Midnight Interlude chapter 27

  **** there is an erotic scene towards the middle/bottom, I did try not to let it get to graphic though***            





     I woke up to the sound of the door closing, as Marcurio was snoring softly behind me his arm draped over my waist, I knew it hadn't been him. I tapped his hand in a sequence that we had pre-arranged, he woke up and tensed, but tapped his hand on my rib's to let me know he was wide awake and ready for a fight.
     We both sat up at the same time, Marcurio caste a light spell and then readied another, while I caste Stendarr's Aura and looked around. Marcurio found it before me and caste a Paralysis spell, the Mist Walker's eyes went wide at being caught, but she wasn't panicking. I kept looking around and found the second one heading towards Marcurio's side of the bed. I caste a spell that probably hadn't seen the light of day outside a Thalmor prison in two hundred years.
    I needed to keep line of sight on the second Mist Walker, so I stood up on the bed and walked over Marcurio, careful not to step on him. This ones eye's were wide, but with fear, good she should be afraid.
    "Marcurio, tie that one up to the chair, with the silver belt rope you will find in my pack, side pocket. Don't worry, thin as it is, she won't be able to move, their's also a drain magic spell on it." I looked at the one I held and smiled at her, not the happy smile my friends knew, but the grim smile that I had been told could scare grown men. With Marcurio busy tying up our guest, I caste another spell and a bottle came flying over to me. " This my friend is a cure disease potion, I'll probably drink it, when I'm done with you and your partner." I paused and bounced the bottle off my hand a couple times. " An Herbalist friend of mine had a question and I haven't yet had a chance to test it out. He wanted to know what would happen to a couple hundred year old vampire if they drank one or two or more of these." She made a choking noise in her throat. " I mean, would it literally cure you in a second, like it will do to me, when I catch it.  Then the question is... I mean since you are of one of the human races... would you return to the age you were when you were turned or would you simply turn to ash? Of course my herbalist friend think's that just one potion would act more like a slow poison, not like a healing potion. You know, their is a physical change to your body over time and well that would kind of suck, die from a healing potion." I tightened my grip on her thoughts and sent a chaos spell through the link.
       "Marcurio, this could get very very messy, if you want you can leave." I never turned to look at him, but I heard him walk up beside me.
        "Well you might need my help to clean up the mess then. Exactly what spell's are you using on this one, by the way, I re-caste the paralysis spell on the other one." I slapped a sound spell on both, It was a funny spell that one of my very rich and politically influential friends had made up for their steward to let them know a meal was ready. This one had a twist though, it gonged enough you couldn't even hear one whole word.
        "It's a couple spell's, one of which was banned from use over two hundred year's ago, but the Thalmor use it and the law was written or rather rewritten so that it wasn't illegal for them to do so. Odd as it is, Thalmor law says that any member who was an officer can be recalled at any time and can and should be able to use any spell that was learned. The fact that I learned the spell while a prisoner is beside the point, I was a Thalmor officer, albeit for a short time. So Legally, you can't use them, I will teach them to you just be very very careful to not leave the subject's alive or in one piece. " I saw the look in his eyes, " I told you to leave, it would get messy." He sighed and looked down, then nodded.
        " Marcurio, I would never ever use these spell's on a living person, " His head jerked up, " No not even on my deepest enemy. These two however aren't alive and they are assassins, sent to kill us both. But to answer your question, the first is a type of paralysis spell, but unlike the one you used, this one affects the brain, the more you struggle the more you fight it, the more pain you are in. The second is one that allow's the caster to, hear thought's, they have to be strong and tied to an emotion. Which is why this paralysis spell causes pain, though you can caste it in such a way as to cause pain and pleasure, but  that is just to cruel for me to do. You ask a question, if they think about it and are in pain, you hear the thoughts."
          "Ok, so you ask questions and then your going to kill the both? I can live with that, I don't really like it."  I sighed and shook my head.
         " It work's this way, anyone that has ever caste these spell's will be able to "read" the spell's on them and also have a, umm sent of the person that caste them. You don't want answers this way, then we can go through their pockets and I'll send them to Oblivion. I will leave that up to you, your my friend and partner, I would not like to loose your friendship over a couple vampires."
         He turned and walked to a corner of the room, standing their for a minute or so, I saw his shoulders tense as he made his decision. He walked back over to the vampire in front of me and used a telekinesis spell to rip her clothing off, he didn't get it perfect as all her cloths came off. I was impressed though, I had never taught him that spell, he had seem me use it once. I saw him gather up his energy and place his palm close to the vampire. One lightning spell and two seconds later she was a pile of ashes. He then walked to the other, who was wide eyed and frantically trying to get away. He removed the gag and said.
       " I will only ask once, who sent you and why?" He tapped his foot and when she stubbornly set her chin, he caste the same telekinesis spell, this time however he wouldn't have to caste the lightning spell, as the silver chain tore strait through her. He picked up the clothing and found a letter, but set it on the night stand. I had sat down on the bed and was watching him. He placed both set's of clothing on the chair and then walked back over to me.
         Putting his hand's on my shoulders, he shook me once very hard and I looked up at him. His face showed warring emotions, his eye's a light silver that practically glowed. I couldn't read either. His hand's were tight enough on my shoulders, that I was surprised I hadn't heard bones grinding together, I knew i'd have bruises. He shook me once more, then bent down til our noses touched.
         "You are my friend, my partner and sometimes a mentor, but I want more. That hulk of a Nord is no more a telepath than Isran and crazy as he is, he hasn't an once of magic. That isn't the first time, I have gotten thought's from you in the way of a picture. That one however let's me know how you feel." He tipped his head slightly til our lip's just met. His hand traveled up my shoulders and his hand's cupped my jaw. " I want to be your Lover, as well as your friend and partner. If you can't handle the idea of another husband dying of old age on you, just remember, I am a wizard, I may not live six or seven hundred year's, but we could both die tomorrow. I'm not leaving though." I took pity on him and put my arm's around him and pulled him even closer as we fell back on to the bed.
          " I can live with that.", I moved just a little bit closer, so that our lip's were once again touching, "All that flirting with bar maid's not to mention the..." I never finished the sentence as he kissed me passionately, I gave as good and then pulled back just enough, "Seriously, you never let me know how you felt. Why not?"
          "Because until the other night, you never looked at me as anything other than a friend. I've seen your nightmares, the worst of them, I never needed you to tell me about them, because I lived through them with you." I stiffened to think of everything that had happened during those nightmares. " Don't" He said softly, " Don't pull away, all those terrible thing's that happened were done to you, not something you choose to happen." He kissed me softly and then leaned back looking me in the eyes, while running his finger back and forth over my lips. His eye's crinkled at the corners, showing an inner laughter, " About a year ago, I shared the first nightmare, we talked it out and you fell asleep in my arms. Later that night you had a dream that was anything but a nightmare, it was erotic but it didn't start out with me in it." His mouth pulled into a tight line and then  shifted to his quirky sideways grin. "I will take it however that the huge muscle bound blonde with blue eyes and triple scar's running down the right side of his face is your Bjorn?" I barely whispered the yes, but he hadn't really needed to hear it anyway.
          "That's fine, I may have to share you with a ghost, but at least I know who my competition is. By the end of that dream, it was me you were holding in your arm's. Lately, I seem to be the only one you are having those dream's about. Til the other night that is, but that wasn't really a dream, was it?"
          " No, it wasn't. You where there? I didn't feel your presence, the way I generally do when Meridia pull's us into the other realm's." His finger dipped into my mouth and I held it between my teeth and licked the tip in a circular motion, watching his eye's turn the color of molten silver. He pulled his hand back, but then ran it up inside my shirt til he was cupping my breast. I felt an electric shock from head to toe.
           " Not there in the same way, like I was beside you both. I could feel your emotion's as strongly as if they were my own, I could feel his also. I may not entirely like the idea, but I hope he's willing to share, because I'd hate to have to fight him for you, but I would." I smiled at the thought, that would be an amusing battle, but not one I would really like to see.
           While kissing me again and doing very distracting things with his hand on my breast, he said, "I won't mince words, I love you, I want you as my wife, I will not however push you. I will take what you can give." He rolled us over til he was looking down at me, I could feel his whole body along mine. " Just remember, I will always be a friend, who loves you for who you are."
              I don't think I had another coherent  thought til morning, as he started doing some very distracting things. I didn't mind at all, I only hoped I was as giving as he was.  Midnight might just become my favorite part of the day.

Divine interest Chapter 26

   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.
       
 
     

 
 

Before we got to Morthal Chapter 25

  On the way down the mountain the next day, Marcurio and I talked about the "test" that the Greybeards had decided would be my final admittance into their group. I wasn't exactly thrilled at that, I either was a dragonborn they could instruct or I wasn't. If they wanted the horn and couldn't or didn't want to go get it themselves, they could have just asked. Marcurio suggested it could be a test to see how committed I was, well their might be other reason's also.
    "Marcurio, I wanted to explain about the spell's I used to make the ice cave. While they are almost the exact same spell's that you know, "flame" & "frost", they are also just slightly different. "Flames" require less power and "Frost" requires more power, both require so much more in control. That is the main reason I haven't showed or told you how to do that in the past. Chances are if you hadn't been their, I wouldn't have done that. I was about exhausted had I crossed the line, I knew I could rely on you to take care of me. That is the problem with this particular spell ,once you start, the spell will keep drawing power until it is completed and that could mean death if your not very very careful."
   Marcurio nodded and said he would think about that and I said that was good because after he mastered the ice cave spell I only had one more that He needed to know and I wouldn't teach it until I knew he had control and experience to know when to and when not to use the spell, it could be the difference between winning over and enemy and loosing, but you could win and still die, that was why it needed experience.
   He let me know he understood that and would practice the spell's. When she thought he was ready for the last spell then he would be ready, until then what did she have in mind. Where they going after the Horn or was their something else she wanted to do?
  For now we would just get down the mountain and see, I just didn't like secret's or being sent on task's that could either wait or should have been done a long time ago. Their's no way that reclusive as they are in all the time the Horn as been in the tomb, they could not have went after it themselves.
   We got back down to Iverstead mid-day, I wasn't sure we should leave, but I really wanted time to think before we just up and left. So we went to the Inn and ordered lunch, with our lunch the Inn Keeper brought a note that he said was brought by a member of the Dawnguard. She had given a description of the person he was to give it to, well descriptions as he had gotten one for her partner also, but not names.
   So I took the note and opened it,
                             "Zyne,
                                      If in your travel's you pass by Morthal, please check out the area for a Master Vampire. From a couple of account's their is one feeding in the area, but either their is a cover up or he is a very smart vampire. ( From Isran)
                                       I thought you would like to know that some Thalmor agent's came to the Fort and wanted to look for you. Isran told them they should come back in force because they were not coming in an disturbing his people. So now they know you are part of the Dawnguard, if they were only speculating before. Everyone that is out has taken to wearing a hood, the same as you do. Where it me, I would find a different kind of armor to wear and loose the hood's.
                                                                                   Your Friend,
                                                                                                    Sorine Jurard"

      I cursed under my breath and handed the note to Marcurio, who cursed out loud but in a couple different languages that he probably figured the people here didn't know.
     "So you were right about changing armor's, but somehow I don't think you gave me the whole story. So spit it out and tell me."
      " You know that Thalmor patrol that we passed several months ago? The one that helped up with the bandit's in the reach?" Marcurio nodded, " I recognized the Justicular and he only leave's the Imperial City when he is after someone that they have placed a death warrant on, that is important and dangerous. I know he looked right at me, but this isn't how he would remember me, so I think it took a bit for him to realize exactly who I am."
    "Well then, he may not recognize you in that outfit, it's very Nordic and you are about the height of a tall man." Marcurio said.
     "Yeah well, I probably should have said something earlier, but I ran into him when I went into Falkreath. He won't be a problem, either him or his patrol. He recognized me as I went to walk by and told me about the death warrant and that he was sent to track me down. Wasn't like I had much of a choice, him or me and I prefer to be alive."
     Marcurio stared at me for a minute and said, " Fine, he's dead, someone else will take his place. You should have told me so I knew to watch your back, don't do that again please, let me know what is going on."
    I told him that I would and we decided that we would be better off out in the forrests rather than in a town. So when we finished we headed out towards Morthal, the Nordic barrow that held the Horn was in that area anyway. Might as well kill two birds with one stone.
     We traveled the rest of the afternoon, heading in a direct fashion for Morthal. We stopped for the night in a small clearing right down the road from Helgen. Even though we had cleared out some bandit's before didn't mean that more hadn't moved in. Camp was set up before night had completely closed in. I cooked our meal that night, Marcurio usually relying on stew packet's that I made up anyway. I was in the mood for a good meal, so we had rabbit roasted over the fire with a snowberry sauce, potatoes roasted on either end of the spit. along with a gourd that I threw in the fire and rolled over a couple times, once split open I put some cheese on it and along with a bottle of mead it was a fairly good meal for the road.
     I could see Meridia's unsmiling face in front of me, beckoning me to follow, Marcurio was beside me, as we walked across a verdant land, the color's bright enough to blind. She turned and beckoned us closer and she walked through a rift or door, the two of us following. She had stopped and marcurio and I walked up to either side of her. We were looking at a small girl child she was very obviously dead. I looked around and realized we were in Morthal. "The vampires here have gotten out of control, killing children. You will rid the town of them. You will go their quickly", with that she disappeared and I was back in my bed roll. I sat up and looked at Marcurio, who gave me a sideways grin and said it was a good thing we had already planned on going to Morthal.
    "It is, you know in all my time hunting vampires, I have never run across one that would kill a child. Usually they are smarter than that. I don't understand why the whole town isn't in an up-roar, you can do alot of things, assassin's get away with their murder's, because they don't take mark's on children. So it's not just the run of the mill ,find vampire layer kill vampires. We will have to look into the child's death, find out who and why." Marcurio nodded and we both laid back down and wen't to sleep. If Meridia wanted us to get their faster than our feet, leaving in the morning, she could have put us down right inside the town, camp and all. After all, she had done that to Marcurio and I before, nothing like waking up right in the middle of a vampire layer.
     We got to Whiterun early the next day, I traded in some of the herb's I gathered along the way for some healing and cure disease potions. I also asked a friend to do me a favor and go to my home and give a note to Rayya. She said that was fine and I wrote out the note telling Rayya to watch out for the Thalmor and let them search the place without any issues, but once my Aunt got their let her and my Uncle deal with the Thalmor patrols. They should be arriving soon.
     We left Whiterun and headed across the tundra, skirting giant camp's and their herds of mammoths. We of course ran into alot more wild life, sabre cat's and wolf pack's, but it was a good trade off to not run into bandit's or Thalmor patrol's. We skirted the mountains and basically had a leisurely walk. Marcurio and I used calming spell's whenever possible, as I really hate killing animal's for no reason.
    About an hour before sunset we were in the area I had wanted to camp at, plenty of water close by, for a bath and a rocky outcropping that we could put our back's to to keep anything from sneaking up on us. So we set up camp, Marcurio decided to cook us another stew for dinner, with some fresh beef he had gotten from Whiterun. I went to take my bath.
    I had no sooner stripped off my cloths when I heard the roar of a dragon and felt the air of his wing's blowing dust across the ground. I heard Marcurio curse in the near distance and then saw the lightning bolt he sent at the dragon. I caste a mage armor spell first thing and then a flame atronach spell, hoping for a little distraction. As the dragon shot flames at me I dove into the pond, it wasn't all that deep, but it would help.
   I was on the other side of the pond and climbing out when the dragon again decided to shoot flames, but this time at Marcurio. I caste a Fost Atronach at the dragon's feet, as the flame atronach disappeared, I dove back across the pond and grabbed the clothing I had planned to change into, shirt first. I'd forgotten how long the shirt was so I just stuffed my feet into my boots and grabbed my sword.
  The dragon snapped one more time at the frost atronach and it disappeared, but Marcurio hit it with another round of lighting bolts and I hit it with a snow storm spell, it decided to take off and fly in circle around us for a bit. Someone in the distance was shooting arrow's at it, I could see them flying at the beast. I could only hope it wasn't a group of bandit's.
   I leaned back against the rock as the dragon concentrated it's efforts at the other group of people. Marcurio looked at my long legs and asked if now was a good time to put some pant's on, or was I just going to show my ass to everything. I told him that if they didn't like what it looked like, they didn't have to look at it. I wasn't going to put more clothing on, just to take it back off when we were done, cause I knew I would want to jump back in the pond.
   I thought about it and summoned Durnehviir, when he appeared he was facing the other dragon, so he didn't even have to ask what the danger was. He took off with a rush of wind that smelled like rotten flesh. Marcurio made a comment about that and asked how long I thought it would be before my pet turned on me.
    I watched the two dragon circling each other, Durnehviir telling the smaller dragon to flee like a rat from a sinking ship, but no matter how fast it flew he would catch it and it would have to wait for it's soul to be reborn again. I knew the other dragon was saying something back to him, but I didn't understand a word it said, it was almost like the babble you would get from a toddler.
    I heard another dragon from a distance tell them that they were disturbing his sleep and Durnehviir should just send the other dragon to Oblivion and be done with it, no sense taunting the young fool. Durnehviir was toying with the other dragon, like a cat toy's with a mouse, I knew it was so that he could stay and breath the fresh air, so it didn't bother me. They had quit the conversation, some of it about me, well at least I think it was about me anyway. The other dragon was asking Durnehviir if he owed allegiance to Alduin, whoever that was. He replied that he owed no one, he might have peeked in my direction when he said that, but I never felt that he owed me anyway. The other dragon stopped talking to him, I had to wonder at that, I would have to ask who Alduin was, another dragon to be sure.
    His wing beat's were starting to slow, he was getting tired, so I threw out a firebolt at the other dragon, which cause it to pause in midair. Durnehviir caught it in a blast that sent it falling strait to the ground, which shuddered as it skidded along leaving a furrow. As it regained it's feet Marcurio and I both caught it in a blast of fire that killed it before it even knew. Durnehviir circled once more and roared in defiance, then said farewell as he disappeared back into the Soul Cairn.
    I shrugged  and told Marcurio I was going to take my bath and he might want to go see if he could salvage anything for dinner. He started as if stung and hurried back to our camp, cursing as he went. I slipped back out of the shirt and went into the pond, my cloth and soap at hand.
     I had much to think about, why is it that I didn't understand a word of what that frost dragon had said. I understood the dragon that talked to Durnehviir, I understood Durnehviir and some other dragons. Some dragon's though, like that frost dragon, I didn't understand anything and the sound's that they made really didn't sound like words in any language. Who was this Alduin, I broke his name down and it didn't really sit well, because I knew I knew the name, but I could not remember where from. I would remember when I wasn't really thinking about it, I did that all the time.
    Finished washing I got out of the pond again and dried off with the cloth I brought for that reason and put my clothing on, this time shirt and pant's. I carried my armor and gauntlets along with the sword, wearing the boots across the rocky ground. Marcurio said he added fresh vegatables to our stew, but it tasted fine.
   After eating I laid out the cloth to dry and my armor to air out, I stretched, loosening muscles and then laid down and went strait to sleep, not waking til morning.

A long walk upwards Chapter 24

  It  was snowing the day that Marcurio and I left for High Hrothgar, something it didn't do frequently in this area, it wouldn't stick to the ground here either, higher up it would. We headed up the road that lead to Helgen and to the Rift where High Hrothgar stood.
   Some of the heavy timbers that made up the fort and other buildings in Helgen were still smoldering. We could see the thin lines of smoke from different part's of the town. To go around would take a good half a day, so I decided we should go through. I told Marcurio that we should be prepared, as it was likely that bandit's would have moved into the town to loot it if nothing else.
  We cautiously walked into the gate, looking around warily for bandit's that might be hidden. It didn't take long before I saw movement on the top of one of the towers. I turned to Marcurio and said "archer, tower to our right", he nodded and kept looking around. Two bandit's came out of the bottom of the tower, just as the archer started shooting arrow's at us.
    I cast a firebolt spell at the archer, while Marcurio caste a chain lightning spell at the two bandit's. I watched the archer topple over off the top of the tower and then turned looking for another target. Nothing moved, except a couple chicken's. We walked in the direction of the gate that lead to the Rift road, skirting some of the still smoldering homes. We ran into one more set of bandit's and both of us used fireballs to send them to their chosen Divine.
   After weaving our way around to the gate, we got on the road, then it was merely watching for the normal dangers. The wolves seemed to be out in force and the bear's were in an eating frenzy trying to get the extra weight on they would need to carry them through the winter. I heard a couple dragon's in the distance but none ever came close to us.
  It was a nice walk to Iverstead, the leaves were turning and the day was beautiful with just a hint in the breeze that winter would soon be here. We entered Iverstead in the early afternoon, to hear a woman complain about the bear attack's making it hard to get her order of lumber cut, let alone brought into the mill.I looked at Marcurio who shrugged his shoulders and said it was to late to start up the 7,000 step's.
   So I asked the woman if she knew where the biggest threat from the bear's was comming from. She pointed out a bear lounging outside a cave on the other side of the river, right beside the bridge. So Marcurio went into the Inn and booked us room's and put our stuff in them.  I walked to the end of the bridge and looked over at the bear, I noticed that it wasn't a full grown bear, but perhap's two or three years old. Mom and some sibling's could be in the cave, more than likely were according to what the woman had said about the attacks.
   Marcurio came up beside me and asked what we were going to do about them, they were after all only hungry and more than likely the cutting of timber had disturbed them in their original home. I thought about it for a second and said year's ago their was a ruin a little down the river and on the other side, Spriggan's always seemed to like the area. I was pretty sure that I cold caste a calming spell and lure the bear's, one at a time, to the area. The Spriggan's would keep the bear's in that area to help them protect it.
    And that is exactly what we did, one bear at a time, I caste a spell for calming and charming and the bear's followed me to the area near the Spriggan's. It was a good thing that Marcurio had come along to help, as their was a troll in the way. Everything went exactly as I planned. Well except the fact I really hadn't counted on mamma bear having four cub's, three was rare enough. We got up the hill that lead back into town shortly after a brilliant sunset.
    The mill owner met us in the Inn, but wasn't really happy that we hadn't killed the bear's, but I explained that the area I had taken them to was off limit's to cutting down tree's or any type of settlement and had been for at least one hundred year's, it was a good place for the bear's and had always been a rather bad place for people.
   Marcurio and I went and ordered dinner and took a bath while it was being fixed. We both had a bottle of mead with dinner and a sweat treat afterwards, Marcurio had picked up my bad habit of eating sweet's. Their actually was a really good reason that I ate the sweet's and I tended to honey and nut based treat's. We often missed meal's, I mean I supose we could ask the vampires or draugr to please stop while we eat, but somehow I doubt that they would listen. A little extra fat wouldn't hurt either one of us in the long run, though neither of us would ever keep weight on.
     Marcurio found himself a pretty little farm girl to flirt with, I think on her part she was just doing it to upset the Inn's bard. Marcurio, just liked flirting, he said he liked to see the light shining in a woman's eyes when she was happy. It didn't matter to him if she was young or old, beautiful or not every woman liked to be made to feel beautiful. Being female myself I knew this to be true, I liked it when a handsome man payed me attention. He seemed to be happy so I got up and went into the room that my stuff was in.
    The next morining the Inn keeper's wife woke us up when she got up at 3 am to bake the bread, she said she had some sweet rolls and milk we could have for breakfast. We ate them and then left to climb the step's to High Hrothgar.
    I pointed out the 1st shrine to Marcurio, who seemed to have a facination with anything old. He asked if I knew how many there were and I told him I believed there were ten of them, the last being at a statue of Talos or near it. I explained to him that I had been hired as a guard for a pilgrim that wanted to climb the step's, but was in no way a warrior. I had been paying more attention to the ice wolves and frost troll's than the shrines. The woman had been old and kinda slow, so I carried a lot of food and had to make sure it would last for the trip both up and back down.
   Marcurio asked if it really took that long, that I couldn't carry enough food on my back for the whole trip for two of us. I said yes, it had taken that long, ten days up and back down. She couldn't move fast and had I known exactly how slowly I might have brought her a horse. She might not have wanted to ride up the mountain, but she probably would have back down.
    After fighting a couple ice wolves we made it to the half way point and met another traveler. She wished us well and then said to watch for the dangers on the way up. I told Marcurio that the next section, if I remembered correctly  was rather rough, the step's themselves long since disappeared beneath a layer of snow and ice.
   As we started up the last step's that we could see the wind kicked up and it started blowing snow. We got to a rocky area at the top of the step's and could only see a few feet up the fissure. I caste an armor spell and Marcurio did the same, then looked at me. I leaned toward him and told him that while I had't seen anything, I felt that something was here in the small canyon left by the cracking of the mountain.
   I then caste a detect life spell and saw a large creature not to far in front of us. I pointed out the large life form ahead of use and said Ice troll, can't be anything else. Soon as it comes in to attack, conjure a flame Atronach and hit it with fire of one kind or the other, Marcurio nodded and we didn't have that much time before it came into attack us.
   I conjured my flame atronach and Marcurio conjured another, though conjuring wasn't his greatest skill. we separated and kept the troll in a triangle, with it being one point. If the troll got to close to Marcurio, I caste another flame atronach in it's way, Marcurio did the same thing when it got to close to me. It took awhile, troll's being very sturdy beast's that had the inner ability to heal themselves, but if finally lay in the snow.
   We kept going and both of us noticed that the sun was well down in the sky. We got to the next shrine in the Troll's canyon and I looked at the area and decided that we had best camp here, because at least we were out of the wind and snow. I took a really good look at the rocky outcropping next to the shrine and told Marcurio to step back.
    I caste a flame spell, starting at the back of the outcrop, til the rocks their were almost glowing with heat. Then I melted the snow over the top of the outcrop, when the snow started flowing like water, I caste a frost spell with my other hand towards the bottom of the falling water. Freezing it from the ground up, in an almost solid sheet of ice. I then did the same thing on the other side, but made sure the sheet's of ice didn't meet, though it looked like they did, one was actually a couple feet infront of the other, enough so that we could walk through it.
  The floor of the newly made cave was clear down to the rock and would be warm to the touch. Marcurio walked in an laughed, which cut off abruptly when I told him he would have to heat up our dinner or we would be eating it cold. I spread out my sleeping roll and then sat down on it, I was bone tired, my magic almost depleted. I should not have tried that after the fight with the troll.
  I watched as Marcurio piled up a couple small rocks and put our camp pot in the middle with some clean snow and a packet of beef stew, then heat up the rock's until they were almost glowing with heat. He looked at me and I nodded. "Never heat the rock's to red hot it you can help it and never ever to white hot, they will explode". I repeated my mantra about those spell's to him, He nodded and stirred the pot witch was almost boiling. He put a bottle of apple cider on the rock's where it would warm the drink, but not cause the glass to crack or explode from the heat.
    As we sat their eating, Marcurio said he had thought about what I had said about getting married and all, but he was thinking about going back to the Imperial City and becoming a teacher. I told him he could do that here in Skyrim and probably not have to worry as much about politic's, which he would have to worry about in the Imperial City. He said that was true and he would give it all some thought.
  He told me he wanted to teach mages like himself a more practical magic, thing's like this cave or heating the rock's. Simple thing's that unless someone told you about it, you never really thought about it. "You do things that make a simple kind of sense without ever really thinking about it. I would have made a good court mage or battlemage in a large army, but the thing's you've taught me allow me to work by myself in the wilderness. I could not have done that without some of the thing's you have taught me, right down to having a dagger or sword or something as a back up. I know I could use a staff as backup, but the way you explained about having a back up, it makes more sense to have a non-magical back up than another magical one." I nodded at him and told him to get some sleep, he could think about it all over the next few week's, cause I had the feeling that he would have plenty of spare time.  We both rolled up in our fur's and went to sleep.
     We rolled up our bedding by light spell, as it was still dark out. When we rounded the boulder's and found the next rung of stair's, the dawn was a thin line on the horizon. We chatted about his idea for a practical magic school, were the adventurous could learn to survive. I had learned most of it the hard way, by needing something and having to make it up myself, usually by cobbling two spells together. It was true though that sometimes the spell's didn't happen til well after when I needed them and had had the time to think about them. Living a very long time meant I could take year's to develop one spell, if need be.
     Stopping at the last couple of shrines along the way, we rounded the corner and Marcurio got his first look at High Hrothgar. He was impressed with the building, saying it was very imposing, not really Nordic in style at all really. I had thought my memory was right, it didn't look Nordic, but I had seen a building very recently that bore a striking resemblance. That meant it was old, very very old.
     We walked up the step's and Marcurio looked around, then shrugged. I think he might have been planning on waiting outside. We walked through the door and the sound of the wind stopped, it was also very dim, which after the bright glare of the sun on the snow was rather refreshing. Marcurio hung back a couple step's behind me, as I walked towards the men I could see gathered in the first room.
    I walked up to the man that came the closest to me and bowed, "You summoned me?" The man introduced himself as   Arngeir one of the Greybeard's but he needed to know if I was Dragonborn and wanted me to "shout" at him so he could taste the power of my Thu'um, it took me a minute to realize he was asking me to gather power and speak a word in  the Dragon language. I didn't really know many and most of them I wouldn't want shouted at me, so I did the only one I knew that wouldn't cook or freeze someone. After I shouted at him and he regained his balance, He greated me as Dragonborn. He said my thu'um was strong, but he wanted to see how fast I could learn, so had another of the Greybeard's show me some word's in the dragon language and then shared the essence of the word.
    They then asked me to shout at a projection of one of the other Greybeards. When I passed that test we all went outside and I learned a completely new word. They were all very impressed with how quickly I had picked up a completely new shout. If they thought that was impressive, then what I had to say next would really blow there minds. I told them all to hold up and then explained to them that because I had been hearing dragon's my whole life, well recently I had started being able to understand them.
    I shook my head and said maybe it'll just be easier to show you.  So I shouted the word's for Frost/ice that I had learned from the dragon that had attacked me with it. Then I shouted fire at the same rock. The men all looked somewhat shocked, that I learned in that fashion, but then the one named Bori nodded his head, I heard what he said like a whisper in my head. " Basically that is the way I taught you, you learned frost/ice, by feeling it, tasting it and knowing it, from the dragon, I just gave you the essance along with the word." This time I nodded as I understood what he was saying.
   Arngeir stayed with me as the others went back inside, he said he would answer any questions that I might have. Which was mainly about what it meant that I was Dragonborn. He wasn't sure what meaning it had, he just knew he and the other Greybeard's would help and guide me as much as they could, they would instruct me in the Way of the Voice, which he said was a peaceful and religious form. I asked specific questions and found out that they thought the dragon's were just coming back. That wasn't so, their hadn't been many and those had been in hiding, but I had heard dragon's speaking since I was a child, over three hundred year's ago.
   I told him that and he looked at me rather sharply. Yes Durniviir was correct, they did have secret's they were hiding. Or well, thought they were hiding, I had heard the Dragon that was on top of this mountain a long time ago, his voice, though old and powerful, sounded lonely.
   I took my leave of the man, saying that if we were to get down the mountain, by nightfall, we would have to hurry. I hurried to the door, where Marcurio was sitting on the floor using the wall as a back rest and reading a book. He stood when he heard my boot's clicking on the stone and asked where we were sleeping. I told him in the ice cave that I had formed, I didn't trust these men, respect yes, they were powerful and by all accounts peaceful or at least reclusive, which didn't really amount to the same thing.
   We hurried to the ice cave, as it was already getting dark when we left High Hrothgar, this time I helped Marcurio with heating and cooking. Then we sat their and discussed what I had learned from the Greybeards. Marcurio was surprised that they thought the dragon's were just coming back, as they should also be able to hear them, if nothing else their power. I told him about the dragon I heard on top of this mountain and he said that maybe they were protecting a peace loving dragon.
    The way he said it was just as suspicious to him as it was to me, but we both kind of figured that if they were protecting the dragon up the mountain, then they probably had a reason for saying things they way they did. We lay down to sleep and I closed my eye's and really thought hard, trying to remember the first time I had heard the voices.
    The picture popped into my head, I had been ten or eleven year's old, usually an age that I would not have been around strangers. The family knew this woman, she was old, even for an Altmer, blind in both eyes, but had a great dog that guarded her and guided her on her journey. She rode a huge bull elk and a hawk circled the sky above her. I remember her well, as I was rebuked for staring at her.
     My father had helped her down from the Elk, who wandered into a grassy area and started munching. One of my Aunts brought our best mixing bowl full of water for him, which rather shocked me at the time, I wasn't even allowed to touch that bowl. An Uncle brought out one of our best chairs for her and put it under a shade tree. My Mother told me to listen, but not to say anything unless I was asked a direct question and to be very polite. Refreshment's were brought for her and we all sat down and listened while my Mother and Father talked to her, my Aunt's and Uncles didn't say much, but did add a comment now and then. Most of what she had to say was about people and places I knew nothing about, alot was about the weather and how the land itself was fairing.
   She sighed and rose to her feet, saying that she would need to get going as she still had a good distance to go. Then she walked strait over to me and laid a hand on my cheek and kissing me on the forehead. She said I had a long difficult and often sad life to live. Laying both hand's on my shoulders, she then kissed me on both cheek's, giving me a blessing, thought she said some would say it was a curse. She then took off a necklace that she was wearing and put it over my head.
   I still wore that necklace, funny thing about it is most people didn't even notice I was wearing it. It was a Necklace of Kyne, for some odd reason my family had worshiped her for centuries. I did not know that the old woman was a Priestess of Kyne, who often walked the land taking on her semblance, albeit a much younger version.
    Soon after the old Priestess left, that is when I started hearing the dragon's. It would have been really nice, if she was going to "gift" me with hearing the dragons or being dragonborn, she would have allowed me to understand them. It drove me crazy knowing that someone, or in this case something, was having a conversation that I couldn't understand.
   I smiled and sent my nightly prayer to Kyne, for peace.
 

A few quiet days Chapter 23

    The next morning I woke because something was irritating my nose and when I swatted at it, I realized my hand was laying on a hairy chest and I was hearing a heartbeat in my ear, along with the soft sound of breathing. Taking stock of the rest of me, was it didn't take long to know I was draped around a male body. When hair again tickled my nose, I opened my eye's and looked, the end of my  braid was being used to sweep back and forth across my nose. When I tensed, I felt as much as heard the chuckle that rumbled through his chest.
    "Oh don't be like that, you didn't take advantage of me last night." was Marcurio's odd way of reassuring me that nothing had happened, nor would it. "You woke up screaming and we talked your nightmare out and you fell back to sleep. But I might get idea's if you keep wiggling around like that, besides I can't get out of bed until you get off me." With that I jumped out of the bed, taking the blanket with me, wrapping up in it as I went. I looked back over my shoulder to find Marcurio had sat up and turned to the other side of the bed. As he stood up to get dressed, I saw the pant's that he had been wearing, I shook my head and grinned and whistled at him adding "Nice ass", then turned to go, an apple went zinging by and I heard Rayya in the other room, "Watch it, their are other people around here you know".
     I went down and rinsed off in the bathing pool, keeping my hair dry as I had washed that last night. Rayya came down the step's and left some clothing for me and I thanked her. I walked back up the stairs and found Marcurio eating breakfast, I sat down across from him and asked what he had planned for the day. He said his plan's were to lazy around the house and maybe go to the lake and catch a couple fish, if they happened to bite.
     I nodded and told him I planned on checking out what I had in the way of smithing supplies to figure out what I might make. Then either start on the new armor or head to Whiterun and buy what I might need.
   "I was thinking about one of the robe's that I liked that we looted out of the Castle, could you look at it and see if you can add some armor value to it?", before I could answer he had gotten up and walked up stairs to the room he was using. When he came back down it was with one of the cloth and leather style armor's that the vampires used. I laid it out on the table next to where we were eating and looked at it thought about the different pieces.
   As I munched on an apple tart, I thought about the leather part's, I really didn't like the way it was put together. "Yeah I can do this, it won't look exactly the same and how about black and grey with some red toggles to secure the wrap over part? perhap's add some red metal pauldrons? Boot's with red metal part's and a belt for your pouch with some red metal on it. How does all that sound?"
    Marcurio shrugged and said as long as it looked at least semi-elegant he would be happy. He was tired of looking like a drab soldier instead of an extravagant wizard. Oh he did want a back sheath for Dawnbreaker,  he decided that instead of learning a two handed weapon, learning the one he already had, that did extra damage to the vampire's he was already fighting, sounded like a much better idea anyway.
   So I spent the next two day's working with cloth, leather and metal. Coating the metal with some mineral's and then firing it in the smelter to get the red look that I wanted. By the time I showed the armored robe to Marcurio I had a good idea what I wanted to make for my own armor. He tried it on and then gave me a huge hug, telling me he loved it. He stood their while Rayya and I really looked the robe's over, Rayya said she saw no flaw's in what I had made, but did give a couple suggestion's if I made another set. Once she had pointed thing's out I could see the merit of what she was saying. It gave me some additional Idea's which I wrote down and made a quick sketch of. I would make him another set, but in different tone's of blue.
    I will admit I found many other thing's to do besides create my own armor, for some reason over the year's I have become much better a creating light armor, even though I much prefer to wear heavy. So deciding what I wanted to make for myself was harder than coming up with Marcurio's. I have always preferred to hide what gender I am behind the bulkiness of heavy, Steel, Ebony and Dwemer. Dwemer was completely out, even though I have a fun set, so would only have to fit it to me, but I hated how gaudy it looked. Having looked through my store's I know I don't have enough ebony for a full set. Steel always comes out a bit to shiny for me.
   Then it hit me, I had seen an a hybrid armor, year's ago on Solstheim, well maybe 60 or 70 years ago. I still had the notes, so I went and asked Marcurio if he had my journal's brought here. He had, but they weren't with the other book's, they were in the table beside the bed. I thanked him and then went to look through them.
   Sure enough, the pattern and quantities of each metal were written down. Under the picture of the helmet was a note stating that I hadn't really liked the look's, so I gave the sketch a closer look and decided I still didn't like it all that much. I wrote out the quantities for each piece and added it up into a whole, I would have enough for a full set, helm included should I choose. I flipped a couple pages and found a sketch of the Nordic Broadsword and decided it might be time I retired Kruziik Dilon, he was old enough that soon I would have problem's with metal fatigue just sharpening and taking the nick's out of him. He had served me faithfully for close to two hundred years.
    I stopped frozen for a moment and realized that, if I had carried Kruziik for that long, I had been without my beloved Bjorn for almost that long. I burst out laughing, how many lover's have I had since then, the answer was sad, none. Orin had hinted, for that matter so had the Bard I sent after my Aunt, that damn Orc fifty year's ago hadn't wanted to take no for an answer, til I bested him in a brawl. Twenty year's ago the Thalmor Legate  had more than hinted, he'd tried black-mail. He really should have known better, I wonder if anyone ever found his body, maybe bear's or wolves. Well my Aunt always had said I was a subtle as a heard of Mammoths.
     I went down to the cellar and gathered up all of the ingot's I would need to make the pieces of armor and sword that I wanted to create. I gathered up all the various metal ingot's, fur and leather pieces I would need and then carefully counted them out by armor piece and weapon. I had enough for everything, with a couple ingot's left over to temper it all. I took it all upstairs and out side to the smelter and got all the metal's ready to form into the various pieces.
    Because it was late afternoon, I decided to just fold the various metal's together and call it a day. A swim in the lake sounded good, after being near the smelter and hammering on hot metal. I gathered up some clean clothing and walked down to the river. I didn't see Marcurio anywhere, but that didn't mean a thing, as it is a big lake and the best fishing was a little ways up on the other side of a outcropping of boulders.
   I tucked a dagger into the loop I made in my swim pant's and paddled out into the lake. I found a spot where I could sit and lean back against a rock and watched the cloud's go by. I let my mind drift and tried not to think of anything.
   The sun was very low in the sky when I felt a nudge on my leg and saw a couple small fish swimming around it like children playing tag. I felt a tug in my heart, I had always loved children. Bjorn and I had talked about it once, but didn't think  an interracial child would be a good idea at that time. We had enough trouble with just our relationship, people hadn't liked our being together. Well his people looked at  us funny, my people, well their were rumor's that sometime in the past any child with a defect was put to death. The Thalmor upper echelon weren't known for their kindness.
   "You planning on turning into a fish?!" shouted from the shore from Marcurio broke me out of my thought's. I stood up and waved at him and then paddled back to shore. He held out the large drying cloth I had brought and I wrapped my self up in it and we walked back to the house.
    "Marcurio, have you ever thought about getting married and having children?"
    "For a proposal that is sort of lacking you know, I would have expected candles and wine, at the very least." He said in a laughing tone.
    I rolled my eyes and said, " Not me you moron, some lovely little Nord. "
     " I had thought about it, but as a vampire hunter, I never thought it was a good idea. Yes, I know I didn't have to follow you. I could have found someone else to teach me some of the spell's not generally taught at the college."  We went up the step's to the balcony that over looked the lake side of the property.
    " You know I talked to Isran?" when he nodded I continued, " He and the other's will continue to fight the vampires that remain. Most of them are not as organized as Lord Harkon was anyway, so he doesn't expect as much of a problem. So I told him I wanted to take care of some other things, personal things, but if he needed us, just send word. I know I spoke for you also, but I figured you would feel the same. Therefore you can get married and have some children. And before you say anything, this IS your house also. When you became steward, you took responsibility for it." He looked a little rebelious and then said,
   "What about your going to find out about this "dragonborn" thing, were you planning on going alone?"
   " No, Marcurio. Remember I made you some armor? I kind of figured that if what everyone says is true, then they will have to instruct me on how to be a dragonborn. If I remember some things I have read in the past, It may take year's, even decades for me to learn everything I need to know. If not, I had planned on you going with me. Thing is Marcurio, at some point or the other you need to have a family. I don't plan on staying in Skyrim for more than another twenty or thirty year's, I don't wish to actually see my friends grow old and die. I know as a mage you will live longer than some, but I have another seven or eight hundred year's before I am old."
    He looked at me and nodded.
  " I do understand, that's why you stash gem's and money around. You know in the future you can come and get them. You keep tract of all your friends children and grandchildren, that's what I am. You looked in on me, seen my potential as a wizard and found me a teacher in the Imperial City. `I looked you up to thank you for changing my life and found another teacher and a friend. You don't want to see me grow old and die in front of you. You live through all your friends children, they are forever young in your mind."
   I nodded at him, he did understand parts, but the whole would be very hard for anyone whose lifespan was as short as most humans. I gestured for us to go inside, so I could put some cloths on, the sun had set and it was rather chilly. As we got to my room he started talking again.
   "You watched Bjorn grow old and die, didn't  you?" At my nod he kept talking, "That is another reason, you try not to get to attached to people, but you keep hanging around people that you know are short lived. I some of the reason's that you like the Nord's so much, they are a very nice people, who tend to live in their here and now. I know you loved Bjorn completely and how much you miss him, but unless he isn't the man that you discribed to me, he would want you to find someone else to love. His advice would probably be the same as mine, find an Altmer you can love, not like you don't have a couple hundred years to do so."
   I opened my mouth to repute everything he said, then I realized just how right he was and I nodded and told him I would think about what he said and have a good night.
   Over the next four day's I made  my armor and a new sword. I thought alot about the thing's that Marcurio had said and knowing my Aunt was coming, I decided on some thing's. Marcurio and I would head up to High Hrothgar in a couple days. I wanted to look around the area here first and get used to the new armor and sword. I knew their would be bandit's in plenty to hunt down, so I figured to head to Falkreath  and ask the Steward if any job's had been posted.
   That's just what I did, but instead of bandit's, I ended up tracking down a Dragon. When I found him, I tried to talk to him. I even called Durnehviir, to try and talk some sense into the creature, but he wouldn't have it at all and continued to attack, Durnehviir and I finished the poor creature off.
   I asked Durnehviir to land, usually I didn't, as I knew he just wanted to fly the sky's over Tamriel for as long as he could, which was never more than an hour. Once he landed and we greeted each other, I aske him about what the dragon at the watch tower and Jarl Balgruuf  had said about my being Dragonborn. He looked at me rather oddly and asked had I not known? When I said that no I had no clue, I heard a chuckle in his tone.
   He said that I AM Dragonborn, I have the soul of a dragon, but a mortal body. Had I not heard the dragon's speaking my whole life? He nodded when he saw the light of understanding in my eye's. I had not understood what was being said, but yes  I had heard the dragon's, once I told him that. He like the other's suggested that I go and talk to the Greybeards, but I shouldn't take everything they say at face value, as they where hiding secret's of their own. He started fading out, so I said good bye until the next battle. He seemed to get energy from battles and stayed here longer, if the battle was a lengthy one.
  I walked back to Falkreath and showed the steward the scales and bones I had collected as prof. that the dragon was dead. The Jarl had wanted me to bring the dragon's head to his Longhouse so he could have it mounted on the wall, but I told him that it would be to heavy for me to carry. So I showed the Steward exactly where the dragon was on her map and she would send a couple guards and a cart after it.
   I then went to talk to Lod about my new armor. He said he liked the looks of it, but if I wanted his honest opinion on how well it would do in a prolonged fight and over time. I would have to take it off so he could get a good look at it from the inside out, but would start with the sword. So I handed him the sword and started taking off the armor, gauntlet's and boot's first, then the Cuirass and then greaves.
   I stood their in just my gambeson and felt the chill, Falkreath rarely being sunny and usually damp. Lod was still looking at the Sword and remarking telling me I did a really good job with it. I moved closer to the forge for the warmth coming off the fire. Lod put the sword on the work bench then picked up one of the gauntlet's, pulling the lacing from it so that he could look at the inside. He did the same with each and every piece, putting them back together when he was done looking at that particular piece. His wife had come out a little earlier and tried asking him what he wanted for lunchen, getting no answer she said she would be back with something for the two of us.
   When he finished and put the last piece down, He picked up his mug of mulled wine and then told me I had done a very good job on the sword, everything looked very good. The armor on the other had looked like a very professional job from the inside, but the bright-work on all the pieces look more crude, as if an apprentice had done the work.
   I finished chewing the stew I was eating and told him that was really on purpose, as most people were going to judge the armor from the outside only. He laughed and said if anyone was stupid enough to judge the skill of a warrior on their armor, they deserved to die. I nodded at him and said a real warrior wouldn't, but some people were just plain stupid. I'd seen the son's of very rich people parading around in Deadric armor, because they could afford it, but the sword was more a decoration than a tool for them. He shook his head, but agreed with me.
    As he helped me back into the armor, he said that with proper care the armor should last me a hundred years or so. I thanked him and told him to thank his wife for the lunch, it was very good. I told him to have a good night and then walked off the pourch. Looking up at where the sun was, I decided I could make it home before it was to dark.
    So I headed out of Falkreath and towards the house. Right after I passed the "hidden" Dark Brotherhood sanctuary, I passed one of their member's on the road. One of these day's I really should leave a note on their doorway, letting them know if they wanted their hide out secret, they should have the members returning from job's dress in something other than their assassin's gear. I didn't always "see" their people, but I always knew they were their. I smirked at the one I passed and said hello, she jumped as if startled and I shook my head.
   Up the road a little ways and when the sun was low in the sky behind me, I saw three people coming up the road. I lowered my hood a little and because the sun was behind me, I knew they couldn't see my face. As they drew near, I cursed under my breath, because not only was it a Thalmor patrol, but I knew the Justicular. I stayed at my easy pace on the opposite side of the road and tried to stay as relaxed as I had been before I saw them. As I drew abreast of them, I almost sighed in relief, but it would have been short lived.
     "Citizen, might we bother you for direction's to a Manor house in the area." The Justicular asked. Keeping my head at an angle that the hood would cover my face and trying to pitch my voice slightly lower, I replied.
    "Which manor house?" I had stopped so that technically I was facing them.
   "Lakeview Manor". he said, walking across the road and stopping within ten feet of me. " That's would be your home wouldn't it Zyne?"
    " It would be Caraveral and just what is it that you want with me", I said, hoping to stall just a little.
    " I would like to say that I was sent to arrest you for your treasonous crimes, but the truth is, someone put out a death warrant instead" He sounded quiet smug about that, but then again, my Aunt and Uncle had humiliated his family. I put my hands on my hips and shrugged.
   " So what, you volunteered to come and execute me?" He smiled and walked just a little closer. Inwardly I was happy, about that. Come, come a little closer. "Never got over looking like a fool huh.?" He took the last two step's, right as one of the other Thalmor agent's started to caution him about it. As he got within arm's reach he started casting a spell, but I was quicker drawing the dagger from  behind my back, from it's horizontal sheath. A dagger with a  strong paralyzing enchantment and coated with a very potent poison. I put the dagger strait through his heart and whispered in his ear, " you shouldn't have made the girl's cry", before he died.
   As I pushed him away, I cast a ward spell and started to throw a firebolt spell, but I need not have bothered as the two agent's toppled over from arrow's from bow's held in the hand's of some Stormcloak soldiers that had been hiding in the bushes.
   The leader of the group saluted me as they went by. I bent down and pulled the dagger out of the Justicular's heart. The last soldier in line handed me an arrow and then smiled. As it was dark by then, so I'm not sure if they realized I am also an Altmer, but then again it might not have bothered them in the least.
   I got back to the Manor, just as the moon's started to rise. Marcurio and Rayya were sitting down to dinner, I joined them as soon as I washed up a bit and changed clothing. We chatted about this and that and Marcurio asked how soon we would be leaving for High Hrothgar. I told them that the day after tomorrow, we would be going and I planned on making some journey ration's the next day.
   I got up and told them both to have a very good night and then I went to bed, determined to have a good and full nights sleep.
 

A Friend in need Chapter 22

      The swamp around Morthal was a hazy mist when we got up the next morning. Marcurio ordered our breakfast and some food for lunch, while I went out to give the horses there's. I stood on the porch of the Inn for a moment and looked around, I saw a house had recently burned down. I thought about asking, but something said if I wanted a couple of day's of quiet, then I should just leave. My mind made up, I went in and ate breakfast, Marcurio and I left with out my curiosity being satisfied.
     I sat at the junction of road outside Morthal and tried to decide which way I wanted to go.  Either way had it's hazards, I took the left deciding on the shorter route through Labyrinthian. I warned Marcurio about the frost troll's and that fire was their greatest weakness, to try and stay out of their arm's reach. My plan was to ride behind him, summoning a flame atronach and to continue riding on of possible. The horses would have a bit of a problem climbing the frozen step's up there, but should be alright for a gallop through. I would do any close fighting from horseback, he was to stay well away from the creatrures and keep going, I would catch up.
    As we gave the horses a breather at the top of the entrance, I pointed out the best way through and the route he should take. We didn't actually see and Frost Troll's, but I knew they would be here, so I caste a detect life spell and sure enough, there were two. I told Marcurio where they were and we altered our plan slightly.
   When we hit the bottom of the step's, the first Troll came out, I caste a flame atronach just outside it's arm's reach and that kept it occupied. I kept watch behind us and needed to recaste the spell when the creature started following us. As we neared the second one, I caste a muffle spell on the horses hooves, I knew it wouldn't work completely, but it would get us close. We were almost even with it's hiding spot when it came out, both of us kicked the horses into a gallop. Marcurio cast a fire bolt right in it's face and I caste a flame atronach within a few feet of it.
   The horses soon outdistanced the frost troll and we galloped onto the tundra north of Whiterun hold, Dragonsreach visible in the distance. When we slowed the horses down and walked them to the pond we could see in the near distance. It would be a good spot to eat lunch and let the horses relax, graze and drink some water. The horses were cool from their run by the time we got to the pond, so I unsaddled them and took their bridles off but put some hobbles on. Marcurio had heated up some bread with butter and cheese on it by torching a rock and then setting the slices of bread on top. Two apples and some mead and our lunch was complete.
    We sat looking in opposite directions quietly eating for a little while, then Marcurio asked me what our plan's were. I told him I planned on spending a week or so at the Manor and forging another suit of armor, as I thought that I really needed to go and talk to the Greybeards and find out what it is they had summoned me for and IF they though I might be "Dragonborn" as some where suggesting. It wouldn't fool anyone for long, but there weren't that many Altmer in the Dawnguard, so one seen heading up to High Hrothgar, would be noticeable.  There actually were quiet a few Altmer running aorund Skyrim, so different armor might point anyone looking in the wrong direction, if only for a little while.
   Marcurio nodded and said he would wear one of the robe's that he had and not carry a warhammer on his back, as he was known to do, that would help also. I suggested that he might like to take a vacation from traveling and cozy up with a barmaid in a nice warm tavern with some mead or ale. He gave me such a dirty look I almost laughed. "As the Companion's might say, your my shield-sister where you go into danger, so do I". I conceded and we saddled the horses back up and headed to the Manor.
    Other than some wolves that I calmed and sent on their way, it was a very un-eventful trip home. I had time to think about what kind of Armor I might want to make. Steel plate would be an obvious choice and generic enough that I would blend in well. I had a set of Ancient Nord armor that I kept, Bjorn had alway's liked the way I looked in it, said I had sexy leg's, but it might not be as strong as I would like, I'd have to think on that one. Plus an Altmer running around in Ancient Nord would defiently attract attention I might not want. I had a couple pieces of Dwemer armor, but I really hated how bulky it was. Ebony was a bit expensive, I did have some ingot's and I knew where I could mine more myself.... it was a thought. I would see what I had on hand and what pattern those item's best suited.
   As we headed up a hill into the heavily treed area that was Falkreath Hold, I sighed at being out of the direct sunlight. Chasing vampires at might had made my eye's very sensitive to the bright light on the tundra or ice fields. We skirted an area I knew to be the home of several Spriggin's, unless or until they became a hazard to other traveler's, I would leave them alone. Cresting a rather large hill, we could see the lake in the distance, we would be home in an hour or so.
   Rayya met us at the stables saying she had seen us in the distance and had put on some stew and added a couple apple tarts to the oven for baking, they should be done by the time we cleaned up, in the new bathing room, that the workers had dung. Before I could ask, she said while digging the extra room on the west side, they had hit a spring, but by routing water pipes under the forge, then back to the bathing pool and waterfall, we had hot water. Pipes then took the dirty water back to the underground stream. The new storage room was on the east side, not as large as I might like, but the base rock from the mountain meant they couldn't go any further.
   Rayya said she would care for the horses, if Marcurio and I wanted to clean up before dinner. Marcurio beat me down the new stairs to the basement level and soon as he saw the steam coming up from the pool, he started stripping off his armor. He made a quip that I could either be modest or clean, he really didn't care which, but he was going to soak in that beautiful hot water. I shook my head and picked his armor and other thing's up off the floor and placed them on a bench, placing a towel next to those things.
    As I started taking off my heavier armor, I realized neither of us had thought to grab clothing. So in just my Gambeson, I walked back up stair's and grabbed us both some robes, I left my Armor and other thing's on my bed, walking back down to the bathing room in just my under-garments. I hadn't realized that Rayya had come in the house til I heard her sharply indrawn breath. I looked at her over my shoulder and realized she was staring at my back. I hunched my shoulders up and told her that some Deadroth have very sharp claws, which was the truth, just not the right one. She nodded and I saw a new respect in her eyes and hated that it was for a lie, but the truth....well that would take some explaining and I didn't feel like doing so so right now.
    Marcurio was lounging on an underwater bench when I got back to the bathing room, with a bottle of ale. I placed our clothing on the bench next to his armor and pouch and stripped off my under-garments. He told me their was soap and a cloth on a ledge to the left of the waterfall and then made a quip about tan-lines. I stood under the falling hot water and let the tension run out, then I soaped up and washed. Dunking under the water to rinse off, I walked over to another underwater bench and put my head on the pools ledge.
    "I may never want to leave", Marcurio said in a sleepy tone. I remarked that he didn't have to leave the house if he didn't want to, but if he drowned himself in the pool, I would turn him into a thrall and make his death a misery. He chuckled at that, opened his eyes and said he might just forego dinner in place of a nice warm bed.
    I told him goodnight and closed my eye's to relax more. After a few minutes I knew it was a bad idea to stay in the water, I'd drown myself. So I dried off and went upstairs. I climbed into bed after eating a little of the food Rayya had made, closing my eye's I fell into a very restless sleep.
    The room was blurry as I opened my eye's, by the time I could focus, I knew I was in a dungeon cell. I could hear the cries of others and smell the sour stench of fear. I remembered eating and then climbing into my bed, I must have been drugged to get in this cell and not remember anything. Damn her to Oblivion, she will wish she had killed me. I shivered from the cold and I looked down to find I was wearing only my under-garments, even my necklass and rings were gone. I got to my feet and staggered to the bar's, looking both ways down the hall. Their were many cell's, in most of them Nord's, the man in the cell across from mine noticed I was standing and walked to his bar's. I asked him if he knew where we were and he said no, but it must be in the far north judging by the cold.
    When I asked him why he was in here he replied "Treason", which is basically what they have told everyone who has asked. He tipped his head one way then the other and looked into my cell, then snorted and said it figured. He took off his shirt and balled it up around an apple and threw it across to me, it barely made it and I thanked him. He said it was no problem and they should have at least had the decency to leave me with some kind of clothing. I put the shirt on, it wasn't much and it was threadbare, but better than nothing. I put the apple down on the stone bench and moved some of the hay to the front of the cell so I could stand on it to get my feet up off the cold stone.
   I  heard the scrapping of metal on stone in a pattern that suggested someone walking down stair's, I noticed my new friend had moved to the back of his cell and was motioning for me to do likewise. As the sound grew louder I could tell it was at least two in armor and one wearing soft leather boot's. As I caught a look at the first of me people walking down the step's, I closed my eye's and felt a huge rock sink to the bottom of my stomach. Thalmor and not just any agent, but  the High ranking Justicair inquisitor, lovely.
   They stopped in front of my call and the Justicair, looked at me with a sneer on her face. "So, we finally caught you." she even had a sneer in her voice, when she said that. I replied, that yes, you finally did catch me, but it would be nice to know what it is she thought that I had done. My family won't stand for my being accused falsely. She laughed and said first my family would have to know that I was here and second, I was being charged with treason against the Aldmeri Dominion. I would be questioned to find out what other traitor's I might know. With that she shot out a bolt of lightning that flung me against the back wall, when I tried to gather my magic to fling back another spell, I couldn't, all my magic was gone. She laughed and said that they had given me a potion that caused all the persons magic to dissipate.
   I was wide eyed with horror, as they left laughing. I hadn't expected a sword in my jail cell, but I had figured that I could use my magic to get out. A couple hours later we heard footsteps again, this time it was the two jailers with a man between them. A rather large Nord, with his hands bound behind him and a gag in his mouth. The jailers opened a cell door and pushed him so hard inside that he fell forward, the only thing keeping him from going head first into the stone was quick reflexes that had him landing hard on his shoulder.    I looked at the Nord across from me and he shrugged, " They come in and pour the same liquid into him as they have you, plus put that gag in his mouth. It's spelled their, he has gotten his hands untied and tried to take it out". I looked at the man and wondered if his language was that foul that they would gag him so or maybe he bit one of them like an animal.
    I piled some of the cleaner hay onto the bench and sat down on it. It was very scratchy, but  better than sitting on the cold stone. I put my knees inside the shirt and laid their on my side. What could have been several minutes or hours later, more boot's came down the step's. I sat up looking out in the direction that they came from. I need not have craned my neck, because they stopped right in front of my cell.
    One was a wizard, because he caste a paralysis spell on me, the others came into the cell and yanked my arms behind my back, tying them tightly.When they where done one of the men had me by the arms the other grabbed my hair and yanked my head backwards. The wizard came into the room and poured the contents of a vial down my throat, he used magic to close my mouth and pinch my nose off, it was either swallow or choke.  I swallowed and the world went all hazy, but I could feel them dragging me away from the cell.
   When I came to enough to know I was awake, I way chained with both arms out above my head and my legs shackled to the ground. My shirt was again gone, so much for the nice gesture, it was a tattered rag on the floor in front of me. In my mouth was a gag, probably similar to the one the Nord had.
     The Thalmor High Inquisitor, walked into view. She grabbed my hair and looked me strait in the eye's, "I want to know, who your co-conspiritors are and because I don't wish to hear any lies right now, I won't even ask questions right now." She smirked and walked to the wall slightly to my left, from the right came a rather large Altmer carrying a whip with several tails and attached to each tail was a piece of metal. He rubbed the whip's handle across my face and then down between my breasts, his hoarse laughter mocking me as I tried pulling away.
    He went around behind me and ran the handle down my spine, I gritted my teeth for the pain I knew would be coming. When the first lash hit, I glared my hatred at the woman across from me, I could feel the blood dripping down my back from the open wounds. It stung, but was tolerable or so I thought. The woman leaned forward and said " You will tell me what I want to know". I heard the soft footfalls of the boots that the man had been wearing. They stopped directly behind me and I felt a liquid pour down my back, it burned like liquid fire and a gasped in surprise.
   The torturer gabbed my hair and yanked my head back, so that my throat was exposed to him, he bit into the side of my neck and then bit his way up to my ear. He whispered exactly what he would do to me once the Inquisitor was gone. He ran the whips handle down my back again and a few seconds later, I felt the lashes again and again.  I could not have screamed aloud if I had wanted to, but I knew I was. The woman Walked up to me than and grabbed my face, looking in my eyes, laughed and told the Torturer he could do whatever he pleased as long as I was left alive to answer questions and he didn't remove the gag. She turned around and walked away.
     As the lash came down again, I woke up screaming. I Heard a chair fall over in the distance and booted feet running to me. Before I even realized what I was doing I sent a firebolt blasting at Marcurio as he rounded the doorway. He dived back around the door and caste a  light spell, both he and Rayya peeked around the doorframe. He motioned Rayya to stay and walked cautiously to me, by then I had stopped screaming and was staring blankly. Marcurio sat down next to me and put one arm around me, he knew me well enough to know not to confine me. I wrapped both arms around him and started sobbing. Marcurio looked at Rayya over my head and motioned for her to leave, she nodded and walked out.
    When the sob's had stopped and tear's where still falling down my face from remembered pain. Marcurio said if I wanted to talk it out, he would listen, sometimes that helped with letting go of a nightmare. I sighed and started from the begining of the dream, when I got to the point I had woken up, I paused. Marcurio got up and grabbed two bottles of ale, handing me one, then setting back down so that my head was again resting on his shoulder and I was wrapped in one arm.
     So I continued the nightmare, that had been reality. The Torturer lashed me at least five more times and then came and poured more of that liquid down my back. I didn't know it at the time, but it was a combination of a healing potion and salt water. It burned like fire, but healed the torn skin at the same time. This time when he grabbed my hair and started biting my neck, he had a knife in the other hand that he used to cut off my undergarments. He used that knife to make tiny little cut's on my breast's, I won't go into detail, but I'm sure you can imagine what else he was doing. I felt Marcurio's nod against my head and how his whole body tensed.
    I am not sure how long he continued that cycle of lashes and physical cruelty, but the last time, he didn't pour that liquid down my back, just took me to my cell and threw me in. I know it was a least two or so days before the woman visited me again. This time, when they had me chained to the posts, she asked questions, I gave her no truthful answers, not even my rightful name. I started giving the names of people that I knew she knew. I also knew that while everyone of them had secret's, they weren't what she was looking for. I Never did give her exactly what she wanted.
   From the man in the cell across from me I found out that they questioned me every few days, I always came back in the exact same state and the torturer, always came and told the others exactly what had been done to me, that it would be them next. When he told me it had been a month since I first was brought here, the man that was gagged in the other cell was taken out and didn't come back. At first I thought they had killed him, but my new friend said no, they always dumped the dead down a trapdoor at the end of the cell block.
    Several week's later we heard  loud noises in the room's above us, that sounded like fighting. Not an hour later, the torturer came running through the cell block, he tried unlocking the trapdoor, but two arrow's sticking out of his spine, prevented him from moving.
    The most beautiful man I have ever seen in my life walked passed me and grabbed the torturer by the shirt front and lifted him up like he was a child. Long sun-gold blonde hair, scruffy beard from not shaving for a day or two, tall enough he would have to bend down to go through most doorways and muscles that were trying hard to escape his armor.  He carried the man back and put him on his feet in front of my friends cell, another man patted him down and took the key he found and opened the cell.
   He opened the cell door and hugged my friend, he gave him a pack that contained leather armor, which he put on. Then took the sword from the man when he came back from opening the rest of the cell's. When he got to mine, he did a double take and gasped in surprise. "Brother, it's an elf." His tone said exactly what he thought of Elves in general and Altmer in particular. The Beautiful giant turned around with the torturer still in his grasp, almost like he had forgotten the man was their. He had eye's the color of a clear winter sky, I could have drowned in them.
  My friend grabbed the key out of his hand and walked into my cell, when he lifted his hand towards me I backed up. He said his name was Finn and it would be okay, so I didn't move when he placed his hand on my shoulder and I felt the healing spell take all the pain away. He looked over his shoulder and asked if they had any other clothing. He was thrown a shirt and pair of pant's by a new man that walked in.
   I don't know why I turned, not like a totally naked woman can be modest putting on clothing, but I heard the four men growling in shared pain and anger. My new friend Finn turned quickly and grabbed the torturer from his giant friend and slammed him against the bar's of the cell that he had been in. After hitting him enough that his face was a bloody mess, he healed the man and pushed him harder against the wall.
  Finn turned and looked at me and asked what I would like done with the man. I tucked my head down and told Marcurio I was very ashamed of my answer, I shivered from the cruel thing I had done. I told Finn that I wanted him chained naked to the post's that he would find in the next room and then they could leave if they wanted.
   Finn and the man I was to learn was actually his brother left, but my beautiful giant stayed behind. I grabbed the whip from the table and lashed him about 3 times, then all my strength was gone. I leaned against the table and looked at the instrument's on it. I shuddered when I saw some of the things on that table and realized what he had done with them.
  My giant walked over to me and crouched down to look at me eye to eye, he said his name was Orin and if I didn't have the strength to exact my revenge, he would do what ever I wanted to the man. I told Orin, that all I wanted was for him to die as painfully and with as much humiliation as I felt. Orin nodded and asked a couple question's, glancing at the table next to me and grimacing. He got up and lashed the man a few times, then grabbed a hand full of salt from a table and spread it on his back. He walked in front of the man and laughed and then said some things that I couldn't hear. He then walked over to me and picked me up and carried me outside.
    I sighed and told Marcurio that Orin was one of the best friends I have ever had, he had died in The War, fighting the Aldmeri Dominion, along with myself and the others from that day. Sometimes Macrurio, I thought we might have ended as Lover's, but then Bjorn  would enter my mind. I don't think he would begrudge me the love of another man.... as long as he could respect that man, but I couldn't.
   Marcurio laughed and handed me another bottle of ale. I drank it down and relaxed against his chest, falling into a relaxed sleep, listening to his slow steady heartbeat. Marcurio took a drink of his ale and cursed mentally men that could turn something as beautiful as lovemaking into less than even paid for sex, using it as a mean's of torture. He snorted and thought about what he might have done to that man, no telling if the others had gone back and done worse than Zyne knew about, he would have.
  Rayya walked in and asked it everything was alright, Marcurio said no, but they would be by morning. Could Rayya possibly grab that other pillow and put it behind his back? and please help take off the boot's, he didn't want to disturb Zyne. Rayya laughed and put a second pillow behind Macurio's back and took off his boot's and then helped to arrange him and Zyne so they would both be comfortable sleeping.
   Marcurio said thank you and took one more swig of the ale before putting the bottle on the table and closing his eyes, disturbed because he had alway's assumed that the scar's on Zyne's back really had been from Dreamora talon's, just like she said, he should have known better. He drifted into sleep, thinking ill thought's.