Chapter Two
The dream was sweet. A warm light surrounded her and Juniper felt something she had not felt by anyone but herself in a while; protection.
"What happened?" She asked the dream and realized she was crying. Furiously, she wiped at her tears.
"You cannot hide your tears from me, child." A feminine voice broke through the light and Juniper looked around for the source. Suddenly, the image of a tall and gentle woman appeared.
"Are you an angel?" Juniper asked and the woman shook her head with a smile.
"I am Mara. I pulled you from the clutches of Hermeaus Mora. And the dragonborn." Mara extended a hand to Juniper but she looked away, feeling ashamed at all her failings.
"The dragonborn?" She asked, through gritted teeth. "I was supposed to be the last. Whatever the orc is goes against nature!"
Mara knelt before her and cupped her chin in her hand. The touch spread warmth throughout her body and finally the burning in her flesh ceased. Juniper realized she had been completely healed .
"This isn't a dream, is it?" Juniper asked, feeling a bit stupid.
Mara was still smiling, a small smile that seemed to hold much back. "No, but I can't keep you away for long. I have to send you back on your path to the orsimer."
Juniper struggled away from her, "You cannot! I will not be sent back to him! I have no power to defend myself, he..." tears stung her eyes as she was faced with the truth of everything. "He took it all from me."
Mara shook her head, "What do you think? My power was only to heal you? I stopped the ritual, Dragonborn. Alas, he does share your power and this is the reason you must return to him."
Juniper must have had a confused look on her face because the goddess tried another way to explain this to her.
"I could not restore all the souls back to you, instead they split in half. That orc is the only way you can feel that power again because without his presence of the other half of your souls you will be powerless. Without you by him, he will remain powerless as well." Mara told her, now sounding a bit annoyed that she had to do so much explaining. "My own power grows weary and I must leave you."
The words barely reached her ears before Juniper woke up with a start. She was in a hut somewhere and a Khajiit tended the fire. She looked down and realized she had been clothed in pants and a tunic.
"Altmer is lucky. Not all Khajiit would clothe a naked elf found in their backyard." The Khajiit was putting some of the stew he was making into a bowl and when he brought it to her, Juniper had to stop the gasp threatening to come out. He was so heavily scarred on one side of his face that he had no fur and the eye on that side seemed as though it was fairly useless.
"High elf should eat before she takes off. H'Raldo knows the call of the road to an adventurer."
Juniper accepted the bowl with a small thank you and tried to remind herself to eat in a polite manner. It had been a while since she had eaten in front of a stranger and not able to just slurp noisily.
"You make a wonderful meal, H'Raldo." Juniper said, wiping her mouth. "I wonder, do you still look to adventure?"
The Khajiit smirked at her as he had gone back to stoking his fire.
"This is a silly question to ask a half blind H'Raldo. Twenty years ago if this Khajiit had been asked, the answer would be yes, but then the elf would have fallen in love with H'Raldo and her heart would be broken." Juniper covered her mouth as a loud laugh came out of her. What a sassy old man.
When she had sobered up, she stood out of bed and went to the window. It was hard to tell at the moment where she was, but there were more important questions.
"I cannot thank you enough for your aid, H'Raldo, but I have nothing to give until I find my way home." She said, hoping he could see the honesty in her words. "Would you show me where exactly you found me?"
Though H'Raldo was making suggestions she should stop drinking so heavily, he took her to the clearing behind his hut and showed her with much confidence the exact spot he had found her that morning.
The ground seemed burnt, as though Juniper had been on fire when she had landed. It made no sense, if Mara said she could only have power by the Orc then why wasn't he here? Did she not have the same conversation with him?
"Thank you H'Raldo, but I think I will find my answers elsewhere." H'Raldo nodded in understanding. He took her back inside where he showed her on his map where they were and he offered her a glass dagger. Juniper raised her eyebrows.
"You don't even know me," she said in an awed whisper as she took the weapon.
"No, but H'Raldo can see the battle you must prepare for, he sees it in your eyes. A warrior's heart is the same as H'Raldo's and so this old Khajiit offers what he can." the words warmed her and she suddenly felt unworthy of these gifts. Of this kindness. All she had ever looked out for was herself.
Juniper stayed on the path as she walked, knowing that any direction she chose could take her home, but should she go home? She had countless of places to rest but who was she to protect them? The only way she could was if she had the orc by her side.
Suddenly feeling naked, Juniper looked over her shoulder suspiciously. Why did she leave so late in the day? Old habits, she supposed.
Her thoughts turned to the orc who had ruined her life. And now, if she wanted any sort of life back she would have to find him and be by his side? Juniper wanted him dead, not as a follower. She never asked for this. If she knew of a way to get her powers back, then she would simply gut him if ever give the chance.
Now, though, she was powerless and alone and the dark was settling about her. She felt it as the cold began to eat at her. She felt it as she made her fire with useless hands. She felt it in the emptiness that ate at her thoughts, when they used to be filled with memories of victories. Now she could only dwell on her failure and she let herself cry at last, closing her eyes to the terrors in the dark.
When Juniper opened her eyes, she was met with a terrible sight.
"Elf," the orc growled, the sharp edge of his battle axe resting under her chin. "You practically hand yourself to me. Was it by pure luck you've lived this long?"
Juniper glared up at him and then remembered what Mara had told her. If he was near her, she must have her powers back...
Juniper let out a mighty shout that sent the orc flying backwards and into a tree with a satisfying thud. Juniper scrambled up and took out her dagger, unfortunately his grip stayed true around his weapon.
And then he let out a shout, a shout that seemed to rip right to her skin and forced her to drop her dagger. She let out a yell of frustration.
The orc came at her with his axe and she rolled quickly out of the way of a beheading. Summoning her renewed source of magicka, she tried to ignite him but the flames seemed to slide off his dragonplate armor and she realized it was enchanted.
The orc came at her and Juniper held her hands up, "Wait! Don't you realize you can't kill me?" she shouted desperately but the orc shook his head and raised his axe. "Listen to me, Orc. We can't use our power without one another!"
The orc at least paused at this information before slowly lowering his weapon, of course he had noticed he had no power earlier and had damned Hermaeus Mora and himself for following such a monster.
"My name is Gormak, and you really are called Juniper. I asked about you." He said, and he backed away with the look of a sudden revelation.
Juniper seized this distraction and ran to her dagger. Now, wanting to talk, Gormak threw down his axe and tackled her away from her weapon.
"You and I have to come to an understanding. For the time being." Gormak said as he pinned her to the ground beneath him.
Juniper struggled against his grasp on her, "I'd rather have my dagger by my side." Being held down by this orc was infuriating.
"I thought you and I were going to spar after the cave?" Gormak said with a smirk and that made Juniper pause and give him a suspicious look.
"You'll take off your armor to match me?" She asked.
"You'll not use your demon magic?" Gormak countered. Juniper glared at him but nodded and so he nodded back and let her go. As he stood up, though, he kicked her dagger out into the woods.
And as he removed his armor, he kept his eyes locked on hers as if daring her to make a move and something about those eyes kept her still on the ground. At last when he stood over her bare chested, he offered her a hand and said, "You gonna lay around all day little doggy?" You ass.
Juniper was the first to land a punch, right on his jaw and she saw how badly it startled him. He regained his footing and swung at her, but Juniper dodged the blow. Sizing him up, she went to kick him but he caught her ankle in his large hand and flipped her so that she landed on her belly on the ground. The air was knocked from her as he stood over her and mocked how weak she was.
Letting out a snarl, Juniper stood up and ran at him with all her might and tackled him to the ground. She was about to bring a large rock down on his head when he caught her wrist. Damn him, he was so large but he was quick. Much quicker than any foe she had ever fought. Quicker than me.
And as if to prove how quick he was, he had a hand on her throat and was pinning her to the ground again.
"You cowardly little cheat." He growled. "No orc would ever take such a low opportunity." Juniper was clawing at his hands. "How am I supposed to have such a dishonorable follower?"
Follower? Juniper thought with such bitter anger. He would be MY follower not the other way around! The arrogant bastard.
Finally, Gormak released her roughly. Then, he tied her hands with a rope so tight it dug into her skin.
"If you think this rope will protect you, you're soon to find out how weak you really are." Juniper said, her sore throat making her voice come out in a rasp.
Gormak shook his head, "Don't be stupid. We need each other around don't we?" He snapped at her and Juniper suddenly had nothing more to say on the subject. "Good, so just keep to yourself and come with me."
Juniper shook her head, "I need armor. I have to go home."
Gormak gave her a suspicious look, "Why? So you can lead me into an ambush? I'll get you armor, but we go to my home."
And with that he was leading the way and for the time being she was forced to follow, especially when he swiped the glass dagger for himself. The bastard. She would find a way to be rid of him soon enough, but for the time being she would have to play nice. However hard it may be.