Disclaimer: I do not own any rights to the Elder Scroll Series. The characters that are purely my creation are Mahrig, Gareth, and Theodwyn with a few extra.

Chapter 11: Decisions

Mahrig

Bonestrewn Crest was exactly what it sounded like. Large mammoth bones littered the area around the small mountain. Gareth left Arlow behind as we made our way up the littered path. The farther up the mountain we walked the bones that were strewn all over began differing in size and species. Either animals and men came here to die, or something had been hunting. Upon reaching the top, a huge word wall came into view. The Merethic Era Nordic stone work stood out among the numerous other rock formations. The only thing that made me slightly relax in the obvious graveyard was the fact that there were no dragons in sight. Theo focused on a near chest, while the weary Gareth kept his attention on the sky. I walked forward, my boots crunching through the smaller bones that had already been weathered by the elements of Skyrim. The familiar heartbeat in my ears began as I neared the massive stonework. A word began to glow in the left column of the inscriptions. I focused on the word and let things happen naturally rather than fighting it. The heartbeat began to form the sound of drums, and the familiar sound of chanting could be heard in the slight wind that picked up around my body.

Fo, or Frost Breath in the human tongue. The meaning wasn't clear to me, but I could guess. The knowledge of this word slowly slipped into my mind. I chuckled at realizing the possible reason for the lack of a dragon's presence. I remembered the icy attacks one of the previous dragons had used against me. It had probably been the one that claimed this place as its home. It only seemed fitting considering the odds. My mind drifted back to Shearpoint, where I had obtained three words to a single shout. It had been a complete shout that I had only partially understood. That is, until we brought down the two dragon's in the valley. Throwing my voice wouldn't have done us any good anyhow at the time. My understanding of the shout was a little more clear now. I would no doubt need to obtain more knowledge from the dragon's to fully understand the mechanics and usage of it. That however was for another time.

Gareth's gaze found mine at exact moment I had glanced in his direction. Our journey had been rather quiet since packing up camp after the whole dragon incident. I could feel a small bit of tension between Gareth and Theo. Theo didn't seem to be bothered as much, but Gareth's brow stayed tightly knit for most of our journey through the valley until reaching the Bonestrewn Crest. I caught myself a time or two humming to fill the awkward unusual silence. The moment my eyes found Gareth's deep green hues, they almost seemed to speak volumes on the amount of emotions he was hiding. Something was clearly bothering him. I could only guess that our last encounter with the two dragons would have bothered any man. Gareth did a good job of concealing his emotions, but he was just a man, he could only hide it for so long. I decided to find some time to talk with him later. I turned my attention to Theo who was fiddling with the lock on the ancient run down chest that occupied a small area that was clear of bones. His demeanor had turned rather irritated at the stubborn locks reluctance to give under his skilled hands and tools. I walked over and lifted my sword, clearing my throat to suggest my turn. Theo slid to the side and cocked his brow. A slight smirk crossed his face as I focused on the lock.

"Sometimes, all you need is a little pressure in the right place." I brought my sword down connecting with the lock in one fell swoop. The lock broke under the impact.

"Perks to having a lock on the outside of the chest, rather than a built in lock." I sheathed my sword and grinned. Theo snickered and bounced forward to open the chest.

"Yeah, it also helps that the lock was probably older than most of the settlements in Skyrim." I nodded at his remark and left him to dig through his bounty of treasure. Gareth had stayed in the same spot he had chosen since we had arrived at the top of the mountain. His attention was no longer on me, instead he had found something to his interest in a small area of the bone covered ground. The expression on his face was unreadable as he built his normal wall up around his emotions. He wouldn't want to talk about anything at the moment I decided.

I did however want to speak with him about a matter that seemed to be of more urgence than before.

"I think it is time that I speak with the Greybeards." My statement didn't phase Gareth's attention, he only slightly nodded and continued to gaze at the ground. I sighed and cleared my throat.

"Will you accompany me?" He nodded again, no emotion registered on his face. What will it take to bring him back around to me? I paused and almost halted myself from my next actions, but something pushed me forward. Before Gareth could protest I wrapped my arms around his armored torso.

"Thank you Gareth, for all that you do for me." I didn't look up to see his face. I was afraid to. This was the closest form of affection I had ever given anyone. I had felt his body stiffen the moment I threw my arms around him. I didn't want to see his face, the thought scared me in a way. He didn't push me away, or even make a sound.

"Get a room!" Theo yelled from behind causing me to quickly step away and avert my gaze. I still didn't look toward Gareth, but I could feel the heat that had risen to my face permeate my features.

"Well, I suppose if we are going to see the Greybeards we should get an early start." I heard Gareth's body weight shift under his armor at my words.

"Yeah, I'll head back down and plot a course to Ivarstead." Without anything more Gareth began descending the trail. I watched until his gleaming armor faded out of my view.

My chest felt heavy. Heavier than it had felt in weeks, and it had nothing to do with our recent battles with dragons. Gareth was clearly bothered by this situation, and I had clearly disregarded his feelings toward these events. I felt lately as if I had been treating Gareth as a lackey rather than a companion. I rarely ever asked his opinion about things and I always made our travel decisions. I had attempted to hear his thoughts about seeing the Greybeards, but he had completely shut himself off to me. Was I truly that horrible of a person? Was he rethinking his decision of being my Paladin? He had seemed fine after our bout with the dragons. He even went as far as healing a minor cut I had obtained on my knee. Something had happened between the battle and our remaining journey to Bonestrewn Crest, and I needed to know.

I turned toward the open face of the mountain and peered across the valley below. Steam rose from multiple places causing a form of fog in the atmosphere that almost made it impossible to see very far into the distance. It almost seemed the perfect metaphor for Gareth. I couldn't see past his wall once he brought it up, his emotions were a mystery to me, but deep in my chest was a feeling of hurt. Hurt for him. I would force him to talk to me about what was bothering him, or make him leave my services. It is not what I wanted. I didn't want to lose the only person I could consider a true friend. If him leaving my side would be better for him, then so be it. I would have to make the decision soon.

Theo's already weighted bag of dragon scales now consisted of a few new items. I didn't really care at the moment. I just wanted to find time to talk to Gareth without Theo making things awkward as he usually did. I liked Theo's company. He certainly kept things lively and was definitely an asset to have in battle, but sometimes I missed the simple times when it was just Gareth and I. Theo sometimes overstepped my boundaries where comfort was concerned.

I found Gareth with his mapped sprawled out over a huge boulder that rested on the valley floor. His eyes scanned the intricately detailed roads and geographical structures. I paused beside him to take a look at the map myself. Normally Gareth would have chuckled and started explaining a proposed route, but today he did not. I glanced back toward the west. The light in the sky was starting to dim, and if the steam had not blocked my view I would have seen the sun begin its descent behind the western mountain ranges. We had spent the day battling dragons and traversing the hot spring valley. It amazed me how fast time seemed to slip through one's fingers.

"So Holy Knight, where to?" Theo's normally humorous banter seemed to irritate me a bit more than usual. Gareth was clearly not in the mood to jest, and for maybe that reason alone I wasn't either. Gareth didn't seem to mind though. Theo actually got more of a reply than I had gotten from Gareth all afternoon.

"From here we should travel up to Shor's stone. I know it seems like a little of a detour, but we'll need to resupply soon and it is the closest settlement without turning back." He glanced toward Theo who was standing on his other side, away from me.

"Maybe you can rid yourself of some of that weight in exchange for some of your own coin." Theo scoffed at Gareth's observation.

"I'll decide when to let go of these little pretties, for now I still find them interesting. Gonna hang onto them for a while." I closed my eyes as Theo talked. Ofcourse Theo would be the materialistic type. For some odd reason in the beginning I had imagined him as the nature loving type who only needed what the land provided. I had soon found out after travelling with him that he was actually far from the stereotype I had tagged him for. He loved his little play things, from rings and necklaces, to circlets and fine silks. He seemed far more like a child discovering new things for the first time and being reluctant to part with them, causing me to part with a bit of my coin to supply his needs. I'm sure he had experienced these things before somewhere in his past, but I could relate to what imprisonment does to one's mind. I guess that is why I had decided let him join us in the first place. A part of me sympathized with him.

Gareth honed his attention back to the map. He slightly motioned a circle around Shor's Stone, more than likely making a mental note, then continued.

"If we travel quickly we should be able to get to the top of the mountain before midnight. We could set up camp outside of Shor's stone and start fresh in the morning." Gareth sighed and continued.

"The road up the mountain is littered with bandits and wolves, so we can either travel quietly and try not to attract too much attention, or we can charge straight into the conflict." He tapped his finger on a small area of the map.

"Personally I would like to clear the path for any other travelers that might stumble into a predicament, but the choice is yours my lady." He glanced quickly in my direction and then turned his attention back to the map.

"I will understand if you wish to rush your journey to speak with the Greybeards." I thought about his remark and almost smacked him.

"We should clear the path as we make our way up the mountain. It may take some time, but the only reason I'm going to speak with the Greybeards is so that I can help the people of Skyrim. If clearing the path makes anyone's life a little bit easier, then I'm all for it." My reply was met with an eye roll that Theo failed to disguise, and a small hint of a smile played on Gareth's lips.

Something in my chest jumped at the sight. Gareth, who had previously turned all of his emotions off, displayed a small glimmer of hope for me. Maybe the reason he had been so distant since this morning was because I had neglected his feelings. I had drug him into a battle with two dragons without even asking if he was prepared, and Gareth had continuously put his life on the line to make sure I was safe. Maybe it had all started crashing down on him once everything was settled and he had time to think during our quiet travel. If all it had taken was me agreeing to his plans, I would have done so from the beginning.

"Alright then, we should head out now if we want to at least make it to the road by nightfall. If memory serves correctly the roads are in good condition. The Jarls pay specific attention to the roads of the rift. Riften is a trading post between Skyrim and Morrowind. They've been trying to get more Morrowind merchants to come to the rift instead of smaller merchants travelling from skyrim. Skyrim loses money and potential merchandise that way." I cocked my brow at Gareth.

"How do you know all of this? I never took you for the business type." My words weren't met with Gareth's reply, but rather Theo's.

"Oh Mahrig, our Paladin here is just full of surprises." Gareth cast a wry glance toward Theo.

"You learn a lot while traveling through these lands my lady. I try and learn as much as I can so I won't unknowingly step on anyone's toes." Theo smirked at Gareth's reply.

"I'll step on anyone's toes if it keeps me ahead." I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. That was Theo. Always butting in on mine and Gareth's conversation. Before I reconsidered my words, I spoke.

"Zip it Theo! I was honestly curious." Theo faked a wounded look and then smiled.

"Alright, alright I can take a hint. I'll just take my things and start walking, you two better keep up." Theo did just that. He headed east in the direction we would head to locate the road that would lead us up the mountain. I glanced back toward Gareth who looked at me with a bit of humor in his eyes.

"Where to from Shor's Stone?" I asked. Gareth glanced back down to his map.

"We could make our way through Riften, but we shouldn't stay there too long. One of my contacts from Riften suggested that the thieves guild has been taking cuts from most of the merchants. I wouldn't want to feed a bad habit, so that is why I suggested we do our business in Shor's stone. I know a couple of people there that are far more deserving of our coin." He sighed and continued.

"I'm not saying that all the merchants in Riften are associated with the Thieves Guild, but you never know who could be selling less than honest merchandise." He glanced back toward me. My focus had trailed to his disheveled locks of brown hair. He normally kept his hair slicked back in a more formal manner with one lock that normally strayed from the right side of his widow peak. It was rare that I ever caught sight of his normal head of hair without all of his prepping. He hadn't taken the time after our battle with the dragon's to comb his hair back and apply the scented oil I had taken a liking to. Our surprise dip in the hot spring to avoid dragon fire had washed away the oil and left his hair almost feathery after it had dried. I really enjoyed the way his hair seemed so fluffy, and in that moment I fought myself not to touch it. He seemed much younger, and less battle hardened that way.

I guess my gaze lingered too long. The self conscious Gareth brushed his hand through his hair and shifted his weight, causing me to lose my focus and snap back to reality.

"It's different, I know. I thought you would want to hurry our trip along after our slight delay this morning. I'll fix it once we stop for the night." I shook my head a little too frantically causing Gareth to eye me suspiciously.

"No no, you've taken me the wrong way. I think it suits you." My reply was hurried, but genuine. I didn't want to creep him out by giving him the impression that I had been ogling him. My cheeks began to heat up, my nervous habit of playing with my stray locks of hair from my messily prepped braid arose. Gareth nodded slowly and looked back to the map sensing my discomfort.

"If you wish for me to keep it this way then I will." There it was, the Gareth that always tried to please me. For once though, I wished that he would make his own decisions instead of being such a people pleaser.

"Gareth, I want you to make your own decisions when you are around me." He glanced up again, he was curious.

"What I mean is, if you don't want to charge into battle with two dragons, then don't. I realize my actions this morning may have been a huge risk that I did not consider. I knew you would follow, and I disregarded your safety yet again." I paused. His brows now mirrored the height of the distant mountains.

"That is my job my lady." His reply did nothing but to irritate me. He was always so selfless, and it made me feel selfish.

"That's what I'm talking about. Obviously my actions from this morning and the last couple of days have been bothering you, otherwise you wouldn't have shut yourself off to me and distanced yourself. It's okay to worry about your own well being. You don't have to bend to my every foolish whim, or risk your life and follow me to a careless death. I want you to think for yourself. If I'm doing something you don't agree with, then tell me." Gareth closed his eyes and sighed. He backed away from his hunched position above the map and turned toward me.

"My actions are inexcusable. I'm sorry if you have felt that my attention was elsewhere. I'm simply having a hard time dealing with the dragon threat and what it could mean for Skyrim. I don't follow you blindly toward death, I do my best to make sure we are both safe. You have done everything I would have done myself, so following you wasn't on a whim." His words seemed genuine, but the look he gave me revealed the pain he tried to hide inside.

"You try and soothe me with your words, but your eyes give you away Gareth. Something else is bothering you. I can't continue this journey with you if you are troubled by something that I could help you with. If I'm able to help you I will, but you aren't giving me the chance to. It wouldn't be fair for me to keep you around and let you suffer alone." I broke eye contact with Gareth. My words had rushed out without planning. I had intended on having this conversation with him, but I hadn't imagined it would be so soon. I didn't want to see what his eyes would hold after my words. The thought of him leaving made my chest tighten, but I had made the suggestion, and I would have to accept his decision whatever it may be.

We stood in silence a moment, a gust of wind threatened to carry the map off into its current. I rushed forward and grabbed the map. Gareth stood still, I took that as a bad sign and prepared myself for the worst. He was going to leave. I didn't turn around. Tears threatened my eyes, the stinging annoyance was all too familiar lately. I steadied my breathing and began rolling up the map. The parchment was weathered, and had obviously been used vigorously through Gareth's travels in Skyrim. I heard the creak of Gareth's heavy armor as he slightly moved. I braced myself for the decision he had made. I wished so dearly in that moment, that I wouldn't have been so hasty with my thoughts. Maybe I had been selfish in suggesting that he either share his burden or leave. It all seemed like such a bad idea the more I thought about it.

I felt a slight pressure on my shoulder as Gareth turned me to face him. I instantly closed my eyes and lowered my head. A gauntlet gently tilted my head upward from under my chin.

"Open your eyes Mahrig." He used my name instead of the formality. I squeezed my eyes tightly, hoping to erase the tears that had threatened to fall only moments before. I opened my eyes to meet Gareth's soft emerald gaze.

"It's a personal struggle Mahrig. Its something no one can help me with. You've mentioned that I need to make my own decisions more often, and I have been. Sometimes though, it's easier to follow the instructions of someone else. I follow the Divine's instructions, because I fear where my own mortal heart would lead me." He paused, searching my eyes for acceptance of his answer. He wanted to stay by my side, and so he had parted with his fear. He was afraid to slip into the many habits that mortals fell slave to. He was afraid of becoming a wicked man. There was so much to his words that made sense, and yet didn't at the same time. I could understand a bit of his struggle. He was a man who tried to do good, in a world full of evil. The Gareth I knew had a kind and strong heart. I couldn't imagine him ever giving in to the easy and sometimes tempting ways of life.

I slightly giggled at the thought of Gareth shacking up with a bunch of bandits wearing dinky unpolished armor while gorging himself on poached meat and drowning himself with ale. The Gareth I knew didn't belong in such a scene. No, he belonged out in the world, doing good deeds and helping people. Each time he had helped someone an air of calm surrounded him. It almost seemed as if that was what he was meant to do. It brought him joy to see others happy, even when it meant risking his own life. My experience with life taught me that those kinds of emotions could not be faked when felt so genuinely.

Gareth's eyes search my own for the reason behind my sudden unexpected giggle.

"Gareth, I don't think you could follow a wicked path if the Divines commanded you to. You aren't that type of person. There was a reason you chose your path in life, and I doubt it was to escape wicked thoughts. The Divine's themselves are not perfect, so why would they expect you to be? There are shades of gray in this seemingly black and white world. That is why we mortals exist after all, we serve as the middle ground between the Aedra and the Daedra." Gareth lowered his gaze and pursed his lips as he took my words into account.

"I realize you may think my way of seeing things is blasphemous, but haven't you ever felt like a pawn at the end of the day? I respect the Nine Divines and acknowledge their powers, and I would relinquish anything to do with the Daedra, but I am my own person. I make my own decisions based on what I feel is right, and I believe that is one of mortals greatest powers, free will. Through free will I believe we show the Divines what kind of people we truly are, and that decides whether or not they acknowledge us as one of their children." Gareth was now lost in thought to my words. I felt the urge to continue, but I gave Gareth a moment to register my meaning behind my beliefs. He soon looked up and searched my features. I took this as a sign to end my long winded speech with a few final words.

"All I'm trying to say is that you shouldn't fear who you truly are, because I don't believe you are capable of being a bad person, even if a few decisions you make doesn't coincide with what you've been taught about the divine way." I thought back to the beginning when Gareth had accepted a few beverages from a grateful guard he had aided. Gareth had punished himself and sentenced himself to a long morning of penance within the Temple of Kynareth in Whiterun. Gareth's gaze settled on the rock beside me where the map had previously been.

"I told you how I became a Paladin, my struggle as a child and my determination to make a change in the world." I nodded as he spoke.

"I was taught that the Divine's would help me achieve that goal, but I needed to give my life over to them, and serve only them in my everyday actions. I gave up my life as a man, and started my life as a beacon of the Divines. Sometimes…" his words trailed off as he brought his gaze back to my own.

"Sometimes, I feel regret, and I know the Divine's can sense it within me. The vows I took were witnessed by the Divines and the Priests that prepared me. I gave my word to live a pure life dedicated to Justice and the Will of the Divine, and yet sometimes I long to live a life for myself. Being in Skyrim during such hard times has worn down my resolve. I've seen families torn apart, never to see their loved ones again. I willingly gave away my right to a family when I pledged myself to this path of life. I so willingly gave away something that so many other people fight to preserve. I found the Divines in weakness, and sometimes I feel as though I continue to follow them out of that weakness." His eyes grew dark as the light the sky had provided began to dim with the setting sun. I wanted to comfort him, to let him know that how he felt was how most people felt. Doubt was one of the foundations that made up the mortal heart. Without doubt, nothing could truly be realized.

"I know how you feel. I never had a family or friends. I never got close enough to anyone before I met you. I consider you a dear friend, and to me that is just as good as family. Nothing in your vows says you can't forge a family from a strong friendship right?" Gareth's eyes softened at my words. A small smile began to form on his lips and the clouded aura he carried seemed to vanish.

"I suppose not." I smiled at the way his body seemed to relax as he spoke.

The wind slightly shifted, and a familiar whisper carried its way to our ears.

"Don't take all night." Theo's form of communication registered to our senses once the breeze passed. We both searched the dim lit distance to the east. Most of the Hot Spring was now behind us, and the view was clear across the sulphur littered plain. On a distant hill a small flame flickered. I presumed that Theo had lit his torch upon the impending nightfall. I turned back toward Gareth and handed him the map that I still held.

"Let's just worry about making our way to Shor's Stone for now, you can update me on your route when we prepare to leave from there." I smiled up toward Gareth who now seemed somewhat at peace. This greatly aided in lifting my spirits and if it hadn't been for my limp a small bounce might have entered my step.

"We shouldn't keep Theo waiting too long. He might call up a few predators with his incessant chatter." Gareth chuckled at my joking remark regarding Theo. Gareth grabbed Arlow's reigns and we set off toward Theo's location.

Gareth

I didn't like the idea of using Mahrig as bait to lure out the bandits that were camped not far from the road. Theo and I circled the camp quietly preparing to move in as Mahrig approached from the path that led from the main road to the camp. I had tried to observe their numbers on my own previously, and tried to decide on a plan, but Theo had taken the time to undermine me and hatched out an entirely different route of action to Mahrig as I scoured the area. I noticed that among the bandits there were no visible women. Theo had suggested the idea of using Mahrig to get the men's "blood boiling." His plan revolved around the idea that they would take an interest in her and let their guard down giving me and Theo the advantage we needed to catch them by surprise. Every bit of the plan reeked with Theo's dark underlying personality and I was surprised when Mahrig had agreed to it. Mahrig eventually showed signs of her nervousness as Theo suggested she change back into her dress and leave her weapon. He surmised that a defenseless woman would seem less of a challenge and further our effort to lower their guard. My obvious distaste of Theo's plan was made apparent, but Mahrig insisted that she would be fine and that she would follow through with it.

Mahrig approached the camp armed with nothing but a torch in her hand. A few of the bandits had seen the glow coming from the dim lit path, and readied their weapons. Mahrig's limp was apparent due to her nervous composure as she came into view of the near campfire. She eyed the many men wearily, a few new figures appearing from the numerous tents that littered the bandit camp. I counted 8 men in the beginning and now 3 more were visibible. Mahrig stopped at the end of the path and cleared her throat.

"I'm sorry to bother you gentleman, but I've lost my way." She glanced around the area, secretly searching for mine and Theo's position. She continued the charade.

"I lost my bag that contained my map when I was attacked by wolves." The tear in her dress would no doubt convince the men that she had been in a previous scuffle. It sickened me though that a few of the men had already found the tear before her mention of wolves, and had been leering at the skin that was exposed from beneath.

"No worries little lady, we could do with some company." One of the men who remained seated snickered near the campfire. Mahrig shifted uneasily.

"I just need directions to Riften, then I'll be on my way." Mahrig replied. A tall Nord took a step forward causing me to stiffen from my position in the bushes a few meters to the south of the camp.

"No need to rush off on us lass, you might run into some more wolves." A few more of the men snickered and whispers erupted between a few.

"Best wait out the night and keep us company. We won't bite." Mahrig cringed slightly at his remark. I cringed at the remark made by a man closer to my location.

"Not too hard." The man who sat close to a tent near my location had said the words just out of Mahrig's earshot. I knew what these men's intentions would be before Mahrig had even walked into the camp. I had dealt with too many bandits before, and seen too many women abused to be comfortable with Mahrig's involvement in this plan. I noticed movement across my vision at the far side of the camp just opposite of me. Theo crouched down beside one of the tents, out of view from the bandits who's attention seemed to be solely on Mahrig. We would make our move soon, I just needed to wait for Theo's signal.

"Come, sit with us, it's not often we get visitors, and none of them are nearly as pretty as you are." Mahrig glanced toward the ground. I could see the nervousness begin to seep from her. Her hand tightly clenched the fabric of her dress at her side. I glanced back toward Theo, waiting for his signal, but he silently waited and watched. The more Mahrig's features showed signs of discomfort, the more I became Anxious. Theo, was taking his time, and it started to wear on me. I couldn't risk jumping in too soon though, I was pretty good at reading people, but Theo had proved many times before that he was better. He could sense things about them that was left a mystery to me. He would know when the perfect time to interject would be.

I noticed the Nord that was closest to Mahrig stepped closer. He held up his hands as Mahrig took a step back.

"Us or the wolves, you decide." I couldn't see his face, but his words hinted that a grin was on his face. Mahrig's breathing picked up. The heaving of her chest was now more apparent than it had been before. I gripped my sword tighter. The suspension of the situation was building for me. I didn't want Mahrig to be in this kind of situation, but Theo clearly didn't mind. I glanced back toward Theo who now seemed to be concentrating on what looked like a pile of furs. That is, until I noticed the eyes of the wolf that stared back at me from the pile of furs. I hadn't noticed it before, and If I were able to I would have kicked myself. I halted my breathing. The wolf clearly knew of my presence or atleast that something was occupying the bushes where I crouched. The absence of my breathing allowed me to hear the slight growl that began to grow in the wolf's chest. No one else had noticed thankfully, but the wolf could be a dead giveaway, and put Mahrig's life in even more danger if he alerted the others. This would be Theo's ground of expertise. As much as I hated to admit it, he was very useful in these types of situations being a druid. He had the ability to communicate or even influence animals behaviors. Even I knew this would be a little more of a challenge for him though. His bond was stronger with the environment that it was with animals, he had admitted it previously in our travels. Living the life of a hermit within his cavern had left little time to communicate with the outside wilds despite his few travels he had made during the time. The other problem was the fact that the wolf he now focused so hard to influence, had already been domesticated. The wolf's connection with nature was still strong, but his influence by man had already been imprinted. Theo's already weak bond would prove to be even weaker with the animal. In my passing moments of panic my mind had apparently missed part of the conversation. Mahrig's slight squeal brought my eyes back toward her location where the Nord man now had his arm around her slightly gesturing her forward.

"I won't take no for an answer. I wouldn't be much of a man if I let you wonder out into the wilderness alone now would I?" The man chided as Mahrig's face drained of all her previous flushed color.

"My name is Hagnor little miss, and what should I call you?" The Nord asked Mahrig as he set her down in front of the fire. Most of the other men who had been standing followed suit, but a few remained where they had been standing. I could see the unease as Mahrig answered.

"Morah, my name is Morah." She had decided to use a fake name. This meant she wasn't in complete hysterics if she were still able to keep up with her quick thinking.

"Well Morah, what brings you out this far into the wilderness so late at night? There aren't any settlements or houses for miles." Mahrig's answer was simple.

"I'm making my way to Riften to join the Thieves guild." A few men laughed at her answer causing her to flinch. An argonian man that occupied the opposite side of the fire inquired her.

"Why would one such as you want to join the Thieves guild?" Mahrig's gulp was noticeable to even me at a distance.

"I have no other options besides becoming a beggar. No one wants to hire a woman with a limp, It's bad for business." Her word registered to my hearing, and a small part of me, despite the anxiety of the situation, felt sorry for her. She wasn't entirely wrong. We were in fact in Skyrim. A place where people based their opinions on others solely around strength and honor. In Mahrig's case she never got close enough to anyone to display her many feats of honor, so all anyone ever saw was her limp and automatically assumed her to be weak.

The Argonian nodded and continued.

"What talents do you have that make you think a group of thieves would accept you?" Mahrig paused and thought about the answer.

"I'm not sure other than my spell of muffle. I guess I figured I could plead with them to start at the bottom, and work my way up. I would find a way to be useful to them." A scrawny red headed man chuckled at her reply and retorted with a fowl remark.

"Oh, they would make use of you alright. Maybe even make you a bar wench down in their Flagon to help relieve stress." Many of the men chuckled and Mahrig kept her stare on the flames of the fire. I could tell she was struggling to calm her emotions. If I knew Mahrig, a part of her wanted to retreat, while another part wanted to get even. She bit her tongue as the flames licked a hunk of meat that was suspended above the fire. The Argonian spoke again.

"It is unlikely that the thieves guild would have any use for a girl with no talent in the stealth arts. Your limp no doubt burdens you in such a way." The Nord, Hagnor, cleared his throat and nudged Mahrig's arm.

"Why don't you consider staying with us lass? We could use a cook. That is, if you can cook. Anything you could make would no doubt be better than the scorched meat Aldrin always serves." A pudgy dark headed Breton leaned forward and cleared his throat.

"Well I'm the only one who will do the cooking. All you tough guys think its a woman's work. I swear your pride would starve the lot of you." A burst of laughter erupted once more around the camp. The scrawny red haired man stepped forward.

Well now you won't need to cook Aldrin, we're gonna have a real wench do it. So now you can stop your constant whining and man up." A few snickered and another figure inside a tent replied.

"It's about time, I was starting to think we would have to off him and recruit a new cook." Aldrin narrowed his eyes toward the figure in the tent and crossed his arms.

"Well if I was that much of a burden why didn't you point it out?" The Breton retorted.

"Enough!" The laughter stopped as another figure appeared from the tent that faced away from me. Theo had calmed the wolf, but continued to focus on his influence over the beast. If there had ever been a time to step in and do something it had past, because every bandit in the camp now turned their attention to the tall Nord that had silenced the banter. An uneasy atmosphere presented itself in the awkward silence of the encampment. Many of the men that had previously been laughing and carrying on now squirmed awkwardly under the new authoritative figure's glare. Hagnor even seemed to shuffle himself away from the close seated position he had taken to Mahrig. He straightened his back and spoke.

"Sorry Ahnvir, we didn't mean to wake you." Hagnor's physique seemed to dwindle in comparison to the tall muscled man that now walked toward the fire. His gaze found Mahrig. I readied myself, with or without Theo's signal.

Mahrig

The uneasy feeling I had before doubled, no tripled at the presence of the man who now stared down at me. Hagnor had called him Ahnvir. Is he the leader? I wondered to myself, the previous panic I had felt before was now returning. His long Black hair was tied back with nothing more than a leather strip, and the right side of his face was dominated by a long slash shaped scar that could have been made by either a bear, or a Sabre cat. I heard a muffled cry come from the tent he had previously been in. It had almost sounded like a female. The fur flap had fallen back over the door as soon as he had exited, leaving me no chance to see inside. Ahnvir looked over to a group of men who waited patiently for him to speak. He pointed toward the red haired man that had been more than the annoyance to my ego.

"You, go." He motioned back toward his tent and turned his attention back to me. The scrawny red haired man rubbed his hands together greedily and smiled. He made his way to the tent and disappeared inside. I heard a small growl from behind the group of men that stood. Ahnvir's look of annoyance sent a chill down my spine.

"Roran, get a handle on your wolf, or I'll cut off his head. This is your last warning." The Redguard that stood behind Aldrin took a step back and apologized.

"I'm sorry sir, he's been on edge since the woman arrived." He turned and walked away.

"Now, you!" He turned his attention back on me, his cold blue eyes seemed to freeze my body and my mind.

"What is a wench doing out this late with no protection?" I snapped out of my frozen state at his annoying use of the word wench.

"I'm travelling to Riften." The only thing that gave me the courage to answer his question was the slight irritation I felt toward his rude remark.

"You must be stupid to approach a camp of bandits with no protection." My eyes widened at his statement. He had clearly not been asleep when I had arrived. That lead me to wonder what he had been doing all that time. I wetted my throat and spoke.

"I was hoping to reach Riften soon and decided to travel a bit later than usual. I thought the trail up the mountain would be a better place to hide a small camp then out in the open in the valley below. I unknowingly attracted the attention of some wolves." He scoffed at my explanation and shook his head.

"Foolish woman, these parts are filled with wolves, and wolfishly hungry men." He laughed and looked back and forth to his men. They burst into an awkward bout of laughter, more nervous than sincere. He turned his attention back to me halting his laughter. The men around us fell silent as well.

"I'll make you a deal. Be my woman willingly for a few days, and I'll let you continue your journey to Riften when I've had my fun." His words left a feeling of ice in my blood. The fire that was only mere feet away didn't even seem to provide my body with warmth. Please Theo, Gareth, do something. I searched around for any sign of the two. I disguised my actions by glancing at a few of the men that sat around the camp. Some of them looked down in silence toward the ground, and a few others stared at me, waiting for my answer.

"So what will it be wench?" Ahnvir's use of the word "wench" served to thaw my chilled blood a bit sending a spike of anger through me.

"What if I refuse?" I stared up at the man, trying to muster as much intimidation as I could in such a hopeless situation. He didn't grin, or smirk. From his pocket he produced a small vial and sloshed the liquid in front of me.

"I'll make you my skooma whore." I took in a deep breath at his words. Surely Gareth and Theo should have made their appearance by now. My discomfort registered to Ahnvir causing him to snort.

A loud ruckus brought everyone's attention to the far end of the camp. My heart stopped at the sight I was presented with. Two men came into view hauling someone clad in heavy polished armor. Two men presented Ahnvir with an unconscious Gareth.

"Well, look what my scouts drug in." He turned toward the men who released Gareth's body sounding a loud thud as his limp body hit the dirt. My heart raced at the sight. If Gareth had been caught, where was Theo? I was now presented with the possibility of failure and instantly regretted accepting Theo's rash and rather risky plan. I wanted to slap myself. I wanted to bolt from my position and get as far away from these men as possible, but I couldn't just leave Gareth like that.

"Found him sneaking around in the bushes on our way back. Almost didn't notice him, but you can only hide so well with armor that sticks out that much." One of the scouts said, the other remarked as well.

"That's why I prefer fur." They both chuckled and looked up waiting for Ahnvir's orders. Ahnvir turned toward me and then back to Gareth.

"Looks like we're in luck boys. A new wench to play with, and some new armor to sell. I bet it'll bring a nice price on the market. Looks like he's taken good care of it." The scouts now focused their attention on me. They almost looked as if they could have been twins. Their height was matched and they had the same sandy blonde hair. The only difference between the Bosmer men was that one had long hair and the other wore his short.

"What do we do with the man boss?" Ahnvir looked back towards me and smiled. The expression of horror that marked my features must have given him some kind of pleasure, because his next words made him smile even wider.

"Bring me my tools, I wanna show the wench what happens if you don't play nice." Ahnvir's words made my gut clench in terror. He was going to torture Gareth. My mind began to scream. Theo where are you?!