A/N: Not gonna lie, I could use a beta if anyone is interested. Some of the buttons on my keyboard don't work so well so I often find trivial mistakes and sometimes my brain goes faster than my hands when I type and I find rather large mistakes... I like to think it's because my brain works too fast but whatever the case I am looking hard to fix things but sometimes I miss stuff. So, please accept this apology and enjoy this next chapter.
Chapter Three
The orc - she knew the beast had a name, but she had no respect for him - led Juniper through the wood until it was well into morning, and then they kept walking.
Juniper wanted to ask him where his home was since they had been walking forever. Normally, Juniper loved traveling off the beaten path like this but that was when she knew where they were going and she had company of her choosing. That was when her hands weren't bound and she had the proper armor of a Dragonborn.
She wanted to ask the orc what he had done to earn Hermaeus Mora's trust and where his master was now in his time of need... and what had she ever done to deserve this? Lack modesty? What did she have to be modest for anymore? She had proven her worth time and time again, it was about time the rest of the world proved its worth to her.
Of course, Juniper wanted to ask the orc about these things but she hated him and had refused all of his efforts to start a conversation throughout their trip so now she was forced by her stubborn pride not to start talking to him.
...But where in Oblivion were they?!
Just when she thought she might give in to the urge to ask questions, she heard a twig snap in the distance. Crouching down, she hoped to be out of sight and see the creature first, but the orc simply tugged on her rope and began to make a fuss. Like she was an ill-behaving pet. Bastard.
Juniper shook her head at him and was about to hiss at him to shut up when a sabre cat jumped over a fallen tree near them and tore Gormak to the ground, causing him to let go of his axe and the rope holding Juniper back. And to yelp.
As Juniper failed to untie the ropes, she had to listen as Gormak struggled against the beast and she grew weary of the noise. Struggling with the weight for only a moment, Juniper lifted the orc's axe and stood over the beast. She may not have been as quick with it as Gormak, but she heaved with all her might and swung the axe down to sink into the sabre cat's neck. The sharp blade struck true and the beast slumped until Gormak was able to push it off of him.
Then Juniper saw exactly why he had been so defenseless. The sabre cat had torn a large chunk of flesh from his neck and his eyes looked wild as he was bleeding out. So heal yourself. Juniper thought bitterly. Any Dragonborn should know that spell.
But he just laid there and groaned. Narrowing her eyes, Juniper raised her hands and concentrated on healing him. It crossed her mind that he was much stronger than her and was able to swing battle axes as fast as she could dart out her daggers... but where else were his talents? A Dragonborn should be well versed in the world. A leader and protector. Who was this orc?
Sighing as she ended the spell, she suddenly felt how hungry she was and found herself missing H'Raldo's stew.
"Are you healed?" She asked.
"Yes, I am. Thank-"
"You should untie me then and I can catch us some lunch," Juniper said quickly, not wanting to hear any false kindness in his voice. She hated the part he played in what was done to her and she hated how he could lay on the ground and look up at her like that.
Now, though, he was frowning as he stood. Good, let him be angry with her. Gods knew how pissed she was.
"You may have begrudgingly allowed me to live, but why would it benefit me to untie you?" The orc asked, coming to stand in front of her. Juniper was fairly tall but still she had to look up at him. With him so close, she could see his eyes were a greyish green and they did not seem to look down at her cruelly. However, his words caused an anger to rise in her chest but she did not look away. Instead, she raised her chin to him and took a half step closer so that her chest brushed against his armor. He would not intimidate her.
"I think you'll find that I can save you a little better with my hands free. I plan on staying by your side, of course, and on keeping you alive. I want my powers just as much as you want them." She raised an eyebrow at him and held her hands up expectantly.
With a sigh, Gormak began to untie her. "We can find something together."
Juniper raised an eyebrow at him, "You are aware of the manner in which you crash through the wilderness alerting everyone of your presence?"
"I was able to sneak up on you last night," he said and shrugged, walking into the trees.
"That was... different... altogether." Juniper finished in a lame mumble as she began to follow him. I'm just a terribly heavy sleeper, that's why I usually bring people with me on my adventures. I was being foolish last night and you were lucky, orc.
She kept her thoughts to herself and instead eyed the glass dagger in Gormak's belt. If he thought keeping it near him was disarming her, he was sadly mistaken. He seemed to be quite oblivious to the school of magic and she had only seen him use the Voice once. If he was going to hold back with her powers why had he wanted them in the first place? Either way, maybe she should keep up the facade of needing a weapon.
"This would be faster with a bow, but what do you expect me to catch with my bare hands?" Juniper asked.
Gormak looked to the sky and then motioned for her to turn. A moment later and they were at the edge of the treeline and facing a clearing, where a small house and river lay looking like a dream.
"Can you pick up eggs?" He asked and as he walked towards the house, she realized this was his home he had been assuring her they were near. They were practically neighbors, well some of the time. "They can be wily, but when you've picked enough for lunch you can find me in the kitchen." He said as he unlocked the door and went inside.
And just like that he was showing her that there was much he could still do to make her hate him even more. Or at least find him irritating. What an ass. She had her own damn chores to do.
"I didn't fight back a dragon threat so I can get eggs for a damn orc," she grumbled to herself as she went to the chicken coop. The hens all bustled about her angrily as she took the eggs and she wondered who took care of this place while the orc was gone. If the overgrown garden was anything to go by, probably no one.
She carried the eggs in her shirt, using the extra material as a basket as she eyed the garden. The gourds at least looked like they were picked recently, but the flowers and herbs were taking over most of the space. Still, she recognized the use of some of these and so she began to pick some herbs that may taste good with the eggs. When she headed inside, she had only a few steps to take to dump her findings onto the table.
The small house had a sitting area and a kitchen and Gormak was tending to a pot over the fire. There was a ladder that went to a loft overhead that she figured must be where he slept.
He came to the table and eyed the other things she brought in with a low "Hmm. The garden came with the house, never had time to look at this stuff."
As Juniper eyed the empty walls, the orc prepared breakfast. He was talking to her and it was irritating her to no end. Was he impaired? Did he think they would be fast friends? Probably because she saved his life and now he thinks he owes her a blood debt. Juniper stifled a snort.
"I'm mostly just surprised when I return to find the house still standing," Gormak was saying. Juniper nodded, home owning was definitely a risk. At least when you lived in the city there may be some sort of useful guard around. Just look at the last bandit attack she had on her home, with even a housecarl there in plain sight.
Ah, but then that had been a trap, hadn't it? Juniper thought to herself, her eyes darting to the orc as he was bent over his fire. Her hands clenched as she remembered the bandit holding a knife to Rayya's throat.
Suddenly, Gormak straightened and turned to her and she quickly masked her face and unclenched her fists. It would not help matters to start another fight. Not when he was serving her food at least.
They sat and ate in a terribly awkward silence. At long last, Juniper set her fork down and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.
The orc was watching her from across the table. Was she expected to clean up? She supposed manners said she should but to Oblivon with all this. She had questions.
"There were other ways to go about eating breakfast with me," she told him and the orc just stared at her, apparently finding her humor offensive. "Did I strike a nerve? Is it rude to bring up your attempted murder and kidnapping?" She asked, cocking an eyebrow.
The orc was quiet for a moment longer and she wondered what he could possibly be thinking about. He did not strike her for the clever type so maybe it just took him that long to formulate simple words.
"I never intended - "
Juniper slammed a fist on the table, "I don't want to hear about your intentions," she hissed across the table at him. "The fact remains that you did this."
Gormak shook his head, "I did what I had to do, just as you had not so long ago. And you knew the day would come that Hermaeus Mora would choose a new champion." As he spoke, Juniper sat back in her chair and crossed her arms. She supposed she should listen and not interrupt his ramblings. "The day will come when another rises against me. However, I am not a fool and so it should be a considerably longer time than you had."
Juniper shook her head, "Miraak and I are very different. I was simply exploring the country side, all but retired from political aide and mercenary work. He was forcing people to be slaves. You cannot convince me I deserved this."
Gormak stood, looking quite irritated with her. In fact one might say he looked livid as he glared at her and rested his hand on his axe. "You are full of nothing but pride," he said and the words sounded like they disgusted him to speak. "You take leadership over everyone and everything while staying in the shadows. You take gold and lives and in your own name."
Juniper stood as well, hating the way he seemed to loom over her and fill the room so that all she saw was the anger and disgust in his eyes. "Who are you to judge me? I was chosen to be the last. You weaseled your way into this and changed the fate of gods for you and you accuse me of being prideful and disobedient?"
"I was chosen to play this role just as you were for yours," Gormak growled at her. "I'm stronger. You follow me because Hermaeus Mora wills it and so I will share this power, but never forget your place around me Elf."
The orc turned from her and she shook her head, "Those are strong words coming from the bleeding pig I rescued earlier. The damsel in distress, Gormak, as he gaped for air -"
As her words began to grow into a shout, Gormak cut her off with a mighty release of his "Fus" and it sent her crashing into the wall behind her. Juniper jumped to her feet.
"You know nothing of my power," she all but growled as she called on the power and knowledge of the mighty voice and all the blessings given her as she released her own "Fus - RO- DAH!" And suddenly Gormak was crashing through the wall and spiraling into the field that lay by his house.
Juniper lazily walked to the new entrance she had made. "You seem to be missing some of your house," she called to the orc who lay groaning. She jumped out of the hole and onto the ground, swooping to pick up the dagger that had fallen from his belt at last.
She stood over the orc and smirked, "You certainly know how to underwhelm a lady."
Gormak kicked his leg out and suddenly Juniper had fallen on her ass as well. She needed to learn not to gloat within reach of this orc, he was far too quick. He had a hand on her leg and was dragging her towards him and so she kicked him in the face and hurried to scramble away.
A moment later and they were both standing and staring at each other, breathing heavily. "Do you hold back or is my protege so ignorant?" She summoned ice between her hands and saw the panic in the orc's eyes. She was done pretending he had the upper hand. She was done holding back. This poorly trained oaf would be listening to her from now on if they were to go on with their lives.
She shot her ice spell at him but the orc dodged out of the way. That's right, he was quick. As she shot and shot at him she felt the first twinge of panic as he remained unscathed and she stopped overcharging her spells. At last, though, she shot him in the shoulder and he appeared to slow at last. Breathing out a sigh of relief, she pulled out her dagger and stalked towards him.
"I've watched your skill, or lack thereof and I'm through letting you believe you are in charge," she told the orc, trying not to smile as his eyes widened the tiniest bit. He tried to mask his fear, but she was all too familiar with the sight of it. The victory of putting fear into the oaf was a heady filling and it was hard not to smirk triumphantly. "Did you even seek guidance from the Greybeards before trapping me? Or were you so power hungry you never gave it a second thought to do whatever Hermaeus Mora said?"
His axe was far from him and the fool had no other weapons on him. "What am I supposed to do with you? Let you stumble behind me?" Juniper shook her head. "I tire of this fight. Come with me and I can make you a worthy companion."
She saw the hatred in the orcs eyes and the mistrust. At last, she could see some wisdom in him if he did not trust her. Juniper would strike him down as soon as the opportunity presented itself, but that could be years before she found a way. And he would have to be with her if she wanted to carry on with some sort of normal life. Normal for her anyway.
Without bothering to take his weapon or to tie his wrists together as he did to her - as she had seemed to at last prove her strength to him - Juniper set off to the north and knew he would follow her. She could see how hungry he was for this power and it was in that aspect that she could finally see a shared trait between them. In the first day of each other's company she had saved him and the blew a hole in the side of his house. Perhaps Mara had been slightly crazy to let the two of them coexist.
"Is that your form of a truce?" The orc asked as he walked at her side and Juniper shrugged.
"I suppose so," she found it odd how civil he became after their fights but she figured he was used to dealing with conflicts like this. He was an orc, they relied on strength and loyalty. She relied on her stealth and daggers.
"Then where are you taking me? To your friends in the dark brotherhood?" he asked. Juniper shook her head, she wanted no one to discover the predicament she was in. This was a weakness, if someone could simply remove her from the orcs presence and render her powerless... she would lose any credibility she ever had. How could she expect anyone's loyalty?
"No. I have a home not too far from here, one without a housecarl. I'm not so eager to share our... odd relationship with anyone yet." Juniper said honestly. No sense in him looking into their privacy as anything but what it was - safety.
"You have other houses than just the manor to the south?" The orc asked and Juniper remembered he had claimed to watch her and he had sent the bandits, of course he would know the location of at least one of her houses.
"My travels take me across the country and farther everyday, it helps to have many resting places." Juniper explained, trying not to sound smug.
"So stay at an inn, unless it's too beneath you." The orc said and Juniper was shocked at the disgust that had crept into his voice once again. Apparently it was hard for him to reach this truce as well.
"What difference is it to you what I do with my money?" Juniper asked, trying not to grow angry herself. This needs to work. This needs to work.
"There are people homeless all across this land, and yet the hero of Skyrim sits on mountains of gold and buys herself empty houses across the land, and destroys the home of others during her fits..." Gormak shook his head. "And you wonder why another was chosen."
Juniper said nothing as they continued to walk and instead quickened her pace so that he would walk behind her and not see her face. It had never occured to her that her pride could be a terrible thing. After growing up a slave, she thought the world full of pride and deceit and so she let it shape her this way. He has no idea what I've done in my life. How many people I have helped, have saved. She thought to herself bitterly.
Still, the words of the orc had stung her. No one had ever caused Juniper to question herself this way. Telling herself it was all trickery of the gods, she walked in silence and spared the orc no more glances. She would appear weak to no one.
