This definitely took a different turn than I was intending but uh.. I don't mind it. Let's just say things escalated quickly. Hopefully ya'll enjoy it nonetheless.

Warning for: Graphic Language, Minor Sexual Situations and Dubious Consent.

I slept like a log throughout the rest of the afternoon, until early the next morning. When I awoke, bright light poured in from the window above me and the chirping of birds outside filled my ears. My body was terribly sore, my shoulder and thighs in particular, and my stomach ached painfully. I never managed to eat yesterday. I groaned as I rolled over to face Malukh groggily, rubbing at my crusty eyes. Or where Malukh was last seen, because he wasn't there anymore.

Panic flooded through me and I shot up in the bed like a rocket, my heart rate picking up almost immediately. Pain flooded my shoulder but I ignored it, looking for any sign of his departure. Had he ditched me in the night? My eyes landed on the dresser, finding his armor had been taken as well. Seriously?

I jumped out of the bed, ignoring the aches and pains and clambering towards the door. Why did this bother me so much? It was going to happen regardless but… I bust open the door, a bit harder than I intended, hearing it collide with the wall rather noisily.

"Careful.." Orgnar chided with a warning look, but I wasn't focused on him.

"Where is he?" I demanded, eyes scouring the inn but finding no Orc in sight.

"Who..?" The innkeep asked in confusion before blinking. "Oh, that Orc friend of yours? Saw 'im walk out the door not too long ago. 'Ya might still catch him if you hurry."

I bolted towards the front door and flung it open with my good arm, nearly blinding myself in the process as bright light suddenly filled the inn. Why the hell did he pay for two nights if he was just going to leave after one? I scrambled down the steps, barefoot, and looked around the village of Riverwood with near tearful eyes. Fuck, I'm scared.. I'm so, so scared. I don't wanna be alone, I can't—

Brown, Imperial armor and familiar green skin came into view as I spotted the Orc walking towards me, a red apple in one hand and a bag slung over his shoulder. He was looking at me curiously as he approached, taking a hefty bite out of his apple with an audible crunch. I about collapsed at the sight of him. Holy fuck. He's not gone. He didn't abandon me.

Malukh came to a stop in front of me, giving me a really hard look as he chewed on his apple. He still wasn't wearing any warpaint.

"What's wrong with you?" he asked, readjusting his bag briefly. "And.. What are you doing?"

I gaped like a fish, unable to speak. I'm so relieved. It really just hit me how.. scared I am to be alone in this world. My face burned under his scrutinizing gaze as he took yet another bite, raising an eyebrow at my silence.

".. W- Where.. did you go?" I whispered, unable to help the way my lip trembled.

He was definitely weirded out by my behavior, but said nothing of it. "The store down the street. Here," he flipped the bag over and dug around inside until he pulled out another apple, holding it out to me. "Don't know if you ate yesterday, but you sure look like you could use .. err.. something."

I stared at the offered food, feeling the vast emptiness in my stomach become more pronounced at the sight of it. I slowly took it from his hand, before taking a huge bite. The sweet and sour taste that filled my mouth never tasted better. I was ravenous.

"Are you.. okay?" Malukh asked awkwardly, hauling the bag over his shoulder again with a grunt.

I hastily swallowed the chunk of apple in my mouth. "Yeah, yeah, of course. Sorry.. I know I'm being.. well weird."

He stared at me for a second and I swear I saw those strange eyes of his dip lower for a second. He cleared his throat.

"You look.. nice."

I glanced down at my attire: the skin-tight, beige long sleeve shirt the bath attendant had given me and the fitted leather pants. I was very, very cold, it seemed. I blushed, trying to discreetly cover my chest with my arms.

"Oh, um.. thanks. So do you."

He grunted and took a hard ass bite from his apple before walking past me and towards the inn. He looked over his shoulder and with his mouth full, said, "Come on."

He didn't have to tell me twice. I quickly caught up to him and together we returned to the inn while I took healthy bites of my apple. The door was still wide open as we climbed up the steps and Malukh glanced at me out of the corner of his eye. Oops. Then we entered the warm, dimly lit inn and closed the door behind us. Orgnar smirked at me as he wiped down a table right to our left.

"Told 'ya. Little lassie here was spooked when she saw you weren't in your room." The man snitched to Malukh with a chuckle and I gave him a sour look. Gee, thanks. Tell the world while you're at it…

"Thanks for your help, I guess.." I muttered as we passed him, ignoring the Orc's burning gaze on my face.

We arrived at the door to our room and entered quietly. I walked over to the bed and sat down, not really sure what to do with myself. Malukh set his bag down on the dresser beside my armor and began to dig through it. I peered over at him curiously, brushing a strand of hair behind my ear before I tossed the core of the apple into one of the random baskets in the room.

"So… what'd you get?" I attempted, wiping the juice on my hands onto my pants.

"For starters, material for your sling." he answered gruffly, pulling out a wad of what looked like cloth.

He then approached me and I couldn't help but stiffen at the idea of my shoulder being touched. He gave me a stern, knowing look as I shrunk into myself, already grimacing. He gingerly took my left arm, carefully watching my face for pain, before wrapping it up into a nice, neat sling. It hurt but nowhere near as bad as the setting part. That sucked. He stood back to look at his handiwork, and gave a little nod.

"You will have to change it every time you take off your armor. I bought you enough cloth to last about a week and some potions to speed along the healing process." he told me, and I was genuinely shocked at how thoughtful and informative he was, watching as he moved back to the dresser to rummage through his bag again.

He pulled out a familiar red vial this time and immediately my awe-struck face fell. Oh god, not this shit again. He quickly handed it to me, and I hesitantly took it, looking at him warily.

"Well? Go on, drink." he ordered expectantly, crossing his massive arms. "You want to get better, don't you?"

I sighed and uncorked the vial, my nose being immediately assailed by the terrible scent of metal. I could already taste the damn thing by smelling it. Well, it was like a shot. Just gotta down it all at once. And I did just that, swallowing all of the nasty liquid in one gulp. I scrunched up my face and stomped my feet, hating every second.

At least, until that blissful orgasmic feeling hit me and I gently fell back onto the bed with a sigh. I shivered as a wave of magic ran through me, my limbs tingling all at once. He was right. I don't think I'll ever get used to that. Mmm.

"Good.." he said and left my side. I could hear him sifting through his things again. "Now that you're on the road to getting better, I'll be off tomorrow morning. Tonight's the last night you'll ever have to share a room with me again." he grunted, and I don't know if it was just the potion fucking with my senses but he sounded really.. upset.

I glanced at him from my peripheral, feeling a little emboldened, my cheeks still flushed red with heat.

"Hey.." I said softly.

There was this strange tension in the air, but I wasn't sure what from. Malukh dragged his eyes over to mine, looking a bit hesitant — it was a strange look on him.

"Thank you… for everything. You didn't have to help me, but you did.. so, thank you." and I felt like my face had to be on fire at this point.

He looked a little surprised, then tore his gaze away from me and rolled his shoulders, giving me a little grunt. The silence was making me uneasy, so I spoke again, kicking my dangling legs back and forth as I lay there, my heart racing.

"You know.. if you weren't.. Well, if you didn't already have some place to be, by chance.. I, um.. I wouldn't mind the—" I was interrupted by a series of knocks on the door, catching both of our attention and scaring the crap out of me. Who could it possibly be?

I sat up as Malukh gave me one last look before approaching the door. He cautiously cracked it open, peering through the slot.

"Good mornin', friend. I'm glad to see you're still in town! Mind if we talk?" I vaguely heard Ralof's voice on the other side before Malukh opened it all the way, revealing the handsome blonde.

It took a second for him to see me, but when he did his mouth dropped. I blinked, a little confused at his reaction. What, is there something on my face? He looked at me and then back to Malukh and back to me again.

"Oh! Oh, I didn't realize.. the lass was in here with you," Ralof cleared his throat, putting a fist to his mouth briefly. "I, uh.. Are you two..?"

"No! No, we aren't." Malukh growled, his grip on the door tightening. "They only had one room left."

Wait, did he think we were..? My face was painfully hot. Me..? With him? The thought was.. well. He wasn't bad looking, for an Orc, not at all. And his body was very nice and he was very strong.. and.. and.. Well, the thought was interesting. My imagination was already running wild.

"Ah, I see. Right. Well, I came here with a favor to ask." he gestured to be let in and Malukh stepped back to give him room. Ralof let himself in and moved to the center of our little room while Malukh shut the door.

"You see, my sister Gerdur, if you remember, has asked me to relay the news of dragons to the city of Whiterun, to the north of here. I would do it, but I am due in Windhelm as soon as possible. So, I was wondering if you, or rather, the two of you, were interested?" he explained, his expression hopeful.

There was an awkward silence as Malukh crossed the room and met my gaze. Ralof, sensing the aura of uncertainty, spoke again.

"There will be a reward, I assure you. Likely a hefty one, from the Jarl himself. Please, I beg of you. Riverwood is unprotected in it's current state. You would be doing me and this entire village a favor."

"Uh.. I don't.. mix well with authority." grumbled Malukh while rubbing at his neck, looking severely uncomfortable. "It would be better if someone else were to go."

He doesn't mix well with authority? Why, cuz you're a thief? I narrowed my eyes suspiciously from the bed.

"I would go, but I would probably die on the way on my own. If, say, a strong orc, were to come with me.. well, it'd be a different story." I shrugged nonchalantly, looking at Ralof instead.

Obviously, this has to happen. It's the Main questline for Pete's sake! If I'm the Dragonborn, I need to go to Whiterun pronto — but I can't do that on my own. I need Malukh to get over whatever his little problem is and help me attempt to save the world. Thankfully, Ralof has unknowingly given me an in to do just that.

Malukh shot me a look, one that said Don't push your luck, but I returned his look with equal intensity. I can't back down on this one. If I lose Malukh, it's quite literally game over.

"I was trying to cross the border for a reason, Sara." the Orc ground out my name, and the effect it had shocked even me. I sat up straighter, my face going red. "I'd be walking into my doom, for what? A little village that's done nothing for me?"

Clearly, he had a bounty on his name, and just for right now, I didn't care why. All I cared about was getting him to escort me. Time to put on my game face.

"Let's make a deal. All you need to do is escort me to the outskirts of town and I'll give you 75 percent of the reward, whatever it is. All I need is a little bit to get me a room at the inn for a few days. Does that sound good?"

Malukh narrowed his eyes, crossing those muscular arms of his over his chest, meeting my gaze unflinchingly.

"I'm risking my neck for you even getting close to that city. 85." he stated, looking deathly serious.

At this point, I was hella nervous. I was already incredibly generous with the previous offer, and he still wanted more? My face faltered but I kept my expression as serious as possible.

"Deal." I replied hastily. I got what I wanted, that's what's important.

Ralof had just been standing there awkwardly, watching the somewhat heated exchange uncomfortably. "So.. you're going then?"

"Yup!" I smiled, feeling a little victorious.

"Well, alright. I can't thank you two enough, really. If either of you are ever in Windhelm for any reason, stop by and say hello. I'm sure I'll be around." he smiled and held out his hand for me to clasp.

I did so with my good hand and was surprised by the strength of his grip. He gave me a subtle wink and I couldn't help but smile sheepishly as he dropped my hand gently, turning to clap Malukh on the shoulder. Damn handsome blonde. I don't even like Stormcloaks. Ralof left the room and shut the door behind him with a soft click… leaving Malukh and I alone.

There was tension in the air now, and it was strangely unpleasant. I twiddled my thumbs in my lap nervously, avoiding his piercing glare. I could feel his eyes on me.

"What the hell is your deal, anyway?" the Orc growled, getting up close and personal so that I was forced to stare at his boots. I brought my eyes up along the length of his torso hesitantly, until my eyes met his. The look he was giving me was lethal. "You've got to be the strangest Nord I've ever met and I've met a lot of Nords."

"I don't know what you mean." I bluffed, my heart beating painfully hard in my chest. I literally can't tell him anything… but it seems he's starting to figure it out.

"I think you do. What kind of Nord doesn't know how to fight? To put on armor properly? Hell, to even hold a sword? You don't even have that silly accent. There's something strange about you."

"So my parents never taught me how to fight, so what?" I lied, getting defensive. "And.. I wasn't raised in Skyrim. I was raised in Cyrodiil."

At this, his disposition changed. His lip curled up in what could only be described as a mocking sneer. "Ah. It all makes sense now. No wonder you're so prissy." he chuckled, his voice a low rasp.

Phew. He actually bought that. I'm just pulling this shit out of my ass. I grimaced, trying to feign offense.

"Yeah, yeah. So now you know." I said, standing up suddenly. Malukh had to take a step back to give me room. "I'm going to go eat. That apple's the only thing I've had in two days."

I quickly retrieved my boots I'd left near the door, slipping them on, hearing him grunt behind me.

"I'm going back to the Riverwood Trader." he called to me as I moved to open the door. "We'll need more than what I bought if we are to be travelling together."

"You know where I'll be." I replied simply, leaving the door open wide as I crossed over to the innkeep. I huffed as I sat down on the stool, finding Orgnar staring at me unamused, as well as a few unwanted eyes from the other patrons.

"You two sure are loud. At this rate, I'm not gonna have any customers left." he drawled, polished a dirty glass.

I sighed, leaning my elbows on the counter.

"Sorry. I just.. didn't realize Orcs can be so .." I paused to look over my shoulder, watching just as Malukh stepped out and shut the door to our room. He glanced at me before turning and walking out of the inn. "..Difficult."

He chuckled. "He's an Orc, lass. An Orc. What were you expecting?"

"I wasn't expecting to even travel with an Orc, that's for sure."

"Sounds like that would be an interesting story over breakfast. Can I get you something to eat?"

"Well, I'm starving." I admitted. "Anything will do."

"How's rabbit stew sound?"

Gross, but I could eat a horse right now. "How much?"

"Three gold." he replied.

"Sounds good." I dug in my pocket and thankfully found some pocket change. I handed it over to the innkeep, to which he took it with a wink.

"Alright, give me a couple minutes and I'll cook it right up for 'ya."

I spent the next half hour eating what turned out to be a delicious meal, relaying the tale of what transpired in Helgen to Orgnar, who listened dutifully without any other customers to tend to. I asked him what work could be done for decent pay here in Skyrim and he told me I could work the mills or the farms, but it would be difficult, especially in the winter. The thought of manual labor sounded grueling on its own, but it was better than dying in some crypt to a draugr. Just thinking of seeing one of those when I were to eventually head to Bleak Falls Barrow sent a shiver down my spine.

Eventually our conversation ran dry and I thanked him for the meal before leaving the tavern to find my new companion. I was.. Really bored. I would've thought being in my favorite game would be more exciting but so far it had just sucked. I was literally beheaded and then.. Not? Still don't know what that was about. Then my shoulder was dislocated, we were chased by Alduin the World-Eater around Helgen and I was promptly forced to watch people get murdered. This whole journey so far was just not good.

I slowly made my way down the path towards where I knew The Riverwood Trader would be, though the village was a bit bigger than in the game so it took me a little longer to get there. I wasn't sure what time it was without my phone but by the looks of it, it had to be around noon. There was a bit of traffic and I passed several strangers on the way, until I finally stood in front of a large two-story building: the sign clearly read 'The Riverwood Trader'.

I opened the door and peered into the dimly lit room, my eyes immediately landing on Malukh's large back as leaned against the counter, mid-conversation.

"—Isn't that strange? It's the only thing that they took and I know I've got some good pieces in here, so I'm not sure what their goal was."

I took a few steps in, shutting the door quietly. I noticed Camilla sitting at the table, in the middle of a book. Hearing me enter, she glanced up, giving me a polite smile that I returned as all eyes went to me.

"Hello.." I greeted awkwardly, mostly meeting the stare of Malukh. "Fine weather.. We're having.."

"Ah, hello! A customer! I was just telling this fellow here about the uh.. The break in. A shame, really." The shopkeep whose name I forgot said with that gravelly voice of his, looking a bit embarrassed.

"I'm with him." I gestured with a hand towards the Orc, who grunted in acknowledgement. "Um.. a break in, you say? What happened?"

"Bandits! Rotten thieves stole an ornament from our shop just a few nights ago. It's strange though - they didn't take anything else from my shop."

"I'm sorry to hear that." Truthfully, I wasn't. The thing's only worth like 100 gold in game - though that could be a lot for someone in my position. "Do you know where they might have gone, perhaps? Did they leave any trails?"

Obviously, I know where everything is.. But it'll come off as suspicious if I just know things I shouldn't. Gotta play the part.

"Well, we believe they're holed up in Bleak Fall's Barrow, just up the mountain to the northeast of town. Now, I'm not asking you to get it for me but.. If you're ever headed that way, we'd appreciate it if you kept us in your thoughts." The Imperial explained hopefully, glancing at Malukh nervously. My Orc friend was starting to look a little.. Sour.

"If we do, we'll be sure to retrieve it for you." I told the man, knowing full well I'd be headed there regardless. "Are you done here, Malukh?"

I gave him a look that said Let's move on, to which the massive man nodded, grunting his thanks to the shopkeep and throwing that signature bag of his back over his shoulder. It clanked loudly and I wondered what he could've bought. Just how much gold did he nab back in Helgen? I barely made it out with a measly 25 gold. The Imperial barked a 'thank you for your business' as we hastily turned to leave.

The two of us then exited the shop and I took this time to peer up at my companion, who was looking ahead sternly. His face was handsome and youthful without that paint. I just couldn't help but admire his features for a few moments as I followed his lead towards the inn.

"So.. what exactly do you have in there, Malukh? It looks er… heavy." I quipped from his side, earning a glance from those green eyes.

"Travelling in Skyrim is considerably more dangerous than Cyrodiil, girl. What I bought is necessary if we are to have an easy trip to Whiterun. It's roughly three days from here on foot, if we don't run into trouble, and now we are packed accordingly." The Orc returned his gaze forward again.

"Well, I trust you know what you're doing…" I commented a bit awkwardly. Suddenly, I got an idea. "Hey. After we put this stuff away, would you be willing to, uh, well…" I lost confidence as his eyes slowly drifted back to mine, looking increasingly more agitated.

"Spit it out." he growled harshly, lip curling in a sneer.

"Tr.. train me!" I finished with a squeak.

He gave me an incredulous look.. and then a deep, guttural laugh burst forth from his chest. We actually had to stop as he bent over, resting a hand on his knee as he had a full-on laughing fit in the middle of town. We got several strange looks from the village's inhabitants, and I couldn't possibly be more embarrassed. My face immediately flushed with heat as I glanced between all the faces currently staring our way.

"H-Hey! What's so funny about that?" I cried in mortification, covering my face partly with my hands. "Malukh! Oh, my God.. you're such a jerk."

After a solid two minutes of Malukh nearly crying from laughter, he finally stood to his full height, wiping at one of his eyes as his chuckles finally died down. He looked down at me with wet eyes, a half-grin still on his face.

"You're funny." he told me, looking the most pleasant I'd ever seen him. His humor seemed to dissipate as he stared at my embarrassed face, before his expression shifted altogether, looking more concerned than anything. "..You're.. serious?"

I hesitantly nodded. For a second, I thought he was going to laugh in my face again, but instead his lips set into a grim line.

"No." he said, before continuing forward, leaving me standing there awkwardly.

I gawked at his back in shock for a moment, before my feet started moving on their own.

"Why not?" I demanded, offended at this entire damn exchange. The heat in my face was nearly unpleasant at this point as we approached the inn, climbing up the stairs.

"I don't want to. And you're injured, if you've already forgotten."

"Please! Please, Malukh, I'll do anything!" I resorted to begging, feeling a bit pathetic and whiny, but desperation beat them both. "I know this isn't a part of the deal but—"

"I said no!" he barked, yanking the door open a bit too forcefully as his head swiveled on it's axis to give me a pointed look. I shrank back at the sight, watching him turn on his heel and into the inn.

All I could do was dejectedly follow after him. It wasn't a bad idea.. we still had a whole day before we departed for Whiterun and nothing to do. I don't want to be unprepared for what's to come, why can't he see that? This would actually benefit us both. I know my shoulder is bad but I just can't wait for it to heal. We don't have time for that.

I entered our room to find Malukh already inside, frustratedly dumping out the contents of his bag onto my bed. I twirled a lock of ruddy brown hair around my finger, uncomfortably watching the Orc from the side. I could cut the tension in the air with a knife. Why is it always like this?

I took a peek at some of the items now displayed on the bland beige sheets of the bed with a curious eye: there were two sets of warm clothes, two bedrolls, two backpacks of some kind, waterskins, basically all the essentials for traveling on the road for several days. I burned with to desire to ask how he'd gotten all of this and for how much, but my mortification from our previous conversation was still alive and well. I remained hovering by the open door, unable to help my sullen expression.

Eventually, as Malukh sorted through and divided the items between us, he glanced at me from his peripheral and I nearly winced. Ugh, this is so.. awkward. I want nothing more than to just leave and never return.

"You just going to stand over there all day?"

I gave a noncommittal shrug, staring at my boots. For some reason, I couldn't shake the embarrassment of having Malukh, the most humourless person I've ever met, laughing at a question I asked for damn near two minutes. It was just… ugh. Just thinking about it was making me hot, and not in a good way.

At my lack of a response, I heard a grumble and then three louds footsteps as his shoes came into view. My heart began to race, fearing confrontation once again, though I still dragged my eyes up the length of his torso to meet his annoyed gaze. He crossed his arms, and I watched the muscles there flex deliciously. Still not used to that.

"You're a real pain, you know?" Malukh sighed. "You still want to be trained?"

I didn't want to answer, but still found myself nodding anyway, already regretting this entire thing.

"I figured you'd keep pouting at me like this all night if I didn't." he pinched the bridge of his nose. "So, fine. Just know that I won't go easy on you for being a woman."

I narrowed my eyes at that, pursing my lips.

"I didn't want you to anyway." I grumbled, avoiding his eyes.

"Good. Grab your sword and head outside." he instructed me, moving swiftly to grab the little hand-axe laying on the dresser. The weapon didn't seem his style at all. He quickly passed me and went out the door, leaving me alone.

I did as I was told and grabbed the sword I'd yet to use once, probably holding it so incredibly wrong that even my ancestors would be ashamed, and followed the man outside. He was patiently waiting at the foot of the stairs as I stepped into the cool Riverwood air, a gentle breeze tousling my hair slightly. He stared at me as I descended in three quick hops until I was an inch from his chest, looking up into his face with a strange feeling swirling through me.

Now this would be exciting.

Or so I thought. The rest of the afternoon was spent training in some secluded corner of the town and Malukh didn't lie. He didn't go easy on me at all. Blocking his aggressive attacks with just a sword and with each blow sending a burst of pain through my shoulder, facing against him as my enemy and not my companion was… genuinely terrifying. I got knocked on my ass more times than I could count, and it was pretty demoralizing having him shout at me over and over to 'get up!' or 'put my back into it'.

Eventually I found myself sitting on my behind, panting as I stared up at the Orc above me. He was glaring down at me and I could tell he was not impressed with my progress in the slightest. He sighed before offering me a massive hand and I was surprised at the gesture. I blinked before hesitantly reaching for it. Immediately, he clasped my tiny hand and yanked me to my feet with a surprised yelp.

I saw firsthand just how strong Malukh is these past two days. I'm just glad he's on my side — for now. God knows what I'll do when he ditches me in Whiterun. Malukh was quick to let go of my hand, pulling it back to cross his arms.

"Well, hopefully we don't run into any bandits." He said simply.

"Why do I get the feeling that's an insult?" I sighed, unable to help but feel offended.

"Because it is. Your sword arm is flabby and you can't block an attack to save your life. If I were to take my eyes off of you for a single moment in a fight, you would be dead faster than I can blink. We need to get you a shield. In this case, a sword will do you no favors." he told me harshly, and I winced.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence…" I said weakly, brushing myself off and avoiding his gaze.

"Would a lie boost your morale in battle?" he retorted.

"Maybe." I played with the sword in my hands. "A compliment from a warrior as strong as you would be.. Well, nice."

Malukh was silent briefly, giving me a weighted stare as I continued fiddling with my new weapon. He sighed finally, rubbing his temples with his thumb and forefinger.

"You.. aren't the worst I've seen.." he grumbled.

I frowned. "..Gee, thanks."

"And.. You sparred better than some men I've trained with - and they were not injured, like you are."

This actually did please me, if only a little bit. I looked up from the sword in my calloused, dirty hands and gave him a shy smile. He stiffened at the look, blinking excessively.

"That's nice of you to say. Thank you, Malukh. Even if you don't really mean it." I told him genuinely, unable to help but feel warm and bubbly.

"Don't let it go to your head." He growled suddenly, turning his back to me as he sheathed his axe on his belt. "You will still be overwhelmed in any coming battles. You are no warrior - yet, anyway.. If we get more time to train, then maybe you have a chance of becoming something great." he cleared his throat. "For now, we will be doing no more of this. We pushed it by allowing any rigorous physical activity while you still heal. We should return to the inn, it's getting late… and we have a long three days ahead of us."

I nodded even though he couldn't see me do so, approaching him from behind. He began to move, checking briefly to see if I was following, and we walked side-by-side in an amiable silence. I found myself staring up at his towering figure and handsome face, unable to quell the burning feeling of something in my chest.

Right now, Malukh was all I had. He'd been with me since the beginning, even if our first meeting hadn't been so pleasant. He'd even stayed with me through Helgen and all the way to Riverwood. Now, we prepared to journey to Whiterun together, despite his problems there. Sure, I'd had to bribe him to get him to come along with me but .. if that were me, with a bounty on my head, well - no sum of gold could convince me to go there. I wondered about who he was and where he'd come from while trying to cross that border, his words echoing in my mind.

I was trying to cross the border for a reason, Sara.

What is that reason? What was in that sack he'd been carrying when we first met? Who are you really, Malukh? And why haven't you ditched me yet?

We eventually found ourselves back in the tavern, which was quite full at this time of day. The smell of alcohol was particularly pungent this evening and the sound of clinking bottles and raucous laughter filled my ears as we stepped inside. Malukh pushed me along by the small of my back, a gesture that sent tingles through my body, starting from the point of contact. I didn't mind it one bit. He guided me through the boisterous crowds of drunk men and I just prayed none of them would look at me.

A deep voice, Malukh's voice, rumbled in my left ear. "What do you prefer to drink?"

A shiver ran down my spine at the feeling of his breath on the shell of my ear. I quickly glanced up at him over my shoulder, finding his eyes already on me. I knew he meant alcohol and honestly… I could use a little something on my second night in Skyrim.

"Wine. Red, if they have it."

Malukh scoffed in amusement. "Figures."

I blushed, allowing him to lead me towards the bar. We sat down on the stools, both of which were surprisingly available and Malukh ordered our drinks from Orgnar. He got a mug of ale for himself, and Orgnar was quick to deliver. He plopped down the Orc's drink in front of him with a loud clank, foam sliding down the sides - it looked pretty dang good. On the other hand, he gingerly handed me a tall glass of red wine and I swirled it around out of habit. Malukh grabbed the handle of his ale and raised it to me, a mirthful glint in his eye. I wasn't used to seeing him look so .. well, cheerful.

"To our survival!" he grunted, and I raised my own glass.

"To our survival." I repeated with a smile, before taking a hefty sip. And by hefty sip, I nearly downed the whole thing. It was bitter sweet on my tongue, but right now it tasted like liquid gold.

Malukh looked at me with wide eyes, his upper lip coated in a froth from his own drink. He laughed as I meekly finished the rest of my glass.

"Thirsty?" he rumbled, the sound reverberating inside his chest. I shivered.

Yeah. I must be if I'm thirsting after an Orc.. I thought in embarrassment.

"Bartender!" barked Malukh. "Another for the lady!"

Orgnar rounded the table after tending to some other guests, giving me a pleasantly surprised look. He reached under the bar and pulled out what had to be the bottle of wine.

"That was fast." he grinned as he poured me another glass. "Sure 'ya don't want water instead?"

I shook my head, bringing the freshly poured wine to my lips again and gulping it down like my life depended on it. My throat burned now, but I was too bubbly to care. Orgnar vanished from my mind's eye as I watched Malukh drink from his ale, though I didn't notice his wary, wandering gaze or careful, measured sips. Oddly, I was more focused on watching his adam's apple as he gulped, the bulging veins on his thick arms, his masculine and overtly dominant man-spreading sitting position. Everything about him screamed manly and right now all I could think about was how much I would not mind that manly body on top of mine tonight.

I was not drunk yet, but I desired being drunk so badly that I sure felt it. My face was hot as I stared blatantly at his features, lit up nicely by the fire-pit. How is it possible that I am attracted to him? I watched him kick a dead ladies head into a wall after he killed her. And yet I… His green eyes rove around the room, stern but getting less so by the minute, likely the influence of his drink, roving until they came to a stop upon me. He looked surprised to find me gazing at him so unabashedly, but the alcohol in my system was making me bold. I held his eyes as I finished off my second glass and Malukh honestly looked like he wasn't sure what to do with my liquid courage.

Eventually, Orgnar just gave me the whole bottle to finish off and I took it gladly. Around this time, Malukh grabbed the bottle just before I could drink straight from it, and I shot him an annoyed look. He leveled me with his stare.

"Careful, now. Don't want to have a hangover tomorrow morning before we set out." he warned. "You aren't drunk, are you?"

"No!" I answered, a bit too quickly. "No, 'am not, thanks you very much. Now, let a girl drink. Ish been a bad few days…" I slurred, my eyes glued to the bottle.

"Sara.." he growled, lifting it higher, away from my reach.

I was getting pissed off now. Who's he 'ta take my drink away from me?! I stood, forcing Malukh to stand as well as I reached for the bottle, whining like a child. He put his free hand on the top of my head, blocking my view and preventing me from reaching further.

"Give it 'ere! Why you gotta bully me so mush.." I cried. "You're real mean, you know?"

Malukh sighed and set it down, but before I could clamber over to it and get that sweet, sweet juice, he bent down and lifted me over his shoulder. I squealed as I was thrown over him like a sack of potatoes, finding myself staring down the length of his backside as I hung limply, unable to move.

"That's enough for us, Orgnar." Malukh called loudly to the innkeep, ignoring my pitiful whines as he moved swiftly towards our room. "I'll pay in the 'morn."

"You better!" the man faintly called back.

I kicked and feebly pounded on the hard planes of his shoulders with my fists, finding it had zero effect on him to my dismay. He opened the door, entered, and swiftly kicked it shut with a foot, drowning out the other sounds of the inn. He took three long strides to cross the room before throwing me unceremoniously onto the bed, which creaked under my weight. I squeaked as I bounced two times, feeling overly dizzy by all the moving and what not.

"Well, now I know you're a damn lightweight, though that doesn't surprise me." he grunted lowly, though there was humor in his eyes.

"I'm not drumk!" I protested vehemently, sitting criss-crossed on the bed and using my hands to support me as I leaned forward.

"If you ain't drunk now, I really don't want to know what you're like when you are." he grumbled, taking a seat at the table across from me.

"I told you, I'm no-" I began, leaning forward a bit too far. I lurched forward, a surprised gasp escaping me as I suddenly found myself tumbling off of my perch. Malukh was quick to reach forward, his arms clamping onto mine rather roughly and stopping my descent.

"Whoa- by Malacath, you're like a child!" he groaned, his face inches from mine.

I panted, feeling way too hot. It's like I'm on fire right now. I found myself staring up at him in his half-stood position, my legs moving on their own to support me better beneath me. His eyes searched mine and must've found something they didn't like because he quickly released my arms and pulled away with a frustrated sigh. I didn't like the distance between us, so I stood and moved to hover in front of him. He stared at me with concern.

"What are you doing now?"

"Gettin' closer.." I whispered hotly, moving to plant myself in his lap. "You're sho far away."

Malukh looked like he realized what I was about to do, his eyes widening. "No, no, there's a good reason for that, girl." He held me at arms length as I feebly attempted to climb on top of him. "This can't just be the alcohol making you act so strangely!"

"Maybe it's not." I replied quickly, grabbing his hands with both of mine, earning a surprised look from the Orc. "Maybe I jush.. want you.."

Malukh flared in anger, yanking his arms out of my grasp as he stood up suddenly, shoving me back so hard I stumbled back onto the bed. He avoided hitting my bad shoulder, even in his annoyed state. His nostrils flared as he took several deep breaths, looming over me like a shadow.

"Want me?" he growled lowly. "You don't want this. You're just drunk and horny - I'm sure you'd fuck any willing man right about now. If that's what you want, go find one outside, there's plenty out there."

A surge of emotion hit me and for some reason I was genuinely hurt to be rejected by him so vehemently. I used my elbows to sit myself up slightly, my face crumpling as I stared at his pissed off expression.

"Don't shay that.. I told you, I want you-" I insisted, but he hastily interjected.

"You don't even know what you're saying!" he shouted.

Malukh's face darkened suddenly and he looked as if he had an idea. I wanted to speak again but held my tongue as he began to prowl forward. I could only watch in anticipation as he hovered over me, spreading my legs with a knee and leaning down so that his face was in mine, hands holding himself up on either side of my head. My breath became shallow as I realized in my barely-there conscious that we were about to do this. I was going to fuck an Orc…

I moaned softly as his knee brushed against my cunt just barely - the sound was almost enough to lure him in, or so I hoped. He growled as I reached up with hazy eyes, eager to feel his skin against mine and I sighed as I cupped his face in my hands. His face was surprisingly soft under my fingers and I ran my index finger down his bottom lip before brushing a thumb along his tusk. He allowed it, and for a second he looked utterly torn. Don't fight it.. Just give it to me.

"You won't remember a thing in the morning." he told me roughly. "If I were a smart man, I would just take you, here and now. Fuck you bloody like you seem to want." I breathily sighed as my eyes trailed down between his legs, wanting to see him, see if he wanted me too. For some reason, his words were only turning me on more and I dropped a hand from his face to reach for him.

Malukh grabbed my roaming hand with a vice grip, pinning it to the bed as he pulled away from me, so incredibly far away. I whined softly, my eyes begging him to return and honestly, he looked like he wanted to.

"But I am not that man and I will not listen to a drunk girl's demands." There was a finality to his tone that I couldn't seem to comprehend, I merely wanted him to come back down.

And then he pulled away entirely and I wanted to protest as he stood and moved towards the door. I went to follow but he turned and shot me a glare that told me to stay. And stay I did. I watched him sadly as he left the room briefly, returning with the same bottle of wine in his hands. He shut the door behind him, strode over to me and planted the thing in my waiting hands.

"Finish this and go to sleep." he grunted, stepping back and beginning to unbuckle his armor. I felt a tingle of hope that maybe he would still give me what I want but he turned his back to me. "Don't get any ideas."

I just watched him undress, watched the way his muscles flexed and moved beneath his skin as he threw the garments to the floor, moving to take his spot on the floor. I briefly saw the outline of his member, definitely hard from our interaction, and took that as a small victory at the very least. I did as I was told and finished the rest of the bottle, coming down from my high. I felt a bit of shame now that I had pushed him so far, staring at his bare back, which was turned towards me and breathing shallowly where he rested.

I assumed he would do it - he is a man, after all. Men take what they're given, especially if they're splayed out before him so willingly. But drunken consent is not consent after all and I wonder if this desperate wanting towards him would indeed disappear in the morning. I found myself too embarrassed to move for some time, even knowing that he'd already fallen asleep. It was pitch black outside our window and I wondered just how much time had passed in my drunken stupor.

Eventually I found the will to lay down on the bed, clutching my empty wine bottle to my chest like it was a teddy bear of sorts. I fell asleep, putting my sword beside my bed in case I needed it. Sleep came easily that night and I found myself thinking of Orc tusks and pointed, green ears.