Four
Evening has begun to join them on their journey. Serana had spent the day looking at Skyrim from horseback while Stefan told her anecdotes about his adventures before she met him.
"It's really something to see Skyrim from this high up," she said looking around. They had just reached a small hamlet called Dragon Bridge.
"We can stop here for the night," he said. "Solitude isn't far now."
"I would like to sleep under the stars tonight," said Serana.
Stefan turned to look at her.
"Under the stars?" he repeated.
"Certainly," she replied. "I have missed seeing the beautiful Skyrim sky."
"As you wish," he said.
He pulled the reigns. His horse stopped at the banks of a trickling stream.
He dismounted and then held put his arms for Serana to dismount. She jumped off, he grabbed her waist and caught her as she landed. They froze for a moment, and she had a strange desire to throw her arms around him. It seemed that Stefan was struggling with something internally. He smiled at her and released her from his grip.
"I'll go and make a fire," he said sheepishly.
At once he began making a small pile of logs and wood to make a fire. Serana watched him. She tried to make her way to help him but she found her groin was excruciatingly painful. The pain was so severe she could barely walk. Instead of walking, she merely hobbled towards him.
"Let me help," she winced picking some large cuttings from the river bank.
She dropped them onto the pile he was making. He looked up and saw she was hobbling.
"Oh," he said. "I should have warned you about that."
"Is this normal?" she asked. "I can barely walk."
"Quite normal," he confirmed. "Sit down. It will pass."
He took a bed roll from the saddle bag and unfurled it, placing it on the ground. He then took another and placed it next to hers.
He shouted with fire breath to start the fire. At once they were bathed in magical fire. He sat for a moment and watched the flames burn. Serana then lay back on her bedroll and looked up at the stars.
"That must be that beautiful Skyrim weather I've always heard about," she said.
He smiled.
"Yes," he said. "The weather here is really something. Different from my homeland that's for sure."
"You're from High Rock?" asked Serana, sitting up.
"Correct," he replied. "I came here about...I would say around 5 years ago."
"What brought you to Skyrim?" asked Serana.
"My mother," he replied. "It was where she was from."
"Your mother was a Nord?"asked Serana.
"That's right," he said. "Mother was a Nord, father was Breton."
"What happened to them?"asked Serana.
"They were killed," he replied. "By the Thalmor."
Serana gasped.
"Why?"she asked.
"That's what I came here to find out," he replied.
"And?" pressed Serana.
"I'm still no closer to finding out then I was 5 years ago," replied Stefan.
Serana moved closer to him as he opened up about his family, until they were sitting shoulder to shoulder. As he finished his last sentence, she saw his hand on the bedroll.
"I'm sure your parents would have been proud of you," she said. She placed her hand on his and gently caressed it.
"Maybe," he said. "I'd like to think so."
She rested her head on his shoulder and stroked his hand softly. He glanced into the fire as they sat in silence.
"I think that fire is hot enough to cook something now, " he said. "Don't you?"
Serana moved her head as he stood up, releasing her hand from his.
"Stefan," she began.
"I already have some bottles in the saddle bags for you," he said as he placed a rabbit on the spit.
Serana stood up and hobbled over to the horse. She opened the bag and found several bottles of his blood. She counted four in all.
"Stefan," she said concerned.
"Yes Serana?" he asked looking up at her.
"How long do you think you can sustain sacrificing your blood for me?" she asked. "One day you are going to run out."
"That day is a long way away yet," he said.
"I'm serious Stefan," she said fiercely. He looked up at her. He could see her deep red eyes piercing into him. The fire illuminated her angry face and she looked even more frightening. "You can't bleed yourself to death for me."
"Yes I can,"he said. "But I'm not going to bleed to death."
"You are a mortal," she said. "You are going to one day."
Stefan approached her. He dug his hands into the saddle bags and pulled a clear red potion.
"Read what that bottle says," he asked.
Serana read the scrawl on the paper tag. It read, 'blood replenishing potion'.
"Blood Replenishing Potion," she read aloud.
"Yes," he said. "Blood Replenishing Potion. So you have nothing to worry about."
He pulled the cork off and drank the bottle in one. He then replaced it back into the bag.
"But Stefan..." she began.
"Yes Serana?" he asked once again.
"I...I...Are you...?"she spluttered. But she couldn't find an argument to put against him.
"Yes," he said smiling down at her. "I am sure."
Serana suddenly felt this immense thrill of excitement. He touched her face softly. Serana shuddered as adrenaline thundered through her body like a freight train. She was sure if she had a heartbeat it would be trying to escape her chest. She touched his hand, the warmth made her shudder. She blinked slowly as she looked up at him. She suddenly felt weak and defenceless.
The moonlight shone on her face. He was so close, he could count the pimples on her visage. He could see the fire reflecting in her big, red eyes. He could see her body moving as she breathed, it was fast, like she was excited or expecting something. He could smell and taste her breath on his face, the smell of blood. He loved that smell. He felt her soft skin touching each side of his hand.
The moonlight danced on her long black hair. Almost as if it was glowing or shimmering. He carefully pushed aside the hair that was covering her face.
His face was much too close to hers. Almost too close. At that precise moment his horse neighed. Stefan looked over to see his dinner was being attacked by two wolves. He let go of Serana and shooed them away. Serana watched him chase away the wolves. She touched the skin on her face where his hand had been moments before. It felt warm, she could feel herself blushing again.
"I hate wolves," he said as he returned. He looked down to see huge chunks of meat torn out of the rabbit that had been roasting on the fire. He was about to pick off a piece and try it.
"Don't," said Serana. "You'll get rockjoint."
She looked around towards the stream.
"Wait here," she commanded.
Serana hobbled off to the stream and peered into it. Without warning she shot chain lighting into it. Several salmon and a slaughterfish floated to the top. She used Telepathy to move them to the bank. She then picked them up out of the water and attached them to the spit.
"I hope you like fish," she said simply.
"I do," he said. "Thank you."
She smiled. She then sat down on her bed roll and looked into the flames.