Recap:
Merrik returned the smile and walked off. When I looked over at Ryne, he seemed upset.
"What's wrong?" I knitted my brows.
"Nothing." Ryne muttered, lowering his gaze.
I shrugged it off.
Chapter Start:
"It looks like there are only three of them." I whispered, peeking over the boulder.
The Thalmor soldiers were camping under what was left of a tall stone structure. Two of them were no longer visible. They had tucked themselves in the corner to avoid the rainfall. The other one was chatting, warming his hands by the fire.
"Do you think we should stake it out? See if any more show up?" Ryne asked.
"I don't want to wait for them to find someone to torture. If we strike now and the others find the remains of the camp, they will most likely fall back."
"Then they'll alert their superiors." Ryne looked disapproving.
"Good." I replied, nocking an arrow. Eventually the word will get back to Vallas. I was very excited to meet him. Removing his head from his shoulders was something I was really looking forward to.
Ryne sighed and pulled his dagger from his belt. Just as I was about to release my arrow, the soldier walked behind the wall, out of my view. I grumbled and returned the arrow to my quiver.
"Do you have another one of those?" I asked, motioning to his dagger.
"You're an acting assassin for the High King of Skyrim and you didn't bring a close-range weapon?" Ryne gave me a dry look.
I returned the look, placed my bow string on his thigh, and pulled back. He groaned through his teeth when it snapped him.
"Really!?" Ryne looked at me in disbelief and rubbed his sore leg.
"I asked for a weapon, not an attitude." I scolded.
"You are a pain in my ass!" He fussed.
Ryne mumbled some colorful words and pulled a small hunting knife from his boot. My fingertips pinched it, holding it up between us.
"What am I going to do with this? Kill a rabbit and make them dinner?" I deadpanned.
"Knowing you, you'll kill all three of them before I get there and make me feel inferior." Ryne pouted and I chuckled, handing his knife back to him. It wasn't going to be very useful.
"Well now's your time to shine. You're attacking first." I smirked.
Ryne moved in on the left and I moved right. We both hunched down in bushes and he waited for my signal. I whistled and all three men stood up to look for the source. Ryne crouched forward and stabbed the soldier on the far right in the throat. The other two turned to him and I darted toward them. The soldier on the far left flew into the stone wall when my foot connected to his chest. The man to my right tried to draw his blade but I grabbed his hand and forced the blade back into its sheath. My right hand uppercut his jaw and he stumbled. I drew his blade and planted it into his chest, then I quickly turned, blocking the other man's attack.
He moved to the side and released his weight on his sword, causing me to slightly tumble forward. Then he punched me in the face, sending me to the wet grass. I looked up and he hovered over me with his sword in the air. As he swung down, I prepared to dodge, but Ryne used his forearm to stop the strike stabbed him in the stomach. The soldier's body dropped at my feet.
Ryne turned and looked concerned. He helped me up and frowned.
"Thanks." I muttered. My heartbeat accelerated when his hand gently wiped the blood from my face.
"Are you OK? He got a good shot on you." He asked, examining my brow.
"Just a papercut." I joked. I held my hand to my brow and healed the cut to keep the blood from my eye. "We should find some shelter. The rain isn't going to let up anytime soon."
Ryne nodded and helped me throw the bodies into a crevice.
We walked a couple miles and entered the Four Shields Tavern in Dragon Bridge. The fire was a welcome relief to our half-frozen bodies.
"What can I do for you?" A short man with a red beard and a shiny head grinned at us from the bar top.
"Two rooms please." I shivered. We approached the bar and Ryne pulled out his coin. "I'll get it this time." I flashed a smile to Ryne and placed the gold down. The innkeeper gladly collected the payment, stashing it behind the bar.
"Thanks." Ryne murmured, putting his purse in his pocket.
"Sure thing! You can take the two rooms on your left. My name is Enmon. Please let me know if you need anything else." He smiled.
"Thank you." I smiled back and then turned to Ryne. "I'm going to go change."
"Same here." Ryne replied.
After changing into my long sleeve shirt and skirt, I hung my wet clothes in the wardrobe. I snatched a blanket from the bed and walked out. Ryne was at the bar top wearing a black long sleeve sweater and black pants. The shirt fit his features quite nicely. His eyes locked on me and my cheeks began to burn.
"Sir?" Enmon repeated.
Ryne snapped out of it and turned to Enmon. I walked away and took a seat close to the fire. Shortly after, he followed suit and handed me a bottle of mead.
"Thanks." I smiled and took a swig.
"So where are we heading tomorrow?"
"Merrik marked off an area a few miles Northeast of here. It looked like a campsite. After that, we're clear to head back to Solitude. I'll meet with him and we'll go from there."
"Oh joy." Ryne sighed.
"Yes, you sound very thrilled." Ryne didn't appreciate my sarcastic tone. "What's with you two anyways?" I lifted my brow.
"We've had a few bad encounters." Ryne replied, staring at the fire.
"Obviously. Every encounter you have with each other is a bad one." I muttered.
"By 'encounter', I mean that he's arrested me a few times." Ryne crossed his arms.
I couldn't help it. I laughed.
"Did you need training in sneaking?" I teased.
"Yeah, yeah, it's hilarious." He replied sarcastically. "What about you two? You both seem really friendly with each other."
"Wha-..." I choked on my mead. Ryne waited patiently for an answer. Meanwhile, I was coughing up a lung. "I barely met him yesterday. What the hell makes you say that?" My voice was scratchy.
"Seriously? Every time he looks you, he undresses you with his eyes." Ryne scoffed.
"I think you're seeing things."
"I'm a man, I know the look." He looked at me as if he was waiting for me to agree with him. "Pretend all you want, I saw the way you looked at him too."
"What are you talking about?" I deadpanned.
"Oh please. The way that you smiled at him said it all."
"I know you're unfamiliar with the concept of manners, but that's what it was."
"Keep telling yourself that." He rolled his eyes.
"It sounds like you're just trying to find more reasons to hate him."
"Trust me, I already have all the reasons I need to do that." Ryne rolled his eyes. "I'm surprised that he's your type."
"Why wouldn't he be?" I replied, intentionally pushing his buttons. "He's strong, intelligent, handsome...not to mention he's the King's son and an Imperial General." With every compliment, Ryne sunk lower in his seat. I chuckled. "Even if I was interested, it wouldn't matter."
"Why's that?"
Telling him that I was planning on returning to my time wasn't really an option. But it made me consider the fact that once I went back, I'd never see any of these people again. It had been a rough few days, but it wasn't all that bad. In such a short time, I had made allies, friends. My smile dropped when I realized that I would eventually have to say goodbye.
Ryne's expression went from irritation to concern. I had almost forgotten what we were talking about.
"He's the King's son. He's going to marry someone with political standing; a noble or something." I frowned and bit my lip.
"You seem pretty broken up about that." He replied, looking dejected.
"Huh? Oh, sorry. I just don't feel good all of the sudden." I realized that my reaction was likely taken out of context.
"Maybe you should eat something. I'll get you some food." He stood up and walked to the bar top before I could protest. Shortly after, he returned with a bowl of stew.
"Thanks." I muttered.
I quietly sipped my soup down and stared at the flames. Ryne stole a few glances here and there, but it didn't bother me, I was busy brooding.
First, I didn't want to be here and now I was scared to go back. It was almost laughable. Ryne and I butted heads every now and then, but I know that he would have my back no matter what. Kari took me in without question; She gave me a temporary home and welcomed me into their dysfunctional family. Desmond was so kind-hearted and compassionate, even after what happened to Ysara. Ysara…
She was lucky to have people that cared about her. She had been missing for almost a year and they haven't given up. I couldn't even imagine how Ryne felt. It wasn't his fault but he still carries the guilt on his shoulders and had done so for so long.
"Do the others know what happened that night?" I asked, keeping my eyes on the fire. Based on Ryne's change of expression, he knew what I was referring to.
"Yes. I told them everything." His voice was soft. "Why?"
"When Kari told me about her, she said that you were engaged. Yesterday, you told me that you called off the engagement. I wasn't sure if they knew." My eyes met his and sadness clouded his features.
"They knew that we were having problems; we had been for a long time. To be honest, I don't even remember how that fight started. When I told the others what Ysara said, they brushed it off. It wasn't the first time that she had threatened to end things, but that time, she meant it. If they saw the look in her eyes when she told me that she didn't love me, they would know that nothing could mend it this time."
"You must really love her. Even after all of that, you still spend every day looking for her. She's lucky to have you."
"I'll always love her, but not in that way, not anymore." Ryne's eyes dropped and his brows knitted. His words caught me off guard. "When she told me that she didn't love me, it hurt to accept because I realized what we had done; We had torn each other apart so much that there wasn't anything left between us. I'm not good for her. She needs someone better."
"I'm sorry…" I gently squeezed Ryne's forearm. "But don't put yourself down. You're an amazing person. A huge pain in the ass, but…" I teased, retracting my hand. Ryne looked up at me with a small smirk. "You're very strong-willed and loyal to the people you care about; a quality that's not as common as it should be. Ysara fell in love with you for a reason. Sometimes things don't work out. It doesn't make you less of a person."
"Wow, that's the nicest thing you've said to me."
"I'm sure I'll regret it by tomorrow." I smirked.
"Most likely." He chuckled. "Thank you, Ashe."
Ryne smiled and for once, he looked…happy. I examined his face, carefully memorizing every detail. The thought that I would never see it again made my heart ache.