When Maura entered their shared room, Jane was pacing like a saber cat trapped in a small cage. Which was saying something, because the room they were in was fairly large by Skyrim standards. Maura dropped the book she was carrying on the side table, perching on the edge of the bed. It was even comfortable, especially when compared to the hard ground. Not that she didn't love being wrapped in Jane's embrace just about anywhere, but a bed was still nice. Jane tossed her hair back over her shoulders, before pulling a lock forward and twirling it. The woman had shed her armor and chain mail, strutting only in undergarments; long, black pants that hugged every curve and a matching dark, tight shirt made to fit beneath bulky armor. Maura could even see the edges of the Nord's bra, and longed to reach out and touch her.

"What's wrong, Jane?" She whispered instead, bracing herself on her hands, leaning back into a more comfortable position.

"Nothing, I... I just... I know we had to come here, because you need to learn what Agroth and Heldren have to teach you, but I wish we could have avoided it." She breathed out deeply, tossing her hair back again. Her features were pinched, grim. "I really don't like this place, I shouldn't be here. But I would never, ever leave you."

"You used to come here often, didn't you." Maura ventured carefully, keeping her voice gentle. Jane paused, locking eyes with the other woman briefly. "You said Agroth's name before Master Heldren had introduced him." Jane nodded, running a hand through her hair; a sign of nerves. Then she turned, starting to pace again. Another sign of nerves, trepidation.

"I used to spent a lot of time here, as a... kid. Agroth, Frankie, T-" She stopped herself, shaking her head. "And I used to race up the steps in the mornings sometimes, just to see who could get to High Hrothgar first. Heldren would let us in, give us food, let us read the stories about Dragons and the Dragon Born. We used to all play in the courtyard; pretend we were on voyages to save the world. That was when Master Theresin and Mistress Evrena were still around." Maura furrowed her brow slightly. Jane was referring to two others as 'Master' and 'Mistress' yet called Master Heldren by only his name, with no title. As if she knew him better than she had known the other two.

"What happened?" The Breton couldn't help but ask, shifting so that her dark blonde hair fell out of her face, allowing her to watch the other woman more closely.

"When my older brother got arrested by the Riften Guard, the first time, we stayed here. We liked it, for awhile. And then I ran away because I didn't agree with their teachings. Especially not with the new Scroll. I couldn't accept it." Her shoulders twitched, and Maura realized that the Nord was leaving something out. Jane shook her head, dropping her eyes to the floor. "Not long after, Master Theresin passed away, and there were three Greybeards rather than four. It was a sad day. One of the saddest in Rift history." Her pace had stopped for a few moments, before she started up again. Maura recounted the names in her head. Jane had only mentioned three Greybeards. The woman twirled her hair again, continuing quickly. "When I left, it was a disaster. Bridges burned, got myself told to never return. Heldren and Agroth were the only two that wanted me to stay, to see if I could stick it out. I refused. So I left, and ran North." She clenched her hands, as if the memory was hurting her. "I stopped in Whiterun for awhile. Fell in what I thought was love. Went with him to Windhelm and..." She swallowed thickly, and Maura rose, stepping into the other's path. Her eyes had darkened slightly, and she directed Jane towards the mattress with gentle hands. "Maura-"

"You're stressed. I don't like seeing you so worked up. Everything you tell me, I know it must have hurt you. And it hurts you now." Jane slid into a seated position, Maura pausing to shed her lengthy robes, tossing her belt over the chair in the corner of their room. Within moments, she had stepped out of her boots, shedding her pants in order to climb back into the woman's lap. "I do want to know. I want to know every little thing about you. But you need to relax." She slid her hands into Jane's hair, closing the distance between them slowly, until her breath was warm against Jane's mouth. "Let me help you."

"Mmhmm." Jane hummed, nodding slightly before their mouths connected. The kiss started slow, advancing agonizingly slow. Maura let her arms rest against the woman's shoulders, waiting for her to move as quickly as she wanted, needed, to. Jane slid her hands up under the hem of her tight under shirt, pulling upwards as she did so. They broke apart briefly to dispose of the layer, before running her hands back over trimmed shoulders, down a perfect rib cage, over a slim waist. Maura parted her lips, moving her tongue forward to request entrance. She wanted to meet Jane halfway in everything they did; to express to her just how much she cared as well as knowing that the battle- hardened Nord cared for her.

"I'm going to touch you." Maura whispered, as long, slender fingers wandered over the skin of her thighs, making her shiver. The blonde dipped one hand below the hemline of Jane's shirt, lifting it above her head with a twist. Her fingers slid along the edge of a supportive, plain black bra, reaching around the back to undo the clip. The thicker, soft fabric slid down tanned arms, dropping towards the floor before she slid her hands down the woman's chest. "So beautiful." Her fingers ran over a lengthy scar above the woman's left breast, her eyes inquiring.

"Forge accident." Maura raised an eyebrow. "For real, I promise. That one is the only normal one, I swear. I was in Helgen, Falkreath Hold. I had just left Dawnstar, tracking South through Whiterun as quickly as possible. I found a new partner down there, and was reforging my sword. I wouldn't use daggers anymore, so I leaned too much on the hilt, snapping it upwards more than I meant to. Wasn't used to the length of it." She shrugged. "Barry patched it up as best he could. There was no healer, not for a Nord."

"He didn't do a bad job." Maura whispered, pressing her lips to the edge of the scar. It was thin, and seemed to have healed decently enough. It wasn't something she could do, but that wasn't saying much. She was a Master in Restoration slid her hands downward, cupping Jane's breasts; feeling how perfectly they seemed to have been made for one another. The woman moaned as she explored, ghosting her fingertips over a claw mark that had not healed quite as well as the sword mark. Jane moaned when Maura ran her thumb over the knotted flesh. "Saber Cat. South Hjaalmarch. Barry frost tried to heal that one too, but it got infected. He rode all the way to Dawnstar in the middle of a storm for a healer, and made it back in time. Korsak came too. They pulled me through to fight for another day."

"I'm glad. I want to meet this Barry Frost, I want to thank him for keeping you alive for me." Maura whispered, peppering long, light kisses over the strong, toned core, pushing Jane backwards to lie on the soft mattress. Maura slid her fingers below the waist of the Nord's pants, slipping them off slowly. There was a long scar over her right knee and calf, branching as if made of lightning to wrap around her inner thigh.

"The boarder between the Pale and Winterhold. Closer to Lake Yorgrim than Dawnstar." Jane shivered as Maura traced the web- like lines that decorated an otherwise flawless thigh. "Right when Korsak had his knee shot out from under him. We ran into a couple Imperials. One of them was a necromancer, and a Winterhold mage from the Destruction school. I took a Spark to the thigh, and a broadsword to the calf. It was better than Korsak fared though, and I was lucky. My armor had taken the majority of the force from the blow." She gasped as Maura pressed her lips there, trailing a line of kisses up Jane's inner thigh. One hand slid into her hair, tightening reflexively when the smaller woman paused, running her hands up Jane's outer thighs.

"You are lucky to have seen the world." Jane blushed, shaking her head gently.

"No. I'm lucky to have found you. The world can be seen any time. So many things would have been different if I had not made Dawnstar my home." Maura felt her face heat up, inhaling deeply.

"I would like to make love to you now, Nord from Dawnstar." She whispered, sliding matching black underwear down over incredibly long legs.

"I do seem to be at your mercy, Dovahkiin." Maura blushed, letting her tongue slip out, tasting the warmth of her lover, finding her so wet, and so ready. "Maura." Jane moaned, One hand tangling in the sheets that had been used for their bed. The other tightened against Maura's hair as she slid her tongue in deeper, stroking the heated core of her lover, pulling her closer if that was at all possible. When Jane moaned again, Maura's own arousal was almost painful, and she pulled away from teasing the woman's clit with her tongue, sliding back up the Nord's body to lock in a searing kiss that Jane could taste herself in. As she felt Jane sucking on her tongue, the mage slid gripped one of the Nord's wrists, guiding her downward before sliding her own fingers through wet folds. When Jane made contact with her center, Maura couldn't keep the low, erotic moan from her lips, thrusting deep inside Jane at nearly the same time. She tried to keep their pace slow, finding she could barely control her own desire as her thrusting became more erratic, hips moving in unison. Maura slid her lips down to Jane's collarbone, panting as she neared, listening to her protector as she whispered her name over and over again in breathy moans. When Jane clenched around her fingers, Maura was only a moment after, biting down on her neck hard as she came. When her body had stopped shaking, she collapsed in a heap, crushing into the warrior's side.

"I love you." Maura finally whispered, regaining her voice. She felt strong arms wrap around her body, her legs locking around she spoke again, Jane's voice was close to her ear.

"I would never love anyone other than thee, Maura Isles." She smiled, curling into the thinner, strong frame as she drifted. As long as they were together, they could get past anything in their paths. There would be nothing that kept them apart. Maura dared the world to erupt into chaos, because, for a moment, she thought she could handle it all.