It was still better than sitting above deck in the sun.
I sat on a crate, hunched over with my arms crossed and my hands shoved into my armpits. A juvenile mudcrab skittered past my foot as I sighed into my mask.
'Relax, Teldryn. If I'd intended to kill you, you'd be dead already. And I wouldn't have bothered to pay you.'
He just stared at me, his expression coldly neutral. His blood-red Dunmer eyes burned into me, his lips frozen into a serious frown.
The silence passed awkwardly. I squirmed on my crate, wishing he'd start staring at something other than me. 'Why are you still here, then?' I snapped at him. 'You voluntarily left the service of a patron once because he wouldn't wash. Surely I've failed your 'Risk Assessment' by now.'
He didn't flinch.
'You haven't dismissed me from your service.' His stare continued to bore into me, as if he were fully prepared to spring into violent action at a moment's notice if I even leaned too close to him. 'I will continue to accompany you for as long as you continue to pay as well as you do,' he said in a deep, low monotone, 'and for as long as you keep your teeth out of my neck.'
I scoffed, reaching into my bag to get the potion of blood. 'Ha. Don't flatter yourself.' I uncorked it and raised it to my lips, pulling down the cowl of my hood with my free hand. 'You all taste like ash, anyway.'
His eyes widened a little, then squinted; the faintest grin appeared at the corner of his tattooed lips. 'Everything on Solstheim does, N'wah.'
I glared at him, the neck of the bottle still stuck in my mouth. I recognised the insult, but I decided to let it go.
'We didn't solve your Miraak problem.'
'There are more important matters to deal with now.' I tossed the empty bottle onto the wooden boards. Teldryn frowned.
'You're going to deal with those matters on top of the continued assassination attempts?'
'There are always continued assassination attempts. Miraak is just one of the competitors.'
'Which is where I come in, I assume.' He folded his arms and his eyes quickly flicked up and down my body. 'May I ask who the others are?'
I took a deep breath and looked down. If he was going to quit, then now would be the time.
'Cultists. Dawnguard. City guards. Hired thugs. Other vampires. Dragons.'
'Dragons?' He almost spat out the words. His head turned away in disbelief and he ran a hand through his black mohawk. 'This is getting ridiculous.' He kicked the little mudcrab away that was crawling over his boot.
'I can deal with them,' I immediately interjected, my voice low and firm. 'Mostly.' I paused for a moment as he glared at me.
'I have no strength against fire,' I continued quietly. 'I am a creature borne of ice and snow.'
'I see,' He said dryly. 'Being a vampire only makes it worse.'
'I can imagine.' There was that look of repulsion again. I sighed loudly.
'I didn't choose this,' I said, surprised to hear the almost pleading tone in my own voice. He merely sat there, arms folded, watching me.
'I wasn't going to bring you to Skyrim,' I said. 'But I see now that you have skills that I haven't been able to find in other mercenaries.'
'You mean the willingness to stay in the patronage of a dragon slaying vampire?'
'Stop it,' I spat angrily. I glared at him, waiting to see if he had any more sarcasm for me. He merely raised his eyebrows.
'You Dark Elves have a good resistance to fire.'
'I prefer Dunmer.'
'Are you finished?' I was losing patience.
'Maybe.'
I sighed as I continued. 'You seem adept in both swordsmanship and magic use. You won't run off when your magicka runs out or go charging into battle irresponsibly and get yourself killed.'
'Yes.'
'You don't seem to be stupid. Arrogant maybe, but not stupid.' I paused. A smug grin spread across his face. He was enjoying having his ego stroked.
'If you possess any of the typical Dunmer traits, I can use that.'
'And what do you think those are, Sera?'
'I only know so much. Your kind are strong; sly; cunning; intelligent; tenacious; promiscuous.'
He threw his head back and laughed aloud. 'Promiscuity is a trait in my kind that you could use, Milady?'
My gut sank and a great rush of blood went to my cheeks as I realised what I'd said. I couldn't think of anything to say; I'd never been more grateful for the presence of my cowl. 'N... no...' I stammered.
'Well,' he said, lecherously, his white teeth gleaming through his wide smile as he leaned forward, 'You keep telling me that the way to become skilled at something... is through practice.'
'D... Don't.' 'You'll need to pay extra for those services though. I can assure you I'm worth every coin.'
'I'm serious. Stop it, Teldryn.'
'Oh, I bet your face is as red as an ash yam under that hood... How long has it been? Hundreds of years? Do you remember what it's like?'
Three loud raps on the deck above signalled that the boat had arrived in Windhelm.
I leaped up as if I'd been stung. 'We're here,' I blurted. 'Get the stuff.' I scurried up the ladder and out of the trapdoor to the deck as fast as my limbs would take me.
I could still hear him laughing as I emerged into the glare of daylight. My eyes stung and ached; My veins tingled and burned.
'Anything else you need, Nysteris?' His voice was taunting and dripped with sin.
'Ugh.' I shook my head in disgust. His face broke into another wide smile as he cocked an eyebrow.
'We're going to Lakeview Manor. In Falkreath. It's where I live.' I squinted at the ice covered docks of Windhelm. The cold air soothed my blushing cheeks.
Teldryn shouldered the heavy pack and followed me as I hopped from the ship onto the stone wharf. 'You're taking me home already?'
I ignored him. 'Marcurio is expecting us. I sent word via courier while we were at The Netch.'
'Ah. Is he your little steward whom I met in your room before?'
'He's an apprentice wizard. I expect you to be polite and respectful.'
'But he's still your steward.' He followed a few steps behind me. 'I hope he knows how to cook.'
'He won't be making you ash yam stew or grilled hopper legs.'
'You're really quite racist, you know.'
I turned to face him. His smile was still there.
'We're taking a wagon. Travelling by foot is too dangerous and would take forever.'
'Then lead on.' he paused. 'On a more serious note,' he said matter-of-factly, 'Why are we going there?'
'I think I've found someone who can cure me.'
'Of...'
'You know what.'
He looked surprised. 'I didn't think that was possible.'
'Neither did I.' I paused again. 'I need to get some things before we go to see him. The man who might be able to cure me.'
'Is this the best time to be doing that?'
I turned to look at him in astonishment. He'd recoiled from me like I was a monster earlier, and now he was questioning whether I should cure myself?
'I'm assuming your condition grants you certain... advantages in stealth and combat?'
I understood what he was trying to say. His point was valid.
'Look,' I said flatly, stopping in my tracks and turning to face him. 'I've been this way for longer than I care to admit. It's never been something I wanted.' He frowned at me. 'It's an affliction,' I said quietly. 'Soon, I'm going to be undertaking something I've been waiting to do for centuries...' I trailed off as he eyed me warily. 'I'll be going to destroy Alduin. The World Eater.'
Once again, he stared at me in disbelieving silence.
'I think I'll be better off without bearing this affliction when that time comes.'
I could see his mind working as he scanned my masked face. It seemed as though the gravity of the situation was finally beginning to become real for him; he nodded. 'You'll still be Dragonborn, after all.' He smiled faintly.
'Yes.' I almost whispered the words as a sea of uncomfortable emotions swirled within me.
I pulled myself out of it and turned quickly on my heel. 'Hurry up, Sero,' I said firmly. 'I hope you brought the sujamma.'