Hey here we go!

I would have updated a little earlier if my friend hadn't introduced me to a pairing I hadn't thought about since I first read through the books. Needless to say, I've been very distracted in reading said fanfiction pairing.

Hope you enjoy!

I shot up from my lying position, gasping. My lungs were on fire. The sound of my shallow breaths and rushed heartbeat were all I could focus on.

"Val, are you okay?!"

I felt my eyes shift, but I still didn't see my brother, who had called out.

Actually, I don't see anything at all. I searched frantically for something, but all I saw was white. Panic seeped into me as I realized I'd gone blind. I could feel my eyes flit around for something, anything, but it was nothing but ongoing white.

"Aicantar?! What's happening?!" I yelled in what I hoped was his general direction. I closed my eyes, and darkness engulfed me, but when I opened them, it was still just a blank white. Like staring at a snow covered landscape.

Calm down, breathe. Focus on your other senses.

I took a deep breath in, trying to detect a familiar smell. The air smelled like moss and oils. I could hear the sounds of gears moving and metal rubbing together.

I'm in the Keep still...

I ran my fingers along the thing I was until recently lying on. It was soft, but cold. I was on a blanket of fur, and I felt around until my hand drifted to the cold stone I was sitting on. I sighed, and said quietly "Aicantar, where are you?"

I sat still as I felt a hand reach out and touch my arm. I flinched away instinctively, but I lifted my hand, reaching out slowly. I gripped his arm, gliding up and feeling his shoulder. I gripped it, asking "What's happening? Why can't I see?!"

He sighed, and gripped my shoulders tightly. "Whatever was on that dagger was more than a simple sleeping draught. We're attempting to figure out the antidote, even interrogating..." He paused, not saying his name, and continued "But, until we figure it out, we've got to hope your sight returns. Or..." He didn't finish the sentence, but I knew perfectly well what he was going to say.

Or you could be blind for the rest of your life.

I frowned, and released my grip on him, my shoulders slumping. I wiggled my fingers, just for the comfort of knowing I can still move. My shoulder ached.

The sound of footsteps approaching caused me to stiffen. They suddenly became quicker, and I tried to figure out exactly where they were in the room when arms pulled me into an embrace. I sat very still, uneasy with not knowing who was gripping me so tightly. scraggly hair tickled my cheek, along with fabric.

I quickly pieced together that the person hugging me was Calcelmo. "Hi, uncle." I said in an undoubtedly weak voice. My throat felt very dry as I tried to talk.

"Oh Vallisara. You gave us all quite the fright." He said quietly, slowly releasing me from his tight hug. I attempted to smile, but it felt more like a grimace. "Is everyone else okay?" I asked while my mind went to the Justiciar.

Calcelmo answered "Well... Physically, yes. Emotionally... Debatable."

I furrowed my brows in question. "What do you mean?"

"Well... You've slept for almost six and a half days."

I blinked in surprise, but that only made my head hurt from the quick change between dark and light. My stomach growled, and I realized exactly how starved I felt.

Calcelmo continued "We've been pretty worried. You were in a comatose state, barely breathing. It took a toll on us."

I nodded mutely, and sighed. I gripped my stomach and asked "Could I get something to eat?"

Aicantar's laugh rang in my ears as he answered "One moment, I'll be back quickly."

I smiled as best I could, and listened to his steps retreating. I resumed lying on the stone bed, and I closed my eyes, trying to relax.

A thought of intensely warm covers in a private bedroom came to mind. I sighed, gripping the cold stone to bring myself from the thought. I heard the sound of footsteps, and the smell of warm food attacked my senses. I sat up quickly, taking a deep whiff as my stomach growled again. I stood up, finding my legs very unsteady under me, and arms wrapping around me to steady me as they lead me towards something.

I shuffled slowly, reaching out to feel something wooden. Arms cautiously directed me to a sitting position, and my brother said quietly "It's vegetable soup. I know it's your favorite, so..." I smiled, hoping it was close to the direction in which the voice came from, and it faded as I tried to figure out how I was going to eat it.

"You do understand that she is unable to see the spoon, right?" Calcelmo replied with a chuckle, and he said quietly "Open." I slowly opened my mouth, and I felt hot liquid touch my tongue. I closed my mouth over the spoon, and drank down the food.

I could not hold back the smile as the warm food comforted my stomach, and the warmth glided down my throat. I subconsciously hated my inability to feed myself, but knew that I had little choice but to cope with it.

After finishing, I was led back to the stone bed, sitting on it slowly. I wanted to move, to do something other than rest, but I had very few options of things to deal with. So I laid back, and closed my eyes. I listened to the sounds of the footsteps leaving.

I waited for some other sound of return, but when I was sure they were gone, I sat up. I raised my fingers, and focused on the pulse of my magic. I drew in on it, and felt the electricity spring to my fingers, and dance between them like it always did. I smiled in the comfort of knowing it was still there.

That I'm still here.

I sighed, and I pulled the magic back to my veins, the magical pulse in my fingers dissipating. I felt very hopeless. I was unable to see anything around me, and there was the chance that I would never see it ever again.

I could hear something moving around the room. I frowned, feeling very vulnerable. I was practically helpless.

"Who's there?" I called out, trying hard not to show the slight fear in my voice. The footsteps stopped, and I frantically tried to pinpoint where I'd heard them last.

It felt as though I waited for the response for an eternity. Finally, the footsteps answered, this time with a voice.

"You have no reason to be fearful. They locked him up."

I trembled lightly, muttering more to myself than the voice "Doesn't mean he's not going to break from jail. He has the influence."

I was trying to recall the last time he'd been bailed or broken out. About two decades, I'd reckoned as the owner of the voice approached me.

"He's not getting out of the Mine. Not for a few months to a year, at least. As long as I testify, that is."

The voice clicked, and I realized who was speaking to me. I relaxed, much less fearful as the mental image of Ondolemar came to mind. I found myself listening a little more closely to the sound of his voice.

"You're going to testify against him to your own people, so he doesn't get out early?"

The voice merely made a sound of agreement, and my lips twitched up in a small grin. "So, what brings you here, Justiciar?"

I heard the sound of a chair being pulled up, and heard his robes swish as he took a seat. I could almost see him in my mind, sitting in front of me. I swung my legs down as I sat up, my feet touching the floor.

His euphonious voice comforted my uneasiness to my situation, and calmed me as he answered "I came to check on you. I bumped into Calcelmo, and he mentioned your... Lack of sight. I've heard of people going completely mad from this predicament after so many years of being able to see, and having the ability of sight ripped from their grasp so quickly. I came to ensure that your sanity is intact."

I almost smiled, but he continued with a snort "Well, as intact as it was before. You were slightly radical already, but..."

I scowled at him, and he laughed. I could almost hear the relief in his laughter. My scowl slipped, and I smirked. "I was fine until you came along and drove me over the edge with your haughtiness."

He sighed, and I knew somehow that he was rolling his eyes. "Your humor is just as it was before... Leaving more to be desired." I gave a short gasp, answering "That hurts, coming from someone who I don't remember ever having a sense of humor!"

He chuckled, and I grinned. Despite my current situation, I was feeling rather comfortable. But just as I was starting to get comfortable, I could almost feel the air in the room get heavier, and I knew the jokes were over.

"Vallisara, I hope you understand that I'm trying everything I can to get answers on that draught from him. But until he's disregarded from the Thalmor Embassy, I can't force him to answer... And I have no idea if First Emissary will remove him from the Embassy." He said quietly, and I knew that the look on his face was probably clouded with trouble.

I could feel the cloud of thoughts that were looming over him, and I reached out towards him, my hand awkwardly brushing the edge of his collar before landing on his shoulder. I smiled in the most comforting way I could, and replied "It's okay. I won't blame you if things get bad. I know you're trying your best, Justiciar."

He shifted, his body moving from my hand. I pulled my arm in, tilting my head down. He responded quietly "What if it's not enough? You could be permanently blinded without the antidote, he could be on the loose within a year, and I don't know if the Embassy will stand with me when he manages to successfully..." His voice trailed off, and I sighed.

"It's okay to not know what's coming next. For now, we just have to hope."

He sighed. I tried again to reach out to comfort him, but I felt gloved fingertips push my wrist away gently, as if handling something fragile. "How am I supposed to be okay with not knowing whether you'll ever be fully okay again?"

I frowned. I knew I wanted to reassure him that I was and would be okay, but I wasn't okay, and there was no guarantee I'd ever be okay again. I was not only very possibly blind for life, but also still in danger. So I fell silent, and we sat there quietly. As much as I wanted to help him feel less guilty, there really wasn't anything he'd accept from me to make him feel okay.

Finally, he broke the silence. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't really be concerning you with this, especially with all that you've got to deal with right now. It's selfish of me to add more worries-"

"No, it's okay." I interrupted, forcing a small smile. "I don't want you to have to suffer in silence. It's not really fair to you."

He didn't answer, so I took it as him accepting my words. He stood up with the swish of his robes, and his boots scuffed the floor as he started to move away when I quickly reached out for him, my fingers just barely catching his robes. I said quickly "Wait."

He stopped moving and turned around, my fingers releasing his robes. I paused, trying to place the words correctly. "I... I want to go back. With you. I felt... Safer."

For a moment, everything seemed absolutely silent. I didn't hear the sounds of the machines, or rats scurrying around the floor. I waited for a response, holding my breath. A few seconds ticked by silently.

Finally, he answered in an oddly soft voice "Your brother and uncle miss you. It's not in my right to take you from them."

I huffed, retorting in an almost haughty way "It's not in their right to decide what I want to do. I'm an adult, and I can go where I please, blind or not." I thought over my words, and said in a slightly more modest way "If you don't mind me staying."

He snorted and laughed a little. "No, I wouldn't mind, but I'm sure your brother would. He was less than thrilled to find out you were there last time. Just stay with them for now. I'll visit when I get the chance."

I pursed my lips, feeling slightly like a dejected child. I listened to his footsteps fade, and I sighed deeply. I fell backwards, forgetting I was on stone and not in an actual bed, and muttered loud curses as my head hit the stone a little harder than expected, even with the pillow.

"Damn you Justiciar." I said quietly before drifting to sleep, wishing for a warm bed and the security I'd once felt.

This chapter is mostly filler, but oh well. I hope you enjoyed, and please remember to leave a review!

Sorry again for such little development, but you know how it is.

See you next time!