This fic contains many quotes and much dialogue straight from the game.**
Chapter Twelve
The Needs of the Many

The next day, after confirming with her advisors about checking into Crestwood, Rio made her way outside again, desperate for air. They hadn't been here long, and Skyhold was cleaning up well, though holes in the walls still needed patching, but it was definitely shaping up. The trouble was that with the efforts came more political backwash, more nobles, and a lot more putting on a facade. At first, Rio thought she could handle it just fine.
Then she punched a duke, and her afternoon was swiftly going downhill from there.
Luckily, Josephine was able to smooth things over with a careful lie and delicate maneuvering, while in the meantime, Leliana had to shoo her out. She had been asked to take part in not only many major decisions, but countless little things, including the drapery, uniforms, and even what feed to stock for the mounts, and it was starting to wear on her. This was what she had advisors for, yes? To help handle the smaller day-to-day things?
Taking in a big gulp of air as she stepped outside, she hesitated on the threshold, taking in the cool breeze, before making her way down the steps. She could hear the crash of shields before she had even opened the door, looking down to see which poor recruits were training this time. Maybe she would even be able to pick up something, just in case she had to defend herself again.
She smiled a little as she spotted Bull and Krem training in the yard, making her way over towards them. The steel of her special-made footwraps clicked on the cobblestone as she walked towards them, hand slipping through her hair.
“Ah, come on, Krem!” Bull said, scowling down at his shorter lieutenant. “I'm working my ass off trying to get you to see that move!”
“You've still got plenty of ass left, Chief!” Krem replied, straightening a little as he spotted Rio approaching them. “Uh, Your Worship!” he said, smiling a little as he nodded his head a little in her direction.
The Qunari shifted, turning to look at her. A cursory glance told him everything he needed—hair was down, so no training today; no Dorian around, so not up to something; eyes tired, looking a bit ragged, so didn't sleep well. The visitor from the night before was setting things in motion for Rio, and it was taking its toll on her now. Still, she had no shortage of smiles as she looked up at him with those bright blue-gold eyes. Were he another man, he might've lifted her into his arms and taken her off to some private corner to give her something better to occupy her thoughts...
But he wasn't. She was still the Inquisitor, and still the boss.
Nodding to her, he said, “Glad you came by. I got a letter from my contacts in the Ben-Hassrath. Already verified it with Red.”
Rio blinked at that, thinking over the term for a moment before it clicked. Right, Bull was part of the Ben-Hassrath. The Qunari police. Or spies. Like James Bond, she reminded herself as she nodded, only bigger.
Well, bigger was better, right?
She nodded quickly, clearing her throat as she pushed the thought aside, smiling a little more at Bull. “Ah, yes... What did it say?”
“The Ben-Hassrath have been reading my reports,” he said, watching as she listened intently, and he could almost see the little gears starting to whir as she took in his words. “They don't like Corypheus or his Venatori, and they really don't like red lyrium.”
“Oh, good,” Rio said with a small nod, “so we're on the same page about that, at least...”
Bull gave a small smile at that before he continued, “They're willing to work with us. Well, specifically, with you, boss. The Qunari and the Inquisition, joining forces.”
Rio's goodhearted smile faded at that as she listened to Bull, frowning a little as she turned over this new information carefully. “That could be a powerful alliance,” she said after she thought it over, nodding a little. She trusted Bull, and he was Qunari, so it made sense, right?
Bull nodded at that. “My people have never made a full-blown alliance with a foreign power before. This would be a big step.”
Her soft sigh made one eyebrow quirk as she said, “Awesome... So, like, no pressure...”
Taking a deep breath to fight down the panic, she looked to Bull as he turned back to Krem, continuing the training as he said. “They've found a massive red lyrium shipping operation out on the coast.”
Krem fell into position, looking at Rio as he smiled and said excitedly, “They want us to hit it together! Talked about bringing in one of their Dreadnoughts. Always wanted to see one of those big warships in action!” he said, shield dropping a little before Bull suddenly bashed their shields together, nearly staggering Krem as Rio watched.
“Did you see that?” Bull asked, frowning disapprovingly down at Krem as he regained his solid footing. Waving his hand dismissively, he said, “Go get some water.” At Krem's sigh, Rio giggled, watching the lieutenant walk off before turning back to Bull, whose full attention fell to her again. “They're worried about tipping the smugglers,” he said, voice serious, “so no army. My Chargers, you, and maybe some backup.”
Rio nodded, ears flicking a little as she tucked a stray lock of hair out of the way. “So this alliance... What would it do for the Inquisition? I mean, bottom-line, what would it get us?”
“They wouldn't use the word 'alliance' if they didn't mean it,” Bull said, making sure it was very clear. “Among other things, it would bring naval power. More Ben-Hassrath reports. Qunari soldiers pointed at the Venatori...”
Rio smiled a little at that, “Well, those three things would appease my advisors at least... Anything that gets them off my back sounds like a plus...”
His nod was a little hesitant as Rio watched him. “It could do a lot of good.”
Shifting a little, she looked at him intently before she took a small step closer, ears flicking uncertainly as she tried to read him. She wasn't very good at it, she knew, but she still tried... “What's wrong? You don't seem... particularly thrilled about this...”
“No, I'm good. It's just, uh...” Bull said, shaking his head a little as he chose his words carefully. “I'm used to them being... over there. It's been a while.”
“I see,” Rio said, nodding a little. “I thought that was kind of one of the things that the Qunari do, spreading the Qun and extending their reach across the whole world or something like that?”
Nodding a little at that, he gave a small smile, reaching out to gently ruffle her hair as she giggled. As much grief as she seemed to give herself at not knowing or learning things, she seemed to retain a lot of what she learned... “Yeah, I just... didn't think I'd see it.” Sighing, he watched her smooth her hair back again. “The Qun answers a lot of questions, and it's a good life for a lot of people... But it's a big change, and a lot of folks here wouldn't do so well under that kind of life.”
Rio nodded at that, sighing deeply, “Mmmm yeah... as one of those people, I can see that... But hey, it's not like we're converting or anything,” she added, smiling a little.
His nod made her smile a little more as he said, “Right. This is just us joining forces against Corypheus. On that front, I think we're good.”
Smiling up at Bull, she nodded, mulling it over a bit more before she said, “I think it's a good idea. Could always stand to get more help against the end of the world and all...”
“Good!” Bull said, clapping her on the shoulder as he smiled down at her. “I'll pass on word to Cullen and Red. We can set up the meeting whenever you're ready.”
Glancing back at the main hall, she frowned a little before she said, “How about now?”

* * *

Nearly two weeks later, Rio arrived at the Stormy Coast to find it as rainy as ever. Wrapped tightly in an oil-skin cloak with the hood down low, she was more than ready for this leg of the adventure to be over as she nudged Kaaras onward. Bull rode beside her on his own warhorse, watching her from the corner of his eye as she looked around.
It was different this time, visiting the Stormy Coast. She was still uncertain and wary, but she had a determined air about her this time. Her eyes were bright, and she didn't cower under her hat whenever someone spoke to her, and she certainly didn't stand off to the side when bandits tried to jump them. Indeed, she seemed more sure of herself as she fought with them. She still missed her target from time to time, of course, but she was making great improvement.
He was more glad that she had chosen different friends to accompany them, Cole riding behind Rio as she hummed a soft tune to herself, Dorian riding his own horse on the other side. Glancing at her again, Bull could just make out the crown of flowers that circled her head under the hood, the sight of which brought a smile to his face. The flowers had been Cole's idea, and Rio looked good with the crown of white, he had to admit...
They reached the scout post sooner than he thought they would, the group dismounting and handing over their mounts as they looked around. He led them down the slope, Cole slipping off nearby, presumably to gather more small things as he was wont to do, Dorian slipping into his tent, likely to change into something dry. “All right,” Bull said as they unloaded most of their gear, Rio's staff slipping into her holster on her back as she looked to him, “our Qunari contact should be here to meet us.”
“He is,” a voice said as a lithe elf slipped between the trees, approaching them under a stretched tarp, looking up at Bull with a half-smile. “Good to see you again, Hissrad.”
“Gatt!” Bull said, smiling as he tossed up his arms. “Last I heard, you were still in Seheron!”
The brown-haired elf smiled, shifting in his rain-soaked armor as Rio studied him closely. Bull wasn't reaching for his battleaxe, so obviously a friendly face, though she didn't quite like the look in those eyes when he glanced in her direction before settling back on Bull. “They finally decided I'd calmed down enough to go back out into the world.”
“Boss,” Bull said, looking to Rio and motioning her forward as she resisted the urge to grab for her staff, “this is Gatt. We worked together in Seheron.”
“It's a pleasure to meet you, Inquisitor,” Gatt said with a courteous nod of his head. “Hissrad's reports say you're doing good work.”
Looking to Bull, she blinked, frowning a little, “Wait... Hissrad? Is that your name?”
“Under the Qun,” Gatt said gently, “we use titles, not names.”
“My title was 'Hissrad', because I was assigned to secret work,” Bull answered her next unspoken question as she nodded. “You can translate it as 'Keeper of Illusions', or—”
“'Liar'. It means liar,” Gatt said pointedly with a frown, and in that word, Rio felt her hackles go up. It didn't matter what Gatt had meant, the word had struck a chord in her, and she wanted to feed Gatt his front teeth.
Bull was apparently also a bit less happy with the elf as he frowned, “Well, you don't have to say it like that!”
Taking a deep breath, Rio reminded herself that she was here as a member of the Inquisition—as the Inquisitor, no less—and that if they wanted to keep the allies they made, then she needed to keep herself in check. Though she couldn't do much for the dry tone in her voice as she said, “Yes, well, it's so nice knowing my friends at least say good things about me in their super-secret spy reports...”
“He does,” Gatt said, that sharp look directed at her now as she returned it sternly, “...but they aren't really secret, are they?”
Rio's frown deepened, ready to defend Bull's reasoning when he stepped in and said, “Look, Gatt...”
“Relax,” Gatt said, hands flicking a little as he looked at Bull, a small smile creeping on his face. “Unlike our superiors, I know how it works out here.” His face turned somber, nodding just a little as he said, “We're in this together. The Tevinter Imperium is bad enough without the influence of this Venatori cult. If this new form of lyrium helps them seize power in Tevinter, the war with Qunandar could get worse.”
Bull nodded, frowning deeply as they turned to make their way towards the meet-up point with the Chargers. “With this stuff, the Vints could make their slaves into an army of magical freaks. We could lose Seheron... and see a giant Tevinter army come marching back down here...”
Gatt's nod was small, but clear. “The Ben-Hassrath agree. That's why we're here.” Near the edge of a rock outcropping, he motioned out into the foggy harbor, the rain painting everything a runny grey. “Our dreadnought is safely out of view, and out of range of any Venatori mages on shore. We'll need to eliminate the Venatori, then signal the dreadnought so it can come in and take out the smuggler ship.”
Her frown deepened as she listened to the plan, glancing to Bull as her ears flicked uneasily. There was something that bothered her, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. Chewing thoughtfully on the inside of her cheek, she asked softly, “What do you think, Bull?”
Bull made a face, frowning as he mulled it over himself, arms crossing over his chest as he said, “Don't know... I've never liked covering a dreadnought run... Too many ways for shit to go wrong... If our scouts underestimate the enemy numbers, we're dead. If we can't lock down the Venatori mages, then the ship is dead... It's risky...”
Rio's nod made him feel a little better as she murmured, “I was worried about that...”
Gatt frowned at them both, looking to Bull. “Riskier than letting red lyrium into Minrathous?”
Frowning right back at him, Rio took another deep breath, counting to five this time before she nodded, slowly letting the breath out as she looked at Gatt. She only trusted the elf about as far as she could throw him, but she trusted Bull, and that would have to be enough for now. “All right... fine... Ready whenever you are, I guess.”
Gatt nodded to her as he motioned just up the coast, “My agents suggested two possible locations the Venatori may be camped to guard the shore. There, and...” he paused, turning to motion back a ways, “there. We'll need to split up and hit both at once.”
“I'll come with you, boss. Krem can lead the Chargers.” Bull said automatically, calming Rio's concerns before they spiked, letting her relax again as she looked up at him. She didn't know this Gatt well enough, and she didn't need another debacle in the field like the last time they'd come to the Stormy Coast... Nodding down at her, he gave a small smile, turning away. “Let me fill him in. Come on over when you're ready to move out.”
She nodded at him, smiling a little as he walked away. She didn't even realize her gaze had lingered before she turned back and coming face-to-face with a pair of cold moss-green eyes, making her jump back. “Gaaah!” she cried, frowning as she realized it was just Gatt, placing a hand on her chest to slow her heart as she tried to take in deep breaths. Slowly standing up again, Rio frowned deeply as she hissed, “Jeezus, can you people just stop doing that?! You're going to give me a heart attack one of these days!”
Gatt's answering glare just grew more intense as he replied softly, “And you need to stop making those innocent cow-eyes at Hissrad.” His words took Rio by surprise, even moreso as his eyes narrowed at her. “He is part of the Qun. I understand that you're not from Thedas, so perhaps it isn't as clear to you as it should be, but someone needs to make you understand.”
“Whoa, there, Tex!” Rio said, brows drawing close together as she frowned at him. “Nobody's making eyes at anyone, cow or otherwise! You just... back the hell up and—”
“I don't think you quite get it,” Gatt said icily, cutting Rio off as he stepped closer to her. At her full height, she stood a couple of inches taller than him, but she had no doubts that in a full-fight, she wouldn't last five minutes against him. “I don't care if you're the Inquisitor—if you distract him from his duty to the Ben-Hassrath and to the Qun, I will personally put a stop to it. It's bad enough he's painting some picture of you like you're some divine little messenger, he doesn't need you hanging on him like some lost little calf!”
Her hands clenched hard into fists, and she had to take several breaths to calm herself again. This time, as she let out each breath, she felt the ice-crystals forming along the edges of her gauntlets, trying desperately to reign herself in before she did something to endanger the mission. Finally, she managed to hiss back, “I look to Bull because I trust Bull. In as far that I know, Bull doesn't think I make cow eyes at him, or any kind of eyes, for that matter.”
“For someone who doesn't have feelings for him, you seem quite fond of him,” Gatt said, eyes still cold as Rio returned the dark look. “Don't get too attached to him, Inquisitor. It won't end well for you.”
Turning away sharply, Rio strode away, telling herself to take deep breaths. She wanted to pull his tongue out for the things he said about Bull, but the damage was already done. The thought had been planted, and no amount of tearing at it would pull it out of her head. She already knew it was a bad idea, and she'd already done what she could to keep her distance in some vague effort to save her heart from the pain, but that didn't stop her thinking about it and wondering from time to time. It was no secret that Bull was one of her closest friends, but more than that would make things more complicated...
She didn't need complicated.
That didn't mean she didn't want it...
Pushing the thought aside again, she made her way over to the Chargers as Cole stepped in line beside her, Dorian soon joining them as Bull finished going over the plan with Krem. “Just... pay attention, all right?” he said, frowning a little down at his men as Rio and the others approached. “The Vints want this red lyrium shipment bad.”
“Yes, I know,” Krem said, giving a small half-smile. “Thanks, Mother,” he added dryly, glancing over at Rio. His warm brown eyes softened a little as his smile slipped, seeing the look on Rio's face before she let her nothing's-wrong smile fall into place.
Bull didn't notice, and wasn't amused as he folded his arms over his chest, frowning down at Krem. “Qunari don't have mothers, remember?”
Nodding a little, he looked back to Bull, nodding a little as he said, “We'll be fine, Chief.”
Smiling just a little, Bull stood a little straighter as he said, “All right, Chargers! Horns up!”
An answering call of “Horns up!” made Rio's forced smile slip, and for half a second, she was standing there in the throne room, looking up at Bull, watching him walk away to his death. Her heart clenched and her breath hitched for a moment before she could stop it, quickly blinking back the tears. This isn't the end, she told herself quietly, trying to subtly wipe her tears as the Chargers gathered their gear to head for the other camp. He's going to be fine...
A gentle hand on her shoulder made her jump, looking up to find Krem watching her. Pushing her smile back on her face, she nodded, about to wish him good luck when Krem asked, “What's the matter?” She started to shake her head at him, ready to tell him she was fine when he quieted her with a pointed look. “Don't lie,” he said firmly.
She glanced around them for a moment before she shook her head a little, pushing the thoughts aside again as she managed a small smile. “Just... thinking a little too much...” Rio said. “I'll be fine.”
He looked almost as if he didn't believe her, but she turned to follow Bull as Gatt walked up, and Krem saw the way she clammed up. Frowning, he stepped back a little, watching them turn towards the coast, headed for the further encampment. Motioning to the remaining Chargers, he turned, heading the opposite way. Later, he told himself. He could get a real answer later.

* * *

Bull sighed as he realized they were finally clear, Rio trotting up to them as she pushed her hood up a little so she could see more easily through the rain, white flower petals falling from her hood. “Good to go,” Bull said, nodding to Gatt as Cole came trotting up after Rio.
“Right,” the elf said as he knelt by the dying campfire, “signaling the Dreadnought.”
As the flare went up, Rio stood at Bull’s other side, offering a small smile to him. So far, so good. He nodded over to the other ridge as he smiled, “Chargers already sent theirs up. See ‘em down there?” Rio looked over, ears flicking a few raindrops loose as she spotted Krem and the others, feeling a little more at ease, knowing where they were.
Gatt snorted softly, shaking his head a little as Rio glanced at him from the corner of her eye with a frown. “I knew you gave them the easier job,” he said, pursing his lips as he resolutely ignored Rio's look.
Bull gave a small smile in return before he looked up as the great ship cut through the fog, headed for the smaller smuggling vessel. “Ahhh, there’s the Dreadnought!”
As Bull and Gatt watched the explosion as the smuggler’s ship sank, Rio frowned, eyes drawn down to the beach between the two camps. “Something doesn’t feel right,” she said to herself, thinking back to the very few Venatori they’d gone through, and Krem and the others had dealt with even less... For as important as this shipment was to them, they were pretty unguarded. Something about this wasn't adding up, there should’ve been at least a dozen more Venatori, and half of those should’ve really been spell-casters... Her eyes lit up as she spotted something between the rocks, grabbing for Bull’s arm to get his attention, “Bull? I think we have a problem...”
Bull turned to look at her, following her gaze before he breathed, “Oh, crap...” As he watched, another dozen Venatori slip from between rocks and down from the trees, headed for the less-defended ridge, straight for the Chargers. They prepared to make a stand, having already seen them approaching, but Rio felt panic start to rise as she realized how many more Venatori than Chargers that there were, even more .
“Oh, shit, Bull... there’s... a lot of them,” she breathed, anxiety rising in her chest as she turned to look at him, eyes wide as she tried to fight back the panic. The look on Bull's face said it all, and every worry Rio had been fighting back since early that morning came rushing back.
“Yeah,” was all he said softly, clearly worrying about this latest development.
Gatt was all business as he frowned and turned to Bull. “Your men need to hold that position!” he declared firmly, moss-green eyes glinting coldly.
Turning to him, Bull's voice lowered, “They do that, they're dead!”
“And if they don't,” the elf snapped back, “then the Venatori retake it, and the dreadnought is dead!” Bull frowned, looking away from Gatt as he wrestled with it, Rio's gaze pulling from the advancing enemy as Gatt cried, “You'd be throwing away an alliance between the Inquisition and the Qunari! You'd be declaring yourself Tal-Vashoth!” Bull's growl was low in his chest, Rio's ears lowering as she looked from Gatt to Bull, those moss-green eyes angry as he tried to plead with Bull. “With all you've given the Inquisition, half the Ben-Hassrath think you've betrayed us already!”
Rio's eyes widened, looking to Bull as she debated asking if it was true, if Bull really was skating on thin ice with his superiors because of her and, to a lesser extent, the Inquisition. Turning back, she eyed the enemies as she chewed the inside of her lip. This was going from bad to worse in a hurry...
Gatt wasn't having any of it. “I stood up for you, Hissrad!” he snapped, making Rio bristle at the name, a decision slowly forming in her head. “I told them you'd never become Tal-Vashoth!”
The anger in Bull's voice was clear as he jabbed a finger at Gatt, growling, “They're my men!”
“I know,” Gatt said, and he sounded for a moment like he was actually torn up about it, “but you need to do what's right, Hissrad, for this alliance, and for the Qun!”
That was all it took for Rio as she made up her mind at last, sprinting for the edge of the mountain before Dorian could stop her. “Call the retreat, Bull!” Rio bellowed, Cole jumping after her as she slid down the rain-slick mountainside, kicking up rocks in her wake. Gatt and Bull both turned, stunned to see none other than the Inquisitor running into battle against a swarm of Venatori. Bull ground his teeth for a moment, resolving to give her a good talking-to as he raised the horn to his lips.
“No, Hissrad!” Gatt cried, reaching for his arm to try to stop him, pleading with his eyes. “Don't do this!”
He was already sounding the horn before Gatt finished his sentence, drawing his battleaxe as he slid down the mountain after her, watching as she drew her mana around herself as she closed the distance between herself and the nearest warrior. He swore under his breath before he saw her leap on the first soldier, grabbing his shoulder hard as ice spread down his chest, freezing his startled shout in his chest as he crashed to the ground. Releasing him, she ran for the next, a hooded spellcaster, shouting at them as she sprinted forward.
She took him down like she’d done it a thousand times, falling easily into the smooth steps of her own dance as she struck the spellcaster hard from behind, the others turning towards them as they started to fall. Cole sprinted forward, a veritable shadow as he took down a brute, blades slipping effortlessly between plates of armor. Each soldier that fell rose again to attack their companions as Dorian rose the fallen on the battlefield to fight for them. Bull wasted no time crunching a couple of heads as he hurried after Rio, who fought as a woman possessed.
Grabbing for her shoulder, he started to turn her around as she gave a tight spin, half-shouting for him to duck. With only a moment to react, he dropped to a low crouch, focusing on Rio’s feet as she placed a hand on the top of his head, the other arm swinging her staff to launch another flaming volley over him. He suppressed a shiver as he felt the crackling waves of heat wash over his back when she threw it, the cold from the rain seeping in again before the ground just behind him erupted into flames. He struggled to bury his shock as he knelt on the ground before her, seeing her twist elegantly to take out another Venatori—in all their adventure, she struggled the most with fire energies, and yet, here she was, throwing fireballs as if it was nothing. Something was different in her this time, anger bright in her eyes as she fought them all, shoulders back squarely as she faced them down one by one.
Sensing they were quickly losing ground, several spellcasters turned their attention towards the dreadnought as Bull turned to cover Rio’s back, keeping the stronger enemies back. With most of their group occupied trying to push through them, the mages drew their energies. Seconds too late, Rio saw the blast headed for the ship, bolting forward before Bull could stop her. She didn’t know what she thought she could do, she couldn’t stop or deflect the blast, but she couldn’t just let it happen. Her hooded cloak caught the wind as she ran for the mages, billowing around her as she grit her teeth. She hadn’t expected the middle mage to turn on her at the last moment, and she didn’t have time to get out of the way before the blast hit her. She didn’t even have a moment to regret as it slammed hard into her, bright light swallowing her vision as she tried to brace for it before a thunderous explosion flung her back several feet to strike a rock. She tumbled then, landing limply on the rocky beach as darkness swallowed her up.
Bull scrambled after her as soon as he saw her land, shouting her name as he tried to check her over. Yanking her hood back, the first thing he noticed was blood-stained flowers, her flower crown scattering petals in the rain as he struggled to see if she was still breathing. Pushing them aside, managed to feel her pulse in her neck, reaching down to lift her up. There was no time, he needed to get her out of the rain and off the beach. Cole and Gatt flanked him, Dorian bringing up the rear as he cast a quick barrier around them. They needed to get out, to get away to safety...
Up the path, the Chargers met up with them, covering them better against the scattered Venatori that remained in the woods, running further inland towards the main camp. He didn't even care that Gatt looked furious, simply cradling Rio's limp body against him as they continued to run. She had to be okay... they needed to make her safe...
* * *
When Rio started to come to, the darkness around her was comforting, strong arms cradling her close as she leaned into the warmth, and she took in a deep breath. The heavy scent of leather and rain filled her senses, making her shiver as she struggled to open her eyes. It took a few moments for her eyes to adjust to the dim light of the moon overhead, but she was able to make out a face, dark stubble in the grey light, dark horns reaching for the black sky. Blinking blearily, she managed to murmur, “Bull?”
“It’s all right, Boss.... Just rest...” he said quietly, his voice a soft rumble in his chest as she finally felt the gentle rocking of Kaaras’ gait. She tried to sit up more, but she just flopped into him tiredly instead as her eyes drooped closed. She tried to think, tried to remember what had happened.
She remembered being angry, filled with that blinding rage as she took them down. Her blood had boiled as she took them down, and even now, she felt the echoes of that rage in her bones, the fire smoldering in her belly before she shivered. She had almost lost control, and it shook her to her core. Even now, hours later, she still felt it there, but with it came the dread, the not-knowing. Taking in a ragged breath, she looked up at Bull, ignoring the faint throbbing in her forehead, murmuring, “Bull... the Dreadnought... what happened?” Swallowing heavily, she tried to look around, hearing faint voices around them as they rode on. “Th-the Chargers...” she started to ask, her voice catching in her throat as she shook in his arms.
A gentle hand smoothed her hair as Bull cradled her close, murmuring, “The Chargers are fine...” Rio relaxed a tiny bit, biting her lip as she looked up at him.
“The... The Dreadnought? Th-the Venatori... what...?” she asked, reaching up to grab at his harness as she struggled to sit up in his arms to look at him clearly.
“Boss, just... get some sleep...” he said, his voice low, even as she struggled, his arm tightening hard around her as she flinched, gasping in pain when he pressed against her newly injured shoulder, but it stopped her wiggling after a few moments Frowning, he said softly, “The Dreadnought... it didn't...”
Rio went still in his arms, and for a moment, all was silent as they rode on until he heard the tiniest sound, looking down to see tears streaming down her face as she choked back a sob, shoulders shaking as they rode. Bull didn't know which he felt worse about, the fact that he didn't feel much guilt at all over the loss of the Dreadnought, or the fact that Rio had more guilt over it than he did...

* * *

It was a very long two-weeks' ride back to Skyhold. Stitches had his work cut out for him with the way Rio kept fussing at the bandages on her face, but the scrapes where she'd hit the rock along her cheek were healing nicely. The gash over one eye was deeper and would scar, he told her, but the poultice helped with a lot of the pain. For the most part, she just got dizzy and couldn't keep her balance for a while, riding in silence with Bull on the way back.
When they did reach it, she spent another full day in bed before she was finally released from her rooms. Dressed in warmer clothes, she descended the steps from the main hall slowly, taking in a breath as she looked around. Everywhere, people were still bustling about with plenty of work to be done, and they paid her little mind as she wandered about. She nodded to Cullen as he oversaw a group training in the yard, waving a little to Cole as he wandered about with something large and fluffy in his arms—blankets it looked like... She smiled but didn't stop him, knowing he was busy doing... whatever it was that he did...
On her third pass, Rio was just about to head inside when she spotted Bull back by the sidewall. Smiling just a little, she headed towards him, stopping several feet back when she spotted the brown-haired elf standing there before him. Her ears perked up a little as she heard him say, “All these years, Hissrad, and you throw away all that you are... for what? For this? For them?” His face drew up into a sneer as he spat, “For that thing?! The Inquisitor is an outsider, not just to the Qun, but to all of Thedas, and you're willing to stand behind her?”
“She did what she had to,” Bull said simply, frowning down at Gatt as his arms folded across his chest. “Rio makes her own decisions, and she doesn't make them lightly. She tried to do what was best for everyone, those that were already with the Inquisition as well as the potential allies.”
Gatt's sneer deepened when Rio stepped closer, his moss-colored eyes glinting angrily as she frowned right back. “Boss,” Bull said quietly, nodding to her as she looked squarely at Gatt, standing beside Bull.
“Inquisitor,” the elf said sharply, “it is my duty to inform you that there will be no alliance between our peoples. Nor will you be receiving any more Ben-Hassrath reports from your Tal-Vashoth ally,” he added, pinning a look to Bull. Bull barely had a moment to grab her shoulders when she lunged for him, snarling. He tried to pull her away, but it was too late as she swung one lean leg, her steel toe-cap glinting just before it connected with the side of Gatt's face, sending him sprawling to the dirt as she struggled to get free of Bull's grasp. He looked surprised at the blood he spat onto the cobblestones, moss-green eyes raising to look at Rio.
“How dare you fucking punish him for this!” she shouted, not caring who heard as she tried to get at him still. “He hasn't done a god-damned thing against you! He did everything he was supposed to! It wasn't his decision to call the retreat—it was mine!” Tears fell down her face as she shook her head. “You're as much to blame! Your intel was wrong! If I had to guess, I'd say they probably fucking knew we were coming!” Bull could feel the tremor in her shoulders as she fought the sobs as much as him, shaking her head hard. “I still tried! I s-still f-fuckin' tried to save them!”
Gatt was slow to pick himself up off the ground, gingerly touching his jaw as he stood up. His mouth was bloody, he knew, but she didn't seem to have broken anything. He had to admit, she may not have been a skilled mage, but she could still hit if she needed to, and it seemed this little calf was willing to fight for what she wanted. He could see it in those eyes, blue as sapphires, dusted with gold in dangerous whorls, like looking at the night sky for too long... She was different from all of them. Not from Thedas, but something so distant and strange. Maybe Hissrad... No. The Iron Bull would be fine. It still didn't feel right, even to him, but orders were orders...
There was silence between the three as Rio slowly calmed down and stopped trying to reach Gatt again, simply standing in front of Bull with his hands firmly on her shoulders as she took deep breaths. Bull waited, counting them until he knew she had actually calmed down before looking to Gatt. “You under orders to kill me, Gatt?” Bull asked, frowning down at his former friend, his expression unreadable.
“No,” Gatt said bitterly, shaking his head just a little as he wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, “the Ben-Hassrath have already lost one good man. They'd rather not lose two.”
Rio didn't relax until Gatt was headed back out of Skyhold, hanging her head a little as the anger drained out of her and the shame came flooding in, her cheeks hot as she bowed her head. She wanted to go and crawl under her bed and hide until Corypheus came knocking. She couldn't even describe how mortified she felt at her display, reaching into her pocket to pull out the soft linen square, mopping up her tears and wiping her nose. She didn't even know if she could face Bull after what she'd just done...
One hand gently patted her shoulder, turning her back towards him as he said, “Well... so much for that.”
She looked up at him as if he'd grown, well, another pair of horns, eyes wide in confusion as she stared at him. She had expected him to be angry, to shout and rage and scold, but this... was different... She straightened up slowly as she blinked at him, the question dying on her lips as he quirked a brow. “Don't think you're off the hook for that stunt you pulled back on the Coast... You went running to your death, you know...”
“I know,” she said softly, ears lowering as she looked to her hands, “I just... I couldn't not try... I... needed to...” She looked almost ready to cry again before she took a breath, trying to steel herself, to hide that reaction as Bull watched her carefully. She managed to sniffle a little and keep the tears back before she said, “Are you all right?”
He gave a small nod as he murmured, “Yeah... Guess I'll have more free time without having to write all those reports...” Rio's frown deepened as she started to argue, his hand reaching up to lightly fuzz her hair. The soft blonde strands caught the sunlight, and for a second, she looked bathed in golden light as she looked up at him like she didn't quite believe him. This weighed heavy on her, and she already had so much to carry on her shoulders... “Boss... let me handle this one...” he said gently, her gaze softening a little as she peered up at him. “This one needs to be mine...”
Her ears lowered a little at that, but before she could argue with him, Krem came trotting up to them, Bull's hand slipping from her hair as she looked up. “You're late,” he said, one brow quirking with a frown.
“Sorry, chief. Still sore from fighting off all those Vints,” Krem said, turning to smile at Rio, glad to see the color returning to her face again. “Good to see you, Inquisitor.”
Smiling just a little, she managed to ask, “How did the Chargers come out of the fight? All's well, I take it...”
“Just fine,” Krem said with a nod. “Thanks to you and the chief, we had plenty of time to fall back. How's your head doing? I saw you take the blast—was worried you wouldn't get back up again.”
She idly reached up to touch her brow, the bandage there keeping her from fussing with it as she said, “It still hurts... Get a little dizzy from time to time, but largely doing well...”
“Good,” Krem said, relieved to hear it as he nodded. “You should come by the tavern tonight if you're feeling up to it! Having a real celebration for a job well done! Chief's even breaking open a case of Chasind Sack Mead for the Chargers tonight! I bet you'd have no problems charming him into sharing...”
“Damn it, Krem!” Bull cried, bumping shoulders hard and making the lieutenant stumble back a couple of feet with a growl, “That's the sort of thing you don't have to mention to the Inquisitor!” Rio couldn't help her small giggle as she watched them roughhouse a little, smiling as she kept back safely. Bull seemed serious, but his tone was warm as he nudged Krem, who apologized only half-heartedly with a lopsided grin. Sighing, Bull brushed it off as he straightened up again, his gaze softening a little as he said, “Ah, forget it...”
Rio relaxed at Bull's small smile, and she finally knew that she could live with the choice she had made...
Bull turned to watch as Cole slipped up next to the Inquisitor, pulling on her arm with a small smile as he whispered something urgently to her. She struggled to listen for a few moments before her face broke into a smile, waving goodbye to Bull as Cole pulled her along, the pair of them slipping through the crowd of people towards the kitchen. He only pulled his gaze away when Krem cleared his throat, looking down at his lieutenant.
“The Inquisitor seems like a fine lass, Chief,” he said with that knowing smile. “A little odd, maybe, stubborn, to be sure... but her heart is in the right place...” He glanced back at Bull, smile still in place. “Like some people I could mention...”
When Bull's good eye narrowed at him, Krem just laughed, turning with Bull to head into the tavern. They had plenty of plans to make and things to keep themselves busy for the time being.
* * *
Cole sat on Rio's bed, marveling at the things from Rio's little box as she sat at her desk, eating a sweet pastry as she looked over a report. She had tucked the box away in her duffel bag, which had miraculously survived the trip to Haven. He pulled out each little thing reverently, placing them on the duvet carefully. A small paper-back book with singed edges and wrinkled pages sat nestled next to a thin steel chain that held two gold rings. A leather-bound journal sat on the other side, documenting Rio's travels since arriving to Thedas. It was Varric's idea after they got to Skyhold, if only to help Rio process what she was going through. So far, it was crammed full of leaves and pressed flowers and scribbles and stories, all the things she'd learned and all the questions she wanted to ask, but could never bring herself to.
She'd put other things in the small wooden box, an arrowhead from a fallen enemy, a small stack of red scales that had fallen from a wyvern, shells from the coast, a tiny sealed vial with seawater in it, an ornate letter opener made of silver, and other little trinkets. She hadn't even realized how much there was until Cole had pulled out the box and laid them out. Walking over to the bed, she smiled as she reached down to pick up the necklace, thumb running over the two bands, one thin and twisted, the other smooth and burnished.
“Two of a kind,” Cole said, looking up at her from under his hat, pulling her from her musings.
Smiling a little more, she gently kissed the rings, nodding as she knelt at the foot of the bed. “Yep... They were my parents' wedding rings... It's... it's all I have left now...”
Cole tilted his head a little, looking at the rings closely as he said, “They loved each other very much, didn't they?” As she looked at him, he gave a wistful smile. “The rings, they sing... it is kind of sad... but happy to still be together...”
Her eyes burned with tears even as she smiled and nodded. “Where I'm from, some people get married for life... I always thought I might one day...”
“Might what?” Cole asked curiously, watching her as she sighed wistfully, tucking the necklace back in the box as she started to gather her little things back up.
Shrugging, she wouldn’t look at him as she said softly, “Iunno... Get married, have a house, have two-point-five children, the average simple life...” She held up a hand to stop his question as she said, “It’s an expression, Cole... it’s not literal...”
“Oh,” he said gently, picking up the book in his hand and turning it over cautiously. Rio’s eyes were saddest when she looked at the book, the pages old and wrinkled, tears staining the pages tat had been carefully glued into place a half-dozen times... Pale fingers ran along the spine as he murmured, “You couldn’t tell him...”
Rio looked up at that, blinking at the tears that burned the edges of her vision. “Sorry, Cole, I wasn’t listening... What?”
“When you woke up, he was gone... You were hurting and crying and screaming, but he wasn’t there... you couldn’t tell him good-bye...”
She wasn’t prepared for the hurt that welled up in her chest at his words, eyes closing tightly as she struggled to press it down, burying it deep. Cole’s expression fell, feeling the pain that bubbled up, tugging, pulling, hurting more. “Oh, no... I-I tried to help the hurt, but it splintered, and-“
Rio’s hand on his arm gently stilled him as she sniffled, wiping at her face as she gave him a small, trembling smile. "It’s okay... I’m fine...”
“But it’s wrong,” he said, voice soft and pleading as he looked at her. “It hurts, biting, bleeding, and I’m the one that caused it...”
She barely heard him, shaking her head a little as she patted his arm, thoughts distant as she gave a small smile, “It’s fine, Rhys...”
He blinked at her, frowning a little as tears fell faster now, head tilting again as he said, “... Rhys...”
“Hmm?” Rio said, trying to pull herself back to the present again.
“Rhys was his name,” Cole said simply, watching her as she nodded a little. “But you look at me and see him... But I am not Rhys... I am Cole...”
She flinched at that, looking away in embarrassment as she sniffled a little, nodding, “O-oh... Yeah... I... I know... I keep doing that... I didn’t mean it...”
“It hurts still... missing him...”
She nodded just a little, sniffling as she wiped at her tears. “Yeah...”
He watched her face silently, pondering her words as he gently patted her arm, trying to mimic the comforting motion, glad when he felt a warmth slowly soothe the pain back to a dull ache. Hers was a deep, resonating pain, and he knew it would be a long time to slowly untangle the hurt that she used to hold herself back, burdening herself with guilt that wasn’t hers to bear... He wanted to help, to let her heal, but she seemed to hold it so tightly... “Does it hurt less? When you look at me, and think of him?”
There was a long moment of silence before she slowly shook her head, a soft sigh falling from her lips before she murmured, “No... Not really...”
She was lost in herself for a few quiet moments, gathering the last of the items and slipping them back into the box. The last was the book, slowly pulling it from Cole’s hands as she looked down at it sadly. It had been Rhys’, one of the very few to survive the fire. The cover was faded, a princess in a deep red dress facing down a fire-breathing dragon, not unlike the Ferelden Frostback that had chased them from its territory not that long ago.
The book itself was in terrible shape, with a cracking spine, pages torn and taped back together, singed along the edges, the glue barely holding anymore... It hadn’t been all that well made to begin with, just a mass-produced paperback, but it meant the world to her. She had read it front to back maybe a thousand times, memorizing each line as she tried to remember the sound of Rhys’ voice as he read it. Since getting back to Haven, she hadn’t opened it, had barely had time to remember it, tucked away in the corner. Sighing, she caressed the spine, wondering where she might find the glue to help it limp along...
“Varric knows a lot about books,” Cole said, smiling a little as he tried to be helpful. Her eyes looked up at him and she managed a small smile, getting up and grabbing another pastry from the basket they had smuggled from the kitchens. “He... might have an idea....”
“I bet he does,” Rio said softly as they took to the stairs to find the storyteller.
* * *
It proved to be a bit more difficult finding Varric than usual, Rio finding herself crossing the battlements towards Cullen’s tower on yet another lead as she frowned. Her eye caught sight of someone climbing the steps by the tavern, spotting Bull turning to walk along the outer wall, managing a small smile as she waved to him. When Bull smiled and waved her on over, she found her smile growing a little. Holding her book tightly, she slipped through Cullen’s empty office to slip through the other door, meeting up with Bull on the other side of the door.
“Hey, boss. Looking for something?” he asked, still smiling a little as she held up the book in her hand.
“Yeah, just... trying to find Varric... Have you seen him?” she asked, looking up at him.
“Hmmm... I thought I might've seen him in the tavern a little bit ago... or was that by the barracks...” Bull said thoughtfully, frowning as he scratched his chin.
Rio sighed, “I'll check there again, I guess...” Shrugging tiredly, she gave him another smile, “What about you? Did you need something?”
The sharp hiss of a dagger leaving its sheath hit Rio's ears as Bull turned quickly. Rio barely had time to step back out of the way as she gave a startled cry at the flurry of movement. Bull's fist connected with the face of one attacker before a knife was thrown, striking him hard in the arm. Bull pulled it out with a grunt, flinging it back to hit the second assailant in the chest as the first was gaining his feet again.
Rio didn't even know how to react as she heard him declare, “Ebost issala, Tal-Vashoth!” He no sooner got the words out before Bull grabbed him by his uniform and yanked hard, tossing him cleanly over the battlements. Her eyes were wide as she stared at the scene, almost frozen in place as she tried to process what she'd just seen.
Blinking a few times, she started to come back around and looked up as Bull said to the remains of the attacker far below, “Yeah, yeah, my soul's dust. Yours is scattered all over the ground, though, so...” Grunting a little through the pain, he turned to find Rio still blinking, mouth half-open as she struggled to think. “Ah, sorry, Boss. I thought I might need backup.” Turning, her stunned expression shifted to concern as she saw the blood trickling down his arm. “Guess I'm not even worth sending professionals for,” he said, shrugging with his other shoulder.
Rio stepped forward, frowning at the wound as she tucked her book under her shoulder. “Are you all right, Bull?”
“Fine,” he growled low, ruffling her hair a little as she looked up at him with those eyes. “Hurt myself worse than this fooling around in bed,” he added, smiling as he saw her blush work its way across her cheeks and up to the tips of her ears.
“Wh-what about like... poison?” she asked, frowning as she debated running to get Stitches or one of the surgeons, someone was down in the bailey that would be able to help, right?
“Oh, they definitely used poison,” Bull said with a slight nod as if it was obvious, trying hard not to smile at the way her eyes went wide and the color left her face. “Saar-qamek, liquid form. If I hadn't been dosing myself with the antidote, I'd be going crazy and puking my guts up right now.” Her deepening frown and flash of concern was interesting to watch. It was concern, not for everyone around, but specifically concern about him. Smiling gently, he couldn't resist mussing her hair a little bit more as he said, “As it is, it stings like shit, but that's about it.”
“So you knew they were going to do this?” Rio asked as she looked up at him, her ears lowering just a little.
Bull gave a one-armed shrug, debating going into the specifics before he said, “Mmm... yeah, more or less.” Her frown grew a little deeper before he held up his hand to silence her argument. “I know, I know. But if I'd warned you or the guards, then the assassins would've been tipped off... It was better that you didn't know...”
“Why did they do it?” she asked, still concerned over his bleeding wound as she held tightly to her book, her search for the storyteller already forgotten.
“Ahh, nothing serious,” he said, shaking his head a little. “Sending two little guys with blades against me? That's not a hit. That's a formality. Just making it clear that I'm Tal-Vashoth.” His eyes slid away from her as her gaze softened, ears lowering further as he spat, “Tal-Va-fuckin'-shoth!”
The guilt hit her again, harder this time as her gaze fell to her feet, letting her steel toe-caps scrape a little as she tried to push it down. It was her fault they were doing this... Looking up at Bull, she said softly, “You acted like one for years, Bull... That didn't change who you are, and neither does any of this...”
He rumbled low in his chest, frowning as he looked down at her, “That was just a role! This is my life, as one of... those...” Taking a breath, he shook his head a little as his frown deepened. “I killed hundreds of Tal-Vashoth in Seheron. Bandits, murderers, bastards who turned their back on the Qun—and now I'm one of them!”
She shook her head, the gold in her eyes glinting in the sunlight. “You are not a Tal-Vashoth! You're still you. You're still the Iron Bull,” she added, seeing the small flicker of approval in his eye at that, “mercenary captain for the Inquisition, and the best damn front-line bodyguard around!”
Sighing softly, he gave a small nod, looking down at her in serious silence before he said gently, “I can live with that...” Turning, he sighed at the body still lying on the flagstones. “I'll get this cleaned up and let Red know what happened...”
She gave a small smile at that, holding her book tightly. “Good,” she said, turning to head down the steps the way Bull had come from.
She only made it a couple of steps before Bull called to her again, making her peek over the stone railing curiously. “Boss... Whatever I miss... Whatever I regret...” He gave her a half-smile, gaze softening as he watched her closely. “This is where I want to be...” Her smile brightened at that, making him nod a little in return. “Whenever you need an ass kicked,” he added, “the Iron Bull is with you.”
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Her Destiny Lies Elsewhere