There was traffic, but luckily no one who recognized Kurst; at least no one who Kurst recognized. It had not occurred to me that there was a danger of him being recognized this close to his home. He had concealed his armor under his borrowed cloak, and rudimentary fur chaps concealed his legs, but he could not change his face or the way he sat a horse or comported himself. My own cloak was pulled close around me to conceal my own unique armor, but my hood remained lowered so that all could see my darker appearance.
"I do not believe a bonnet suits me in any way." He said as he adjusted his borrowed headgear again.
"I like it." I said with a smile. "It gives you a dashing quality."
"It cannot begin to compare to your marvelous ebony skin." Kurst said. "It is quite remarkable."
"It is affectation only." I said as my smile turned into a laugh, "Though Aric liked it very much when first I wore it. He asked for a short delay before I changed I back."
Kurst's face became quite red.
"I am sorry, friend." I said. "I did not intend to be bawdy."
"You were in no way bawdy, friend." He replied. "It is only that I still find it difficult to think of you as only a woman. I still attach an aspect of the Divines to you."
"Kynareth herself bore a son, brother." I reminded him. "And unless the Divines completely diverge from us mortal women, there is only one way to accomplish that feat."
Kurst's smile and laughter brightened the mood.
Our route turned west finally, as we skirted the eastern edge of the wood and joined the northern road that we had traveled barely a month before. Each step our horses took brought us further out of view of any observers in the Temple that was visible high above us in the Jerall Mountains before the curve of the road and the thick canopy of leaves block it from our view. We continued west for another half hour before Kurst turned north at a small trail that headed north before winding its way up the mountain slope. It did not take long before we were forced to dismount and proceed on foot, leading our horses by the reins, which became difficult at times when Loga would spot a tasty morsel of grass and wished to investigate.
"Now is no time to indulge your stomach, silly girl." I whispered to her.
"We are not so close that whispering is required." Kurst said in a normal voice, his smile returning briefly. "And we should be thankful for the thick foliage that requires us to take to our feet. It makes it impossible that we will be spotted from above."
"Is it possible that they patrol the wood around the temple?" I asked.
"It would give away their location." Kurst said, "Best for them to remain within the temple, or very close to it. Wandering about would announce their presence."
"My three retainers knew of this location." I said. "They were to deliver children here. It cannot be such a closely guarded secret."
"That is true, but the cultists may assume that no one that served Zedrick survived." Kurst said. "Without their city spies to report the detention of those few men we did not kill, it is very possible that they believe that anyone with knowledge of this hiding place that does not currently reside in the temple is dead."
We arrived at a small patch where the canopy receded far enough upwards for us to tie our horses and erect a small shelter under which I placed a bedroll.
I sat on my bedroll as Kurst knelt next to me.
"The temple is that direction." He said pointing upwards to the northeast, "almost directly overhead."
"Sit by me for a moment, brother." I said to him, patting the bedroll next to me. "I must clear my thoughts before I begin, and there is one thought in particular that I must share."
Kurst sat cross-legged beside me, his right elbow resting on his knee, his face turned towards me.
"Shall I guess the topic of our conversation, sister?" he asked me, "Could that topic be a woman who we both hold quite dear?"
"I know my mind should be on the more pressing matter at hand." I said. "It is odd, is it not, how one's mind assigns priorities, which one's heart promptly disregards?"
"Can something that occurs so frequently truly be called odd?" Kurst asked with a soft smile. "It is the rarer instance when heart and mind act in unison. That is, at least, my experience."
"She is quite taken with you." I said. "I have never seen her in such a state, though I admit that I have barely known her a year. She is usually a model of self-assurance."
"I am quite taken with her." Kurst replied. "She is unlike any woman I have ever known."
"She is of two minds, and two hearts." I said. "It is surely no surprise to you that there is someone in Skyrim that also holds her quite dear, and she him."
"She has spoken of him at length." Kurst said as his eyes turned to the ground in from of his boots, "Though that was early in our journey. She has not spoken of him for some weeks."
"And did you also speak of someone in the early days of our journey?" I asked him.
"Not in that manner." He replied. "That portion of my life is not entirely under my control. Whom I love is my own affair. But my station, and my responsibilities to my family and my clan, affect whom I will marry. Runa is much freer in that respect. I envy her that freedom."
"It never occurred to me that you would have such restrictions." I said. "I know it is quite common for princes and kings to marry for policy. I should have realized that any future clan lord could also have such restrictions."
"I was resolved to accept whatever match my parents arranged, hoping that we would at least like one another, and that possibly liking would eventually turn into love." Kurst said. "Then Blessed Kynareth introduced me to a woman who opened my eyes to other possibilities."
"Have you and Runa discusses those other possibilities?" I asked.
"Yes." Kurst replied, "You would laugh were I to share some of what we discussed, dreams that became quite farfetched."
I did laugh, but not at Kurst's fantastical dreams.
"You should speak to Aric." I said. "He will share the fantastical dreams from his youth, when he and a young priestess of Dibella made similar plans."
Kurst's eyes widened, as did the grin on his face.
"I have never met a priestess of Dibella." He said. "They are renowned to be quite…"
"They are quite stunning, and this priestess particularly so." I said. "She and Aric remain close friends to this day. I met her when we visited Markath."
"Their dreams did not become reality." Kurst said.
"Life intervened." I replied, "Aric's life in particular. You will understand if he or Runa has shared any portion of his history."
"Runa spoke in generalities only though, even accounting for hyperbole, some of her stories were quite fantastical." He said.
"I know enough to say plainly that at least twice in his life he has prevented the destruction of the entire world we know." I said. "All life that exists now, or will ever exist in future, has Aric to thank twice over."
"Blessed Divines." Kurst whispered.
"I do not know where your dreams may take you." I said. "I do not have my mother's gift. But I wish you both all the happiness that this world can give you. But please be careful. Hearts are fragile things."
"I would die before I hurt her." Kurst said.
"Your dying would certainly hurt her, brother." I said as I patted his arm, "Best to live. Then you can protect her from harm yourself, as she can do the same for you."
"I would dedicate my life to protecting her." Kurst said, "Even though she is more than capable of protecting herself."
"In the physical sense that is certainly true." I said. "But in every other sense, she is just as vulnerable as any man or woman. She and I are both fortunate that we found Fathers that were the very models of true love and affection. But the capacity to love is also the capacity to be injured by love. And those injuries take some time to heal."
"Indeed." Kurst said. We sat silently for several seconds, each of us lost in our own thoughts.
"Is your mind clearer?" Kurst asked.
"No." I laughed. "Perhaps that was an unrealistic expectation."
"Know that I will take great care of any portion of her heart that she lends me." Kurst said.
"I know you well enough now that I expect no less." I said as I placed my hand on his shoulder. "And now, to the task at hand."
Kurst stood and I lay on my back on my bedroll and closed my eyes.
"Never fear, sister." Kurst said. "I will never leave your side. None shall harm you."
It took a moment to quiet my mind. Wielding the power of the Earthbones in such small quantities as would be required to accomplish my mission yet avoid detection required a finesse that was quite different than the brute strength required to draw it and wield it in large quantities. It was the soft touch of a finger pad rather than the hard strength of a fist.
It was the recent memory of gentle fingers upon my skin that filled my mind as I drew a small amount of power, a memory that was soon shared with another.
You do not find my fingers too rough or calloused? Aric asked
You know full well my opinion of your fingers, and the affect they have on me. I answered.
"What do you see that makes you smile so, sister?" Kurst asked
"Nothing yet, brother." I replied. "I recall a happy memory."
It certainly made me happy. Aric said.
You will scandalize my reputation if you persist sir. I said. I have work to do.
"Gods, Father!" Runa's voice echoed through my connection with Aric. "This is not the time. I know what that smile implies."
I am chastised for wasting precious time. Aric said.
My magical hawk took form and my mind's eye opened onto the vast green country. I settled for a moment a short distance above and looked down at my reclining figure and Kurst's standing one, his gaze shifting to different points as he searched for threats.
It required only a short flight upwards before our small camp and its two occupants were completely hidden.
Kurst chose well. I said to Aric, Our camp is completely hidden from above.
Do not tarry longer than necessary. Aric said.
There was one final layer of canopy that remained. Above it was clear sky and the ruins of a temple. What structure that remained showed curved roofs and ornaments that I had only ever seen in texts.
It is an Akavari Temple. I said to Aric.
Yes. Aric replied. It's sister temple in Skyrim is Sky Haven Temple. It is the location of Alduin's Wall.
I had heard it described as a temple in ruins. And, while there was certainly damage and decay, there were also signs of recent repair. Piles of old debris had been cleared from the temple and collected nearby. Any debris that could be used as fuel was neatly stacked under canvas by a small cart. Repairs had been made to the entrance and roof.
A holding pen similar to the one at the ruined fort stood nearby, as did a makeshift stable; a stable that held nine horses.
Nine horses. I said to Aric through our private connection. I will find a closer vantage point.
There is no need. He answered, your task is completed.
I will be but a moment longer. I said. I will see what can be seen, and then return.
I flew closer to the stable, keeping the early afternoon sun behind me as much as possible.
There is no guard posted that I can find. I said. The road leading to the temple is unwatched. That is odd, is it not?
It is odd, yes. Aric replied.
The horses in the stable did not seem to detect my presence, and continued to stand undisturbed.
What I detected within the stable disturbed me greatly.
Seven of the horses are saddled. I said to Aric. Why does that disturb me so?"
Because there is only one reason to saddle a horse. Aric replied. Seven of them are preparing to depart.
Depart to where? I asked. Do they mean to attack Bruma tonight?
If they mean to strike terror into an entire city, then a night attack is ideal. Aric answered.
Two horses remain I said, that is surely the Chancellor who remains behind.
It was then that the door to the temple opened. Eight figures emerged, four of them in red mage's robes, three in warrior's armor adorned with red cloth. The final figure wore dark courtly robes. There was a brief conversation before the seven cultists began to walk to the stables and the eighth figure reentered the temple.
It is happening. I said to Aric. Four mages and three warriors are leaving the temple. That is why they do not guard the approach. They are launching their attack.
You have done all that can be done. Aric said, Return now. We will intercept them on the road if possible, but we will not wait for you.
Be careful. I said to him I drew back the power of the Earthbones. My sight faded to black for a moment, and as the final thread of my connection to Aric was about to break I sent him one last thought.
I love you.
"What can we do to assist them?" Kurst asked me after I had explained our situation.
"I do not know." I said. "Is there a quicker route east from here?"
"No, we must rejoin the road." He replied. "We are an hour's ride behind our comrades, perhaps more."
"They are outnumbered." I said. "We must do something."
"They have the rings you provided." Kurst reminded me, "That will even the odds somewhat."
We were silent for a moment.
The beginning of a plan began to form in my mind.
"We must move to a location where a large patch of clear sky is overhead." I said.
"We passed one but a short distance from here." Kurst said. "What do you have in mind?"
"I have in mind to even the odds somewhat." I said.
"Will you not be incapacitated afterwards?" Kurst asked after I described my plan to him.
"Not if I am quick about my task." I said. "I will take what opportunity provides me. It will be no more strenuous than chasing six brigands during the middle watch."
We had left our horses and small shelter and proceeded the short distance into a larger clearing that was open to the blue afternoon sky. It was in the center of that clearing that I lay on my back, my cloak wrapped around me, and began again to draw the power of the Earthbones. My magical red tailed hawk was soon flying high on its return path to the temple. But the temple was not my destination now, it was the road that led from the temple towards Bruma that I sought and followed, and the seven figures that traveled slowly along that road.
Their path met the main road eventually, turning back upon itself as it wended its way out of the Jerall Mountains and onto the flat land where Bruma lay. The cultist would be in position in a few moments as the road turned east and their backs were towards the sun.
Beloved. I said. I have a plan.
I could sense him in the saddle as he raced to meet this dangerous group.
What do you intend? He asked as he drew his horse to a stop.
"What is wrong?" Lucia's voice asked.
"Noxaura has a plan." I heard his voice say.
The seven figures below had just turned east.
It is easier to show than to explain. I said as I poured energy into my bird of prey, which grew to the size of a dragon.
I was behind the seven, almost overhead, slightly off to the right, as I folded my wings in and dove to attack. The sun was behind me, and these seven were confident in their power and ability. They made no attempt to survey their surroundings, let alone to look upwards. It was much too late when they became aware that they were not alone.
I had chosen the direction of my attack so that I intercepted them from their right. The rear most of their group was a warrior, the next in line was a mage. I was traveling quite fast when my magical talons plucked each of them from their saddles and I began quickly to gain altitude. But I had misjudged the gap between them, and the warrior slipped from my grasp before I had risen more than twenty feet. I did not stop to observe where he fell but continued to climb high into the clear sky, the mage still in my grasp having gone limp, before I released him to fall the hundreds of feet that separated my giant glowing raptor from the ground below.
I must leave you now, beloved. I said to him. The next part of my plan requires all my concentration.
You have done more than enough. He replied. You need not do more.
I need do only this one last thing. I said before quieting my connection to Aric.
Now comes the more difficult part of my plan. I thought.
Kurst was not at all happy when I had explained to him earlier what would happen next.
"Do not risk your life in this manner, sister." He said. "Leave him isolated in his ruined temple. We can deal with him in our own time."
"I will not allow him to slip our grasp." I said. "I will not allow him to bide his time and reassemble his forces. He will answer for his crimes."
That answer was now due.
"Must you not stay in contact with the earth?" Kurst asked me.
"I was able to draw upon the power in Lucia and Runa's room, on the second floor of the Inn." I reminded him. "I must be in close proximity. This sheer stone wall nearby leads all the way to the Temple. It should suffice if I remain close to it."
"What if it does not?" he asked me.
"That is a possibility I do not wish to contemplate." I said.
I turned and flew back to the opening where my prone figure lay; descending slowly as I molded the talons that had just dropped the mage into a softer version.
Gods do not let me misjudge. I prayed as I hovered just above the ground and my giant glowing hawk reached down with its soft, fingerlike claws and picked up my physical body.
I had just begun to rise when I felt something grasp my other leg.
I could not spare any attention to look down and see what had taken hold of me, but I was certain of what I would find if I did so.
It was a relatively short flight back to the temple, keeping my flight as close to the rock wall as I dared until I cleared the cliff edge. I lay my body down near the cart and Kurst released his grip on my raptors leg and stepped away as my hawk dissipated into nothing.
I lay still for a moment as I reacquainted myself with my senses and allowed my heart time to regain a slower rhythm.
"Brother, you are truly mad." I said, my eyes still closed and my breathing uneven. "We agreed that it would be only me who attempted this risky escapade."
"I swore that I would never leave your side." He replied, his breath also coming in gasps, "Though I freely admit that I found the short journey quite terrifying."
"As did I." I replied, finally able to open my eyes. "I was afraid of either dropping myself or crushing myself. Sovngarde must have a special place for warriors who cause their own deaths in such an ignominious manner."
Kurst's laughter went a great way to restoring my composure.
"It is a special table at the back of the banquet hall." Kurst said as he smiled. "It is also reserved for those who talk during theater performances."
My own laughter as I finally stood mixed with the deeper sound from my brother in Kynareth.
"I admit that, not being certain our plan would reach this stage, I had not planned what comes next." I said.
"Surely our next step is to assault the temple." Kurst said.
"Not yet." I said as I rummaged in my small satchel for the remaining two small bottles, each different in shape and color. "Our next step is to drink down these potions, and in my case to keep it down at all costs."
"You know that I have no magic sister." Kurst said.
"I know." I replied. "Your bottle contains only the protections against certain magical spells. You will also benefit from this." I said as I unfastened my enchanted cloak and handed it to him. "It does not reach as far down on you as it does on me, but it will also protect you from physical and magical weapons."
"Then it is you who should wear it, sister." He said.
"I have other means of protection." I said. "If you are to accompany me within, then you must don it, brother."
"Very well." He said, as he removed the cloak that he had borrowed from the village and I helped him place my own cloak around him. "It is a little tight around the chest."
"Yes, but it will serve." I said. "There is a technique to employing it effectively while you wield a sword. I will show you quickly and then we will introduce ourselves to the Chancellor."
It took only a short time to demonstrate the technique, and to discuss our plan of attack against this cult leader of whom we knew very little, and then drink our potions. It took somewhat longer for me to be certain that my potion would remain in place.
Eventually I began to feel my tiredness melt away and my senses sharpen, and I was certain that Kurst felt the same. What I knew well, and what he would learn later, was the price to be paid once the effects of the potion wore off.
Some distance farther down the mountain Aric and my adopted family would soon encounter the remaining cultists, one of whom had fallen from such a height that, while survival was almost certain, injury was equally as assured.
It is too much to hope that he fell upon one of his colleagues. I thought.
Kurst and I would soon have our own battle to fight. We stood before the entrance, and a door that had been repaired recently, a door that swung open almost silently upon a large entrance hall that was devoid of debris and, except for the two of us, unoccupied. A fire burned in the fireplace at the far end. Several tables were present, at least two of which had recently been used. A collection of mugs sat empty, as did several bottles, all holding merely dregs now.
A toast to their impending victory? I wondered.
The floor was clean, which aided us in our attempts at stealth. Kurst had discarded his bonnet, and my helm had remained with Loga. I had my rings and my short swords that Valerica gave me. Kurst had his long sword that could be wielded either with one hand or two, and had raised the hood on his borrowed cloak, a cloak that he now held before him like a shield as it hung from his raised left arm. His right arm and sword remained lowered, covered partially by my cloak.
Two doors stood on opposite sides of the hall in which we now stood. Kurst had dropped his cloak shield as we inspected the large room. He caught my gaze with his and nodded at the door in the wall to the left of the fireplace. The door opened silently to the touch of his left hand which quickly found the cloak again as his shoulder pushed open the door onto a smaller room that held beds and an assortment of equipment but was once again only occupied by me and Kurst.
No scrying globes, or any other items commonly associated with mages was present.
The warrior's lodgings? I thought.
We had just returned to the larger room and had almost reached the fireplace when the door on the opposite wall opened and a solitary figure emerged.
His gaze was fixed on the document he held but quickly came up as he sensed he was not alone.
It was the eighth man from outside.
"What are you doing here?" he asked us, the document still in his left hand.
"We could ask you a similar question." I said. "We were informed that this temple was in ruins and deserted, only to find that it is neither."
"Who are you and what do you seek here?" the mysterious man asked.
"I am Taviah Mirel and this is my servant." I answered. "We seek the remains of the temple library. I was informed that some of its contents survived intact."
"This building and everything within it is my property." The man said. "If common thievery is all that brought you here you can depart. You will take nothing."
"What claim do you assert to this building?" I said in a tone that would have made Mother Pevel proud. "This temple belongs to no one, and to everyone. You have no more claim than I have."
"I am Coris Blasio." The man replied. "I am Chancellor of Cyrodiil. It is Cyrodiil, not Hammerfell, where this temple resides. I will not argue claim to a temple that sits upon land in my own country with common thieves and scavengers. Depart at once."
"Chancellor." I said in a mocking tone. "Your palace is somewhat shabby. Perhaps you should complain to the Emperor."
"Are all thieves from Hammerfell so rude?" Coris Blasio asked.
"Are all Chancellors of Cyrodiil so inhospitable?" I asked in return.
"Does he not speak?" Coris asked, indicating Kurst.
"He is my personal guard." I said. "He does my bidding. When I ask him to speak he does so."
Coris began to look closer at Kurst.
This cat is about to be released from its bag. I thought.
"Where is your personal guard, Chancellor?" I asked, "Someone in such an exalted office should not wander about alone. Did you misplace her, or did some accident befall her."
I had thought that I had acted quickly, but I was mistaken. My taunt had given Coris just enough time that my paralyzing spell was deflected by his ward. His attack came in the form of a Dremora that engaged with Kurst followed almost immediately by thunderbolt that nearly destroyed my own ward and caused sharp pains in all my joints.
He is no mere politician. I thought. He is very powerful.
Too powerful to be given free rein, but I dared not draw upon the power of the Earthbones yet, not after I had wielded it so frequently so recently. For the moment I must rely upon my own wits, saving my rings if the situation turned desperate for me or Kurst. A Frost Atronach would serve to divide his attention for a time. I cast my spell so that it appeared behind Coris, forcing him to fight his small war on two fronts. It gave me time to draw one of my short swords, which blazed to life, its swirling indigo energy adding another source of light to this large room. Coris must now use both hands to protect himself from two assailants. My combined physical and magical sword and the Frost Atronach's frigid weapon kept up a constant hammering on Coris' wards, but the Chancellor was moving to position himself so that we were both to his front. I exchanged the ward in my left hand and began to attack Coris with a series of ice spears that shattered upon his ward, spraying shards of ice in all directions. Those shards that reached the fireplace hissed as they turned to vapor.
I spared only a glance at Kurst, who was employing classic shield and sword technique and tactics, though in this case his shield was a fluid, weightless, enchanted cloak that absorbed magical energy and shattered physical weapons, but lacked the mass of a conventional shield. There was a look of joy upon his face, and his motions seemed as if they were those of an acrobat of dancer, one movement flowing into the next.
It occurred to me in that moment that I had no idea what effect my cloak had on a Dremora Lord or the weapons it wielded. It was a question that, for the moment, must go unanswered. Coris had succeeded in positioning himself so that his back was to the wall and both I and my Frost Atronach were to his front. He was about to go on the attack. I had just recovered enough to revert to a ward with my free hand when his attack began, and a blast of fire struck my ward.
It was not clear whether it was Aric's potion or my rage at the harm this man had inflicted upon the children of Cyrodiil that gave me the strength to repel his attack. My left arm and shoulder felt as if I were holding a mammoth at bay as the heat from his attack began to make the air around me very warm. My Atronach would last only a short time longer.
I kept my fist closed tightly upon my bound weapon in my right hand, the hand that I now used to cast a thunderbolt of my own. I had no idea what effect my spell would have; I had never attempted to cast a spell while holding any weapon. But this was not just any weapon. It was a weapon crafted for the Lord of all Vampires, gifted to me by one of the last Daughters of Coldharbor, and Enchanted by the man I loved, a descendant of Magnus, the God of Magic. If any weapon could withstand such use, it was this one.
The Thunderbolt seemed to charge my blade to a brilliance that was painful to observe before discharging into Coris' ward, which became unstable. I was certain that his ward was about to fail. I was also certain that he was about to reply with an attack of his own.
But I was mistaken on both counts. His ward remained, and his attack was directed at the wall behind him, which exploded into pieces, resulting in a large hole that Coris wasted no time is retreating through. It was warm light from the afternoon sun that poured through the hole into the large hall.
The Dremora Lord had reached the end of its life, as had my Atronach, each dissipating with a soft popping noise. Kurst was by my side just as I ran towards the large hole, and out into the light of the afternoon.
We had just emerged from the ruined wall when Coris attacked. His paralyzing spell struck Kurst squarely in the chest, and the Captain simply froze in place. His attempt to incinerate me met what remained of my dying ward, which absorbed enough of the attack to save me from death, but not enough to save me from injury. Heat and flames washed over me, as my unprotected head and face became a mass of pain. I had enough warning when my ward failed to stop my breath, close my eyes and seal my lips before fire washed over me. My left hand had been raised when my ward failed, and I drew my hand and arm back to provide some protection for my face. My armor saved the rest of my body from serious injury.
Coris had retreated only a short distance once he had emerged from the ruined wall. He was almost close enough that I could have touched him. His attack on Kurst and me had cost him energy, but his ward was still in place as I drew my second sword and began to hammer Coris ward with rapid strikes, giving him no time to think or plan, or do anything other than pour all his energy into a ward that protected his front from the massive physical and magical hammering blows that must certainly find him once his power weakened.
A steady stream of screams accompanied my hammering blows, which I delivered with all my might. Screams of pain, and rage, that I realized were emanating from my own damaged mouth.
I became conscious of another presence as well, as the swirling indigo glow that surrounded the physical blades of my swords became more intense. Whether I had summoned the power unconsciously or it had come to me unbidden in my time of need I could not tell, but my swords glowed brightly, sending pearls of energy flying upwards like sparks each time my sword struck Coris' ward.
I would not make the same mistake I made what seemed like a lifetime ago, but in fact was only a few minutes. I would not taunt him again, or give him any respite. It was now through sheer force of will, and arm, and body, that my hammering blows continued to give the Chancellor no choice but to defend, as I directed my attack until he was in the proper position, his ward facing me, as I hammered away without mercy.
His back was towards Kurst as the Captain leapt forward; his sword raised above his head, grasped with both hands, before it descended and cut the Chancellor in two with a massive diagonal blow, cleaving him from shoulder to hip.
My hammering blows ceased, as did Coris' ward, and Coris himself, in that instant.
It was a gruesome sight that lay before me, but I took no note. My knees found the earth before I sat down, my burned face turned away from the blood and gore that was once the Chancellor of Cyrodiil.
Kurst was by my side in an instant.
"Come away from here, sister," he said as he reached for me. "Here is too much blood; it is no place for an Archpriestess."
"Can I truly deserve that title after what I have done?" I asked in a voice that in no way resembled my own. My face felt as if it cracked with any movement. "Can Mother Cybele ever forgive me for the violence of which I am guilty?"
"I cannot speak for Mother Cybele." Kurst said as he knelt beside me. "But I would gladly follow you to Sovngarde and back. I have never known a purer heart. Now we must get you hence. You are seriously injured. We must find help."
I could heal myself if I could only summon the strength required, but it was not to be. My vision began to fade first, as it was wont to do when there was such a price to be paid.
I felt the coolness of the earth on my damaged cheek as I fell sideways, laying on my right side. I could not seem to catch my breath. Something was wrong with my breathing. I could not recall how I came to be in this place, in this condition, with this man, though he seemed familiar.
"Please allow me a moment to catch my breath." I said. "I feel quite weak. I believe I may have neglected to eat breakfast. And lunch."
"It is no matter." he said, his words fading into some ephemeral distance. "I know an excellent Inn in Bruma that can provide both in abundance."