Author's note:
My dear readers, here I am again with a new chapter for my story! I was incredibly happy to see that many of you have't given up on me despite my long silence and I'm even happier to tell you that I have already prepared the next few chapters of "The Alchemist and The Warrior".
Special mentions go out to MeanE and ShpperofTrashyShips for their loyalty - and a big 'thank you' goes to to gwap-queen for their opinion about my story! Hope you're having fun reading!
Now, with no further introduction, let me present you the 80th chapter of this story - in which, just like many of you have predicted, troubles start once again for poor Agda and the unlucky Dragonborn.
Enjoy!
9th of Sun Dusk, 4E 202
Even after their marriage, Agda and Steinarius decided to keep their now official bond and their upcoming parenthood a secret. Agda talked about it only to few people she trusted - Adaeze, Colette and her brother back in High Rock. Steinarius, instead, disclosed the news only to Lydia, Adrianne Avenicci and Kodlak Whitemane. The Harbringer of the Companions welcomed the revelation with a sad, meaningful smile.
"I hope that this time you'll be luckier, son", he told Steinarius, his silver eyes full of mixed emotions. "You really deserve it. And remember that, when the whole Dragonborn madness will be over, we will be ready to welcome you back in our pack, Steinar".
Steinarius was moved by that unexpected invitation - and he was even more moved when the old warrior gave him a little wooden wolf as a gift for his baby.
Also Adaeze welcomed the news of Agda's pregnancy in a very emotional way. At first the bubbly Redguard was silent, then she hugged her friend. At last, she broke into a very loud cry.
"I'm so happy for you, Agds, I'm so happy!", the former thief said between her sobs. "I know that it doesn't look so, but believe me: I'm incredibly happy for you!"
In order to show her joy for the news, Adaeze provided Agda with two different gifts: a pink dress covered in huge, ugly pink flowers, and a blue dress covered in huge, ugly blue ribbons.
"You'll decide which dress to wear depending on the gender of the baby!", the Redguard explained when confronted with Agda's baffled look. "Isn't it amazing?"
The mage politely thanked her friend, but immediately decided never to wear those dresses outside her house. When she showed them to Steinarius and informed him of her decision, however, the Imperial protested.
"Agds, they are a gift from a friend!", he pointed out. "Let me see how they look on you, I'm sure they're not so bad!"
When Agda tried on both dresses, however, Steinarius was quick to change his mind.
"Agds, I was in Sheogorath's realm of Oblivion and believe me, not even a madman would wear something like that", he said, his grey eyes wide with horror and amusement. "You look like a grotesque wedding cake!"
Thanking Steinarius for his lack of sympathy, that night Agda took off the dresses and went to sleep very early. For some reason, she was feeling weaker than usual.
Steinarius was quick to sense that something was off. He spent the night awake, listening to his wife's breathes and frowning every time Agda tossed and turned in her troubled sleep. On the following morning, the Dragonborn insisted that his woman paid a visit to the Temple of Kynareth. Agda protested, but in the end her husband won the discussion thanks to a particularly loud sneeze of hers - and so, coughing and cursing and shivering, Agda was forced to let Danica take a look at her conditions.
The healer was delighted to know that the young Archmage was pregnant - also, she was delighted to give her an old remedy against dizziness. Sadly for Agda, said remedy was nothing but a smelly mixture of troll fat, mudcrab chitin and butterfly wings. The girl had never tasted anything so disgusting.
As well as giving the mage her old remedy against dizziness, Danica recommended she stayed in bed for some days.
"You're a Nord, but you were born and raised in Cyrodiil", she told Agda. "It's no surprise that you came down with a flu. It's so cold these days!"
Agda would have liked to protest, but Steinarius didn't let her.
"You heard what the healer said", he solemnly told Agda once Danica was done examining her. "And as a healer, you should know better than disobey".
Confronted with those words, Agda rolled her eyes at her husband. For some reason, the ironic little smile on his face made her think that he was probably taking revenge for something she had forced him to do while he was recovering from his latest injuries.
"It's because of that healing paste that smelled like a dead goat, isn't it?", she asked him that evening, while Steinarius was convincing her to eat a disgusting soup he had prepared especially for her. "You're behaving like this because you want me to suffer the same way you suffered when I covered you in that horrible thing".
Steinarius chuckled, then he jokingly kissed his wife on the tip of her nose.
"I'm doing this because I love you, lil' mage of mine", he smiled.
Agda muttered something that sounded suspiciously like 'I don't believe so', then headed straight to bed. Unfortunately for her, Danica was right: she had come down with a flu - actually, she had come down with the worst flu she had ever experienced.
Over the following days, Agda felt awfully bad. Every bone in her body was hurting, her nose was constantly dripping, her head seemed on the verge of exploding. Moreover, her temperature was getting worse and worse.
Steinarius sat by her side for the whole time, caressing her and calming her and using a cold cloth on her burning forehead. Adaeze, Lydia and Adrianne volunteered to help him, but the Imperial was keen on taking care of his wife himself. Only after a week, when Agda was doing slightly better, the Dragonborn left her home with Lydia in order to go hunting with the Companions.
"I'm not sure I should be doing this", the Dragonborn frowned while preparing to leave Whiterun together with Farkas and Ria. "I really feel like I'm doing the wrong thing".
Aware of the Dragonborn's troubled past, Ria visibly cringed; Farkas, instead, gave Steinarius a reassuring pat on the shoulder.
"Agda is safe with Lydia", he said with his soothing voice. "Everything will be alright, Steinarius".
Unfortunately for Steinarius, Farkas was deeply wrong. He and the Companions usually scouted the plains to hunt deers or to kill the occasional bandit; that day, however, they had to face a much more difficult task.
Ever since being tortured, Steinarius had never found himself face-to-face with a dragon. That afternoon, however, a very unwise Frost dragon decided to cross his path.
Since taking on just three opponents at once didn't seem fun enough, the unwise Frost dragon decided to attack the Companions and to set fire to a mammoth from a nearby Giant camp at the same time. As a result, the poor lizard-like creature died in less than a heartbeat - after all, Farkas, Steinarius and an angry pack of mammoths were quite difficult to take down. Unfortunately, soon enough the two remaining mammoths and their gigantic owner turned against the Companions.
Somehow, Steinarius and his friends managed to get the upper hand. Yet, while avoiding a mammoth charging at him, the Dragonborn accidentally sprained his ankle.
"Let me carry you", Farkas said when he noticed the pained look on Steinarius' face. "I'm strong enough for that".
Despite that invitation, the Dragonborn decided to walk to Whiterun on his own legs. He was grateful to Farkas for his good intentions, but he didn't feel like crossing the gate of the city while being carried bridal-style by the Companion.
Limping painfully, Steinarius finally reached the Temple of Kynareth. When Ancarion greeted him, the Imperial felt a shiver of nervousness down his spine; yet, he was quick to overcome his emotions.
"I have a sprained ankle", he coldly explained the Elf. "I need it fixed before I go home. Agda is ill and I don't want her to worry about me".
Ancarion welcomed those words with a smile.
"I'll see to your ankle myself, Steinarius".
Despite the weird feeling of anxiety in his guts, the Dragonborn forced himself to remain calm. He didn't believe Ancarion could damage him, so he decided to be cured by him rather than to wait for Danica to return from her trip to the marketplace.
When Steinarius took place on a bench inside the Temple, Ancarion produced a very wide grin. A moment later the Altmer took off the Dragonborn's boot and helped him by using a weird, loud spell. That unusual magic caused the Imperial to frown.
"I've sprained my ankle before and nobody ever used this spell on me", he pointed out while a weird purple light engulfed his leg.
"It's an old spell from the Sumerset Isle", Ancarion explained with a shrug. "It will help you heal faster. By the way, how is your wife doing? I've heard that she's come down with a flu. I hope that it won't affect the baby. Speaking of which: congratulations! I'm sure you'll be a great father".
Those words caused Steinarius to freeze. Only few trusted people knew about his wedding - and only few trusted people knew about Agda's pregnancy. Considering that Steinarius had kept those facts even from his parents, how could that hateful Thalmor be aware of it?
Noticing the confusion on Steinarius' face, Ancarion smiled.
"I'm sorry, I should have figured out that I wasn't supposed to know. Unfortunately, Danica spilled the bean the other day. By the way, now you're healed, Crepusculus: say hello to your wife from me, will you?"
Without giving the Thalmor any reply, Steinarius simply abandoned the Temple and hastily headed towards his house.
He couldn't stop thinking about the fact that Ancarion was aware of his wedding and of Agda's pregnancy - and he couldn't stop considering this as a threat to his small family.
That evening Agda seemed to feel better than usual. Sure, she was still sneezing and she was still feeling sick and weak, but at least the temperature was gone. Yet, Steinarius insisted on bringing her dinner in bed.
"I know you are doing better, but it's cold downstairs", he gently told the mage when she protested against his decision. "Under your blankets you'll feel much warmer".
Agda rolled her eyes at those words, but she nonetheless had dinner in her comfortable bedroom. Steinarius was pleased to notice that his wife seemed hungrier than usual - and he was even more pleased when she ate everything he had cooked her. Yet, those little improvements couldn't stop him from thinking about his encounter with Ancarion.
Always perceptive, Agda was quick to notice that her husband was troubled by something.
"Are you okay, Stein?", she asked him, a frown on her pale face and a suspicious tone in her tired voice.
When he realized how dark the circles under Agda's eyes were, Steinarius decided to keep his worries to himself.
"Nothing serious, Agds. Actually, I'm just thinking about the dragon we met this afternoon in the plains. Skyrim is huge, yet that lizard decided to attack us while we were right next to a giant camp. Seriously, I'd never met such a stupid creature! And to say that dragons are supposed to be clever!"
Agda chuckled at Steinarius' tone, then she laid back against her many pillows. When she closed her eyes, the man understood that she needed some rest.
"I'll wash the dishes and I'll be back right next to you, honey", Steinarius smiled as he gently laid a hand on his wife's forehead. "I'm so glad the temperature's gone!"
Agda mumbled something on the line of 'I'm glad too', causing her husband to chuckle.
"I love you", Steinarius said while gently kissing Agda's forehead. "I love you and I can't wait for our baby to be born and for Alduin to be killed so that we can live happily ever after".
"If Alduin's as stupid as the Frost dragon you met this afternoon, it shouldn't be too difficult", Agda tiringly joked.
Steinarius chuckled at that, then he grabbed the remains of Agda's dinner and headed towards the kitchen in order to do the washing-up. As he started walking down the stairs that connected the two stocks of his house, however, the Imperial heard a weird snapping sound - and a moment later, his ankle collapsed under his weight.
Unable to react, the Dragonborn goofily fell down the stairs. His hands were busy with the plates and goblets and bottles he'd used during his small dinner with Agda, so he could do nothing to ease the impact between his body and the hard floor.
Worried by the sounds caused by a grown-man falling off the stairs together with many bottles and goblets and stoves, Agda abruptly opened her eyes and called Steinarius' name. When her husband replied with a curse, she left her bed to see what was going on. The sight that paraded in front of her was simply shocking: all the plates and bottles Steinarius was carrying had broken, scattering their remains everywhere on the floor of their kitchen; the ladder that connected the two stocks of Breezehome had been misplaced, making it difficult for her to reach her husband; last but not least, said husband was holding his leg with both hands and cursing under his breath.
"Stein, are you alright?", Agda asked when she noticed the pained expression on his face.
When he realized that his wife was looking at her, Steinarius abruptly raised his head and looked at her.
"Agds, stay where you are!", he said as he noticed the broken stoves scattered everywhere in the kitchen.
"I can't stay where I am", the mage replied. "Not when you are in pain! Don't move, I'm coming to help you".
In an attempt to calm Agda, the Dragonborn tried to stand up. Unfortunately, the strong pain in his leg made him immediately fall back on the floor - and as he collapsed once again with the ground, the Dragonborn felt sharp pieces of glass cut both his hands.
Confronted with Steinarius' pained curses, Agda was quick to intervene. Despite her weakness, she cast a spell in order to put all the broken stoves and bottles into a corner of the kitchen. Once the road to her husband was clear, the mage carefully walked towards him. In the meantime Steinarius had touched his face with his hands, so that now there was blood all over his cheeks and forehead too.
"Stein, where are you hurt?"
Sighing, Steinarius told Agda about the maddening pain in his leg.
"I think my ankle is broken", he said, panic and rage well evident in his voice. "I sprained it this afternoon and I went to the Temple to have it healed because I didn't want you to worry about me. Ancarion was on duty and I think he did something to make my leg collapse under me. He broke my ankle, I can feel it!"
Surprised by Steinarius' tale, Agda tried to calm him.
"Listen Stein, it's not so bad", she soothed him. "If your ankle is really broken, we will fix it soon. I'm a bit too weak now for casting spells, so it's better if we head to the Temple. Can you stand up?"
Terrified by Agda's words, Steinarius looked at her with wide eyes.
"Agda, you are not going anywhere", he said. "It started snowing this evening and you're still recovering from your flu. Lydia will be back from Dragonsreach any moment and..."
"Stein, I cannot leave you here, bleeding and suffering on the floor!", Agda broke her husband off. "Actually, I think it's better if I go to the Temple myself. I'll ask Danica to come here and help you. Believe me, I'll be quick".
Steinarius tried to protest again, but Agda had made up her mind. The girl hastily grabbed her husband's cloak by the door, then she walked outside in the cold streets of Whiterun. Steinarius was right: it had just started snowing.
Fighting against the cold shivers that immediately started running down her spine, Agda took the quickest route to the Temple of Kynareth. Once she got there, she was welcomed by Danica.
"Agda, dear, what are you..."
"Steinarius is hurt", Agda quickly broke the other woman off. "I think he has a broken leg or something. You need to visit him, Danica. Please, come with me! He's in pain!"
When Danica looked at her with a mixture of shock and surprise, Agda realized that in that moment she probably looked like a lunatic: she was wearing the pink dress Adaeze had given to her, the heavy furry cloak of her husband and his huge leather boots. That outfit, together with the dark circles under her eyes, her messed hair and her pale face, convinced Danica of the fact that Agda needed even more help than her husband.
"Agda, we'll take care of Steinarius immediately", she reassured the young woman. "Please, now go inside the Temple and let Jenssen prepare you a warm tea. In the meanwhile I'll send Ancarion over to Breezehome".
When she heard the Thalmor's name, Agda became even paler.
"You can't send that man to my house!", she said, her voice feeble and her tone almost hysteric. "Danica, I need you to help Steinarius! Not Ancarion, not Jenssen, not me... You!"
The healer welcomed those words with a smile.
"My dear, you should know better than me that healers like us don't get to choose their cases. A woman is giving birth in the back room of the Temple and I need to be there for her. Ancarion will have no problems with Steinarius' broken leg, I promise. Meanwhile, come inside and get yourself something warm to drink. You're ill and this cold weather won't do you any good".
Agda made to protest, but in that moment a powerful wave of dizziness overcame her. Danica was quick to grab her before she could fall to the ground, then she shouted for Jenssen to help her.
"She's ill and she's pregnant", Agda heard her say. "Take good care of her".
The Archmage made to protest, but a calming spell from Danica soon had the better of her resistance. Drifting into a weird state of peace, the young Nord accepted the help that was being offered to her and followed Jenssen inside the Temple without any further protest.
As he tried to stand up from the floor of Breezehome and failed for the hundredth time, Steinarius couldn't help but curse. Falling off the stairs while carrying a pile of dirty dishes and goblets and bottles... How could he have been so stupid?! He was the Dragonborn, for Talos' sake, not some old man who couldn't walk properly! And to say that he could have avoided that fall in a thousand ways... Why hadn't he simply used a Shout to slow down time? But most of all, why had the Gods chosen to rely on such a goofball to save the world from destruction?
Those were just some of the questions that troubled Steinarius' mind at the moment. Moreover, the man was wondering why his leg had given out all of a sudden; also, he couldn't understand why his ankle had broken so easily - yes, broken, because Steinarius perfectly knew the origin of the maddening pain he was experiencing.
As well as asking himself these questions about his accident, the Dragonborn couldn't help but wonder what had happened to Agda. His wife was ill and pregnant, yet she had left the house running like mad. What if her flu got worse? What if she slipped and fell? What if...
Steinarius' thoughts trailed off as soon as someone opened the door to Breezehome. The man had expected to see Agda, or Danica, or Lydia - yet, the person who stepped inside his house was the last man he wanted to see in that moment.
When the Dragonborn reacted to his presence with a low hiss, Ancarion chuckled. Then, he closed the door to Breezehome behind him.
"It looks like my trick with your ankle worked, Crepusculus", the Thalmor said, his voice as evil as poison. "I couldn't believe my luck when you turned up at the Temple this afternoon, right when Danica and Jenssen were outside buying potions at Arcadia's".
Noticing the mellifluos smile on the Thalmor's face, Steinarius frowned.
"Get out of my house, Elf, or you will regret your decision to come here".
Despite the menacing light in the Dragonborn's eyes, Ancarion didn't seem frightened at all.
"What are you going to do, my friend? Are you going to Shout me out of the door? Or are you going to turn into a rabid dog and bite me?"
When Ancarion noticed the surprise in Steinarius' eyes, he let out an amused chuckle.
"Come on, Steinarius, you act as though you don't remember what happened to you in that cave outside Whiterun, when my colleagues decided to teach you a lesson. Oh, wait: of course you don't remember! We did alter your memory after all..."
"I don't know what you're talking about", Steinarius hissed, his grey eyes slowly turning golden.
Feeling that danger was about to approach, Ancarion suddenly turned serious.
"Enough talks, Crepusculus", he said, his tone stern and cold. "I did alter your mind once, but then that stupid Agda helped you regain your memories. It doesn't matter, however: I can always alter it again, my dear - and this time, I'll do a much better job".
In that moment, feeling himself in danger, Steinarius decided to use a Shout against his enemy. Ancarion, however, was quicker.
The Dragonborn felt as thought the room had just started spinning around him, then he found himself paralyzed on the floor of Breezehome. A moment later, he felt as though the cold fingers of the Thalmor were slowly creeping into his very thoughts - and as he did, he could do nothing but realize that life as he knew it was about to end.