Author's Note: Sorry it's been so long, but I am still here, even if I'm not rapid-firing my updates! Anyway, hope you enjoy this update!

A New Dawn

When I got back to the camp I saw two very warn out kids huddled in each other's arms outside a dwindling campfire. Jared's arms were wrapped protectively around her and in one hand he held an Iron Sword that was in desperate need of sharpening, pointed away from them. He was rocking her back and forth like a parent, trying to comfort her, and her face was buried in his chest. Though he was trying to calm her, his face was wide and blank, a look of shock and fear over his features from the night's horrors.

I nearly collapsed when I got into the tent. I didn't say anything at first, though I knew I should, that I should tell them it was over and they would be ok. But I didn't, and we sat for at least an hour in silence, recovering.

Finally I said, "Jared, can you hand me the bag over there?"

Jared stiffly moved his arm and did as I asked. I drew out a piece of paper, quill, and ink. Then I heightened the fire and examined two of the files laying scattered behind me in the tent. Finally I wrote very carefully, mimicking the deep ridged print:

Ingrates,

Cyrodiil awaits. I am tired of caring for worthless children. Let Constance take care of the lot of you. Or not. You can starve for all I care.

Grelod

When that was done I turned to kids.

"Jared, I hate to do this, but you have to go back to Honorhall –"

"No," Jared interrupted at the same time Lynn did.

"But we promised!"

"Shh, listen. It's not forever, I will come back for you in about a week. We have to go back now though and sneak in before dawn. With this letter hopefully suspicion won't be too high about what happened to…Grelod and soon things will settle down and be for the better. If Jared disappears too though, well that's very suspicious, you see?" I said.

"Can I see your note?" Lynn asked, holding out her hand. I handed it to her and she looked over it once and nodded. "That's good, a better forgery than mine even."

She smiled at me timidly and I think I grimaced when I tried to smile back at her. I had accepted that I had some sort of gift for the stealthy arts, but I still wasn't too comfortable with it. I also wasn't too happy having two young kids involved in what happened. I didn't even want to be involved in it.

Murder. That's what it was. It was murder. Justified, maybe. Self-defense, sort of. But it was murder. We had aroused the old hag from sleep and gotten her out of the orphanage, broken in, stolen, and then killed her when it got deadly. No, not we. I killed her. The phrase kept repeating. I killed her. And I had liked it.

I ground my teeth together. I had no choice! I was saving lives, that's what my destiny was, my title Dovakiin proved that. I wasn't a vicious murderer, I did what I had to to save Lynn.

Knowing that argument with myself wasn't going to be settled before daybreak I stood up quickly and offered Jared a hand.

"Please," I said. "I promised you, and I'm not taking that back."

Jared looked at me and nodded. He hugged Lynn tight and said, "Take care of yourself little sister."

"Bye big brother," she said.

I raised an eyebrow.

"He adopted me as a baby," Lynn explained.

"Ah. Well, hand me all the files but Lynn's too, I need to put them back. I wasn't thinking when I grabbed them," I said.

Jared nodded.

"Be safe Lynn," I said and she picked up the iron sword Jared had discarded.

We walked back in silence or awhile.

"What if Constance doesn't approve of adoptions with Grelod gone?" Jared asked.

"We'll have to convince her. If not, well, there's always running away, you know you'll have a place with me," I said.

Another pause before Jared said, "I have a grandmother in Whiterun."

"You do?"

"Yeah. They wouldn't let her take me in though. They said she was too old to take care of me but I know they're wrong. She was a companion and healthier than my…parents. Even before…" Jared said but kept choking up at the end.

"Then we'll go to Whiterun," I said. "If that's what you want."

He nodded. And it was silent again.

He broke the quiet by laughing. "I think I know why Lynn chose us."

"Chose us?"

"For family," Jared said. "She's always so talkative, she needs someone to listen to her. Well, and to take care of her. I guess I didn't do such a good job tonight."

"You did fine Jared. You're still growing up you know. You'll probably tower above me in a few years, as strong and tall as any Nord, probably stronger. You've been through more than a lot of people. You shouldn't be so hard on yourself," I said.

I think we were both surprised at my elegant speech. It wasn't always there, my ability to find the right words unplanned. I could still recall stumbling over my goodbye to Ralof before leaving for Whiterun. But when it did come to me, it was very handy. I looked at Jared, whose face had seemed to de-age a little, his shoulders relax, and I was glad that it had come when it did.

"You're a good mom," Jared said.

I came to a stop without thinking when he said that but started on quickly. I was certain he noticed but he said nothing about it.

"That's how Lynn sees you," Jared explained after a few more minutes. "I've been her brother long enough to know."

"Oh."

So much for the gift of speech.

It wasn't much longer before we were outside the walls of Riften.

"I'll be in the city frequently so you should see me around and I'll stop by in a few days to offer to help out at the orphanage. Hopefully it will all go smoothly. You might help by getting everyone to cause a little ruckus, not too much, just enough to make her want an extra hand. That's up to you though. I promise it won't be long before we're headed to Whiterun. After tonight, I owe that to you," I said.

He nodded and I could see the blush on his cheeks in the dim light cast from the wall's torches. Everyone was still asleep and our trip back went very smoothly considering the chaos of the entire night. He tucked himself in while I put the files back and relocked the safe.

I then went to Grelod's room and packed her clothes and the few books she had in a bag I found there. The only other items he owned was a dagger which I thrust into the front door with my note on my way out of the orphanage.

Outside dawn had just started casting a sleepy gray light over the city as I walked over to the marketplace, and plopped myself down in the chair resting behind a stall.

I had a vendor to see.

A.N. Yep, this chapter is pretty transitory but there's more action to come on Everlee's journey. Hope you're enjoying it so far. The next chapter will hopefully be up this weekend some time. Thanks for reading and if you get the time, please review!