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Recovery took about four days. The disease had all but ravaged my body to the point of dehydration. Had I not gotten home when I did, Danica said I wouldn't have made it. I would have came back a vampire, if I came back at all.

Onmund was careful with me, even after I insisted I wasn't afraid of him. Sitting next to each other by the cooking fire, my head on his shoulder, he told me that seeing me afraid of him was the most hurt he had ever been.

"I don't ever want to see that look in anyone's eyes again," he murmured. "Especially yours." He kissed my now clean head and rest his head on the top of mine. I said nothing. I had seen that look on many peoples' faces. Victims of crimes and criminals I came to punish. I had seen it on a few vampire faces. That moment before I seperated their head from their body and they knew that they really weren't immortal, and they could be killed.

"A septim for your thoughts?"

I smile tugged at one corner of my mouth. "Just thinking about some things." I changed the subject.

"Remember when we first met?"

"Was this before or after I drank your blood?"

I laughed. "Definitely before. When Tolfdir asked me what I wanted to learn."

"I do." He lifted his head from mine and we turned towards each other. The firelight danced in the reflection in his eyes as they looked into mine.

"I said 'Let's learn something practical."

"No, you said, 'I, uhm, erm, uhhh, we, I mean, ehh-'" I smacked at his arm and we laughed hard.

"It wasn't THAT bad!"

"It was pretty bad, dear. We stood there for about twenty minutes. J'zargo and I took bets on what your answer would be. Speaking of, I owe him ten septims..."

I smacked his arm again and he chuckled. "Well," I said, letting out a sigh, "I'll admit peer pressure got to me and I said what I knew everyone wanted me to say. I wanted to tell him 'I would really like to not be blown up, please.'"

"You should have said that."

"Please, had I said that, would you have came up and introduced yourself?"

"Probably not, not until I caught you changing in your space." He waggled his eyebrows. I covered my mouth to stifled a laugh, but snorted instead. He jumped up and mimed out the scene. He walked a few steps, then stopped like something caught his eye, studied it for a second, then a huge grin broke out on his face.

"Yep, time to go introduce myself to the hot naked elven babe!"

I was howling with laughter, and Onmund doubled over in laughter at his own joke. I fell out of my chair, which made both Onmund and I laugh even harder until we were both lying on the cold floor of our house.

Wheezing, I managed to choke out "I love you!" He nodded during his fit of laughter and tried to choke out an "I love you too," but laughed harder at the garbled sounds he was making, which made ME laughed harder. We laid there, laughing until we forgot what we were laughing about.

Later that night, with me lying on Onmund's chest after making careful love(I was still a little weak, but almost myself) I thought about how much I missed this. The house, the smell of Onmund's cooking, the town. Living in society. I wanted this for the rest of my life.

I turned on my side and Onmund got comfortable. He was already asleep, but I had so many thoughts racing through my head. I needed to find a lead on my next task, and avoid anything with caves or barrows for a while. Take only a carriage ot the major holds, then strike out after sunrise to my destination. Keep time, never go out at night. Keep enough potions to last me at least a week and ration them. Buy them whenever in a town or city. Maybe have someone come with me?
I mulled over this last thought. It would have to be someone I trust, someone whose back I could watch, and have them do the same.

Onmund snored lightly. Not him. Definitely not. He's safe in Whiterun, much safer than in Markarth with the Forsworn, or in Windhelm with The Butcher, or Riften with the Thieves Guild. With the current political crisis, Solitude is out of the question. Dawnstar is too isolated from my travels, and doesn't have a temple for healing. Winterhold looks like it's about to fall the rest of the way into the sea. But with the pressure Elisef and Ulfric are putting on Balgruuf to join their side, well...Maybe nowhere was safe. Especially not with the dragons. If I built a house and a dragon showed up while I was't around...
I bit my lower lip and my heart sank at the realization. There is an extreme possibility that Onmund could die, even with my very best efforts at keeping him safe. Ulfric could take the city by surpise and Onmund would fight to protect his home, could fall...a dragon...disease...oh gods...

I buried my face in the bear pelt we used as covers and wept.

"Well this was a TERRIBLE idea!" I scolded myself as I dodged the hagraven's firebolts. It (her?) snarled and I could see the drool dripping down its chin. I hid behind a rock near the camp that the hags had made. Why anyone would want to worship a disgusting creature like this was a mystery to me.
I clutched Dawkbreaker to my chest as another firebolt whizzed by the rock. "Here, kitty kitty kitty!" The nasty hagraven called to me.

"What?" I called over my shoulder. "I'm not a Khajiit!"

There was half a moment of silence before the hagraven snarled and screeched "I don't even care!" and hurled another molten fireball at my head as i peeked to too if she was still there. I steeled my nerves and threw up a ward with every firebolt she threw.

An enraged howl escaped from her lips as I worked my way closer, dodging fireballs as my magicka recharged and deflecting the rest with her wards. She gave up and tried another tactic; she lunged, claws first, at my face.

I ducked beneath her grasp, twisted around and kicked her gnarled and twisted body to the ground. She rolled over and before she could fry me with another firebolt, I planted Dawnbreaker firmly where her(it?) heart should be. One gurgled gasp later and the hagraven was dead.

I wiped the blood splatter from my face with the shoulder of my cuirass and looted the body. I grabbed Nettlebane and made the trek to Riverwood for the night.

I made it a bit before dusk, while the sun's fingers still raked the sky. Tomorrow I would bring Nettlebane to Danica. I owed her a favor for saving my life.

"Uhm...ew."

I blinked at Danica. "What?" I asked.

"I'm glad you made it back and everything, but I really don't want to touch that."

I glanced at the gnarly-looking blade in my hand, and held it out to her again. She sniffed and stepped back.

"Why not?" I asked, a grin forming on my face.

"Kayla, please, I find it repulsive."

"Oh yeah? CATCH!" I pretended to toss her the blade and she yelped and sprinted to the side of the temple.

"STOP DOING THAT! I'm serious!"

I laughed, and the sickly farmers opened their eyes to look at what was going on. Danica smoothed out her robe as I put the small blade back in my pack.

"Just for that, YOU get to go get the sap, and I won't have to hire a Companion to do it for me. You need the exercise anyways."

I grinned. "That's alright, I'll just head to the Sanctuary bright and early tomorrow morning." Danica nodded in approval. "Be sure to pack plenty of provisions," she lectured. "I don't want to have you back in here except to give me the sap." I nodded and turned to walk out the door. A man stopped me before I got to the door.

"I couldn't help but overhearing..." I raised an eyebrow at this but said nothing. "But you're going to the Eldergleam sanctuary tomorrow?"

"Yes,," I answered, getting an uneasy feeling. "You want a souvenir?"

He laughed nervously. "No, nothing like that," he scratched the side of his neck absentmindedly. "I was wondering if I could come along?"

I considered this for a second. "Please," he begged. "It's been my dream to go there. I may never get this chance again!"

I looked at him for a moment before answering. "Alright, but pack your OWN provisions, and if you have a horse, have him saddled and ready at the stables by the time the sun is up."

"And if I don't?"

"Then...you get left behind...?"

"No, what if I don't have a horse?"

"Oh! Just meet me by the stables then."

This was going to be fun?