I stared intently at the flames of the campfire, Ahtar diligently stoking it to make sure it didn't go out in the slight drizzle. I simply sat on a tree stump nearby as everyone bustled about setting up tents. Brelyna cast some runes around as a safety measure even though they always had someone on watch.
For some reason I couldn't bring myself to help in these efforts. After what had happened mere hours earlier, with the dragon, I felt so out of the loop in this little convoy that it almost made me want to go back to the Guild. Liriette kept me there though, whether she knew it or not. I guess my change in demeanor was noticeable, because at one point, the fateful Breton approached me.
"Hey..." Her voice was quiet, as if she didn't want the others to overhear our conversation. I looked up at her. Though I had previously been feeling rather hollow, when she was nearby me again, it was abruptly invigorating. Energy coursed through me and my posture straightened ever so slightly. When she was around I felt like I needed to be the best I possibly could, and that being that person was possible as long as she was there.
I brought myself back to reality with conscious effort, "Hi."
She knelt down in front of me and gently rested her hands on my knees, our eyes locking. She looked... concerned? It's hard to describe. Either way, it made me slightly tense, "Are you feeling alright? You've been quiet ever since the dragon thing."
"The dragon thing". She said it so simply, like it truly meant nothing, like it was as routine as tying the laces on her boots. Was it, though? Or was the normalcy forced? I knew she wasn't stupid, she knew better than to treat battles insignificantly, that could cost you your life. One with a dragon? Not something to overlook. One false move and you could be engulfed in its gaping maw, have your spine snapped in half by its tail, or be blown off of a mountaintop by the gusts of wind it sent up. Though everyone had survived this instance, I wasn't so confident in the next one.
Sighing lightly, I moved my hands to hers and rested mine atop them. She was so warm and so soft. For a few moments it was difficult to find my breath, especially because she was allowing this contact without so much as a second glance, "I just... I don't know. I would've assumed that such a large detail about you wouldn't have been left out in our discussions."
Her familiar, reassuring smile returned, and it made the air around us seem lighter, "Well, Sapphire, what did you expect? 'Hi, I'm Liriette! My hobbies include reading, long walks on the beach, and absorbing dragon souls'. It doesn't tend to come up in average conversation." This was so refreshing to me, her humor. It was just what was needed at the moment.
Letting myself chuckle for a bit, I shook my head back and forth, "Well when you put it that way..." My eyes drifted from her. For some reason, not having known this information sort of... offended me. I was hurt. As per usual, I was expecting her to treat me like a lifelong friend when in reality we had known each other for an extremely short time. It was irrational and foolish, but it was how I felt and I couldn't control it, "Liriette, is there... anything else I should know about you?"
She got an amused look on her face, probably thinking that this entire situation was unnecessary and odd, "Secretly," She leaned forward, her mouth mere inches from my ear as she lowered her voice to nothing more than a whisper, "I think that Dragonsreach's architecture is tacky." Smiling broadly to herself, she returned to her previous position.
I glared playfully at her, feeling my cheeks warming slightly at the realization she considered this whole thing to be a joke, "You know that's not what I meant."
She reached up with one hand, poking at my cheek with her index finger like she had in the Bee and Barb. This time she was gentle, though. Slower. Her hand hovered and she instead simply rested her palm against my face, "I know. Sapphire, in all seriousness, I'm not some bundle of secrets just waiting to be unwrapped. All you need to know is that yes, I am the Dragonborn, I'm a member of the Companions in Whiterun, and I'm a sort of part-time Legionnaire in the Imperial army. That's all. I promise you." The sincerity behind her eyes made me believe her instantaneously.
The feeling of her hand on my cheek was nearly overwhelming, and when I glanced at it instinctively, she must've thought it was making me uncomfortable. As she drew away, my hand shot up without my consent and held hers in place. It was as if her warmth was coursing into me, and that if it left, I may freeze into a block of ice.
"Alright. Thank you." The serenity that engulfed me when she was near was unlike anything I had ever experienced before in my life. It was as if the entire world around us evaporated, dissolved into a sea of insignificance, like we were the only two people in all of Tamriel and like nothing could disrupt this moment between us. It made me wonder if this was mutual. Most likely not. She was incredible, far surpassing me in every way. I didn't want to get my hopes up, even though I didn't yet quite understand my hopes.
"Don't mention it. Now, hey, try to get some rest how 'bout?" Sighing to herself, she withdrew from me and stood again. The camp was all set and ready, tents up, runes cast. Liriette looked around, assessing everything. This was probably the hundredth time she had done something like this, established a place to sleep somewhere in the wilderness, made it safe, and so on. It was like a second nature to her, "Ahtar stayed up last night, and Erik before him... Brelyna's had a pretty draining day, so I'll keep watch."
She was so considerate, so on top of everything. No wonder these people were following her, who wouldn't? She was just... solid. Reassuring. Her confidence was infectious and inspiring, and you could really tell who she cared about. She was fixating on something and when I looked to see what, I saw Brelyna flipping diligently through a tome. Her ashen skin was illuminated by the fire, and her crimson eyes flickered from the flames. Liriette seemed incredibly distracted by her. A pang of... something went straight through my chest, but I said nothing.
She put her hands on her hips and gave me a smile, "Come on. Humor me. Go get some sleep, you can share Brelyna's tent." She pointed to one of the three. When I didn't move for a few lingering seconds she exhaled heavily, "Don't make me throw you in there. Because I absolutely will." At that she walked away from me and more towards the outskirts of camp, staring off into the darkness of the wilderness surrounding us.
The Dunmer was still a total stranger to me, but she had an air of approachability about her. Feeling my eyelids starting to get a bit heavy, I went over to the mage. She barley even noticed, very interested in whatever she was reading. Ahtar and Erik were already in their own respectable tents, sleeping most likely.
I stood in front of her and paused, "Uh, hi, Liriette said I should share with you..." I almost didn't talk loud enough for her to hear, she was so immersed. Her eyes flitted up to me for a second, looking like she was waiting for me to elaborate, "...the um, tent."
After a dragging moment or two she exhaled and shut her book, her index finger holding her place, and she aimed her gaze at Liriette, "Keeping watch again, huh?" She seemed exasperated by that, sighing in mild irritation, "She knows it's my turn..." Her thumb jutted behind her, toward her tent, indicating I could go in.
Ducking down I slowly entered, laying down on one of the two bedrolls, "She said you had a hard day, so she would do it." After about two seconds, I already felt like I was dozing off.
She scoffed lightly, heading into the tent as well, "A 'hard' day? She shot lightning down a dragon's throat! By Julianos, I doubt I'll ever fully understand that woman." She opened her book once more to read, only to realize there wasn't enough lighting. I then experienced one of the few moments where I wished I had magical inclination, because with a simple flick of her wrist a small ball of light was conjured right next to her face.
What she said intrigued me, "She's done this before, I'm guessing?" I let my eyes close but I still listened intently.
"Yes, quite frequently. She pampers me, acts like I'm vulnerable and should be treated differently from everyone else." Her voice was quiet and a bit shaky. I couldn't tell why.
Exhaustion started to overtake me and it was really difficult to form a coherent response, "Why do you think that is?"
I felt her shift where she laid and something told me she had also turned her light spell off, "Maybe because I'm the mage of the group? The healer? She thinks I'm essential?" She sighed, "Really, I can't tell, and there's no way to. Not with Liriette." At that point I was basically half asleep. In fact, I think she was still talking, but I had lost consciousness.
I apologize sincerely for the delay, I've been preoccupied with a new job and other familial responsibilities, yada yada, accompanied by my general chronic writers block and lack of motivation. Some reviews put me back on track though. Also, sorry for this sort of filler chapter, but I thought it'd be better than nothing and might sate your appetites? Maybe? Either way, I'll be doing my best to post a bit more frequently, but please don't hold me to anything because I'm sure if you've followed me for a while, you know how inconsistent I (ironically) consistently am.
