Chapter 5

The next morning Jane rolled onto her side and yawned as she began to wake up. However, she hadn't anticipated the edge of the bed to be so close. Jane yelped in surprise, and her heart skipped a beat as she felt herself slipping off the bed. She desperately grabbed at the blanket, as if that would help prevent her from falling, but it was no use. She collided with the cold wooden floor and took the blanket with her; whisking it off of Bo as he jolted awake.

"Jane?" Bo called out, and he quickly scrambled to the edge of the bed and peered down.

Jane lay on the floor with the blanket completely covering her, and Bo could hear her soft, muffled laughter. It was contagious, and a grin spread across the Orc's face as he began to laugh as well.

"A-are you alright?" He asked breathlessly.

"I am just fine."

Bo reached down and swatted at the thick comforter while Jane struggled to get out from underneath it. When she finally succeeded, Bo tossed the blanket back while Jane sat up on the bed beside him and tried to tame her hair. It was wildly tousled from her sleep, and Bo chuckled as she struggled to brush it away from her face. His fingers brushed along her soft cheeks as he helped her, and Jane shivered under his light touch. The Orc realized a moment later what he was doing, and he immediately pulled his hand back and gave a nervous cough. They both sat awkwardly at the edge of the bed for a moment, and Bo felt his cheeks growing warm.

"S-should we get some breakfast?" He asked quickly.

"Sure," Jane responded lightly, and she smiled at the Orc.

Bo stood up from the bed and retrieved his boots. Once they were both ready the pair headed into the hallway and made their way down to the main hall. After having a light meal and some herbal tea, they once again made their way into the market to purchase the last of their supplies that would hopefully last them until Whiterun. They spent the greater part of the morning shopping around and made one trip back to the Inn with an armful each of dried and cured food supplies.

It was late in the afternoon, and the weather was gloomy like it usually was in Windhelm. Jane had just picked out a new pair of boots which would be able to withstand the cold temperatures better than the ones she currently had. She walked quietly beside Bo as they made their way back to the Inn, and she paused when she heard raised voices.

Several intoxicated and boisterous Nords occupied an area near the Inn, and they shouted loudly at any passersby with loud, slurred speech. One of them spotted Bo and Jane as they drew closer. They simply wanted to go around without a problem. One man wore a worn set of fur armor, and his blond hair looked closer to something like straw and hung down to his shoulders. He reeked of body odor and alcohol.

"Filthy Orc."

The man leered in their direction.

"What a fuckin' ugly brute."

At first, Bo paid the men no attention. His expression was somber and pulled Jane closer towards himself as they continued walking.

"Wonder how much he paid his little whore to act like she cares 'bout him."

In half a second Bo spun around and slammed the Nord against the ice-covered wall. The rest of the drunk's companions all shouted in surprise and struggled to draw their swords, which was difficult to do in their inebriated state. Jane quickly stepped back and out of the way of the ensuing chaos as Bo kept the Nord fixed in place. His hands were bunched with fistfuls of fur and Bo glared at the man with a fury that made Jane concerned for the Nord. He looked incredibly intimidating in his angered state.

"How dare you speak like that to anyone, let alone a lady," Bo growled, and his hands clenched tighter around the Nords armor.

Jane was touched by Bo's chivalry, but she was more worried about the men surrounding him. They might have been pissed drunk but they still had weapons.

She let out a sigh of relief as a couple of guards jogged over to see what the commotion was. They barked at the men with their swords drawn, and one guard walked over to where Bo stood. He placed his hand on Bo's shoulder and mumbled something Jane couldn't quite hear. Another guard berated one of the men nearby.

"Come on now, get going citizen. Disrespecting Jarl Ulfric's rising General is punishable by prison time."

Jane was impressed. Bo was a little celebrity in the city of Windhelm. She stood quietly near the steps to Candlehearth Inn while waiting for the group to disperse. Eventually, Bo released his grip on the Nord and Jane watched as he took off at a quick jog towards the front gates.

Where is he going? Jane wondered with a small frown. She figured she'd better follow Bo just to make sure he was okay.

Jane struggled to keep up with him, but her new boots made it easier to traverse the snow-covered ground. She followed Bo through the main gates and down the long stone bridge until he reached a small cluster of trees near the stables. She slowed down to a walk and then stopped some feet back.

Her breath came out in short puffs as she struggled to catch her breath. Jane watched as Bo pounded his fists into the tree with a fury that was both impressive and frightful. She knew Orcs to be more explosive than other races, but she hadn't expected something so simple like a drunk, obnoxious Nord to set him off.

Jane waited patiently as Bo pummeled the tree, whose poor bark took a good hit. He didn't stop until his knuckles were thoroughly bloodied. When the Orc was finished, he stood for a moment, his chest heaving, and then he turned around and noticed Jane. He slowly walked up to her with his head bowed.

He felt her soft leather glove as she gently cradled one of his hands.

"Do you feel better?" She asked quietly.

The wind whipped at her hair, and she stared up at him with a soft expression. Bo sighed, and he nodded.

"Good."

Jane linked her arm through Bo's and they strolled back towards the city gates. Bo blinked as light snow began to fall against his face, and he let out a deep sigh. Jane smiled up at him more than once, and every time she did it made his heart flutter. He focused on casting a small healing spell while they walked back to the Inn, and Jane's eyes widened as she noticed something glimmer around his body.

"W-what was that?" She asked.

"Just a healing spell."

"O-oh that's right."

Jane glanced down at the Orc's hands and noticed that his skin was already improved. She looked back up at him.

"I didn't realize you know magic so well."

"I don't," Bo replied hastily. "My fire spells are very weak. I really just learned a few spells here and there to help make the little things easier. Sometimes it's faster to cast a spell than it is to struggle with a potion."

"That's still neat. I don't know anything about Magic."

"Are you interested in learning it?"

Jane was thoughtful for a moment as they reached the metal door to Candlehearth in, and Bo opened it for her.

"Maybe... I haven't really thought about it-"

They were about to step inside when a voice called out to them.

"Hello? Are you Jane?"

Jane turned around and was greeted by an older gentleman. In his hands, he held a small letter. The man handed it to her, bowed his head, and then walked away.

"Who could possibly be writing to me?" Jane inquired quietly to herself, and the Orc eyed her the letter in her hands with curiosity.

"I only really know you," Jane continued as she flipped over the parchment, revealing a seal made of wax.

The seal was an emblem of a bear.

"That's Ulfric's seal."

They continued inside the Inn. Jane stamped her feet and brushed at the snow that had fallen on her coat. She was too eager to read the letter, and so she popped the seal off and Bo watched as she quietly read it. Her face was red from being outside in the cold, but he could have sworn she blushed. Jane silently handed the letter to Bo when she was finished reading, and he quickly scanned it over.

"A... dinner party?"

Jane nodded.

"I have no idea why he'd invite me. I literally just met him last night."

Bo's anger bristled inside of him, but he forced himself to remain calm. He knew exactly why the Kingslayer had invited Jane. He fancied her.

"H-he must have taken a liking to you I suppose," Bo mumbled, and he handed the letter back to Jane, who was still frowning.

"But..." Jane gave a frustrated sigh. She still didn't understand.

"You should go."

Bo battled between wanting her to stay with him at the Inn and wanting her to do as she pleased. But Jane was a free woman, and he barely knew her. He really had no say either way but decided he should encourage her to go if she was interested.

"Should I?"

"If you like that sort of thing."

"Why wouldn't Ulfric invite you?"

Bo grimaced and quickly shook his head.

"Oh, he used to try, but after a while, he grew tired of hearing me say no."

Jane curiously eyed Bo, trying to read him. It wasn't easy, as he carefully kept his emotions guarded against her this time. The pair started walking back towards their room.

"I don't know, I'm not really the party type."

"I haven't been to any of Ulfric's dinner parties, but I've heard lots of stories."

"Oh yeah?"

Bo grasped the latch to their room and opened the door, allowing Jane to enter first. She walked a couple of feet inside and then stopped.

"What is it?"

A large box rested on the small wooden table.

"I don't remember that being there this morning."

Bo eyed the box suspiciously. He wasn't sure what to make of it. He tensed as Jane walked forward, and she hesitantly grasped the lid of the box and opened it. From where he was standing he could see soft material, and so Bo drew closer. Jane's eyes widened and she quickly pulled the item out from the box, revealing a beautiful dress. It was the color of midnight blue and dark green.

Jane gawked at the dress as she laid it against the table. She ran her hands over it, feeling the fine material. Bo wandered over and he gently rubbed the corner of one sleeve between his fingers for a moment.

"It's nice," he grunted, perhaps a little more roughly than he had intended.

Jane arched one full brow at the Orc. She could barely wrap her head around it.

"I uh... I dunno what to do... this dress really makes it hard to say no."

Bo shrugged, and he moved over to the water basin to wash his bloody hands. When he was finished he wandered over to the bed and sat down. He sighed and rubbed at his sore shoulder.

"Ulfric is a man I respect out of duty but wouldn't want to cross. He has a way of getting what he wants, and by whichever means."

Jane shivered, and she glanced over at Bo. He stared moodily at the floor and was silent.

"I-I wouldn't want to do anything to cross him," she told Bo quietly.

He looked over at Jane with his bright blue eyes, and she knew she didn't want to go. However, she found herself saying she would. She knew what Ulfric Stormcloak was capable of and the last thing she wanted was an enemy like him.

"I'll just go for a little while. Make a presence. But we'll be leaving Windhelm soon anyways so I don't really know what he's expecting."

"Just be careful okay? I'm sure he'll be on his best behavior but... still."

"Alright, thanks."

Bo left the room so Jane could change into her dress. It flowed down past her feet, and was a little long, but fit pretty well. She noted the way the dress dipped almost uncomfortably low in her chest, and the bodice was very snug.

I probably shouldn't be going, but at least it's a public event.

Jane really didn't like the way Ulfric Stormcloak had joked about Bo being an Orc. She knew deep down he was kind of a douche. He had done very little to give a bad impression right from the start. She really had no desire to further any sort of relationship with the man.

Try as she could, Jane couldn't get the back of her dress done up. It was a two-person job, and so she meekly walked over to the door and opened it. Bo leaned against the wall beside their door with his arms crossed. He didn't appear to be in the best of moods, and his eyes widened when he saw Jane in the dress.

"Sorry but uh... I can't get it done up on my own."

Bo swallowed hard, but he followed Jane back into their room. His face grew warm and his heart raced as Jane turned her back to him. A lump formed in his throat as he stared at Jane's pale, white back. It was completely unblemished except for a small birthmark around her mid-back that looked like a dark brown ink stain.

The opening to the dress dipped uncomfortably low, ending just near her lower back. Bo nervously shuffled forward while Jane gathered up her hair and drew it forward, revealing more of her soft skin. He reached up with shaking hands and grasped the fine material, pulling it close. Then he worked for several minutes, tugging on each of the ties.

"Is that too tight?" He mumbled.

His heart pounded against his chest, and Bo struggled to keep himself composed.

"No, it's good. Could be a little tighter actually."

Bo quickly pulled the ties, and when it was secure he moved away from Jane as quickly as he could without appearing rude.

"I-I'm gonna go downstairs," he informed Jane, and Bo moved back towards the door. He didn't want to see how flustered he was.

"Okay thanks, Bo, I'll come see you before I leave."

"Okay."

Jane ran a brush through her hair and splashed some water on her face. She inspected herself for a moment in a little hand mirror. She looked the same, but something felt different. She let out a deep breath and placed the mirror down. Then Jane slipped her softer boots on, slung her coat over her arm, and left her room. She moved quietly down the hallway to find Bo. When she reached the Orc, he was sitting at a table by himself with a mug full of ale. He took a deep drink and then he glanced up at Jane, who smiled at him. He couldn't help but stare.

"You look beautiful," Bo commented, feeling his heart once again race.

Jane shot him a dazzling smile, and she blushed.

"Thank you, Bo. I won't be too late."

Bo stiffened as Jane leaned down and planted a small kiss on his smooth cheek. His skin burned red hot where her lips had touched him, and when she straightened back up Bo's eyes moved instinctively to her pale chest. The dress dipped low enough that he could see the tops of her breasts, and it sent a fire through his body.

"H-Have fun," Bo mumbled, and he quickly covered his mouth and coughed.

It was almost too much. Seeing Jane in the fitted dress aroused him greatly. He watched with a glum expression as Jane slung her thick woolen coat on and made her way towards the front doors of the Inn. He was incredibly annoyed that Ulfric had taken such an interest in her.

What does it matter anyway? His thoughts nagged. You're just an Orc. She'll probably never look at you in such a way.

Between the Nord earlier, and Jane leaving him to go socialize with the handsome Jarl, Bo's spirit was considerably dampened. He downed the rest of his drink and then another. After a third ale had been consumed he skipped out on dinner and wandered back upstairs to take care of his little problem before going to bed.

However, even after finding release he couldn't sleep. Instead, Bo thought about Jane, and how beautiful she was, and how she was probably having a lot of fun at Ulfric's dinner party. It only made him feel more miserable. He slept on and off for the next few hours as he anxiously waited for Jane to return.