Chapter 4

Jane and Bo slept soundly until late the next morning, unaware that they slowly drifted closer together during the course of the night. When Jane woke up she was laying mere inches away from Bo's face. Momentarily startled, Jane quickly sat up in bed. Then she remembered where she was.

Right. Skyrim. Bo. Windhelm.

"Jane?"

Bo's sleepy voice drifted over to her, and she looked down at him. Bo yawned and rubbed at his eyes.

"Yeah sorry, I'll be right back."

Jane hastily departed the bedroom to go relieve herself. When Jane returned Bo was sitting up in the bed, rubbing his shoulder and yawning loudly.

"Did you do something to your shoulder?" Jane inquired, sitting down beside him.

"Sort of. A bandit took me by surprise a few weeks ago and knocked into me with his metal shield. It's just been a bit sore ever since."

"Bandit?" Jane remembered how often you could find them in Skyrim.

"Yeah. They're quite annoying. You kill one of them another five show up."

Jane tried to picture Bo killing another person, and she just couldn't conjure up the image.

He seems far too sweet, but I know he's a skilled warrior. It'll probably be frightening to see him fight a bandit.

"Are you hungry?" Bo asked after a while, staring down at his hands.

"Sort of. I'm more curious to see the shops and stuff. How long are we staying in Windhelm?"

"Well then let's do that first. I need to re-supply, and I've been traveling for quite some time so we can stay here for a few days and rest. Plus, you need a set of light armor."

"Okay, sounds great." Jane flashed him a bright smile.

Bo left the room and Jane quickly switched out her rumpled tunic for a clean white one. She used a small water basin to splash her face and quickly ran her fingers through her hair to pull out the major tangles. Once her boots were slipped on and her coat snugly wrapped around her, Bo returned and threw his boots and cloak on before they both exited the room.

Together they departed the Inn and walked down a short corridor towards the shop district. It was just as Jane had seen in the game. A few stalls were lined up outside, mostly filled with food items, but there was one that held some armor and weapons. They wandered over to that stall first, and soon Jane was set up with a used set of fur armor.

"It's worn," Bo commented, tugging at Jane's armored waist to make sure it was on properly. "But it's got a lot of uses left."

"If you say so," Jane replied nervously. She felt weird wearing it.

"Do you feel alright? Is it too tight? Move around a bit."

Jane awkwardly walked around the square, bending her arms and knees. It felt just fine, not too tight and not too loose. It really fit her like a glove.

"Feels fine."

"Great. I'll take it." Bo addressed the vendor, and he removed a small coin pouch from his hip. He began dealing out the septims into the stretched-out hand. "Thanks."

"You didn't have to buy that..." Jane bit her lip, feeling embarrassed. She had absolutely zero gold to her name.

"Don't worry about it. I want you to be safe. I think this will suit you too."

Bo handed her a short silver sword.

"It's light enough for a beginner but holds a lot of punch if you use it properly. I'll start showing you how to use it soon."

"Thanks, Bo."

Jane took the sword from his hands and stared down at it for a moment.

"I'll find some way to repay you."

"Hey..." Bo's voice became softer, and he pulled her to the side. "It's not your fault you ended up in a strange country you've never been before, with no possessions but the clothes on your back. You don't have to repay me, consider it a gift."

He smiled warmly at her, and Jane smiled back.

"I don't know what I'd do if you hadn't found me in the woods the other day. Thanks for everything."

Bo nodded and looked down at his feet, suddenly feeling shy again. He silently cursed the fact that every time Jane looked at him he felt his stomach twist into knots.

Jane didn't seem to notice, and they spent the better part of the morning going around to various shops. Bo made quick work getting supplies for their trip to Whiterun. He had explained to her along the way that it would be quite a long journey, and there would be long periods on the road without an Inn or settlement in sight. Jane was excited but nervous to see more of Skyrim. She had a hard time surviving a single night in Eastmarch and could only imagine how weeks of traveling would go.

But, she told herself firmly, I am determined to get better. More fit, more capable of looking after myself.

She liked Bo a lot, but she wasn't the type of person who felt like she always depended on somebody. It made her feel uncomfortable, and so she made up her mind to improve her endurance as much as possible.

Jane noticed that despite the carefree activities, Bo still appeared to be troubled. His face was somber when she thought he wasn't looking, and he would quickly smooth it into a small smile whenever she glanced his way. She wondered if he was still troubled about being a Dragonborn.

It was late in the afternoon when they returned to Candlehearth Inn and had a light meal. The Orc sat quietly across from Jane and he stared thoughtfully out at the room as he lounged in his seat. Jane watched him for a moment, nervously chewing her lip. She wanted to say something, anything, to make Bo feel better. She didn't know what she could tell him without coming across as crazy.

Like I know you're going to go to Whiterun and they'll send you packing to the Throat of the world, to learn more shouts. Yeah, that doesn't sound crazy at all.

She sighed softly and watched as Bo shook his head a little and glanced down at the table. He picked up his bottle of ale and took a sip. When he placed it back down on the table and wiped at his mouth with the back of his thick green hand, Jane finally spoke.

"Bo?" Jane asked quietly, and the Orc fixed his soft blue eyes on her.

"Yes, Jane?"

"Is everything alright? You've been awfully quiet."

Bo leaned forward in his chair and clasped his hands together before resting them on the worn wooden table. Jane watched as he stared quietly at nothing for a long moment, and his brows furrowed together.

"I'm sorry," Bo responded finally. "I'm uh... not very good at expressing myself."

"That's okay. Are you troubled about going to Whiterun?" Jane responded softly, and she reached out to gently touch his hand.

The Orc nearly flinched under her touch, and he tensed for a moment before letting out a deep breath.

"Yes. All this talk of Dragons and a Dragonborn has... made me worried. I didn't ask for any of this, and I feel pressured to do things. That's why I ran away."

Bo looked up at Jane with a troubled expression, and she desperately wished she could hug him. Jane refrained herself. She didn't want to make Bo uncomfortable. Jane patted his hand affectionately and then politely pulled it back and rested her hands in her lap.

"I believe in you, Bo. I know we've only known each other for three very short days, but I feel confident you can do it."

Bo sighed, and he looked away from her. After a moment, a grin broke across his face, and he chuckled. Jane liked it when he smiled.

"You could talk a man into leaping off a mountain," Bo joked, and the girl laughed.

"You will go with me then? To Wherever else after Whiterun?"

"Of course," Jane responded quickly. There was no way in Hell she wasn't going to follow the main quest.

The rest of the evening passed in comfort, and they talked for a few hours before retiring early. A part of her was terribly nervous. Having spent three days mostly traveling through Eastmarch, she had a good idea just how difficult going to Whiterun was going to be. She wondered if she should be more hesitant to travel alone with an Orsimer she'd just met, but when she looked into Bo's kind eyes all of her hesitations seemed to melt away. She wanted to get to know him better and help him get over his fears of being a Dragonborn.

Things are only going to get harder, Jane thought to herself as the pair headed upstairs for the night. She followed closely behind Bo, who dwarfed her with his tall frame.

He deserves somebody to be there with him. to support him. This Dragonborn business is going to be rough.

Her mind was firmly made up. As they reached their shared bedroom Bo once again grew nervous, but he pushed through and laid down on the bed beside Jane. They both rested on their backs for a while in silence. Eventually, Jane drifted to sleep, and she rolled onto her side, facing Bo. He watched her for a while in the dark, and he reached up to lightly tuck a strand of her soft brown hair behind her ear. Jane nuzzled her face against her pillow but did not stir.

In the short amount of time Bo knew Jane, she had affected him in ways that he'd never felt before. A lump grew in his throat, and the Orc quickly rolled onto his other side so his back was facing her. He needed to be careful, but he was glad she had agreed to go to Whiterun. He couldn't believe she had talked him into going so easily.

She's mesmerizing, Bo thought to himself. He closed his eyes and began to drift to sleep. Kind... and beautiful... and wants to travel with me. How did I get so lucky?