Disclaimer: I do not own the "Elder Scrolls" universe. Characters you do not recognize were created by me for the purpose of this story. I hope you all enjoy this latest chapter, sorry it took me so long to update! - Fallon.
Chapter Nine
Svan was making good progress in his task, or at least that was what Martin said, but to him it felt like it would never end. And oh how he wanted it to end...
He ascended the final few stairs to the main part of the temple and opened the door to the hall. Martin was at his usual spot, his attention focused fulling on the book he was reading. Baurus nodded to him as he approached. Svan knew the guilt the young Blade was burdened with. Under his watch the emperor had been killed and he was going to make damn sure he never let his eyes off of Martin in hopes to make up for it. Svan felt for the man, it was not an easy task he had placed upon himself.
"Ah, Svan, you have returned!" Martin said happily, eager to see what the Hero of Kvatch had brought him.
Svan nodded and presented the heir with the holy relic of the Blades, the armour of Tiber Septim.
Martin held the armour gently in his hands, looking over it with wide eyes. "I never thought I would ever see something so...ancient, so close to Tiber Septim himself."
"Didn't think I could do it, didn't you?" Svan joked.
Martin didn't seem phased, he was still examining the armour with delicate hands. "You can assure Jauffre it will not be destroyed, I only need to scrape off some of the divine blood of Tiber Septim. After that, the relic can be taken to a more secure room deep within the Temple, were it belongs."
"And what of Sancre Tor?" Baurus asked. "Is it cleansed?"
Svan nodded. "The spirits that haunted it have been laid to rest. The Blades are now free to visit the site to pay their respects."
Baurus closed his eyes and nodded. "That is good."
"That is very good." Martin seconded.
Svan nodded. "If it is all the same with you, your grace, I will rest awhile before I start looking for the third relic you require."
Martin handed the armour off to Baurus. "Yes, of course, you have earned it my friend! Thank you for bringing me the armour so quickly."
Svan bowed and excused himself before hurrying off to the west wing of the complex, which was were most of the Blades and Martin slept. He forced his tired body to climb one more set of stairs, bribing himself with the promise of a long sleep and a full tankard of mead when he awoke.
At the top of the stairs, he saw Ariella folding some freshly cleaned clothes. She placed a pile in front of Jauffre`s door and another in front of Martin`s.
Svan smiled and cleared him throat, causing her to turn around quickly and drop some of the clothes in the process.
She apologize and hurried to pick them up.
"I am sorry, milady." Svan said as he knelt to help her. He handed her a tattered shirt and their hands touched for a second. "You no longer wear your ring?"
She put the clothes back in the basket and stood, tucking her hair behind her ear as she did so. "No..."
He did not want to push, but he was curious to know her reasons. "And why is that milady?"
She looked embarrassed by his observation, like she had not expected anyone to notice. "Because my husband is dead, and wearing it..."
"Does not allow you to move on?" He said, finishing what he hoped was her thought.
She slipped past him to descend the stairs. "Yes."
"Where is it?" He asked.
Ariella sighed. "I tossed it from the battlements a few days ago."
Silence hung in the air as they both looked at each other, neither knowing if they should leave.
Svan cleared his throat. "Do you think he is worthy of such a sacrifice?"
His question had clearly taken her off guard. She turned to him and frowned. "With all due respect, you do not know how I feel."
Svan felt an emboldening anger burn in his chest. "With all due respect, I know the look a man gives a woman when he desires her."
Ariella`s face was stern. "I am not talking to you about this."
"You have been here for three weeks, and you feel no trust or friendship with me?" Svan asked, hurt slightly by her words but knowing he deserved it.
"Fine!" She held the basket close to her. "If you must know, he is worthy! He has saved my life more times than I care to admit and now that I am safe he still stays by my side!"
Svan swallowed hard and looked over her shoulder to the dark figure who had turned the corner to ascend the stairs. "You are a lucky man, Ilmeres."
Ariella looked over her shoulder and was mortified to see Ilmeres a few steps behind her. Svan apologized and quickly excused himself but Ariella made a mental note to strike him later for not shushing her.
Ilmeres walked to her side, his eyes refusing to meet hers`. "Dinner is ready in the main hall, Jauffre asked me to find you."
She reached out for him as he started to leave. "Ilmeres..." She laced her fingers around his and pulled him closer, having dropped the basket.
Ilmeres allowed her to embrace him. He sighed as her fingers trailed up his back and leaned down so his lips pressed against her ear. "I would not have asked you to get rid of it..."
"I know, it was something I had to do for myself."
He permitted himself the small joy of touching her hair and whimpered softly as it fell through his fingers. "Svan was right..."
She pulled back to look him in the eye. "How so?"
"I am not worthy of such a sacrifice." His voice was heavy with profound sadness.
Ariella shook her head. "He did not say that."
"He does not have to."
She cupped his face and made him look at her. "What matters is that I believe you are."
Ilmeres looked at her with glassy eyes, his lips pressed firmly together.
Ariella felt her chin begin to tremble. "I thought you cared for me?"
"I do, very much." Ilmeres said quickly, a forlorn smile on his face. "But it is not enough."
Ariella was confused. "What else is there? I want to be with you and no one else, Ilmeres." She felt lighter saying it, as if it had been a physical weight on her.
"Do you remember that night in the forest before we came upon the chapel when I awoke from a dream?"
She nodded. "The night we stayed near ayleid well..."
"Yes..." Ilmeres paused to inhale sharply. "I had a vision...you were naked and bleeding, dying in my arms..."
She blushed slightly, having just heard he dreamt of her naked. "It was just a dream, Ilmeres. You were affected by the magic of the well..."
"What if it was more than that?" Tears rolled down his cheeks. "You spoke to me as you bled to death."
She touched his cheek, brushing his tears away with the tips of her fingers. "And what did I say that troubles you so?"
"That I had done that to you..." He whispered, ashamed of himself. "That I had killed you."
She shook her head and gave a reassuring smile. "You would never do that, Ilmeres, I know you wouldn't."
Ilmeres steadied his breathing and straightened up. "Never, not even to save myself. But I've been doing a lot of thinking and I can not protect you, hell, I can barely protect my self! I'm not sure how we made it here...pure luck I suppose, but now that we are here you deserve far better."
Ariella stood on the tips of her toes and placed a moist, loving kiss on his clavicle. Ilmeres pulled away, and that hurt her more than anything.
She let her hands fall to her sides. "What are you saying Ilmeres? That you can not care for me because of a dream? I am safe because of you!" She clasped her chest. "And I am not injured except by your words."
"I care for you, but I can not claim you as I want to...I am weak."
Ariella`s vision was blurred by tears. She tried to touch him, only to have him brush aside her hand. "Please take it back, Ilmeres, you're hurting me..."
"You'll only be hurt more if you get closer to me."
"What about what happened in the great hall?" She was panicked, searching for anything to change his mind. "You wanted to speak of us. You wanted to be more than my friend! You said you hoped for as much..."
His heart ached for her.
Gods knew he loved her more than life itself, but he could not care for her as she deserved. His weakness would just get her killed, and he knew now that the night at the well, the dream, had been a warning.
"It was a lie, you are a friend and nothing more." It was a lie, but it would keep her away from him, it would prevent the dream from becoming a reality.
"I don't believe you." She whispered as she hung her head.
"You should, it is the truth." He muttered. "I am sorry."
Ariella pressed the back of her hand to her lips and wept. Ilmeres wanted to take it all back, to kiss and embrace her until her tears dried. He longed to make love to her, to make her his and caress every inch of her and wake up to her every day for the rest of his life...
But he couldn't.
He couldn't bare the thought of the dream becoming real.
The moon took it`s place in the sky and darkness descended upon the land.
Ariella slipped out of the temple, leaving a rock to prop the gate open, and began walking around to where she suspected she dropped her ring. The Blades were in the middle of a watch change, so only one stood atop the battlements and he was looking out at Bruma not down at the temple gates. She kept close to the wall regardless, just to be sure she was not seen by the Blades.
Getting closer to the spot she remembered, Ariella had to hold onto the wall as the ground slopped.
When she could go no further, she climbed down the slope and onto a small landing over a thirty foot drop. She looked back to see if the Blade atop the battlements had stopped her. It seemed he hadn`t, but with the darkness she could not be certain. She began clawing through the snow, hoping beyond all hope that her ring had fallen there.
Everything had gone so wrong, Ariella felt like just laying in the snow and going to sleep. She knew she was not thinking rationally, that she should have brought Svan or a weapon with her, but recklessness was just what her shattered heart craved.
She tried telling herself he had lied, that he was being noble and trying to protect her from whatever that damned dream had meant.
Curse that dream to the fires of oblivion!
She had forgotten about that day near the well until Ilmeres had brought it up, and now she wished that it never happened. It was only a dream after all, and she had not considered it important even when it happened. Why did he have to go and make it more than it was?
Fresh tears cascaded down her cheeks at the thought of him. She wanted to be with him, only him! And just as she freed herself from her past he had to go and shut her down...
Fate was cruel.
He was cruel. Why couldn`t he have made up his mind sooner? Before she had admitted to herself that she loved him...
"Ilmeres..." She muttered as she brushed aside her tears. Damn her heart! She loved him still, for she knew he lied, she knew he loved her!
Didn`t he?
She continued to dig through the snow and was just about to search another area when the ground gave out beneath her. Falling, she opened her mouth to scream but was unable to hear herself do so. Ariella clawed at the air, desperate for something to hold on to, but found nothing.
After what seemed like ages, she hit the snow covered ground, and knew only darkness.
