Chapter 4
Sara hadn't expected Rogan's magical precautions to be quite so shocking, but that's exactly what they were when they suddenly went off in the middle of the night. Rogan was up on his feet an instant and his sword drawn before she could even begin to comprehend what was going on.
The precautions were akin to something like runes, which would elicit a loud explosion and do some sort of damage when an enemy got too close, but they were like nothing Sara had ever seen in any version of Skyrim she had played back home.
As another loud bang went off again, Rogan snarled for Sara to stay where she was, which was an easy thing to do as she was paralyzed with fear anyways. The fire had died down a little while earlier and the sky was pitch black since sunrise was still at least a couple hours away. Sara remained laying in the bedroll, shaking like a leaf, as Rogan rushed towards whatever had set off his alarms.
There was a scuffling sound from somewhere nearby. Rogan's growl echoed all around and the clashing of metal ringing in her ears almost gave Sara a heart attack. She quickly threw the blanket over her head and buried down into the bedroll, but as soon as the fight started, there was a loud scream and suddenly there was silence.
Sara's heart pounded in her chest as she heard the crunch of boots growing closer, and she jumped when Rogan's voice called out to her.
"What are you doing?"
Rogan's annoyed face appeared as Sara slowly slid the blanket back and looked up at him.
"Uh... hiding?"
"As if I wouldn't protect you from a simple bandit," Rogan scoffed while he strode over to his satchel. "You insult me."
"Sorry," Sara mumbled, and she frowned. "I didn't know, I couldn't see in the dark."
Rogan ignored her comment and fished around in his pack until he found a cloth with which to clean his sword. Sara was glad that she couldn't see what she knew to be blood dripping from the long sharp blade as he began wiping it clean and she shuddered at the thought of being attacked by someone while they slept. She was glad for Rogan's strength as well as smarts, and she wished that she could tell him that but she knew it would only offend him.
"How... much long until sunrise?" Sara ventured quietly as she peered up at the stars.
"Couple hours," Rogan grunted.
"I don't think I can sleep anymore..."
"Then get up. I can see well enough to know where I'm going."
Sara bit her tongue to stop herself from making a snarky comment and silently slipped her boots on while Rogan plopped down on the bedroll and fished around in his satchel for a few moments. After his search yielded no results, he let out a small growl and finally conjured a small orb, which hovered a couple of feet above him so he could see what he was doing. Finally, he found the brush he had been looking for. He began to tackle his hair with a scowl on his face, annoyed with himself for not braiding it the night before.
It was a long, tangled mess. When Sara turned around, she could tell without even seeing his face that Rogan was frustrated. Most of his thick hair was mostly tangled but she could see the problem knot located around mid-back that he was having a hard time reaching. So, she swiveled her body around so she was facing Rogan and tapped him on the shoulder.
"What?"
"Give me your brush," Sara replied briskly.
"No," Rogan argued. "I can do it on my own."
"It'll go faster if you just let me brush it. I thought you don't like wasting time?"
Rogan silently clenched his fist around the wooden handle of his brush with a small frown and he resisted the urge to argue with her more. After one long moment, he let out a loud sigh and handed the brush to her.
Sara plucked it from his hand and shuffled closer with a small triumphant smile. She gathered a large handful of his thick locks with one hand and clenched it so she could brush at the knot without it pulling too hard on his scalp.
His hair felt very soft and smelled like the soap they had both used back at the farmstead. After the knot had been brushed out, Sara continued untangling the rest of his locks while gently running her fingers through his hair. More than once, her fingers brushed along his scalp and Rogan almost shivered but he firmly clenched his jaw and pretended otherwise.
The little orb of light hovered above them so Sara was able to see what she was doing. Despite only offering to brush his hair, she started to divide it into three equal sections. Then she gathered the two outer sections and Rogan could feel her starting to braid his hair. She worked swiftly, her movement efficient, having had long hair in the past she used to braid herself. Within a couple of minutes, Sara was finished and she stuck her hand forward.
"Tie?"
"You didn't have to braid it," Rogan growled quietly, but he placed the leather string onto the palm of her hand.
"I know, do you not like the way I did it?"
"It's fine."
"Okay."
Sara had hoped that her kind gesture might make Rogan soften up a bit, but she should have known better. After the string was secured at the base of his braid, Rogan abruptly stood up and, after shoving the brush back into his satchel, snatched up his sword and secured the belt around his waist.
"Roll up the bed, then we'll go."
"Aye aye captain," Sara sighed, and she stood up as well.
Rogan let out a deep sigh and impatiently waited for Sara to pack up their bedroll with his arms crossed. When she was finished, he snatched the roll from her hands and strapped it to his satchel which he then effortlessly swung over his broad shoulder, and, without uttering a single word he began walking away with the orb of light floating after him.
Gosh, he's so grumpy, Sara sighed internally as she jogged to keep up. I think it would actually kill him to crack a smile.
As if Rogan could hear her thoughts, he turned his head towards her with a small scowl.
"Why do you walk so slow?"
"Why do you walk too fast?" Sara huffed angrily, and she gestured down at her legs. "Are you blind? I'm like half your height."
Rogan hadn't expected her reply to be so sarcastic. He didn't have a response for her and so he turned back around and continued silently plodding through the forest. However, his pace had slowed just a fraction, enough for Sara to keep up, although she knew he'd never admit it.
After walking for what felt like forever, the sky started to lighten and Sara could finally see where she was going. Rogan's light orb disappeared and they took a small break to have some water before continuing on some invisible path through the Rift. Sara wondered how much he must have traveled to be so confident in where he was going, and she had to bite her tongue to stop herself from asking a dozen questions and further annoying him. But as they crested a small valley and continued making their way through the beautiful landscape, the silence began to get to her.
"Rogan," Sara called out, and she shivered as a light breeze danced across her face.
Other than the sound of the wind rustling through the leaves of the tall birch trees and other random forest sounds and animal noises, the Orc had been completely silent while they walked.
"What?" Rogan grunted as he glanced back.
Sara watched as he shielded his eyes to look up at the mountains that flanked their left side and he gazed up at a hawk that lazily floated by high above their heads. She couldn't help but feel like he enjoyed being in nature far more than he let on.
"I have a question," she continued, her voice slightly breathless as they climbed a small rocky hill.
"Spit it out."
"Where did you learn magic?"
"Why do you ask?" Rogan replied quietly in a defensive tone.
"I've just... never really been around magic. It's fascinating. I was just curious is all."
Rogan silently gestured for Sara to follow him towards a fallen log. When they reached it, he lowered his pack down onto the leafy ground and rifled through it for a moment while Sara took a seat on the log. Finally, he found what he was looking for, and Rogan pulled out a worn looking leather book, which he handed to Sara before also fishing out their lunch.
"What is this?"
"What's it look like? A book."
"I know that," Sara replied, and she pursed her lips together for a moment. "Why did you hand it to me?"
"It's the first book on magic I ever read. Anybody can learn a spell, but it takes hard work to understand what it is you're doing. You should learn the foundations before you try and cast."
Sara was mildly surprised by Rogan's response. She hadn't expected him to be quite so eloquent in the way of magic. He was silent as he plopped down on the log beside her and wordlessly handed her a couple of strips of jerky. Sara had been hungry, but now she was more interested in the book and so she shoved a mouthful of the cured meat into her mouth before cracking open the weather-worn cover.
Nothing special happened. She had half expected something magical to wash over her, but as her eyes glazed over the title Sara realized it was truly a book about the mechanics of magic itself and not a spell-tome. Nonetheless, she was fascinated by the contents inside the book, so much that she lost track of time and entirely forgot about her lunch until Rogan interrupted her reading.
"If you're not gonna eat then let's go, we're wasting daylight."
Sara blinked and glanced up at him, squinting her eyes against the bright sunlight. Then she reluctantly closed the book and handed it back to Rogan, who tucked it into his bag before slinging the satchel back over his shoulders. Sara felt weird to not have anything to carry, but she dutifully followed close to Rogan as best as she could. He had obviously been reluctant to talk about himself very much and so she didn't try to press him with questions for the rest of the day as they steadily continued making their way towards Riften.
It was almost sunset when it started to rain, just a light mist at first. Rogan silently plodded on, unbothered by the rain, while Sara shivered a couple of paces behind him. She wore no coat, and the tunic she had been provided with kept her only a little bit warm in the cool weather. If Rogan knew that she was cold, he said nothing, but sharply changed the course of their direction so they were heading southeast instead.
Around half an hour later, the sky had fully opened up and now big fat rain droplets fell down in earnest, thoroughly soaking Sara through to her bare skin. Her fingers and face were slightly numb from the cold and her teeth chattered as she shivered and struggled to keep up with her silent companion.
Suddenly the ground turned into a small dirt trail, and Sara could just make out what looked like light coming from some source between the trees. As they rounded a bend, a quaint little cottage came into view and Sara sighed in relief at the sight of it. Rogan rushed forward and swiftly bounded up the wooden stairs two at a time with Sara scrambling behind him. She didn't get a good look at the little swinging sign above her head before Rogan wrenched the door open and ushered her inside.
"Brr," Sara mumbled mostly to herself, and she was glad to see a great big roaring fire in the middle of the hall.
Every other traveler in the Rift seemed to have the same idea. It was packed inside the small Inn and Rogan had to shoulder his way through to where an older woman was standing behind a long wooden counter. She idly rubbed a cloth across the surface and she smiled warmly when she recognized the Orc that approached her.
"Rogan, traveling again I see."
Sara was still several feet back, struggling to make her way through the crowd. Rogan didn't try to help her as he stood with his back to the crowd and inquired about a room for the night.
"It's busy tonight," Olda replied, and she had to raise her voice above the loud din. "I don't have a room with two beds."
"What do you have?" Rogan sighed, and he shot Sara a small glance as she finally approached the bar.
"I can give you the suite," Olda replied, and she eyed Sara with a curious expression. "You never take payment when you help me out around here. It's yours for tonight."
"How much?"
"I said it's you-"
"How much," Rogan growled, and he stared at Olda with a fierce expression. "I don't take things for free."
Sara watched the interaction with silent interest but didn't try to intervene. She nervously wiped her rain-soaked hair away from her face as her eyes darted between Olda and Rogan's face with bated breath.
A grin spread across Olda's wrinkled face, and she started to laugh.
"Alright then you stubborn Orc, you can have it for ten gold."
"Deal," Rogan growled, and he looked mighty smug as he fished around for a coin purse and counted out the proper amount. "Will you send dinner up to the room?"
"Yes, yes of course. Go on."
Olda tossed him the key and waved her hand with another chuckle, shooing Rogan away from the counter. He shot Sara another glance and she hastily followed him as they made the short trip directly across the hall to where the main suite was located close by on the first floor. Rogan quickly unlocked the door and rushed inside with Sara right behind him.
Inside, the room was sparsely furnished. Sara had to wonder what a really expensive suite would look like, as this one was terribly underwhelming. However, she was really only interested in the big wooden tub to her right and a massive four post bed sitting directly in the middle of the room.
"Just... one bed," she commented lightly.
"One bed," Rogan huffed as he dumped his pack on the ground. "If you have a problem with that, sleep on the floor."
Sara bit her tongue to prevent herself from shooting her mouth off. No matter how hard she had tried to understand Rogan's personality and boundaries, it didn't stop her from becoming utterly infuriated whenever he acted so hostile to her for no reason.
If Rogan noticed she was annoyed, he said nothing and began walking back towards the door.
"You can bathe first. I need a drink."
"Alright..."
Before Sara could ask how she was supposed to get the water for a bath, Rogan wrenched open the door and disappeared back into the hell, leaving her alone in the room.
Geeze, Sara sighed, and she sat down on the edge of the bed for a moment to collect her thoughts. I feel like I'm walking on eggshells with him...
Truthfully, she was still having a hard time processing everything. Anytime she started to dwell too hard on her current predicament her throat felt like it was closing up and it took all her willpower not to cry. But if there was one thing she knew not to do; it was to cry in front of Rogan.
He'd probably just tell me to suck it up, get over it. Stop being so weak, Sara thought with another sigh, and then she stood up from the bed and wandered back into the hall.
After a little searching, Sara managed to track down who she assumed was a servant. She was stunned when the girl directed her to another person, and that person turned out to be a very live Argonian. She was several feet taller than Sara, with deep red skin covered in pearlescent ruby scales. She eyed Sara with a smile, which faded the longer Sara stood there staring at her with a dumbfounded expression.
"Can I... help you?"
"O-Oh!" Sara blurted out, and she quickly shook her head, feeling embarrassed. "I'm sorry... I just wanted to have a bath."
The Argonian's voice was a silky growl as she nodded with another smile.
"Which room?"
"The um, the suite."
"It will be done."
"Thank you," Sara replied quietly, and she knew she was blushing as she avoided looking directly into her lizard-like eyes.
"You are not from here."
"I uh... no, I'm not."
The Argonian opened her mouth to say something more when she heard her name being called. Sara chanced another peek at her, and when their eyes met the woman winked before gliding away, her long red tail trailing softly while she walked. Sara let out the breath she had been holding in, realizing just how shaken up she was by the encounter.
Orcs are one thing but seeing an Argonian... I might just pass out if I walk into a Khajiit...
After a moment Sara shook herself from her stupor and hastily retreated back to her room. When she returned, she was surprised to find the tub was already filled with steaming hot water. Wasting no time, Sara eagerly stripped off her damp clothes and within moments she was naked and tested the temperature of the water with toes. Satisfied that was neither too hot nor too cold, she sank down into the bath with a loud sigh of content.
Ahhh, I really don't envy travelers. This shit is hard, Sara mused to herself while she soaked.
She sank down further until the water reached up to her chin and then she closed her eyes for a while, content to just be alone with her thoughts.
Rogan is so frustrating but inherently kind. He'd never admit it but he'd be the first to offer someone help... I can't help but be fascinated by him.
Sara slowly opened her eyes and was greeted by the wooden ceiling. She shivered as she thought about how undeniably attracted she was to the strange Orc, despite his terrible disposition. Personality aside, he was built like a tank and his face wasn't hard to look at either.
Damnit, Sara thought with a small sigh, and she dipped her head back until her hair was wetted. Why does he have to be so ruggedly handsome?
She quickly ducked her head under the water to chase certain thoughts away and then focused on washing her hair. Sara was glad that she had chopped most of it off just a couple weeks before since she knew now firsthand just how rough it was to travel in a medieval-type world.
It's no sunshine and flowers and bathing in beautiful bubbling brooks... It's been two days since I crash landed in Skyrim and I feel like every muscle in my body is pulled and I smell like shit.
A small chuckle escaped Sara's lips and then she dunked her head under the water once more to rinse her hair. When she was finished, she started to climb out from the tub when suddenly the door to her room was flung open with a loud bang.
Sara gasped and quickly plopped back down into the tub. Soapy water splashed onto the floor from the movement and she hastily moved her arms across her bare chest as she watched a stupidly drunk man with pale skin and lank blonde hair stumble inside the room.
Her entire body tensed and Sara held her breath as she waited to see what the man would do, unable to bring herself to say anything. However, the Nord had no idea where he was and hadn't even noticed Sara in his drunken state as he tripped towards a corner of the room and began fumbling with the strings to his breeches while mumbling incoherently.
Sara was stunned. The door to her room was wide open but nobody walked by. There was a towel resting on a dresser a few feet away but the distance was farther than she liked. Her mind whirled as she struggled to come up with a solution to her dilemma. She could rush to get covered up but then she'd have to either try to get the man to leave her room herself or go out into the hall and get someone else to do it. She didn't like either option.
Just as Sara began to mentally prepare herself to make a mad dash, Rogan strode into the room with a furious expression, his eyes glued to the Nord struggling to take a piss in the corner of their room. Without hesitation he rushed up to the man and grabbed him by the shoulders, wrenching him back towards the door.
"Woah!" the Nord shouted, and he lost his footing.
"Get out before I break your legs," Rogan snarled, and he grabbed the Nord by his arm.
Sara sank down into the water as far as possible as she silently watched Rogan drag the Nord into the hall and gave him a swift kick to the ass for good measure. Then he walked back into their room and slammed the door before turning towards her.
Rogan could see that Sara was upset; it was written all over her face as she peered up at him from the tub. She was completely covered, but the sight of her still made him tense and so he turned his back to her and let out a long sigh.
"Are you okay?" He grunted as softly as he could muster.
"Yes," Sara's voice drifted over to him, but Rogan could hear the tightness in her voice. "I was just surprised."
"I can see the door from the bar. It took me a moment to realize it was our room. Sorry I didn't come sooner."
"It's fine," Sara replied quietly, and she bit her lip for a moment. "Thank you."
Rogan shook his head and turned back towards the door with a small cough.
"You should lock the door when you're in here. Can't trust anybody."
"Right, sorry."
"Don't be sorry," Rogan growled, and then he pinched the bridge of his nose with a small huff. "Just.. don't be careless. I'll go find you some clothes. Those must be wet."
Sara glanced down at her discarded clothes and realized that he was right.
"Okay..."
Rogan left the room once more and disappeared to find a merchant. While he was gone, Sarah hastily climbed out from the tub and snatched up a towel, feeling a little bit embarrassed by the entire situation. She knew he hadn't seen any part of her besides her shoulders but it still left a weird feeling in the pit of her stomach as she wrapped the towel securely around her body and patiently waited for Rogan to bring her clean clothes.
Around five minutes later there was a small knock at the door. Sara cracked it open and Rogan shoved his hand through.
"Here, if they don't fit oh well."
"Thanks," Sara mumbled, and she took the clothes from his hand.
"Come out when you're done. I want to bathe as well."
"Okay."
Sara shut the door and inspected the clothes Rogan had managed to scrape together. The tunic was a plain tan color that was a bit too big for her, but she wasn't complaining. The pants were made of a softer, looser material than her breeches and she liked them a lot as she quickly shoved them on and ties the string. When she was finished running a comb through her hair and had shoved her boots on, Sara sucked in a deep breath and exited the room. She glanced around the hall again, half expecting to see the drunken Nord, but he was nowhere to be found.
Rogan watched Sara as she looked around the hall for a moment before she spotted him sitting at the bar. He quickly knocked the rest of his mead back and stood up from the stool just as Sara reached him. He wordlessly took the key from her and walked away.
Olda watched their interaction with an amused smile.
"I've never seen him rush off so fast," she commented slyly as Sara took a seat on his unoccupied stool.
Her legs were far too short for the seating and so her legs dangled freely. She looked up at Olda with one raised brow.
"What do you mean?"
"With that Nord, Horik. He's just a drunken fool, but he's harmless. Rogan was furious."
"Oh, I see."
"What's your story then? I've never seen the guy with another woman that didn't work with him."
"Work?" Sara replied, feeling even more confused.
"Yeah, you don't look like the vampire hunting type," Olda joked, and then she quickly added. "I apologize if ya are, dearie. It's tough work."
"Vampire... Hunter?" Sara replied, and then she quickly shook her head. "No, no I'm not one of those."
It suddenly occurred to Sara that she had no idea who Rogan was. The danger that she could have potentially gotten herself into crashed against her like she was being punched in the gut with a brick. Her eyes widened as she realized just how deadly Skyrim was, and she was incredibly lucky to be alive and unharmed.
"Oh okay, didn't think so. I know he prefers to work alone."
"I um," Sara muttered, and then she shook her head. "I don't know Rogan, he's just helping me get to Riften."
"Ah, I see," Olda replied, and she gave Sara a wide smile. "Sounds bout right. Rogan is the helpful type."
"I've gathered that..."
"He might be a bit of an ass, but he's got a good heart. He'll get you to Riften in one piece."
"I sure hope so," Sara joked, and then she rubbed her neck with a small sigh. "Could I have a drink? I'm a little shaken up still."
"Of course," Olda replied, and she spent the next thirty seconds explaining her options.
Sara ordered herself a honey ale and sipped it lightly while she waited for Rogan to finish bathing. She was a bit hungry, but was far more tired than anything else and looked forward to sleeping in a bed. She tried not to think about the fact she'd have to sleep in close quarters with Rogan yet again and instead enjoyed the small talk that Olda offered her while she waited. She mostly spoke about Rogan, and all the odd jobs he had done for her and the Inn throughout the years. It gave her a little more insight, and bit by bit Sara felt she was starting to get to know him a little better, even if it was through other people and not the from the reclusive Orc himself.
After a short while, Rogan reappeared looking rather tired. He stifled a yawn as he asked for another drink and then he gestured for Sara to follow him back to their room.
"I'll have dinner brought by in a few minutes," Olda called out.
"Thanks," Sara called back, and then she quickly followed Rogan inside.
Rogan silently took a seat at the round wooden table located to the right of the room. The chair creaked beneath his weight but stood firm as he leaned back and took a sip of his mead. Sara wandered around to the other side of the table and also took a seat. She lightly clenched the bottle of ale between one hand and played with a strand of her hair while she struggled to remain quiet, which was very hard for her to do. Eventually, her curiosity won over and she opened her mouth to speak.
There was a small knock at the door and a moment later it opened. A young servant boy entered with a tray laden with delicious looking food. He hastily placed the tray on the table and scurried away. Rogan dragged one plate towards himself and began tucking into the roast beef dinner with gusto while Sara slowly tucked into hers as well. After a few minutes, she cleared her throat and tried to speak again.
"Rogan?"
"Hm?" Rogan grunted, and his deep red eyes flicked towards her face for a moment before returning to his plate.
"What is it, exactly, that you do for work?"
Rogan paused, and he slowly lowered his fork back down as he straightened up.
"Why do you want to know?"
"I think at this point, you can just chalk up all of my questions to curiosity," Sara replied, and she resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "I just want to know. Olda said something about... vampire hunting."
Rogan snorted, and then he shook his head and shoveled a mouthful of mashed potatoes into his mouth.
"That's part of it," he grumbled, and he took a swig of his drink. "I work for the Dawnguard."
"Dawnguard," Sara echoed, her voice ringing with surprise.
"Yeah. You probably don't know what that is-"
"I know what that is," Sara cut in. "I'm not totally clueless."
"Alright well then you know," Rogan argued, and he looked at Sara with a small scowl. "It's not just vampires, it's all manner of creatures."
"How long have you been working for them?"
"Years," Rogan huffed, and he angrily stabbed at a roasted carrot with his fork. "Must you ask so many questions?"
"Alright, fine. Sorry for asking."
Sara sighed and placed her fork down, feeling annoyed. All she wanted to do was get to know the person she was traveling a little bit better. But he was impossible to get along with and fought her tooth and nail every time she tried to learn more.
Suddenly she wasn't hungry anymore as a wave of exhaustion washed over her. Between the long day spent walking and the surprise intruder during her bath, Sara was toast.
"Are you going to finish eating?" Rogan asked when she stood up.
"No, I'm not hungry."
As she walked towards the bed, she heard Rogan mumbling something about not wasting perfectly good food as he pulled her plate towards him. She ignored his comments and pulled the covers back, pausing for a moment to admire the softness of the material. Then she slipped under the blanket and laid down with a loud sigh, wishing that her body didn't ache so much from all of the physical activity.
I know I'm not in the worst of shape but damn, all this traveling is kicking my ass.
Sara thought that she'd be unable to sleep with the bright candle burning in a little metal candelabra next to the bed and Rogan still moving around. But within minutes of laying down, she drifted to sleep and did not stir for a long time.
Rogan glanced over at Sara as she laid on her back fast asleep and her soft snores drifted to his ears. He leaned back in his chair and stared down at nothing, his thoughts far away as he sat in silence for a little while. Then he finally dragged himself to his feet and forced himself to go to bed as well, but he didn't sleep much that night as his dreams were filled with full moons and bloodshed.