The road was barely visible anymore. Years of foot traffic, caravans, and horses had degraded the cobblestones to almost nothing. Fortunately, the path was carved out against the rocky crags on either side, making it hard to lose even in the dark. That didn't stop plants from growing. One wrong move and a traveler was bound to trip on a vine and fall on their face. If they were truly unlucky, they'd drop into a ravine, never to be seen again.

Luckily, Vilkas had traveled around the Reach before. He'd already gotten lost so many times it wasn't likely to happen again. He glanced over his shoulder to Valleri and Aicantar. Now those two on the other hand…

As far as he knew, Aicantar had been living in Markarth for a few years now. But the elf hadn't left the city much. The streets were well managed in the city. The same couldn't be said for the roads outside.

Valleri on the other hand hadn't spent much time in the Reach at all. That and the fact that the woman could trip on air wasn't very convincing. Vilkas would have to keep an eye on her for a little while longer.

So far though, things seemed to going smoothly. They'd been on the road for a week and half with no considerable distractions. He would have expected ten things to go wrong by now, but maybe luck was paying them back for their rocky start. Either way, Vilkas was intent not to complain.

One thing Vilkas did find a bit odd was the amount of people on the road. It wasn't civilians or soldiers, but rather Thalmor. The tall bastards were patrolling the road between Rorikstead and Markarth. None of the trio made any move to talk or interact. But Vilkas could see panic in Aicantar's eyes each time they passed. Valleri wasn't nearly as jumpy, but her expression always turned steely cold as soon as she set eyes on the black robes.

He wasn't sure what was worse. Deep in the back of his mind, he knew Valleri wouldn't pull any threatening moves. Still, the worry hung in the back of Vilkas' mind.

They were more than a week out of Whiterun when the three of them made it to a roadside inn. Aicantar breathed a sigh of relief when the building came into view. Vilkas exchanged an exasperated smile with Valleri before following Aicantar up. At least Aicantar's excitement wasn't unfounded. They were going to be sleeping in an actual bed for the night.

Vilkas furrowed his eyebrows when he noticed Aicantar stopping suddenly on the path. Instinctively, Vilkas' hand went to the pommel of the smaller knife on his belt. The wave of panic subsided when he noticed a young boy was sprinting at them, a look of anger written all over his face. Vilkas stepped out the way before the child plowed into Aicantar arms first. The Altmer went down like a bag of potatoes.

The boy was yelling at the top of his lungs, directing all of his complaints and insults at Aicantar. Valleri came up from behind at a slow pace. She looked at the scene with a confused expression only to glance back up to Vilkas. "What' going on here?"

Shrugging, the Nord couldn't answer her. Valleri sighed as the two of them watched the scene unfold.

"You're not allowed here!" the child yelled. Aicantar stepped back mouth wide open despite a loss of words. The boy kept shouting, "Go away before I toss you out!"

"I'm already outdoors. What in the world did I do?" the Altmer finally managed to stumble out.

The boy's eyes narrowed, "You're one of those justice… You're one of those Thalmor elves that keeps pestering mama."

In a second, Aicantar's expression went from confusion to shock. He blinked twice before he flew into a rage, throwing his arms around in the air wildly. "Why would you think I'm Thalmor? I'm pretty sure I'm running for my life from those… Those absolute snakes! I'm not even wearing black!"

"You're wearing those dark robes. You can't fool me!"

"They're purple!"

Suddenly, the boy ran off in the opposite direction. Aicantar looked over to Vilkas and Valleri, searching for the right words to say. Valleri only shook her head and began to head up the rest of the path. The remaining two could do nothing but follow their red clad friend.

Vilkas could hear the boy chattering inside. His voice was hurried and paranoid, not surprising to Vilkas. "I'm telling you they came back again," the boy chattered.

The woman who was presumably his mother stood over a table, back turned towards him. "Calm down. I'm sure there's no one out there,' the woman said, obviously not interested in what her son had to say.

The boy turned around quite suddenly. His eyes went wide then pointed to Aicantar, "There he is!"

Finally, the woman sighed and turned around. Momentarily surprised, the woman scowled and shook her head. She gave the boy's head a pat. "Skuli, that's not one of the justiciars. That's just some traveler."

"We're Companions," Vilkas interrupted. Valleri glanced at him from the corner of her eyes, mouth pulled into an unsure frown.

The woman nodded her head, "Right. Companions. Skuli, that's almost the exact opposite of the Thalmor." She approached the trio with a smile on her face. "Forgive my son. It's just us and Leonitus out here. His head gets so full of crazy ideas. I assume you want a room?"

Vilkas felt a weight life from his shoulders, "Yeah. Just for tonight though. We've got places to be."

"I can only imagine," the woman laughed. She led the trio to a larger side room. "I can set up another cot in here for one of you," she muttered, looking in closet against the wall. She pulled out some more bedding and tossed it onto the bed before turning back to her guests.

Aicantar exchanged a quick look with Vilkas, nodding. "That's fine," the Nord muttered. The inn keeper smiled again and left for another part of the inn. He looked over his shoulder to Valleri. The woman was staring towards the door. Before he knew it, Valleri followed the inn keeper out of the room.

"Did you need anything?"

"No, not really. There was just something I was curious about." Valleri paused taking in a deep breath. "Your son mentioned the Thalmor."

"Yes. Skuli's been paranoid about it for a while."

"I know they have a bit of presence here in the Reach…"

"A bit of a presence? Ha! They've been getting worse recently. They come by the inn about once a month, asking for information on Talos worship." The woman laughed, "And we're so far away from Markarth too."

There was a brief pause before Valleri continued, "Why do you think they've been increasing patrols?"

"Who's to say?" The woman paused again and sighed. "You're not a Talos worshipper, are you?"

"No, I'm not."

"Not that I care anyways. Why you're so interested isn't really my business anyways."

Now, Vilkas walked to the door and peeked his head out. Valleri was already heading to the front door when the inn keeper stopped her again.

"Hey, before you leave, a traveler did tell me something interesting I think you'd like to know."

Valleri turned around, "Oh?"

"He spotted a large group of Thalmor agents heading north west out of Markarth. If you and your friends are heading that way, be careful."

The Imperial's skin went white for a moment before she flashed the woman a false grin. "I'll keep an eye out." She didn't wait for an answer before stepping outside.

Vilkas and Aicantar walked some ways behind Valleri. No words were spoken between them since they left. If either Vilkas or Aicantar started talking, Valleri probably wouldn't have noticed. She seemed to be stuck in a world of her own. Vilkas tried to put her out of his mind. He tried to convince himself he was a long ways from having to worry.

Valleri had been distracted like this before. She'd been like this in Nchuand Zel. At least that's what the Nord kept telling himself.

The Imperial had been quiet since the previous evening. Even Aicantar was starting to notice it too. He exchanged a concerned glance with Vilkas over the evening meal and that was as much acknowledgment as they shared. Vilkas was honestly hoping Valleri would snap out whatever funk she was in. She usually did.

But for now, the trio of travelers continued north. The scenery only got more extreme the further they went. By now, craggy rockfaces surrounded them on all sides, covered in lichens and moss. Small, sparse trees tried their best to make a home in the desolate environment; branches rose high and twisted in search of the dim sunlight filtering in through the cloud cover. Even this late into the morning, fog clung to ground. The wetness only made the travelers feel even more heavy.

Only Aicantar didn't seem to get depressed by their surroundings. He was the only one that had lived in the region for any amount of time. He was probably used to it already. Vilkas for his part hated it. It felt like it was going to start raining any minute and he wasn't looking forward to that. Being soaked through wasn't going to make for a pleasant night of camping on the road.

The few times he was able to get a glimpse of Valleri's face, he was only met with a cold expression. She didn't look angry, but her mouth was always drawn into a tight-lipped frown.

The more Vilkas thought about it, the more annoyed he got. Walking around in a canyon, not speaking to each other about what in the world they were supposed to do was starting to get on his nerves. Valleri's attitude was starting to get on his nerves.

Vilkas stopped suddenly, staring at the ground with a scowl. Aicantar walked back and regarded him with a worried glint in his eyes but didn't say anything. Valleri only turned around slowly, expression blank. "You've stopped. You okay?" she asked. Her voice was accusing, like she thought this was just a sad inconvenience.

The Nord looked at her through narrowed eyes. Vilkas shook his head and bit his lip. He couldn't help but be honest, "You haven't said a single word to either of us, Val, and we know something's not right. Why aren't you telling us anything?"

The Imperial's eyebrows furrowed and her expression morphed into a scowl. "What? You think I'm paranoid or something?"

Valleri took a step back. She blinked once before her scowl deepened. She opened her mouth to speak before glancing over to the side. Her eyes narrowed as she focused on whatever was off the path.

Vilkas felt himself boil on the inside. He took a few steps closer to Valleri. "Valleri! Are you even listening?"

The imperial snapped back at him, voice sharp, "Shut up for a moment!" in another moment, Valleri took off sprinting into the fog. Vilkas stole a look at Aicantar before following her.

He found her heading off the road into the crags. By now, she slowed down to a cautious walk, keeping an eye out for whatever was lurking around. She didn't say a single word as they found themselves in a small alcove. Even Vilkas had to stop.

Around them were bodies. Most of them looked like priests, dressed in purple and orange robes. Their limbs and clothes were singed with black. Bits of skin and muscle was melted off. Whatever killed them was unnatural and violent.

Valleri walked over to another body at the far side of the alcove. It was an Altmer, dressed in tell tale black robes. His neck was sliced open. Red, gooey blood covered his chest and spilled onto the ground underneath him. Whoever killed him must have been looking for revenge. The Thalmor died slowly and painfully.

Spinning on her heel, Valleri stared at Vilkas and Aicantar through distant eyes. "You were saying something Vilkas?"

The Nord was at a loss for words. He kept his head high as he stared at the Imperial. Valleri only shook her head and pushed past him.

The trio had been traveling for a little over two weeks when the terrain around them started to look more like a forest than a canyon. Valleri was glad to see it. If she had to so much as look at another rock, she was going to lose it.

She stared at the map in her hands for another moment before Vilkas started speaking from behind her. "Maybe the book was wrong?"

She clicked her tongue, voice tinged with annoyance, "Well it's no more wrong than whatever you two were able to find. I'm close and you know it."

The Nord didn't reply and went back to roasting a squirrel over their meager campfire. Valleri breathed out sharply, a wave of guilt washing over her. She knew what she said wasn't fair, but the words came out anyways.

Curiosity led Aicantar to walk over. He stopped right behind her, looking over the Imperial's shoulder at the map. He glowered at it, trying to get a sense of what it trying to tell him. Valleri shrugged her shoulders with a sigh. She folded the map up to a smaller size and pointed out where their location. "We should have been there already," she muttered, "but, I guess nothing is ever completely accurate. I know for a fact we're in the right area though."

Aicantar stayed silent, perking up when Vilkas started speaking again. The Nord didn't look up as he addressed them, "We can search for the cave entrance in the morning. It's getting cold and there's no point in getting hurt wandering around in the dark."

The Altmer looked at Valleri with heavy lidded eyes. He was tired and he knew Valleri was too. Relenting, Valleri breathed out sharply as she folded the map back up. Vilkas tried to muster up an understanding smile as the two of them approached the camp fire. Valleri could feel the tension in her shoulders ramp up as soon as she sat down on an old tree stump.

She'd been out here too long.

Only about an hour passed as the sun went down behind them. The cover of the trees obscured most of the night sky but Masser's light filtered through the branches. Most of their light came from the dwindling fire none of them felt horribly compelled to keep going. Aicantar and Vilkas were talking to each other in low tones. The topic was always something light and inconsequential.

Valleri was zoning out but she heard it nonetheless.

The noise was barely audible behind her. It was crunching and snapping, like something was walking around in the trees. She looked over her shoulder, squinting to see through the shadows. Vilkas glanced at her with a confused expression, "Valleri?"

"I thought I heard something out there."

The Nord exchanged a concerned look with Aicantar and got up from the camp fire. He stopped at the edge clearing, took a quick look, then turned to face Valleri again. "I'm not seeing or smelling anything, Val," he assured.

"Wait, smell?" Aicantar asked.

Nobody said anything further as the Imperial stood to meet Vilkas. She pulled back some of the shrubs and peered further into the forest. Clicking her tongue after her initial scan, Valleri frowned, "I could have sworn I heard something crunching back there."

Before she knew, Vilkas' eyes went wide as he stiffened. Valleri furrowed her eyebrows. Something really was out there. The Nord turned to Aicantar, "Snuff out the fire, quick."

Valleri waited for Aicantar while Vilkas ran on ahead. It wasn't hard for them to find Vilkas again; the Nord was being loud, leading them a little ways from the camp. They found him standing in front of a rock wall. His eyes were wide again as he stared at a cave door in front of him. A quick glance revealed a small tent pitched a few feet away. The fire pit was cold and it looked like an animal had been ruffling around the bed roll.

Valleri felt her breath hitch in her throat as her thoughts swirled around in her head. She looked back up to Vilkas with a wavering smile, "Well it looks like your werewolf senses are still as sharp as ever."

"Unfortunately so," Vilkas murmured, eyes downcast, "This place looks like it's been abandoned for a while."

The Nord turned around when he felt Aicantar grab his shoulder. The Altmer was wearing a shocked grimace on his face. "Can you repeat that for me one more time?" Aicantar grumbled. Both Valleri and Vilkas went quiet. Valleri could hear her blood rushing through her ears as the silence became palpable. They fucked up bad.

Aicantar let Vilkas go. He shivered as he stepped back, "I'm concerned you're not answering me."

Valleri looked up to the Companion with questioning expression. He sighed and faced Aicantar with a grimace. "I don't know exactly what to say."

"Yes or no?"

The Nord stalled for another second, fumbling. "Yes, fine. I am. I am a fucking werewolf! But gods, I really don't want to be! I wasn't even planning on sharing that with you!"

Aicantar breathed in sharply through his nose, face contorted into a grimace. His voice was quiet as he spoke, "Look I am so sorry."

"Hey you two!" Valleri shouted. Her friends looked up to her with startled expressions, but Valleri didn't seem to care. "I'm pretty sure this is the right cave."

Vilkas scowled, "Valleri, this could be any cave."

"Nonsense! It was so close to where the map said it would be," the Imperial laughed, waving the Nord off. She took in a deep breath, expression softening. "Listen I'm going in. If you two want to come that's up to you. But I can't stop. Not now."

Before Aicantar and Vilkas could say anything, Valleri was already inside. The both of them exchanged and exasperated glance before following her. May as well when there was nothing else to do.