Chapter 25

Dance on the Water

Bishop relented and followed them inside, Karnwyr at his heels. He looked around warily at the newly refurbished homestead before finding a chair near the fireplace and falling into it, looking completely out of place in its puffiness. Karnwyr laid down in front of the fire near his master. They both looked exhausted but Bishop was still very much on edge and appeared extremely uncomfortable in these unsecured quarters. Serlas went into the alchemy lab and came back out with a tall white potion and handed it to Bishop, "This should heal your arm completely and if you will allow me to I am quite skilled in restorative magic and can further heal your other injuries."

Bishop twisted his mouth, not wanting to drink something that a stranger gave him or have more magic used on him. Rona shot him a furious look and he quickly took the potion and said, "Fine...alright."

He drank the bottle and Serlas cast a grand healing over him with a single wave of his hand. Bishop seemed to be feeling better and pulled his left arm out of the sling, flexing it, and rolling it in circles while he held his shoulder. He looked at it amazed, "It...it's not broken and it didn't even hurt."

Serlas blinked, confused, "It shouldn't hurt when a caster heals you."

Rona's face burned red and she turned away. Bishop chuckled with a sudden mood shift and said, "Hurt when she did it."

Serlas looked over at his sour daughter and chided her, "What have I told you about clearing your mind and focusing on your magic when you heal?"

She pursed her lips and said, "(Father, they were very dire circumstances. My emotions were running high...)"

He took the chair between Bishop and the couch and laced his long fingers together. He said with a stern tone of voice, "Velvyn, your manners."

"Fine!" she snapped back, "We just killed a dragon and I thought Bishop was dead! So I couldn't focus my magic properly!"

Serlas looked at her with wide eyes, then turned back to Bishop, "Is this true?"

Bishop affirmed it with a nod of his head, casting his gaze away from the angry woman across from him.

Illia came over and served some hot tea, sweet rolls and boiled crème treats on a platter then sat down at the other end of the couch opposite Rona and asked tentatively, "Just how many dragons have the two of you faced?"

"Too many," Bishop muttered.

Rona ran a hand through her hair and sighed, "It's been a long journey."

She gave Illia a brief rundown of everything that'd happened to them and finished her story from earlier, filling her father in on the dragon resurrecting the other at the burial mound and explained everything that'd happened thereafter, keeping the details of Bishop's strange outbursts to herself.

She looked up and asked her father, "Do you know what it means? Have you ever heard of a dragon resurrecting another one?"

Serlas hummed thoughtfully and stroked his beard, "I will admit, I am not terribly well versed on dragon lore. Though I made sure to bring those books you requested. I also brought each and every book I could find on dragons and Dragonborn for you in case you wanted to study them. We can peruse through them and see what we can learn about it."

Her eyes lit up, "That's wonderful, ata, thank you! Master Arngeir is going to be thrilled when I bring him those books he wanted too."

Serlas leaned forward and poured himself a cup of tea, grasping the porcelain cup gently with slender hands then leaned back and said, "Well then, shall I share with you my own adventure to Skyrim?"

"Please," Rona said as she pulled her boots off and drew her legs up under herself on the couch, getting comfortable. Bishop had all but sunk into the chair across the way, with his arms up on the arm rests and heavily lidded eyes of sleepiness. He covered a yawn and stared blankly off at Rona who was fervently ignoring him, still angry from earlier.

Serlas took a sip from his cup and cocked his head, thinking back, "Well, I received your letter fairly late on a Morndas, the seventeenth of Sun's Dusk. Seems it took just under a month to arrive based on when you dated it. It had also been opened, which tells me that either the courier was a particularly nosy fellow, or that it had been intercepted. With the Civil War raging, I'm not entirely sure which side got a hold of it before sending it off again. Needless to say, when I read through it I was furious! To know that my old friend Cecil Tullius nearly executed velvynen - my daughter, I..."

"You started burning Imperials to the ground?" Bishop suggested with a laugh.

Serlas glanced over at him and smirked, "I certainly considered it. But no, I did not do that. I was sure to give them a piece of my mind over it though and sent many waves through the Empire's military branches. Even the Emperor was gravely concerned for your wellbeing and made an effort to right this wrong… however when he wouldn't budge on dismissing General Tullius I put in my resignation and left."

Rona's eyes bulged, "Ata, you quit!?"

"That I did," he chuckled, "It's quite alright velvyn, I've worked as the Arch Mage, and the Emperor's court wizard for half my life. Studying and teaching and advising… It really was time I gave it up. I had a new undertaking and that was to find you."

"Ata..."

"Wait," Bishop leaned forward in the chair, elbows resting on his knees, "Exactly how many years is half your life?"

"Hmm," Serlas paused thoughtfully, "I stopped keeping close track shortly after the hundredth year of my life. Well, let's see, it's two hundred and one of the fourth era, and I was born in the third before the Oblivion Crisis. That makes me, two hundred and sixty four. So half my life is - "

Bishop interjected, stunned, "Are you serious? Two hundred and sixty-four? You've lived through like, four emperors!"

"Oh yes, I'm quite old for an altmer," he chuckled, "I started my career working for the Empire in my sixties just before the Oblivion Crisis began. I was fresh from the Summerset Isles, having trained for years as a mage there. It may be hard to believe but there are quite a few altmer who quietly oppose the Aldmeri Dominion. I was one of them and so I left my homeland to forge a new path in Cyrodiil, so that I wouldn't end up as just another battle mage. I started out as a lowly apprentice in the Mage's Guild before working my way up in the ranks. Then after the Sack of Kvatch, when the Crisis began my skills proved quite formidable and caught the eye of those in the Elder Council," he paused, to take a drink and said, "But those days are long since past. I doubt you want to hear about two hundred years worth of my life history."

Bishop looked over at Rona and said, "You really weren't kidding when you said no one's as old as him."

She rolled her eyes, knowing he was trying to loosen up and be friendly, but she was still mad and not about to let him off the hook that easy, "Go on Ata... You resigned from your position and then what?"

"Well, I spent a week packing everything and had it sent here to your mother's farm."

"I knew your room looked just like your living quarters back at the Mage's Guild!"

He smiled, "Yes, that's because it's everything I own! Well most of it. I did end up donating quite a few of my books to the Imperial library. And so I packed up everything and took a carriage, before hiking my way through Bruma and into Skyrim. It had been such a long time since I last came here. I was astonished when I saw my first dragon. What a vicious, nasty creature. It also made for quite a formidable foe."

"You fought a dragon?" she asked taken aback.

"You're not the only one getting in on all these dragon battles my dear," he smirked and winked at her, "Yes I fought the beast and managed to take it down with great difficulty. I'm not as quick as I used to be. Thankfully the creature was incredibly vulnerable to magic. I'm glad to say I haven't met anymore since my time here. Now I did, however, meet a few Stormcloak soldiers who were very rude when I asked for directions."

Rona nodded and said, "They've been pretty rude to me too... Well until they find out I'm Dragonborn of course," she added rolling her eyes.

Serlas sighed, "I can hardly blame them considering how the Aldmeri Dominion has been trying to foist their rule of law on them - I mean really? Banning worship of Talos? Bah! It's ludicrous. Everyone knew the nords would continue their worship in private. A damned piece of paper isn't going to change that! It's just an excuse to terrorize people and murder them," he spoke wildly, with great enthusiasm on the subject, "That's why the Dominion will always fail, they cannot control people's minds. The fact that Tiber Septim, the man, was able to unite all the nations of Tamriel under a single Empire is indisputable! Whether he actually rose to godhood or not is irrelevant, for that feat alone is worthy of godhood!"

"You're quite passionate about it, Serlas," Illia chimed in laughing lightly.

"It's fact!" He insisted, "One only needs to read all twenty-seven volumes on The History of Tamriel as United by Tiber Septim which were written by, I might add, the highly acclaimed historian Telex Osparsnian!"

Rona giggled rolling her eyes and turning her face to hide her amusement. She really loved her father. When he got excited about something he was always sure to cite the works he'd read it from despite knowing nobody had a life long enough to read those said works.

Bishop was dozing, slowly losing interest in the conversation at hand.

"Ata," Rona redirected the discussion, "what happened after you got here?"

"Oh! Well I met Illia actually and she was quite busy working with a few men from the lumber mill in Falkreath repairing and adding onto the cottage. I had no idea she was an accomplished mage and to be honest, couldn't believe that Claudia hadn't chased her off years ago."

Illia laughed, "There were a few times I definitely considered it, but after Claudia rescued me from Darklight Tower, I knew I had to do what I could for her."

Rona realized she'd never once asked Illia how she even met her mother. She made a note to ask later, wanting her father to finish his story.

Serlas said, "Well, we got along quite fine from there. My items had already arrived to the farm -"

"Which surprised me!" Illia butt in, "I wasn't expecting to wake up and find a pile of furniture sitting in the garden. I didn't know what to do with it all at first. I thought it had come from you Rona, and that's when I finally decided to stop by the town and get started on expanding the cottage."

"We set to work fixing up the old place and I really did expect the you turn up much sooner velvyn. When you didn't I decided to make my way to Ivarstead and seek you out myself."

"You went up to High Hrothgar!?"

"Oh heaven's no. I asked around town and a lovely young nord woman by the name of Risla said you'd already come and gone ages ago. So I returned here. Been back for nearly a week now. I almost set off again before you arrived today."

They were quiet for a moment, listening to the crackling of the fire while Serlas finished his cup and Illia munched on a crème treat. Bishop had all but passed out, head in hand and eyelids drooping. Rona looked over at him, feeling angry still but also deeply worried for him. His paranoia had risen to extreme levels over the last few days. She wondered if it had something to do with the dragon attack and his arm being broken. He probably felt more vulnerable in that condition, only relaxing now that both arms were working fine.

Serlas cleared his throat and laced his fingers together, gleaning at her, "So tell me Rona, what are you plans now? Where will you go next?"

"Our next destination is Solitude. There's a barrow near there that I have to collect an ancient horn from before I return to High Hrothgar."

A smile spread across his lips and he cried "Excellent!" Bishop stirred slightly and looked over. Serlas said, "I will go with you."

Her eyes lit up, "Really?"

"Yes. It seems that we've both been formally invited to the Grand Crystal Ball this year up in Solitude, no doubt a peace offering extended by Cecil. I've been meaning to speak with him personally. He's sent me quite a few letters which I, admittedly, burned up out of indignation. The last one was for invitations to the ball, which tells me he is eager to talk to the both of us."

"A ball?" She cringed, "Ata you know how much I hate formal parties."

"Come now, I'm sure it will be delightful. We can poke fun at all the frumpy hats and silly moustaches as we've always done," she smiled, snickering and he chuckled lightly. He looked over at Bishop, "I'm sure I can secure a third ticket for you as well, Bishop. Cecil Tullius owes me a great debt after all."

Bishop scowled, "No thanks... I don't do well around nobles."

Serlas shrugged, "To each his own."

"When is the ball?" Rona asked.

"It's to celebrate the coming new year and will be on the thirty-first of Evening Star. It's the twelfth of the month now, so we have some time before we have to leave and from the sound of it you could use a rest from your journey, both of you," he looked back to Bishop who was again nodding off with his arms crossed. Serlas chuckled, "Perhaps I'll make us some supper and let you two get settled in."

Rona got up, leaving Bishop to snore in the chair and went outside to unpack their things and give their horses a break from wearing their saddles all the time. Rona noticed that Whiskey was missing and remembered that Bishop had come through the brush. She scoffed and went off the farm and down the slope clicking her tongue and calling for the steed. She walked a ways and found herself in a small clearing. An eerie feeling washed over her as the sun slowly set in the distance.

She heard a crunch of branches behind her and spun around ready to shout, but it was just Bishop, stalking along, scowling and looking irritated, "What are you doing out here?"

"Looking for your horse, why'd you come through this way anyhow?"

His mouth twisted again like he had a million things to say that he simply couldn't. "Bandits," he uttered, "I got chased off by some bandits."

She squinted at him, looking skeptical, "Bandits? Really? I've never known you to run away from a few bandits Bishop."

"It wasn't... a few," he grumbled, "Besides my arm was broken just a few hours ago. Wasn't exactly in the best fighting condition."

She turned away from him and traipsed through the forest clicking her tongue, calling for the old horse.

"Rona," he said behind her, "There's... something you should know."

She rolled her eyes, back still turned expecting more vague nonsense when he said, "It wasn't just a few bandits, it was, thirty of 'em at least."

She turned back, furrowing her brow, sounding skeptical, "Thirty? And you're still alive how?"

He swallowed hard, scratching the back of his head and said, "I know 'em. Well, used to. They're members of an old group I used to run with... 'til I... until my brother and I ruined everything for them."

Rona blinked. He never talked about his brother so she knew he was being serious. She waited for him to continue explaining, her expression softening slightly as he sighed, arms crossed defensively, "Their leader is a man named Thorn, he's... someone you'd rather not meet. He's nothing but a vicious, son of a bitch that needs to be put down like the rabid dog he is. You might remember him. He was the nord standing in the road outside Helgen that day."

Rona felt a chill run up her spine and she shuddered, "You knew him?"

Bishop turned his head to the side and said, "Yeah. Every time I hear his name mentioned it comes with another sad story of a wench being raped. Look, I was a bandit too, but he is somethin' else. I never liked him. We were pretty much on opposite sides. In fact, he still wants me dead."

Rona approached him shaking her head, completely distressed, "Then how... how did you escape?"

Bishop bit his lip and looked down at her with warm eyes, his lips parting, then closing again.

She grasped him, tears clinging to her lashes as she cried, "Please talk to me Bishop. I can't do this. I can't keep watching you struggle with whatever this burden is that you're carrying. I want to help you, why won't you let me?" The tears spilled from her eyes and gracefully caressed her flushed cheeks.

Bishop wrapped his strong arms around her, pressing her face to his chest and whispered, "I'll tell you everything Rona. Just don't cry anymore."

They turned at the sound of a light crunching. Whiskey was standing nearby, picking at the grass on the ground and chewing it slowly.

"Shit," She could feel Bishop's heart pounding faster in his chest. He muttered, "Damn, can't believe they left him alone. I'm starting to think that horse is lucky. Maybe I'll give him a new name."

Rona laughed lightly, brushing the tears from her eyes and they grasped his reins leading him back up to the farm and stabled him with Karinda. The two of them stopped inside to grab a bottle of wine and mead while her father and Illia worked on their supper. Serlas noticed the two of them getting along better and whispered so only Rona could hear, "You always did prefer the nords, hmm?"

She smirked and said, "I guess I take after you, ata!"

He chuckled at her back as the two of them left and wandered off the farm, heading down to the edge of the lake where they sat down in the grass, kicking their boots off and letting their feet touch the water. Bishop downed half his bottle in one go and grabbed some smooth rocks on the ground. He leaned forward, trying to skip a few when he said, "I want to ask you something."

"Hmm?"

He flipped a smooth oblong rock between his fingers. "Do you think you're going to pick a side in the war?"

She looked over at him and sighed, "I don't know. I'm really not sure what to do yet. I still want to speak to General Tullius before I make a decision."

He laughed, tossing the rock and leaned back on his arms, "Yeah, I doubt you're going to feel too keen on that after what I'm about to tell you."

She looked over at him, "You're really going to tell me what's been going on with you?"

His lashes flit lightly under the moonlight as he looked over at her, straight faced, "Yeah. I'm not going to run anymore. I can't keep running away. You always seem to take things head on, but me? Just cut and run... Maybe if I try it your way for once... well it's got to be better than this shit. I feel like I aged twenty years from the stress alone."

She looked down, lightly twirling her toes in the water and said, "I thought about leaving you."

He breathed, "What? Really?"

She shrugged feebly, "You keep getting hurt because of me Bishop. And when I saw you struggling the way you were tormented by these demons I couldn't save you from... I started wondering if it would be better to leave you behind," she looked up at him, "I can't bear to watch you get hurt because of me."

He pressed his lips together and looked out at the lake, "I feel the same. Every time you run off in the face of another dragon roaring fire at you... I just want to protect you Rona. From all of this."

He was quiet for a moment, thinking, collecting his thoughts and then he took a deep breath and started his story from Whiterun, explaining everything, from the fact that Lydia turned out to be a thrall controlled by the Aldmeri Dominion down to the sick and twisted details of their deal with Thorn and their intent to blackmail him into encouraging her to join the Imperials. The entire time Rona felt herself growing more and more appalled, disgusted and enraged.

He told her about Thorn's intentions and how obsessed the man was with her.

"He's sick, Ladyship. A goddamn rapist and murderer. It's why I didn't say anything before. All this… I don't want to see you to get hurt."

She stared off at the still lake, feeling completely violated, not because Bishop had told her the truth, but because of what the Dominion was trying to do and how they were going about it, not to mention that Thorn fellow gave her the creeps and knowing what he was capable of horrified her.

"I get it," she spoke quietly, pulling her legs up to her chest and resting her chin against her knees, "You were just doing what you thought was right. And you were even willing to risk running away?" she looked over at him, "Even when they said they'd hunt you down?"

Bishop smirked waving an arm, "Ah, I've been hunted down before. I'm really good at slipping away and disappearing into thin air. It would have been the best option... still would be, if you want," he glanced at her.

She smiled and cocked her head, "To run away, together?"

He shrugged, "Yeah well... I care about you."

Still hiding his feelings. Still lying to himself. Rona on the other hand already knew that she was in love, but she would wait for him. If she were to say it first then the pressure would be on and she wanted it to come from his heart because he meant it. Not because she'd said it first.

They watched the full moon glistening, reflected on the glassy surface of the water and she moved her hand over his grasping it. Bishop took her hand, pulling it into his own and tugging her over to him. She sat upright and looked into his eyes as he gave her a charming, roguish smile. He leaned in and kissed her softly, taking his time as he pulled her closer to him, running his hands through her hair. When they parted he held her by her waist and pressed his forehead to hers staring into her eyes.

"I like this," he said.

"Like what?" she whispered.

He pulled his head back, "Not arguing. Not fighting. Just... being here with you."

She smiled and leaned against his chest while he rest his arm around her shoulder, caressing it gently. She liked listening to him breathe and feeling the beat of his heart. But she had something on her mind that she'd wanted to share with him for a while and she was sure it wouldn't get any more romantic than this.

"I...umm, I wrote you a song," she blushed.

He laughed, "What?"

She looked up at him, her face turning crimson, "I've been writing a song for you."

"You've never been shy about singing before," he pulled a loose bang from her eyes, "So why all the blushing now?"

"Because... it's a song for you... from me," she mumbled and he chuckled shaking his head at her.

"You know, I do love it when I make you blush - but when you make yourself blush, damn woman. You're as bright as a torch in the night. Let's go find a cave and see if you can light my way."

She pushed him playfully in the arm and he grasped her shoulders, holding his face just above hers and then moving in for a slow, sensual kiss. Their eyes met as they parted and he let her go and said lightheartedly, "Alright, I'm waiting princess. Let's hear this love ballad you have for me," he smirked, leaning back on his arms.

She stood up and fixed her dress, standing by the water. "You ever seen water walking before?"

He looked up at her, cocking a brow, "Water what?"

She grinned and leaned over, casting a spell over her feet then stepped onto the lake, rather than into it, and watched as Bishop leaned forward, lazily pressing an elbow to his upraised knee, staring, amazed.

She danced across the lake creating gentle ripples with her bare feet as she did so and said, "Okay, so... I did ballet for a while when I was younger. I'm really, really rusty at it, so don't make fun of me!"

Bishop looked on, very intrigued.

She took a breath, standing in fifth position, pressing her legs together and pointing her feet into opposite directions and stretching her arms down into an arc. She hadn't stood this way in twelve years and really hoped she wouldn't trip and collapse right into the water. She inhaled and exhaled. Sounds of gentle, playful music began to rise from the skies. Her ability to call forth music was becoming second nature.

She started to sing,

(The Song is My Indigo by Sharon Den Adel)

"I call what we have indigo
Unclear what we are or what we know

And though you never take my hand
Even when I raise your shipwreck from the sand
And though you never count the cost
Of the innocence you've lost and what it meant

You don't have to love me
There's one thing you should know
My love will not unravel
It's unconditional
My indigo

And then she danced. Leaping through the water and spinning wildly, stepping on pointed toe and performing a simple but sweet ballet as a choir of spirits sang along with her song. She watched as Bishop's eyes followed her over the water, enjoying his awe and admiration.

[Even when the heart won't let me show,

you don't have to say to let me know]
My indigo
[Even when the heart won't let me show,

you don't have to say to let me know]
My indigo...

Ink burns on the page, blue to black
But words are fireproof, can't take back
While the memory's alive
When there's pennies on our eyes, we'll never rest
Can we take a second now
To rain down the heavy storm that's in our chest

You don't have to love me
There's one thing you should know
My love will not unravel
It's unconditional
My indigo...

[Even when the heart won't let me show,

you don't have to say to let me know]
My indigo...
[Even when the heart won't let me show,

you don't have to say to let me know]
My indigo...

You don't have to love me
There's one thing you should know
My love will not unravel
It's unconditional
My indigo...

[Even when the heart won't let me show,

you don't have to say to let me know]
My indigo...
[Even when the heart won't let me show,

you don't have to say to let me know]
My indigo...

I call what we have indigo..."

She finished her song and dance and gave a curtsy, closing her eyes as she bowed. A small wave rippled under her feet and when she opened her eyes again Bishop was swimming across the lake, clothes tossed aside at the shore. She laughed as he bobbed near her feet, looking up at her with an enormous grin on his face. She knelt down and said, "So what did you think?"

"Hmm, I'm thinking about how to get you down into this water with me," his eyes sparkled amber in the moonlight.

She touched the water with a hand and shook her head, "I don't think so, it's free-eek!"

He grabbed her arm yanking her in with a light splash, she burst to the surface and shuddered clutching her shoulders and screamed, "Bishop! It's f-f-freezing!"

He chuckled pulling her close to him as he found a ledge to gain his footing on and said, "Mmm, so pathetic with the cold. Don't worry, I'll keep you warm," he met her eyes and whispered, "By the way, I really liked your song... but that dance? It was divine. I didn't know you could bend that way."

(Recommended song, Indian Summer by Sharon Den Adel)

She let her cheeks burn red, at least they were warm. He gently met her lips with his own, nibbling and sucking on hers sensually. She felt her dress draw away from her body as he snuck in and undid the button and next her bra. She slipped out of her soaked clothes and Bishop tossed them to shore giving her a chance to splash at him and swim away.

"Going to give me a chase?" he growled and swam after her. She dove under and swam around him as he trudged through the water searching for her, "Okay Ladyship, come on out. It's not fair if you're using magic to water breathe now."

She bobbed up in the water and splashed him, laughing. He twisted swiftly around, grasping her forearm and hip, making their bodies meet in the cool water. His hands roamed down her back and hers up his. The two lovers' hands danced over each other's bodies, searching for the most tender spots. Rona kissed his neckline, tugging and pulling at his skin with her teeth. He groaned in that sexy way she loved and she wanted more so she grasped his hardness and stroked him making him release deep, pleasured, murmurs.

"Feeling naughty are we?" he growled low and lifted her legs up, wrapping them around his waist. She felt him press against her, he had slight difficulty entering her as the water washed away most of their lubrication. When he got in though they both moaned together and she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling herself close enough to bury her face in the crook of his neck. He thrust gently at first, rocking his hips up and down to press against that sweet spot inside her, teasing her endlessly and making her cry out for more. He picked up the pace as she ground her pelvis back against him, taking him deeper.

She pulled back and looked into his tender, loving face. He put his mouth just above hers, hovering, breathing against her. She felt overwhelmed with lust and love for him and so she closed the distance and kissed him passionately. The electric feeling of their tongues entwining ran up and down her whole body. She touched herself, rubbing her swollen pleasure center swiftly, sending herself into convulsive bliss around him. Bishop felt her climax and bucked madly, grasping her rear tightly, his need growing. She felt him grow inside as he reached his high and then a feeling of warmth flooding her as he groaned, hot and heavy into her ear.

He held her like that for some time. She relaxed against his chest as he buried his face in her hair, memorizing her scent, both enjoying the afterglow. And then a light breeze blew over their shoulders, making her shiver. He smirked at her, unsheathing himself from her and letting her go. They swam back to shore and Rona had to dry her clothes off and Bishop dusted some mud and dirt off his own.

As they walked up to the cottage she said, "I'll tell ata about everything."

Bishop raised his brows, "I really doubt he wants to hear what I've been doing to you Ladyship and I don't want to get shocked to death, thanks."

Her face burned red and he laughed at her, she hit him in the arm, "Not that! I mean, everything else. About the Dominion and... Thorn."

"You think it will help?"

"Bishop, ata is a nearly three hundred year old, super powerful mage that has trained mages, and their children, and their children's children, and outlived them all. He can lock this place down like a fortress and still leave it looking like a simple farm."

He nodded, "Yeah, you know what... that's probably a good idea. You know I like him. I got a good feeling from the guy the minute I met him." He gave her a wry smirk.

She scoffed, laughing, "I could tell."

When they returned to the cottage the lights had all been put out and Rona realized how late it must have been. Inside they noticed Karnwyr sleeping on his back, legs in the air, by the dimming fireplace, a couple of bones with some meat still on them lay nearby. They found two bowls of clam chowder set out for them and a single lit candle on the table. Rona heated up the bowls with a little flame and they both sat down to enjoy their meal together before she kissed Bishop goodnight and he passed out on the couch while she retired to her room.