Nightingale Whispers
By Jackie Almasy
But nothing's greater than the rush
That comes with your embrace
And in this world of loneliness
I see your face
-Leona Lewis, "Bleeding Love"
Epilogue
Foreign Lullabies
Time ceased to be for Aia. At least that is what it felt like in between her weird nightmares, excruciating fevers, and body chills.
Amidst her nebulous dreams and the medicinal lull, she could only remember vague things. Smells and sounds mostly. Part of her Nightingale nature tried flaring to life at the moment of consciousness, aiming to take in all around her. However, her body promptly refused such a request from her mind.
Voices of strange accents haunted her mind. She could hear what sounded like the distant sound of horse hooves clacking from the impact on stone. Whispers of a soft bell or chime echoed within the reverie of the world around her. It should have been solid to her, like a pen to paper or the feel of gold coins within the palm of her hands. However, it was anything but.
How could this be?
Suddenly, the respite of her mind became shattered under the onslaught of bird cries and the sounds of hundreds of wings beating around her. Aia's brown eyes shot open and through the acrid smell of ash and flames, the Nord thief suddenly felt her lungs constrict at the world around her.
This wasn't Bleackreach. No, it felt more like a distant home or a nagging calling she could not ignore. Torrents of black and purple flames danced around her in temperatures that surely seemed like it would burn her alive but somehow, they did not touch her. It was then that she noticed she was wearing her full Nightingale garb. Raising her hands to her face, Aia gasped at a sudden revelation that came to her thoughts.
"My wounds!" Aia thought to herself as she felt where her head wound was only to find nothing. No ugly patched stitching, no swollen tenderness, and no pain from the broken ribs. Most of all, she did not reek of the dried blood that had nearly possessed her body day and night.
"H-How…?"
"It is because in my realm Nightingale, no honored thief feels the pain of their physical forms." Nocturnal's voice echoed as her tall and beautifully flawless form appeared behind her. Instead of floating, she walked on the purple inferno before Aia. The two large nightingale birds stared quietly at the Nord before them. It made the thief shudder as the black pits of their eyes never seemed to blink.
Taking in a sharp and unsteady breath, Aia quickly bowed before the Daedra Prince.
"Lady Nocturnal, forgive me!" Aia suddenly pronounced in front of her mistress. Despite her best effort not to, her body trembled with fear of what the Oblivion mistress would do. She had failed in her duties as a Nightingale and Nocturnal would surely not so easily forget it.
"I failed in my duties as your agent and as the leader of the Thieves Guild! Even though I know I probably shouldn't, I beg your pardon!" The voice of the thief trembled more as she stopped and took a deep breath. The movement of the Daedric Lord made no sound as she took two steps foreword.
Whatever was to come for her fate, Aia would accept it. "If it pleases you, take my life as an offering! I beg you; do not hurt my beloved guild!"
The sudden snapping of tone took Aia by surprise because it was not out of anger but annoyance. "Foolish mortal! Did you not hear my words or is your fragile body unable of comprehending praises from your Mistress?!"
Aia's green eyes widened in the aftermath of the words. She must be dead. Yes, she was dead from a blow to the head and the aftermath of it carried with her into the afterlife of the Ebonmere.
"Raise your head Nightingale. I wish to look into the eyes of the one who did my bidding without question."
It was slow going but eventually Aia's eyes dared to look into the infinite violet gaze of Nocturnal.
"I… I do not understand milord."
"It is of no consequence for the length of my strings reach far beyond your comprehension. The only thing that matter my agent is that you did as I commanded." Nocturnal began as she started walking in slow circles around Aia.
"Despite behind captured, you did not reveal your status in the Thieves Guild. I demand an answer!"
Aia bit her lip as she tried remembering the last couple of weeks. It had been utter hell but something inside of her had told her to keep going and to keep the faith. A good thief revealed nothing but the pain had been excruciating. Truthfully, she did not know how much longer she could have held to those beliefs.
"It felt wrong to betray the Guild, Lady Nocturnal." Aia dumbly answered. It felt like an answer a child would say but it struck true in the very core of who she was.
"Is that all? Surely you have the words to be more articulate." Nocturnal nearly laughed as she narrowed her eyes at the thief. The dangerous spark of playful energy glittered within her eyes. The smirk spreading across her face almost made Aia tremble with what if scenarios flying through her mind.
"It…It felt like I would be betraying the very core of who I was. For years, I have dedicated myself to the Guild, setting her free from the chains of despondency that came with Gallus's demise, and return her to your good favor. However, it has become much more than that." Aia began as a whisper but slowly grew in the volume and strength of her voice.
"On that day, I swore to become part of your trinity. A new sense of duty filled my very core and fueled me to bring honor to you and my family. They are more than just my comrades. They-They are…"
Nocturnal interrupted. "They are the reason for your purpose in your mortal world." The gentle tone took Aia by surprise but silently, she nodded.
"You are finally beginning to understand what it truly means to be my Nightingale. Perhaps, someday, you shall become my favorite…" Nocturnal stopped walking in circles around her.
"Milady?"
"Silence! I am not through!" Nocturnal commanded. Once silence instantly prevailed, she continued. "The level of your obedience exceeds even your own understanding. You did not tell of your secret because of your belief in your Mistress. It is more than your reason, it becoming your essence."
"My essence?" Aia questioned out loud, never raising her eyes higher than Nocturnal's.
"Yes little mortal, your essence. You shall one day understand what it is I speak of. Long ago, Gallus himself stood in your very place and pondered the very same thing." Nocturnal whispered as if in a lull, like a mother humming a lullaby to a child.
Aia felt her heart clench in her chest. If Gallus had done this once before, then was she truly dead?
"However, it is not your time to join the Ebonmere and Shadow. You have much of my work to do in your mortal world." Nocturnal said.
"Remember Nightingale," Nocturnal warned as she began taking steps back and raising her arms with the nightingales still silently perched upon. "I am always watching and expect greatness out of you."
Before Aia could question the Daedric Lord further, the nightingales suddenly broke into hundreds of birds, seeming to burst from the very feathers of the originals. Screeching and swirling around the unsuspecting woman, Aia screamed in terror as one of the birds began descending upon her.
Aia was no longer in the world of Oblivion and the Ebonmere but back into the reality of her pain, wounds, and nearly broken body. Her eyes shot open, reflecting the echoing pain of her broken bones and still aching wounds. She struggled against the blanket covering her as if experiencing a seizure.
The roof over her was thin and composed of leather, consisting of a tent. However that is all her blurry gaze could make out. Despite the pain, she felt a pair of two strong hands grasp her forearms and pin her down. She struggled against her assailant but failed miserably.
It was a noise in the background came to the foreground of her mind. It caught her attention finally. It consisted of a drone sound, a rhythmatic ensemble of voices and purrs.
"Peace Nord. This one wishes you no harm." A male Khajiit spoke softly.
Aia strained to speak but no words came. Only broken syllables held back by the desperate need of water.
"It has worked elder!" Another female voice chimed in, excitement lacing her words. "The praying and potions have blocked the infection!"
"For now yes but Khajiit must wait. She may still be lost to us." He stood up, motioning to the heavy armor clad guard by the door. "Please bring in the other three. They will want to know what has happened."
"B-Brynjolf…?"
Before Aia could see the tent flap open, darkness consumed her mind once again.
The first thing she heard upon returning to consciousness was the distant crackling of embers and wood within a fire. Opening her eyes slowly, Aia dared not move from the peaceful break from her bodily pain. She was lying down upon a leather bedroll with her head propped up under a large straw pillow. A very thick fur blanket covered her form causing her skin to become tickled under the animal hair. Aia suddenly realized she was stark naked under the blanket.
Moving her head up, she openly cried out at the pain coming from her ribs. The sound caused Brynjolf who was lying next to her upon the ground to stir awake. He turned to her with relief and worry plastered upon his face. He was dressed in his normal leather armor with not a garment of his Nightingale armor in sight.
"Aia! Stop moving lass, you're safe." Brynjolf instructed as he immediately leaned over her. Bringing one large and warm palm to her face, Aia stopped breathing heavily as she looked up into his face. After three seconds of recognition, Aia's brown eyes betrayed the cool composition she was known for even through her pain. Tears suddenly flooded down her cheeks as her lips trembled with whispering his name.
Closing his eyes, Brynjolf silenced her cries with his lips descending onto hers. Keeping the one hand on her cheek, the other gently cradled the back of her head as he desperately fought to keep his desperateness in check. Kissing her over and over, Brynjolf let out a small whimper only loud enough for her to hear as she eagerly but weakly returned his affections.
He felt her hands softly grasp the leather belts on his cuirass. He could hear the material of the bandages rubbing against the buckles, signaling her still healing wounds. Finally, they separated but only to Brynjolf placing tender butterfly kisses along her face and eyelids.
"By the Gods lass, I thought I had lost you!" Brynjolf whispered as he lowered her head back to the straw pillow. "We didn't think you were going to wake up!"
"W-Water…" Aia whispered as the tears finally subsided. Wiping the tears away with his thumbs and palm, he grasped the wooden spoon from a nearby bucket and brought it slowly to her lips. She drank greedily and begged for more until almost four spoonfuls later.
"How long was I out?" Aia asked as she looked to Brynjolf. Her hands still held tightly onto his leather armor, refusing to let go.
Brynjolf seemed to acknowledge this fear silently as his hands reached down and brought them to hers. Holding onto them gently, he intertwined each and every finger while answering her. "Almost a whole week. You've been coming in and out of consciousness but nothing substantial."
Nodding slowly, she looked around the large tent. A small fireplace burned no more than a few feet from her. Decorations of unknown origins hung around the area with multiple bowls of herbs, potions, and brandy. A large and locked treasure chest stood near the entrance. Her curiosity had been piqued.
"Where are we?" She asked. She felt stupid asking only simply repetitive questions but it was all her exhausted body could muster right now.
"This is the camp of Ri'saad, the Khajiit leader of all the trader caravans in Skyrim. He was leaving Dawnstar when he saw us coming down the road. He quickly recognized you from your last encounter with him and offered us shelter and a place to let you heal. We…" Brynjolf choked, unable to keep his fear of the past week in check. "We were trying to rush you to a healer."
Looking down at the blanket, she began to raise it when Brynjolf gently stopped her and shook his head. "You don't want to see lass. It's not very pretty. Your ribs were cracked in multiple places. The wound along your chest is finally healing but Ri'saad said there was nothing he could do to stop the scarring."
He continued. "Your head wound was healing thanks to your friend Vidar. Your wrists are as well but they also will be scarred for life. The infection had spread into your blood and was poisoning your whole body. Ri'saad had no idea if he would be able to save you…"
"What happened?" Aia's hold on his hands tightened.
"Hargar is dead as well as Jaree-Ra. All of the men who went with him were killed. No one but us knows of Blackreach's location." Brynjolf eased her mind as he gently shushed her with a gentle kiss on the lips.
Aia closed her eyes and held it for awhile before slowly pulling away.
"Vidar? Karliah?"
"Karliah left about three days ago to ride ahead of us. We are on our way to Riften but had to make a stop in Windhelm. Ri'saad cannot miss trading spots and this gives you time to heal. We'll leave in a few days and travel with a private wagon to Riften." Brynjolf explained as he sighed and sat down next to her.
"As for Vidar, I owe the boy an apology. He kept you alive during your capture and I let the boy have it across the face the instant he tried taking you away from me. He has kept his distance since but still checks on you every few hours." His green eyes sparked with that old curiosity he could not keel still. "Where did you meet him?"
Aia chuckled softly and smiled for the first time in weeks. "It's a long story. I'll tell you it when we get back to Riften but he is a good man. I want to offer him and his sisters a home in Riften."
Brynjolf's eyes could not hide the shock at her words but he slowly nodded in acknowledgment. "I'll see to purchasing them a home when we get back. I will give the boy this. He knows his herbs and potions. Even Ri'saad, a respected healer among his people, was impressed with how long he kept you alive with those injuries and infections."
Aia gently interrupted him as she brought a hand to his lips. Brynjolf closed his eyes at the feel of her skin on his. Even at the simplest touch of her fingertips, a shiver went down his spine. He never realized how much he loved those shivers until now.
Feeling her palm on his face now, Brynjolf looked down into her eyes silently.
"I need to tell you something." Aia began softly. "Something I should have told you a long time ago but I didn't even understand it yet myself."
"I love you Brynjolf. I love you as much as a thief can love." She smiled to her words, trying to read his face. Brynjolf was always good at keeping a straight face. It was why no one would play games of chance with him.
Slowly, a smile spread across his face as Brynjolf nodded to her. Kissing her forehead with a tenderness she had never witnessed before, Aia let out a soft moan at feeling his lips travel slowly down her face, along the bridge of her nose, to the final destination of her lips. The single kiss was soft but deep.
"And I you Aia. I love you." The simple declaration seemed enough for now and before she could stop herself, Aia slowly fell back asleep holding onto his hands.
However this time it was with the reassurance that he would be there when she awoke. The healing could finally begin.
Done! Thank you for joining me in this crazy one-shot journey. Once I am done a Farkas pairing idea, I plan on putting up a smut one-shot and a possible sequel to this down the road.
Many thanks to my muse Amy, the followers/readers, reviewers, and Bethesda for making such an awesome game. I am looking foreword to the next downloadable content!
Till next time,
Jackie Almasy
P.S. I'd appreciate your thoughts on a possible sequel.
Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is copyrighted by Bethesda Softworks and Bethesda Game Studios. I own nothing.