p class="MsoNoSpacing"emspan style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;"Proudspire/span/em/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;"2supnd/sup of Frost Fall/span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt;"It was evening at Proudspire Manor. Aurora had gone there after dinner, around eight o'clock and found all the men busy working. She had wished for company that day, and been invited to join Olfina, Idgrod and Harrald, but declined. For some reason, she found it difficult to speak about memories from the war, and fighting in general. Olfina was asking her to train /spanspan style="font-size: 17.3333px;"sword fighting/spanspan style="font-size: 13pt;" on a daily basis by then, and Aurora was tired of coming up with reasons in order to avoid it. When coming to Proudspire, she always felt a calm, and it had become almost a bedtime routine for her to meet the guys, drink wine and listen to them discussing artistic matters. /span/span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;"She was sitting in the sofa, with her legs curled up and left elbow leaning against the armrest. She watched as Egor painted only some six feet away from her. Due to the darkness outside, and few candles in the living room, she could not make out any details the painter was working on. It did not matter to her, though, as it was calming to see him move the brush. /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;"The Goldwine brothers were working in the kitchen, and their low voices created a white noise which also had a relaxing effect on the woman. Vecheslav was reading something in the armchair furthest away from Aurora. He had not spoken a word for the two hours the Jarl had spent at Proudspire. /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""How lovely it is when the house is quiet and everyone is at work," Egor said. His voice was very pleasant to listen to. He did not speak too loudly, and his tone was calm and warm./span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""Indeed, however, I usually prefer when it is lively," Aurora sighed./span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;"Egor looked up from his canvas. "Why? You if anyone should have first hand experience of living in cramped places," he spoke over his shoulder./span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""I feel safer that way," she said./span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;"He chuckled. "I bet the Blue Palace is the safest place in Solitude. Especially when the Goldwines are around," he spoke with irony in his tone./span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;"She did not react to his joke. Neither did any of the Goldwines, who were working in the kitchen. Aurora wondered whether they had not heard Egor speak, or if something was up./span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""Usually, it is impossible to work at Proudspire," Egor said. "Always something going on, you will grow tired of it, trust me." He looked up again and grinned at her. She did not move an inch, though. /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;"Egor went quiet for a while, probably observing Aurora's distant mental state. The woman was looking at the Goldwine brothers and trying to make out what they were discussing – whatever it was, it could not be good, she thought, as their body language appeared tense. /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""After this exhibition, I want to do one with town landscapes," Egor suddenly continued. "I've always dreamt of seeing Markarth."/span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;"Aurora turned her gaze toward him. "It's beautiful," she said./span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""You've been there?" he asked, quickly throwing a look at her before turning back to his canvas. /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""I've been everywhere in Skyrim," she said./span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;"He smiled towards her. "What did you do in Markarth?"/span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""There is this Dwemer ruin there, Nchuand-Zel. I cleared it some years ago," she spoke with a tired expression. "It's also on the way to Dead Crone Rock, a place with this word wall."/span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""For your dragon shouts?" Egor asked./span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;"Aurora nodded. /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""Never thought I'd meet a Dragonborn," Egor grinned and continued to paint. /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;"Aurora looked at his tranquil brush strokes with a concerned expression. She did not like to remember it. She could not understand why those pictures in her head had such an effect on her all of a sudden. When she fought creatures and bandits, she never felt affected by it, but now… /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""Don't you miss it?" Egor asked./span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;"Aurora turned her head toward him very suddenly, as if awoken. "What?"/span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""Shouting," he grinned. "Freezing an enemy solid, or tearing their soul apart."/span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;"Ice went though Aurora as she heard his words. She turned her gaze towards the brothers. "No," she said, distant in her own thoughts./span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""You are not very talkative," Egor said. "For disliking silence."/span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;"She turned to him. "What?" she asked, having not heard what he said. /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;"He grinned. "Nothing."/span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;"They sat in silence for a long time. She felt Egor was observing her while she distant-mindedly was looking at the Goldwines, who were sitting by the kitchen table. Both were leaning forwards toward one another, but Aurora could only see Ratibor's face. His forehead was wrinkled in a frustrated grimace, and his hands were gesturing something. Suddenly, Aurora heard the sound of a chair being pushed against the floor close to her. Egor had placed his brush on a sidetable and gone up. /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""What in Oblivion, Bogdan?" Ratibor suddenly yelled as Egor was walking by./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""It is always like this, you don't listen and you don't understand!" the younger brother exclaimed./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""No one understands you! This is for the audience..." Ratibor began./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""It em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"does/em em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"not/em matter! What's important is the mood it sets!"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"The older brother sighed and threw his arms out to the side. "Egor, what do you think?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt;"Egor remained calm and barely looked at the brothers. He was /spanspan style="font-size: 17.3333px;"pouring/spanspan style="font-size: 13pt;" something into a mug. "I am really not the person to ask," he said diplomatically. "I'm just here to get some tea."/span/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""I'm just saying that the audience won't understand. To keep something merely for one's own pleasure is egoism," Ratibor hissed while his younger brother stood up./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""Are you still on about that?" Egor asked./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"Bogdan walked away in irritation without even looking at anyone, leaving Ratibor and Egor alone in the kitchen. With determined steps, the younger Goldwine brother marched upstairs before either one of the people remaining on the ground floor had time to utter a word to him./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""That was funny, though," Ratibor grinned but in an annoyed manner. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"Aurora, who was turned toward the men in the kitchen while remaining in the sofa, looked worryingly at Ratibor. "What happened?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""I told him we could not put a chapter he wrote in the play," Ratibor said while placing his hands on the hips. "Brilliant, exactly what we need less than two months before this play is supposed to premiere."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""It will work out," Egor said, casually raising his mug./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"Ratibor took a few steps out of the kitchen, into the living room. "Yeah, when I finally managed to convince him to get some work done… Anyway, you better get back to your own work, you have what…? Three weeks until you have your exhibition," he added in a highly irritated tone before he took his coat from the hanger in the hall and left the house./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"This left a startled Aurora and Egor alone with Vecheslav, who had remained quiet in his corner until then. He sighed, placed the book the had been reading on a sidetable and got up. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""Are the brothers fighting?" Aurora asked, turning toward him. She was happy not to think about her own history, which Egor had kept bringing up that evening./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""They have a few... artistic differences," Vecheslav said. "I am so glad that I don't have to compromise with anyone else." He walked up to the sofa and placed his hands on the backrest./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""What are they on about?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""Bogdan put a lot of effort into a scene he wrote, and Ratibor doesn't want it in the play," Egor answered before taking a sip of the tea he had made./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""Is it bad?" the woman asked, looking up at Vecheslav./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"He turned his gaze to the side as if to think for a moment, but did not answer. Instead, Aurora looked at Egor with a questioning expression./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""No, it's brilliant, but Ratibor doesn't agree with Bogdan when he says it's needed for the play," Egor answered./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt;""I think we should just keep out of this /spanspan style="font-size: 17.3333px;"altogether/spanspan style="font-size: 13pt;"," Vecheslav said. "Artistic differences can drive a considerable wedge in the relationship between an artist and his audience."/span/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"The differences were not artistic, Aurora figured, and Vecheslav was wrong. Perhaps he said what he did because he was loyal to Ratibor, who appeared to Aurora to be less talented than his younger brother. The brothers loved each other, but it appeared Ratibor could not let go of his envy. After all, it was odd that Ratibor needed so much help with rewriting Bogdan's novels into plays. A good playwright should not have that problem, she decided. /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""I'll check on Bogdan," Aurora suddenly said and got up to her feet./span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""I'd give him some space," Egor said. "Same goes with Ratibor."/span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;"Aurora could no longer hear Egor or Vecheslav – instead she had her gaze fixed at the stairs. She ran up them, but made sure to grab a bottle of wine in her right hand on the way. A few seconds later, she knocked on the door to Bogdan's room./span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;"The door opened and exposed the younger Goldwine brother. His gaze appeared drunken as always, and he was leaning with his left arm against the doorframe. Aurora presented the bottle, and saw how Bogdan's gaze lowered slowly./span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""I'm sorry he changes your writing," Aurora said./span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;"He looked up again, this time with a severe expression. He opened his mouth as if to speak, but regretted his decision and closed it again. Instead, he took a step to the side and pushed the door open. /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt;"His chamber was not big – the master bedroom was split in two nowadays. He sat down on his chair by the table, and Aurora on the bed. She looked around at all the books, which were absolutely everywhere. They were carelessly stapled on top of one another in leaning towers on the floor, /spanspan style="font-size: 17.3333px;"stretching/spanspan style="font-size: 13pt;" up to almost a yard in height. Parchment rolls and ink bottles were thrown on top of these towers, on the window still, and on the sidetable by the bed. The only thing which was not messy in that chamber was the bed, which was neatly made, with a few pillows leaning against the bedframe. /span/span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""Everything put into that novel, I tore off my soul," Bogdan cried./span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;"He looked destroyed. Aurora felt that ice going through her again./span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;"He turned his head toward her. /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""Breton wine," he suddenly grinned. "Give me the bottle."/span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;"Aurora placed the bottle behind her back./span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""Let's make a bet," he said. "I win – we'll talk about my absurd negativity. You win – I get two of those bottles and we drink."/span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""What's the bet?" Aurora coquetedly asked, still holding the bottle behind her back./span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""Anything you like," he said. "Anything which can be resolved here and now."/span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;"She thought for a while, and then looked around the room as she had not arrived at any reasonable suggestion. The only idea she had was to toss a coin she found on the window still./span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""Head or tail?" she asked, standing up and leaning forwards, over a tower of books. /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""Head," Bogdan said./span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""Guess I'll go for tail then."/span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;"She gripped the coin and observed the dragon on the tail side of the Septim. Once again, she felt uneasy. Before dark memories would have time to take over her mind, she tossed it. The coin fell to the ground while both the man and the woman carefully observed it. Tail./span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""You better get us those bottles, because I don't aim to endure soberity for much longer," Bogdan said./span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;"2supnd/sup of Frost Fall/span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt;"It was evening at Proudspire Manor. Aurora had gone there after dinner, around eight o'clock and found all the men busy working. She had wished for company that day, and been invited to join Olfina, Idgrod and Harrald, but declined. For some reason, she found it difficult to speak about memories from the war, and fighting in general. Olfina was asking her to train /spanspan style="font-size: 17.3333px;"sword fighting/spanspan style="font-size: 13pt;" on a daily basis by then, and Aurora was tired of coming up with reasons in order to avoid it. When coming to Proudspire, she always felt a calm, and it had become almost a bedtime routine for her to meet the guys, drink wine and listen to them discussing artistic matters. /span/span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;"She was sitting in the sofa, with her legs curled up and left elbow leaning against the armrest. She watched as Egor painted only some six feet away from her. Due to the darkness outside, and few candles in the living room, she could not make out any details the painter was working on. It did not matter to her, though, as it was calming to see him move the brush. /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;"The Goldwine brothers were working in the kitchen, and their low voices created a white noise which also had a relaxing effect on the woman. Vecheslav was reading something in the armchair furthest away from Aurora. He had not spoken a word for the two hours the Jarl had spent at Proudspire. /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""How lovely it is when the house is quiet and everyone is at work," Egor said. His voice was very pleasant to listen to. He did not speak too loudly, and his tone was calm and warm./span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""Indeed, however, I usually prefer when it is lively," Aurora sighed./span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;"Egor looked up from his canvas. "Why? You if anyone should have first hand experience of living in cramped places," he spoke over his shoulder./span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""I feel safer that way," she said./span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;"He chuckled. "I bet the Blue Palace is the safest place in Solitude. Especially when the Goldwines are around," he spoke with irony in his tone./span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;"She did not react to his joke. Neither did any of the Goldwines, who were working in the kitchen. Aurora wondered whether they had not heard Egor speak, or if something was up./span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""Usually, it is impossible to work at Proudspire," Egor said. "Always something going on, you will grow tired of it, trust me." He looked up again and grinned at her. She did not move an inch, though. /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;"Egor went quiet for a while, probably observing Aurora's distant mental state. The woman was looking at the Goldwine brothers and trying to make out what they were discussing – whatever it was, it could not be good, she thought, as their body language appeared tense. /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""After this exhibition, I want to do one with town landscapes," Egor suddenly continued. "I've always dreamt of seeing Markarth."/span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;"Aurora turned her gaze toward him. "It's beautiful," she said./span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""You've been there?" he asked, quickly throwing a look at her before turning back to his canvas. /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""I've been everywhere in Skyrim," she said./span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;"He smiled towards her. "What did you do in Markarth?"/span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""There is this Dwemer ruin there, Nchuand-Zel. I cleared it some years ago," she spoke with a tired expression. "It's also on the way to Dead Crone Rock, a place with this word wall."/span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""For your dragon shouts?" Egor asked./span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;"Aurora nodded. /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""Never thought I'd meet a Dragonborn," Egor grinned and continued to paint. /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;"Aurora looked at his tranquil brush strokes with a concerned expression. She did not like to remember it. She could not understand why those pictures in her head had such an effect on her all of a sudden. When she fought creatures and bandits, she never felt affected by it, but now… /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""Don't you miss it?" Egor asked./span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;"Aurora turned her head toward him very suddenly, as if awoken. "What?"/span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""Shouting," he grinned. "Freezing an enemy solid, or tearing their soul apart."/span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;"Ice went though Aurora as she heard his words. She turned her gaze towards the brothers. "No," she said, distant in her own thoughts./span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""You are not very talkative," Egor said. "For disliking silence."/span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;"She turned to him. "What?" she asked, having not heard what he said. /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;"He grinned. "Nothing."/span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;"They sat in silence for a long time. She felt Egor was observing her while she distant-mindedly was looking at the Goldwines, who were sitting by the kitchen table. Both were leaning forwards toward one another, but Aurora could only see Ratibor's face. His forehead was wrinkled in a frustrated grimace, and his hands were gesturing something. Suddenly, Aurora heard the sound of a chair being pushed against the floor close to her. Egor had placed his brush on a sidetable and gone up. /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""What in Oblivion, Bogdan?" Ratibor suddenly yelled as Egor was walking by./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""It is always like this, you don't listen and you don't understand!" the younger brother exclaimed./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""No one understands you! This is for the audience..." Ratibor began./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""It em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"does/em em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"not/em matter! What's important is the mood it sets!"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"The older brother sighed and threw his arms out to the side. "Egor, what do you think?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt;"Egor remained calm and barely looked at the brothers. He was /spanspan style="font-size: 17.3333px;"pouring/spanspan style="font-size: 13pt;" something into a mug. "I am really not the person to ask," he said diplomatically. "I'm just here to get some tea."/span/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""I'm just saying that the audience won't understand. To keep something merely for one's own pleasure is egoism," Ratibor hissed while his younger brother stood up./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""Are you still on about that?" Egor asked./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"Bogdan walked away in irritation without even looking at anyone, leaving Ratibor and Egor alone in the kitchen. With determined steps, the younger Goldwine brother marched upstairs before either one of the people remaining on the ground floor had time to utter a word to him./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""That was funny, though," Ratibor grinned but in an annoyed manner. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"Aurora, who was turned toward the men in the kitchen while remaining in the sofa, looked worryingly at Ratibor. "What happened?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""I told him we could not put a chapter he wrote in the play," Ratibor said while placing his hands on the hips. "Brilliant, exactly what we need less than two months before this play is supposed to premiere."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""It will work out," Egor said, casually raising his mug./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"Ratibor took a few steps out of the kitchen, into the living room. "Yeah, when I finally managed to convince him to get some work done… Anyway, you better get back to your own work, you have what…? Three weeks until you have your exhibition," he added in a highly irritated tone before he took his coat from the hanger in the hall and left the house./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"This left a startled Aurora and Egor alone with Vecheslav, who had remained quiet in his corner until then. He sighed, placed the book the had been reading on a sidetable and got up. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""Are the brothers fighting?" Aurora asked, turning toward him. She was happy not to think about her own history, which Egor had kept bringing up that evening./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""They have a few... artistic differences," Vecheslav said. "I am so glad that I don't have to compromise with anyone else." He walked up to the sofa and placed his hands on the backrest./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""What are they on about?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""Bogdan put a lot of effort into a scene he wrote, and Ratibor doesn't want it in the play," Egor answered before taking a sip of the tea he had made./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""Is it bad?" the woman asked, looking up at Vecheslav./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"He turned his gaze to the side as if to think for a moment, but did not answer. Instead, Aurora looked at Egor with a questioning expression./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;""No, it's brilliant, but Ratibor doesn't agree with Bogdan when he says it's needed for the play," Egor answered./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt;""I think we should just keep out of this /spanspan style="font-size: 17.3333px;"altogether/spanspan style="font-size: 13pt;"," Vecheslav said. "Artistic differences can drive a considerable wedge in the relationship between an artist and his audience."/span/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"The differences were not artistic, Aurora figured, and Vecheslav was wrong. Perhaps he said what he did because he was loyal to Ratibor, who appeared to Aurora to be less talented than his younger brother. The brothers loved each other, but it appeared Ratibor could not let go of his envy. After all, it was odd that Ratibor needed so much help with rewriting Bogdan's novels into plays. A good playwright should not have that problem, she decided. /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""I'll check on Bogdan," Aurora suddenly said and got up to her feet./span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""I'd give him some space," Egor said. "Same goes with Ratibor."/span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;"Aurora could no longer hear Egor or Vecheslav – instead she had her gaze fixed at the stairs. She ran up them, but made sure to grab a bottle of wine in her right hand on the way. A few seconds later, she knocked on the door to Bogdan's room./span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;"The door opened and exposed the younger Goldwine brother. His gaze appeared drunken as always, and he was leaning with his left arm against the doorframe. Aurora presented the bottle, and saw how Bogdan's gaze lowered slowly./span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""I'm sorry he changes your writing," Aurora said./span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;"He looked up again, this time with a severe expression. He opened his mouth as if to speak, but regretted his decision and closed it again. Instead, he took a step to the side and pushed the door open. /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"span style="font-size: 13pt;"His chamber was not big – the master bedroom was split in two nowadays. He sat down on his chair by the table, and Aurora on the bed. She looked around at all the books, which were absolutely everywhere. They were carelessly stapled on top of one another in leaning towers on the floor, /spanspan style="font-size: 17.3333px;"stretching/spanspan style="font-size: 13pt;" up to almost a yard in height. Parchment rolls and ink bottles were thrown on top of these towers, on the window still, and on the sidetable by the bed. The only thing which was not messy in that chamber was the bed, which was neatly made, with a few pillows leaning against the bedframe. /span/span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""Everything put into that novel, I tore off my soul," Bogdan cried./span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;"He looked destroyed. Aurora felt that ice going through her again./span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;"He turned his head toward her. /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""Breton wine," he suddenly grinned. "Give me the bottle."/span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;"Aurora placed the bottle behind her back./span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""Let's make a bet," he said. "I win – we'll talk about my absurd negativity. You win – I get two of those bottles and we drink."/span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""What's the bet?" Aurora coquetedly asked, still holding the bottle behind her back./span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""Anything you like," he said. "Anything which can be resolved here and now."/span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;"She thought for a while, and then looked around the room as she had not arrived at any reasonable suggestion. The only idea she had was to toss a coin she found on the window still./span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""Head or tail?" she asked, standing up and leaning forwards, over a tower of books. /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""Head," Bogdan said./span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""Guess I'll go for tail then."/span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;"She gripped the coin and observed the dragon on the tail side of the Septim. Once again, she felt uneasy. Before dark memories would have time to take over her mind, she tossed it. The coin fell to the ground while both the man and the woman carefully observed it. Tail./span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;" /span/p
p class="MsoNoSpacing"span style="font-size: 13.0pt; font-family: 'Verdana',sans-serif;""You better get us those bottles, because I don't aim to endure soberity for much longer," Bogdan said./span/p