And now for 34. Hope you guys like this one. So can't wait to hear what you've got to say because some of you might be pulling your hair out by the end. So, with that, please review, favorite, follow, and/or PM me for anything! See you and enjoy!
"Again, girl. Until you get it right." Festus said, a scowl coloring his face. I sighed to myself and once again attempted to cast the Detect Life spell I'd been working on. We were sitting in the alchemy and enchanting room, on the bench beside the hallway leading to the kitchen. The room was quiet, with the only other person in here being Babette, who was experimenting with a few ingredients.
A slight ringing echoed in my ears as I held the spell, but once again Festus failed to appear in it. I let it go before it fully depleted my magicka. "It isn't working! What did the book say again?" I said.
"You've read it already. It'll only teach you so much. Try again." Festus grumbled. He'd wanted to move on by now, but Alteration wasn't my best School. I tried again, but this time focusing harder, and with much different effects.
The drain of magicka was much harder, so much that it took the last of my magicka in only a few seconds. But during that time a sort of ethereal ringing sounded in my ears and Festus lit up a pulsing bluish-purple. When the spell spurted out I collapsed against the wall and lowered my hand to end the spell. "Finally. A few more times." The old man said and I did, each time succeeding with Festus lighting up and Babette staying the same due to her vampirism. "Good." He said after the third time. "I'll be back with the next few. Don't try to blow yourself up before I get back." He promptly got up and headed towards the bedrooms without another word.
"Great job, Sister." Babette said as she came over. As always her smile was strangely childlike and innocent, but I could see a hint of her fangs. I smiled in return.
"Thanks. I just hope whatever he brings next isn't as hard." I said as I continually casted and ended the spell. "I'm just glad he didn't give it up; Detect Life would be very useful on contracts."
"True. And so is a good poison." The little vampire responded.
I nodded but my smile quickly faded to disgust as I took a breath. "Babette, I think your potion is burning." I said. She quickly sniffed the air, gasped, and then ran back to the alchemy table to take it off and put it on the table in the middle. As she busied herself with eliminating the smoke that was starting to form, I went back to practicing my spell. I was just about to end it again when a movement to my left caught my attention.
Velan walked into the room. He only gave Babette a glance and completely ignored me as he headed to the kitchen. I casted my spell as he walked by and the results left me shaken and breathless. I was memorized as the Imperial left the room. A blue form appeared behind the wall and Festus walked back in. He glared at the spell in my hand.
"Enough with that." He said as he dropped a stack of books beside me. The loud thud startled me enough to end the spell and bring me out of my daze. "Don't expect me to wait for you to regenerate. We've wasted enough time on the last spell, so hurry up and start reading." He shoved tome into my hands but I ignored it.
"Festus, Velan didn't appear in my spell." I said. The older mage looked at me for a moment before dismissing it with a wave of his hand.
"You just learned the damn thing. Practice it later. Now," he pointed to the book in my hand but again I ignored it. My mind was spinning. I needed a better answer. There had to be one.
"But everyone else showed up. I could see Nazir in the kitchen! But Velan never appeared!" I said. The worry in my voice brought Babette's attention, but she didn't say anything.
Festus sighed. "Just because you can't see one person doesn't mean there's something wrong. As I said before, you just learn the spell. And since you're not some sort of prodigy, it's not going to work perfect the moment you learn it. Now. Pick. Up. The. Book." I looked into his face for a few seconds, but finally relented and opened the spell tome to the first page. Luckily, the spell was of the Destruction School, but that thought did little to help me focus.
Why wouldn't he appear? It makes no sense. I struggled to read the words on the page, but my mind was not up for learning magic. Which, I had to say, was a first. And it doesn't help that Festus won't discuss it. I thought back to when I first told Festus. The expression on his face… At first it seemed that he… That he seemed to take it seriously. And then he dismissed it. I risked a glance over at him, but there was nothing there except his usual cynical look. He may have said that it was because of a lack of practice, but I know he doesn't believe that. And neither do I.
Festus snapped his fingers loudly, shaking me back. I forced myself to stop thinking about Velan and start thinking about the words on the spell tome. After a few more hours, Festus decided to end today's lessons. A few moments after he left, Babette noticed me and skipped over to sit on the bench. "All done with your lessons?" She asked.
"Yeah." I said. In order to make conversation, I asked, "How is your alchemy going?" It worked, because the vampire's face lit up.
"It's going great, as always, thanks. But unfortunately I'm out of a few ingredients." She said a little guiltily and I tried to hold back a laugh.
"Used them all up again?" She nodded with a wry smile that showed fang. Before she could speak, I said "Yeah, I can go get them if you give me a list and the gold." Babette smiled fully then and I could see the points of her teeth.
"Thanks." She said as she headed over and wrote down what she needed. "I really hate having to go to the store. It's hard to get in before they close and then the shopkeeper always asks too many questions." I flinched; though appearing like a ten-year-old helped on contracts, it wasn't exactly useful when buying nightshade or deathbell.
"You know that the shopkeeper doesn't get many fifteen-year-olds, either." I told Babette as she handed me the money and a very detailed list.
"True, but you can always say you're an apprentice. It works better than 'My mommy and daddy are right outside.' And in your case it'll be true." She said.
"I'm apprenticed to Festus." I said.
"He knows alchemy." She pointed out and I shook my head. Are all vampires this good at wordplay? Probably. I tied the coin purse onto my belt and headed out with Shade on my heels.
I wore my Summerset armor as it was all I had, but kept my hood down to prevent suspicion. I should really buy a dress in case I need to blend in better. I thought and made a mental note to get one after I was done at the alchemist.
Leaving the Sanctuary and walking down to Falkreath was uneventful. It was drizzling, turning the world a light gray. Upon entering the city, I quickly headed into Grave Concoctions (the fact that an assassin's guild lives right outside a city known for its graveyard is never lost on me). It took a few moments for the woman who ran the store to gather all the ingredients, but she had all of them in stock and threw them into a bag and handed it to me without a single question. I paid her and left.
Outside, the rain started to come down harder and I hurried for Gray Pine Goods. I was passing the gap between the blacksmith and general store when a hand shot out between the two houses and pulled me off the road. Another one covered my mouth when I tried to scream and pushed me gently against the wall. I was about to burn my captor's face off when I looked up and recognized him.
Ranar released me and stepped back. Unlike at the festival, he wore a full set of Glass armor, including a shield and helmet. A Glass sword was strapped to his hip. Studying him, I couldn't help but see just how fitting the armor looked, but so out of place here in the Nord's province. "Glass armor. Really, Ranar?" I mocked. He laughed as he took off his helmet and set it and his shield on the ground.
"Well, it may not be to most Nord's liking, but I've always appreciated it. Besides, traveling in steel isn't always ideal." He said. I felt my stomach flip as he looked at me. Didn't help when he smiled. "How've you been?"
"Fine." I said simply, not trusting myself to elaborate. There was no way I could tell him that I was now an assassin for the Dark Brotherhood and that the people who'd burned down our home were their rivals and I still have no clue as to why they're even after me. But if Ranar knew I was holding back, he did say it. Actually, it looked like he had something on his mind.
"Malcolm knows you're in Skyrim. And he's managed to get transferred here." He said and the whole world seemed to freeze and then drop from beneath me. Seeing the look on my face, he grabbed my arms and steadied me in case I fell.
"No, no, no, NO! This can't be happening, it can't!" I said, my voice going from a whisper to nearly screaming. I shook my head violently, trying to hold back the tears that wanted to stream down my face. I looked down at the ground, but found nothing there but Shade looking sadly up at me. "Not that bastard. Oh gods, not now."
"I'm sorry. I don't even know how he found out…" He said but I interrupted him.
"It's my fault. A Thalmor in Markarth saw my face and must have finally remembered. Oh gods." I said. The tears came earnestly now and I couldn't stop them. Just like I couldn't stop my life from crumbling around me. First the Morag Tong and now it's the Thalmor. Neither of them will ever let me go…
"Mivryna." Ranar said gently. When I didn't respond, he shook me. "Mivryna! It'll be OK. You can stay at Proudspire until they believe you're not here anymore. I won't let them hurt you. I won't let him hurt you." He said.
"You don't understand… I can't…" I said and looked up at him. I met his warm golden eyes with my green ones and my breath came short. The shadows of the alleyway gave him a slight mysterious look, even though that description fitted me better. He slowly leaned in and the knot in my stomach twisted harder and harder. When he was just a few inches from my face, my mind realized his intention and I pushed him hard enough to send us both against our opposite walls. My breath turned from short to way too fast. Ranar looked shocked.
I looked away, unable to meet his eyes. He stared at me for a minute before saying, "Why?" I flinched. There was too much emotion behind it and I couldn't stand it. Just please stop… "Why, Mivryna? I see how you look at me. I know you care. And I want to make you happy." He said. He came towards me, but I wouldn't look at him.
"I'm sorry, I can't." I said.
His voice felt like torture to my insides. "Why?" he repeated, but I just shook my head.
"I can't tell you…" I trailed off and in one swift motion, Ranar closed the remaining space between us, lifted my head up, and kissed me. My mouth opened to him in shock, and before I could do anything, another, more hidden part of me took control. I couldn't help myself as I kissed him back. One part of me seemed to think it went on for days, but another part felt like it barely started when he pulled away and looked into my flushed face. And it was then that I fully, truly understood what I was feeling for him. And I also wanted to kick myself for being so naïve.
I didn't know what to say. "Ranar-" I started but he cut me off.
"This time," he said, and I could hear the hurt in his voice. "This time I'm not sorry." His words echoed back from Proudspire, when he had apologized for kissing me at Cheydinhal. Back then I hadn't known what he'd expected me to say. I didn't really know now.
He retrieved his helmet and shield and left without another word. I watched him go and then faced the opposite wall when he disappeared out of sight. With an agonized cry I sunk to the ground and buried my head into my knees.
Everything was going so, so wrong. I couldn't have Ranar, yet I wanted him. I'd already joined the Dark Brotherhood, and I already knew without asking that they wouldn't approve. I'd have to lie all the time, keep secrets that would eventually choke me. And that wasn't even including the Morag Tong. They'd kill him, or worse, just to get what they wanted from me. To them, Ranar was a weakness to be exploited.
Shade whined and nuzzled the side of my head. After a moment, I felt her paw at the leather bag at my side and then remembered Babette's errand. Best not to stay here any longer. The last thing I need is for the little vampire to worry and send out a search party. Despite the twisting emotions inside, I stood up and headed gloomily back to the Sanctuary. I passed the Gray Pine Goods with barely a glance. My heart just wasn't in it.
"Ah, I was wondering when you'd get back. I was starting to worry." Babette said cheerfully as I handed her the bag. She immediately started dumping the contents onto the table and sorted them out. "For a moment I thought something had happened and I needed to go to Astrid." She looked back at me and saw my face. "What happened?"
"Nothing." I said way too quickly. She cocked her head to the side in an obvious gesture that said she wasn't buying it.
"Please, tell me. We're sisters, and that means we help each other." She turned away from the ingredients and looked at me fully. I shook my head.
"It's a personal matter, Babette. Let me handle it." I said, my voice clearly stating that I was done with the subject.
But Babette studied me harder and then said, "Is it a boy?"
Crap! My mind screamed as I glanced away, knowing full well that I looked guilty.
"I knew it! It is, isn't there? And don't try to lie; I can hear your heartbeat!" She said.
Stupid vampire senses, I cursed. I took in a shaky breath and said, "Look, just let me handle it, alright?" I pleaded. Gods, the last person I wanted to talk to about Ranar was Babette. Or with any member in the Sanctuary. Babette opened her mouth to speak but stopped as someone walked into the room.
I turned to find Velan standing behind me. He wore the typical Dark Brotherhood armor and his mace was at his side (which I had yet to look up; I know that thing has to be written down somewhere). His eyes were as cold as ever, and at the moment he seemed like an immovable statue.
"It's Mivryna, right?" He said and his voice felt like stone. Very cold stone.
I stamped down the will to say something sarcastic and instead merely replied, "Yes."
He paused for a moment, like he was getting his thoughts in order. Shade, Babette, and I were tense as we waited for him to speak. Finally, "I am sorry for betraying you on your contract. I see now that if you were truly unfit to be a member of the Dark Brotherhood, you'd be dead by now. Please, I do not want to have the entire Sanctuary with their hands on their blades when we are in the same room."
I knew that he wanted me to forgive him. And I was also aware of the part of my mind screaming NO! at the top of its lungs. But a reasonable part of me knew how childish it was to openly refuse that apology. And I bet he's waiting for that as well. And there was no way I was going to allow that.
I took in a deep breath and said what I'd thought I'd never say, "I forgive you. I don't want this kind of tension either." Well, at least the second part is true.
Velan looked a bit relieved at my words. Behind me, Babette and Shade wore unreadable masks. "Thank you, Sister." He said, putting emphasis on the word 'sister'. "Now I've heard that Veezara has been teaching you how to wield a sword."
"Yes, as well as helping me learn how to fight swordsmen with my spells." I said, wondering if he caught what was on my mind.
"And therein lies the problem." He said. "The Argonian is a good swordsmen, I have to admit. But while there are a good number of swordsmen in Skyrim, there are also a good number of warriors who wield a mace instead. And a different weapon calls for a different fighting style, naturally."
"So you want to help me with my training?" I asked. He simply nodded. I shrugged. "Alright."
"Good. I'll be down at the pool." The Imperial then walked casually out the door he came. I couldn't help but find it unsettling that he seemed so at ease.
"Did you really mean it when you forgave him?" Babette asked, who started to gently pet Shade's neck. She wagged her tail and angled herself to help Babette better reach it.
My smile was strained. "Not really. In truth, it isn't that simple. I guess I'll wait and see if he's sincere first. But for now, there'd no way I'm letting my guard down around him."
The Breton nodded. "A smart tactic. But I hope for all of ours sakes he's being honest. This kind of tension is never helpful among family." Babette said. Shade got an impish look in her eyes and shoved against Babette playfully. Babette smiled and shoved back, slightly harder. Never one for being one-upped, Shade pushed back even harder, enough to make Babette lose her balance and hit the floor. She ran around the table and crouched down, baiting the vampire.
Babette's smile was evil as she got up. "Alright, Sister, you asked for it!" She immediately sprang over the table. Shade yelped and quickly moved away as Babette landed in her previous spot. The wolf then pounced on the vampire and the two quickly started wrestling and chasing each other. I didn't bother to try to stop them. They both could handle themselves.
It hit me suddenly that Babette had called Shade a sister. In truth, she's always been that. To not only the Family, but also me. Especially me. I smiled at the thought and put all the events of the day in the back of my mind and headed down to the pool.
Hope you liked it! And now on to 35! Can't wait to see you next time.