14.

"Bound By Blood"

It had taken her nearly a week to make her way to Frostcrag Spire, even on horseback. It was slow-going, the footing treacherous. The cold was bone-chilling, even through her furs. It hurt her to think of him in this harsh environment, cold and lonely and sterile as it was. When she finally saw the tip of the Spire over the mountain top, her heart soared. He was here…he had to be. If he was not…she did not know where else to look…she might never find him. No, she could not allow herself to think like that. He was here. She felt it.

Alessia stepped into the great tower apprehensively, not knowing what to expect…not knowing what she would find. It had been many days since that fateful night at Cloud Ruler Temple when she had last seen him. She knew he had not perished…he was immortal now. But she dreaded what condition he might be in. She dare not call out for him for fear he would flee her if he could.

It was a most bizarre place, clearly made for an eccentric old mage. There were no doors, only strange round platforms scattered about. Luckily, there was a book in the center of the entrance hall that explained how to use these magical portals that permitted access to different areas of the castle. She searched every corner of the tower for him to no avail. Her heart began to sink. There was only one place she had not yet looked…the vault. Alessia stepped through the portal, a lump in her throat. Instantly she was assailed by the screeching of a dozen winged imps. She was stunned only for a moment. Drawing her bow, she was preparing for a pitched battle when she saw him. Her heart leapt with joy. And for an instant she forgot that she was under siege, until a burst of lightning hit her and brought her to her knees. She shook off the shock and took evasive maneuvers, just avoiding a fire bolt sent her way. She ducked and ran to him. He was chained up, nearly unconscious and delirious. Imps were yet harassing her, but they had stopped their magical attacks since she had reached him. Is it possible they were protecting him? It made no sense, but neither did anything else in this strange magical tower. Alessia swatted at them as though they were flies.

She was shocked by the sight of him when she reached his side. He looked terrible…aged and drawn. "Torin!" she shouted in anguish, taking his gaunt face in her hands. It was heartbreaking to see him like this. She realized his plan now…he was not just isolating himself. He was enforcing his own starvation, locking himself up to keep from losing control. Tears streamed down her face as she shouted at him, "Wake up! Torin!" The sniping imps were beginning to have an effect, even with her armor.

From far away, Torin heard her voice and struggled to return to reality. Alessia?! Here?! He shook off his stupor enough to realize she was under attack by his vault Guardians, the imps conjured by his uncle to protect his magical treasures. "Stop! Cease your assault!" he managed, using all his remaining strength to halt the attack on his beloved. The imps returned to their strange patrol, ignoring her now. Torin collapsed again at the exertion. "You…should not be here…." he slurred.

She cradled him in her arms. "Torin, my love, what have you done? I cannot let you do this thing. I cannot let you sacrifice yourself like this," she said plaintively.

"No…a man…not a monster…I will not…I am a man…" he moaned deliriously.

To see him in such agony was heart-wrenching. In that moment, she made a decision. Alessia teleported back to the main chamber and found a large goblet, returning quickly to his side. Then she pulled out her dagger and cut her wrist. The blood began to flow freely from the wound and she collected it carefully in the cup. When it was full and she began to feel faint, she staunched the bleeding and took a healing potion, wrapping her arm tightly. Then she lifted his head and leaned in to whisper to him. "Drink this, my love. It will give you strength."

His eyes fluttered open. "No…no blood…Alessia…no…you cannot…" he pleaded.

"My darling, I am unharmed and it is done. Drink…please…I beg you!" she responded anxiously.

"Please…if you love me…you will leave, before you get sick again…" he entreated weakly.

Alessia looked at him a long moment, deliberating. He was as hard-headed as she was. Yet she knew a way to reach him. It was blackmail, pure and simple. But he would acquiesce, and she knew it. And, in truth, she would do anything now…say anything…to bring him back. "I will never leave you," she said in a low somber tone. "If you will not drink…if you will not try to come back to me…if you no longer have the will to fight to stay with me, then I will stay with you. I will hold you in my arms until my own strength fails me, until I draw my last breath. But it will be at your side. Would you have me die here then?" she challenged.

"Nooo! I forbid it…" he said as sharply as his condition allowed.

She laughed bitterly. "You are hardly in a position to stop me, my Grayrider," she retorted. Then her voice softened. "Torin…I…I cannot let you quit! I will not let you give up…not on yourself, not on us! Please! Will you not struggle against this…to be with me? Does it matter to you no longer?" she asked plaintively.

"I…you know…that is untrue, but…would you have me live a life that preys on innocents? Would you…have me be Seridur?" he labored.

Alessia cut him off. "Nooo…but I would have you fight. I would have you help me search for an answer. Let me help you…drink of my blood and regain your strength so that I may speak to you of getting your life back. There is a chance, Torin, but you must come back to me now," she begged.

Alessia stroked his hair, her heart breaking for him, his red eyes betraying his terrible conflict. She understood. He was noble and honorable. She knew he was repulsed by what he had become. He did not want to hurt anyone. He did not want to leech the life force of another to supply his own. So he had isolated himself from the world to save it. She could not blame him for his decision. But she would not let him spend eternity like this. She would not let him suffer the terrible loneliness before madness took him, before he fell comatose. "Torin…" she entreated softly, tilting the cup to his lips. Their eyes locked. "Please…I love you so," she whispered, her eyes brimming with tears. His lips parted at last and he accepted her offering. She breathed a sigh of relief and a joyous smile lit up her face.

Alessia had found the key and unlocked his chains. She laid his head in her lap, caressing his face as the blood she had given him began to take effect. His features softened, the lines faded, and the face she had grown to love returned to her anxious eyes.

Torin sat up suddenly and grimaced at her, "You should not be here! I drank only because I will not let you perish at my side. Do you not realize I have done all that I could to save you? You would throw it away?!" he asked her, upset that she was even there.

She got up, preparing for the argument she knew was coming.

He had thought of her, fantasized about her, dreamed of her for weeks, and now she stood before him more beautiful than his tortured mind remembered. It was nearly impossible to be angry with her, he loved her so. And she looked so anguished.

"And does my love for you mean nothing? Is what I feel for you of any less import than what you feel for me? Do you not realize that I had to do all that I could to save you?" she returned gently.

His lips parted in surprise. He took a deep breath. She had done no more than he had done for her. He nodded in acceptance of her truth.

"Torin, listen to me now. I have been to the Arcane University in hopes of finding a cure. I spoke to the mage Raminus Polus and he said we should go to Skingrad and talk to Count Janus Hassildor. He seemed to think the Count might be able to help us. We have a chance, Torin. There is a cure for you, my love, I know it. We just have to find it. Tell me you will come with me, that you will help me reclaim our lives together," Alessia said.

It stunned him to hear that there might be a cure. He understood vampirism to be incurable…that once the porphyric hemophilia disease had progressed past three days, there was no hope. He had not quit the fight. He had thought the fight could not be won…that his fate was etched in stone. But now… He took her by the shoulders. "Are you sure? Is it possible?" he asked, a light shining in his eyes for the first time since this had started.

She smiled vulnerably. "I believe in my heart it is," she assured him. "You need not suffer starvation or indignity any longer. You need not be alone. Until we have found the answer, my blood will sustain your body and my love will sustain your heart."

"But…I will make you sick…the porphyria…you will contract it," he lamented.

"Yes, I will. But I have brought many potions for just that purpose. I will cure the disease before it can transform me. We will keep the vampirism at bay until you need my blood no longer," she said bravely.

He was torn. A chance. But she would pay the price for his grasping at it…

"Torin, I beg of you. Please. We have to try. I cannot bear the thought of losing you now. All that I am I give to you. You already have my heart, my soul. Now, I would give you my life's blood to keep you in this world…to keep you at my side until we can find a cure. Do not reject my gift. Do not spurn my help. I need you. The Empire needs you. I love you…Torin…" Alessia pleaded emotionally.

He gazed at her for a long moment considering her words. They would have been his words if she had been in this position. He would have begged her to let him help her…to let him support her until they could find the answer. He felt her suffering keenly. In that moment, he decided. This was a woman to die for…and this was a woman to live for. "Then let us fly to Skingrad," Torin said hopefully.

Alessia smiled in gratitude and nodded. Soon, they would find the answer…in Skingrad. Hassildor would help them. He had to.

They walked for a time in awkward silence, anxiety and uncertainty marring their reunion.

Torin spoke suddenly, as though it was something he had been brooding on a while. "You knew I would not let you perish at my side when you gave your ultimatum," he said matter-of-factly without looking at her. It was a statement, not a question.

Alessia stole a quick glance at his face, but he kept his eyes on the road ahead as he walked, and his features were unreadable. She could not tell if he was upset at her for forcing his hand. She had manipulated him and she felt no small dishonor in the act. Still, she had been desperate. She redirected her gaze to the path before her. "Yes," she returned softly, a hint of shame in her voice.

"So, when you said it, you had no intention of…" he began.

"I meant what I said…" she cut him off emotionally, "I would not leave you behind. But…I also knew you would not let me die. I…did what I had to…"

He nodded. "So…it seems you are not above committing extortion to get your way," he observed without malice.

"It…seems I am not…when the goal I aspire to is of such great importance…" she said carefully. There was a long pause and she could not tell what he was thinking. "And…I tell you now, though it does me no credit, I would do it again," she added willfully.

One eyebrow went up, and a slight smile curled the corner of his mouth. "You are much too stubborn…" Torin commented lightly, "…not unlike a pack mule."

She was taken aback at his remark, but only for a moment, for she quickly realized he was teasing her now. She felt herself visibly relax. "And you are much too proud," she returned grinning, "Not unlike a strutting peacock."

He smiled broadly at that.

She slipped her hand in his as they walked. His fingers entwined in hers. It would be alright now.

He felt the hunger gnawing at him. Desperately, he tried to ignore it, to avoid taking her blood. But he was becoming more feral…his eyes reddening. And strong as he was, no mortal could stand on his own against the cruel curse of Molag Bal. He had chained himself up to beat the Daedric Prince. But his Alessia would have none of it. Yet she had given him hope, where before there was none.

They were camped under the stars in the Great Forest. She realized he could not travel in the daylight any longer without feeding. Alessia came to him, because she knew he would do all that he could not to come to her…not to ask her for her blood. "It is time," she said softly.

He winced. "I…you don't have to…" Torin started.

She looked at him sympathetically. "Yes, we do. You must keep up your strength," she said, stepping up to him. She reached up to caress his face.

Torin turned away from her touch. "I am not…I am an abomination. Do not look upon me so," he said with self-loathing.

She frowned. Her slender fingers turned his face back to her. "You are not an abomination. You are a man…you are…the beat of my heart. You have been the victim of an evil villain and the terrible disease he carried. I will not shun you for sacrificing yourself for me. I will not let you turn from me as though what is between us is only a shallow physical desire. I love you. We will overcome this…we will find you a cure. You will be free of this scourge, I swear it. But first, you must survive. I can help you, Torin…let me help you."

She pulled her hair back and presented her neck to him tentatively, urging him with pleading eyes.

He looked grieved. The faint scars of the wounds where Seridur's fangs had punctured her sensual neck were visible to his keen sight. His fingers touched them gingerly. It pained him to think of re-injuring her. "How do I know you are not entranced? That you do not offer yourself to me because you are under my spell?"

She smiled. "I have been under your spell since first I met you, my love. And it has nothing to do with vampirism."

He was too distraught to react to her humor then.

Alessia saw the distress on his face, and slid her arms around his neck, pulling him close. "It's alright," she whispered.

He kissed her neck tenderly and murmured in her ear, "I love you."

"I know. Do what must be done. I will be alright, my Grayrider," she said softly.

"Forgive me," he murmured finally.

She inhaled sharply as she felt his teeth sink into her soft flesh. But it was not like before, when Seridur had bitten her…when there was a violence to it…a violation that had made her cry out and reach for Torin. Now it was…strangely erotic…sensual. She found herself clutching his head, pressing him into her, as her blood was drawn from her...as she gave her life energy to replenish his. It was the most intimate moment they had ever shared, knowing she was sustaining him…that her blood flowed in him now, that she was truly part of him. She felt a peculiar mix of weakness and pleasure. Then, as suddenly as it had begun, his teeth had withdrawn from her and there were only his lips on her neck. She moaned and pulled his mouth to hers. He tasted of iron. She knew it was her own blood on his lips, but at that moment, she did not care. She could only think that she was on fire for him.

Torin pulled back and shook his head. "No…I will not join with you. Until I am a man again…I will not join with you," Torin said adamantly. He gave her an agonized look and stepped away. The look of sorrow on his face matched her own, and she bowed her head in grief.

Sleep was something he did not need much anymore. He watched her slumber, mesmerized by the gentle rising and falling of her breast. She was so beautiful, it made his heart ache. He could not have imagined the torment he would be suffering now if she were the one that had been turned…that had refused to feed…that had chained herself up to spend eternity alone in madness. As terrible as this curse was for him…as difficult as it was to bear, physically and emotionally, it was nothing compared to the anguish he would have felt, the grief he would have suffered if she had been the one that became a vampire. He smiled grimly…a mirthless smile of his own fateful choice remembered. Even now when his pain was paramount, his hunger clawing at him…even now, he would do it again to save her from this lot.

Her groaning pulled him from his grim thoughts. She was having a nightmare…tossing her head, crying out his name.

Torin fell to his knees and lifted her into his arms, "Shh…it's alright, I'm here. It's just a bad dream. Everything's going to be alright. Shhhh….go back to sleep," he said, rocking her gently.

Alessia woke up only enough to realize she was in his arms…and that was enough. Enough to settle her fears for now. She smiled sleepily at him and caressed his face lightly, before nestling into his embrace, her hand gripping his tunic possessively and pulling him tightly to her.

He felt her relax again moments later and she was asleep again. For the rest of the night he held her like that, not wanting to disturb her exhausted slumber. Sleep was something he did not need much anymore.

They arrived in Skingrad under cover of night, Torin cloaked to protect his identity and his appearance. Alessia approached Hal-Liurz, Skingrad's steward, who gushed to see them again, though, in truth, the Argonian woman was not certain at first it was Torin with the young woman who had fought at his side to close the Skingrad Oblivion Gate. Alessia assured her it was and that they urgently needed to see the Count. Normally, Hal-Liurz would have balked at such a request without an appointment. But they were heroes in Cyrodiil and they merited special treatment. She hurried off to fetch the elusive Count Hassildor.

Hal-Liurz came back moments later. "The Count will see you in the study," she said, leading them to the room where Janus Hassildor awaited them, then disappearing down the hall. They entered, and Torin was struck immediately by it…the sense that he was among his own kind. It stunned him. He had not realized that the Count of Skingrad was…

The surprised look on the Count's face indicated he, too, had picked up on Torin's condition. He nodded his understanding. "It seems things have changed for you, young adventurer, since last we met," Hassildor said cryptically.

Torin pulled off the hood, seeing no need for subterfuge anymore. This man…this vampire…would not be put off by him. "I…have come to ask you for help," he started, "I…did not know why until just now…we were told only that you might know of a cure…not that you were a vampire yourself…"

Alessia watched in amazement. They had seemed to recognize each other in some strange unspoken communication.

"And so you seek an audience with Count of Skingrad, secret vampire, in hopes of ending your curse?" he said sympathetically, "I do not see it as a curse, you know. I did fifty years ago when my wife Rona and I were first bitten…"

Torin and Alessia exchanged startled glances.

Hassildor smiled grimly. "Yes, she, too, is a vampire. But where I came to embrace the changes in my body, my wife was horrified and repulsed at what we had become…"

Alessia slipped her hand in Torin's and held it firmly in understanding.

Torin's heart swelled at her simple gesture.

Hassildor continued, "I tried to help her, but she could not accept it," he said sadly. "She… refused to feed and grew weaker until she starved herself into a coma. She has been cared for by my staff all this time, but now I seek…peace for her. Now I want the cure for her, so her nightmare is over," he struggled.

"So there is a cure?" Alessia leaped, tightening her grip on Torin's hand.

Hassildor nodded. "I think there is. At least…there was. I believe we can assist each other. If you…will help me to…end her torment by bringing her the cure as well, I will tell you what I know," the Count said emotionally.

Torin felt a great surge of hope then. But it was mixed with empathy for the Count's plight. He felt the greatest compassion for Hassildor to know the suffering of his wife…to know that the only way to ease that suffering was to let her die…to let her go forever. He understood the man's reluctance for all these years just as he understood his desperation now. It was a terrible decision. If it had been Alessia…Torin shuddered involuntarily.

"What must we do?" Alessia asked excitedly.

"It is said there is a coven of witches, the witches of Glenmoril, who had found a cure many years ago, but I have scoured the countryside for them and been unable to locate them. Perhaps they no longer exist. Still I must try. If…I have waited too long, I will not be able to forgive myself. They were known to live somewhere in the wilderness south of Cheydinhal along the Corbolo River, but that is all I know. Please, help me end my wife's suffering."

Alessia stepped up then. "We will help you. We will find the cure, and end the suffering of both our loved ones," she said adamantly, looking soulfully back at Torin.

They wandered the wilderness of the Nibenay Basin near the Corbolo River for days before they came across a small cottage called Drakelowe, occupied by a kindly but cryptic old woman named Melisande. She wouldn't admit to being a witch of Glenmoril, but thought she could make up a potion if they could find the right ingredients. Alessia threw herself into Torin's arms, elated that his trial would soon be over.

They struck a bargain with the old woman and set about the task of finding the items they needed. But the potion required a number of exotic ingredients. It would not be easy.

Luckily, he had enough bloodgrass and nightshade with him, but Alessia had been the one to recover the garlic, keeping it far from him in his present condition. The blood of an Argonian was required as well, and while Melisande had provided the ritual dagger to obtain it, Torin had balked at using it on some unsuspecting innocent. But Alessia had taken care of that, too. She had recalled the story he had told her of his rescue of a young Argonian woman from sacrifice at the hands of cultists in the isolated village of Hackdirt. A trip to Chorrol yielded success - both Dar-Ma and her grateful mother Seed-Neeus volunteered the necessary blood to aid Torin.

Then came the last and most daunting task. They must bring back the ashes of the most powerful and infamous vampire in eastern Tamriel…Hindaril. The mention of his name brought a shudder to many. No one had been able to kill him and countless had tried. Conventional methods had resulted in failure. Finally, he had been tricked, and imprisoned in an underground cavern to end the threat he posed. Now, they would have to confront him and slay him to gain the ash this cure required. They headed south, to the easternmost split in the North Panther River called Redwater Slough, to face the challenge of the master vampire.

Torin had been extremely reluctant to take her with him to face Hindaril after what had happened with Seridur. But she stubbornly insisted, refusing to leave his side…refusing to let him walk into that cave alone.

"No, Alessia, please. Let me do this. You fed me last night and I am strong again. And I can do things you cannot…I will be alright," he assured her.

She folded her arms and looked at him skeptically. Then she poked her finger at his chest. "You think because you have these special powers that you are invincible? Ha!" she scoffed. "If you come across a mage that knows a fire spell or a fire-enchanted weapons you could be vanquished. And what if Hindaril is not alone? What if there are many with your abilities? No, I will go and protect you," she said firmly, her hands on her hips, a playful tone in her voice.

Torin's eyebrows rose in disbelief. He did not know what to say. "I…you…" he sputtered. Then he gave up, and laughed heartily. "You are impossible!" he said, shaking his head.

He smiled at her…a lover's smile that made her heart skip a beat.

"Come on then, my stubborn warrior queen. I think perhaps I will need all the protection you can provide," he said, taking her hand and pulling her behind him.

Redwater Slough turned out to harbor a nest of vampires. It did not matter. They were no match for a vampiric Torin and his wildcat paramour. They reached Hindaril and after a pitched battle, the master vampire was no more. They collected the ash they needed for the cure and struck out for Drakelowe once more.

"Thank you," Torin said as they exited the cave.

Alessia looked at him questioningly.

"For protecting me," he said, tongue-in-cheek, a wry grin on his face.

A slow smile spread across her lips. "You are most welcome, my love. I will always keep you from harm. You need fear nothing if I am at your side," she teased, returning his sarcasm.

He laughed and put his arm around her waist, pulling her to him as they walked together. Torin thought to himself there was more truth in her words than she would ever know. "Then perhaps you should always be at my side, to keep me warm and safe," he suggested.

She smiled. "Perhaps I should," she replied coyly.

Alessia thought it best to for him to feed before they began their journey with Melisande. So when they came within sight of the cottage, she took his hand and pulled him into a thick copse of trees. "Torin…" she said softly.

"No," he replied, a pained look on his face. They were so close now. He could not bear the thought of…of taking from her again.

"We must…you will never make it to Skingrad if you do not. You are too weak," she beseeched him. She pulled him to a great tree and leaned against it, turning her neck to him.

"Please…I do not want to…no more…do not ask me to hurt you again," he begged.

Alessia smiled sadly at him then. "It is alright, my love. It does not hurt much. Come," she said softly, pulling his face to her throat.

He stopped as his lips contacted her skin.

She could feel his warm breath on her neck and felt a ripple of desire surge through her.

"This is the last time, Alessia. I swear it. No matter the outcome of this. I will not feed upon you again," he whispered with steely resolve.

She believed he meant it. As his teeth sunk into her, and she felt the warm rush…the light-headed giddiness that came with her blood flowing into him, she found herself praying to the Gods that the cure worked. She feared for him if it didn't.

Melisande created two quantities of the potion and made ready to go to Skingrad to monitor Rona Hassildor's treatment. "I must go oversee the process. As for you…the cure is harsh and recovery difficult. You will need looking after for several days to regain your strength. It will not be easy. And…there is a chance you will not survive the ordeal," the old witch warned.

Alessia turned to him, concern clouding her eyes. But she knew it was the only way. They had to risk it. He could not live like this. She took his hand and looked hard into his eyes. "I will take care of him. He will recover," she said softly, confidently.

They returned to Skingrad Castle and a torn Janus Hassildor led them to a secret chamber where his wife lay in a coma. Melisande performed a ritual to temporarily revive the Countess from her endless sleep. She awoke with a start.

"Quickly, you do not have much time," Melisande warned the Count.

Rona and Janus embraced in reunion.

"I'm sorry I waited so long…I should've acted sooner. I simply could not bear the thought of losing you…" Janus said emotionally.

Rona put her hand to his lips. "It is alright, my husband, I understand. Thank you for letting me go, for finally releasing me from my nightmare. I love you," she said tearfully.

"I will always love you. Goodbye, my darling," the count returned.

Alessia slid her hand in Torin's and squeezed it, her own emotions in turmoil.

The Hassildors embraced silently, then Janus offered his wife the potion lovingly.

Moments after she drank, she collapsed, dead…no longer a vampire, her life no longer unnaturally extended.

Janus fell to his knees, sobbing.

Alessia turned and buried her face in Torin's chest, thinking how she had almost lost him, how he had wanted her to let him go. He understood her sorrow and put his arms around her.

"Leave me…please…leave me to my grief," Janus asked them.

They nodded and left, intent on Torin's treatment now. His outcome they expected to be very different. Hassildor had graciously given them access to a small cottage he owned in the countryside near Skingrad. They would need privacy and seclusion for his recovery. It was a sign of his gratitude for the release of his wife.

Torin was weak now. He had refused to feed on Alessia anymore. Every time he took from her he felt vile. He could not stand it anymore. If this did not work…

They boarded up the house to keep the sun out. She put him to bed and prepared everything as Melisande had instructed her. Then she approached him and knelt beside him. She stroked his hair and stared into his eyes for a few moments. "I love you, Torin," she whispered emotionally.

He smiled back and willed his hand to her face, caressing it lightly. "I love you, Less," he struggled.

She took a deep breath and lifted the potion to his lips gently. Torin drank and grimaced in pain, lapsing into unconsciousness. Alessia had been told what to expect, but it did not make it easier to watch it unfold before her…to see him suffer and slip away from her. She took his hand in hers and held it to her face, closing her eyes and willing him to heal…to come back to her the man she loved. Then she laid her head on his chest and listened to his heart beat until she fell asleep from exhaustion.

She kept vigil for four days, leaving his side only to take care of his needs. It had been terrible. He had slept fitfully the whole time, tormented by nightmares. Fever racked his body as he tossed and turned deliriously.

On the fifth morning, Torin woke up. He felt…different…tired, but not weak like when he had not fed. He realized Alessia was holding his hand, slumped over his bedside in an exhausted sleep. He smiled tenderly. Then he noticed the sun seeping in through the cracks in the boarded up windows. It was daylight. And he realized he had to know…first, before Alessia. He had to know if he was a man again…if he could ever be with her. He glanced down at her slumbering form apprehensively. Then he slid his hand out from under hers and rose from the bed. He felt alright. It was time to test this cure. It was time to face the sun. He stopped in the doorway, suddenly gripped by fear. It was a warm spring afternoon, and he found himself half-expecting the terrible pain that had accompanied his ventures out during the day since this nightmare had begun. He took a deep breath.

Alessia awoke with a start. He was gone! She started to panic, fearing the treatment had failed and he had fled to spare her. She bolted for the door in time to see him walk out of it and into the midday sun. Then she realized he was not running away, but testing the efficacy of the cure. She stepped back into the shadows to watch. Though Alessia longed to be at his side, to offer him support, he clearly wanted to be alone to learn the answer. And she understood. It had been a terrible ordeal for him…indeed, for them both.

Torin advanced slowly, not fearful of the pain he might encounter, but of what it would mean. As the warm rays touched his skin, he realized with growing elation that it did not hurt. No pain, no burning. He spread his arms absorbing the glorious warmth, basking in the sunlight. It doesn't burn! It doesn't burn, he thought, letting the sun warm him once more as it had in days before. His eyes closed rapturously, a jubilant smile on his handsome face.

Alessia brought her hand to mouth to try to hold back her emotion. But it overwhelmed her. He was her Torin again! His features were that of the man she loved and he was savoring the sunshine that only a few days ago he hid from in an act of self-preservation. She laughed through her tears when she saw him whirl around giddily, his arms outstretched, welcoming the precious rays of warmth which had so recently tortured him.

Torin turned at the sound of her joyous laughter. He grinned so happily at her that she could keep away no longer. Alessia ran to him and threw herself into his arms, crying and laughing. He embraced her and spun her around excitedly. "It's over, Less. It's over. I'm free of this horrible curse at last!" he cried emotionally.

Alessia nodded, unable to speak.

He gazed at her lovingly through eyes that were crystal blue once more. "It's because of you, Alessia. You wouldn't let me give up. You fought for me. You fought for us," he said gratefully. Then he caressed her face gently. "You…gave me my life back," he whispered as he leaned in and pressed her lips tenderly.

Her heart was pounding fiercely. "Torin…" she whispered, "Promise me you will not run from me again…as long as you love me…" she pleaded.

"I would rather die than lose you again. If it is humanly possible, I will be at your side. And if it is not possible, I will shake the very foundations of the Nirn and Mundus until the Gods themselves take pity on my hapless soul and make it possible," he vowed.

Alessia grinned at his bold declaration. "Should the Gods tremble then, at my Grayrider's approach?" she teased.

He returned her smile sheepishly. "I would not dishonor them by suggesting such a thing. I am but a man who would move heaven and earth to be with you," he replied, his face growing serious.

Alessia smiled enigmatically. "If there ever was a man who could do so…" she purred seductively. She ran her finger along the scar on his jaw and pressed her lips to it gently. Then she kissed him, long and slow.

She was an enchantress…he was sure of it. For she had just made the world disappear around him. And there was nothing left but her warm, sweet lips. He lifted her in his strong arms, laid her down on the grass, and made love to her under the warming rays of the sun, welcoming him back to humanity.