The Bull in the Brambles

Chapter 6

There was a lake nearby, a small one, fed by the ice cold rivers that spilled from the Frostbacks. It wasn't an ideal campsite, but it had fresh water in abundance, and a beautiful view.

The three men had been riding for well over two hours, and it was here that Cullen slowed his horse. His arm was slung around the sleeping elf, whose head knocked against his chest, sans breastplate. He had tried to keep her from slouching forward or falling off the horse, but it had started to tire him out. If the elf had been conscious she no doubt would have put up a fight about riding with the commander. Bull's horse was too large for her to ride, but for side saddle, which she was not capable of, being unconscious.

"What about here?" Cullen asked his party.

"By the water? Gonna be damn cold."

"Yes but the nights have been milder of late, and you did take extra coverings from the tower. Besides the girl can clean up easy enough here."

"Yeah, guess you're right. Best get to it then. We're going to need a lot of firewood to last us the night."

They dismounted, Cullen handing Bull the girl before dropping off himself. Krem unpacked the horses and took them to drink. Bull laid the girl in the grass atop the roughspun blanket he had previously secured. She never even woke.

Bull cut branches for kindling with a small hand axe and then set about chopping up a felled tree for fuel.

"This is a shit idea," he told Cullen, who was testing the spring of a small crossbow he had unloaded from the horses. "This wood is just about all on the side of too wet or too green to burn. We're gonna freeze to death on the shores of a nameless lake, on an unsanctioned mission, and effectively kill the world's only known fade relic."

"Does he always complain like this out on the road?"Cullen shouted to Krem.

Krem laughed. "Only when he's hungry and sober."

"Well with any luck, I'll be able to solve at least half of that equation." Cullen shouldered the bow and set off to find what game frost and wolves had not already taken.

Bull built up the fire, returning to the trees until he felt confident they had enough wood to last them till morning.

Krem unsaddled the horses and unpacked what few supplies they had brought with them before beginning the alterations on the robe.

The elf slept by the fire, murmuring and sighing, but not without peace.

Bull sat beside her, stacking the wood as quietly as he could manage.

"Wonder how long she was kept there?" he asked Krem. "She's got some nasty scars the elfroot couldn't fix. Must have been a while."

"Lucky we found her then. Probably couldn't have lasted much longer on her own."

"What do you think the boss will do with her?"

"I dunno, you know him better than I. Send her back to the Dalish?"

"Might be what's best for her. Then again, she may not be so keen on that idea, seeing as her own kind sold her out. "

"Excellent point," Krem said with an agreeing nod.

Iron Bull watched the sleeping girl and listened to the crackling of the fire. He soon found himself dozing off. He told himself he would take first watch that night and didn't fight off the sleep any longer.

Bull awoke from his nap to find that the sun had started to set. Krem had made significant progress on the alterations of the robe. The elf, aside from rolling over in her sleep, hadn't moved.