Chapter 5. An unexpected surprise
A/n: here's the plot twist I was talking about. Brace yourself! Please read and of course review!
"I'm terribly sorry." The Dwenmer man said.
He looked up as Vvardenfell was rubbing her head, clearly disoriented by the unexpected collision.
She looked up at him.
"Oh dear, I seem to be seeing things. If I wasn't seeing doubles I might have a clear head, but I could swear that you were Nels Llendo!" She said, trying to be apologetic.
"Madam, I am Nels Llendo." He said, still disoriented. He then knew who he was talking to.
Vvardenfell looked up, and immediately all the worry, confusion, and sorrow left her face. She jumped up and hugged him, his strong arms wrapped around her.
"How did you get here?" She asked him, looking concerned and beginning to fret over his wounds.
"I was looking for you, I went to Caldera, but you weren't there. Vvardenfell, I'll explain later, but we have to get out of here, now!" He said giving her a concerned glance.
"Why?" She asked, but Nels didn't answer. He kept looking warily behind himself.
"I'll explain on the way, right now, we have to go. Quickly!" He said, pushing her through the back gates that she had come through.
Right then a clan of rather large Orcs burst into Balmora, just as Nels and Vvardenfell ran.
"Where are we going?" She asked.
Nels was leading her up the Odai plateu hand-in-hand and the confused Vvardenfell had no choice but to follow. As soon as the two were over a ridge, they ducked under some lichen-covered rocks, Nels' body forming a protective cone over hers.
"Nels, What's going on!" She shouted from above the whistling of arrows flinging by their heads.
"There's a small bandit cave a few hundred yards to the north of here, as long as you're wearing that ring I gave you they should recognize you as friend. Go there, say NIID and tell them H. They'll know what you mean. Go. Now! I'll be Okay, don't worry." He said, kissing her.
Vvardenfell got up and ran north. She wasn't quite sure what had just happened, but she wasn't about to stop and ask. She continued running till she saw a door leading to a cave, and in she ran.
"NIIDH!" She shouted. The bandits got up from where they were sitting and bolted out as quickly as they had come in. One man stayed. He walked up to her, a smile on his face.
"You know Nels eh? Not a good guy. You shouldn't be hanging around with a guy like that. Now me, I'm a good guy. Nels, he's trouble." He said smugly.
"If that is your attempt at courting me because we are all alone then you really need to get out more." She said as she brushed past him and walked down an old wooden staircase.
The cave was of moderate size, with a small pool in the back. There was still no sign of Nels, and as the minutes passed by she waited by the pool, it had a beautiful green glow and something about that had transfixed her. She waited silently, longing to hear some sign of Nels' return. As she waited she pieced together the code. Then she began to despair, she now knew what it meant, it couldn't be true! Not Nels, he couldn't be! Could he?
The code, she now knew, spelt out that 'Nels Is In Danger Help!' She knew he wasn't coming back. She found herself heading back to the hill to mourn his death. Se was heading up the staircase and out the door.
She bolted out of the door and up the hill. There she found everyone dead.