I awoke in a dream, to find myself elsewhere, again. This time however I knew exactly where I was, the balcony of my home in Solitude. I growled my annoyance at finding myself somewhere I really didn't want to be. A low chuckle from behind me had me stiffening.
"So, your not even going to turn around and say hello?" I did turn, tear's already in my eyes, I knew the voice. Arm's opened up and I ran into them and feeling a familiar warmth surrounding me for the first time in what seemed like forever. "Well that's a fine welcome, tear's and a sad face. I thought you would be happy to see me." My head tucked under his chin, I could feel him tugging at the braid hanging down my back, so I looked up at him.
" I don't have forever love, I told Tsun that you were to dense to understand a message that subtle. They didn't want to influence your decisions though." I sighed and let loose my hold really looking at him, the expression was one of tender care, but I could see concern and worry their also. " You were always good at somethings, but ancient Nordic Lore wasn't one of them. I know you found out about your being Dragonborn and know what it mean's, but do you know why?" I furrowed my brow in thought then shook my head.
" Honestly Bjorn I have no clue on why an Altmer would be born with the soul of a dragon." I narrowed my eye's at him and asked, "What do you mean too dense?" He rolled his eye's and choose to ignore the question.
" I can't say why you were born an Altmer instead of a Nord, that's beyond what I'm allowed to know. You were born with the soul of a dragon, because of your spirit and heart. Who you are allows you to be what you are, if that make's sense to you? It sure didn't to me when they explained it." Bjorn was never a really deep thinker, but he was smart enough. I nodded, I kind of understood, but not fully. He shrugged and continued," This is a pivotal point in history, the end of an age or beginning of another and you have a part in it, a very large part." Again he sighed and seemed to have problems with the words he wanted to choose. " You have to have free will, you have a destiny, but it's your's to choose. I'm not allowed to say to much, I can't push you down one path over another. You are on the right path, but it's only one of several that you can take. Just always remember you aren't immortal, your soul can and will be reborn, but this body can die." He pushed me to arm's length, but grabbed my hands, looking me in the eyes. " You know I have never been big on words and political maneuvering isn't something that I ever was good at, I always left that to you." He ran the back of his hand down my face and I turned my head enough to kiss it. His blue eye's lit up with the same desire I had seem many a night and morning. But he shook his head and thumped my nose with one finger.
" My time is getting shorter and I have much more to say. You have seen yourself in Sovngarde and you can be there. You just need to think of what it is and how one get's their. That is probably as much as I can say on that subject. Just remember those words and if you can't figure it out....ask a Nord, he will know." I heard the emphasis on certain words and I would remember. He pulled me back into his arms and gave me a very passionate kiss. It didn't last long enough to suit me, but eternity wouldn't be long enough.
"Zyne, have yourself the family you always wanted, don't regret that." I could see the sadness dim his beautiful blue eyes. " If you can't find an Altmer man to love, you could always adopt war orphans. Just don't forget your self in helping others." I made to protest and he put his finger over my lip's, " You may be fooling yourself into thinking you no longer want a family, but I know you. You don't want to hurt my feelings and I understand that. I would never think less of you for opening your heart to someone else."
"Bjorn, it isn't that. I have felt desire or lust for other men, but nothing stronger, nothing more. I have friends that I love dearly, but just as friends. You are right though, I want that closeness that I see in families. I would like to hold a child of my own, I would prefer it to be your's also, but I know that it was a long shot while you were alive." I looked up into his eye's hoping he could see the emotion's I was feeling, " You are that one man that is perfect for me, perhaps their is a man out there I could be happy with. I will open myself to another relationship, but I don't think I could deal with seeing another person I loved with all my heart die of old age, when I know I would live on." My throat closed on a lump and I couldn't go on for a minute, but he just watched me. "That is the main reason I have not gotten into another relationship, I have mostly lived among the human races and I know that it's my choice to do so. I haven't met another Altmer that I could love, it's not just physically, it's emotionally also and you know that I really don't care for the politics of my people."
He stiffened and I felt a presence all the sudden, without him saying a word I knew it was time and he had to go. He pulled me close and we kissed again. I soaked in the feeling of him, the warmth, the smell and the essence that was Bjorn. He pulled back and looked down at me, even though I could see what he was going to say, I knew the word's would be a cherished memory.
" I Love you, little elf", I smiled and said the word's he knew I would say, " I Love you, you stubborn ass, Nord." With that he stepped back and we were at arm's length our hands the only connection, then he turned and walked away. I saw him pause then quicken his pace til he disappeared back into the grey nothingness that took the place of the balcony.
I woke up as the sun was rising, with a feeling peace and contentment. I didn't wish to move, I could almost feel the warmth of Bjorn's arm's still around me. I sighed and sat up stretching my back and crawled out of the tent, pulling my bedding with me and rolling it up. I walked over and poked at the ashes and found a couple red embers. I grabbed a small hand full of dried grass and twiggs and then bent over and blew on the embers softly til they were red hot and started slowly adding grass and twiggs til a flame flared up.
Once the fire was getting hot, I walked down to the small pond and washed my face. I felt a strong presence behind me and turned to face an Elk, their was no old woman on it's back, but it was one of Her avatar's. It stretched out it's neck, nose almost touching my face, then dipped it's head to push softly at my chest. Turning it's head slightly so I could look fully into one eye, I saw the Old Priestess and could feel the blessing that She gave. The Elk backed up and the presence disappeared and the animal bound off.
Just beyond where the Elk had been standing, Marcurio stood with a spell ready to caste. I laughed and he shrugged his shoulders and let the spell dissolve. "I...uhhh those were some dangerous looking antlers. I had no clue what it was doing." He walked over and then tipped his head one way then the other and grunted. Lifting his hand, he tipped my head from one side to the other, " Did the elk lick you or something? Actually it look's more like you were kissing someone with a rough stubble."
I shrugged my shoulders and told him I was kissing Bjorn in my dream's. He laughed again and said I should tell the man to shave or get a softer beard. We ate breakfast in silence each of us deep in our own thought's.
So Kyne wasn't exactly comfortable with Shor messing around with my life. I had known she wouldn't be happy with Meridia as a patron, but that was a relationship with mutual benefit's, I did not consider myself her servant or devotee. I touched the necklace and sent a small prayer to Kyne, not asking for anything just sending a reassuring warmth to Her, letting Her know that I would always be Her devoted servant first.
We looked around our camp and made sure that the fire was out completely and we had left nothing. Then started on our way to Morthal. The pass was as usual cold and at the top had snow on the ground, we wove our way through the tree's towards the road that we would follow for a very short way to the even shorter road into Morthal. Morthal was never one of my favorite towns, at the edge of a swamp and colder than the tundra. The Jarl's family ran to a strange form of magic, that I think, allowed their mind's, if not their bodies, to travel back and forth through time and to see the past and the many possible futures. I think this made them seem strange to most people that didn't understand.
When we hit the road, we both noticed that their were some soldier's up ahead fighting some giant frost spiders, so we ran to them and helped them out. I had pulled my bow and started shooting at them, long before Marcurio caste his first spell. It was easier for me though as I knew from alot of experience exactly how long it would take for my arrow's to get where I was aiming them, verses soldiers fighting. Something that Marcurio really didn't have. Once the spiders were dead, the soldiers thanked us for our help and we were back on our way to town.
"You aren't at all interested in getting involved with this umm civil war, are you?" Marcurio asked as the soldiers walked out of ear shot.
"No, I'm not. While I think Ulfric is right in one way, I think he is going about it in a completely wrong way. He know's that the Thalmor aren't going to stop at just "banning the worship of Talos", that they will push and push and cause more unrest in other countries. It's nothing but an excuse to cause former alias to become either enemies or to distance themselves from the problem, because they don't wish to become involved. It's a ploy win or loose, The Empire looses, win or loose Skyrim has lost. All the countries are weaker. The focus of those who normally would notice what the Thalmor are doing is elsewhere. My people don't plan for tomorrow, but for the tomorrow five or six hundred years from now. The Empire used to plan that way, but also for the day after tomorrow, because that it the nature of a short lived people. Ulfric is thinking of the people of Skyrim, but not those five hundred years from now. " I really hated trying to explain things that I really hadn't thought out to the end.
" Marcurio, I haven't even given the subject the thought that I would use trying to figure out a new spell. It's mostly that I know how The Thalmor think, so I know their is something behind what they are doing. I personally don't wish to fight any more war's and won't get involved in one I think is wrong from both ends." Marcurio looked thoughtful, then said, " Wouldn't getting involved help end the war sooner?"
"Well I do have the experience to help, but one or two people are not going to make a really big difference. On the Empires side, it would take some time to work up in rank to actually influence anyone. Ulfric is going to make which ever choices he decides to make. I could just see me walking in now, he wouldn't trust me not at first and maybe not ever, so again it would take to long to influence him."
We walked down the short pass into Morthal and the hair's on the back of my neck stood on end. Something was definitely not right with the small town. I just about growled at Marcurio telling him to watch everyone. We walked to the Inn and I asked for a room with two beds, the Inn keeper said she didn't have a room with two beds, but did have a room with an extra large bed. I said that would be fine and paid for a week in advance. She showed us to our room and after she left I closed the door and I went to sit next to Marcurio.
"Did you see the burnt down house?" Marcurio asked. " It seemed to be still smoldering".
" I had noticed and beyond that their is a ghost residing in it," Marcurio stiffened and I kept on talking. " I will go investigate the ghost if you take the pouch of herbs and sell them and ask questions." He agreed and we both left the room, I figured we could talk again over dinner or our bath's, which ever seemed more private.
Watching Marcurio take a left out of the Inn and head toward the house that herbs and potions were sold from, I sent a small prayer for his safety. I turned right and walked up to and then in the burnt house. Casting a quick spell, I went in the direction it pointed me and soon the ghost of a small girl child appeared.
To say I was shocked is an understatement, children do not often become ghosts. As she seemed to see me I walked over to her and then squatted down so that I would be at eye level to her.
"Sweetie, what are you doing here?"
"This is my home, but I died here." I nodded and smiled reassuringly at her.
" Do you know who started the fire?"
" No, I just remember waking up to see the flames, but I don't want to talk about that."
"That's alright sweetie, Do you know where your Mommy and Daddy are?" A dark cloud passed over her face and she looked very sad.
"My Mommy died in the fire also, I don't know where my daddy is now, he comes here and cries, but never see's me."
"Oh sweetie I am so sorry to hear that," I thought a bout that quickly, as the sadness didn't all seem to be about her mommy. " Did you know that not all adult's can see ghosts?" she shook her head, " It's true, not every adult can see a ghost, because they don't believe that their are ghost's. Your daddy comes here because it's the last place he was happy with you and your mommy, but he's sad because you and your mommy aren't here to hug anymore." I will not say she looked happy at that explanation, but she did look a little less sad.
"What's your name?"
" Zyne, what's your's?"
"Angi, would you play with me? The other one want's to find be, but I stay hidden, if you could find me I would talk to you more."
" Alright Angi, I will play with you. What is it you wish to play?"
" Hide and seek, come find me after dark. Ok?"
" I can do that Angi, I'll have a friend with me though, because night-time is a very dangerous time."
She nodded as she faded away. I walked out of the house and past the Inn as I really didn't wish to be inside. Looking both way's, I decided to walk to the mill. Maybe he had wood to chop or something. I did my best thinking while walking or doing something I didn't have to think about. I asked one of the men and he said grab and ax and start chopping, so I did.
I listened to the men talking with half an ear. So, Angi hadn't followed her mother to their afterlife, why? Children, even murdered ones, generally were sent to Shor or another Divine until it was time for their soul to be reborn. A thought formed at the back of my head, well that would explain why Meridia had been so angry. A vampire had tried to make the child either into a thrall or a vampire, which most of them were smart enough not to do. Why thrall a child....why? Oh dear Kyne, the father, the vampire wanted to get to the father, have a really good hold on him. Even a child vampire would have done in that case, but the father wasn't really all that prominent a citizen. Well really their weren't all that many citizen's in Morthal, I think their were as many guards as citizens.
The Jarl and her family wouldn't be easy to subdue, not for anything other than a powerful Master vampire but if they were the last.... The whole town, impossible or was it? The guards would simply follow the Jarl's orders, unless they made no sense what so ever. I keep saying town, really this is a village fifteen twenty people top's, other than the guards. Hmmm Angi's father, female vampire, I hadn't really seen to many female master vampires, well no, she didn't have to be the master. Made more sense, father a thrall, child a vampire, she could have the family no vampire really could. I shuddered, a child as a vampire.
I stopped chopping wood and put the ax blade into the wood block. I turned around to walk back to the Inn to find Marcurio leaning against the mill, with a mug of ale in one hand and apiece of bread with some meat ad cheese in it in the other. He pointed to the stump and I saw a bottle sitting on it along with a towel. I picked up the towel first and found it to be damp, so I wiped my face on it. I put it down and picked up the bottle, knowing it was water, Marcurio knew me well enough to know what I would want.
We walked back towards the Inn, but I stopped in the middle of the bridge, where we could see anyone coming and anyone on either side wouldn't be able to hear what we said. I started off telling Marcurio what I had learned and what I thought about it. I included the thought's about a Master vampire in the area positioning to maybe take over the town.
When Marurio nodded and told me what he had learned, it actually fell into place. The child's father had moved in with another woman, the whole town thinking that he had killed his wife so that he could, but that killing Angi, was a mistake or accident. He told me the thing's that the Alchemist was most happy to see: Hawk feathers, mudcrab chitin, vampire dust and charred skeever hide. While their were a couple more thing's that would also work, those were the easiest ingredients to find to make a cure disease potion.
One of the main reason's I collected herbal ingredients was to be able to talk to the local alchemist or herbalist, as they often were the only healer in a small village. They knew everyone and everyone would tell them their secrets without a second thought. Plus the state of a village or town could be told with the types of potions that were sold most often, which would also be the ingredients that were most needed and probably harder to find in that area.
Marcurio said that he would watch from a distance, using an invisibility spell that he knew. The child ghost might be able to see him, but unless they ran into him, no one else would. I said that was fine, because as soon as he caste another spell he would be visible anyway. I just reminded him that I might not know where he was so he should be careful to keep out of my line of fire, so to speak.
"It isn't your fire that I worry about, it's those damn crossbow bolt's, " He said laughing, " I'd end up looking like some odd kind of pincushion and you would probably laugh at me while taking them out." I agreed with him and said that, with a couple hours til dusk, I wanted a bath, some food and a short nap, in that order. It might end up being a long night, one could never tell when dealing with vampires.
As it happened, the Inn keeper had just taken a roast out of the oven, so we ate first and then went down to take a bath. Neither one of us was much on modesty and quite frankly, had seen enough of each others naked bodies from patching each other up, that their wasn't much point in it anyway. I pulled out a bucket of water and put my under-clothing in it to soak, sponged out my gambeson, leaving the armor inside out, so that it would air out some. I would wear a light leather outfit I kept tonight, Marcurio just wadded up his clothing having taken off his armor earlier in the day. He shrugged when I raised an eyebrow at him and said that the Inn Keeper would wash out his clothing, leaving it in front of the fire to dry. So he had already washed up and rinsed in the falling water shower that was beside the soaking tub, buy the time I was finished with my things.
I sat down in the tub closed my eye's and relaxed, next thing I knew a cloth was hitting me in the face and Marcurio was laughing at me from beside the tub, fully dressed.
" I would leave you there to drown, but then I would have to deal with the Master vampire on my own. Get dressed, it's just about dusk." His slightly husky voice told me that he had fallen asleep in the tub and slipped down enough to breath in some water and cough it out. I hadn't heard it, which meant I was truly asleep.
I put on the light leather armor that I had confiscated, off of a thief that no longer needed it. While I had really liked the pockets, great place to put small objects and potion bottles. I had hated the sleeves, so took them off. What had once been a shirt type armor, was now more of a vest, as I left toggles undone and wore a shirt underneath. Marcurio whistled when I came up the step's and commented that the outfit was very figure flattering. I had never worn it before, much preferring my heavy armor.
I got another appreciative look and a wink from a large man wearing Iron armor. Now that was one fine looking man. Marcurio punched me on the arm and told me not to stop in the doorway. I sighed and he laughed and said he wasn't going to share the bed with me and that rather large looking Nord. I burst out laughing and said he snored enough I didn't need to men snoring, one on either side, I would never get any sleep. I turned around and snorted, as a mental picture of another way not to get much sleep occurred to me, yeah like that was going to happen. I hung up my armor, gambeson and underclothing so that they would dry.
As we exited the porch of the Inn, Marcurio said, " You know I got the oddest mental picture right as we went through the bedroom door," I turned around and looked at him and tilted my head in inquity. " You me and that large Nord, sharing more than just the bed to sleep in." I choked and then coughed, then thought really quickly.
"Dirty minded men, he probably has some form of telepathy and doesn't even know it. Projecting his thoughts to any one that might be receptive. I guess that's kind of flattering though, in an odd sort of way."
Marcurio looked at me oddly but didn't say a word. We walked around the buildings and found the cemetery, Marcurio said he would wait right there and pointed to a large cluster of boulders. I walked slowly, weaving in and out of the headstones. Near a grave that was half dug up, Angi's ghost appeared, looked behind me and then disappeared again. I turned quickly with a spell on my lip's and ready to caste as I saw the vampire that was coming at me, I caste the vampires bane spell which it, her dead center of her chest, she staggered back enough I pulled out my sword and took a couple step's forward, right as Dawnbreaker came out of her chest from the back side. Marcurio had stalked her while invisible and I hadn't noticed him drawing the sword because of the bright flash of light from my spell. A gush of black colored blood came out of her mouth from the lung hit and she collapsed to the ground when Marcurio withdrew the sword. I didn't recognize the woman, but that wasn't abnormal as I didn't know most of the townsfolk.
I walked back over to the grave and Angi appeared again and thanked me for taking care of the vampire that had been looking for her. She disappeared and Marcurio and I started back to town. Before we could get past the vampires body, Thonnir appeared from town and looked down at her. He looked back up at Marcurio and I and said that Alva had told him his wife had left town to go join the Stormcloak's and while that seemed odd he had at least hoped it was true so that she might one day come back to him. He bent over and picked up the body of his wife and asked us to confront Alva and find out why she had lied. I told him we would, but it would have to wait til morning as we looked a mess. That wasn't exactly the truth, I just didn't want to confront a strong vampire at night if I had any choice in the matter.
Marcurio and I went back the Inn and this time he ordered dinner while I went down and washed up, he hadn't a speck of blood on him, I was covered in it. What I get I suppose for standing in front of a vampire as it's being squared from behind.
This time I put on a cloth dress and sponged down the leather, then rubbing a bit of troll fat mixed with juniper berry to keep the leather soft and supple. As far as I knew the Juniper berry just gave it a slightly green tint and gave off a pleasantly astringent smell, which was much better than troll fat smell.
I sat across from Marcurio at the table and we ate a stew with bread and he had ordered me a couple honey nut treat's. After I finished eating, I told Marcurio that I was going to go to bed, he said that didn't sound like a bad idea and would join me. I looked at him sharply and then around the room. I laughed inwardly when I saw the Nord from earlier in the day. Marcurio had thrown his arm around my waist and then thought twice about leaning his head over to rest...mostly because that would have been on my chest. I pinched him on the rib's where no one else would notice,as I put my arm around him.
I went through the door first and he shut it behind us. Knowing I was probably treading on thin ice, I asked Marcurio what if I had planned on taking that hunk of muscle up on his ever so kind mental offer. With his cheek's slightly flushed, he told me that I should have warned him and he would have found another room before it was all booked up, but I was more than welcome to go out and share his room with him. I laughed and said I had no such interest.
I walked around and put out most of the candles and then changed into my sleeping cloths. I climbed into one side of the bed, while Marcurio climbed into the other. Once he was settled, I concentrated for a brief moment and put out the rest of the candles. From the dark I head a husky whisper, "I wish you would teach me that spell, it's at the very least useful". I chuckled and said I would.
With a few deep breaths and a prayer to Kyne, I was asleep in a matter of seconds.
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