Chapter 8

Bo tugged at the straps to Jane's armor, checking to see that it was on her properly. When he was satisfied, Jane put on the warm winter coat that he had purchased for her earlier in the week. Then she wrapped a thick, knitted scarf around her neck and part of her head. A small pack complete with a bedroll rested comfortably on her back. She kept most of the food provisions, while Bo kept the small axe he used for splitting wood, as well as their eating utensils, a new tent, a single cooking pot and the rest of their food. They each had their own set of clothes and a few other personal items.

"Are you ready?"

"Ready as I can be," Jane mumbled beneath her scarf.

Bo grinned, and then the pair walked out from their room at Candlehearth Inn. He dropped the key off at the front counter and kindly thanked the lady before they both braced themselves for the snow.

Ice cold wind bit at Jane's pale face, and she squinted her eyes against the bright morning light. It was a clear day, free of rain, but the snow was falling in earnest. Jane issued a silent goodbye as they walked through the big iron gates away from the city.

Adios Windhelm. Ulfric, I hope you choke on a d-

Jane's thoughts were interrupted by the harsh wind that pushed against her as they walked down the snowy bridge. She shivered even underneath all of her layers of clothes and armor.

They walked for several hours on the main road before stopping to eat lunch. Jane walked slightly behind Bo, her head dipped low against the harsh winds. Bo would look back at her every so often, and if she was paying attention Jane would pull her scarf down and shoot the Orc a little smile that sent butterflies in his stomach. He found it increasingly hard to concentrate the longer he spent time with her, but it was a welcomed change.

Around mid-day, Bo motioned over to a nearby shelter of small trees just off the snow-covered road with which they could stop and rest. When they reached it, Jane groaned as she slid the pack off her aching shoulders and slumped down into the soft snow. Bo sat down a few feet away from her and he watched as Jane fished around in her satchel for food. He hoped she was doing alright.

"How are you feeling?"

The wind played with his hair, and snow fell in a flurry all around the pair as Jane handed Bo some strips of jerky and a quarter of some fresh bread.

"I can barely hear you," Jane responded loudly, and she squinted at the Orc.

"I said," Bo repeated, "How are you feeling?"

Jane shrugged, and she took a deep drink from her waterskin.

"Alright. I'm not a fan of snow so it's a bit rough."

"Luckily it won't be forever. Whiterun almost never snows."

"That's good," Jane responded, and they were silent as they ate.

They continued for the rest of the day, mostly in silence. The wind was too loud to warrant some chit chat, but they smiled at each other every so often, and Bo was quite the gentleman. He made sure he went at a pace that Jane could handle, as her legs were far shorter than his. He asked her often how she was feeling, to which Jane would reply she was fine.

In truth, she was freezing her ass off despite all of her layers of protection, and she felt like her nose might fall off. She had to hand it to the Orc, he was a well-seasoned traveler. Jane would watch as he traversed the snow-covered ground with ease, his boots gliding effortlessly, while Jane stumbled and slipped often on the compact snow. She felt like a clumsy idiot.

Finally, they decided to stop and make camp for the night. Bo had managed to find a very small tent that was little more than a fabric tarp. He spotted a small cluster of trees with which they could rest, and Jane leaned against one of them while she caught her breath. She took several sharp breaths, wincing as the freezing air hurt her throat. It had grown dark out and was beginning to get even colder. Jane was glad that they could build a fire. She wondered if Bo would let her sleep with him again like they had their first night together and remembered how warm he had been despite the freezing cold.

God... I hope he says yes.

When the makeshift tent had been constructed, Jane busied herself with setting up the bedrolls and preparing for dinner while Bo wandered off to find some kindling. He came back a little while later with a small armful of wood.

"It's not much... it's hard to find firewood in these parts."

"That's okay, thanks, Bo."

Bo blinked, and then he shook his head and dumped the wood on the ground. He wasn't used to somebody thanking him so much, especially for such a simple task as gathering wood.

When the fire had been lit, Jane shuffled as close to it as she could without being burned, and she held her ice cold hands up towards the flames. The cold was so much that it seeped deep into her skin, penetrating the leather and fabric of her gloves as if she wasn't wearing them. It was a cold she had never felt before, and it really was horrible.

Bo sat down on his bedroll and they both consumed some soft cheese, a bit more dried meat, and some more of the fresh bread. They drank from their waterskins and talked lightly for a while, but they were both tired from trudging through the snow all day.

Eventually, Jane grew too tired to keep her eyes open, and she began getting ready to lay down. Bo was quiet, but he kept shooting glances at her every so often, trying to work up the courage to ask the woman if she was alright on her own for the night.

"U-uh Jane?" Bo asked gruffly, and she looked up at him from across the fire.

"Yeah?"

"Are y-you really cold?"

Jane chewed her lip for a moment, and then she gave him a sheepish smile.

"I... didn't want to say anything. I figured I'd tough it out... but you're so warm..."

It didn't matter that Jane's smile alone mad his heart race. When he thought about Jane suffering in any way, even just from cold, he wanted to do everything in his power to make it better. His own discomfort from intimacy just wasn't important.

"Of course, Jane, that's why I asked. I don't want you to be cold."

Jane got up and scooted her bedroll closer to him so they could combine them. Then the Orc watched as she laid down under the blankets with her back facing the fire, and she waited patiently for him. Bo laid down beside her, facing Jane, and she shuffled closer so he could wrap his arms around her.

"Thanks Bo," Jane mumbled against his chest.

She closed her eyes, and Bo let out a deep breath as she felt Jane relaxing in his arms. After a while was able to relax too, although it took a little longer. They both slept soundly until the next morning.

Several days passed by in the same manner. Bo would gently rouse Jane from her sleep, and they'd have a cold breakfast before making their way once again through the snow towards Whiterun. If Jane disliked snow, she hated the freezing rain even more. It covered them entirely and froze, making her even more cold, and stiff.

By the fifth day, Jane was completely miserable. She cursed Skyrim for its stupid snowy regions, and she was terrible company despite Bo's attempts to cheer her up. He shared a few tales his mother told him growing up, and while Jane listened with interest, she just couldn't shake herself from her sour mood.

Whenever they had some clear weather, Bo would show Jane a few moves with her little sword. It made Jane's heart race when he touched her arm or shoulder, and it took every ounce of Bo's strength not to dissolve into a bundle of nerves when she would look up at him with her bright green eyes as she listened intently to his every instruction.

"Grip it like this," Bo told her softly.

It was a mild afternoon, and the snow had finally stopped. They had set up camp early so that he could show Jane how to properly hold her sword.

"It's better this way, more effective."

"I don't know how I'll ever be able to deflect a blow, especially if my enemies are as strong as you."

"You'll find you're a lot stronger when faced with that situation, trust me. But you must be smarter than your enemy. Strength is not the only virtue for fighting."

"You're really smart Bo," Jane commented, and she smiled at him. "Like this right?"

Bo's face flushed and he watched as Jane held her sword properly. Her compliment had him taken aback.

"Y-yes that's good. Great."

After a few more hours of practice, Jane slumped down on their bedroll with a tired sigh. She wiped at her sweaty forehead, feeling incredibly gross in her armor.

Boy will I be glad when we reach an Inn and I can finally bathe. I must stink.

Bo managed to catch a couple of rabbits sometime later, and he roasted them so they could finally have a hot meal. They had also packed two bottles of ale, and it seemed fitting for that night along with the roasted meat.

After dinner Bo lounged against his bedroll, leaning to one side. His free hand held the bottle of ale, and he stared quietly at the fire, his thoughts far away. Jane sat cross legged beside him, and she looked down every so often, watching as the Orc brought the bottle up to his lips once in a while and took a sip. She resisted the urge to tuck a stray strand of his hair behind his ear, remembering how badly it had affected him the last time she had touched them.

"Tell me about your family, Bo. You said you lived in a stronghold?"

Bo blinked, and he peered up at Jane. She was still mesmerized by his soft blue eyes, and she smiled at him.

"My parents? They are good people... they still live in Largashbur. Lead a quiet life, for the most part, mining."

"Do you miss them, when you travel so much?"

Bo nodded, and he took another sip of his ale. Jane followed suit.

"Yes... I am very close with my family. I know they worry about me, and my visits aren't frequent... but I try to see them whenever I'm in the area."

Jane thought quietly to herself that after seeing the Greybeards they'd be close enough to visit Bo's parents. That thought made her happy, as she was curious to meet them. She knew Bo would probably be overjoyed.

"When was the last time you saw them?"

"Around six months ago."

"Wow, that's a long time."

"I was away for almost two years when I traveled to Cyrodiil. For that trip, I made sure I sent them letters so they knew I was alright."

"That's sweet of you."

Bo shuffled on the bedroll, and then he finished his ale. The pair chatted for a few more minutes, but Bo could see Jane was growing tired, and so he shifted under the blanket and waited for her to lay down.

The pair woke up early the next morning and chatted as they had breakfast. Once Jane was ready, and Bo had dismantled their tent, they began walking once more. Jane still felt sore, but she prayed that all the walking was paying off. She was a naturally slim girl but was by no means athletic. She admired Bo and his commitment to being physically fit as well as a seasoned traveler. He was also incredibly humble about it all. The more time she spent with the timid Orc, the more she grew to like him and his quiet ways. Jane knew that the pressure of becoming Dragonborn was weighing heavily on his shoulders.

Massive angry clouds brewed high above their heads, and the sky grew darker despite it only being early in the afternoon. They had stopped to eat a few hours earlier, and Jane was beginning to grow tired but she plodded on steadily a pace or two behind Bo. The road started to incline, and her calves burned as she walked, determined not to fall behind. The wind whipped the snow all around her face, and it was hard to see him, even though the Orc was right in front of her.

It was the snow that prevented her from seeing Bo as he suddenly stopped, and Jane collided with his back. Her face nearly knocked against the metal pot hanging from his satchel, and she watched with a watery gaze as the Orc quickly drew his sword.

"Draw your sword, Jane," he told her, his voice low.

"W-what?" Jane gasped as she stepped back a few paces.

She squinted up at Bo.

"Draw your sword," He told her a bit louder. "I hear something."