Chapter 35

Time was definitely moving forward. Jane could tell by the changing of the night to day, and back to night again. But as the days continued and Bo still did not return it sure as hell didn't feel like time was moving at all. High Hrothgar felt like it was millions of years away from the rest of the world.

It feels like time is standing still, Jane thought angrily to herself.

She was sitting in her usual chair by the fire, and she groaned as her weakened muscles strained against the movement she was putting on her shoulder. Her skin felt taut, and she grimaced as she lifted her arm up. It felt like her skin would rip, but she knew it wouldn't. It had been over a month since she was injured. Her skin had healed, but it was Jane's muscles that were a different story.

"Easy now," Lynne spoke softly as she firmly gripped Jane's forearm. "How does that feel?"

Jane squeezed her eyes shut and let out a puff of air.

"Hurts."

"What sort of hurt? Describe it to me."

"Hnhhh," Jane groaned. "Tight. It feels tight."

"Okay, I think that's enough for today."

Lynne lowered Jane's arm and she slumped back against the chair, breathing hard. Lynne quickly produced a small vial and Jane eagerly popped it back. She sighed as relief washed over her.

"Probably by the end of the week you'll be able to start practicing with a bow."

"Yeah?"

"It'll be good for getting your muscle strength increased with that sort of movement."

"Sounds great," Jane mumbled, and she rested her head back against the chair.

"Are you alright?"

Jane glanced over at the Nord and after a moment she nodded.

"Yeah sorry... I just... I'm just..."

"Going crazy waiting for Bo to return."

"Yeah."

"You've been doing really well with your recovery. Bo's going to be so pleased when he gets back."

Jane couldn't help but smile as she thought about Bo's reaction. She was excited to show him how much she'd been practicing magic while he was gone, and she was motivated to get her shoulder better so they could both put the trauma of her accident behind them.

The women chatted quietly for a while, and Jane twirled a strand of her soft blond hair between her fingers, her thoughts lingering on a certain Orc. She daydreamed about him constantly, so much that she'd oftentimes get herself riled up. Jane knew that as soon as Bo got back it would take all of her willpower not to jump his bones upon sight.

Eventually, Jane drifted off to sleep in the chair, and Lynne took the quiet moment to read a book. She lounged comfortably in the chair, and she became lost in the subject of the book for a while. Outside, it was snowing lightly, and the sun had set a little while before. Lynne didn't realize how late it was until there was a small knock at the door. Jane continued to snooze, and so Lynne got up and answered the door.

"Oh, hello Arngeir," Lynne greeted warmly.

"Good evening my dear. How is young Jane?"

"She's doing well thanks. She's having a nap."

"A courier stopped by a little while ago. The poor fella was exhausted. We don't often get letters... It's addressed to Jane."

"Really?" Lynne responded, and she took the envelope from Arngeir's outstretched hands. "Thank you... I'll give it to her."

"Of course, dear... goodnight."

Lynne bade the Greybeard goodnight and wandered back over to the fireplace. Jane continued to sleep, totally unaware. Lynne had an inkling suspicion that the letter was from her sweetheart and so she gently shook Jane's shoulder.

I don't think she'll mind if I wake her up...

"Hmm?" Jane mumbled sleepily, and her eyes shot open.

"Jane? A letter arrived for you."

Jane quickly sat up and snatched the letter from Lynne's hands. The Nord laughed, and she sat back down across from her, watching in amusement as Jane ripped the wax seal with great enthusiasm. Her eyes raced across the letters written on the parchment and a grin spread across her face. When she was finished she handed it to Lynne.

"He's such a dork," Jane sighed, but she was smiling.

Her heart swelled as she thought about Bo sitting down somewhere to write her a letter. It was terribly endearing.

"How sweet," Lynne responded after a moment, and she neatly folded up the letter. "You can tell he's never written a letter to a lover before."

"I know but it makes it that much more special."

They were both quiet as they thought about the Dragon Bo had mentioned him and Naz fighting. A shiver ran up Jane's spine, and she glanced over at Lynne to find her anxiously chewing her lip as she stared sullenly at the fire.

Lynne could feel eyes on her, and so she turned her gaze towards Jane. Their eyes met, and they knew they were thinking the same thing.

"Are you ready for dinner?" Lynne inquired, and Jane nodded.

"Yeah, I am."

"Let's go."

Together they made their way to the kitchens to see what was on the menu for the night. They didn't need to speak to each other to know that the worried thoughts were there. Instead, Jane and Lynne focused on enjoying their hot meal, which they were very grateful for.

When dinner was consumed, they returned to their bedroom for the rest of the night and laid in bed, chatting about random things. The silence was uncomfortable, and so Lynne shared with Jane some of her most embarrassing moments from being a student at Winterhold. Jane listened with interest, as it was a welcomed distraction.

After a while, they both fell asleep, their hands clasped together. That night, Jane dreamt about a massive Dragon the color of midnight. It fixed its bright red eyes on her and Jane swore it stared into her very soul. Something stirred within her, starting out as little more than a whisper. The longer she stared back at the Dragon the louder it got, until it was like wind roaring in her ears. She woke up feeling dazed and confused about everything.

Somewhere in the Haafinger hold a young Nord and his Elvish companion was steadily making their way towards Solitude. It was a gloomy afternoon and Ahmon was hoping that they reached Dragon Bridge before nightfall.

As much as he enjoyed Nara's company while he traveled, he was dying for a soft bed and some warm food. Nara felt exactly the same way. It had been so long since she'd ever stepped outside of Windhelm, and traveling was proving to be more difficult than she had imagined. Her body ached so fiercely she was forced to take a potion at night just to help her sleep. It was getting better as she put on weight, but her limbs still ached from riding on a horse all day.

Ahmon was mostly quiet while they rode. He was tired from battling it out with a couple of grey wolf earlier, and he couldn't help but daydream about the soft bed he anticipated laying on soon. He rested his chin against Nara's shoulder with his eyes half closed and his arms were loosely wrapped around her waist. His hands rested in the Elf's lap and every once in a while, he'd cop a feel, earning himself a light jab in the stomach.

The sun was just beginning to set as they finally reached the town of Dragon Bridge. Ahmon straightened up in the saddle and clenched the reins. He slowed Midnight down to a slow walk, and they trotted across the massive stone bridge to the other side.

A few people milled about outside, but mostly everyone had headed indoors because it had started to rain. Ahmon rode his horse towards the Four Shields Tavern. Light spilled out from the windows and they could hear the sounds of a bard strumming an instrument while they sang.

They were both eager to get inside and so Ahmon quickly directed Midnight to the stables and dismounted. Nara jumped down a second later and stretched her arms above her head. She winced as the feeling began to return to her legs. When Ahmon was sure that their horse was comfortable for the night, he grabbed Nara's hand and slung a pack over his shoulder.

"Come on,"Ahmon grinned. "I'm starving."

The couple entered into a packed Inn. Nara's heart sank as she glanced around at the bustle of activity. She had a feeling the might not get a room. She couldn't help but feel disappointed. She was itching for a hot bath and a night not spent on the hard ground sleeping in a bedroll.

Ahmon makes everything a little more tolerable, but I still long for a bed.

The Nord carefully picked his way through the crowd and reached the front counter where a brown-haired Nord with braided hair was cleaning a mug. She shot Ahmon a warm smile as he approached. Nara noticed the way the woman briefly eyed him up and down before she noticed the Elf standing quietly beside him.

"Please tell me you have a room left," Ahmon greeted.

"You're a lucky man... I've got one left."

"Excellent."

Ahmon's smile was dazzling. Nara frowned as she watched the two Nords interact. She wasn't upset in the way Ahmon behaved because it was just his nature to be overly sweet. However, the Nord behind the counter openly flirted with him, and it made Nara's blood boil.

"I'll give it to you for ten septim since you're so handsome."

"Please, I know you're packed tonight," Ahmon responded lightly, and he waved his hand.

Ahmon fished around for his coin purse and counted out fifteen pieces of gold.

"What a gentleman," Faida responded, her voice low. "Here's your key sweetheart."

Ahmon turned to Nara and he reached up to tuck a strand of her silky black hair behind one ear.

"Come on Nara, let's go relax."

Nara linked her arm through Ahmon's and shot the Nord a dirty look before they strode down the hall towards their room. Once they entered, Ahmon lowered their pack to the ground and flopped down face first on the bed with a loud groan.

"It's so nice," Ahmon exclaimed.

His voice was muffled by the thick blanket covering the bed. Nara rubbed her neck with a small sigh, but she smiled when Ahmon finally pulled himself up and reached out to grab her hands. He pulled her closer, and when her knees bumped into his Ahmon tugged her down. Nara laughed as she tumbled down on top of him, her thighs straddling either side of the Nord, and she peered down at him with an amused expression.

"That Nord was awful."

"How so?" Ahmon responded, and he ran his hands up along her thighs with a cheeky grin.

"You know how so," Nara growled softly.

She placed her hands on either side of his head and leaned down.

"She was giving you bedroom eyes from the moment you walked in."

"Did it make you jealous?"

Ahmon's teasing responses coincided with his hands, which trailed up her thighs towards her butt. He gave her cheeks a light squeeze. Nara's body tingled with excitement and she bit her lip as she slowly ground her pelvis into Ahmon. She could feel his arousal straining against his armor, and it sent a shiver up her spine.

"Perhaps. Only because you're taken."

"Is that so?"

Their lips crashed together in a heated kiss. Ahmon wound one arm around Nara's waist while his other hand tangled itself in her long hair. He cupped the back of her head and Nara ground her hips a little harder. She could feel herself growing warm between her legs, but as the kissing grew more heated something held her back.

"P-Perhaps we should bathe," Nara gasped breathlessly against Ahmon's lips.

"Am I moving too fast?" Ahmon responded huskily, and his lips trailed down the curve of her jaw.

"Would you be mad if I... if I said yes?"

Ahmon immediately stopped what he was doing and he peered up at Nara with a bewildered expression.

"Mad? Nara, why would I be mad?"

Nara didn't want to kill the mood, but the hesitance was there and she had to admit it. Ahmon quickly rolled Nara onto her back and shuffled closer. He cupped her cheek while she struggled to come up with a response and stroked her deep blue skin with his thumb, patiently waiting.

"I um... It's just... I-It's been so long and I... I just don't want to mess it up."

"Nara..."

Ahmon leaned in and nuzzled Nara's cheek for a moment.

"You're the sweetest man I've ever met, Ahmon. I wish I didn't have these feelings."

"I don't," Ahmon responded softly. "I know I act like I'm confident about everything but I'm really not."

"I find that hard to believe," Nara teased. "You're really good at lying then."

"I'd tell you a secret but you probably wouldn't believe me."

Nara's brows furrowed together. Ahmon continued to stroke her cheek and he smiled at her.

"I would believe you."

"I've never told anybody," Ahmon continued quietly. "I pretend I'm somebody I'm not."

Ahmon was silent for a moment, and Nara started to worry about what he was going to tell her.

"I've... I've never coupled with anyone before," Ahmon confessed. "Some of my friends just assumed I was experienced in the past and I let them believe it. You're the first woman I've ever loved, Nara."

The moment he said the words Nara's eyes widened in surprise. She stared up at the Nord, completely dumbfounded for a moment.

Did he... just really...

"I love you too," Nara blurted back.

She quickly bit her lip and then she began to sob. Tears spilled down her cheeks and Ahmon quickly smothered her with kisses and held her close to him while she cried.

"Shh," Ahmon murmured softly, and he stroked her hair. "It's okay, it's okay Nara."

Ahmon held her for a long time, content to just lay there in comfortable silence. Eventually, Nara was able to calm down and so they sought out a bath and then ordered themselves dinner. It didn't bother Nara even the slightest that Ahmon was inexperienced. She found his sincerity sweet, and she told him that they didn't need to rush anything.

"I knew you were the woman of my dreams," Ahmon mumbled against her hair as they laid in bed later in the night.

He had been overjoyed that Nara had been so accepting of her. A part of him had known the moment they met back in the snowy city of Windhelm that he'd fall in love with her, and he was glad he intervened that night.

Nara rubbed his arm affectionately, her eyes closed. They drifted off to sleep and did not rise until later the next morning.

Deep underground somewhere North of Morthal, two Orcs were having a terrible time.

"Fuck!" Naz roared.

His hands were bunched into fists and he kicked a nearby urn with a frustrated snarl. It burst into pieces and the shattered remains were scattered all over the place. Displaced dust rose out from the object and Bo coughed for a moment, the letter clenched in his hands.

"We wasted all this fucking time!"

Bo sighed, and he glanced back down at the mysterious letter with a frown. He didn't understand why somebody would want to take the horn in the first place. It really had no value to anyone other than the Greybeards, and as far as Bo knew he was the only Dragonborn around.

A Friend... who could this be? It doesn't make any sense.

Naz continued to take his anger out on a few more urns, and then the Orcs quickly raided the room for any gold and valuables so they could leave. Once they were finished, they searched for a secret exit. Both of them had dungeon dived enough to know there probably was one. Bo found it and they hastily left Ustengrav feeling miserable and confused.

All this time... Bo thought glumly to himself as they returned outside and began retrieving the horses. All this time we could have saved ourselves a trip out here if we had known we'd end up back in Riverwood.

The more Bo thought about it, the angrier he grew. He tightly gripped the reins as the pair began galloping back towards Morthal. They had bypassed it the first time since they were eager to get to the ruins and grab the horn. They were both frustrated, hungry, and tired. Navigating the ruin had taken longer than they had anticipated. Bo greatly disliked dealing with Draugr, but there had been an abundance of them.

There had also been a word wall. Bo had to admit that if the rest of the trip was a waste, then at least he had been able to retrieve that knowledge from the wall.

But still... this is such a waste. Whoever took the horn is going to have a lot of explaining to do.

The Orcs raced back to Morthal with lingering feelings of anger and they focused on finding themselves a room at Moorside Inn. Dusk was just setting in as they arrived in the little town and quickly brought their horses to the stables. When they were comfortably tucked away Bo and Naz silently strode up the steps and entered the Inn, their expression sullen.

The friendly Redguard behind the counter did nothing to raise their spirits, and eventually, she gave up trying. Bo silently counted out the gold for the room. Naz snatched up one of the offered keys and quickly made his way to his room, where he remained for the rest of the night. Bo followed suit, feeling tired and disappointed by everything that had occurred.

Bo took a quick bath and had a light meal. It was still early by the time he retired to his bed to sleep but he didn't care. It took him a while to fall asleep as he tossed and turned, his thoughts filled with the image of a pretty green-eyed woman.