A/N: Hey, sorry about taking so long! But here you go and I love this whole fiasco with Baurus and Katryn so they have one more chapter together before I move on. I'm trying to stay on top of everything and thanks again for all the reviews.

It scraped again but didn't seem to come any closer. Baurus, without removing Katryn's hand, took a step forward, and then another. A pale gleam of light was ahead of them and, added to the torchlight, it revealed the origin of the noise. A section of dirt and stone had fallen from the ceiling, leaving a hole about eight inches wide. Through this a tangle of vines crept and blew lightly in a breeze from above, causing them to brush the wall and scrape much like a dragging footstep.

Katryn let out an impatient huff of breath and dropped her hand from Baurus' arm. She moved forward and tore the vines away in annoyance and with more force than necessary. A little avalanche of dirt and smaller stones collapsed down as well, missing her by centimeters. She ignored the cloud of dust as she tried to still her anger and cast her detection charm.

"Well," Baurus interrupted and grinned when the fierce, fiery eyes landed on him, "If plants are our only foe, this will be simpler than anyone thought."

The Elf rolled her eyes and focused her attention once more on casting. Her jumbled thoughts were making this more difficult and because she was berating herself for not doing it sooner, she was very nearly killed. Just as she was about to cast, there was a tickle at the back of her neck and she tilted her head, reaching up to knock it away. Simultaneously, she heard the twang of an arrow being released and a blink of an eye later, it zipped past her face, grazing her cheek and cracking sharply off the wall behind her. Baurus reacted instantly, pushing her back out of the way and behind him as he dropped the torch and drew his sword.

In the fading light, bones gleamed a pale, dirty white and Katryn took another involuntary step back as she saw fully what they were up against. She'd only ever heard tales about fighting skeletons and hadn't believed half of them since it was such a far-fetched notion. Yet here one stood, lowering its bow and taking up a war hammer as Baurus threw himself at it, sword flashing in the dropped torch. The skeleton swung the hammer with a strength that didn't seem possible and the Redguard barely had time to duck under and around the swing. He let the momentum carry the creature a little beyond him and towards Katryn and then slashed his own sword through its neck bones. The skeleton remained still for a moment and then, with an unseemly, clumsy lurch, fell forward and collapsed to the ground in pieces. Baurus stepped over it and approached the Elf without looking down. His face was concerned and he frowned at the wound on her cheek.

"Are you okay, Kat? You're bleeding."

He reached out to touch her when, faster than he could blink, she strung an arrow.

"Back," She said shortly.

Baurus stepped out of the way immediately, not even thinking of questioning her. He tried to follow the arrow but it moved too quickly and his attention was grabbed rather suddenly as it sailed harmlessly through the eye of the ghost hovering over the skeleton. As Katryn strung another, he stepped between the two and raised his blade, letting the light catch the green gleam of the steel. He held up a hand to keep Katryn from shooting a second time and watched the ghost closely. Its baleful eyes looked down at the scattered skeleton and then at them again. The armor held the same pale transparency as his skin and had a battered look. His cheeks and eyes were sunken, telling a tale of either starvation or illness that ended his life. After a long pause, he spoke, his mouth never opening and his voice seeming to come from the very air about them.

"I am finally free. My brothers-in-arms and myself were sent here centuries ago to lift the curse cast by the Dark Underking Zurin Arctus. Our leige, Tiber Septim, wished to make this the final resting place for the Septims and did not want it teeming with Black Magic. We were captured and killed by Arctus himself and sealed inside this place, bound to haunt the halls until a stronger and braver warrior set us free. The old curse was lifted after this and my lord Septim was buried at the base of this fortress. We have turned our failure into one last badge of honor and guarded his tomb ever since. You have come for the armor. Free my brothers and we will use our magic to assist you. Use it wisely."

As the words faded, so did the spectre. They didn't put up a fuss over his knowledge of their plan. If Tiber truly was a god, then his warrior's comment shouldn't have been a surprise to anyone. Katryn finally relaxed her bow arm completely and shoved the arrow into the quiver at her back. They had the same paralytic charge as Jauffre's little dagger and she did not want to waste them.

Baurus slid his longblade home in its sheath and turned to her.

"I hope that arrow wasn't-"

"No," Katryn interrupted, her hand going to her cheek. The gash was deep and bleeding freely, "It just stings."

She cast the healing charm and on top of that the detection, which came up empty.

"Are we safe?" He asked, knowing firsthand he shouldn't ever doubt the Elf's abilities.

"Yes, grab your torch. Wouldn't want you getting lost now, would we?"

"After that, I know you wouldn't."

She grinned at him and her eyes flared up brightly.

"Be careful," She warned, "Your head may get to be so big you really will not be able to fit through any door."

Baurus chuckled at that as he stooped to pick up the torch. The dimming light brightened instantly and lit up his dancing black eyes.

"We'd better get going while it's clear," He said, "Keep testing with whatever you're using."

"Don't worry."

They continued on in the dark. Katryn stepped rather gingerly over the bones as if she didn't believe they would remain stationary. A few yards down, they nearly ran into the second door. Here, Baurus stopped, handing the torch to the Elf and looking over the map again. Just as he thought the path continued down in the circular, almost spiral shaped pattern and wouldn't start branching off and becoming a labyrinth until about the third floor. This door was much like the first: wide, low and damn difficult to open. There were no vines or roots here though; the problem was disuse and rusty hinges. Baurus flat out refused to take anything off and caused them to force the door open as far as they possibly could. The hinges screeched loudly in protest, making Katryn grimace with worry and cast the charm several times before she was satisfied with the result.

The path stretched on, always with the gentle, nearly unnoticeable slope towards the center of the earth. For Katryn the place began to seem more and more oppressive. She could feel the walls pressing in upon her and the darkness was growing in spite of the flickering torch. The Gutted Mine and the sewers beneath the City had never been this terrible and she could feel the ghosts of her past coming to haunt her again.

When she was fifty-five,(or ten), she and her older brother were playing in a deserted mine near their home. Their parents had forbidden them to go in, saying it was dangerous and about ready to cave and that was merely an incentive for them. This time, she and Enis went farther in than before. It had been Enis' idea, really and Katryn simply followed so as not to be outdone. They were chatting and throwing stones and being kids when the ground started trembling violently and dirt began falling off the walls in chunks. Enis had grabbed her hand and they both started running for the exit when a rock fell and hit her on the head, knocking her senseless. She had woken up surrounded by the dark, foul smelling earth and for a terrifying moment had been unable to move. Her legs had been buried and the way out blocked by the cave in. She screamed herself hoarse before she finally heard her rescuers. Enis had gotten out safely and immediately set his sights on home, but it took them several hours to dig through and make it secure enough to pull her out. Since that day she had avoided going into any cavern or mine where the ceiling was within reach of her fingertips. When the ceiling soared above her and didn't really come within her sight, she felt differently. Then it was just any other cave and she would traipse into it without the least bit of fear.

This was one of the former and she felt her heart start to hammer with fear. She could still smell the musty scent of the earth in the mine and feel the press of soil on her legs. Her thoughts turned to the skeleton that was now a ways above them on that first floor and she wished another would show up. It would pull her attention away from these irrational fears give her something else to focus on. She cast the charm once more and deemed it safe to talk with Baurus. She could freely admit she was becoming desperate.

"How much further, do you think?"

Baurus glanced at her and saw the quick look she shot at their surroundings. He recognized the look of fear and apprehension and was surprised that she let so much of it show.

"Why, Gwynyth, I do believe you're scared," He teased gently. Usually he wouldn't have done that, especially with her, but he knew that he would get a rise out of her and at least become a distraction.

She snorted quietly and, as he had suspected, her eyes flared up when she looked at him. Her expression turned from the uneasiness to annoyance.

"Ask me to climb to whatever height you wish and I will do it without hesitation," She answered, "But I can't stand to be in such a cramped place for very long."

"Jauffre tried to give you a way out," He replied, "You should've accepted. That was a once in a million offer."

"And let you miss out on all the fun we have been having?" She was thinking that maybe it was a good thing to go through this place talking. Baurus was great at distracting her.

He chuckled and stepped a little ahead of her to knock away the thick spiders' webs that curtained the path ahead.

"If you think this is fun-"

Baurus broke off suddenly with a curse and both he and the torch disappeared completely from Katryn's view. She remained frozen for a moment, afraid to move forward and share his fate. Her eyes adjusted quickly to the dark and as she took a step and got ready to call his name, she could hear him cursing roundly from somewhere below her.

"Are you all right?" She called and was able to make out the deeper, thicker dark of the gaping cave-in just ahead of her.

"I think so," His voice was a little muffled, but she could tell he was fuming with anger at being taken by surprise like that, "The damn torch went out and I can't see a blasted thing. Drop one down for me."

"What happened to the ones you brought?" Katryn knew she was egging him on and she couldn't help it. The Redguard reacted amusingly when he was pissed off.

Her sharp ears picked up a few derogatory terms about Dunmer and women and then he said more loudly,

"Just drop the damn torch."

Katryn grinned and pulled one of the torches from the strap at her back. She moved a little closer to the black mass before her and peered down. Her quick eyes were good in the dark and she could just make out the Redguard's shape a couple of floors beneath her. She was standing practically on top of him and she couldn't resist irking him a little more. Holding out the torch, she made a quick judgement of where to drop it and then let it go. Half a moment later, she heard the dense 'thud' as it hit his head and another round of cursing.

"What the hell, Gwynyth?" He exclaimed, "I thought Dunmer were supposed to see in the dark?"

She eyed the cave-in and found a more gentle slope to slither down as he jumped quickly out of the way, not sure what was making the noise. He lit the torch and glared at her, waiting for her answer.

"You told me to drop it and I did," She replied innocently and cast her detection charm. It was still working, but she could tell that the range was becoming more restricted. She glanced at him, the amusement fading from her expression, "There's something coming."

He sobered as well and forgot his annoyance as he moved closer and pulled his sword from the scabbard.

"Can you tell how many?" He asked quietly.

"No, and whatever it is, is moving closer."

She already had her blade in her hand and together they moved forward into the dark. Baurus' fingers were wrapped so tightly around the torch that his knuckles were turning pale and Katryn wanted to tell him to step more quietly. Her own footfalls were nearly imperceptible and the scraping of the Redguard's boots made it difficult for her to hear whatever danger was coming. She suddenly grabbed at his elbow, forcing him to stop. Pressing her finger to her lips, she signed him to stay silent. They both listened intently and heard that dry shuffle that could not be mistaken for vines this time.

Baurus took the Elf's arm and pulled her across the path to the wall on their left. He knew that the track was curving about that way as well and this would give them the element of surprise. Tossing the torch back up the way they came, he placed himself between Katryn and the thing lurking beyond the corner.

Time stood still and it seemed an eternity before not one but two of the skeletal warriors appeared before them and froze in surprise. While they were unable to speak anymore, they both let out quiet hisses that could have served as war cries. Katryn moved a little apart from Baurus as the skeletons lurched forward, throwing themselves at them. She didn't want to risk hitting the Redguard in the tense skirmish that followed.

The skeleton swung its longblade around and instantly locked with Katryn's own sword. She was shocked at the strength in the creature and she knew that it was a foolish thing to underestimate these warriors simply because they were no longer flesh and blood. Her sword glittered more brightly in the pearly white color as it clashed against her opponent's. Unlike the skeleton above, this one had a shield and Katryn quickly learned that it wasn't used so much for protection as it was for another weapon. Their blades locked again and the skeleton pulled its own free, stepping forward and swinging the shield dangerously. The Elf moved back and immediately threw her own shield up to block the blow. Her arm was at an awkward angle and when the blow came, she was forced back a step, reeling from the pain. In an instant, she ducked beneath the longblade as it soared over her head, missing her by inches and then reacted, thrusting her sword up into the rib cage. She twisted her wrist, hearing the bone crack with an unmistakable sound of age and she threw her weight forward. The skeleton was forced back and Katryn hurled both of them simultaneously at the wall. She pulled her blade free as soon as the creature's momentum would carry him and put her arm up to catch herself. Beside her, the skeleton was flung against the stone surface and shattered into pieces.

A quick glance behind her told her that Baurus was safe and nursing a bleeding hand. The pain in her arm increased and she turned to lean her back on the wall, catching her breath and casting her healing charm. The blood that was steadily seeping from her stitched wound lessened but the pain stayed. Baurus had retrieved the torch and was sinking it into the bare earth as she carefully eased her shield from her throbbing arm. Gingerly she reached up and probed at her upper arm and shoulder, hoping against hope that nothing was broken.

"All right, Kat?" Baurus' voice was little more than a murmur, reminding her of their current predicament.

She cast the detection again. There was something but it was some distance down the tunnel yet. They would be safe for now.

"I think so," Her own voice was quiet and she knew it was the atmosphere of the place that made them talk in near whispers, "My shoulder hurts like hell. If it's broken, there is nothing I can do but wait until we get back. The healing charm I learned works better on gaping wounds than broken bones."

Baurus frowned and moved towards her. He returned his sword after another look round and than gently placed his hands on her arm.

"Can you lift it?"

Katryn tried twice after she was unsuccessful the first time. Her face paled considerably and she nearly bit through her lower lip to keep from crying out. She could only go up a few inches before the pain almost overwhelmed her and she had to give up. There was absolutely no going behind her back or even out to the side.

"It's not dislocated, which is good news," Baurus said with certainty after a few agonizing moments of doubt.

"And the bad news?" Even Katryn could hear how her accent seemed to have gained potency. It tended to do so when she spoke quietly and add to it that pain was taking over her mind, it was more pronounced than before.

"There's no way you can wear that shield," He replied simply, "And any fight you're in is going to be one hell of a pain."

"I could have told you that."

The Redguard's black eyes glittered with pity as he allowed his hands to fall away from her. Her face was becoming a paler blue and her usually flaming eyes were cloudy with discomfort. She was leaning heavily on the wall and slowly, she allowed her body to slide down until she was perched on her heels. Cradling her arm against herself, she glanced up and motioned him down to her.

"The last one is down there," She told him softly, "What floor do you think this is?"

"At least the fourth or fifth," He answered, "The tomb is not far from here."

Katryn got back to her feet and straightened up completely. She kept her arm close to her chest and though her color faded for a moment, her eyes shone brightly.

"Then let's go," She said, wincing in pain.

Baurus shook his head a little, not liking where this was going.

"Kat," He replied warningly.

"Do not try," The Elf was pulling a long narrow bandage from the pouch at her waist. Draping it over her bad arm, she also took out a bundle of herbs, a few of which she chewed quickly. She grimaced at the taste, but some of the look of pinched pain left her features, "Help me with this."

He sighed in aggravation and moved forward. Taking the cloth from her, he tied the ends together in a firm knot.

"You know, I could-"

"I'm not staying here alone in the dark and letting you do this on your own," She interrupted.

They carefully slipped the makeshift sling over her head and under her arm. As Baurus helped settle it comfortably he asked,

"Can you read minds, too?"

Her eyes glittered with amusement as she looked up at him.

"No, you just tend to wear your emotions on your sleeve."

Baurus bent to free the torch. When he glanced at her, she was fussing with the sling again and her face was pained. Rather then add to her worry and discomfort, he teased her in return.

"Why do you think I brought so many torches? There's no way I'd leave and not give you at least a partial one."