The next day Elisif and Sybille started late and trekked in relative silence, talking only to discuss their traveling plans. They reached Riverwood by dusk, eating a short meal at the Sleeping Giant Inn before continuing on to Whiterun.
As they approached the city Sybille broke their silence.
"This is a big city and we might be recognized, so just try to keep a low profile. And don't forget my name is Clarke Bellathorn and your name is Astrid Bellathorn, and we're traveling to honor our father at Arkay's Shrine."
Elisif responded with a muffled hum.
"Elisif, I need to know what you're thinking," Sybille urged. "Tell me."
Elisif hesitated before answering.
"I want you to know that I'm grateful for all that you've done for my husband and me. Truly. And I think I'm beginning to understand the sacrifices you make. But I don't want to sanction you in my court if you feed off innocents."
"Elisif, the man last night was hardly innocent," Sybille responded.
"How do you normally feed?" she asked bluntly. "In Solitude."
"Prisoners," Sybille answered quietly. "Istlod and Torygg allowed it as long as I altered their memory afterwards, and I hoped you would be willing to allow the same."
"There's no better way?" Elisif replied.
"Your husband's father and I contemplated the dilemma after I revealed my nature to him because at that point I still ventured out to feed off bandits. He wanted me present in court more often, so I told him I needed a food source closer to the palace, and this was our solution."
Elisif deliberated thoughtfully.
"Well, I suppose if Torygg thought it best, then that's what I'll uphold," Elisif responded. "I want to honor him, and I want what's best for you. And although it doesn't sit well with me, it seems this plan is best. I haven't assumed my position yet, but you unofficially have my permission."
"Thank you, Elisif," Sybille replied with a grin. "Though, I suppose your permission would be unofficial anyways seeing as a Jarl's decrees don't typically include a court vampire."
Elisif chuckled quietly.
"I guess you're right, then," Elisif said, smiling as she met the vampire's amber eyes for the first time since the night before.
"I can't believe I never noticed your eyes before," Elisif mused in confusion. "I think they're beautiful, but they are very strange."
"There's no need for flattery among friends, Elisif," Sybille responded. "I know they're disturbing and inhuman. But it's the little things like my hood and at what angle I hold my face that have prevented your noticing them. I've had many years to predict others' actions and perfect my own."
"Sybille, it wasn't flattery," Elisif said. "I really do think they're beautiful. Peculiar and fierce but undeniably alluring."
"Well, thank you," Sybille replied. "I don't know the reason for them quite honestly. For a vampire who's lived as long as I have, I know surprisingly little about my own condition. I suppose because I've chosen not to partake in the culture of the thing, but all the same I sometimes wish I knew more about what I've become."
"I'm sure there are other vampires out there like you," Elisif proposed.
"Perhaps. But for now I am quite content with my present company," Sybille said with a warm smile towards Elisif.
"As am I," Elisif replied, returning the gesture.
As the two reached Whiterun, they roused the unfortunate stable boy from his sleep and stabled their horses before trekking up the path to the main gate.
"Elisif, let me fix that bruising on your cheek," Sybille whispered. "I'd rather not have to fabricate a story for that."
"Oh, you don't want to heal it simply to ease my pain?" Elisif asked incredulously, a joking grin on her lips.
"You know what I mean, you brassy little invalid," Sybille responded, a smirk playing at her mouth as she playfully grabbed Elisif's collar, pulling the woman just a breath away from her own face. Raising a hand to Elisif's cheek, Sybille let her fingers brush the woman's skin as golden light flowed from Sybille's palm. Elisif closed her eyes and hummed as the magic worked, only opening them again as the light died and Sybille rested her hand on Elisif's healed cheek.
"There," Sybille breathed.
"Thank you," Elisif whispered. "You'll have to teach me some of that so I'm not a complete invalid without you."
"Hm, perhaps I will," Sybille replied. "Then again I do like having your hi complete dependence on me. You know, I like the control."
Sybille sneered teasingly into Elisif's face, and Elisif huffed disdainfully.
"Who's the Jarl again?" Elisif queried sarcastically.
"Neither of us," Sybille replied. "You're Astrid and I'm Clarke. Now let's get into the city before the sun rises and I turn to dust."
Elisif snickered as they continued up the pathway.
"Would that really happen?" she asked.
"No, not ash or dust," Sybille replied. "But if you roasted me out there long enough, you'd probably wind up with just bones. Imagine a sunburn. Now imagine that ten-fold. That's what the sun does to me."
"Oh," Elisif breathed, disturbed by the thought of Sybille burning up in the sunlight.
"Don't worry. It's not going to happen," Sybille said through a laugh, sensing Elisif's discomfort.
"Good evening, ladies," one of the guards greeted the two women as they approached. "From where are you two traveling tonight?"
"We came up through Riverwood, sir," Sybille answered. "On our way to the Shrine of Arkay."
"Ah, well I'm sorry for your loss," the guard said. "I'm sure Andurs, our resident priest of Arkay, will help with any questions you may have. He's usually around the Hall of the Dead in the northern part of the city, the Cloud District. Of course, he's probably sleeping now, but check with him tomorrow."
"Yes, it is late," the other guard without a helmet piped up. His hair was short but was tousled and tangled in every direction, and his scraggly beard barely covered his jaw. "It's very late for two women to be out alone like this. Dangerous, I'd say. Why aren't you two traveling in the daytime?"
"Our father recently died, and we're trying to reach the shrine as quickly as possible in order to give his spirit rest," Sybille replied without hesitation. "We thought about staying in Riverwood a few hours ago, but we'd much rather stay in Whiterun where we knew the beds are warmer, the drinks are stronger, and the men are…well—"
Sybille gratuitously looked the helmetless guard up and down with a soft smirk.
"You know," she breathed sultrily.
The guard grinned and chuckled.
"On the beds and drinks I can agree," he said. "But the quality of the third item you'll just have to investigate yourself."
The helmeted guard sighed in impatience.
"You're free to go," he groaned. "Just don't cause any trouble while you're here and we won't have any issues."
"Thank you and goodnight, sirs," Sybille responded with a wink towards the unhelmeted guard as the two women walked through the gate.
"Sybille, what are you doing?" Elisif whispered harshly as the gate closed behind them.
"Well, I was getting us out of a spot of trouble when he started asking questions," Sybille began. "But then I got a little carried away. You know they're just so easy to manipulate. It's quite amusing."
"He's a guard here. He lives here," Elisif warned. "Let's just hope he doesn't drop in on us for a visit sometime hoping to get you to try out that 'third item.'"
"Oh, Elisif, lighten up," Sybille jested. "Let's get some drinks in you. That'll solve your problem."
The women walked down the empty main thoroughfare and up the steps of the Bannered Mare. Both were equally surprised to find the place bustling with patrons from farmhands to mercenaries.
"Oh," Elisif breathed in quiet astonishment.
"Yes," Sybille agreed. "Just remember. Astrid. Clarke. Arkay."
"Right," Elisif sighed.
They walked up to the counter, managing to catch the busy bartender in between frantic dashes.
"Do you have any rooms?" Sybille asked over the tavern din.
"Oh, lass, I'm full up," the tired woman responded. "Busy night tonight. Check down at the Drunken Huntsman. I think Nazeem and his wife are out of town, so they might have a room. You should check there. I'm sorry, miss!"
The innkeeper shouted to them over her shoulder as she carried drinks into the crowd around the fire pit.
"Well, let's go," Sybille sighed, walking back towards the door.
Elisif stumbled after Sybille down the street, exhausted and wanting nothing more than a rest and a drink. At this hour everyone was in doors except for the guards. And a tall, red-headed Nord woman stalking in from Whiterun's front gate. Elisif thought nothing of the woman until she passed directly by them, her pale eyes locked on Sybille from under the green stripes of her war paint. When the woman passed, Sybille gripped Elisif's hand, quickening her pace, but it wasn't fast enough. Suddenly the woman whipped back around, grabbing Sybille's arm and jerking the smaller woman towards her. She snatched a handful of Sybille's robes and pulled the vampire face to face with her as Sybille bared her fangs in a threatening snarl.
"I know what you are, vermin," the woman growled. "What are you doing in my domain?"
"And I know what you are, dog," Sybille stated deliberately, her brows still cinched in aggression. "We're just passing through."
"I expect not a whiff of you in this territory by morning," the woman replied through clenched teeth. "And if I catch wind of any harm befallen these people at your hands, I swear I will track you down and I will rip both you and your pretty little companion to shreds."
"Well, then I'll try to keep my hands to myself. Wouldn't want the mutt clan after me," Sybille spat coldly.
The red headed woman responded with a rumbling growl as she tightened her grip on Sybille's robes and jerked the petite woman closer.
"Alright, I get it," Sybille sighed. "We'll be gone before you and your bedmates rouse yourselves from whatever drunken stupor into which you intend to descend tonight."
"You'd better hope so," the woman replied, shoving Sybille away harshly as she released her robes with a snarl and sauntered away.
Elisif stood stunned as she watched the scantily clad warrior hike up the stairs near the market.
"What was that?" Elisif asked in astonishment.
"That," Sybille began with a sigh, smoothing her robes, "was one of Whiterun's resident werewolves."
"Werewolves? In the city?" Elisif questioned incredulously.
"Yes," Sybille answered, continuing on their path towards the Drunken Huntsman. "Little known fact: the 'Inner Circle' of the mighty Companions is actually just a sweaty cesspool of inbred mutts who think they have a monopoly on do-gooding because they kill a few trolls every now and then."
Elisif snickered at Sybille's snide assessment of the guild recognized across Skyrim for their heroic exploits.
"So, she knew by your smell?" Elisif insinuated.
"Right. They may be brutes, but they do have enhanced senses similar to mine. That one was Aela. She can be a particular pain in the arse. But the others are either too stupid or too wrapped up in the religion of the thing to be of any consequence."
"You've dealt with them before?"
"I've dealt with their kind before, and I've met the other members of the Inner Circle before a long time ago. But it doesn't really matter. She wouldn't lift a finger against us if she knew who you were."
"But you're saying she'd attack us now?" Elisif asked in alarm.
"She may be dense as a stump, but she's honorable," Sybille replied. "As long as we leave by tomorrow morning, everything will be fine."
The Drunken Huntsman was much less boisterous although quite a few characters did loiter around the main room. Sybille immediately approached the wood elf at the counter and asked about his availability.
"As a matter of fact, yes," he responded. "One master bedroom just upstairs. 15 gold for the night."
"Yes, we'll take it," Elisif responded before Sybille had time to, dropping the coins on the counter.
"Excellent," the elf said, gathering the coins. "This way."
He led the two up the stairs which landed directly in front of double doors leading to the spacious room with a large bed.
"Anything else you ladies need tonight?" he asked patiently.
"We'll take some ale," Sybille said.
"Well, I'll take wine if you have any," Elisif added.
"Alright, I'll check in our stocks," the bartender said as he turned and headed back downstairs.
Elisif dropped her bag in a corner and collapsed on the bed with a sigh.
"I know it's only been two days, but I already miss this," Elisif said.
Sybille laughed, throwing her bag next to Elisif's.
"Come on, you pampered fool," Sybille said, gripping Elisif's hand as she pulled her up. "Let's go get those drinks."
To Elisif's delight the elf had managed to find a bottle of Alto wine, which she eagerly bought, while Sybille took her ale. They ate some venison and vegetable stew that another wood elf was cooking over the fire which turned out to be quite delicious.
"Did you enjoy the venison?" the elf asked the two women who had placed themselves at a small table in the corner of the room.
Elisif nodded and Sybille answered, "We both thought it was very good. Was it your catch?"
"Indeed," the elf replied proudly, gliding over and occupying the empty chair at their table. "Big six-point and his doe. They'll feed us for a good month."
"I'm not terribly experienced with a bow myself, but I do enjoy a good hunt," Sybille replied coyly. Elisif glanced at the vampire nervously. She knew Sybille liked to play games, but Elisif was not in the mood to flee a troop of angry Whiterun guards chasing a vampire out of town simply because Sybille wanted semantic entertainment.
"As do I," the elf agreed. "Something about the thrill of the chase always brings me back."
"Outsmarting your prey, finally laying hands on your game," Sybille continued slyly. "It's really quite rewarding."
"Yes, indeed!" he agreed again excitedly. "For a woman who claims to have little experience with a hunter's weapon, you seem to be quite an insightful huntress."
"Well, in my experience, once is all it takes," Sybille responded with a wry smile.
The elf studied her with intrigue, narrowing his eyes and seeming to ponder her cryptic words with skepticism. Elisif's heart turned in her chest as she felt the tension crackle through the air like lightning through clouds. She released her breath when the elf spoke again.
"My name's Anoriath," he introduced himself, smiling warmly as he seemed to forgo his apprehensions about Sybille.
"I'm Clarke and this is my sister Astrid," Sybille responded.
"Sisters? You two hardly even look to be distant cousins," the elf said with a laugh.
"Well, we get that a lot," Elisif replied. "In truth we're only sisters through marriage. We aren't actually related. My father married her mother, but we were both born to different sets of parents before then."
"Ah, I see," Anoriath said with a nod.
Elisif beamed as she felt Sybille's approving glance fall on her.
"Well, Clarke and Astrid, I'm certainly glad you decided to stay with us tonight," Anoriath said with a smile. "It's not often we have intriguing women like you two come through."
"We're just grateful you had room for us," Sybille sighed. "We've been traveling for days and we needed a rest."
"What is the purpose of your journey, if I may ask?" Anoriath ventured.
"Our father recently died, and we are traveling to the shrine of Arkay to make an offering and bring his soul peace," Sybille explained.
"Ah, I'm so sorry for your loss," Anoriath replied. "It seems he left beautiful legacies behind, though."
He nodded and smiled towards them.
"Thank you for your kindness, sir," Elisif responded. Gracefully receiving gushing compliments, especially from men, was something of her specialty. She hadn't been dubbed Elisif the Fair for nothing. "And what about yourself? Have you any family?"
"Well, my brother and I run this tavern together, but the rest of my family is in my homeland, Valenwood," Anoriath replied.
"Oh, that must be terribly difficult to be separated so far from your blood," Elisif gushed. "Tell us about Valenwood. I've never even traveled out of Skyrim before."
And so, for a while Elisif and Sybille talked with Anoriath about his homeland and journeys, Elisif becoming more genuinely interested in his tales as she dove deeper into her bottle of wine. As the tavern began to empty, Elisif was feeling the effects of her drink. The room swayed pleasantly. Her limbs grew heavy. A soft grin rested on her lips as her eyelids sagged. Her tell-tale sign of drunkenness surfaced as she began touching everyone near her. A light palm on Anoriath's knee, a laughing grip on Sybille's arm, and a gentle arm around the dog's neck panting by her lap. Soon Anoriath too bid them goodnight and turned in to his room for the evening, and Sybille and Elisif made their way up the stairs to their bed. Elisif began undressing for bed but stopped as she began removing her traveling tunic.
"Sybille, I didn't bring any sleeping clothes," Elisif said, surprised by the slur in her words. "You told me to pack lightly. So, I hope this is alright with you."
Elisif gestured to her half-dressed body but stopped in astonishment as she looked up. Sybille had already undressed and wore nothing but her smallclothes, grinning drunkenly as she held her arms out.
"This is all I brought, and I didn't even think to ask you your opinion on the matter," Sybille replied, crossing her arms. "So I think it's safe to say I don't give a skeever's arse what you wear. Or don't wear."
"Oh, well good," Elisif said, chuckling as she recovered from her surprise at the situation.
Elisif finished undressing and hurriedly stumbled into the bed, an involuntary shiver racking her limbs as she eagerly burrowed under the blankets out of the cold. Sybille laughed as she too slipped into the bed.
"What?" Elisif questioned suspiciously.
"It's just funny. You're cold," Sybille said, propping herself up on an elbow as she lay on her side facing Elisif, an uncharacteristic smile gracing her visage. "I don't remember the last time I got cold."
Elisif couldn't help but notice with a mixture of trepidation and curiosity Sybille's pointed fangs grazing her lips as she grinned.
"That's why you never smile," Elisif realized quietly, reaching out curiously and placing a finger on Sybille's lip under her pointed teeth.
Sybille tapped one of her sharp canines with a slim finger.
"And you thought I just never had anything to be happy about," Sybille sighed jokingly.
"Well, that still remains to be seen," Elisif replied coyly, resting her lolling head on her forearm.
"I may have plenty to lament, but I also have plenty to rejoice," Sybille answered in a whisper, drawing closer to Elisif. "As do you."
She tipped Elisif's chin with a finger, her tired amber eyes meeting Elisif's drunken blue ones intently. Elisif seemed to read the sum of all of Sybille's experiences in her golden orbs; her lifetimes of hurt and joy, failures and knowledge. Although Elisif was young by many standards, she was no fool. The simple fact that Sybille had experienced life for far longer than any other person she knew granted the vampire invaluable knowledge and experience. Elisif had much to learn from the strangely alluring Breton.
"I know you're hurting, Elisif," Sybille continued quietly, "but there is so much more left in this world for you. I know. And I want to show you and teach you."
A grateful grin tugged at a corner of Elisif's lips as she focused on Sybille's words.
"I will not betray or abandon you," Sybille breathed, bringing a gentle palm to Elisif's jaw. "You will always have my support and confidence just as your husband and his father before him did."
Elisif covered Sybille's cold hand on her cheek with her own, closing her eyes as she leaned into the touch.
"Thank you, Sybille," Elisif replied, placing her other hand on Sybille's forearm. "The Divines couldn't have blessed me with anyone better."
Sybille closed the distance between them and planted her lips just at the corner of Elisif's. Elisif couldn't quite discern if the kiss was meant for her lips or her cheek.
"I'll be by your side as long as I live. This I swear to you," Sybille said with a smile. "Goodnight, Elisif the Fair."
Sybille released her touch on Elisif, shifting down under the blankets and turning her back on the red-head, leaving a drunken Elisif dumbstruck and confused, but content and secure as she too settled down to sleep.