I wake up in a haze, wrapped in an animal fur blanket and lying inside a tent. I sit up slowly while stifling a yawn and trying to remember what happened. "I burned him…" my hands go to my freshly healed lips and the previous day comes rushing back. I swallow hard at the thought, finding my throat constrict. "So many people died…" I look down at my hands, seeing them shaking pitifully. I can still feel my blade punching through that elf's stomach… I scratch at my throat slightly, trying to relieve the growing pressure. There was no time to think before, no time to really feel what I was doing. "I had no choice…" I whisper to myself, trying to forget the feeling of the Bear's giant hands around my throat. "Ah you're finally awake" a familiar voice brings my attention to the tent flaps. "Are you alright? You look ill." I find myself nodding, pushing down the feeling of dread and blinking away the threat of tears. "I-I'm alright… just need some air" I state, standing up stubbornly and moving past him out of the tent.
I'm greeted by the sight of a Nordic ruin surrounded by a large gathering of fur and hide tents. Many of the people walking around adorn large headdress made from the heads of deer and other prey. "I remember reading about men in the Reach who would adorn the skin of beasts… is that what you are?" I turn back to the Breton and meet his gaze "Well..." he leans ever so lightly on the tent and smirks "What do you think we are?" I turn to face the moons still in the sky; I must have been asleep for a few hours then. "I think you were the ones that stopped my enslavement from ever truly starting…" I look down at my wrists, the red marks from the chains gone, healed most likely at the same time as my lips. "Then your welcome, and if you don't mind become more indebted to us than I placed some clothes by your bedside" his gaze shifts downwards and I finally notice I'm still wearing the ragged clothing from the arena. It was not holding together all to well and I find myself rushing past the man back into the tent. I place a hand on his face, covering his eyes, and push him the rest of the way out as I walk in. I resist the urge to frame those perverted eyes in purple.
"You know you never told me your name" I comment while stripping out of the tattered rags while trying to wipe off as much grime as I can. "Well my parents named me Elijah, but most call me Eli." I can hear him chuckling at my earlier reaction. "Oh and I suppose you "Wild Reach folk" no nothing of modesty" I quote one of the more Nordic views and that only seems to amuse him more. "Oh and I suppose you, a posh city flower, no nothing of bathing in a river" he retorts but I refuse to let him win. "I was part of a fighting ring you know, not exactly a "delicate flower"." Again he responds without missing a beat "right because delicate flowers don't get kidnapped by arseholes and needing to be rescued by the "Mad Reach Folk"." I grumble at the small pieces of animal leather they considered clothing before responding to his sarcasm "Need I remind you I was winning." "Need I remind you that I still had to carry you for the entire hike back here." I sigh heavily in defeat "By the Nine you are relentless…" I push the tent flaps aside and face my would-be hero. "I prefer the term… determined" he smiles with those predator eyes looking me over and my arms immediately cover my expose stomach. "If you continue to act like a boar I may forget who exactly saved my life" I warn with spits of fire running up my arm in anticipation, his smile disappears and is replaced with a scowl. Hmm, probably upset I won't let him ogle me like a piece of meat.
"You shouldn't be so careless with destruction magic, you're burning yourself…" his words catch me off guard and I look down to see fresh burns along my arm and parts of my stomach. "Huh…? Oh, I wonder when that stopped hurting…" I mutter and he extends a hand towards me. "May I?" His palm begins glowing light yellow with healing magic. I nod despite myself but flinch slightly as his hand pressed against the sensitive flesh. "A-Are all Reachmen as verse as you?" I speak to try and cover the awkward silence. "Most are in destruction and conjuration but few practice restoration." He replies, his tone different, almost tender. "… I was actually referring to your grasp of speech, were you a bard before a barbarian." I try to lighten things with a joke and am reward with a warm smile. "Not quite. I was the son of our negotiator and diplomat, After years of negotiating deals with the other tribes and even the Kahjiit at times one tends to learn. What about you?" he finishes his spell and steps back towards the tent, which I now notice is farther off than most the other tents.
He disappears inside and I hear him rummaging around for something. "Well my father was a priest of Kynareth but I don't remember much of him." I don't let the sadness I feel touch my voice as I remember the kind and selfless man my mother described to me so many times. "Oh well… I was actually referring to your skills with magic" whether he knows or not I am grateful for the change in subject. "That is actually a long story but short version is because of my friend, Sage" a smile touches my lips just as Elijah exits the tent with a bow strapped to his back. "Oh wow, haven't seen that look on you before. I might regret asking but I admit I'm curious about those who you would call friend. Are you well enough to hunt?" he asks while motioning northbound. I nod eagerly, my earlier unease replaced with a need to stretch my legs for the first time in days. He smirks and hands me some dried meat and an apple "so you don't collapse from starvation, now come on." He leads the way and I follow while taking a large bite from he apple.
"So what are we hunting?" I ask after the village fades from view. "Well we've been hearing howling coming from up north and we cant risk wolves coming too close." He explains, taking a moment to gather his bearings before continuing. A sudden howl in the distance draws both our attentions, despite how far off it sounds I still feel a shiver run up my spine. "That didn't sound like a wolf…" I speak quietly but fear is absent from my voice. "You're right, that sounds like one of Hircine's faithful, a werewolf. We need to turn back, I don't have any silver and we need backup" I swear I almost hear fear in his voice and before I can stop it I giggle "You're not afraid are you? I mean I killed a vampire on my first trip out of the city. How much harder can a lycanthrope be? Besides, conjured weapons can kill werewolves just as easily as it would a troll." I see him struggle for a moment before a cocky grin spreads across his face. "You kidding, Hircine himself will sit audience to this hunt" he caves in to his pride and I smile at my victory "then lead the way oh-mighty hunter"
It takes us another two hours of hiking and small-talk before we finally come across signs of the beast. Broken branches and blood lay around the area. "It must have transform here, seems like this one is excitable" Elijah comments while inspecting the torn up earth. "I Think you should probably draw your bow" I warn while summoning a sword. "Oh I doubt it stuck ar-" I cut him off with a motion of my blade and point towards a small fire-pit a short distance away that looks to have been doused in frost magic. "It's the Forsworn!" a voice that brings my heart to my throat calls out suddenly. "Sage!?" I call out into the darkness. "Willow?! No stop!" he cries back before pain explodes across my chest, bringing me to the ground with a thud. "W-what…?" I gaze up at the wood shaft sticking out of my left breast with confusion and my world suddenly darkens.
Wanted to thank you for the review HeroesPressPlay, thought I'd push out a few chapters in response