A/N: Sorry for the lateness! This has been a crazy week. This chapter has a trigger warning for bullying.
Chapter 29
"Shouldn't you be warm in your bed, little miss?"
Lilly almost didn't turn around, but she wasn't quite old enough—or brave enough—to ignore the guard. She could feel his eyes on her back even through his ridiculous-looking Stormcloak helmet.
"I just need some fresh air. The baby's been crying for hours."
The stern set of the man's shoulders suddenly relaxed. "Aye, I know that feeling well," he said sympathetically. "My wife had twins not a month ago. Take your time, but be sure to return and help your mother soon."
"Of course."
It was a lie, but she didn't feel bad. Aldric had left long ago, but the tension he'd left behind had yet to follow. It was quiet in the house, but far from peaceful, and Lilly couldn't sleep.
Even this late at night, Markarth hadn't yet settled. Besides the guards, people still roamed the streets, especially near the inn. She could hear faint music and the loud laughter of men and women as she walked past.
Lilly wasn't interested in going in there alone and dealing with drunken men, but she stopped in front of the doors anyway. If he hadn't gone to bed yet, Aldric might be inside at a table, maybe by the fire.
She pulled open the door and someone started to fall out of it. Ale sloshed and dripped onto the stone floor at her feet, and the man in front of her tried to sling a heavy arm around her neck for balance.
"Get off me," Lilly muttered, pushing him away.
He scoffed at her before turning back to his friends. Gritting her teeth, she considered turning around and walking out. It was already going terribly.
Giggling behind her drew her attention. Lilly turned to see three girls at a table in the corner, doubled over laughing at her. She knew who they were almost without looking.
One of the girls leaned back in her chair, flipping her long golden-brown hair over her shoulder. "You're so graceful," she called out.
Jannike was doing that strange thing that Lilly had never managed to master, a skill that only very mean people seemed to possess—her words and her voice and even her face appeared to be friendly, but a little niggling feeling in Lilly's gut told her it was the opposite.
Lilly didn't know the names of the two others, but they were just like Jannike. The three of them belonged to Stormcloak families and hadn't been shy about being 'true daughters of Skyrim.' That just seemed, to her, an excuse to torment anyone that seemed a little different.
Lilly flapped her hand, shaking spilled ale from it. She turned to scan the crowd for Aldric, hoping the little group would lose interest if she ignored them.
No such luck. "Aren't you a little young to be here, Lilly?" Jannike pressed, standing up.
Lilly frowned and looked over at the bar. Only a few miners, looking worn out and half-asleep over their mead, occupied the stools in front of the long wooden counter. She hated the way she felt nervous.
Jannike walked toward her, slowly, and Lilly watched her approach out of the corner of her eye. Maybe it was just the color of her hair and the lithe way she tried to walk, but she reminded her uncomfortably of a sabercat stalking prey.
"Are you deaf, or just stupid?" the other girl demanded sharply. The pretend niceties were gone.
A long time ago, after it had become clear that the girls weren't going to stop, Rory had sat her down for a talk. It was times like this that Lilly remembered the way she had cried and told Rory she didn't have to worry about fighting.
She didn't feel that way anymore.
Jannike and her friends hadn't let up on her for months now. The worst part was the way they operated—like spies, like torturing her was a secret war tactic to make her think she was losing her mind.
Their favorite game was following her. They stayed just far enough away so that Lilly couldn't ask a guard or anyone else to intervene; just far enough away so that their rude remarks about her—her body, her looks, her hair, her clothes—could be heard, but barely, like the wind might blow their words away.
One time, fed up with the way Lilly had grown reluctant to leave the house, Argis had stayed with her the entire day, certain that it would either put a stop to it or that he would see the behavior for himself.
The following had stopped, but the girls had magically appeared at whatever place Lilly ended up. Not one time had they ever even looked in her direction. But they didn't have to. That was the point. Argis hadn't understood that they had simply changed the game.
In the back of her head, Lilly could recognize that Jannike was brilliant—in a twisted way. Only sixteen years old, and she had all the nuances and subtle weaknesses of the human psyche in the palm of her hand like a gauntleted fist crushing a carrot into soup.
Why didn't she join the Stormcloaks? They could use her on the Thalmor. All of the struggle over the war suddenly seemed ridiculous. They had the answer all along: teenaged girls.
"Did you hear me, you moron?" Jannike punctuated her next barb with a poke to Lilly's shoulder. It felt like it hurt more than it should have.
Lilly finally turned her head to look down at the other girl. Like most everyone that wasn't an adult, Lilly was taller than Jannike by at least half a hand. "What do you want?"
"I want you to leave," she replied readily. "Get out. Now."
Lilly looked her up and down. Even though she'd been just about ready to leave anyway, she didn't want to now. "I don't think so."
"I said get out." Jannike's voice got loud enough to make some people near them turn their heads.
"And I said, 'I don't think so,'" she repeated gently. "Are you deaf?"
Jannike's scarlet lips twitched, and Lilly sensed her breathing pick up. "You're not wanted in here."
"By who, you?" Lilly caught the eye of the woman behind the bar, who was watching the two of them. "You don't own this place."
"Here, sweetie." The woman motioned her over, setting a tankard down on the bar. "Come have some water and talk to me."
Grateful for the interruption, Lilly turned away and started to walk toward the bar. Jannike was faster, though, and made it there before she did. Reaching out quickly, she snatched the tankard from the counter and smoothly pivoted on her foot.
Lilly saw it coming a split second before Jannike flung the water into her face.
The miners next to her all shuffled on their stools, grumbling low, surprised words as they looked away. The woman behind the bar just shook her head, looking upset, and turned her back.
Water dripping down her face and chest, she made eye contact with a man on the other side of the bar who gave her a very clearly sympathetic look before standing up and walking away. Lilly would never understand why all the adults acted the same way every time.
Jannike stood in front of her, arms crossed under her breasts with a very smug look on her face. "You look even uglier now, like a skinny, drowned skeever."
Lilly knew that she was stronger than all three of the other girls put together. She knew that she could badly hurt one of them without really meaning to. She also knew that at some point—soon, if tonight was any indication—she might have to defend herself. Rory might be worried about it, but she wouldn't want her to be a straw practice dummy for them.
She turned around, trying to slow her breathing, and set her sights on the doors.
Jannike moved in front of her again.
Lilly drew up short, looking past her as she spoke. "I'm leaving now."
"Not just yet." Even without seeing her face clearly, Lilly could tell she was smiling widely. "You're going to buy me and Silja and Letta mead before you go. It's the price for almost ruining our night."
Lilly glanced down at Jannike's left wrist. "I'm not buying you anything," she growled, and stepped forward to leave again.
Jannike didn't move out of the way just like she thought she wouldn't. Turning her body slightly away, Lilly rammed her shoulder into the other girl's while pushing forward hard with her foot.
It was difficult to not look behind her to see the result. Lilly knew Jannike had lost her balance and hit the floor. Like an overlarge pillow against her, she'd been so easy to knock aside it was almost funny. Savoring the shocked gasps and outraged hissing as Silja and Letta scuttled over to help, Lilly left.
Stepping out onto the street outside of the inn, she looked down at her hand, smiling. Lilly had only a few seconds to admire her prize before the doors opened again behind her. Whirling, she expected a furious Jannike to be standing there, but came face-to-face with a boy.
Lilly stepped back away from him, folding her arm behind her. The boy was broad-shouldered and even taller than she was, with dark hair and matching eyes. The stubble on his face told her that he was older than her, maybe even older than Jannike.
He jauntily folded his arms over his chest. "That was good," he murmured.
Lilly narrowed her eyes at him. He was kind of smiling, and he didn't sound mean, but she couldn't tell if he was doing the thing or not. "Thanks."
"Jannike's had it coming for a while now," he said.
Trying for casual, she slicked her wet hair away from her face. "I guess."
"And I'd bet she hasn't even noticed yet that her bracelet is missing."
Lilly gave him a slow blink. "I don't know what you're talking about."
The boy's eyes dropped to her arm, which was now very obviously hiding something behind her. Lilly's ears burned. Hesitantly, she pulled her arm around to her front. A delicate gold chain, punctuated with an impressively large amethyst, dangled from her fingers.
Lilly shrugged. "Oops." Plucking the jewelry from Jannike's wrist had been almost too simple. Brynjolf would have been proud.
"'Oops?'" The boy grinned. "You're funny."
"And I'll be even funnier when you sock me in the face, right?" She tucked the bracelet into her pocket. "Are you courting one of them or something?"
"I'm most definitely not courting anyone," he told her. "And don't worry about Jannike, she'll get what's coming to her some day."
"I don't know about that, but thanks," she said.
The boy stuck out his hand. "I'm Elijah."
"Lilly. I haven't seen you around the city. Are you visiting?" she asked. His hand was impressively rough and callused.
Elijah shook his head. "I live here. Well, I did as a child, anyhow. My father sent me away a few years ago."
"Where to?"
"Windhelm."
"What'd you do there?"
The right side of his mouth dimpled deeply as he grinned again. "Very boring things."
Lilly couldn't help but smile back. "What will you do now that you're here?"
He laughed softly. "You ask a lot of questions, you know."
"I hear that a lot," she admitted. "I just like to get to know people."
"Nothing wrong with that." The door behind him opened, and Elijah stepped aside to let a few people pass him. "Listen, I have to get home now, but I wouldn't mind being interrogated by you again tomorrow."
"I suppose." Lilly tried not to sound too excited. "I can walk with you to your house, if you want."
"Markarth seems like a safe enough place," he speculated jokingly. "I don't think I need a bodyguard."
True, but she didn't much like the idea of being caught alone by Jannike's group. "You never know. Having a thief by your side can be useful."
Elijah looked her up and down, slowly, and she wondered if he was recognizing what her leathers were supposed to look like. If he did, he didn't seem to be put off by it. "Meet me in the marketplace at midday?"
"Sure. I'll see you tomorrow, then."
Elijah gave her one last curious look before setting off down the street.
Lilly turned and forced herself to walk calmly to the stone stairs leading up to Vlindrel Hall, but once she got there, giddiness took over and she raced up the steps two at a time.
A friend!
It was late at night, and he should have been sound asleep, but instead Kaspar was awake.
Cross-legged and resting against the wooden bed frame, he pulled at the last bit of thread and tied it into a secure knot before clipping it with his teeth and setting the needle down on the bedside table.
He held his trousers out, looking over the tear he had just repaired. It was good work. Aela would be pleased.
Kaspar sighed and passed a hand over his face. He missed his mate.
Returning to the surface from Blackreach had been a very great relief. Being in the ice and snow once again had been even better. He did not find life in the warm plains of Whiterun disagreeable, but the cold was in his blood.
He enjoyed the entire journey back to Jorrvaskr, though he knew he was a dead man. Aela might kill him, but it would be a good death. All he wanted was to see her face again.
And she had not been there. Farkas had told him, after many requests for storytelling, that Aela had taken a job in Hjaalmarch and had been gone for days. She had not left word.
The letter he had written for her had remained where he had left it, on the dresser. It almost looked as if she had not read it, but Kaspar knew better. The creases in the paper had fallen flat, and some of the words had been smudged, as if she had touched them often.
She had not waited for him. She was angry.
The doors to the living quarters opened and closed, and footsteps made their way down the hall. Kaspar perked up; he knew who it was just by the way they walked.
Aela opened the doors to their bedroom and walked inside with her bow in her hand. She set down her pack and crossed the floor to the rack nailed to the wall, securing her weapon before leaning down to pull her boots off.
"Hello," he said warily.
Aela did not respond.
"You fared well in the marshes?"
Silence.
"I am sorry, my love," he sighed, rolling off the bed to stand. "I would have waited to speak to you, but Aldric—"
"Don't you say that name to me!" she hissed. She spun to face him, her hair in her eyes.
Kaspar blinked. "It is not his fault, Aela. He did not force me to do anything."
"I know that!"
"Then why are you angry with him?"
"I'm angry with both of you." Aela pushed past him. "Can't you see why?"
"Yes, I can." Kaspar turned around to follow her. "Would you have stopped me, had you been here?"
"I would have wanted to," she admitted, her back still to him as she searched the drawers of the bedside table. "But I wouldn't expect you to try to stop me to do anything for fear of danger, so I have to do the same for you."
"No, I would not have tried to stop you."
"Even if I had wanted to leave for Blackreach?" Aela turned again, her eyes searching his face. "Even there?"
"You are a strong fighter, Aela, and I cannot forbid you to do things." Kaspar approached her slowly, and she let him pull her into his arms. "I would not have gone without Aldric, and we had a large team."
"And how many of them died?"
"Three, at least. More that were not with us."
Aela pulled back in surprise. "There were others there?"
"Another team," he told her. "Hired by the same man."
"And you weren't told of them?"
Kaspar shook his head.
His mate sat down on the bed and curled to hold her pillow against her middle. "I'm still angry," she informed him, "but I want to hear the stories."
