Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the Elder Scrolls series.

Author's Note: This chapter contains a new character of my own. Some of the Lore is greatly exaggerated and does not reflect upon Bethesda's version. It is still Lore Friendly, just not down to every detail. (My version:)-Druids and Shamans in my opinion are very different. Druids deal in nature (Plants, animals, vegetation, etc,) while Shamans deal in elements and wisdom much like mages and scholars, but in a spiritual way. The mer or elven races are likely to exhibit the practices of the druids more so than men, but also can be shamans. The men, humans, are more likely to exhibit the practice of a Shaman, but rarely are there any druids among the human races. I'm not saying it isn't possible for a human to be a druid. Let's just accept that the Elder Scroll series is full of surprises, and I've added a few of my own.

Chapter 9: Theodwyn

Mahrig

The ground itself seemed to open around me just moments after I had cleared the table and hunkered down against it. By some force the ground, the nature around me, had decided to protect me from the explosion and the sudden familiar blade that pierced the table where I had originally sat. The shock the explosion sent through the cavern caused the ground below me to quake, and the dirt below me gave away even more leaving me to fall into darkness.

I landed with a painful thud, presumably I had fallen through to a lower level of the cavern. I couldn't see anything though. The place was in complete darkness. I dared not call out in fear of attracting anyone else to my location. I couldn't even call out to Gareth to make sure he was alright. The explosion had been much more intense than I had originally anticipated. I had never personally dealt with a flame atronach, but I was familiar with them due to in depth descriptions in my reading throughout the years. I guess it is true when they say words cannot explain something. Words definitely could not have prepared me for that.

Another small tremor shook through the dark room, causing small rocks and dirt to topple over my head. I moved away from the unstable ground I had fallen through, trying to gain some distance from a possible collapse. It was a good thing I did. I heard more than saw the ceiling collapse in on the room. Whatever was above would have to save itself. Hopefully Gareth was a good distance away from the ground that gave away. I cast a small spell of Candlelight to illuminate the scene around me. Huge boulders and piles of dirt were blocking the area I had previously fell through.

There was a tunnel on my side of the room. I wasn't sure if I should move from my location. Gareth and I were already separated and my survival instincts began to kick in. I needed to find a way out, and so far the tunnel was my only glimmer of hope. I hesitantly trailed the wall toward the tunnel hoping that the fragile structure would hold in the event that anymore surprise tremors would come. I could feel a slight breeze coming from the tunnel. I became hopeful in that moment that this meant there was a way out just ahead. What I was presented with at the end of the tunnel was far beyond what my mind could have imagined. The cavern tunnel opened up into a beautiful glade that was surrounded by a body of water. Mushrooms illuminated the great hall and wind poured in from darkened holes within the ceiling. I could hear the water running through the walls and cascading over the rocks into the gleaming waters that lay before me. In the center of the glade sat a figure illuminated by a green glow.

"Come forward." The sound was a whisper that seemed to carry on the wind. What other option did I have? Going back the other way would present me with a dead end. My only options would be to disobey or comply. If Gareth had been standing with me, he would no doubt have disobeyed until the figure introduced themselves. Gareth might not have been there, but I would choose to take a note from my experience with him.

"Who are you?" I asked. I didn't realize how shaky my voice had become until the sound echoed through the glade. I felt something poke my leg and looked down. A root was sticking out of the ground attempting to gesture me forward. My first instinct was to scream at this foreign sight. What kind of magic was this? I stepped into the water hoping to gain a little distance from the root that had taken on some form of life. The water that soaked through my thin boots was oddly warm and welcoming to my feet. I glanced back toward the figure that now stood and began walking toward me. The closer the figure came, the more his features came into view as he approached my candlelight. He was… A human? No, an elf maybe? Maybe even a mix? His eyes were a dark mahogany color and his skin was a deep Olive color that reminded me of Gareth's only darker. His high cheekbones and slightly pointed ears were the only indicators of elven blood. Other then that he seemed human. His Disheveled Light brown hair framed his face and fell to his shoulders. He was quite a bit taller than me, but not as tall as Gareth. Ofcourse Gareth's height even made some Nord's look small.

He extended his hand toward me at the edge of the water. I stared at the scarred hand he presented.

"What do you want?" I looked back into his mahogany eyes that blinked back amusement.

"To know the woman who has set me free of course." Set him free? What could he mean? I set him free? How? The questions in my mind clearly left some sort of hint on my face. He continued.

"You my beautiful lady, have set me free after five long years." He paused and leaned closer gazing into my eyes.

"A kindred spirit I suppose, imprisonment leaves a mark on the soul." I froze at his words. How could he have known something like that by just simply looking at me? Was he some sort of mind reader and what else could he find out? I quickly glanced down to the ripple his feet made in the water as he stepped closer. I didn't want someone reading me like a book, and I certainly didn't want any of this to get back to Gareth.

"I can see I've made you uncomfortable, perhaps I should stop prying where I'm not wanted." His linen pants were now in my view. I kept my gaze low trying not to meet his eyes. My efforts were however fruitless. His arm snaked out and his hand gently tilted my chin upward.

"Now my beauty, what is it that you go by?" I had no reason to tell this man anything. If I had actually been the one to free him than he should be the one indebted to me. I stood fast on that decision too.

"You first, who are you?" He chuckled and dropped his hand.

"You'll have to forgive me, it's been so long since I have had the pleasure to gaze upon such beauty." He stepped back. I let out a small sigh to unwind the tension that had built in my body.

"My name is Theodwyn. You can call me Theo, I would actually prefer Theo." He smiled and motioned for me to follow him. I hesitantly followed him to the clearing where he had previously sat upon my entrance.

"Your companion is still safe by the way, he's in a bit of a panic, but safe." The silence was ushered out by Theo's words.

"Wait, Gareth? He's alright? How could you possibly know that?" My questions came out simultaneously and a bit rushed, but it didn't seem to bother the strange man who squinted his eyes as he smiled.

"Simple, look around you. These walls are not all rock, much of it is actually made up of dirt and clay that has hardened throughout years of Nirn's existence." He motioned all around us and continued.

"This place was my home for years before those necromancer's came, and I nourished the dirt and helped my roots flourish." His words confused me, but before I could inquire his meaning he answered.

"I'm a druid by nature. It's what I do, It's how I live, and it's what I know." The mention of druid made me search my memory of the knowledge I had on the practice. Druids were very rare among most races, but found quite often within the Bosmer's History, the wood elves.

"So, you're a wood elf?" My curiosity was peaked. It was almost too rare for a human culture to exhibit the powers of a druid. Human cultures centered more around Shamans than druids. Elven cultures exhibited both Shamans and Druids.

"Yes and no. A few generations have passed with my family mixing blood with humans. I still feel a strong connection with nature due to my… upbringing." It was his turn to slightly become guarded.

"The Necromancers that infested my home imprisoned me here. They experimented with my powers. At first I was reluctant, but the forms of torture they use...could break any man." His eyes found a root that gently brushed his leg. It almost seemed as if the root itself was trying to comfort Theo.

I didn't want to be the type to pry, it wasn't like me. After all I myself disliked those who seemed a little nosy, but I had so many questions. He didn't seem like a threat. If he had wanted to hurt me, he would have already right?

"So, can you read minds or anything like that?" His expression turned puzzled at my question.

"No, why would you think that? If I could, I would know your name by now." That was right, I felt kind of belittled at his reply. He had given me his name, and even told me a little about himself. I on the other hand had become the rude one, and had yet to share anything.

"Oh, forgive me. I'm Mahrig. I was just curious as to how you seemed to know so much. You mentioned the roots and that was all." He smiled.

"Ah, I neglected to elaborate my meaning. As a druid I have a strong connection with nature. Kynareth blesses certain individuals with this gift every few generations, and sometimes far between." He chuckled.

"I was… an odd choice to be gifted with the connection. My mother was human, and my father was only partially Bosmer himself." He paused thinking of his next statement.

"I was abandoned here when I was only a child. I guess that abandonment helped nurture my bond with animals and anything of nature. The roots you see," he gestured toward the root that continued to stroke his leg.

"My powers help them stretch beyond their own impairments. They become more than just what normal people see. I can make flowers bloom in the harsh climates, I can feel all the emotions of these seemingly inanimate things. Plants are living things just as us. In return for the mobility and conscience I can provide for them, they in turn tell me things." He smiled down at the root.

"As a Druid I also have the ability to call upon animals for aid, but I've always had a better connection to Nirn." His gaze found me again.

"I could feel the change in the atmosphere at the arrival of you and your companion. One of my roots have been acting as a beacon to me and the tunnels above." My mind recalled the root that I had stumbled over while making my way toward the flame atronach. My eyes widened.

"It was you, the root I tripped over." He smiled at my surprise.

"Also after you regained your footing I halted you again, or at least the root did." I recalled the strange feeling that had seemingly snaked around my ankle causing me to fall again, and then the whisper...Not yet!

"So, it was you all along. You knew what was happening up above?" He nodded. So if he knew, then he must have been the one to cause floor to swallow me up. He had saved my life. This brought forth more questions. If he were able to have such an effect on things so distant from him, then why had he not battled the Necromancer's sooner, or tried to escape?

"You were able to do so much for me and my companion, why didn't you use your powers to try and escape before?" His mahogany eyes darkened at my observation.

"Like I said before, the torture, it could make any man break." He sighed and continued.

"I did try, multiple times before. They found a weakness of mine, and used it against me."

Theo and I both looked toward the entrance as a set of heavy footsteps began to echo through the dark tunnel.

"Hmm, It would seem your companion is near." Theo spoke as the dim torch light came closer from the tunnel.

"Mahrig! Mahrig, where are you? Say something." Gareth's voice was coming closer. I turned toward the entrance to meet Gareth but Theo's hand grabbed my wrist.

"What is your relation to that man?" His question caught me off guard, but I answered.

"He's my travelling companion." I paused and then added.

"He's also my friend." Friend. A word I never thought I would associate with anyone, but it was true. Gareth was the one person I could fully consider to be my friend. I had been less than forthcoming about my past, but that didn't seem to matter to him. He left the subject untouched. Theo smile and spoke.

"I see." He released my hand and I walked toward the entrance. Gareth burst through breathless. His sword was sheathed, and he carried my sword in his hand. A look of relief washed over his face at his approach.

"Thank goodness you are alright." He smiled down at me and handed me my sword. His attention turned toward Theo who was now eyeing Gareth suspiciously. Gareth mirrored Theo's stare and slightly moved his body so that I was shielded from Theo's line of sight. I stepped around Gareth and spoke.

"Gareth, this is Theodwyn. He was imprisoned here by the Necromancers." Gareth's eyes didn't move from Theo.

"What is the strange Aura you carry?" Gareth's voice held a bit of coldness as he spoke. I didn't give Theo time to answer. I realize it was rude, but if anyone was going to talk Gareth down, it would have to be me.

"He's a druid." A questioning look crossed Gareth's face as I answered.

"A druid? You mean like a forest nymph?" Gareth's reply was answered by a chuckle from Theo.

"Far from it, I don't really think wings are my kind of thing." Theo relaxed from his earlier suspicion, but Gareth held fast. Gareth was apparently not well read on Druids. Most people wouldn't be considering how rare they are. I took the opportunity to try and lighten the atmosphere even further.

"Believe it or not Theo helped us quite a bit earlier." Gareth nodded.

"I already gathered that much, I seen the root in the room we were in." He pointed toward the root that was now away from the water waiting at the edge. He turned his attention toward me.

"So what have you been doing this whole time I've been looking for you?" It was my turn to stiffen a little. In all honesty I had given Gareth little regard while talking with Theo. I felt a little ashamed of my actions.

"I was talking to Theo, he has been a prisoner here after all, and if you didn't notice this was the only way for me to go, the other way was blocked." Gareth's eyes narrowed.

"Once the ground caved in I continued my way through the cavern. There was a mess, but it wasn't blocked." I frowned at his words. Theo's slowly raised his hand.

"That would have been my doing, some of my little friends helped me clear the way." He smiled back toward the root that swayed back and forth. Gareth cleared his throat and spoke.

"It would seem all of the Necromancers have been dealt with, we should return to Falkreath and let the Steward know." Gareth glanced toward me and then turned on his heel.

"Wait Gareth, where are you going?" I glanced back toward Theo who gave me a small smile. Gareth continued walking until he reached the entrance. Gareth's actions were strange. He had never seemed so disconnected to people, but for some reason he didn't seem to like Theo. I turned toward Theo and spoke.

"What will you do now Theo?" Theo clicked his tongue and then walked toward the root that stood animated above the dirt.

"This was my home until it became my prison. I guess it's time to move on. My power took seed here a long time ago, and now a new colony will rise and undo the wrong that has tainted this place." Theo's hand began to glow green and the sound of swarming insects began to fill the glade. The green energy transferred from him into the root and then the root descended into the dirt.

Gareth

I stood at the entrance waiting for Mahrig to follow but she didn't. The presence I felt was one I had experienced many times wandering the wilderness of Skyrim. The druid was going to erect a colony of Spriggans to guard this cavern. I was no fool to what Theodwyn was. I knew a Druid when I saw one and it had probably been unfair to mock him considering I did not know him. The Forest Nymph comment had come from a dark place within me, one that I still shamefully carried from my life before becoming a Paladin. As a young boy I had been passed from owner to owner as a slave. I had crossed paths with a Druid once before, and it had not been pleasant. I knew very well what Druids were capable of. The Druid I had known with innocent eyes paraded herself as a maiden of Kynareth, until I became older and my innocence was taken by the Devious woman that hid beneath. A Druid's lust was like no other.

I shook my head clearing the thoughts that threatened to drag me into a memory I did not wish to revisit.

"You could come with us, until you find a new home." Mahrig's words sent a chill down my spine causing my body to stiffen. Helping the man escape was one thing, but offering him a position to tag along was another. This wasn't the Mahrig I had grown used to. She had certainly bloomed from the closed bud she had been in the beginning, but I would never have guessed her to openly invite someone else into our party. This little gesture irritated me a bit. Was I simply not enough for her? Did I lack in some area that caused her to feel unsafe with me? Did she not believe that I could keep her safe?

My mind soon began to rationalize my irrational thoughts. She's a caring person, this has nothing to do with anything you have done wrong. A small part of me still held doubts but I came to terms with her offer and waited for Theo's reply.

"Would your companion mind?" Theo motioned toward me. I didn't realize I had been holding my breath until I felt the need to exhale. Mahrig's face looked toward me curiously.

"Whatever you wish my lady." Mahrig's left brow slightly raised at my reply. She held my gaze a few moments longer and then turned back toward Theo.

"I guess this means you can come with us." A feeling of dread began to grow within me as Mahrig spoke.

My suspicions of the druid never subsided. I kept watch over him through our travels. I could tell by the way he looked at Mahrig and presented her with small gifts, flowers he had made prematurely bloom, that he was clearly interested in her. How far he would go if ever the two were alone was a mystery to me because I never let that happen. We traveled this way for a few weeks. His skills were definitely useful and he had come to mine and Mahrig's aid more than a few times. Mahrig had taken a liking to his company, and for some reason this bothered me. It seemed the longer we traveled with Theo his interest in finding a new place to call home faded. Mahrig clearly brushed off his more amorous advances as a joke, but I didn't. I had come to realize that Mahrig was a very respectable lady. Nothing she had exhibited in the past led me to believe she had a vulgar side, her innocence was apparent enough through the many times she blushed at compliments or gestures the druid directed at her. She had even blushed a few times I had showed simple non-hidden motive acts of chivalry towards her.

The night was coming to an end, the morning sky of early Hearthfire was dawning. I sat by the campfire unable to get more than a few hours of sleep. Mahrig was still resting in her bedroll, and Theo had gone to fetch some water to boil. Mahrig's night terrors had returned since our battle with a recent dragon at Shearpoint. I'm not sure what had scared her more, the dragon or the ancient dragon priest that had burst from the sarcophagus beside the word wall after the dragon's defeat. Her night terrors had been one of the reasons I had not been able to sleep much the night before. The other was the fact that every time one of her terrors would jolt me awake I would notice Theo's bedroll had been slightly moved closer to Mahrig's. The lecher of a druid was starting to confirm my suspicions of him.

I had learned in my past that the sexual desires of the druids was nature's way of continuing a species much like the animals of the wilds. Procreation is what drove the indulgences, but many druids simply relished the acts. It was a wild and feral trait they often exhibited. Theo had been showing signs of this side for a while now to the oblivious Mahrig. My thoughts were interrupted by the sharp pain that thrummed through my palm. My fist had clenched around the blade of my sword that I had been polishing. I sat my sword down and cast a quick restoration spell. I wiped away the thin line of blood to reveal unscathed skin. This whole situation was bothering me more than I cared to admit. I simply did not want Mahrig to give into such a shallow man. She showed no signs of submission toward his advances, but if he continued she would have to acknowledge him at some point.

Theo returned from the nearby spring. Southern Eastmarch was home to a valley of a vast hot spring that dominated the Hold. Steam rose from multiple water sources as far as the eye could see. Dragon tongue, creep clusters, and Jazbay grapes littered the sulphur rich soil that covered the ground. Theo hung a pot above the campfire and emptied the contents of his waterskin into it. He sat back and returned my stare.

"So, how much farther is this Bonestrewn Crest place?" Theo asked as he glanced toward the sleeping Mahrig.

"I can see the peak of the mountain from here." I pointed toward the south east where the peak of the mountain snaked into view over the inclined hill we sat beneath. Theo sighed and sat back against a dried log we had been utilizing for firewood.

"Do you really think Mahrig should battle another dragon so soon? You seen the way it affected her after Shearpoint. I know you two have done this before, but Mahrig isn't as foolhardy as you." Theo tried to make his statement sound sincere, but he had let a hint of venom seep in at the last.

"It's her destiny, she's the Dragonborn." I simply replied.

"Oh yeah, says who? The Greybeards she has yet to speak with?" I had hoped to avoid a confrontation, but Theo swung the door open for me.

"The Divine Kynareth has acknowledge her as so, and I assume the other Divines would unison her decision. I would think you would respect such a sign coming from Kynareth." Theo scoffed at my remark.

"Kynareth blessed me, indeed she did. She blessed me at birth with her gifts. That however, is where the blessings ended. I had her gifts, and a father who didn't want a weird child who stood around talking to plants. No, my father decided to abandoned me and continue his wayward journey through Skyrim." Theo's disregard for Kynareth's intentions were sickening.

"Did the thought ever occur to you that Kynareth may have blessed you so that you could obtain qualities to survive because your father would have abandoned you anyways?" Theo's smirk disappeared at my suggestion. He turned his attention away from me back to the flame that licked the bottom of the pot above the campfire.

"Well, if you must know. My father was a rough character. After my mother died we started moving around a lot and he fell in with some shady people throughout Falkreath Hold before he abandoned me. He wasn't the honest living kind of man, even I knew that." Theo leaned forward and sighed rubbing his hands through his hair.

"If what you suggested was true, that my father would have abandoned me anyways, then why did he sire another child and stay in their life?" Theo's confession shocked me. It was clear to the both of us that there was a certain tension we felt between each other. Why he would open up to me like that was a mystery.

"My father abandoned me close to the cavern that you found me in. I made that place my home. When I was older I started to explore Falkreath Hold a bit, being a druid has its perks. Once you've been somewhere you never forget how to get back, so I never had to worry about getting lost." Theo cleared his throat and continued.

" I made my way to the Capital of Falkreath about 8 years ago. The amount of death in such a lively and bountiful forest perplexed me. It didn't make sense as to why Falkreath's people were not thriving. Upon exploring the city, I found myself in the residential area. Gardens bloomed as far as the roads stretched. Children and young men and women coming of age scurried around playing and doing chores, enjoying family time…" Theo's words trailed off as his stare deepened into the flames of the firepit.

"I came across a view of a slightly aged face that I remembered from my childhood. My father, the man who abandoned me, living happily as a ranger for the Jarl. I don't know why I stuck around, but I stayed close to the town for a few days and watched as his life unfolded in front of me. I soon discovered his residence and followed him. He was greeted in the yard by a small girl that couldn't have been more than six years old. Her features were even more to his likeness than my own." The water in the pot began to boil.

Theo's story came to an end as Mahrig began to stir. Theo straightened his back, all previous emotions toward his confession were gone. Mahrig's normally chipper mood was nowhere to be found, and her usual deep blue eyes were as dull and gray as the wintry skies toward the north. I had heard on many occasions that the eyes were portals to one's soul, and if that were the case then Mahrig was truly bothered by something. She didn't give us her usual smile, or even mutter a word. She grabbed a few bathing items from her bag and headed toward the spring. Both Theo and myself turned away from the direction she had headed in. Theo may have been lecherous man, but even he respected her sudden change in demeanor and mood.

I'm not sure what it was that caused me to consider Theo's earlier suggestion, but I too began to wonder whether it was a good idea for Mahrig to head into yet another battle with a dragon. My thoughts were cut short by the all too familiar roar that ripped through the skies like a sword through flesh. Theo and I quickly turned into the direction Mahrig had headed to see two dark silhouettes looming in the sky like dark storm clouds. Mahrig stood frozen at the approaching winged beasts, standing in nothing more than her white cotton dress. Her robe, cuirass and bathing supplies lay skewed on the ground where she had dropped them.