Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to any of the Elder Scrolls games.

Author's note: The cover for Weaver is my own original piece. Now you can see what Gareth and Mahrig look like in my mind.

Chapter 14: Carry On

Gareth

"Are you Sir Gareth, Paladin Knight of the Nine?" I looked over my shoulder at the two forms that approached me from behind. I had been exchanging coin for merchandise with an old acquaintance, Vashj'ir, when I heard the first one call out.

"Yes, that is me. May I ask whom it is that I'm speaking with?" I turned around completely taking in their appearance. They were templars from Cyrodiil, not so much unlike myself other than they are the lower branches of peacekeepers among anything considered Holy. Many of them line the cities of Kvatch, and one or two normally litter the countless other temples and Priories around Cyrodiil. They act as guards for Holy orders. Priest's trained to defend their God's and the work mortals do in the name of the Gods. These two Templars were clearly from Kvatch, they wore the symbol proudly on the robes they were clothed in. The crest was also engraved on the light armor they toted above the robed fabric.

"I'm Vahrius, and this is Daegun." He motioned to the slightly shorter man beside him.

"We are Templars from Cyrodiil, from the city of Kvatch." They both slightly bowed and I did the same. I was curious as to why two templars from Cyrodiil would seek me out personally.

"What is it that you require of me Vahrius?" Vahrius smiled slightly at my inquiry and began unfolding the piece of parchment he held in his hands.

"We've been trying to locate someone that may or may not have been in your company." He turned the parchment around for me to see. The shock must have registered on my face quickly, because the two templars glanced toward each other and smiled.

"We've been searching for her for some time now. When we first arrived in Skyrim we followed the rumors and clues. A few people in Riverwood confirmed that she was traveling with you. They gave us your name and sent us to Whiterun, and from there we've just been scouring the countryside. It is a relief to finally catch up to you, or you to us as it may seem." Vahrius chuckled, hoping to receive a response from me.

My eyes scanned the sketched parchment that presented a great likeness to Mahrig. The only missing feature was the scar she had on her right cheek. There was no scar on the presentation. I slightly rubbed my chin, trying to decide how to answer. I had no idea why templars from Kvatch would be searching for Mahrig, but Mahrig had been quite secretive about her past.

"Why are you searching for this woman?" I asked. Vahrius and Daegun both gave each other a wry glance, and then Daegun spoke.

"She's potentially dangerous. We can't give you all of the details…" He trailed off and then continued.

"Has this woman been in your company or not?" I looked them both over. Their white and red robes were in rather good condition despite the lengths they had described traversing to find her.

"What's her name?" I asked. Daegun creased his brow, but it was Vahrius who answered.

"We only know her as Weaver, it's possible though that she has taken on another name. A woman we spoke to in Riverwood obviously knew her, but was less than forthcoming with any information." I glanced over toward the area where we had sat up camp. Mahrig's tent was closed, and Theo had presumably gone out, because his tent was currently vacant. They followed my line of sight. Vahrius kept his attention on the area while Daegun spoke.

"We know you've been travelling with a woman that fits her description perfectly. There were too many witnesses to correlate it, and I'm sure you are probably the only Paladin named Gareth in Skryim that fits the description given to us by others. You would be interfering with the will of the Divine's if you did not cooperate with us. I'm sure a man of your position can understand that." Vahrius turned his attention back toward Daegun after hearing his words.

"Now Daegun, give the man some room to breath." He chastised Daegun and then turned his attention toward me.

"You'll have to forgive him, he's been on edge lately. Our travels have been rather tiresome and we were sent here to Skyrim at a rather bad time." Vahrius shrugged and patted Daegun on the shoulder. I began to eye them both suspiciously.

They had described Mahrig as potentially dangerous, and right they were with the dragon blood that coursed through her veins. So many questions still presented themselves. Had they heard of her being the Dragonborn? What did the officials in Kvatch want with the Dragonborn? I did not feel the need to share any more information with them. It almost seemed wrong even talking to them. The feeling deep within my own being was aching to step away that very moment. They had mentioned finding her was the will of the Divine's, but Kynareth had tasked me with her protection. I did not know their intentions, but it was clear that they didn't travel all this way to have tea with Mahrig.

Vahrius watched me, as if he were looking for any clue that would hint to my thoughts.

"Even if I did know this woman you are searching for, its not my responsibility to cater to your needs. Know your rank men. When I'm contacted by a higher order or someone of equal standing, I will impart with my knowledge." I turned toward the slightly red faced Daegun.

"As for this being the will of the Divine, I have my orders as well. From my understanding you two are far away from home." I pointed toward the Kvatch crests on their robes.

"Whatever your reasons for wanting this woman has led you into a land filled with dragons and Civil War. If you cannot give me more information on her than you are offering, than I cannot oblige." I quickly turned on my heel, heading toward the group of people that were gathered around the fire out front of the miner's barracks. I needed to keep them away from the campsite, and could only hope that my earlier observation had not led them straight to Mahrig's location.

"Wait, please!" I heard Vahrius' voice call out. He rushed around me throwing up his hands as if to halt me.

"Please, Daegun did not mean to try and intimidate you. We realize your rank is supreme to us, but our orders come from the top. This woman is top priority, and many Templars have been dispatched over the last two years in hopes to recover her." He sighed as I came to a halt. His face became slightly hopeful.

"I can't give you anymore information, because I don't know. The top Priest's at Kvatch are the ones that commissioned this endless search. Daegun and I both have been away from our families for many months trying to track her down, having nothing to go on but rumors."

I could feel the urgency in this man's plea. He was trying to reason with me. I could sympathize with being disconnected from your home, and I knew what it was like to not be able to talk to those you loved dearly, because I had lost my father at a young age and was faced with the urge often growing up.

"When we heard that she accompanied a Paladin from the Knights of the Nine we became overjoyed that we finally had a solid lead. I guess finally finding you was a hint of hope that our journey was coming to an end and Daegun became too hasty and overstepped." He sent a disapproving look behind me to where Daegun stood unmoving.

Two years. Why would anyone be searching for someone like Mahrig for two years. It was clear now that they were not after her because she was dragonborn. The thought puzzled me. Sure she was dangerous now, but when I had first met her, her only offensive spell could barely light a campfire. My brain raced with possible reasons that could lead the High Priest's of Kvatch to commision such a long winded search. What did Mahrig do in her past that had put her as top priority to the Highest ranked Holy men in Cyrodiil? The Mahrig I knew went out of her way to help others. Not because it was her duty, but because she genuinely wanted to. These men must have been mistaken, or Mahrig had a doppelganger.

"I know of her." I began to speak. I now had Vahrius' undivided attention. His dark blue eyes bore holes into my mind. He searched my face, waiting for me to continue. I felt a twinge from deep inside. I waited for a bit longer. I wasn't sure what to do, but as a Paladin it was understood that I had to remain honest, and these men would believe me.

"She is the Dragonborn." Vahrius' face turned into an expression of confusion.

"I'm sorry, she's what?" I heard Daegun's footsteps come closer as his words drifted into my range of hearing. Vahrius spoke next.

"Paladin, are you humoring me?" I narrowed my eyes, and replied.

"I would not joke about such a matter. She's Dragonborn, I've seen it with my own eyes. I'm sure if you take this news to the Priest's of Kvatch, you will be reunited with your families. She is out of their hands now. Her fate will be decided by the Gods." Daegun and Vahrius glanced toward each other. Their brows were raised in unison.

"We heard the rumors of what happened to the small town we passed through on our way to Riverwood. Helgen was it?" Daegun nodded toward the speaking Vahrius.

"We also heard of your heroics at the western watchtower, and how some strange occurrences had happened around Weaver...the girl. We had no reason to believe the rumors that spread, but coming from you…" He paused, waiting for my reaction to register.

"You have no reason to lie to us, if you say she is dragonborn than so be it Sir Gareth. I'm afraid this news will not change our course of action though. She will still need to return with us. We've been instructed to use force if necessary." Vahrius eyed me wearily. I considered his words, a slight bit of irritation settled in the back of my mind, waiting to present itself.

"I can't allow that. Now, If you'll excuse me I have some business to attend to." Daegun stepped in front of me this time.

"Give us something to go on. Is she here with you?" I would have chosen to ignore his comment if I hadn't noticed his attention dart back to where Mahrig's tent sat. Something in me jumped at the sight. Fear, or maybe dread. I'm not sure what it had been that caused me to react so, but for the first time, in a long time I broke my vow of honesty.

"No, she's not here." They both gazed toward me questioningly.

"We parted shortly after leaving Whiterun, that's all I can give you." I should have felt horrible for my dishonesty, but something inside of me was at peace with the fib I had told. I felt as if I was simply protecting Mahrig as Kynareth had commanded of me, and that helped ease the guilt I should have felt. My allegiance as a Paladin was to the Divines afterall, not an order of mortals.

"Where was she headed?" Daegun's composure was slipping. He was obviously the hot headed one of the two. I stepped forward closing the gap between us. I glared down at the Imperial and spoke.

"I told you, I won't allow her capture. Therefore, if you'll excuse me, I have some questions of my own for the people of this town." Daegun hesitantly stepped aside allowing me to finally pass.

"Come Daegun, we'll refer to the map." Vahrius slightly bowed in my direction and led Daegun away.

I hoped with every part of my being that Mahrig would stay in the tent. I knew that she was exhausted, and for a moment I was grateful for that. I slightly felt guilty because of previous events that had unfolded, but right now, it was for the best until I could talk to her.

The templars kept their attention on the area where I had helped set up camp. Theo had not returned, and I seen no sign of Mahrig from her closed tent. I sat around the fire with a few of the citizens and miner's that were taking their break. No rumors of dragon's had surfaced in the rift so far thankfully, but they shared the rumors that had passed from other regions.

My bag was slung over my shoulder. It contained the merchandise I had purchased earlier. I made my way toward the camp when all of my other loitering options had been exhausted. I needed to sneak inside Mahrig's tent and let her know to stay hidden. Mahrig was a lot of things, but I had never been given a reason to suspect her to be a bad person. A lot of things about Kvatch didn't add up, but I had never really paid attention to the city much. It was said to be a place for the weary to go to be rejuvenated by the Divine's and yet most of the town was closed off. During my time at the Priory outside of Kvatch many scholars had come and gone, and many other shaded questionable figures. I knew of corruption even among men who claimed to be Holy, but my mission was not at Kvatch, it was out in the world. I didn't make it my business.

I took a few items from my bag and laid them in the entryway to Theo's tent. He was still missing. I thought back to our fight, the guilt still tugged at my mind. I had said some things that had not been fair to him. It was obvious he cared a great deal for Mahrig, and I had let my emotions cloud that fact. I had felt so guilty that I had purchased a quiver of arrows to replace the numerous ones he had used in our recent encounters. I looked back over my shoulder and spotted the Templars. They were now at the tent where Vashj'ir and his wife Solja sold their miscellaneous wares.

Every little bit I would catch them glancing in my direction. Having Theo here would have aided in convincing them that Mahrig was not here. We only had two tents, most of the time we didn't even use them. Our bedrolls were plenty enough, but the clouds in the distance were now rolling in. Theo's prediction of rain had been correct. The sun's rays were staunched out by the billowing masses that wafted in from the southwest. I tried not to make too much noise, hoping to not wake Mahrig. I placed my bag down beside the entrance to her tent, and when I was sure the Templars were preoccupied with Vashj'ir, I slipped inside.

The tent was empty. Mahrig was gone.

Mahrig

My heart beat like a drum as my legs struggled to keep up with the pace my mind had set at getting away from the templars. As soon as I had seen the shocked recognition on Gareth's face I bolted. My chest felt heavy at leaving his side. I should have known that making friends would only hurt me more in the long run, but I had been foolish enough to let myself settle into a routine. A routine that I would now have to let go. I cut through the woods, heading toward a small path that would lead me back down the mountain where we had come from. There was no use in going to see the Greybeards now. I may have wanted to help the people of Skyrim with their dragon problem, but I couldn't do that if I was taken back to Cyrodiil to be imprisoned once more. Gareth knew where we were headed, and his duty as a Paladin would make him give up my location. He wouldn't be able to help it, his order was afterall associated with Kvatch.

The small path back down the mountain was not as well groomed as the road had been up the mountain. Wild plants and underbrush grew along the path, even overlapping the scarcely tracked dirt. I could feel small droplets of rain begin falling, pelting against my skin as I continued my sprint. My mind raced at the thought of everything I was giving up, yet again. This time, the hurt was far worse. Gareth was my strength I had come to rely on often. I enjoyed his company. I also enjoyed Theo's company, even with as obnoxious as he could be at times. It truly did seem that no matter how far I ran, the templars would always be on my trail. I would never be able to live a normal life. What was normal? My thoughts were interrupted by a sudden jolt as my foot landed unevenly on a rock that protruded from the ground. I felt the pain in my already inflicted right ankle. I landed in the overgrowth of flowers and weeds that lined the path descending the mountain.

I felt a firm grip on my arm, and my mind panicked. I lost my self control and began swinging my arms in an attempt to get away.

"Leave me alone, I won't go back. I'd rather die!" I could hear my outer voice echo the thoughts that mirrored in my mind. My scream was followed by a crack of thunder that only added to the panicked state I was already in. The hand on my arm released me for a moment. I rolled over partially. My bag that was on my back stopped me from rolling any further. My panicked mind only saw a figure in my peripheral, and that was all I needed before I sent a fireball blindly in that direction.

"Woah, watch it Mahrig! Calm down!" The voice was familiar, and my mind registered the owner almost immediately. It was Theo. I pulled myself up to a sitting position in the now moist dirt that covered the ground. The rain was steadily picking up, and the wind made the towering trees above us creak with resistance. My mind was still slightly panicked. If Theo had followed me then it only stood to reason that Gareth would be right behind him shortly.

"What are you doing Mahrig" Theo's stared at me cautiously, taking a step at a time toward me.

"Don't, don't come any closer." I scooted away from the now curious Theo.

"What's going on Mahrig? Why did you leave in such a hurry and why did you try to incinerate me?" Theo was obviously oblivious to everything that had occured back in Shor's Stone. My recollection slowly came back to me. Theo had been laying down in his tent when the Templars had approached Gareth. I had taken my leave shortly after that, darting into the bushes behind our little encampment to get away. Theo must have heard me leave. To keep up with me he must not have stayed behind to see how Gareth's conversation with the templars panned out.

I slightly lowered my guard and cast a small restoration spell that I centered on my ankle. The urgency to get away was still strong, but I had a feeling Theo wasn't here to drag me back. The pain in my ankle subsided as the restoration spell took hold. I could feel the instant heat surround the twisted muscles and tendons. I stood up without taking the help that Theo offered.

"I'm leaving." I told him. The question on his face turned to concern.

"Is this about what happened between me and Gareth?" His question caught me off guard. It wasn't about that, but how was I supposed to explain the situation to Theo?

"No, I just need to leave, quickly. I need to get as far away from here as possible." Theo stopped me with a wave of his hand.

"Why are you heading back down the mountain?" He asked and then continued.

"This obviously isn't the way to Ivarstead and doesn't consist of your Paladin's little planned route." He motioned to the vast wilderness that surrounded us.

"I'm not going to see the Greybeards anymore." With that I continued on my way. Theo followed.

"Were you just going to ditch us without a goodbye?" Theo's words sent a pang through my chest. I had done it so many times before. Leaving without telling anyone goodbye. I was used to it. In my past though, I had failed to forge a bond with anyone, especially the strong bond I had with Gareth and even Theo. His words sliced through making a fresh wound in my heart.

"It's too much to explain." I quickened my pace, hoping that Theo would be discouraged to follow. He however quickened his own pace to keep up with mine.

"Well, as it is I'm a little tired of the Paladin too, so I think I'll join you." Theo's words slightly irritated my already fragile emotions.

"Dammit Theo, this has nothing to do with Gareth!" Theo grabbed my arm after the words escaped my lips causing me to come to a halt. He whirled my body around to face him.

"Then what is the problem Mahrig? Why are you running away from us?" His eyes held a shadow of hurt.

He was right. In the process of running from my past, I was also running from my friends. I didn't think twice before leaving. My instincts had kicked in, and no one else had mattered. Only my escape. The hurt and feelings of regret had only surfaced after gaining a great distance from the place where the templars had no doubt informed Gareth of their need to apprehend me.

"I'm not running away from either of you. It has nothing to do with our group. It's just too difficult to explain to someone who doesn't know my past." Theo shrugged as I finished speaking.

"Then tell me because I'm not gonna let you run blindly into the forest without an explanation." Theo waited for my response to his resolve. I sighed letting my shoulder's slightly slump as I prepared my words. This would be the first time I parted with information concerning my past, and it would prove to be very difficult.

"I seen a group of people that caught up to me from my past is all. People I don't wish to return to, but will force me." Theo's eyes searched my face, looking for the meaning to my words.

"I was held prisoner for most of my life, that is until two years ago. Those people will force me to go back, and I'm scared Gareth will help them." Theo frowned.

"That Paladin is a lot of things, but he is loyal to you. There is no way he would turn you over to a group of thugs." If the circumstances had been different I would have smiled at Theo's attempt to defend Gareth. The two had been at rather odd ends with each other lately, but that wasn't the case. I shifted my weight slightly and tried to wriggle free from Theo's grip. He slightly loosened his hold on my arm, but kept his hand in place. His Mahogany eyes danced with questions.

"It's not a group of thugs. The people who want me are from a group that is associated with the Knights of the Nine. They are stationed in Cyrodiil, and still traveled all this way to find me." Theo slightly raised his brow at my words.

"Wow, what did you do to piss off a bunch of Holy nuts?" Theo asked. I shrugged, not knowing how to answer.

"I have no idea. My first memories were of the cell they kept me in. Like I said I was imprisoned most of my life. I've been running from that past for the last two years. I don't know my crime, or if I even have one. One thing is obvious though, they will do anything to get me back." Theo nodded.

"I should have known as much. I've never been big on religion because I see how wild and caught up in it people can get. I never understood why people couldn't tone it down. They start doing crazy stuff, imprisoning babies…" I shook my head and threw up my hands.

"Now isn't the time to joke, I'm leaving. If you want to come, feel free, but I'm not going back there." Theo nodded and followed my pace.

"Where to Mahrig?" Theo asked.

"Anywhere." I answered.