Disclaimer: I do not claim ownership of Oblivion or any characters, plots or other elements there within, and I gain no monetary profit from the writing of this story. I do claim responsibility for Elowyn Demark and one or two random characters scattered throughout the story.


Chapter 53

"You have a visitor, my Lord."

Thedret looked up from the contract he was reading and half frowned at the new squire questioningly. "Who is it, Masor?"

"He did not give his name, but he bears the markings of the Blades, my Lord. He asked for you by name."

The Redguard stiffened in surprised and immediately dismissed the young man then reached for his sword belt. His back gave an unpleasant twinge as he rose from his chair, stiff from hours spent at the desk. If there was one thing he had learned this last fortnight, it was that being in command meant mountains of paperwork and very little time for anything else. Like actually helping people in need.

"My Lord Baurus," Thedret greeted as he strode outside into the courtyard. The gray-haired Blade clasped his arm in warm greeting. "It's an honor to see you again, sir."

"I must say the honor is mine," Baurus replied with a glance around at the Priory. "This is an impressive accomplishment, Sir Thedret. The revival and continued efforts of an order thought long dead is no small feat."

The knight shook his head and offered a modest, if slightly strained, smile. "It was not my accomplishment."

"You don't give yourself enough credit," the older man insisted with a shake of his head. He began to walk toward the stables, his eyes still taking in the sights of the fine buildings and few young squires training in the yard. Geimund glanced at them curiously, but did not pause as he bellowed orders at the men and women.

Thedret fell into step beside Baurus, and the man continued. "This would never have come about without your efforts. I know that, you know that…and she knows that."

Thedret struggled to hide a scowl. He had not allowed himself to speak of or think about Elowyn since the night she left, at least when he could stop himself, and he absolutely hated the way his heart ached at just the barest mention of her. There was something decidedly unfair about her ability to effect him even now. "Is there a reason for your visit, my Lord?" he asked suddenly, hoping he did not sound as rude as he felt like being. "If you have come to see Elowyn, I'm afraid she…"

"She's gone." Baurus nodded and stopped beside the corral to lean against one of the wooden posts, far from the curious eyes and ears of the other knights and squires. "Yes, I know. She came to see me several days ago, to tell me she was leaving."

Thedret's jaw flexed. Of course she would say farewell to her old friend. Never mind her loyal knights. Never mind him. "I see," he replied through clenched teeth, though he did his best to seem relaxed. Judging by Baurus' probing stare, Thedret was not doing a good job of it. "Then what has brought you here, sir?"

"You, actually," the man replied, "and a promise. That woman is damned good at coaxing them out of people, isn't she? Too bad she didn't stick around to make sure I follow this promise to the letter," he added with a rueful smirk.

"What promise?" Thedret asked warily. He was not sure he liked where this was going. "And what does it have to do with me?"

Thedret frowned but said nothing more as he accepted the small, wrapped package Baurus offered him. He could feel something hard and cold beneath the plain parchment wrapping, but he hesitated to untie the small piece of twine holding it closed. What in Oblivion could be inside? Obviously something from Elowyn, but…did it really matter? Did he even want something from her? She had abandoned them all. Was it not simply best to forget her? Was that not what he had already told himself he had done?

"She left it with me and asked me to pass it along to you," Baurus explained, though he seemed a little uncertain in the face of Thedret's reluctance. "Of course, she doesn't need to know that I'm delivering it a few months ahead of her instructions."

"What is it?" Thedret ventured with a doubtful frown.

"I haven't a clue," the older Redguard shrugged. "Why don't you open it and find out?"

"To be perfectly honest," Thedret said slowly, "I'm not entirely certain I want to."

To his surprise, Baurus let out a sharp bark of laughter and clapped Thedret's shoulder in a rough, friendly gesture. "Ah, then you're a smart man, Sir Thedret. Anyone who's known our fair friend for any amount of time would hesitate as well. Elowyn's a double-edged sword, and likely so are her gifts."

An irrational jolt of what could only be described as jealousy shot through the younger man at the fondness he heard in Baurus' voice, but a sharp side-long glance revealed only an expression of kind friendliness on his face. "She said you're the brother she should have had, you know," Thedret offered. He was testing the other man, but he hoped it did not seem that way.

"Did she?" Baurus' smile turned contemplative and a little sad. "That's a compliment of the highest caliber coming from her. That woman can't stand to let anyone too close. She'll tell someone she loves them and deny she ever said it in the same breath. Afraid of getting hurt, I suppose. Not that I can really blame her…" The Blade trailed off, then glanced up at Thedret with a look of mild chagrin. "Ah, sorry. I guess I'm getting sentimental in my old age."

Thedret shook his head, his concerned stare back on the gift in his hand. "Think nothing of it," he muttered, then added under his breath, "that damnable woman." Ignoring the chuckle of the older Redguard, Thedret took a breath and quickly untied the small, bound package.

After he pushed aside the parchment wrapping, Thedret could do little more than gape in disbelief at what lay in his hand. The small, scratched bottle dully reflected the bright sunlight, its black liquid contents darker and somehow more ominous than they had seemed in the dim moonlight when last he had seen it. The cure for vampirism rested in the palm of his hand…a parting gift from a vampire.

What in Tamriel was it supposed to mean?

Baurus regarded the man and the strange vial curiously. "I'm not even going to ask what that is," he said after a moment.

Thedret started to reply, but then he noticed writing on the inside of the parchment that had covered the potion. Immediately, he smoothed the paper and read the brief note in Elowyn's familiar writing.

Thedret,

In case your beloved Julianos is just as vigilant the next time a woman like me takes a taste of you.

Elowyn

The knight blinked at the note and reread it twice more, wondering if there was some deeper meaning behind the words…or if that was just wishful thinking. When Elowyn had attacked him, Julianos had not prevented it. In fact, it was arguable that the gods had intentionally placed him in that position, but this was something Thedret had grudgingly accepted. The gods were using them. He had decided that the best any of them could do was take advantage of the gifts the gods decided to grant them in order to better the lives of mortals as much as possible.

But Elowyn would not waste her time telling him something like that. She had already made the point more than once. And since she had gone out of her way to remind him of the limited chance their race had of contracting vampirism naturally, it seemed like a very slim possibility that he would ever have need of this particular gift. So why had she given it to him? What did it mean?

Baurus' gentle laugh jarred him from his thoughts. "By the Nine, I've seen Elowyn inspire that expression far too many times," the older man chuckled wryly. "It's a damned shame she can't just come right out and say how she feels."

"I don't…" Thedret started, but the words died on his lips, his eyes going unfocused. "How she feels…?"

He understood. He finally understood. Or, at least he hoped he finally understood.

The realization was like a bolt of lightning straight through the top of his head, white-hot, painful and more than a little infuriating. That crazy, insufferable woman…

"Sir Thedret, are you well?"

Thedret immediately squared his shoulders, reached out to grasp the man's arm and offered him a determined smile. "My Lord Baurus, I cannot thank you enough for taking the trouble to bring this to me."

Hesitantly, Baurus clasped the knight's arm in return. "It was my pleasure…" he began with a mildly confused smile of his own.

"I apologize, but I have something I must attend to," Thedret told him as he began to back away toward the main building of the Priory. "My second in command, Sir Carodus, will gladly see to your needs. I beg your pardon for my rudeness."

"No need," the older man laughed after him, clearly amused as Thedret jogged toward the doors, "but where are you going?"

Laughing to himself, Thedret shouted back without slowing his steps, "To find out if I'm crazy!"