Character Sketch
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Then the 'Vint in front of him was dancing from the bolt of lightning that struck him before exploding into meaty gobbets of flesh everywhere. Gross but pretty damned effective. He looked around the battle, wondering if maybe Dalish had learned a new trick (not that she would admit it, mind you, but still...) and instead spotted...her.
She was a vision, a goddess wreathed in eye searing light, shooting bolts of lightning at every 'Vint she could find. There were others with her, a sword and board warrior woman, a dwarf with a crossbow that seemed to know what he was doing, and some bald elf, another mage. But none of them seemed to be paying her the least bit of attention.
How could they not? How could they ignore someone that wielded so much power? She was...
There was a 'Vint trying to sneak up behind her, sword raised for a killing blow. No way he was letting that happen! Putting every ounce of power that he could into his legs, he raised his axe high above his head and charged. She saw him coming, her wide eyes an indescribable mix of blue and green, and twisted her body to let him past. The 'Vint never stood a chance.
He gave her a smile and a wink as he returned to his boys. Now that she wasn't all glowy he could see that she had really thick, shiny gold hair caught up in a tail at the base of her neck. Not a redhead, but still damned pretty. And that kind of skin that was the colour of the purest milk, with just a touch of pink at the cheeks. The kind that he felt would look amazing with just the softest of bites to mark it.The rest of her party returned to her side and she stood there, proud and straight, still every inch the goddess.
Well, shit, he thought to himself. I'm a goner.
She was so far gone in her magic that she didn't see the monster- the man- until he was rushing past her to smash his heavy waraxe into the man sneaking up behind her. He was massive, towering over everyone in the field, even without the giant horns that jutted from his brow to either side. Very little of his upper body was covered, save for a leather shoulder guard and harness, and she could see every scar. Maybe it was a warrior thing, to show off your scars proudly. Hers she kept hidden, covered neck to wrist to toe to keep them hidden.
She could see now why Serah Aclassi had called them the Bull's Chargers. Their leader seemed every bit the...well, she couldn't come up with a good word for what he was. As he brushed past her to return to his men she had to fight the urge to reach out to run her fingers along his skin, so grey as to almost appear a dusky purple in the light, to run the pads of her fingers along his scars. Then he turned back, smiling and winking at her with his one good eye, and she could feel the flush rising in her cheeks.
What in the name of Andraste am I doing? She thought. He's a male, a warrior. He'll hurt you, they all do!
But he's not a Templar. It was the Templars that hurt you. Not...whatever he is.
She shook her head and drew herself up, trying to look like the Herald they believed her to be and not the scared mage girl she really was, and approached the behemoth. He was calling out to his men, asking about their status, caring for their wounded. Like a good commander. When she approached he offered her a seat and a drink, friendly, almost as though he were trying not to intimidate. It was...nice, comfortable.
He found a log to sit on, finally putting them both at eye level. His good eye was a startling shade of purple, darker than his skin, with a glint of intelligence she hadn't expected. He joked with his second, the man she had met in Haven before returning his attention back to her, not that she was really concentrating on what he said to the man. She was lost in watching the scars on his face move as he spoke. Barely hidden by a tooled leather eye patch, some across his cheek, one tugging at his upper lip. She had to fight not to reach out and touch them, to feel the slick skin beneath her pads.
They spoke of hiring on the Chargers, of payment and risk but she really wasn't paying attention to it. He chuckled deep in his chest and she had to fight the shudder that ran along her spine. Stop it! Do you want another scar to add to your collection? Is that it? Because that's what he'll give you!
When he promised to act as her frontline bodyguard she knew she was lost. No matter the cost, the Inquisition would be hiring the Chargers. Anything to watch him fight on the field again. When he admitted to being a spy for the Qunari she nearly changed her mind. A member of the Ben-Hassrath could be dangerous to have around, but she decided that Leliana and her spies would be better able to handle that than she would. Strangely, when he chuckled and admitted to having a 'thing' for redheads, she felt a pang of disappointment over being a blonde.
As they agreed to work together, he took her hand in his, engulfing it in his grip, yet more of a gentle caress than a hearty handshake. “By the way, I'm The Iron Bull.”
She smiled up at him. “Kellina Trevelyan. My friends call me Kell.”
He watched her as they moved stealthily through the Fade. He could hear the demon taunting her, telling her lies. That's what demons did, being a mage she should know that. But the longer he watched, the more sure he became that she was listening to it. Believing the vile filth that spewed from it's lips.
"You'll never get them out of here," it hissed. "They'll all be trapped here, die here, because some stupid little girl thought she could try and save the world. You killed them all at the Conclave didn't you? Touching things that weren't your to touch. You killed Willow, yes you did. Because you didn't have the guts to follow in her footsteps."
He watched as the words bore down on her, her shoulders slumping, her face sagging with grief. The creature was wittling away the little confidence that she had managed to inspire in herself over the last months and it was killing him.
Finally he gathered his courage and took those extra few steps to her side. It took everything he had, this place was sapping his courage just as it stole her confidence. Gently, he placed his shaking hand upon her back, and she turned to look at him with fear and sadness.
"You can do this, Boss. We have faith in you."
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