Disclaimer: I own nothing from Elder Scrolls V Skyrim, the characters from the awesome mod Skyrim Romance by Maralightfeather, or any other mod-related content referred to in this story. This is purely fan-made and I only claim ownership of the character I'm playing as created in-game.
Note: I kid you not everything I'm about to write about actually DID happen in my game! Seriously there is never a dull moment in Skyrim! Well ok so a few details were changed to translate into story form but this all happened to me during my recent gameplay session. Granted some of it did not happen in that order leading up to visiting Noir's home, but it made more sense to change things around a bit to suit my needs. Speaking of mods, Noir's first home is from the Hideaway mod by "jasperthegnome." I highly recommend it because it's hidden but cozy and since you build it yourself it can serve as an over time living improvement for your character.
Chapter 11: The Hunter And The Hunted
Since it was going to be cold where she lived Noir made sure to change into her warmer set of armor before they left Whiterun. Honestly the trip wasn't going to take very long but a lot could happen on the way there. And oh, happen it did...
Just barely past the bridge to the right of Whiterun to make their way north Noir and Bishop witnessed a Thalmore unit escorting a prisoner being attacked by a Sabercat. Noir of course, instinctively rushed over to help but the threat was dealt with quickly and the Thalmore pressed on as if nothing had happened, leaving the corpse of their dead companion behind who had fallen to the saber's initial attack. Seeing this open display of contempt disgusted her. Couldn't they at least give their comrade a little respect and move the body out of such an embarrassing angle? No warrior, Thalmore or not, should be left splayed out like this by their companions.
She felt bad for looting the body since the others didn't seem to care because hey, every piece of gold counts, but at the very least Noir straightened out the High Elf's body and placed their sword back in her hand. It was a stupid thing to worry about really, especially given how much Noir secretively disliked the Thalmore, but it made her feel better nonetheless. Perhaps a Whiterun guard would discover the body and dispose of it properly but Noir wasn't going to go THAT far out of her way to be civil. Not for the likes of them anyway.
Less then five minutes later Noir saw a strange little man in a jester's outfit moping by his broken wagon wheel lamenting the delay in getting his mother to a new crypt. Noir found his antics amusing and harmless so she offered to help. He seemed ecstatic and danced a little jig to which Noir smiled and went over to the farm as asked to request assistance. The farmer was less then happy with her at first but Noir managed to convince him to help, though he did have a point that that box was awfully large for just your standard coffin. Still, Cicero seemed harmless enough and again, what harm could he do really? The man was a jester for goodness sake! And a small man at that which Bishop graciously pointed out to their reluctant helper. Besides, again, Noir couldn't help but like the quirky little man since it was a welcome change to the bleak Nords they usually met along the road.
After getting a nice reward of 'shiny clinky gold' from Cicero, Noir led Bishop to a Giant's camp near the road, giving it a wide berth of course when they heard two mages arguing. Hiding from view, Bishop and Noir listened to their conversation. Or more like a heated argument which soon escalated into a full on magical duel between them. Doing that so close to a Giant's camp? Yeah, not the smartest idea...
"If you think I'm going to let you claim the reward for her capture for yourself you've got another thing coming!" the first mage, a female Breton shouted, shooting a fireball at her companion.
In response the other mage, a female Dark Elf, shoot a few ice spikes in return and then the two started aiming bursts of fire and frost mage at one another. "I already told you we'd share! It's you who wants it all for yourself! You selfish low-some-!"
This went on for quite some time until the two idiotically wound up killing one another instead. Noir could only roll her eyes at their idiocy until while looting the corpses -which Bishop pointed out again should be done more meticulously- Noir discovered a notice in one of their packs which said the following:
'As instructed by my client, I have posted this notice to offer a hefty reward of 15000 gold that shall be granted to the first person or persons who captures and delivers the following target to me ALIVE. The target is a female Khajiit with glowing amber eyes, striking black fur, and a noticeably humanoid face. There is no way to mistake her for anyone else. She was last seen near Ivarstead. For further information regarding the target or the reward I will be at the designated Notice Board this was posted on every midnight at the beginning of the week.'
With a sigh, Noir showed it to Bishop but he figured it was just a normal bounty letter. They'd seen a few others already although this was one of the few that wanted her specifically alive. And these were almost always found in the bandit community since there were a lot of people who wanted Noir either dead or wanted to hold the Dragonborn for ransom. Such was a life of fame he supposed. Noir knew better though, she could feel it, and this wasn't the first mage to come after her looking to capture and not kill her. Even the fact that they were all mages was her biggest clue since those were the ones Galius would be in contact with...
To thwart Noir's plans to go home yet again, a dragon's roar was heard in the direction of the Giant's camp and wouldn't you know it, a dragon appeared. Apparently dragon's enjoyed the taste of mammoth meat so this wasn't the first time she'd seen one try to raid a Giant's herd for a nice plump one. By the time Noir and Bishop got there the Giant was already dead and the dragon was going after the remaining mammoths. It wasn't until Bishop's arrows started flying towards it's face that the dragon took notice of them and switched targets. Two of the mammoth's were already dead while the third had run off wounded in the opposite direction, clearly only a baby, and it didn't know what to do without it's mother's guidance and protection.
Eventually Noir and Bishop put the dragon down and went to see what had become of the third mammoth when it was taken down by a pack of wolves. Tired from their last battle with the dragon and a mammoth who decided to defend itself against them as well before it died, Bishop took a bit of a beating from one of the wolves they were fighting. When Noir finally pried it off of him she sliced open the damned wolf's throat out in turn...
A light snow began to fall soon after and the three of them finally had a moment to breathe and pull up their hoods before it got too cold. Good thing they were close now because Noir and Bishop were both exhausted! He was lucky to still be standing with that nasty gash on his upper thigh from the dragon attack. Unfortunately Noir didn't have enough time to heal it fully before they went to track the remaining mammoth.
Now that things had settled down for the moment, Noir casually led Bishop to the entrance of her cave home. Yes, a cave. But it was nicer then one one might imagine. She took care of it and over the years made it quite comfortable, all things considering, but the most important part was that it was well hidden. Up until now Noir used the Giant's camp as a natural deterrent for any passerby that wander into this area that might notice something odd about the rock formation where the entrance to her cave was. And when food was scarce -as in she'd picked every snow berry in the vicinity- Noir would sneak past the Giants to take a bit of mammoth cheese.
Eyeing the blood on Bishop's right leg, Noir asked worriedly, "Are you alright? You took a big hit back there."
In response Bishop winced and snapped, "I'm fine, I'm fine! Stop nagging. If you've got a spare healing potion though, I wouldn't say no."
"Sorry Bishop, I don't think I have any. Come on, we'll get it taken care of inside. I should have plenty ingredients to make one," Noir wanted it to be a surprise that they were visiting her home but since they were both dead tired and hurt she just wanted to get them both out of the cold and take a closer look at his injured leg. It was probably not as bad as it looked but when there was a lot of blood that always made things seem worse.
Bishop blinked at her dumbfoundedly and looked around them. "Inside where? In case you haven't noticed princess this is just some rock between a few trees. You sure you didn't hit your head back there? Maybe your the one who needs medical attention. I'd be more then happy to examine you very thoroughly."
Too tired to argue, Noir pointed out the planks of wood behind him and sighed, "In case YOU haven't noticed, those weren't put there by the wolves or Giants. We're in the right place. Now step aside and let me move these." Still confused, Bishop did as she asked and stepped aside, hissing when it made his leg throb in protest when he stepped down a bit then Noir moved the planks aside to reveal a hidden entrance to a cave behind them. "I found this place by accident years ago while trying to escape a violent blizzard and those Giants weren't exactly willing to let me sit by their fire so I curled up in this corner trying not to freeze to death when I noticed an opening and crawled inside. Its surprisingly spacious in here so...come on in. Welcome to my first home in Skyrim, ranger."
Not waiting for a reply this time Noir crawled inside and pulled out a torch to light their way so she could light the candles. As expected it was a little dusty in there but otherwise things didn't look to bad. At least no other animals had dug their way in here while she was gone. Noir led Bishop to a stool by the stove so he could rest for a bit and went around the room lighting the candles. Meanwhile, once things were lit up better Bishop had to admit this place was pretty cozy for a cave. It almost made his old home look like a hovel, which honestly it kind of was but at least he...wasn't alone back then.
Everything in there had a story attached. Like the glass lanterns hanging from the roof and the chandeliers for example. Noir bought those lanterns from one of the Khajiit caravans instead of food once because they reminded her of home and she thought she'd never see them again if they weren't purchased right then, the same went for the rugs and the cloth she used to make her pillows and other bedding. The chandeliers she re-purposed from a Nordic ruin when she realized the lanterns alone weren't giving her enough light at night. There were also several places where Noir figured out how to install some Dwemer pipes to use for two other fireplaces with their own chimneys, one in the small resting area she made with a chopped stump as a table, and the other in the side cave where her bed was. And oh how much Bishop was looking forward to seeing THAT room.
With a sigh, as soon as she was done lighting the entire cave, Noir set down her pack too and tossed the remainder of the torch into the stove then knelt in front of Bishop to take a look at his wound.
"So you really do live under a rock, that explains SO much," Bishop teased but Noir ignored him.
"I don't come here that often any more," she began with a shrug, dabbing away the blood with a damp cloth, "Still yes, this is probably the closest thing I've ever had to a home and I wanted to share it with you. So, um, surprise...? I just wish we hadn't been attacked by everything even remotely hostile in the area. It kind of ruined the surprise but that's life."
Stopping her by placing his large hand over hers and the wet cloth, Bishop smiled warmly, "Yeah, it comes with the territory I'm afraid. Besides you're always attracting trouble so good thing you have me around to keep an eye on you now eh? I have to admit though I'm surprised this place is as well kept as it is given that patch-work armor you used to wear all the time. With how much gold it must have cost you to get all this moved in here you'd think you could afford some decent armor."
Glancing over at the more expensive looking items near the desk over to their right where all of her enchanting and alchemy equipment was, Noir frowned and stared at the floor as she told him, "If you're talking about the alchemy table and most of those glitzy items over there they're...not mine."
"Oh? So you DO dabble in the occasional thievery? Guess you're not so innocent as I thought. Good to know that even you know how to have flexible morals on occasion," Bishop joked again but then found himself frowning when Noir wasn't taking the bait and hissed at him. "Whoa lighten up there Ladyship! I didn't mean anything bad by it."
Noir shook her head and sighed again, "Sorry, I didn't mean to snap at you, it's not that...I just..." trailing off, Noir rested her head on Bishop's hand and muttered, "I took those things from a man I thought was dead for a very long time ago, a part of my past I tried to forget. We both of some secrets we'd rather keep to ourselves but...because it's you..."
Not realizing how tired she was Noir fell asleep right then and there and nearly slipped off Bishops lap, though he managed to catch her in time. As troubled as he was about her sudden change of attitude Bishop couldn't help but feel more protective then usual all of a sudden. Also, a heated jealousy towards this mystery man made Bishop's blood boil. Noir sounded afraid of him, even now, and there was clearly something that had been bugging her ever since those two female mages did each other in. Then there was that time with the high elf mage too that set Noir on edge. Just what was it about these damned mages that made her so nervous when it was no secret she could also cast spells?
Whenever they fought bandits or the like Noir was as poised to kill and collected as ever. When it came to mages though, at least the last few they'd faced, something seemed to dredge up painful memories.
He knew all about that.
Either way, it looked like Bishop would have to finish taking care of his leg on his own while Noir slept. So, fighting through the pain he scooped her up bridal style and laid her down on the bench on the other side near one of the fireplaces after removing her daggers and setting them on the wooden stump acting as her table. He wasn't up to carrying her all the way to the other room with his bad leg right now though...
Wandering over to the desk, Bishop checked her stash of herbs and other ingredients to see what was still usable and set to work making some salve to stop the swelling, and if there was time brew a few healing potion to speed up the healing process. Too bad Bishop was only removing his greaves for the purpose of bandaging his leg but once that was taken care of he got redressed and popped a few healing potions before putting Karnwyr on watch so they could both rest for a bit. Borrowing a few pillows from the bench, Bishop made himself comfortable on the floor, glancing up at her sleeping face so that it would be the first thing he saw if he work up first, just like this morning in Whiterun. He could only hope that soon, sharing a bedroll would become as natural as breathing and then maybe, just maybe, they could take things a step further. For now though they were both safe and Noir surely had another reason for bringing him here. There was something important she wanted to tell him. He could only imagine what it was and prayed to the Divines that he was right because Bishop wasn't sure how much longer he could restrain his NEED for her.
Eventually Bishop did move Noir to the bed because she was dead to the world and didn't wake up when he expected her too. Luckily there were plenty of pillows around so he made himself a comfortable place for himself on the sofa opposite from her bed. Noir's room was in a side cave with a bookcase positively stuffed with books, and Bishop quickly realized that most of them were her journals. Wow, she was such a dedicated scholar! Maybe one day they could publish these and sell them as 'A Day in the Life of the Dragonborn' or something stupid like that.
Then again, speaking for himself Bishop was really interested in finding out more about Noir aside from that she was born in Elseweyr. From the sound of things she didn't exactly leave that place willingly because there was always a hint of longing in her voice when she talked about it. He couldn't help but wonder what happened that made her come here of all the places...
Just as he was about to nod off, Bishop heard Noir gasp in her sleep then whimper fearfully. Well that was new. Usually Noir wasn't scared of anything so this had to be one dozy of a nightmare. He was worried but didn't want to risk being Shouted into the nearest wall so Bishop tried to ignore it. After awhile Noir quieted down and Bishop sighed in relief. Now he could finally get some sleep too.
About an hour later Bishop jerked awake to the sound of Noir screaming! Ok, the joke was over, this was obviously something more serious so with a huff he rushed over. 'Damn she's sweating bullets!' Bishop thought, kneeling beside her in a panic. 'This is bad, think Bishop! You've got to wake her up without winding up kissing rocks when she-'
"NO! LET GO OF ME! AUNTY! SOMEONE! HELP!" Noir shouted, tossing her head to the side where he was, her eyes searching wildly beneath those long tear dusted lashes.
'Ok that's it!' Bishop scowled and then yelled forcefully, "Wake up! Wake up!"
Jerking out of her dream Noir's eyes snapped open and locked onto his worried ones. "B-Bishop? Whats..."
His expression returned to a neutral state once he saw that Noir was alright and alert again then Bishop sighed and frowned, "What was that all about, woman? Are you trying to attract some predators? No, don't answer that, I don't want you getting the idea that I care or something. I just couldn't sleep with all that screaming of yours."
Still shaken by her nightmare, Noir replied, "I...guess I must have had a nightmare." Sitting up in bed, Noir put her face in her hands and took a deep breath. She was still shaking, Bishop could see it clearly but didn't want her thinking he was being overprotective. Noir could handle a little nightmare he was sure. That didn't stop him from wanting to hold her close and banish whatever was bothering her.
"So, you ready to talk about it?" Bishop asked after relighting a few candles and offering a seat beside him on the couch, the bed would have been better but that bookcase made him feel crowded. Noir nodded silently then sat down beside him, lighting touching her cheek to see if they were still wet from crying.
"I'm not blind. Something's been bugging you ever since we left Whiterun..." Bishop began but didn't push the subject. If it was so bad that she was having nightmares about it, then it was something Noir needed to bring up of her own free will. "Please tell me what in Oblivion is going on with you."
With a sigh, Noir lowered her hands and gripped both sides of the cushion she was sitting on and braced herself. "I didn't want to tell you like this. I was going to tell you as soon as we got here but since I was exhausted after all the fighting we did yesterday basically at my front door I didn't get the chance to. The truth is, I'm being hunted."
As expected, Bishop scoffed, "Really? Gee I didn't notice after the last dragon that swooped down on us."
"No, Bishop, you don't understand," Noir explained with a pained look on her face. "This has been going on a lot longer then you think. I've...actually been on the run ever since I escaped from the man who brought me to Skyrim against my will when I was about thirteen years old. His name is Galius, a dark elf mage. He's the one who more recently put out that bounty notice asking for my capture, I'm sure of it now because it specifically states that I'm to be brought back to him alive. Heh, I'm surprised he still wants me alive since I nearly killed him to escape. Then again, he only sees me as his 'property' and was never someone who wasted their investments. To be perfectly honest I really did think he was dead. But then recently, more and more mages have been sent after me even before I found out I was the Dragonborn and Galius is the only mage I know who would have that much of an interest in me. Not romantically, but he always treated me like..." biting her lip, she closed her eyes and continued bitterly, "Bishop, he treated me like his pet. Like I was his most prized well-bred steed or something. Do you have any idea what being treated like an animal is like, even for a Khajiit? Its humiliating and I was forced to live like that for a long time. I was rewarded when I obeyed him, and harshly punished if I didn't. I was constantly being groomed and put on display as his priceless gem or his little feline princess stolen from Elseweyr that was secretly being trained to become his most powerful weapon and outwardly displayed as nothing more then an exotic slave. And the reason he found me in the first place is because someone from my aunt's tribe that took me in betrayed me and put me up for sale on the black market as a rarely colored, magically gifted, dagi-raht khajiit because they were jealous of my magical gifts and rare coloring. In a way, Galius was right, if anyone else would have bought me from that horrid place I could have been raped or much worse. This is why I need your help. This is why I hired you in exchange for helping rescue Karnwyr. I need to know where these orders are coming from and use them to track Galius down so I can make sure he's dead this time. I only got away the first time because he left me with some of his underlings and looted one of their cheap daggers that I stabbed him with then ran for my life, never looking back. I know what you're going to say, why didn't I do that earlier since I'm a skilled tracker too? But the problem is that he knows me too well. I need someone he doesn't know to help me catch him off guard so he can't elude me like the other times I've tried. Galius doesn't like setting traps, he likes to be the one with all the power without getting his hands dirty out of some warped sense of honor. He won't come after me himself, no, he'll send out his goons and others to do the grunt work if only to remind me of what he told me the day I became his property, that if I ever ran from him, he would hunt me down till the end of my days just so I would one day die knowing...I belonged to him. That I will never be free again."
"Gods that is messed up," Bishop replied, maintaining a stunned calm even though he was seething inside. "Why didn't you tell me this sooner?"
Tearing up, Noir shook her head, "I was scared, alright? I wasn't planning on becoming this close when we first met but now you're important to me Bishop. And because you're important I don't want you getting killed because of me and I didn't want to get you involved. But after you said you wanted to be part of my life and showed me your home, telling me that you trusted me, I knew I had to do the same. I had to show you how much I trust you too which is why I brought you to the closest thing I have to a home and finally told you the other reason I approached you that day. I needed a tracker just as skilled if not more so then I am in some ways to help me find and kill Galius so that there's nothing holding me back anymore. I've embraced my destiny as the Dragonborn, but I won't be able to reclaim my life and freedom until Galius lies dead and cold at my feet. And I hate that this is what it'll take to make him stop chasing me. As selfish and stern as he is, Galius did his best not to be true cruel to me and he doesn't want me dead. He simply wants my power. Just like everyone else either wants it or wants to destroy it. And he's merely trying to reclaim what Galius still believes rightfully belongs to him. Me."