Chapter 31

Bo stepped out from his tent with a yawn and stretched his arms above his head until his back gave a satisfying crack. His eyes remained squinted until they had adjusted to the brightness and looked around, but Naz was still in his tent. He took a few minutes to check on the horses, and by the time he came back to the camp, Naz was up as well.

"Morning," Naz grunted as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes.

"Morning."

The Orc shot him a look, but they were quiet as they ate a meal of cold rations for breakfast. It had been three days since leaving High Hrothgar, and despite having each other for company, the two Orcs were feeling lonely.

Neither one of them liked to talk about it, but the silent understanding was there. Bo idly rubbed at his neck while he ate, his thoughts as usual filled with images of Jane. He truly wished she had been able to come to Ustengrav, not just because he loved her company, but also because she seemed to love the landscape of Skyrim as much as he did. Oftentimes when they were walking he'd see a particular view and wonder how Jane might have reacted to seeing it as well. He knew she would love to go to Riverwood, and Morthal could be gloomy at times but was also a beautiful area.

Naz finished eating first, and he began dismantling his tent. By the time he was done Bo was nearly finished with his tent as well. Once they were packed up and the horses were fed and watered, they both swung up on the saddles and silently began making their way South.

The Orcs traveled for most of the day in comfortable silence. They stopped around noon to rest the horses and eat some lunch. They were making good time, and Bo was confident they'd reach Riverwood within two weeks. They hadn't been able to recover very much food from Ivarstead, so they had to stretch what little they had, and he was looking forward to having a hot meal and resupplying.

The sun had almost completely set when they decided to stop for the night. Bo noticed a small cluster of trees a little way off the road, and so they maneuvered their horses over to it and began to set up camp. It was a routine that Bo was used to, but he couldn't help but think about Jane. Everything was more fun with her, even something as simple as setting up a tent or building a fire.

The first night being away from Jane had been the hardest. Bo had woken up in the middle of the night like he often did, but this time he was alone. He stared up at the roof of the tent for a moment and then rolled onto his side, reaching for a body that wasn't there. It had hit him harder than he'd been expecting, and Bo realized just how much she had impacted his life. He hadn't been able to get back to sleep that night and had instead tossed and turned restlessly until sunrise.

He wondered how she was faring with her injuries. Bo prayed to Malacath every day that she was healing properly. Seeing her almost die at the hands of a Frost Troll had been horrifying for the young Orc, and he knew she had been in great pain. He wished he could have taken the pain away but was comforted knowing that Lynne was close by to help her recovery.

Bo finished setting up his tent and bedroll and then wandered off to find firewood. The weather was quite mild in this part of Skyrim, but the nights often got chilly, and Bo welcomed the warmth from a fire. Along the way, he spotted a rabbit rustling around in the undergrowth of a nearby bush.

A well-aimed firebolt nailed his prey, and it gave a small scream before it collapsed to the ground. Bo strode forward and snatched the body up and made his way back to camp where Naz was waiting for him.

"Caught something did you?"

"Just a rabbit, it's not much."

"You can have it."

Bo dumped his armful of branches into the center of the firepit Naz had created with a circle of rocks. Then he retrieved a small knife and began skinning the rabbit while Naz coaxed a fire to life with some kindling. When Bo was finished preparing his dinner and it was roasting over the fire, he sat down in the soft grass and took a drink from his waterskin, feeling rather tired. Across from him, Naz was tucking into a handful of nuts and dried berries, and he also took a deep drink from his waterskin.

"Naz?"

"Yeah?" Naz mumbled, and he glanced over at Bo.

Bo had come to appreciate Nazgurat's steady presence. Despite their eleven-year difference, the younger Orc looked up to him, but not quite like a father figure. Naz acted more like an older brother, and Bo knew that he pushed him because he cared.

"I feel like I don't know very much about you, even though we've been traveling together for a few months now."

Naz was silent for a moment, and then he nodded.

"You're right. I find it... difficult to speak about myself."

Naz sighed, and he plucked a handful of grass from the ground and tossed it into the fire. His thoughts were far away.

"It's alright if you don't want to talk about it. I was just curious."

"I don't mind."

Nazgurat was quiet for a moment as he thought about where to begin. His bright red eyes glinted with the reflection of the fire as he stared at it. He wore a faded set of leather armor and an Orcish sword rested on the ground beside him. Naz and Bo were similar in height, but the older Orc was thicker than Bo, and his body was riddled with old scars. His thick brows furrowed together, and then he finally spoke.

"I was born in a stronghold as well, but my relationship with my family wasn't nearly as nice as yours."

Naz cracked his knuckles, and then he leaned onto his side with his long legs stretched out. He continued plucking at the grass while he spoke.

"Which Stronghold?"

"Dushnikh Yal," Naz grunted quietly.

"I've been there before, once."

"I haven't been there in over fifteen years," Naz sighed, and he rubbed at his chin. "You probably couldn't pay me enough gold to return."

"What did you do when you left?"

"I did what most Orcs did when they leave a Stronghold. Joined the Legion."

Bo nodded and leaned towards the fire. He plucked his roasted rabbit off the flames and began tucking in.

"Didn't last long. I didn't like being told what to do."

Bo laughed, and Naz shot him a look, but a smile crept up on his lips.

"I can picture you being the rebellious type," Bo teased.

"Yeah, I was more than that. I was an ass."

"Was?"

Naz picked up a small rock and hurled it across the fire at Bo. It bounced off his arm, and the Orc laughed harder.

"Trust me, I was worse. You and I wouldn't have been friends."

Bo was quiet as he ripped off another chunk of rabbit meat and chewed it.

"So, got myself kicked out of the Legion. Wandered aimlessly around Skyrim for a while, picking up odd jobs here and there. Ended up meeting a fellow who introduced me to mercenary work."

Naz glazed over most of the details, unwilling to share so many of his mistakes. His past was something he wanted to forget, as he harbored a lot of regrets; some which he had no choice but to face.

"I went through a few people at first. Most of the jobs didn't last more than a few months. Then I was hired by a Mage."

"Mage?"

"Yeah," Naz grumbled, his expression dark. "She was a student at the college. Things were simple at first. Follow her around, try not to let her die."

"Was she weak or something?"

"Physically yes. I'm not familiar with magical strength but I think in that aspect she was really powerful. But I don't know how she didn't die every time we went off somewhere to get some stupid artifact or something. She was so clumsy."

"What happened?"

"We nearly got ourselves killed trying to recover some staff. It was guarded by a Dragon Priest-"

"Dragon Priest," Bo echoed, and his eyes widened. "I've encountered one of those before."

"Have you? Then you know. We ended up in someplace called Labyrinthian and I had to drag her out of there after it was all done, we barely made it out. Once I got her back to the college I cut ties and took off."

"Sounds like she was more than just a simple student."

"Guess so."

Both of the Orcs were quiet, lost in their own thoughts for a while.

"What were you doing before you met me?"

"Not much," Naz sighed, and he shrugged. "Honestly... I had no idea what I was going to do. Once we crossed paths, it just made sense to support you."

"I appreciate it."

"S'nothing."

They once again lapsed into a comfortable silence, until Bo had another question.

"Are things between you and Lynne serious?" Bo inquired, curious.

Naz grinned, and Bo knew exactly how he felt.

"I hope they are. I don't think I've ever loved a woman as much as I do her."

"I'm glad. It's been really nice having your guy's support. Seeing you two together helped me feel encouraged."

"What about you?" Naz glanced over at Bo, a smile still on his face. "It's no secret that you're head over heels for Jane."

Bo laughed, and rubbed at his shoulder, feeling an ache in his stomach. It had only been three days but he missed her terribly.

"I love her so much I don't even know how to handle myself sometimes."

"I know what you mean. You and I aren't used to this sort of thing."

"We're really not."

"Some days I feel like it's getting easier," Naz continued, sighing. "And then Lynne does something or says something and I feel like I'm falling in love with her all over again."

Bo nodded enthusiastically, and the Orcs laughed.

"We're soft," Naz grumbled, and his belly trembled as he laughed. "Not that I mind."

"Me neither."

Bo stared down at the fire again, the image of Jane's face in his mind.

"When all of this... this Dragonborn business is done, I want to marry Jane."

"Why not marry her now?"

Bro frowned, and the flurry of emotions that threatened to break free bubbled just underneath the surface. He sucked in a deep breath, trying to calm the storm, and when he spoke his voice was thick with emotion.

"Because I... I would hate to marry her and then something happens to me... or worse, Jane..."

"Bo."

Naz had pulled himself up into a sitting position with his legs crossed. He leaned his thick arms against his thighs and peered at Bo with a soft expression. Bo's bright blue orbs peered back at him, and Naz could tell that the Orc was troubled.

I understand. He's got the weight of the world on his shoulders. I've got to pull him up when he feels himself slipping down.

"We're going to be just fine, okay? I'm here; Lynne and Jane are safe with the Greybeards. I'm sure Ahmon would jump up at any opportunity to help. You're not alone in this."

Bo's brows furrowed together, but he nodded and looked down at the ground. He let out a deep breath and gave a weak smile.

"Thanks. I need to hear that sometimes."

"We'll fetch this stupid horn for the Greybeards, book it back to the women, and go on our merry way. There's got to be some answers somewhere as to why the Dragons are returning."

Bo's vision swam, and blood red eyes pierced into the Orc's mind; eyes that were so full of fury that the first time he saw them he was frozen with fear. A black dragon had appeared just as he was set to die, and its roar had awoken something deep and ancient inside of him. He knew it was a creature intent on destroying the world.

Bo hastily shook his head, trying to clear the memory from his thoughts.

"We'll figure it out," Bo replied quietly.

They were both tired enough to retire to their tents for the night. Bo stayed up for much longer, his head full of too many things to sleep. He thought about his family and how much he missed them. He thought about Jane and wondered what she was dreaming about, and he thought about his responsibilities as Dragonborn. No matter how much he thought, he always ended up with more questions than answers. It was frustrating and exhausting.

At some point, Bo fell into a restless sleep. He rolled around often, unable to settle down. And at some point, he got up to relieve himself.

The wind rustled the surrounding grass as he stood near a tree taking a piss. The only other sounds were the soft whinnies of the horses nearby and nightcrawlers with their loud croaks and chirps. Bo was half awake and was beginning to shuffle back towards his tent, straining to see in the dark, when suddenly there was a huge gust of wind.

Something massive floated over him, casting an even darker shadow. Its roar echoed all around him, bouncing off the trees, and the ground beneath his feet trembled. A moment later Naz stumbled out from his tent with a confused shout.

"What the fuck was that!"

Bo's heart raced, and he quickly dove down for his sword.

"Dragon!"