Chapter 9

A huge mountain lay to their right, and Jane strained to listen but she could not hear a thing. Bo cautiously started forward and Jane followed suit. Her heart pounded in her chest, and she felt her palms growing sweaty inside her leather gloves. She quickly drew her sword, and held it in one hand, feeling completely uncomfortable to be wielding it. As they rounded the bend of the road a horrible scene came into view.

A caravan was on fire. Four black horses attached to the caravan screamed and bucked in terror. They struggled desperately against their reins, trapped. The flames were gaining on them dangerously fast. A short distance behind them a group of men was fighting. A massive Orc roared as he swung his sword towards his enemy's face, intending to decapitate him, but the elf was too fast, and he rolled away just in man, a human by the looks of it, fought against another bandit.

Chaos ensued, and Jane's breath caught in her throat as she fearfully stared at the scene before them. But Bo leaped into action, and he began running towards the men.

"Jane!" Bo shouted, and he glanced back at the girl who stood rooted to the spot. "Get the horses loose!"

Jane blinked, and then she shook her head.

Get it together!

Jane dropped her pack beside Bo's discarded satchel and the axe from Ulfric. She forced herself to run towards the burning caravan. She slipped and slid over to where the horses lunged and pulled at their bindings but it was no use. She hastily began hacking at the leather with her sword. Thick black smoke billowed up to the sky as wood and supplies burned to ashes. The first two horses broke free and took off at a gallop. Jane winced as the wind blew the fire dangerously close to her face and arms. She ducked her head and shuffled away as the crumbling frame of the caravan began to collapse.

Behind her, she could still hear the fighting. She glanced back to find Bo locked in combat with an Orc bandit double his size. The bandit roared and swung his massive arms, wearing nothing but what appeared to be fur breeches. His arms and chest were bare, and he bore a tribal design in warpaint across his face and arms. Bo fought against his massive battle axe with precision, easily escaping the Orc's slower, wider swings.

The other Orc still fought his opponent, and Jane quickly finished freeing the last two horses. They needed no encouragement, and took off at a run after the others, desperate to get away. Jane didn't see one of the men fall because she had been preoccupied with the fire. The bandit's metal shield smashed against his head and the man was knocked out cold. He lay face down in the snow, and Jane had her back turned towards the bandit as he noticed Jane standing near the burning caravan. He grinned and began moving towards her.

A hand clamped tightly around Jane's arm, and she cried out as the bandit threw her down onto the snow. Her sword fell several feet away from her, and she knew she couldn't grab it even if she tried. The man grinned down at her and pointed his sword towards her neck.

"Think I'll have my way with you first," he jeered at her.

"Fuck you," Jane spat back, and she glared at him despite the fact she was almost paralyzed with fear.

Suddenly the other Orc slammed his body into the bandit, sending him flying. He roared, and Jane watched in horror as he swung his sword down, and it nearly cleaved the man in two. Fear gripped her as she witnessed it, and Jane nearly screamed from the terrible sight and had to force herself to look away. The Orc gasped for breath, and he weakly pulled his sword up from the bloody form of the bandit.

It was then that Jane noticed his left arm. It appeared to be broken, but he turned to Jane and fixed his red eyes on her.

"Are you alright?" He growled.

Jane swallowed hard, and she nodded. Her entire body shook but she tried to regain her composure.

They heard a shout, and Jane quickly scrambled to her feet and turned in time to see Bo taking off at a full run towards a cave; pursuing the fleeing Orc. They ran towards a nearby cave and in an instant, Bo was gone.

"Bo!" Jane shouted.

She started to follow him when the Orc grabbed her by the arm and forced her back.

"Let go of me!" Jane hollered at him, and she tugged at her arm.

The Orc's hand did not budge, and he glared down at her.

"You will die if you follow him. You must let him go, he is enraged."

Berserker rage. Jane knew Orcs were capable of it when pushed to their breaking point. But she was scared for him.

"I... still..."

"You are more useful here," the Orc continued.

He gestured towards the unconscious man lying in the snow.

"You must help him, and me if you can."

"I don't know anything... about healing... Let go of me and I'll get my bag."

Jane took a shaky breath, and she tried to keep herself calm despite the fact she wanted to have a panic attack. The Orc continued to grasp her arm, and she scowled.

"Let me go! I will help you, I promise."

"Fine."

Jane quickly walked back over to where her pack lay in the snow. She rifled through it but found nothing of any use. So, she turned to Bo's pack. Inside, she found something more useful; clean bandages and a healing salve, as well as several healing potions. She had no idea how strong they were, but that wasn't what interested her the most. A worn leather book lay beneath his clothes, and she picked it up. It was a spell tome, and she recognized the symbol as belonging to restoration. Her heart skipped a beat, and she quickly opened it.

Her skin tingled, and not from the cold. Snow swirled all around her, but she felt something pass through her in a way that she couldn't describe. Suddenly she understood, although she couldn't describe what it was even if she tried.

Jane gathered up the materials and stumbled back through the snow towards the caravan. It had almost completely burnt to the ground. The Orc knelt beside the man, and he had succeeded in rolling him onto his back. The man groaned, and his head felt like it had exploded, but he was alive and beginning to wake up.

"I found some things that may help," Jane told the Orc, who grunted and looked up at her.

She uncorked a healing potion and knelt down in the snow beside the man, who appeared to be a Nord. Jane slipped her hand under his head, cradling it as she lifted the vial up to his lips. The man blinked against the snowflakes and drank deeply. When he was finished Jane gently laid his head back down in the soft snow, and she brushed a few strands of his soft blonde hair away from his face. She could already see a huge welt forming on the side of his head, and she avoided touching it.

"What is your name?" Jane asked him.

The man groaned, and he peered up at Jane, his eyes nearly glossed over.

"Ah... Ahmon."

"How old are you Ahmon?"

"Nin-Nineteen."

"Do you know where you are?"

"Um..." Ahmon responded, and his teeth chattered together as he squinted up at the sky. "S-somewhere in... East... Eastmarch."

"Good," Jane responded firmly, and she looked up at the Orc.

He sat on the ground nearby, and his broken arm lay uselessly in his lap.

"You've got a nasty bump on your head Ahmon, but otherwise I think you're alright."

"Are the h-horses alright?"

"Yes, I set them free."

"T-Thank you..." Ahmon frowned, and he looked at Jane, breathing hard.

"I'm Jane."

"Thank you J-Jane."

"Take it easy okay, I'll be right back."

Jane rose to her feet, and she trudged through the snow towards the Orc. She knelt down beside him and stared at his arm for a long moment, unsure of what to do. He sighed and shrugged at her.

"I know It is broken, and my shoulder is out of the socket. But if you do not know what to do then just secure it to my body."

"I don't know how to set it back, so I will secure it."

Jane hesitated, but the Orc let out a deep sigh.

"I'm not going to bite," he muttered. "Be quick about it."

Jane frowned, but she gently grasped the Orcs arm and slipped the bandage underneath it. She then gathered the two ends and brought it around his chest and back, pinning the broken arm against him. She flinched when he growled, and his eyes squeezed shut, but he did not move until she had wrapped the bandage around two more times and secured it with a small knot. Then Jane handed him one of the stamina potions, and he quickly knocked it back.

"Thank you."

"Jane," Jane responded, the Orc nodded.

"Jane. I am Nazgurat."

The Orc bowed his head, and the wind whipped at their faces. Jane slumped back down in the snow and everyone was quiet as they waited to see if Bo would return. The longer the time dragged on the more worried Jane grew. She nervously chewed her lip and ignored the growing cold that was settling into her. The sky grew darker, and it was nearly night time. Her heart sank. Bo had still not returned.

"Jane. We should get moving-"

Suddenly Jane saw some movement near the cave. A figure half walked, half stumbled towards them. She recognized Bo's tall frame, and Jane lurched to her feet, slipping on the snow. It didn't matter. She could see Bo was injured, and tears pricked at Jane's eyes as she realized he was hurt. She ran as fast as she could.

"Bo!" Jane shouted, and the Orc stumbled once more.

He was covered in blood, and his armor had been shredded at the hip, revealing torn and bleeding flesh beneath it. Jane's eyes widened as she realized just how bad it was. He had lost so much blood.

She cried out as Bo stumbled once more and fell, crashing against Jane. They both fell down into the snowy bank, and tears streamed down Jane's cheeks as she gently cradled his face.

"B-Bo... oh Bo," Jane wailed.

Nazgurat reached the pair, and he knelt down beside Jane. He reached out with his good arm and touched her shoulder.

"That looks bad. We gotta get him to a healer."

"W-Where?" Jane responded angrily, and she gestured with her arm. "We're in the middle of nowhere!"

Ahmon had managed to sit up, and he peered over at the group.

"I think I know of a place," He shouted at them as he winced as his head throbbed.

Jane looked over at Ahmon, who clutched his head and groaned.

"If you can f-find the horses we can get there in less than a day."

Nazgurat nodded, and he slowly got to his feet. He quickly jogged away from Jane, who still clutched Bo and cried. The Orc groaned softly, his eyes shut. He mumbled something Jane couldn't comprehend, and she simply stroked his bloodied cheek, feeling like her heart might give out. She tried to cast a healing spell but if it had any effect, she couldn't tell. Several agonizingly long minutes passed.

"I found them!"Nazgurat bellowed.

Jane forced herself to leave Bo so she could help Nazgurat reign in the horses. They had stopped close by, just on the other side of the hill. They stood huddled together, waiting for their master.

"They're not yours?" Jane asked.

The horses eyed the Orc suspiciously. She called softly to one and reached out to gently rub its nose.

"No," Nazgurat grunted. "I don't use horses. They're the boys."

Once they had been calmed down, Nazgurat led two horses back towards where Bo and Ahmon lay in the snow, while Jane walked behind him with the other two. Their coats glistened a shiny shade of black, and Jane would have been overjoyed by them if she wasn't so panicked about Bo.

"How do we get him up on one, and without a saddle?"

Her brows furrowed together, and she stared up at Nazgurat. He was silent for a moment.

"I will ride with him. We will have to get him up and sitting on the horse, but then I can hold him. You are not strong enough, he is dead weight."

Jane frowned at Nazgurat's choice of words but ignored it and walked over with the Orc to where Bo lay. His eyes were shut, and his breathing was shallow, but he was still alive. Blood soaked into the surrounding snow, and Jane's stomach twisted into knots. It would be a miracle if they found a healer.

"Help me up," Ahmon called out. "I will help."

Jane and Nazgurat first helped Ahmon to his feet, and then Jane stood and watched impatiently as the two men struggled to get Bo up on one of the massive horses. She grimaced as her eyes landed on his torn flesh, and she had to look away. She felt sick. Jane quickly walked back to retrieve their packs, and she swung one over her back and carried the other. When she returned, Bo was perched precariously up on the horse, slumped forward, and Ahmon held him there with both hands.

She watched as Nazgurat leaped up on the horse behind Bo, and he roared in pain as his injured arm pressed up against Bo's back. He snarled and quickly shifted until he was comfortable enough not to slip off. It looked awkward, but it worked.

"Can these horses run without a halter?"

"Of course," Ahmon responded quickly. "I will lead."

Jane stood near one of the horses, waiting. Ahmon walked over to her, and he grasped her waist with both hands as he helped her up on the horse. When she was up, he groaned and stood still for a second with his head bowed, breathing hard. Once Ahmon had gathered his bearings he then struggled up onto the third horse and clicked his tongue. Everyone gathered a handful of their horse's black hair with their hands to hold them steady.

"We should reach Nightgate Inn within the day if we ride hard. Let's go."

Ahmon squeezed his legs around his horse's sides and urged it into a run. Jane and Nazgurat followed close behind, and the fourth horse trailed behind the group as they raced across the snowy landscape towards where Jane prayed someone coudl help.

I can't lose Bo, Jane thought to herself, and she began to cry again. She slumped forward on the horse and closed her eyes, as the wind bit ice cold at her face. She sobbed for quite some time and slipped in an out of consciousness more than once. She was exhausted, but the fear of losing Bo brought her crashing back awake with a jolt.

Not just for me, but for all of Skyrim. We can't lose the Dragonborn.