Ever since Amren talked him into finding his family sword, Dravus had been forcing me to walk with him to Valtheim Towers.
"Ugh you owe me a serious foot rub after all the walking you've made me do." I say as my eyebrows furrow. 'I don't get why he can't just buy a horse for us' Somehow, I manage to shut myself up in my mind. 'T-t-that means I'd have to ride it with him,' I gulp at the thought. 'Perhaps, he might have enough gold for two?' Oddly enough, I hope that that isn't possible.
"Isn't it your fault for following me? I told I was going somewhere far, I believe I mentioned I was going to WALK there." His voice surprises me, I haven't heard that tone since the trip started. Although his tone is as icy as stalhrim, the fact that he responded brings me the warmth of knowing that I'm not alone. 'Screw all these feelings, he is such a mannerless horker!'
"Whatever, Dravus! You still owe me a foot rub!" I can't help but to blush. I had already told him why I followed him before, but repeating it is just embarrassing. 'Stupid horker, I follow because you're fun to be around.' The redness in my face rivals that of a tomato right now. 'It's not you, it's just the cold. Yeah, just the cold.'
It seems like just a week ago when he first met me at the stables of Whiterun. 'Wait, that was one week ago... Stupid me, how can I have gotten so comfortable around him?' As a matter of fact, he hasn't even shown his face to me. 'Not that I care! Who am I kidding? I'm just as curious about his face as a Khajiit would be addicted to Moon Sugar.' Suddenly, my chest tightens up and my stomach feels hollow. His face is concealed by the shadow of his mage hood. The fact that he is taller than most Nords has only allowed me to capture a glimpse of his bearded chin so far. That day when he found me in the stables, his gaze caught mine as if it was a spell, two bright suns shining within the darkness of the shadow. 'I have to admit, I do miss his eyes. I want to see more of him, ...for the sake of curiosity of course.' I am walking right behind him, and i don't think i could possibly be more embarrassed unless he decided to look back at me.
After what felt like the longest moment of silence, Dravus's voice shakes me into reality. "It's kind of weird of you, you know. You haven't spoken for hours. What's wrong?" Just when I thought the red on my cheeks had disappeared, I can feel the heat already returning. 'He is worried about me?' Somehow, that thought made me cough a little. I immediately look straight down to hide my blush from him, but then I notice his foot was no longer in motion. Curiously, I look up only to meet a pair of yellow eyes, and I just gulp in fear. Dravus tilts his head to the left and squints at me, which only serves to intimidate me more.
"Are you sick or something?" He breaks the awkward silence. He takes one heavy step forward, toward me, crunching the snow beneath his steel cuffed boots. He lets out a deep sigh and started to turn his head.
"You actually c-care about how I f-feel?" I stuttered, and of course, I believed it was the cold. Once again, the crunching of snow resumes but the behind that noise, I can almost hear his faint chuckle. 'Such a fool.'
After about three hours more of hiking, I was wandering aimlessly, only slightly paying attention to the large body before me.
"Ouch! Hey, what's the big idea?" I said, rubbing my forehead injury from the impact. As quiet as ever, he gives a long sigh, only discernable through the steam coming from his mouth, as he lets forth no sound. 'Is he just going to stay quiet it like that?!' Anxious for an answer, I raise my volume, just enough so there won't be an avalanche. "Hey! I'm talking to yo-!" My heart beats like a drum.
Dravus just loves to get on my nerves. Under the cold air, I can feel the warmth of my cheeks, the hot steam stored in my lungs, and the heat of his fingertips upon my lips. 'Bastard!' Just when I was about to bite his fingers and smack him with the flat of my steel blade, Dravus's voice beats my hand to it.
"I think we're very close to the bandit camp now. I just saw two thugs patrolling the road." He stops and, once again, his yellow eyes lock onto mine. 'Not again!' For some non-apparent reason, I get excited everytime he looks at me with those eyes. Ironically, even in this weather, my palms manage to get sweaty. My lips quiver slightly, and the heat on my face tends to raise my body temperature. 'Has time slowed down? I can't even tell the difference between an hour and a second. How long are we going to stay like this? Perhaps, forever...'
"Try to keep your voice down next time. Gods know what kind of trouble we could've been in if those bandits heard you." His fingertips drop ever so slowly. His sudden movements break the spell, I almost thought I was lost in Dravus's eyes. However, the anger halted by Dravus's fingertips balls my hand into a fist.
"Argh!" I wince. 'Curse you, Dravus! Stupid armor! I think I just broke a nail, too!'
"Careful with that leather. It took me quite a while to hunt enough wolves for your armor." Dravus chuckles silently. 'I just know he got a huge grin on his face. What a jerk.' This leather armor set was crafted by Dravus. Surprisingly, I'm actually grateful to him for crafting it. It brings me way back when we first met, which was one week ago. Dravus had found me sleeping in the stables of Whiterun. 'Wait a minute! Why am I thinking about that! Too embarrassing! Must. Stop. Thinking. About. It!' I mentally slapped myself. Dravus might be a good person, as far as I know, but he can be such a jerk sometimes. 'I guess he's just doing me a favor, keeping me company. I really hate being alone.'
I can see a tower across the river, not too far away. Dravus whispers, "These are the Valtheim Towers, if I'm correct." He went quiet again, and I can hear the metal of his sword graze against its sheath. Seven bandits including their chief, and it looks like they're well armed.
"How are we going to do this? Perhaps we can sneak. I love taking it from behind... I mean taking people from behind!" I attempt to fix my mistake, but it is futile.
"Charming, Sofia. Since there are only seven bandits, we're going to go loud. Ready?" Dravus stands up, unleash his so called "pride" and heads for the fight.
'This guy is like a human version of a sabre cat. Stupid. Arrogant. Lousy.' I thought. But then all of a sudden, he runs back and grabs my hand as if he likes to embarrass me, and I must incline to agree on that idea. 'No, I can't be like this in a battle!'
Dravus's charge caught the attention of two bandits. The first one standing guard at the entrance of the tower, returns Dravus's warcry with her own. I manage to free my hand from his grasp and launch an ice spike at the bandit. The spike lodged itself into the woman's thigh, and Dravus was able to finish her off. I quickly shoot my gaze to the top of the tower, the elf had already full drawn his bow.
"Dravus, look up!" I yell, almost completely futile as the arrow had already left the bowstring. 'No!'
Dravus raises his steel shield high, deflecting the well-aimed shot just in time. I thought my heart had stopped beating. "There won't be a second attempt!" Dravus shouts. Furious, I quickly launch a firebolt at the archer, which staggers him, causing him to fall off. Then, I hear a loud noise and turn to Dravus. It was the bandit's chief clad in a full set of steel; an Orc with a giant battleaxe. I try to cast an ice spike at him but he manages to dodge it. The orc swings at Dravus, who staggers away, knocked off balance. I try to cast another ice spike but the coldness on my hand started to weaken. 'Oh no, I'm out of magicka!' I had no other choice now but to join the melee with Dravus.
Just when the chief was about to swing his axe again, Dravus bashed him with his shield, stunning the orc. I charge in with zeal and plunge my blade deep into the Orc's shoulder, causing him to drop his weapon. Dravus forces in and stabs the Orc in the thigh, making him to fall to one knee. I slash once at the Orc, leaving Dravus to finish him off with a shield to the face. I'm left gasping for air. 'That sure took a lot out of me.'
Dravus gives me some the magicka potions he had either found or crafted to me. With every vial, I can feel my energy returning. We then finish off the rest of the bandits across the river, me with my firebolts, Dravus with his bow and arrows.
"Why don't you wait here and find some loot for us. I'll head to the other tower and find Amren's sword." Dravus said as he sprints for the bridge. 'He's leaving me alone again.' I let out a sigh, and begin stripping people for their armor and searching them for gold. 'Ugh, disgusting.'
Just when I was about check the cooking pot for food. I hear yelling behind me and when I turn around, my sword meets another. 'It's that thug from the patrol!' The redguard breaks from my parry and charges back in for a strike. "Show me what you've got!" She yells, and I deliver. In one swift move, I dodge her slash and cleanly slice off her head. 'Can't say I'm proud of decapitating someone, ...but I am.'
"Are you alright, Sofia?" I turn around to face the voice. "I found the sword. I think we should dump the bodies an-" Dravus stops at his track and his eyes narrow at me. I blush slightly, 'Do I have something on my face?' Dravus suddenly charges at me, covering the distance in a split second. 'This isn't one of those boy meets girl cliches, right?' Just then, I hear a faint chuckle from right behind me.
"ARGH!" Gagging, coughing, and wheezing. It took me a while to process what had happened. I am now in Dravus's arms, and my face might just be able to light itself on fire despite the cold. I turn around to see what was behind me. 'Dear Talos!' It was the second bandit from the patrol and he had almost assassinated me. I look down and I can see blood gushing from the dark elf's body. Then, a drop of blood drips into the puddle. I trace it back to its source, only to see the horror. 'Dravus took a dagger in his arm for me!'
He looks down on me and hisses, "I'm going to take a quarter of your share for this."
At this point, I don't even know if I'm even crying or not. My throat is dry, my lungs are empty, and I'm desperately gasping for air. I'm completely... stunned. I almost had my life taken away. My chest tightens and compresses, and Dravus's embrace is keeping me from bursting. 'Dravus... Why?'
I turn my gaze away from the horror, I can still hear the blood draining from his arm. Tonight, the moons' light are brighter than usual. Feeling remorse, I raise my view to Dravus.
"Dravus, I'm-" He never cease to amaze me, and I mean that both in a good and bad way. This time, it was ... 'If Dibella was a man...'
His hood had been forcefully knocked off of his head. Almost heavenly, the light of moons neatly shines on his face. Such tall eyes and sharp features. Solid jaw line. Well molded nose. Above his yellow eyes were naturally trimmed eyebrows.
"Uh what are you doing?" Dravus raise his eyebrows at me. Then I notice my hand on his cheek. 'What in Oblivion am I doing?!' There's no hiding my face now, he caught me red handed; or in this case, red faced. At this point, I can see that I'm not making any sense with all this stuttering. Naturally, I would shut myself up but all I can do now is slamming my face into his chestplate. It's only then, Dravus realize I'm having ...trouble. So he let me go, and I just immediately taken a step back and turn around. 'I need to calm the chak down!'
It takes a long time for my heartbeat to slow down, and my chest finally loosens up. I think the redness on my face is retreating. 'Gods, that was unexpected!'
"Egh,too old. Too mushy. Too green? Hmm."I hear crunching that could be coming from either Dravus or a troll. My guess was both. Out of nowhere I hear this munching and loud crunching, almost as if a horse is crushing a pile of eggs. Slowly turning around, I perform the loudest gasp possible.
Dravus speaks, with a mouthful of cabbages."Can you find some health potions? I think I have a couple left in my knapsack." 'I honestly don't know how you can even talk without choking. Flakking Dravus!'