Chapter 10

It did not take Lydia long to recover from her impersonation of an ice statue. She accepted a bowl of steaming horker stew as well as another treatment of Danica's magic hands. By the time Ralos returned to the temple with her gear, Lydia was already explaining to Jennsen what she was going to do to the man that had escaped. The acolyte's face was appropriately ashen.

"...and then I'll plop them into a cook pot and feed him a whole bowl of hairysack soup."

Ralos stepped up and handed his wife her clothes and weapons. He clapped Jennsen on the back. "Thank you for keeping my delicate flower entertained. You may go now so she can get dressed."

Jennsen stood, struggling not to wobble. "Mara's mercy," he muttered then scuttled off, holding his stomach.

"Are you sure you're up to this?" Ralos asked.

Lydia cast aside her robe and began to hurriedly dress. "It's been a long time since I've wanted to wet my blade so badly. Attacking us in our home, casting their cowardly magic, then kidnapping your sister."

Ralos raised an eyebrow at her seeming caring.

"What?" Lydia said as Ralos helped her with her steel armor. "Miranda's foul but she's family. It's a personal affront that must be answered in kind."

Ralos lastly handed Lydia her ebony battleaxe which she strapped to her back. He couldn't help but grin. Lydia put her hands on her wide hips. "We don't have time for any of that."

"What? I was just remembering how you used to pose like that while trying to catch my eye. Just badass."

"Catch your eye? You mean save your ass. Come on, the hotter you get, the colder the trail becomes."

Ralos stepped aside and gladly let her lead the way out. "Absolute badass!"

Ralos' first stop was the guard post just outside the Whiterun gates. Since it was the only way out of the city he assumed they must have seen something. The first guard stepped in front of him.

"Wait, I know you."

"Of course you know me," Ralos said, "I'm the Thane. I wonder..."

"No, that's not it."

"I'm the Dragonborn. Now look, maybe you saw..."

The guard scratched his visored helmet. "No, that's not it."

"I'm the wrath of your father's spent noodle yankings, now pay attention! Did you see a big brute run out of here carrying a woman over his shoulder?"

"Aye, I saw them. I thought it was Nazeem with another one of his drunken whores."

"Nazeem?" said the other guard as he approached. He shook his pant leg after having finished relieving himself over the wall. "I thought his soil-turner fell off from that wasting disease?"

"Does it matter? His wife says he's about as stiff as a Taffy Treat."

"Silence!" Ralos yelled, rubbing his throat. "Which way did the he go?"

"Actually, I heard he went both ways."

"Not Nazeem! The man a short while ago. Which way did he go?"

The guard pointed, "He ran and leapt over the low wall there, towards Halted Stream Camp."

"Fools," Ralos cursed then rubbed at his raw throat. He ran off with Lydia close on his heels.

The guard turned to his friend. "Was that Conan? He owes me money."

The other guard shrugged, "Eh, he'll be back."

Ralos and Lydia followed the guard's directions. He did not think they would find the kidnapper at Halted Stream. It was too close for him not to have heard of strange activity. If anything, it could have been taken over and used as a staging area for the cult to strike his home from. Either way, Ralos was determined to see someone's head roll for this.

Not far to the West, Ralos heard a horse whinny and happened to glance towards it. He saw a horse and cart tied just outside a low rock outcropping. He motioned for Lydia to slow and crouch. He topped a small hill and spotted two men, one sitting at a table eating a heel of bread and another gathering firewood.

"Bandits," Lydia whispered.

"That would be my guess. I think we cleaned out this den before. It seems that type of place will just keep attracting a certain type of vermin over and over again."

"I don't see or hear Miranda," Lydia said, "we should keep going."

"Wait. I want to find out if they saw anything."

"As soon as we approach them, they'll run."

"Please, woman. I'll go alone then. I'll put on my friendliest smile. No one can resist that."

Ralos demonstrated. Lydia rolled her eyes. He ignored her and approached the two men, smiling and holding his arms out.

"Never should have come here!" a voice yelled.

Lydia ducked as Ralos dove back behind the hill. Several iron arrows thudded nearby.

"Damn ignorant bandits," Ralos growled.

"You were right," Lydia said, "They didn't run."

Ralos smirked at his wife. He unstrapped his steel shield and brandished his ebony sword. "Try to leave one alive, huh?"

"Speak for yourself."

As one, they charged from the hill. The bandits let fly more arrows. One thudded off of Ralos' shield. Lydia nimbly ran a zig-zagging course that proved too difficult a target. They were on them in moments.

Lydia set on the closest, a spindly, bearded Nord. He tossed aside his hunting bow and faced her with a steel dagger and a wickedly sharp orcish sword. Lydia handled her black battleaxe like it weighed no more than driftwood. She used her charge to strike faster than the man anticipated. She swung for his midsection. He barely managed to drop to the ground to avoid being hit. He was forced to roll away out of her follow through swing. They circled each other near the horsecart. Lydia had the reach, but the bandit had the quicker weapons. He just needed to get closer.

"Why not cut a fellow Nord a break, sister?" the bandit asked, "We're only trying to eek out a living."

Lydia feigned a lunge, forcing him to back up. "Then why did you attack us, Nord brother?"

"Your boyfriend threatened us."

"That was a smile."

"Really? Blech. What if we were to..."

Instead of finishing, the bandit jabbed at Lydia's face with his dagger. Lydia used the blade of battleaxe to swat it away but that left her open to his sword. The rusty blade sliced towards her neck. It was a move she had not fallen for since she was eight, and this time was no different. Instead of trying to block it, she pivoted away from the sword, using the weighted, spiked end of her axe for balance. The man's sword cut only air while the butt of Lydia's axe connected with the side of his head. He went down like a sack of troll fat. His weapons clattered from his hands.

Lydia turned in time to see Ralos liberate the other bandit's head from his body. She watched him stand there for a moment, shield in one hand, bloody sword in the other. He was breathing hard and grinning. She wondered if it was normal for her to be so aroused at that moment. She did not care. She waited for him to come to her.

"Well, unless you can animate his head," Lydia said, "I guess yours won't be answering any questions."

Ralos shrugged, "I told him I just wanted to talk. He's the one who made the mistake of saying what he and his friend planned to do to you. What's your excuse?"

"What do you mean? I only knocked him out." Lydia looked down at the bandit she had fought. A long trail of blood continued to flow from a hole between his eye and his ear. She puzzled over it for a moment then raised the handle of her axe. "Oops. Forgot about the spike."

"That's just great. Too efficient for our own good."

"What about in that den? Anyone hiding behind those crates?"

Ralos replaced his shield and sword after cleaning the blade on the bandit's fur armor. "Let's take a quick peek. At least I'll finish off that salmon steak he was eating. I forgot how much administering justice works up an appetite."

Lydia shouldered his axe as she followed him. "So, what exactly did he say they were going to do that got you so mad."

"Nothing I care to repeat," Ralos said, "But it did give me some ideas." Wink.

"Pig."