Chapter 7
It was the Warrior woman, that she share a house with. She ignored her and continued making her masterpiece.
- I didn't know you could make your own bow! - She heard the warrior say.
- Now you know.
- When will it be ready? - She heard the Warrior ask excitedly.
- Today. - She replied annoyed.
- Great! I just came from Dragonsreach. The Jarl asked us to take down a bandit camp that is threatening the townsfolk. We'll head out tomorrow.
Velalwyn stopped making her bow and instantly looked at the other woman.
- WHAT? - She yelled.
- Don't make that face. We need the money.
- We?! - Velalwyn exclaimed, feeling a bit annoyed. - I can't fight a bandit camp! Are you crazy?
- What do you mean? Aren't you used to hunt?
- Animals! I don't kill people, you dumbass! - Velalwyn yelled extremely annoyed.
She looked at the Warrior with fire in her eyes.
- You killed a Dragon. - She had a incredulous look on her face as she stated that.
- That was different... I didn't have a choice, and there were at least 10 people with me there!
Velalwyn saw how the other woman facepalmed and sighed at the same time.
She felt annoyed, angry at the other for always deciding on her own. Now, she wanted her to kill some bandit camp. Only the two of them?! Was she insane?
- Then, we'll start hunting smaller fish tomorrow. - The Warrior finally said.
- Excuse me?
- You said you knew how to hunt animals. So that's what we are gonna do we'll hunt some foxes and elks, then maybe well earn some money from selling their meat and pelts.
- Why? Why you always decide everything for me? Who told you that you earned my life? - Velalwyn's voice started to rise as she rose on her feet, getting the attention of the citizens passing by, who looked at them in pure bewilderment.
- I'm your Housecarl. And you are a poor excuse of a Thane. You have duties in this city, whether you like it or not. Suck it up kid!
- I didn't ask for this. I don't care about any of it. And I certainly don't need you in my life telling me what to do. So, back off!
- I apologize in advance but i'm not going anywhere. The Jarl appointed me as your Housecarl and that's my duty. I don't like it any less than you do, but I don't wanna fail to my Jarl and I don't wanna rot in the woods, with some spoiled brat. So we're going.
Velalwyn stood there silently, looking at the Warrior. Rage filled her whole body and she shook in anger before dashing out from the place, quickly heading downstairs. She didn't look back. Her feet started to walk quicker, to the point that she was running away. She opened Breezehome's door, shutting it with brutal force and headed upstairs to her room. She threw her almost finished bow on the ground, getting a loud thud in return and threw herself onto the bed mattress.
She wanted to break everything around her, but she was afraid of having to pay for it and she refrained herself from doing so. She sighed, as she sat on the bed. She looked at the bow tossed aside on the ground and slowly got up to pick it up. Taking the dagger from her belt, she started to give it a final shape. While at it, she started to sing a song she used to sing at Valenwood:
"A falling star, brings a wish
A sincere one, in this shinning sky
Divine map through decipher
Like a faith or a long plea
The permanence of passion
It's me who sings, it's me who dances
But it's yours, my beating heart"
She had finished shaping the bow by now and was placing the string in place. Her fingers danced as she knotted the string on both sides of the bow. She looked at her work and smiled, letting her fingers touch the smoothness and familiar feeling of the wood. She missed home.
A few hours later, the light of the day started fading and the beautiful and warm orange sky took place, greeting the night that was soon to come.
The entrance door opened and she heard a shout from the living room.
- I brought dinner!
The Warrior came back. Velalwyn cursed under her teeth and pretended to ignore her.
- Come out! Or i'll go there myself. We need to talk.
Velalwyn sighed as she got up and rested her finished piece on the wall as she exited her room. As she climbed down the stairs she saw the Warrior preparing the table for both. She saw her turn, giving her a smile, the one she always wore when trying to help. She wandered what she wanted to talk about. She was not in the best mood for talking since their last argument in the middle of the town.
- Please let's talk for awhile, okay?
Velalwyn noticed the Warrior's pleading look on her face as she asked. It was as if she felt bad for something and was feeling sad. Velalwyn brushed that thought away. That could not be.
She sat on the chair, in front of the other. The silence was unbearable. She looked at her plate and found some chicken legs and half a mammoth snout on it, carrots and potatoes were also part of today's menu. She started to dig in. She wondered how much that food cost the other. However her thoughts were broken, when a soft voice, as if shy and afraid spoke.
- Well...I wanted to talk to you about all this.
Velalwyn only looked up at the other slightly, curious of what was it all bout. She never heard the woman use that tone as she spoke, ever. She even seemed hesitant about talking. She hadn't touch the food and was avoiding eye contact at all costs.
- I thought that... by having dinner together we could come to an agreement and I also wanted to appologize because of today. - She heard her finally say.
- So you are trying to buy me with a dinner ? - Velalwyn asked, not impressed.
- NO! That's not it! I... just wanted to apologize for deciding stuff without your consent. After all, you are my Thane and...
- Don't call me that. - Velalwyn said, feeling annoyed once again. - I said-
- Right! I know, sorry.
She saw how the other nervously apologized with an hand held forward as she continued:
- The things is... I'm sorry. I should have talked to you first. I also want us to stop arguing so much. I wanted to create a good environment and... We really need the money. I'm sure it was like that in Valenwood, right?
- Yes. But my family and I never fought people. - She said looking down,feeling conflicted.
- We can start with hunting animals.
Velalwyn stayed silent. What was she supposed to say? All this talking meant nothing. She still would have to do stuff she dint want to do. She didn't like how things were turning out to be. She just wanted to be free, but deep down she knew that what she wanted was something that would never be delivered to her. She just didn't want to believe.S he would have to agree, for now.
- Okay. - She simply said.
The saw how the Warrior looked at her surprised and how she smiled as she looked down to her plate and without any word she started eating. Velalwyn observed the other with great interest as she ate. She was still smiling down at her food and had now a relieved look on her face. She didn't understand if she was planning something and trying to frame her or if she was genuinely happy. She still didn't trust her.
Finishing her dinner, Velalwyn got up and headed to her room. She stopped on her tracks when she heard the Warrior.
- Tomorrow then?
After a moment of silence, Velalwyn answered by nodding,not turning around.
- As you wish.
Was all she said as she disappeared to the upper floor, inside her room.
….
Next day, outside Whiterun:
- Out there, is where we are gonna try to find some elks and wolves to hunt down.
Velalwyn looked at where the woman was pointing. They were far away from Whiterun. They passed the farms and the Khajiit caravan outside the Hold. They were out in the plains, in the middle of nowhere. She heard the other say the name, minutes ago, but she completely forgot about it.
The only thing she knew was that the weather wasn't helping. It was windy and the sky was threatening possible raining and some windstorms. It was cold, but she was glad for the armor they bought days ago. It was warm and it shielded her from the ice wind.
They walked a few more meters ahead, but stopped, when the other woman stretched her hand out to her, telling her to stop. She saw her unsheathe her sword and prepare her shield.
"What was happening?" Were Velalwyn's thoughts.
Velalwyn's pointy ears twitched, trying to hear what the other had felt coming. Light feet walking in a strong pace through the high grass. Wait! It wasn't feet, it was more like paws. Strong ones. Before she could warn the other, she was already facing a certain direction, attentive.
- Two sabrecats. - She heard the Warrior say. - Be careful. They're quick and strong.
As soon as the woman spelled the words, she saw two gigantic creatures jump from the grass, one taking the Warrior down, who she saw defend herself with her shield and the other missed her by a few centimeters as she dodged away the attack. This was easy for her. This was what she did back in Valenwood. She could kill both animals with no effort, but an idea came across her mind. This was her big opportunity to get rid of the other. If accidentally she died here, she could get rid of her and go back to Whiterun, get some stuff and escape and finally live her life.
dodged another sabrecat jump and with her bow she aimed at the animal and missed on purpose just to scare him, so that it would forget about her and attack the heavy armored woman.
She looked at the other and saw her coming on top of one of the animals, with great effort as she protected herself from it's paws and teeth. She saw her look back at her and shout for help. She did nothing. Velalwyn only looked at her and slowly took a few steps back.
- What are you doing? - The Warrior flashed her a confusing look.
She felt bad, but she had to do it. Otherwise, she would never be able to go away and make her own destiny. That was what she believed in. She took a few more steps backwards and saw the look on the other's face. A betrayed look, blaming her. She gulped and quickly dashed out, as fast as she could. The last thing she saw, was the second sabrecat jumping on top of the warrior,from behind, and throwing her on the ground. She wondered if she died. She must have. No one would survive that type of thing.
….
Hours later, Whiterun:
She ran through the gates, afraid if someone would notice something or even know something that could put her in danger. She quickly closed the front door of her house and even locked it.
Finally inside, she took a breath. Her knees gave out and she fell on the ground, hands supporting her weight. She breathed in and out as she looked around the house, searching for anything she could take with her, in her trip. After composing herself, she went upstairs to her room, and took the same bag she wore days ago and filled it with some old rags to fill the holes it had.
Going back downstairs, she started packaging some food inside and some tools that would help her in the wilds.
After doing all that,it was close to night time. The sky was still grey, but it was definitely getting darker outside. She looked through one of the windows and thought about the Warrior woman.
She bit her lip. She did something wrong. She could even go to jail. But no one noticed, right? How could they? They were so far away. Still she had to leave tomorrow. She would use today to rest and tomorrow morning she would get out and no one would ever see her again.
She shook her head. Trying to put aside the guilty and scary thoughts that ran through her head and went to bed right away.
Tomorrow would be a new chapter in her life.
….
After Velalwyn's escape:
She could hardly breath. Blood gushed out from her wounds. The worst was her shoulder wound, where the second sabrecat had jumped to her and ripped the flesh of her shoulder with it's teeth. She couldn't believe the other betrayed her like that. Yesterday, she thought everything was going well with that dinner, but now she felt frustrated and disappointed. She never thought the other would be such an awful person.
She looked behind and saw further away the corpses of the two sabrecats she defeated. She looked at her shield and smiled. It always kept her alive. She was grateful for all the training she had as a child, because it sincerely paid off today.
She walked out there, praying to the eight Divines that she wouldn't run into trouble, until she arrived to Whiterun. Everything hurt and was starting to get blurry. The pain was intense and she had to take numerous sharp intakes of breaths to stand it all. If she let herself sleep now, she knew, she wouldn't wake up.
After walking around for some time, she spotted a hunter riding his horse, probably trying to hunt down some animals to make a living. She tried to yell at him, but he didn't pay attention. She tried to make signals but he never looked her way. So she did the impossible. She ran. She ran with all her might, hoping not to fall or she would never get up. Everything hurt. She knew that running and moving would just make it worse. But right now, there was no worse than this.
If she wanted to get to Whiterun she needed to get there fast, and a horse was pretty much her miracle right now.
She finally reached the hunter. She looked at him and saw how his face went very pale and eyes very open.
- Are you alright? - She heard him say as he jumped out of the horse and steadied her.
- Please... - She said weakly. - Take me to Whiterum. I'll pay you...
She started to fidget with the coin purse attached to her belt, but was stopped by two hands that belong to the man before her. She hardly could make up his features. But she noticed long ears and tanned skin. It was a Bosmer. Her thoughts went back to the elf that was with her half hour ago.
When she noticed she was already on top of the horse, that was running at full speed. She looked to the sky and saw the day coming to an end. It wasn't sunny and the sky wasn't uncovered. It was of a monotonous and sad grey tone.
She fought the need to close her eyes. From time to time she heard the man, in front of her, scream to the horse, making it go quicker and asking her if everything was alright. She nodded every time, even thought she felt weaker by the second. She wondered if she would make it in time.
After what seemed like ages, which she doubted it had taken longer than an hour, she felt the horse stopping and the man cautiously turning to her, telling her that they arrived. She felt herself being carried out from the horse and being supported.
- I can take you inside. You need help urgently! - She heard him say. His voice was urgent and shaken.
She only had the energy to shake her head and give him a faint smile as she stumbled her way to the city gates, few feet away. She saw the guards from the Hold running at her, as she fell on the ground on her knees, helping her to stand up, offering to bring her immediately to Danica at the Temple. She dismissed them with a wave of her hand and continued further into the city. However she could hear some steps and metal clinging few feet away,behind her, which she deduced belonged to the guards.
She didn't see anyone in this city. She thought that probably they would be at their houses resting from the hard working day, they had or maybe they were at the Bannered Mare, drinking to their heart's contentment. Her thoughts reverted back to Velalwyn. Where was she now? Had she ran away? Probably.
Her legs hurt and shoulder hurt. She stopped by the stairs that led to the Wind District. She couldn't take another step. Yet she must, if she didn't want to die. She tried to walk a step further but everything was blurred and hazy, she stumbled and fell. She heard busy steps running to her, from behind and a more intense metal clinging this time. However she had been caught, by two strong arms, that embraced her tight against a very warm body. Was she that cold? She didn't realize.
- Lydia! What happened? - She heard.
She looked up and saw Aela, her most confident and beloved friend, flashing her a look of true worry and fear.
- Two sabrecats... - she mumbled, weakly.
- Where's your Thane?
- She ran away...
- What?
Then everything went black and the last thing she heard was Aela calling her name,multiple times, as she shook her.
- Lydia. Lydia ! LYDIA!
….
Continue...
A/N: I've been busy with some stuff in my life so I took time to upload this chapter, even though it was already written long ago. I'm sorry for making you wait so long. I'm very grateful for all the support and reviews u send me :) Rest assured this fic will continue, I just ask for your patience when I take time to upload a new chapter. Thank u all so much! :3 - Also i know Velalwyn's appearance was not totally mentioned yet, but please be patient u will all understand why.
