It takes a couple minutes of staring up at the rafters watching the dust drifting through the sunlight before I realize I'm awake. I blink. No dreams. I look down at my body in this bed that's not mine and sigh deeply. Looks like I'm still here, in Skyrim.
I sit up fully and kick my legs out of the sheets, then turn so that my feet touch the wooden flooring beneath me. It's freezing cold and sends chills up my leg. Images of yesterday flit through my mind like a movie. How am I alive? No, really. That dragon was real. I touched it, felt the smooth texture of its horn. My skin is still singed in places from where the fire got too close.
Aches make themselves known as I sit there, and I groan. I roll my left shoulder, a spike of pain zapping down the length of my arm. Damn, Malukh did a number on this—
My eyes snap open. Malukh! Shit! I need to get him right away! Suddenly, my aches and pains are forgotten as I scramble to put my armor on. It's a bit harder without the guy from Warmaiden's telling me where and what to buckle, but I get myself looking somewhat presentable and grab my pack off of the floor. Slinging it over each shoulder, I head down the stairs into the main portion of the inn.
Hilda looks up hearing me rush down the stairs.
"Morning! You're looking much better."
"The bath fixed me up good." I laugh and bound past her. "I'll be back. Probably."
"Wha— No breakfa—" I hear her cry as I rush out the door into a crisp, Skyrim morning.
The air is a bit chilly and my bare arms immediately get goosebumps. I beeline for Dragonsreach up the handful of steps and veer to the right, towards the jail hidden away. My heart pounds at the thought of seeing him. Hopefully this is enough for him to forgive me for being stupid.
I knock on the door, not quite sure if I'm allowed to just walk in or not. There's a brief pause, but then the door opens fully, revealing a guard. His face is masked so I can't read his expression.
"..Yes?" comes a strong Nord accent.
"..Err.. Hi. I'm here to visit a prisoner."
"Uh huh. Okay, right this way, then." he steps to the side, allowing me entry.
I give him a nervous nod and step inside the dimly lit room. There's a table to the left, likely where he keeps post and some chests on the floor to the right. Malukh's belongings are probably inside there. The door shuts behind me and I await the guard's guidance. He walks towards the grated door separating us and the prisoners before turning to face me.
"You'll have to leave your belongings here. Nothing is to be handed off to the prisoners or you will be apprehended. Is that understood?" he tells me, crossing his arms over his chest.
"Oh.. uh, yeah, that makes sense. Just .. over here?" I ask, unslinging my pack and looking around for a spot.
"Anywhere you want."
I set my stuff down on the floor by the chests and he allows me into the next chamber over, locking the door behind me. Yeesh, I hope they don't lock me in here too. I'm starting to feel like I'm the prisoner.
"The door will be locked until you are ready to leave." he says from the other side of the bars. "Brandr, watch them."
A guard on my side looks over at hearing his name and approaches from where he was positioned on the wall. He's tall and looms over me with blonde shaggy hair and icy blue eyes. Intimidating.
"Which prisoner?" he asks with an equally heavy accent.
I look past him, trying to find Malukh. I don't see him. I do see that Alik'r guy in the first cell, but he's not the one I'm after. I meet the guard's eyes hesitantly.
"Uh.. he's an Orc." I tell him.
At this, mister Brandr scowls and lets out a scoff. "Ugh, that fellow? What's a pretty lass like you doing visiting that..?"
Damn, I'm getting real tired of people constantly saying blatantly rude shit to my face like I'll agree. I say nothing as he leads me towards the cell where Malukh must be contained. There's only four and it seems he's near the back left. As we approach, my stomach flutters. I'm brought before the door and Brandr gestures towards it with a hand, stepping back.
"I'll be here.. Just in case." he tells me simply, standing with his arms crossed a couple feet behind me. He looks mildly displeased.
"Right.. Thanks." is all I say as I walk up closer to the door.
I peer into the still darkness, the cell lit up by a single wall sconce to the right. In the back corner, I can vaguely see the dark shape of him, sat on the cot provided. He's got one leg up on the bed, the other dangling off. An arm is thrown over the one he's got pulled up. His head is thrown back against the wall, eyes shut.
"Malukh!" I call in an attempt to rouse him. "Wake up! We need to talk!"
Hearing my voice, his eyes shoot open, his head darting every which way. Then, he looks towards the door and our eyes meet. He lowers his raised leg to the ground and scoots to the edge of the cot.
"Sara..? What are you doing here?" his voice is cautious, untrusting.
"Come here so I can talk to you." I demand, though more excited than anything. "I wanna see you."
There's a brief silence before he moves to stand. The cot creaks and I hear the patter of his bare feet on the stone as he comes closer. Stepping into the light, he's shirtless, revealing a sculpted, thick torso with blood stains on his upper chest. Then I see his face. I gasp at the sight. He's beaten and bruised, his lip swollen and eye blackened. My eyes widen as I take in the mess they made of him.
"Wh.. What happened?" I cry, resisting the urge to grip the bars. Don't want the guy behind me to football tackle me or something. "Your face.."
Brandr snickers behind me. I shoot him a dark look, whirling around. He's starting to piss me off.
"Is this how you treat your prisoners?" I hiss in rage, thrusting a hand toward Malukh. "You beat them while they're helpless?"
"Sara…" Malukh's tired voice snaps me out of my rage. Brandr glares as I turn to face my friend again, but not without giving him another nasty look. "Stop. I am fine."
"Hmph. You will be. I've made a deal with the Jarl."
His eyes narrow suspiciously. "What kind of deal..?"
"Okay, so, you'll be released under.. a few conditions. You are under my service and must accompany me to retrieve the Dragonstone from Bleak Falls Barrow. We have seven days, no more, no less. If you do this with me, you can be set free prematurely! I just need your agreement and we're off. Isn't that great?!" I can't contain my excitement at what a great deal we got.
Malukh stares at me for a long second, as if processing what I just said. He blinks hard and repetitively. "That.. That is all? Retrieve a stone with you and.. I am free?"
I nod. "Mhm! Only thing is if we take longer than seven days, we'll both be banned from Whiterun. But I think we can do it. Also, anything you do crime-wise applies to me too, so you better be on your best behavior. Now, do you agree?"
Malukh steps back, placing a hand on his weary face and running it down. He staggers back into the wall and leans against it. Er.. he doesn't.. Seem pleased. I worry my lip and tap an impatient foot.
"Malukh?" I persist. "Say yes. That's all you have to do. Please."
He looks up towards the ceiling, his arms falling limp at his sides. Maybe he's relieved? There's a sound, so quiet I almost don't hear until it gets louder. A laugh rumbles deeply in his chest as he chuckles, almost darkly. I furrow my brows, but say nothing, even if he is weirding me out.
"...Unbelievable. You must have the Gods' favor for the Jarl to agree to this stupidity." he looks to me, his eyes wild. "Everywhere I go with you, strange things occur. Ever since Helgen. Is .. Is Malacath guiding your hand?"
It seems he's talking more to himself than to me in his moment of shock, despite addressing me several times. I don't think he expects a response, so I say nothing. Hm, he mentions Malacath a lot. I guess he still follows him even after leaving his stronghold? He sighs, his eyes rolling back in his head as he just rests for a moment.
"I would be a fool to say no, despite my own feelings on the matter. The answer is.. yes." he murmurs, eyes glued to the floor.
I can't help the smile that breaks out on my face. He'll cheer up once he gets out of this cage. "Yes! Okay, I'll go tell the Jarl. I'll be right back."
I turn to face Brandr, my expression dropping with it as I meet his annoying face. "I'm ready to go."
He just rolls his eyes as he takes me back to the entrance and I'm let back into the room with my belongings. I scoop it up off of the floor and onto my shoulders where it belongs. I leave without a word and make my way to Dragonsreach's main hall to meet with Jarl Ballin' himself. The guards open the massive doors for me and I find myself once again approaching royalty for the third time in two days. Will I ever get used to this?
He's there, lounging in his seat looking half asleep. It must be early, though I can't tell what time it really is. Irileth sees me first and nudges the almost snoring Jarl with a gentle hand. He sucks in a surprised breath and shakes his head to try and wake up a little as I approach his dais.
"Hmhph, ah, agh! By Ysmir, I'm awake, woman!" he barks, swatting away Irileth's hands. He clears his throat with a fist over his mouth. "Oh, uh, it's you. At this rate, I should learn your name. I'm guessing you have his answer, then, miss…?"
"Oh, uh.. S-Sara, my Jarl. Yes, I just left the dungeons. He has agreed to your terms." I explain, red-cheeked from him asking my name. Heh, yeah, the Jarl just asked for my name, no big deal. Making waves over here.
"I expected no different. Fine. Abbard, Thesius, retrieve the Orc prisoner from the dungeons. I want a word." he calls to some guards posted about, gesturing flippantly with a hand.
"Right away, sir." they reply in unison with a dip of their heads as they proceed to rush down some stairs leading to a somewhat hidden entrance to the left of the dais, likely a second entrance to the dungeons.
The wait is a bit awkward and I take this time to look around and fiddle with my fingers. The Jarl leans on his arm, resting his chin on his hand.
"Don't make me regret this girl. This is probably one of the stupidest things I've ever agreed to.. but what's done is done." he grumbles, looking towards the stairwell.
"Of course, my Jarl." I respond automatically. I think I'm getting better at this medieval jargon. Also, I sincerely hope he's not thinking of changing his mind… No takesies backsies, bitch!
Before long, there's the sound of the door to my left and shuffling. Boots on wood and the jangle of chains. They appear one by one, bringing my half-naked companion into the main hall by his arms. It's hard to look at him. Strong Malukh reduced to .. that. And seeing what they did to his face makes me extremely upset. He comes forth with no resistance and I step out of the way to make room.
They push him to his knees before the Jarl, which makes me bite my lip nervously as he grunts with the impact. Just hang in there. We're almost done. The Jarl sits up fully and he looks very much the authoritative figure, his eyes sharp and pinned upon my companion.
"I hear you've agreed to my terms, Orc. Let it be known that if you break these terms in any way, I'll hunt you down and stick your head on a pike. There'll be no evading me a second time. Are we understood?" he explains, leaning forward in his throne.
Malukh looks up at him from where they have him kneeled. I see him grimace and I start praying internally that he doesn't disrespect the Jarl in any way and fuck up my super awesome deal. You can do it, bud. Grovel for once in your life.
"..Yes, my Jarl. Understood." his gruff voice replies. I can tell just how much he hated saying the words, but I'm so proud. Oh, Hallelujah! Praise be!
"Take him to retrieve his belongings. You, go with." he nods towards me. "Oh, and Sara. One week. I want that stone."
"Yes, thank you, Jarl Balgruuf. Thank you." I bow and make to follow the rapidly departing entourage of guards holding my friend.
They drag Malukh down the stairs with me closely trailing behind. Entering the dimly lit dungeons, we make for the other side of the room and out the way I came previously. Passing Brandr, who has returned to his position on the wall, I stick my tongue out at him and pull down my under-eye with a finger. His expression is priceless. The first guard I met lets us in. Abbard and Thesius unchain Malukh, then shove him forward. The two of them notice me trying to get by and awkwardly scoot to the side to let me pass. I murmur a thanks and squeeze in.
"This one is to be released. Let him grab his things." The one I believe to be Thesius tells the first guard.
"Damn. Already?" he replies, crossing his arms.
Thesius shrugs.
Malukh grumbles, probably fed up with all the man-handling, and bustles over to the chest with his stuff. One of the guards leans down to whisper to me.
"Be careful, miss. Don't trust his type." Abbard warns.
Ugh, god, can this be done with already? I roll my eyes and step away from the hurdle of stinky men. Don't talk to me like you know me. Maybe I'm the one who shouldn't be trusted. Malukh shucks on his stolen armor and I blush as he just.. Strips his pants right off. In the open. I look off to the side as he changes with a pounding heart. I don't think I saw undergarments of any kind. The guards make disgusted sounds and the two from the hall make to leave back the way they came, looking utterly repulsed.
Once he's done, Malukh turns to face me. My eyes light up as he jerks his head towards the door, looking extremely annoyed. Don't worry, bud, we can finally leave! I close the distance between us and follow as he leads the way out the door. He closes it behind him. As soon as the door shuts, I throw my arms around his torso, earning a surprised grunt. I'm so happy. I'm so, so happy. I didn't realize just how much I didn't want to be parted from him.
His hands awkwardly hover in the air, but I just shut my eyes and enjoy the feel of him, safe in my arms. A friendly hug, that's all it is. I'm not being completely self-serving or anything. One hand hesitantly pats me on the upper back.
"I'm so sorry. This is all my fault." I apologize against his chest. I barely reach up to his sternum. I pull back to look up into his surprised, bruised face and frown. "I'm.. I'm really sorry."
Malukh sighs and finally gives in, putting a hand on my head, weighing it down. "You did not commit the crimes, little one. Do not apologize just yet."
"I mean, I do expect you to tell me about it after what I just did for you." I tell him honestly, though my tone is mostly joking.
"I.. will tell you everything. We do not have a lot of time to dally, though."
I release him and take a step back to give him space. He probably hated that. I just.. couldn't resist hugging him. I feel terrible knowing that all of this is partly my fault. I hadn't expected him to follow after me like that. And I just.. wanted to maybe provide some comfort. I hope he doesn't feel forced to do anything simply because of my involvement in his release…
If he wants to go separate ways after the dragonstone, then… I'll have to find my way on my own. I want it to be his choice to remain.
"The Jarl has given us a tight schedule. It will take three days alone just to journey there, and another three to return. We should stock up and make haste."
I have so many things I want to say now that he's here. But he's right, we need to get going. We can talk when our asses aren't on the line. I smile at him.
"Alright. I was hoping to pick up some spells at Belethor's before we go." I tell him as I start walking ahead.
His expression at that is comical, though I can't stop staring at the black eye they gave him. He quickly follows after me.
"..Spells?" he asks curiously.
"As far as I know, anyone has the ability to cast, right? Just need to do a bit of reading and figure it out."
He wrinkles his brow. "I.. suppose.. I am hardly an expert on the matter."
"Don't worry your pretty little head about it." I tease and he narrows his eyes in a playful warning. "...Anyway, uh.. are you okay? I honestly had a hard time sleeping knowing you were in there…"
He looks surprised. "You.. did?"
I raise a brow. Isn't that obvious? "Well, yeah. I was worried about you. You're my friend. And I had every right to be! Look what they did to you!" I grumble in annoyance, gesturing to his face. "Ugh, they're lucky I was being good so I could get you out."
There's a bit of silence from my partner, for long enough that I get bored and glance at him. He's stopped walking just shy of reaching the bridge and to my absolute shock, he's smiling! Malukh's smiling at me! My jaw drops and I blink rapidly at the sight. He laughs, looking happier than I've ever seen him, before he closes the distance between us. I feel his hand press against my upper back to guide me down the steps down into Whiterun.
"Malukh..?" I whisper in awe. "Oh my god, someone record this day somewhere. Malukh smiled at me!" I shout and he just laughs again, harder this time. The sound nearly melts me into a puddle.
Truly, this is my most grand achievement. Making this hardass express joy of any kind. Well, maybe just after the other super awesome thing I did. Not that releasing a murderer is probably ever a good thing.. uh. Whatever! A murderer bodyguard couldn't possibly go wrong, right?
I'm smiling all giddy as we make our way to the Bannered Mare for a meal. Malukh scarfs his down and I'm happy to eat a hot meal whenever one's available. Guess I was right about him being hungry. I can't help noticing all the looks we seem to get, some particularly nasty ones being sent at my companion. It makes me a bit nervous. They wouldn't attack him here, though, right?
Then we stop at Belethor's General Goods to pick up some necessities for the road. Malukh does most of the actual bartering and his size alone seems to intimidate the skeevy man into giving us better prices. I spend about 160 gold on three spells: Healing, Healing Hands, and a basic Flames spell. More of a support class if you will.
I give the rest to Malukh to spend on whatever else we'll need for the trip. He grabs a couple minor healing pots and grub. In total we spend about 550 gold pieces as he also buys a set of iron armor and a two-handed warhammer for himself and a bow and some arrows for me. Thankfully this cuirass fits him pretty well despite not being specifically tailored. I'm also pretty happy with what I got, less so with the amount we spent, but at least it's on things we need. Usually it's harder to find that damn healing hands spell, so we got pretty lucky.
It's still early when we set out in earnest. Passing the gates, we see the damage left by the dragon. The stables are being rebuilt entirely as they've all but burnt down. The house to the right of it is also being repaired by a handful of guardsmen with an old woman watching them. The carriage that nearly trampled me is back and the driver is angrily going through his destroyed things.
The body of the dead lizard seems to be missing from where it was last left. Well, if it got up and flew away in the night I feel like there'd be a lot more going on, right? They must've moved it or something. I wonder how long it'll be before it does… I hope we're long gone when it happens though.
Along the road towards the bridge leading towards Riverwood, Malukh clears his throat, catching my attention. I glance up at him questioningly, though he avoids my eyes.
"I… I did not expect this turn of events. I was ready to face my punishment head on. Part of me wishes that.. you had not helped me. But I am grateful to you. And I am in your debt." he finishes, anxiously catching my eye.
Guilt. Remorse. Good signs.
"Malukh. I'll be honest… My reasons for doing what I did are.. mostly selfish." I begin, and it's my turn to avoid his stare. The next words are harder to say. "The truth is, I need you. Far more than you need me. Er, not that you need me at all. But.. I would like to hear your story before I tell you mine. I think that that's only fair. Deal?"
He rumbles in agreement, though I can tell he's nervous. His eyes refuse to look at me unless I'm looking away. "Well, then. Shall I.. Shall I begin?"
"Tell me when you're ready. I don't want to force it from you but.. we do need to talk about it eventually. It bothers me." I admit, watching the ground as I walk.
"As it should. What I am accused of is no small thing. If it weighs heavily on your mind, I will tell you right away. Give me a minute.." he sighs deeply.
We cross the bridge as he takes a moment to think and get his story together. God, I'm getting nervous. Please let it be a good reason. I must not be taking this world very seriously if I'm willing to give murder a pass. Is the reason for my nonchalance over this very serious thing because I think none of it will matter soon enough (you know, when I leave this world)? Or 'cuz I'm a sociopath? Ah, who knows.
Malukh runs a newly gloved hand over his bruised face and sighs again. I can tell it bothers him deeply to recall because he's grimacing, his lip raising in a sneer.
"When I left the stronghold, I was only a boy. Young, naïve. I decided to make a living traveling Skyrim as a mercenary without Malacath's will to guide me. Work was not hard to find and there were many that found use in a strong Orc. For a few years I did this without issue. There were some jobs I took that were.. unpleasant, but most were easy gold. Up until my last job…" he trails off, his green eyes narrowing and brow furrowing.
"An Imperial nobleman named Adrintius Horecus approached me one evening while I was visiting Whiterun. He claimed to have heard of me, needed help taking care of something. Rather, someone. We talked it over an ale at the Mare. He told me that he was looking to send a woman a 'message', one who had wronged him in some way. I did not like the sound of that. I have always held myself to a number of rules: I do not kill innocents, I do not beat women and I will not harm children. I told him as much, but he reassured me that it was not necessary for this contract."
At this, his head tilts to the sky. I'm watching him carefully, studying his every expression for genuine emotion. This is getting interesting, to say the least.
"I was a fool to believe him. He requested that I plant something in her home while she was out, a note and dagger in her bedside drawer. Work had been scarce and I was low on coin, quickly running out of gold to pay for my room at the inn. And, well.. it sounded easy enough. So, I accepted. He gave me a time when he believed she would be out and I broke into her home to do the deed. When I reached her room, I discovered her body. Vivilde Acqis. She was .. dead when I found her. Freshly killed. The body was no older than a day at most."
Malukh grimaces at the memory. I think I see where this is going. I place a hand on his elbow reassuringly to give him the courage to continue.
"Guards burst in shortly after. Adrintius was the only one who knew when I would be in the house. I had been set up by the very man who had given me the contract. A way to tie up his loose end and frame me for the murder in one go. I was an easy target. It is much harder to take the word of an Orc over a noble Imperial. They made to arrest me and instead of going quietly, I fought. I was not aiming to kill, only incapacitate, but some were extremely aggressive.. Agh.. I did not stop to check. I was afraid. A job had never gone so poorly before. I decided to make Adrintius pay the blood price. The city was crawling with guards when I arrived at his home and I found he had already set them up outside.
I fought my way in and I felt I needed to take him down with me no matter what. When I reached him, he begged and pleaded for forgiveness. It made me sick. I demanded to know why he had done it—he told me Vivilde was his heart's desire. When she rejected his marriage proposal for another, he despised her. If he could not have her.. no one could. It was so pitiful, so disgusting… I killed him." Malukh snarls the words, his eyes shining with unshed tears, but they don't fall.
"I .. regret what happened. I wish it had not come to that, that I had just refused. But it seemed so simple. I made for the border with the gold from that man and never looked back. Running only made me look worse but.. It's all I know. Then, I ran into you. And.. everything changed, once again." His eyes meet mine and hold it. "You.. know the rest."
Hearing this, my lip trembles and I drop my hand from his elbow. No, It doesn't change that he killed a handful of guards but.. it was all in self defense. He wasn't going in there to kill her. He was framed! I'd be damned if I went to jail for someone elses murder. And not only that, he killed an actual murderer and prevented something like that from ever happening again. I think.. I'm going to cry.
We're at the top of the hill beside the river now, overlooking Whiterun. I stop him as we crest it and find I'm barely holding back tears. My voice shakes as I begin.
"I.. I'm so sorry that happened to you. I.. don't know what to say. You are so brave, Malukh. After all those things you said, I wasn't really sure if I could trust you, not completely. But everything you just told me proves that I can. I.. I was really scared to know the truth, to be honest. But I'm glad that you told me and we can put it past us and more importantly, you can start living your life the way you want again. Once we get this dumb stone, you'll be free."
By the end of my speech, his eyes are nearly overflowing with tears, but still he won't blink and make them fall. His lip trembles dangerously with obvious emotion. I frown. It's strange seeing him sad. Big, tough, seven-foot something Malukh, crying. I'm just so used to him being grumpy.. at me, in particular. I hate to see him so upset. I don't think he'd like it if I babied him too much, so I try to approach it carefully.
"Hey, hey. None of that. That's my thing." I chastise in an attempt to lighten the mood, standing on my tippy toes to reach his face. I brush a tear away just as it falls, observing his expression. "..You need a hug, big guy?"
He says nothing, just stands there limply like a deflated pool noodle. I wordlessly wrap my arms around his midsection, the cold iron chilling my face as I press against it. He's stone still, but I think I hear a sniffle. I understand. I don't like to ask for help either.
"It's not your fault, okay?" I whisper, not expecting an answer. "You're okay now."
I feel his arms slowly return my hug, fully this time. Not just a little pat on the back. He leans down and rests his head on top of mine. It feels nice to be fully encompassed by him like this. And I can't help but wish it could be a frequent thing… He's like a giant teddy bear.
He's shaking slightly and I only hug him for a bit longer before I pull away. I'm afraid to push his boundaries. He actually seems hesitant to let me go, and I realize why as soon as I see his face. His eyes are bloodshot, tears streaked down his cheeks and further messing up his war paint. I really gotta get to reading this healing hands spell book so I can get to work on his face. Seeing that he has my attention, he hastily turns away from me, as if I didn't already see.
I smile wanly at his back. I feel like I'm starting to understand him, slowly. It's just his way. And.. I don't think we're all that different. I pat him on the back of his cuirass and walk ahead.
"Come on. We're wastin' daylight!" I coo over my shoulder.
I don't check to see if he's following, just pull my pack off of one shoulder and dig through it to find my spell book. When I grab it, I close my backpack and start reading. Eventually, I see Malukh out of my peripheral, trudging along far closer to me than he used to. He sniffles a bit and wipes at his face. I decide to give him space by trying to wrap my head around the knowledge within this tome and we walk in amiable silence.
We walk for a good portion of the day along the path when I nearly walk into a tree while reading. Malukh tells me I should probably wait till we camp to do so. I'm just happy to see him cheering up a bit. And frankly, I'm far more comfortable with him now knowing his story. Regardless, I follow his advice and shove the book into my bag to be forgotten until later.
The day is uneventful thankfully and soon enough it's time to camp. The chirp of crickets is loud by the time Malukh finds an alcove for us to settle in for the night. I'm pretty exhausted considering how early I woke up and it appears he is too. The tears must've sapped his energy. That's how I get after crying, anyway.
I try to get in some more reading by the fire after we make camp and by god, do I not feel any more enlightened. Magic is essentially divined by willpower and a pool of magicka within a person, as well as deep concentration. It's like... a really strong form of manifestation and the spell books are to guide you in the right path for the kind of spell you're looking to cast.
I groan and throw it against my pack in frustration, watching it slide to the ground. Who's to say I can even cast magic? I'm not from this world. All beings born of Nirn are inherently infused with the essence of Magicka and bathe in it everyday through sunlight. Though, I am not born of Nirn, so the chances of me being able to cast are slim to none. Maybe just by being here I will absorb some of that magicka into myself through like.. Fuckin' osmosis or some shit. But there's honestly no telling.
Malukh sits opposite of me and his head perks up seeing my frustration. He chuckles lowly under his breath, his face lit up by the fire. It makes his eye look even more bruised somehow.
"Not as easy as you first thought?" he asks.
"It's.. It's nearly incomprehensible to me." I sigh, crossing my arms. "I don't know what I was expecting."
"Give it time. All things take time to learn. What you need is practice. Have you tried to form a spell yet?"
Hmm.. I mean, no. But I don't really know how to start. It's not that simple! I grumble, pouting.
"Well.. no. Not yet.." I huff. "I don't know what to do.. Or how to make the magic, er.. Come out, I guess?"
An idea pops into my head suddenly. I guess I could try to heal his wounds? There's no saying if it would work but the whole point of me trying to learn was so that I could start helping out in other ways. Sure, I can't fight, but if I could heal? It would make a whole world of difference in our dynamic. I stand up suddenly, catching his full attention, as he was just mindlessly poking the fire with a stick. He looks to me with a quirked brow.
"Wait. Can I try a spell.. on you? I want to see if this'll work or not." I maneuver around the fire so that I'm standing just to his side with him looking up at me. He recoils slightly at my quick movements and his eyebrows shoot up in surprise. He even looks nervous.
"Ah.. I.. I.. suppose..? Be careful." he stammers uncharacteristically. I raise a brow at him in question. Is he that afraid I'll fuck it up? Maybe he's someone who doesn't like magic.
"Okay. Hold still. I've been wanting to fix this since I saw you this morning." I grumble, positioning myself over him so that I'm looking down at him. "Asshole guards."
Malukh goes stone still, looking mighty uncomfortable by my proximity. For some reason, it sparks an almost giddy kind of joy in me. Why do I take joy in making him squirm? I've never really been this close to him. Well, not like this. As I place a hand on his chin near the wound and the other on his brow, careful of his warpaint, I can't help but notice how the air shifts. Things feel.. Electric. Tense, maybe? His head jerks slightly as soon as my hand comes in contact with him, and I pin him with my stare, raising a threatening brow that tells him to stop moving.
His skin is somewhat stubbly under my palm. His eyes are also glued to my face and I watch his adam's apple bob nervously. Also, I just noticed he's still almost as tall as me while sitting. Wow.
Okay. Time for the magic bit. I suppose I just have to.. Will it? Wish for him to be healed? Shutting my eyes, I focus all my energy into my hands. Heal him. Remove the blackness from his eye and seal the slit on his lip. Fix him. Heal, heal, heal, heal… I hear a soft gasp and my eyes pop open, unable to resist the curiosity it brings.
Golden light emanates from my hand where its placed on his jaw, though I see it only for a split second before it dissipates altogether. My eyes widen in realization. I lost it! I.. I was doing it, though! I swear I saw it. My temple tinges with a thrum of pain but I don't pay attention to it.
"Was that…?" I trail off in shock, my eyes darting back and forth between his.
Malukh only manages an equally surprised nod. Observing his face, I frown. I reacted before the magic could do it's work. He's unhealed. Still, my face breaks out in a smile. I pull away and throw my clenched fists down in a cheerful gesture, exclaiming my joy. I almost start to spin, but I feel hands on my waist that stop me altogether.
"Careful.. The fire." Malukh warns suddenly, and god does his voice sound deeper than ever. I feel as he moves me to the side, away from the flames. My body tingles slightly where he touched me but I'm too excited about my success to care.
"Oh, my god, did you see that, though?" I giggle, unable to contain myself. "I can cast magic! I really just did that! I'm so fucking cool! Hold up, let me try again, this time I'll heal you for sure!"
I move to position myself in front of him again but freeze when I see his expression. His lips are parted, his eyes serious. I blink a few times as my heart speeds up. We just stare at each other in a somewhat heated silence. Feeling awkward by this sudden tension, I look to the side to avoid his gaze.
"W-What? What's with that face?" I stutter, my face burning. What is this weird ass vibe right now?
He says nothing for a solid few seconds and just clears his throat. "Go on, then."
"Not if you're gonna make that face at me." I grumble, flustered. "Close your eyes."
I wait a second, then peek at him from behind my hair. His eyes are closed. He must trust me to some degree if he's actually doing it. Seeing him being vulnerable like this makes me…agh. My hands shake as I place them on his face once again. Why am I so nervous now? I'm just healing him, that's all. Okay, okay, gotta focus or it won't work.
I repeat the same process as before, willing restoration magic to my fingers to allow me to heal him. It's very strange, the feeling of it. It's like I can almost.. feel it coursing through me. Running through my arms into my fingertips, a warm heat I've never quite experienced before. Maybe the process of me being transported to this realm was enough to gift me with magicka? I still can't quite wrap my head around the idea or the possibilities.
Malukh exhales sharply and this time I ignore him entirely. I just keep focusing on that feeling, keep manifesting light and restoration. If I lose this train of thought, I'll lose the spell as well. I can feel him twitching underneath my hands, which is slightly distracting. Damn it, stop wiggling, I'm trying to fix you.
I open my eyes now to see if I've done it, all while holding the magic. Gosh, I'm getting quite tired. Perhaps I'm running low on magicka? I check his eye and lip and find them mostly healed, I think. The blurring in my eyes makes it hard to tell. Ah, I can't hold it anymore. I pull away my hands and just like that, I lose concentration on the spell. My fingers still tingle. Malukh seems to be concentrating very hard himself, his eyes shut and hands clenched tightly in his lap.
"T-Tada.. All done..I think." I say tiredly, my legs wobbling under my weight. Wow, suddenly I feel so.. Empty. Drowsy.
His eyes slowly peek up at me, just as my eyes start to lull shut. Can't seem to.. Keep my eyes open. Malukh shoots to attention, grabbing my arms and holding me up. His eyes widen as he looks at me and I wonder why.
"Sara? What's wrong?" he demands.
I barely manage to hold myself up without his assistance, and I reach out for his shoulders to maintain my balance. Dizzy. So dizzy. He's rapidly searching my face as I try to shake it off.
"Shit.. sorry.. Uh, sorry.." I murmur incoherently, shutting my eyes against the spinning world around me.
"Sara." he persists, before guiding me to sit beside him. I barely make it even a step before I lurch to the side and he grunts as he catches my fall. "Damn it."
"..Mmh, I just.. Just need a sec.." I say.
That's all. I just need a sec to get my bearings. Give me.. Give me a minute. Holy crap, I can cast magic. I can cast magic..! This is.. so fuckin' awesome.
"Fool, you must have exhausted yourself." he grumbles over me, though he doesn't sound angry. I smile dumbly, my eyes shut. "You cannot force these things. If it was too much for you, you should have stopped ahead of time. Magic is a strange thing and difficult to manipulate."
I just snicker softly and lean against his chest. "I can cast magic…ha ha ha.."
Malukh scoffs, his warm breath fanning over my face. It feels like I'm literally sitting in his lap like he's Santa. I don't know though. I'm quickly falling into the void that is sleep. There's a brush of a hand against my temple, hair being moved from my eyes. It lulls me even further into slumber and I snuggle into the warmth of his body. Hot.. like a living furnace.
I fall asleep thinking of his warmth and muscled arms wrapped around me gently.