(A.N. So we have a more action-packed chapter this week.

Hopefully you guys enjoy it, I know I had fun hunting for good enough take down techniques.

Next chapter will be posted the weekend of June 16th-17th, so keep an eye out! ~C.)

Ch 12. Dungeoneer

When morning arrived Eroeh awakened before her sleeping ranger and set to dressing quietly as he snored softly on the bed behind her. Bishop woke to the soft sounds of her softly humming "Stagger and Sway" to herself as she rebuilt the braided mohawk she was so fond of wearing. Her eyes were closed as she worked, her hands telling her everything she needed to know as she wove the plaits of hair together. She was at ease, more so than the first time she'd sang for him, so he settled for laying still and listening while he could before she realized he was awake.

As the song ended, Bishop broke the silence. "Tell me, Princess, why don't you sing more often?" he asked as he sat up, startling Eroeh. "I'm so sorry, did I wake you? I didn't think I was that loud." She stammered as she fidgeted with her hair, her serene composure broken. "You weren't, but you already know that. Why do you get all nervous with me about the music stuff?" he asked, getting out of bed and stretching in all his nude glory before her. "I… I don't know, I just do." Eroeh stuttered as she tried not to stare at Bishops bare groin. He laughed as he pulled on his leathers, being one who hated smallclothes as much as she did. He chuckled as he pulled the rest of his gear on, pleased at her reaction to him.

Eroeh collected her things in turn and they left, purchasing a bag of apples and jerky for the trip to Riverwood on their way out. She did her best to ignore the knowing looks the hungover townsfolk gave them as they made their way out of Ivarstead, a bright blush spread across her cheeks as she hustled out of sight of the village. "Mara's mercy, they all know-" she mumbled to herself as they made their way up the main road through the Rift. "Oh, c'mon Princess. To get that many hungover people to smile as wide as they were, we must've put on a damn good show." Bishop laughed, his expression unapologetically smug. "Our private life is none of their business, Bishop. If I wanted an audience, I'd have had you take me on the counter in full view of everyone, instead of behind closed doors." She huffed, her face burning red.

Bishop knew better by now than to push her temper further, but sometimes it was just too easy a setup not to take advantage of. Rather than just leave it be, he wrapped his arms around her hips the best he could, and gave a low, teasing growl. "Well, Princess, if I'd have known you were into that sort of thing-" he started, a shit-eating grin stretched across his face. "I swear Bishop, you're ridiculous…" Eroeh growled, wriggling free of his grasp. He just laughed that deep, melodious laugh of his that made things low within her tighten and carried on walking behind her. "You really shouldn't let things like that get to you, sweetness. Never let people know it bugs you and they can't use it against you." He exhaled serenely, stretching his arms up lazily in the early morning air. "You mean people like you?" She asked accusatorily, an eyebrow raised smugly in his direction. "Especially people like me." He said without missing a beat, playfully nudging her shoulder with his own as they continued on their journey.

The two days later they were rounding the mountain south of Valtheim Towers enjoying the crisp autumn air, when Eroeh spotted a Nordic burial tomb just off their path. "Hey Bishop- what do you say we check that tomb out over there? Might be a word wall in it~" she asked, her honeyed voice thick with mischief. "Sure, why not. I'm in no rush to get to Riverwood, and there's always loot to be found." He shrugged, rolling his shoulders and whistling for Karnwyr, who was bunny-hunting in the nearby woods. With a playful yap he rejoined the pair and they made their way through the large iron outer doors. "AH! Oh by Kyne you startled me. There's a necromancer around here, so watch yourselves." A blonde Nord warned as they walked through. "Shit." Eroeh muttered to herself, ready to turn back around. He didn't look like a bandit to her, and she'd be damned if she raided a tomb while a family member watched. "Can you help me? He's in the tomb doing Gods know what with my dead relatives." He asked, before her hand reached the door handle. "Who's in the tomb?" she asked, turning back towards the man. If he wanted help, it gave her a valid reason to crypt-dive. "Vals Veran. My family has never really seen eye to eye with him, and he's finally gone off the deep end. He's gone in to defile our family tomb by using our ancestors for his filthy dark elf necromancy. No offense-" he added, noting her elven ears, "I mean I'm sure you aren't into any of that kind of stuff." "None taken. Most everyone frowns on necromancy. What's dead should stay dead." She replied casually, moving a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "My Aunt went in after him, but she hasn't come out yet and I'm afraid to go in by myself."

Eroeh cut her eyes at the man, crossing her arms over her chest. "Yet you let your Aunt go in there all by herself- into a tomb full of dead bodies with a crazier than average necromancer in it." She asked, her voice heavy with condescension. He sighed. "I'm not proud of it. I'm terrified of this place and Aunt Agna knows it. My Da locked me in there in a drunken rage when he left us… spent three days in there eating the offerings left for our dead before Aunt Agna found me." He explained, a shiver running down his arms. She couldn't really hold that against him. Tombs were creepy to her even if they were empty. Alas, she was a slave to her overwhelming curiosity, and often found herself exploring them anyways. "Alright fine, we'll help. Name's Eroeh." She said, holding out a hand to shake his. "Golldir." He replied, a worried smile on his face. "This is Bishop and Karnwyr. Now, after you." She said politely, bowing towards the door. "Great, I'll get this unlocked and you can lead the way." He said, quickly placing the key in the door and opening it for the trio to go ahead of him.

The first few corridors were pretty standard, a handful of Draugr spread amongst the honeycombed chambers. Coming into a large, open room, Eroeh's brought her free hand up to her nose. The telltale coppery scent of blood was so thick in the air she could practically taste it. "Golldir…" She warily called behind her. The blonde Nord pulled his axe loose of the Draugr that'd been guarding the door, and came into the room, nervously looking about. His eyes settled on the lifeless form of his Aunt Agna, bloody almost beyond recognition on the floor. "No… Aunt Agna! Talos, why didn't I go in with her?" he asked, hooking his axe to his side and running a bloody hand through his damp hair as he kneeled beside her. Golldir drew in a deep breath, pushed himself up off the floor, and walked towards the large wooden doors, trying fruitlessly to push them open. "Damn. He's barred the door. God's know how he's… defiling the bodies of my ancestors in there!" he grit through his teeth, his frustration evident. With a sigh, his face calmed. He knew losing his head would gain him nothing. "Agna once told me there is a secret room deeper in where they buried disgraced members of the family. Maybe that will get us into the main chamber…" he considered, his eyes weary.

Golldir ran a hand down the length of his face and rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably. Reaching back, he pulled the band from his pathetic excuse of a ponytail, and shook his shoulder-length hair loose, the sweat trapped in it flicking outwards onto the collar of his shirt. Eroeh offered her water skin, realizing that this had to be the most real fighting the guy had ever done. "Thank you. That door over there leads into the catacombs, we should find what we're looking for down there. Ready yourselves friends, I can't say for certain what all exactly is down there." He warned, passing the skin back and gripping the axe at his side. With a nod, Eroeh took point and slowly opened the wooden door, sword at the ready. She could hear Bishop nocking an arrow behind her.

Through that door was more what she'd become accustomed to in her adventures in crypt-diving. Collapsed tunnels, open shelves housing dry carcasses, some of which were armored and armed with weapons. "You know, I always wondered why some Draugr are fully geared, and others are in nothing but a linen wrap. How do you decide who gets to die dressed up?" she mused aloud, trying to break the tension in the air as they swept through platform after platform of burials. "It's an honor thing. If they were a great warrior in life, they were buried with their armaments to take with them to Shor's Hall in Sovngarde." Golldir quietly responded. "Princess, if your little adventures get me killed, don't bury me like this. Scatter my ashes across the forest. I don't want to be left in some godforsaken place like this to be forgotten." Bishop quipped, quick-drawing his bow and nailing a sleeping Draugr in the eye before it could wake. "How did you even know that one would rise?" Golldir stupidly asked as the corpse tensed and fell limp in its slot. "It was armed." Bishop answered plainly, motioning to the Ebony Sword at its side. "Huh. Never really thought about that." Golldir said thoughtfully, before looking around. "Do you think that if we didn't bury them with their armor and weapons they might not rise?" He wondered. "They'd still rise. It'd just be harder to tell, but they would be easier to kill unarmed." Eroeh answered, plucking Bishops arrow from its dry eye socket. She passed it back to him and he gave it a flick to remove any extra tissue that might've been stuck to it before loosely reloading it onto the arrow rest of his bow.

Entering a room full of Draugr and pillars, Eroeh growled in annoyance at the ludicrous amount of unfortunately lively occupants. "Fuuuuuck-" She whined, her shoulders sagging as she loosened up to fight. FUS RO DAH she shouted, blowing the crowd backwards into the pillars. "Sweet Divines, you're the-" "Dragonborn, yes. I know. Surprise!" She interrupted, grunting as she plowed into the nearest Draugr, who was stumbling to his feet. "Aav Dilon!" it shouted in a hoarse voice. "No, I don't think I will. I like being alive just fine!" Eroeh quipped, burying her sword in its mouth mid-sentence. "What?" Bishop asked, firing into the herd of walking corpses. "Aav Dilon. Join Dead." She explained, wrenching her blade free of its teeth. "Oh" he answered, firing into the burning blue eye socket of the Draugr closest to his companion. "Wait, you understand those things?" Golldir asked incredulously, bashing at one with his shield before finishing it with his axe. "Just a bit. Still learning the language!" Eroeh grunted, thrusting her silver sword upwards into the ribcage of the last Draugr to rise. As the ethereal blue light faded from its eyes, she yanked out the blade, wiping her forehead with the back of her hand.

After catching their breath, Golldir looked around the chamber, eyeing the symbols on the pillars. "This looks like the area Agna told me about. She said that the bear would show the way." He said, skimming his fingers over the carvings. Thinking like the thief she was, she felt behind the stone plaque, finding a pull ring. With a hard tug, a nearby coffin popped open against the wall, leading into a narrow hallway. "You found it! The passage goes through the sarcophagus… I don't like this, but we'd better keep going." He exclaimed, his voice sounding more unsure with each word. Passing through the short corridor, they met with a well-hidden Draugr against the wall, and the trio made short work of it. Spotting a locked door, Eroeh made sure to mentally note where she'd found it, so she could peek inside later once they were free of Golldir.

"Okay, I think this door should lead to the main burial chamber where Vals is holed up. Let's get in there and put an end to this." The blonde Nord said, steeling himself as he pulled a key from his belt. Eroeh and Bishop took the stealthier approach, crouching low in the shadows with their bows drawn. Golldir, however, upon spotting the Dunmer on the upper platform suddenly found his courage and ran up the steps two at a time to meet him. "The dead should be made to serve the living, not the other way around." The elf stated casually, lazily waving a hand over a nearby corpse. "I'll return my ancestors to Sovngarde! And you with them!" Golldir roared, raising his axe and shield as he bolted towards the elf. "Sovngarde is a myth, you s'wit! And now you can join your ancestors in service to me." Vals responded as the corpse raised below his touch, an ethereal blue light shining from the hollows of its empty sockets. Bishop had moved to one side opposite Eroeh. In unison they fired at the dark elf as he raised his hand towards their guide. Both arrows connected with a corresponding lung, staggering the elf with a pained gasp as he disappeared in an inky black cloud.

"Shit! We've got company!" Eroeh called out as Draugr began rising from their sarcophagi. Switching back to her silver sword, she summoned a flame in her hand and did her best to burn through the swarm. "There's too many of them!" Golldir called out, doing all he could to keep his shield between his body and the number of swords swinging its way. Getting an idea, Eroeh kicked an incoming Draugr in the chest and pulled back to cover, digging in her pack frantically. "Cover me!" she yelled to Bishop, who was struggling himself. "Aha!" she exclaimed, pulling out a handful of rolled up papers. "Bishop, Golldir, fall back and get down!" she yelled, unrolling one of the scrolls and biting the pad of her thumb hard enough to break the skin and make it bleed. "What are you doing?" Bishop asked, knowing it was either stupid or dangerous. "You should be running…" Eroeh said calmly, smearing her bloody thumb across the page to invoke its magic. Bishop went wide-eyed as her body was enveloped in fire before diving behind a nearby sarcophagus with Golldir just as a Draugr struck at Eroeh, causing the unstable flame cloak to erupt around her and engulf the crowd of undead that'd shambled towards the flaming beacon that was her. "Eroeh!" Bishop called out, spotting his companion kneeling, winded, on the floor. "Die!" Vals Veran yelled from just behind Golldir, a blade grasped in his bloody fingers.

Before Golldir could raise his shield fully, and arrow whizzed past his face, so close in fact that he felt the tickle of the fletching on his cheek, and buried itself in the Dunmers forehead, dropping him where he stood. Looking behind him, he saw Bishop kneeling beside Eroeh, still in firing stance, with his eyes locked fiercely on the dark elf. When he was certain the Dunmer was down for the count, he turned his attention to his exhausted companion, who was struggling to stand on her own. "What in Oblivion was that?" Bishop growled as he pulled the girl to her feet. "J'zargo." She panted, a smile on her face as she clasped the remaining scrolls in her hand. "What?" he asked, more confused now than before. "Thank you two, for helping me with Vals." Golldir sighed before Eroeh could answer, pulling a hefty coin purse from his pack. "Please, take this and leave me to see to Aunt Agna and my other family members." He bid, passing the purse to Bishop. "Our pleasure. What will you do now, Golldir?" Eroeh asked, her hands on her knees for support. "Whatever I can to put my family members back to rest. After that? Probably just stick around here. I saw some good game on the way here, and I'd like to stay close for a while. Thanks again for your help." He said, placing an appreciative hand on Eroeh's shoulder. "No problem. I think I dropped something back in that last room, so if you don't mind, I'm gonna go look for it while you handle this. Bishop, you mind walking with me? My legs are a bit wobbly." Eroeh sighed, straightening up. "As my Lady commands." Bishop answered with a smile, already figuring out what she was up to.

Once out of Golldir's line of sight, Eroeh's limp vanished and she stood up straight beside Bishop. "Not a half bad haul for an on-the-fly crypt dive." She said, eyeing the purse in Bishop's hand. "No, not bad at all." He replied, watching intently as Eroeh knelt beside the door, shimmying her lockpick until the latch gave way with a satisfying click. "Ooh, let's see what we have in here…" She cooed, quietly opening a large chest on a table. Gold, some decent quality gems… and some… shitty old fur armor" She grumbled as she appraised the armor's poor quality. "Ready to go?" she asked as she closed the chest, shut the door, and used her picks to re-lock the latch. "Yep. Just waiting on you, beautiful." He answered, holding out an arm for the supposed-to-be-limping elfling. Walking back through, Golldir wished them well and directed them to a chest near the uppermost platform, telling them they were free to whatever was inside for all their troubles. Thanking him, Eroeh took the key from Bishop and opened the chest, and gathered what valuables were within it before heading out.

Once outside, Eroeh cast a quick, minor healing spell to fix what scrapes and bruises she'd managed while clearing the tomb. "Made a good deal of gold in there, huh Princess?" Bishop asked, discreetly watching her face for any signs of moral outrage at their robbing Golldir's family tomb blind. "Sure did, handsome. What do you suppose we do with it all?" She asked, a mischievous grin spread across her face. "Stash it for now, I suppose. We have enough money on hand for travelling already, so we don't wanna get too weighed down with unnecessary coin. Besides, that old bat's waiting for us in Riverwood, remember?" He replied, raising an eyebrow at his companion. "Ugh, fine. I was thinking of hitting up the meadery outside Whiterun and getting sloppy drunk, but sure- we can be boring and just head straight to Delphine I suppose…" She grumbled, adjusting her pack and starting back towards the road. "Sloppy drunk, huh? That'd be an interesting sight." Bishop chuckled as he followed behind her. "Gotta drink pretty quick to make it happen, but I have an arrangement with the owners of the meadery." She quipped, rolling her shoulders. "Isn't that place a Blackbriar Meadery now or something?" He asked, remembering when it was run by some other people, Honey-somethin or other. "Yup. I helped Maven with the takeover a couple years back. They were messing with her honey supplies to try and force her out of business, so I simply… helped them with a pest problem, and accidentally got pest killer in their mead supply. The captain of the town guard didn't take too kindly to being poisoned and arrested the owner. Once he was out of the way, Maven bought the place and converted it to the Blackbriar Meadery West. Since I helped her take care of the competition, I get a yearly cask of Blackbriar Reserve free. Least she could do for saving her business." Eroeh shrugged, shifting her pack and whistling the tune of Ragnar the Red as they walked. "Ah, always good to have friends in low places, Ladyship." Bishop chuckled. "Especially if they're the most lucrative booze distributor in the province!" She giggled in return, winking mischievously with a goofy double finger-gun in his direction.

"You're ridiculous." Bishop groaned, shaking his head at her. "Eh, you'll miss it when I'm dead." Eroeh joked casually, stretching upwards and folding her arms behind her head as she walked. "Yeah… yeah I will." He sighed, thinking too hard for a moment. "Don't worry Honeybun, I'm not going to Sovngarde anytime soon." She quipped back at the fallen-behind ranger. "Yeah, sure." He answered absentmindedly, lost in his own unpleasant thoughts. She's almost died four times since we met, and yet she just jokes about it like it's no big deal. He thought sourly. I finally find someone worth sticking around and it has to be the crazy wench who doesn't value her own life… He sighed, shaking his head and quickening his pace to match her stride. Placing his large hand around her shoulders, he pulled her sideways into the crook of his armpit and kissed the crown of her head, leaving his arm in place with her delicate hand around his waist as they walked together in silence. "So serious…" Eroeh joked softly, chuckling as she held Bishop tight against her. "I'll be fine, I promise. Don't get yourself so worked up over me, hun, it's not worth the wrinkles." She cooed, turning her head to kiss his chainmail covered jacket sleeve. "You're more than worth it to me, you stupid, crazy woman." He muttered in turn, his eyes never leaving their path.

They walked for the next few hours until the light began to fade and Masser and Secunda peeked from beyond the horizon, almost making it to the bridge that crossed back to the farmlands outside of Whiterun. Passing by a small trail that led upwards to a cave, they found themselves overhearing a couple of bandits making conversation just out of sight.

"Got some good pickings off this last batch of travelers, eh?" one asked as he rifled through a nobleman's bloodied coat. "Yeah, we really hit pay dirt on this place. People never expect bandits this close to the hold capital." The other responded, counting out a stack of gold coins. Bishop and Eroeh exchanged a glance and smirked at one another before readying their bows and taking the pair out in silence. Upon entering the cave, they were met by a man at a table with glazed over eyes at a table, who upon hearing them, turned in their direction, alert, but unseeing. "Eh? Who's there? Rodulf, that you?" he asked, his milk-white eyes darting around their general direction anxiously. Eroeh nudged Bishop's shoulder, bidding him to answer. "Yeah." Was all he could think to say. "Boss was looking for you- said he'd be up at the summit. Better not keep him waiting." He responded, opening the book in front of him and gazing at its blank pages as if he were reading. "Sure." Bishop grumbled, hoping the old man didn't recognize his voice as unfamiliar. Luckily for them, he didn't. "Good luck out there." He said reassuringly.

They walked in tandem past him to hide Eroeh's steps, and ascended the wooden stairs behind him, neither wanting to just murder an old blind man unnecessarily. As they made their way up a third set of stairs, they could hear a pair of bandits talking in hushed voices up ahead.

"So, you in?" one of them, a man, asked. "...Yeah. We can't have that rheumy-eyed fool as our watchman, even if he is Hajvarr's uncle. Time we dealt with both of them." The other, a woman, responded. "We strike tonight at dusk. Be ready." The man finished menacingly.

After hearing a second male grunt in agreement, they readied their bows and proceeded to take the trio out, quick and quiet. "That's just rude. So what if he's blind, his other senses can compensate just fine…" Eroeh growled to herself as she pried an arrow from the woman's neck. Hajvarr… Why does that name sound familiar… Bishop thought as he pulled one of his from one of the men. "That's bandits for ya, sweetness, no room or tolerance for weakness or infirmity," Bishop said all too bitterly, thinking back to his brother and their days back at Lost Knife. Eroeh picked up on the tone, but figured he'd tell her in his own time. No need to pry. After another two corridors, they came upon another conversation, between an Orc and a Nord woman.

"You think it'll work?" the woman asked, motioning to a scrawny wolf caged just behind them. "'Course not. Dogs I can train, but a half-starved wolf? Not a chance." The Orsimer gruffly responded. Bishop gave Karnwyr a quick scratch behind the ears and shot Eroeh a smug, knowing smile. "Right. Lucky if it doesn't rip our throats out." The woman mumbled nervously. Eroeh looked to Bishop and pulled the release chain on the wall next to them as he sent Karnwyr in alongside the other wolf to do just that. Before they could raise their weapons against the canines, the pair nailed them both in their temples with quick, well-placed shots. "You know it really is so nice to have someone on my level to clear these kinda places. Makes it so much quicker and efficient." Eroeh mused, fist-bumping Bishop for a job well done. "Yeah, it does." Bishop chuckled in return.

Before they could say more, another two bandits appeared, hearing the struggle. One, a Bosmeri archer, was taken out with a throat shot a-la-Bishop. The other, another Nord male, get Eroeh's well placed arrow to the eye and promptly went down. Their temporary ally, the wolf, didn't even spare them a second glance before heading back towards the entrance… and the blind old man. "Eh I'm sure he can handle himself." Bishop chuckled with a shrug. "We'll see soon enough I guess." Eroeh responded, actually concerned for the guys safety. What am I so worried for, he's a bandit! She thought, shaking her head. The followed through the corridor to the exit, where they were met with the cool mountain air, and the sight of the bandit leader seated at a table overlooking Whiterun. "Aw shit… Iron-Hand…" Bishop grit as he drew his bow. Turning towards the sudden sound, the leader locked eyes with Bishop and drew a steel warhammer from beside him as his face contorted in furious recognition. "Thrice-Banished!" the man growled as he rose from his seat and made his way towards them.

Eroeh fired a shot of her own, penetrating the small gap between his chest and shoulder plates. Hajvarr Iron-Hand grunted as the arrow struck home but was undeterred in his pursuit of Bishop, who didn't have a helluva lot of running space on the cramped overlook. "Oi, fuck-knuckles! Over here!" Eroeh taunted, causing the red-faced Nord to flush in anger all the way up the sides of his shaved head into his mohawk. "You disrespectful little knife-eared bitch!" he grit at her as he swung his warhammer towards her head, which she easily dodged, snaking herself under his outstretched arms and running her dagger through his exposed underarm. His right arm went limp as the paralytic enchantment took its effect, leaving him to grab an ebony sword off a nearby table and swing with his non-dominant hand. Eroeh put herself between the angry Nord and Bishop as she used her ever-faithful stalhrim daggers to fend him off. He swung down towards her head, hoping to cleave it in two, but was stopped by her crossing her blades like a pair of shears under the force of his blow, catching it with their hilts. Taking her chance, she hiked a leg and booted him in the chest, knocking him back to give her space to maneuver.

She cackled menacingly as she brushed a stray lock of hair behind her ear, her typically almond-shaped eyes so soft and harmless looking now cutting and dangerous as she gave a bloodthirsty crooked smile in his direction. "C'mon big boy. You want Bishop, you're gonna have to go through me." She purred, spinning her daggers in hand to adjust her grip. Hajvarr cracked his neck to the side and flexed his fingers as the feeling returned to his still-bleeding arm, tossing the sword aside in favor of his hammer. Bishop drew his bow and readied an arrow, unable to take a shot as Eroeh danced in and out of his line of fire, infuriating the big Nord further as he struggled to smash her in the face. The only thing Bishop could liken Eroeh's movements to was dancing, the way she twirled in and out of arms reach, ducking gracefully under his arms and bashing him in the nose with the pommel of her dagger as if she were water in a stream, moving around a large, angry rock.

Giving up on the hammer, Hajvarr tossed it aside and dove for her, landing just in front of her. Getting down on all fours Eroeh wrapped her arms around his waist and he lifted her onto his back. When he was upright, she was upside down with her groin against the back of his head, her left thigh across his chest and the right one under his right arm, the foot of her left leg hooked under his armpit, where her ankle crossed the pit of her right leg and locked, gripping tight around his entire left shoulder. Bishop watched in amazement as Hajvarr struggled to remove the little elfling, his face going from red to purple as he struggled to breathe, suffocating under the pressure of his own shoulder and her thigh. As he doubled over, she hooked her arms under and around his groin for leverage and rode him to the ground, where she didn't release until he was lifeless on top of her, her back on the stone ground and his limbs limp at his sides.

By the time Bishop managed to help her pry her legs loose of his neck, the blood vessels of Hajvarr's eyes had bust and his nose was bleeding. "Remind me to never get on your bad side." He joked, helping her up off the ground. "Will do hun. So, Bishop Thrice-Banished is it?" she chuckled, before spotting the sudden and drastic shift in Bishop's face. "No. Not for a long time. I'd appreciate it if you never call me that again." He growled, his amber eyes dark with anger. "Of course, I'm sorry." She apologized, looking at her feet. "It's alright, I've just spent a long time trying to distance myself from that part of my life." He reassured her, his face softening as he realized his reaction had upset her. "No, I'm sorry. I let my curiosity get the best of me. I could swear I've heard that name before, like a long ass time ago." She murmured, trying hard to think. "I wanna say I heard the name when I left Valenwood. Somewhere along the road through Cyrodiil not long I think before I moved here after my folks died." She mumbled under her breath, the wheels in her head turning as fast as they could as she tried to recall the name.

Bishop groaned and took a seat on the stone overhang, letting his legs dangle over the edge as he stared up into the reddish violet hues of a clear sunset. "Man, ten years already? It feels like so long ago…" he mused, a heavy sigh on his lips. "Yeah, it does. Wait, what happened ten years ago for you?" Eroeh asked carefully, sitting alongside him, one knee drawn up against her chest as she leaned into his shoulder. "Went my own way and ditched that sad excuse for a family of mine. I'd just turned seventeen." He answered plainly, obviously not wanting to add anything further. "Oh?... Hey- I think I remember where I heard the name!…" She started, loosening her grip on her raised knee. "A legionnaire I came across on the road, he'd been stabbed and was bleeding… 'Did the boys get away?' He kept asking… He was a Bosmer if I recall, oh what was his name… Dalton, I think?" Bishop shifted uncomfortably next to her. He'd almost forgot about the old soldier after all these years. "No… Danton. Nim ran ahead of me and got the guy that'd stabbed him pinned down until the guards could get ahold of him. The guy kept going on about how he was gonna 'get those little Thrice-Banished bastards' when he got out." She recalled, her face softening.

She looked to Bishop and could see the anxiety in his eyes. "Danton survived, if that's what you were wondering. Nim and I stayed in Weye in that dirty old inn of theirs for a few days until he healed up enough. Nimue was well behaved enough that they let her stay inside with me. The barmaid was worried that whoever got poor Danton would come for me for getting him arrested if given the chance and didn't want to risk my blood on her hands." She sighed. Bishop couldn't help but laugh at it all. "What's so damn funny?" Eroeh asked, expecting some kind of shitty remark. "For fucks sake, I thought it was a weird enough coincidence before that you and I almost crossed paths, but now this is just too much!" He laughed, holding his gut and shaking his head. "You were right there, right behind us, just out of arms reach…" he sighed, watching the last traces of pink and orange fade from the sky. "What do you mean before?" Eroeh asked, eyeing Bishop nervously. "When you and your wolf killed Thorns guys, I was a new recruit with their merry little band of bandits," he started. "I'd made a name for myself as a tracker, so they had me try to figure out what'd happened to them- to try to find whoever was responsible. I'd tracked you all the way back to Dead Man's Drink, but the place was swarming with guards, so I never saw your face. The guy in charge of our outfit decided they'd got what was coming to em and dropped it, so I never went back looking for you."

Bishop drew in a deep breath then, and turned towards Eroeh, watching the way the evening breeze and dying light turned her messy curls into a fiery white mane around her. "And now I find out that you were right there, that you saw me hauling ass North on horseback to get here, and you don't think I should find this at least a little bit funny?" he asked, stroking her cheek gently. "Yeah, I suppose it is." She answered, a soft smile rising in her cheeks. "Small world, am I right? Though I gotta tell you Bishop, I'm pretty sure I'd remember seeing an ass as nice as yours." she giggled, rubbing her cheek against his fingers before turning to watch the stars fade into view. "No kidding." Bishop answered, drawing her in against him as the last light in the sky died, and the world was swallowed by the inky blue-black of night.