Valleri let the wind buffet her back as she stared south towards the Jeralls. The wind was cold and sharp compared to an otherwise warm evening. Stars shone above her, bathing the landscape in blue. Red, hot fires lined the road leading back to the city. The sight of them provided little warmth.
Her eyes didn't move from the mountains far in front of her. She'd done this before. Staring towards home wasn't going to take her back there. The memories she recalled weren't the present and the comfort was always temporary. Still, whenever Valleri was in a mood, she felt drawn to the peaks.
Maybe one day, she'd find herself back there.
Grabbing her wrist, Valleri began to rub the inside of her palm. The pressure against her hand was real enough. The sensation was small reminder that the Imperial was far away from those mountains. Deep down, Valleri tried to convince herself that little sensation against her hand was comfort enough.
It wasn't as though she'd never see her home again. Anvil would always be there. In the meanwhile, Whiterun had taken her heart and run off with it. It stung, but the idea took it's time to settle comfortably in her mind. She fell in love with the tall mountainous peaks and the blindingly bright snow. When she first came here, she wouldn't have considered this place home in any sense.
Valleri closed her eyes, leaned her head back, and breathed out until her lungs were emptied. The nighttime air filled them immediately, cold and crisp against her throat. The action left her feeling a little less exhausted. She would never get used to that.
Her eyes were still closed as she lay back on the rock face. A bed of moss kept her head and shoulders barely off the cold, uneven stone. Rocks poked into her back but Valleri honestly didn't care about that.
Instead, she focused on the stars above her and the sounds that seemed to fill the space around her. Better things to think about in any case.
Valleri wasn't laying on the rock for long before she heard something coming down the road. She laid still for as long as possible, but hints of orange light flickering caught her eye. Valleri sat up and looked down on the road in front of her. Any feelings of panic subsided in another moment.
"Nobody'd seen you in a few hours. Figured I'd check out here," Vilkas shouted from below. Valleri didn't say anything as she watched the Nord climb up the tall rock with his lantern. She flopped backwards as Vilkas set down the lantern and take a seat next to her. His face scrunched together with curiosity, "What exactly are you doing out here?"
"I'm not all that sure. I keep thinking about home and how I got here," Valleri surmised.
Vilkas glanced over to her before staring south, "Anvil?"
Valleri hummed to herself, "At least Lexius got to go back. I thought I would have heard from him by now though."
"Maybe the courier got lost."
"Maye." Valleri paused, closing her eyes for a moment. "It's weird though. Like this is all really happening even though I've been trying to postpone it for long. Once we leave tomorrow, there's no going back, is there?"
The Nord regarded her for a second with a confused frown. His eye twitched as he thought of what he wanted say. Finally, Vilkas sighed, "Maybe, but that isn't bad, is it? Every single decision comes with some sort of permanent consequences."
"I know that. I know I'm doing the right thing by going, but that's what everyone expects. When you take everyone else in consideration, I don't have much of a choice anymore. It's not fair to shove this problem on others, but I sort don't want to do this either," Valleri explained. "Honestly I could have just gone with Lexius and forgotten the whole thing."
Vilkas' frown deepened into grimace. "Do you feel stuck here?"
Valleri turned her head, breath hitching in her throat as she looked at Vilkas. She felt herself sink a little on the inside. Taking a deep breath in, Valleri mustered a smile, "With you now, just staying in Whiterun? No, because that's my choice." She paused, expression growing glower. "Going to a cave to find a necklace and stop a war that's probably already started? I got myself into this mess just by association. If I'd known that, I probably wouldn't have picked up the scroll in the first place." Stopped to take a breath with narrowed eyes. "Maybe I'm overthinking it."
Sighing, Vilkas got up from his spot and looked back to the Imperial. "You are. You need to sleep if we're leaving tomorrow. I'd imagine we'll be getting up early and that's hard enough. Best to be well rested."
Valleri sat up with a blank stare. He had a point. Vilkas proffered a hand out and Valleri grabbed onto it. She came to her feet with a stumble. Maybe Vilkas was right, sleep would be the better option tonight.
…
Valleri wasn't expecting it to be so bright this early in the morning. After spending a prolonged winter in near perpetual darkness, bright mornings like this didn't feel quite natural. The Imperial didn't want to complain. Her surroundings were green and bright again and she missed it dearly.
Stretching her arms as far as she could, Valleri yawned. The air was chilly under the canopy and dew clung to the wooden supports. The wet wouldn't dissipate until noon. By then, Valleri would be gone with any luck. Her eyes were squinted as she looked up at the sky. There wasn't a single cloud visible. She was expecting good weather for her trip.
Valleri knew better than to count on Skyrim's weather but she had to hold out hope for something. The past two days were bleak and Valleri felt like she was being eaten up on the inside. She was sure the other two were feeling the same thing. For now, Valleri could only attempt to chase away the apathy with sunlight.
It wasn't working very well.
She turned around when she heard the door behind her creak open. Vilkas grimaced as he stood in the door way. The Imperial felt herself sink a bit and mustered a faltering smile. "Did you need something?" she asked, voice quiet.
The Nord's brow furrowed as his eyes narrowed against the bright light. "Are we eating before we go?"
Valleri shrugged, "May as well. No point in starting on an empty stomach. Besides, I don't think Aicantar's ready yet."
"I saw him getting his weird contraption ready earlier."
"Weird contraption?" Valleri whispered to herself. She shook her head when she realized Vilkas was talking about Smitty. Aicantar was keeping in the spider in a hidden corner of the mead hall but Valleri wasn't entirely sure where. The Imperial sighed and looked back over to the training yard. She narrowed her eyes and gave it another quick scan. Valleri was half expecting the scene to change but was disappointed to find everything where exactly where it was before.
She wasn't sure why she thought something would be different.
"Hey, Val?"
Valleri spun around to face Vilkas again, meeting him with wide eyes. "Yeah?"
"Are you good?" he asked with a grimace.
"How so?"
"After last night, I… I don't know," Vilkas trailed off. He stared off into the distance, looking anywhere but towards Valleri.
Sighing, Valleri took another few steps closer to the Nord. "Worried?"
"Not in the slightest."
"You are though. You always have this expression of sullen expectance on your face when you get worried," Valleri explained. "Like you know the worst thing possible is about to happen."
Vilkas looked back down to her with exasperation. "All right. Maybe I was a little bit worried."
The Imperial smirked and shrugged haphazardly, "I'm fine, Vilkas. Not the best. But given the circumstances, things couldn't be better."
"You sure?"
"I'm fine."
"It's hard to believe you when you keep saying it like that."
Valleri sighed. Vilkas really did seem like he was genuinely trying to look out for her. That didn't help to relive some of the tension that had been building all morning. At this point, all Valleri could do was try to block it out or focus on something entirely different. Valleri and Vilkas stared at each other for another few seconds before Valleri burst into laughter. Vilkas only shook his head with a smile.
"You do believe me though," Valleri said. "See, even you know that everything's gonna work out some way or another." She moved next to him, giving the Nord a squeeze on the arm. "We should go inside since you mentioned food."
She stepped inside of the door way, eyes adjusting slowly to the diminished light. Vilkas followed closely after her. Valleri caught another glimpse of his expression. Dread filled her when she noticed a concerned, apprehensive look in the Nord's eye.
Valleri pretended not to notice and took a seat at the table. It wasn't long before Vilkas sat next to her, bringing over some old bread and a bit of honey. Valleri didn't wait to start eating. At least she was able to focus on something other than her own head.
Vilkas jumped when they both heard a crash at the top of the stairs behind them. Valleri looked over her shoulder in curiosity only to see Aicantar laying sprawled out over the top few steps. She exchanged a concerned glance with Vilkas before getting up to check up on the Altmer.
Stopping in front of Aicantar, Valleri knelt down to face him, placing her arms on top of her knees. "Aicantar, you good there?" Valleri asked. She waited for an answer with a soft smile.
Aicantar only groaned. He breathed in sharply and looked up. Valleri had to stifle a laugh when she saw the large red mark on Aicantar's forehead. He narrowed his eyes, "I keep tripping on these Stendarr forsaken stairs."
Valleri tilted her head with a frown, "Don't really know how I can help you there my friend." In another moment, the Imperial stood up and proffered her hand out. Aicantar stared at her for moment before taking it. Valleri helped him up with a grunt.
Aicantar took a second to dust off his robes. "That was a start. Here, I need to get past you." The Altmer didn't wait and pushed past Valleri. She watched him cross the hall with a frazzled, hurried expression on his face. With a slam of the door, Aicantar disappeared into the side room.
Vilkas gave a quick glance over his shoulder before looking back to Valleri. "Did he say what he was doing?"
"No, not at all," Valleri answered. She took a deep breath in and went to the side room door. Only a light tap was needed to get Aicantar to answer.
He opened the door with a sigh, "What?"
"Are you looking for something? You seem distracted."
The Altmer paused for a moment, grimacing to himself. "You know my control pendant? For Smitty? It's bronze with a red jewel in the middle."
Valleri nodded, "Yeah, I know what you're talking about. Where was the last time you saw it?"
"About three hours ago. I left it on the table while I went to get Smitty. I was gonna run a check and then I would have been ready to leave. Smitty won't activate without it," Aicantar explained.
The Imperial clicked her tongue and looked over her shoulder. Vilkas was sitting away from them but she knew he was eavesdropping. She whistled to grab his attention. Vilkas gave her an eye roll, but he got out of his seat any ways. They had another necklace to search for.
…
Most of Jorrvaskr was torn up again. Valleri, Vilkas, and Aicantar had spent an hour two turning the place upside down looking for the elf's control pendant. So far, they hadn't seen it. At one point, TIlma cornered Vilkas and started lecturing him. When he asked, the old woman admitted she hadn't seen the necklace either.
Valleri paused, leaning against the downstairs wall to take a breather. Aicantar was shuffling around on the bunkroom floor, reaching his hand under the bed. The Imperial glanced into the hallway for a moment, "Listen, maybe you left it at the inn or someplace? It's not here."
"It's gotta be here. I'm telling you," Aicantar grunted, pulling his arm back. he rolled over onto his back and stared up, "I literally had it this morning and I haven't left Jorrvaskr, because honestly there's nowhere else for me to go."
Valleri helped him up again. "We can check upstairs again if you think it'll help," she relented.
The Altmer only nodded in agreement. Sullenly, he walked past Valleri to the staircase. She rolled her and followed Aicantar up. The room didn't look nearly as chaotic as the bunkrooms below. Vilkas seemed to be trying to keep things a tad cleaner after being accosted by an old woman. Valleri paused when she spotted Athis walking by. Without warning, she took the Dunmer by the sleeve and pulled him to the side of the room.
"Sheo's beard! Unhand me!" Athis complained as Valleri drug him away.
She looked over her shoulder with a scowl, "Just shut up for a moment. Have you seen a strange looking pendant around?"
"Who do you think I am? A jeweler?"
"No, but you live here, so close enough. It's bronze with a large red jewel in the middle."
Athis breathed out biting his lip. He glanced back to door before answering Valleri, "Yeah. Now that you mention it, I have."
"You're not saying this sarcastically are you?"
"Not this time," Athis sighed. He looked back towards the front door. "Torvar and I found it on the table. I tried to talk him out of it, but the dumbass took it to have it priced."
"Oh, you've got to be kidding me!" Valleri exclaimed. She waved for Aicantar to follow her, "Come on. Torvar's trying to sell your necklace."
"Wait, what?" Aicantar asked, perking up. "Here, I'll go get Vilkas."
Valleri groaned and rubbed her hair back, "Fine, just make it quick." Aicantar nodded his head and disappeared. Valleri didn't wait. The walk to the market only took a few minutes. Immediately, the Imperial made a bee line for one of the stalls.
The old woman running the booth perked up when she noticed Valleri approaching. She grinned widely, "Can I help you, dear?"
"No, look. I'm sorry, but I'm in a hurry," Valleri started, trying not to grimace. "I'm looking for an old Dwemer pendant with a large red jewel set in the middle."
"Yes, I have. One of the Companions was looking to sell it."
Valleri's eyes went wide for a moment, feeling just a tad bit hopeful. "Please tell me you have it."
Shaking her head, the old woman's mouth curled into an understanding smile. "No, I don't. I told him to check with Belethor." The old woman paused when she saw the frustrated scowl on Valleri's face. "Are you all right?"
"Yeah, I'm fine. Excuse me, I have to go," Valleri trailed off. She turned around and sighed when she saw Aicantar and Vilkas standing a few feet behind her. The Imperial tilted her head towards the general store. "Torvar's at Belethor's place. Come on."
None of them said anything as they walked over. Valleri could hear people talking inside the store. The conversation was heated. The Imperial couldn't bring herself to care. She flung the door open with a slam and stepped inside. Belethor looked up in shock but Torvar didn't seem to notice and kept gesturing towards the necklace in his hand.
Vilkas trudged over to Torvar and put a hand on the man's shoulder. "Nice to see you're still here."
Torvar slowly looked over his shoulder, placing the necklace on the counter in front of him. Belethor's look of confusion melted into annoyance. He glanced over to Valleri and Aicantar in the back of the shop. "What is the meaning of this? Why are you harassing my store?"
Aicantar rubbed eyes with a free hand. Hos voice was dry as he stared at Belethor, "That guy over there is trying to sell my property."
Belethor looked over to Vilkas for answers. The Companions frowned, "Yes, we've been searching for this thing for a few hours." Vilkas glanced over to Torvar, scowling, "I'll have Aela talk to you later. I'm pretty sure there's some sort unwritten rule about theft."
Torvar grumbled as he stepped away, crossing his arms. Aicantar glared at him before stepping next to Vilkas. "Our friend hasn't sold my control pendant to you, has he?"
"Actually, I did," Torvar muttered.
There was a collective groan in the room. Aicantar slammed a fist on the counter, making Belethor and Vilkas jump back in surprise. "Dammit! How much did he get for it?"
Belethor shrugged, "Torvar didn't get any such compensation. He gave me the necklace to pay off a debt."
Vilkas glanced over his shoulder, "Why in the…" The younger Companion shrugged nonchalantly. "How much was the debt?" Vilkas asked.
"One hundred septims. He started a fire that destroyed a good portion of my stock."
"Why not just pay the man?" Aicantar shouted at Torvar. The Nord slunk back in the shadows and mumbled something no one could quite make out. Aicantar huffed and turned back to the storekeeper, "Is there anyway I can have my control pendant back?"
"No, if I just give to you, I'm gonna lose out on a profit."
"How much do you want for it then?"
"Nothing form you. I'm planning on selling it to Calcemo in Markarth. I heard he pays a lot for stuff like this," Belethor shrugged. His grip on the pendant grew tighter as he took a step back from the counter and Aicantar.
The Altmer threw his head back with an ugly screech. Suddenly, he looked back over to Belethor with a desperate expression. "Calcelmo's my uncle!" he shouted.
"Then you can get it back from him then."
"That'll take so long. Why not just cut out the middle man!"
Valleri exchanged an exasperated look with Vilkas across the room. She shook her head before pushing Aicantar out of the way. "We don't have time for this anymore," Valleri muttered. She unhooked a small bag from her belt and plopped it on the table. Belethor's eyes went wide at the sight and he couldn't seem to move. Valleri snatched the pendant from his hands before the Breton could do anything. Grabbing Aicantar by the collar, Valleri made a quick exit.
Vilkas was frowning as the trio went back to Jorrvaskr. "How much was in there?"
"Couldn't have been more than thirty septims," Valleri muttered.
The Nord held the door open for her and Aicantar. Immediately, Aicantar slipped the pendant over his neck, the center piece falling comfortably above his chest. With that, Aicantar disappeared downstairs.
Valleri flopped into a chair at the table. She looked back to Vilkas with heavy lidded eyes. She took in deep breath. "Can we go now?"
