Chapter 35
The Attic Room
Rona let Bishop sleep in her bed again and gave him strict instructions to keep his hands to himself, to no avail of course. She pushed his roaming hands off her repeatedly and whispered, "No! Quit it! Not with Ata and Illia here!"
He seemed to be doing it more to annoy her than anything at that point. Finally, he sighed, giving up and settling for snuggling with their clothes still on. They'd drifted off into a quiet sleep for several hours when a very loud, whistling sound startled them awake.
Karnwyr, who was sleeping at the foot of their bed started barking loudly and scratching at the door that lead outside.
"AUGH!" Bishop shouted, covering his ears, "What is that!?"
Rona squinted through the dark and their room was suddenly illuminated by a bright red flash and sounds of a blood curdling scream, both of which came from outside. They grabbed their weapons and ran outside, Karnwyr raced ahead and Serlas burst through the door to their left with Illia following closely behind him. He strode swiftly across the garden towards the path leading to Falkreath and Helgen, with the other three at his heels. Bishop twisted a finger in his ear and groaned, "Gods, I don't know if I can hear anything anymore. Holy shh..."
Rona threw her hands to her mouth and Illia turned her face away cringing.
At the edge of the blood seal lay a mangled and burned corpse. His flesh was still steaming and he sat in a pool of his own blood. His face was twisted in a horrific and painful way, the hollow sockets where his eyes once were, rested on the sky. Karnwyr was sniffing at him and whimpered backing away.
"Shit," Bishop muttered, "It's the rat."
Serlas looked back at him, "What do you mean?"
"That's the kid. One of Thorn's rat's. He's the one I nearly strangled to death back in Falkreath," his face held a mingled look of anger and disgust.
"Why did he come here?" Serlas demanded.
Bishop crossed his arms and shook his head, "Thorn must have seen us coming back. Either the coin stopped flowing to him, or he's getting impatient. Probably sent the kid up to test our defenses," Bishop chewed on his lower lip and sighed, "Damn... fuck. He was just a kid."
"Ata," Rona whispered, horrified, "Is this what the barrier does to people?"
Serlas looked at her gravely, "There are people that intend to harm you in unspeakable ways, velvynen. We cannot show mercy to those who would never do the same for you." He held a hand out and cast a spell, causing the corpse to disintegrate.
Bishop grasped her shoulder and pulled her close to him, not even caring that Serlas was standing right there. He'd protect her with his entire being, he'd walk through dragon's fire again and again to keep her safe.
Serlas looked over the blood seal, raising a hand to it and casting a spell to reveal it, "It's still strong. It's good that we fortified it again. We will be safe for now. You two said you were heading to Riverwood tomorrow?"
"Yeah," Bishop answered.
"I'd prefer it if you took the long path around. I don't want either of you anywhere near Helgen."
"I know a shortcut," Bishop smirked.
Rona asked "You do?"
He looked down at her, "Didn't I tell you? I know Skyrim like the back of my hand. We'll just cut through the lake. It's not too deep and I think the horses will be fine crossing it."
Serlas nodded, "Good idea. Well, get some rest you two. If there are anymore alarms, feel free to sleep through them, I will take care of it."
He walked away, looking very tired as Illia followed him.
"Night Ata," Rona called and he waved a hand. After they disappeared into the cottage Bishop swept her right up off her feet. "Aah! Don't do that!" She cried furiously, hitting him on the chest.
He chuckled at the angry look she shot him and kissed her forcefully. When he pulled away he said, "I do love kissing you when you're angry! Such spirit!" she rolled her eyes, a smirk pulling at her lips and he carried her off to her room, kicking the door shut behind him.
He would protect her however he could, he would even take her mind away from the horrors that plagued their journey.
The next morning the two of them got their horses saddled and ready to go. Rona kissed her father goodbye and he handed her the two books she was meant to take with her to the Greybeards. She'd nearly forgotten about them. She glanced at the titles which read, Atlas of Dragons and Annals of the Dragonguard. She realized these were two books with the word 'dragon' in the title that she'd missed reading and made a mental note to peruse through them later.
Serlas pleaded with her to be careful, stay safe and to not fight too many dragons. She laughed and swore up and down that she'd never run off to fight thirty-something dragons all alone ever again.
They crossed the lake fairly easily and carefully trot over the rolling hills and through the thin forests, while Karnwyr ran around like a wet dog chasing rabbits and birds, happy as ever to be back in their company. They came up to the bridge leading to Riverwood and dismounted their horses near the inn. The town drunk, Embry was leaning over the railing outside, eyes glossed over as usual. When he saw Bishop he perked up a bit, "Well if it isn't my favorite ranger, haven't seen you in a while Bish. Spare a coin?"
Bishop scoffed at him, but fished around for a few coins and flipped them through the air to the drunk. "Keep an eye on the horses for a minute, will yah Embry? I'll even buy you a black briar reserve if you actually pay attention this time."
"Aw, you're too kind old friend."
"You know me Embry, only bribing folks out of the goodness of my heart," he remarked sarcastically.
Rona took a wide berth around the drunk and ignored his bleary eyed stare as she and Karnwyr followed Bishop into the inn.
"Welcome to the Sleeping Giant," a familiar woman called mindlessly as she swept the floors.
"S'just the ranger," Orgnar sniffed from behind his usual spot at the bar.
Delphine looked up at them, "Oh. Been a while Bishop, how's your journey been treating you?" Then her gaze shifted to Rona and Karnwyr and she said, "Well, well. I did tell you not to pass her up and look at that, you found your wolf."
Karnwyr padded up to her and sniffed her boots as she pat him on the back, "Orgnar, get me a few pieces of old jerky, won't you?"
Orgnar grunted and disappeared into their storage room. Delphine looked them both over, smirking at Bishop, "Well aren't you the happy couple?"
Rona blushed and Bishop frowned crossing his arms, "The hell makes you say that?"
Delphine laughed and said, "Bishop, I have never in all my years of knowing you, ever seen you with the same woman twice," she looked at Rona,"I don't know what you did to wrangle this one honey, but keep it up... that is, if you can tolerate him for much longer."
Rona laughed and Bishop grumbled, "Wow, Delphine, just tearing me a new one today, aren't you?"
"Every chance I get," she smirked, "So, what brings you here? Want something to eat? To drink? I've got a couple of rooms available, or just one if you prefer," she winked at them.
"Actually," Rona said, "We would like a room, but," she glanced at Bishop then back to Delphine, "do you have something called the attic room?"
Delphine furrowed her brows at them, then she looked Rona up and down warily and she said, "You're altmer, aren't you?"
"Really Delphine," Bishop barked, scowling at her, "Never known you to be a damned racist."
Rona scratched at the side of her head uncomfortably, "I'm only half altmer if that makes any difference."
"What difference does it make what she is? Do you have an attic room or not?" Bishop glared at her.
Delphine raised her brows and Orgnar came up from the cellar, a couple of pieces of jerky in hand. "No, we don't have an attic room. But I do have another room you might be interested in, c'mon I'll show you." She motioned for them to follow her and looked at Orgnar, "Take care of Karnwyr for a bit, will you?"
Orgnar narrowed his eyes at her, then looked at the wolf, irritated and dropped the jerky on the ground before returning to his spot behind the bar. Karnwyr laid on the ground and tore into the pieces. Bishop and Rona looked at each other, curiously before hurrying after Delphine.
She stood by her wardrobe in her room and said, "Close the door will you?"
Bishop pulled the door closed and said, "You're really starting to creep me out Delphine, what's with all this cloak and dagger shit?"
She shot him a mischievous grin and opened her nearly empty wardrobe then pushed on the back panel, forcing it to open, revealing a hidden stairway. "Follow me you two."
Bishop drew his dagger and went ahead of Rona. The stairs lead to a wide stone room with a single table in the center, a bookcase against the back wall and several wooden chests. There was a training dummy and an alchemy lab on opposite corners. A large map of Skyrim with bright red 'X' marks and a big red circle was spread out on the table. A book titled, The Book of the Dragonborn, lay on the table. Rona had already read that one. It didn't even mention the female Dragonborn or Eira the White.
Bishop looked at the map and at the books lining the shelves, all had some iteration of the word 'Dragon' in the title. He scoffed loudly and said, "Wow, you are really obsessed with dragons aren't you? At first I thought you were just scared of 'em, but now I realize, you're actually crazy," he twirled a finger to the side of his head.
Delphine smiled at him and walked over to a chest against the wall and opened it. She shuffled through the objects inside and then pulled out a dark blue, coiled horn. She walked around the table, facing them and set it down. She looked right at Rona and said, "I think you've been looking for this."
Rona took the horn and then looked at Delphine, "You're the one that took it?"
"Surprised? I guess I'm getting pretty good at my harmless innkeeper act. I apologize for meeting you like this, you can't be too careful. Thalmor spies are everywhere."
"What? And you think she's a Thalmor?" Bishop grumbled,"Gods, you're as bad as the damned nords Delphine."
"No actually," she looked at Rona,"I think you're the Dragonborn, at least, that's what I've heard. Been hearing rumors spreading fast, especially about what happened up at Dragon's Bridge and in Solitude.
Rona stared hard at her, feeling even more wary than Bishop at this point and she said, "What do you want with me?"
Delphine sighed, "I didn't go to all this trouble on a whim. I needed to make sure it wasn't a Thalmor trap."
Bishop shook his head, exasperated.
Delphine insisted, "I am not your enemy. I already gave you the horn. I'm actually trying to help you. I just need you to hear me out."
"Go on, I'm listening," Rona said.
Delphine took a breath, "Like I said in my note, I've heard that you might be Dragonborn.
"Might be?" Bishop stared at her, wide eyed, "Hey Princess, how about we take her outside and shout her off her feet?"
Delphine crossed her arms, "Anyone can shout. That doesn't always make someone Dragonborn."
"Anyone can shout?" Bishop scoffed at her, "Shows how much you know. She'd have to train for fifty years alone just to learn one shout if she wasn't Dragonborn. Does she look like some old crone to you?"
Rona elbowed him in the ribs, not only for that remark but to get him to shut up. He grumbled at her and rubbed his side.
"Go on, please," Rona urged her.
Delphine chuckled and continued, "I'm part of a group that's been looking for you... well, someone like you, for a very long time. If you really are Dragonborn, that is." Bishop pressed his thumb and forefinger between his eyes but remained quiet as Delphine finished explaining, "Before I tell you any more, I need to make sure I can trust you."
"Why are you looking for the Dragonborn?" Rona asked her.
"We remember what most don't - that the Dragonborn is the ultimate dragonslayer. You're the only one that can kill a dragon permanently by devouring its soul. Can you do it? Can you devour a dragon's soul?"
Rona wouldn't call it devouring a soul, it was more like a force washing over her, "I absorb some kind of power from them, that's all I can say."
"This is no time to play the reluctant hero. You either are or aren't Dragonborn. But I'll see for myself soon enough," she sounded very sure of herself.
Rona wanted to know more, this entire situation was so strange and intriguing. Just who was this woman posing as a harmless innkeeper?
Rona pressed her, "You said the Thalmor are after you?"
"Yes. We're very old enemies. And if my suspicions are correct, they might have something to do with the dragons returning."
Rona was stunned. The Thalmor might be why the dragons had returned to Skyrim? But that couldn't be possible unless they were in alliance with the black dragon, Alduin. And he made it sound like he ruled over both men and elves. Knowing the Thalmor they would never kowtow to that kind of a deal unless they were truly backed into a corner. Rona decided to keep her own knowledge hidden though, at least until she knew she could trust this mysterious woman.
Delphine waved a hand, "But that isn't important right now. What is important is that you might be Dragonborn."
"So what's the part you aren't telling me?" Rona asked, trying to get as much information as possible from her.
Delphine's voice lowered and her brows knit together crossly, "Dragons aren't just coming back, they're coming back to life. They weren't gone somewhere for all these years. They were dead, killed off centuries ago by my predecessors. Now something's happening to bring them back to life. And I need you to help me stop it."
Bishop made to speak, almost giving away their information but Rona stepped on his foot. He bit his lip and scowled at her, she glared right back at him, screaming at him with her eyes to shut up!
Rona diverted Delphine's attention from Bishop back to her, "What makes you think dragons are coming back to life?"
"I know they are. I've visited their ancient burial mounds and found them empty. And I've figured out where the next one will come back to life. We're going to go there, and you're going to kill that dragon. If we succeed, I'll tell you anything you want to know."
Rona took a deep breath and asked, "Where is the next one going to be resurrected?"
"Kynesgrove," she said pointing to the circle on her map, "There's an ancient dragon burial near there. If we can get there before it happens, maybe we'll learn how to stop it."
Rona had already experienced a dragon resurrection and she knew there was no way to stop it. But if she could kill Alduin when he was alone then maybe she could finally put a stop to the dragon menace altogether. She looked right at Delphine and said, "Let's go kill a dragon."
As Rona and Bishop stepped out of the inn, Bishop rounded on her snarling, "The fuck are you doing!? You just finished recovering from an entire legion of dragons attacking you! Now you want to go chasing after another one!?"
"Bishop, do you remember that black dragon that resurrected the other from the burial mound near Falkreath?"
She didn't think his brows could hover any closer to his eyes and yet they moved ever so slightly downward, "Yes - vividly. I'd rather not experience that again."
"That dragon... he's the one that spoke to me in Solitude, he's their leader and he's the one that's been resurrecting them all."
"How can you be so sure?"
She pursed her lips and averted her gaze. She'd failed to mention the fact that she was fluent in dragon's tongue, not on purpose, but because they were both trying very hard to avoid the topic of dragons for a while, "Beecaauuse... I can understand them now."
He pulled back, standing upright, his brows contorting to a shape of confusion, "What? You're saying you speak dragon now?"
"Remember when Eira kissed me?"
His face softened as he said, "Heh, actually, that's one of my favorite memories from that night."
She crinkled her nose at him and shook her head, "Anyway - after she kissed me, I was able to understand them. I think she imparted her knowledge of the language to me."
"Mouth to mouth?" His brows raised and he looked at her incredulously.
"I don't know! I can't explain it!" She threw her hands out, "Either way I understand them and I know for a fact that -"
Delphine stepped outside, fully dressed in armor and a hood over her head. Rona recognized her immediately as the woman she'd seen in Whiterun, speaking to Farengar months ago, just before she discovered she was Dragonborn.
She looked at them, "Ready to go?"
Bishop crossed his arms, "Got a horse?"
"I figured I could ride with you," she smiled at him.
Bishop looked at her, half-lidded eyes and shook his head.
"We have to go to Whiterun first," Rona said.
"We don't have a lot of time to waste," Delphine persisted.
"I know, I just need to check on a few things I'm having made," she smiled.
They rode to Whiterunand and to Bishop's disappointment, Delphine saddled with him. He'd insisted that Rona ride with him and let Delphine take her horse, but when Delphine said she didn't know how to ride a horse he gave her a few choice words about how ridiculous it was for anyone in this day and age to not know how to ride. She clambered onto Misty and gently pat the saddle and gave Bishop a wink before he sighed and climbed up, letting the middle aged woman wrap her arms around his waist. Rona found it to be quite amusing.
After an hour's ride, they stopped outside near the stables and Rona said, "I'll be right back!" She ran swiftly down the path leaving them behind although Karnwyr barked and chased after her following her all the way up to the Skyforge where she found Eorland Gray-Mane hard at work on a steel sword. He started to wipe the sweat from his brow when she called brightly, "Mr. Gray-Mane!"
He looked over at her and smiled, "Ah, I've been waiting for your return Dragonborn Rona," He set aside his project and motioned for her to come over to his finished pieces to have a look.
She stood by him as he grasped two beautifully crafted scabbards, the detail in the stitching and the metal was stunning. The white threads at the entrance of the scabbards were woven into elegant flowers which swirled into flames and then lead up into images of dragons embossed in the metal breathing those flames. She was highly impressed by the leatherwork.
"My wife Fralia, she's a master leatherworker. When I told her I was making swords for the Dragonborn she was thrilled and wanted to make you something special. But the blades are my own craftsmanship. When I set to work on the project, it really took a lot out of me. It's difficult work molding bone, thankfully I didn't need to go all the way out to Raven Rock either. Here have a look," Rona took one of the swords and unsheathed it. It did not sparkle, being made of bone, but it did shimmer a beautiful pearlescent white, perfectly crafted and incredibly light. The handle was smooth and elegant in shape and design, made of strong Skyrforge Steel.
"Go ahead, take a few swings with it," Eorland nodded to her.
She cut through the air a few times and then tried some more speedy moves, spinning the blade wildly. Eorland said, "Here, let's head down into the yard. I'd like to see your skills firsthand."
They went down the stairs and into the training yard behind Jorrvaskr. Farkas, Vilkas, Skjor and Kodlak were all sitting outside. Farkas practiced on a training dummy while his brother called out giving him some tips. The minute she stepped into the yard their eyes were all on her.
"Ah, so the Dragonborn returns to us," Kodlak said standing. Rona smiled at him and shook his hand in greeting. "It's good to see you again young pup. What brings you to our humble Mead Hall?"
Eorland held out the extra sword he was carrying and said, "She's here to practice with her new weapons."
"Yes, I remember," Kodlak said thoughtfully, a hand curled to his chin, slowly stroking his beard, "Eorland told us all about your swords made from dragon bone."
"Hmph," Vilkas scoffed, "I'd like to see her arm."
Skjor agreed, "I'd also like to see how she handles herself."
Kodlak chuckled, "These two have been skeptical of you since you first arrived. Having known Claudia though, I am sure you won't disappoint."
Rona blushed and said, "I'll give it my best."
"Farkas, come here lad, give the girl some space to test her arm," Kodlak called. Farkas stopped his training and walked by her, giving her a shy smile.
Eorland helped her tie the leather scabbards to her waist so that she had easy access to each weapon. She pulled them from their sheaths and slid them back in a few times just to get the feel of it. Her muscle memory started to come back to her and she was ready. She had a burning desire to really impress them all and decided to show off a bit.
The men all stood aside, watching her, waiting patiently. She took a breath and shouted, "SU GRAH DUN!" She drew her swords and ran straight for the wall, running up it and then kicking off, spinning several times and cutting deftly through the air before landing on her toe. She spun back to charge at one of the training dummies and cut it to ribbons with break-neck speed before burying the blades into the padded chest of the dummy, skewering it and tearing it in half. She couldn't believe how strong the blades were, how fast they sliced through the air. She was loving it and she was eager to try them on a dragon.
"Damn," Vilkas muttered, "Teach me to mess with a woman half my size."
"She's fast," Farkas said.
"Bit flashy for my tastes," Skjor smirked.
Kodlak said, "Well done young lady. I am impressed. I heard about what happened up in Solitude. I can only imagine those skills came in handy."
"No kidding," Vilkas agreed.
She smiled at them and stowed her swords away, then made to leave, Karnwyr right at her side, "Thanks for letting me use your training yard - oh, sorry about the dummy, I have to get going though. I'll come back and see you all again soon!"
"Where are you off to in such a hurry Lady Rona?" Kodlak called as she ran by.
She grinned back at him and waved, "Dragons to kill! You know how it is!"
Kodlak chuckled as she ran off and Eorland shouted, "Hold up, girl," he caught up with her, "You're even faster than your damn mother. You almost forgot something."
He held out a beautiful leather crafted scabbard the size of a dagger. It was stitched with a howling wolf and different phases of the moon on either side, mirroring each other. She took it from him and withdrew the short blade. It was quite sharp and crafted expertly.
"It's perfect! What made you think of designing a wolf though?"
Eorland looked down at Karnwyr, who was panting and wagging his tail happily. He chuckled and said, "Just a guess."
She smiled broadly and hugged him, "Bishop's going to love it!"
Eorland laughed, "I'm glad you like it. Although there was one other thing. You forgot about the payment we agreed on."
Rona blushed and apologized profusely, pulling out a large coin purse and handing it to him. He looked inside and counted, then looked at her and said, "This is much too much Lady Rona."
"Don't be ridiculous! These swords and this dagger - they're absolutely perfect! They're exactly what I wanted! And your wife's leatherwork and stitching? Please treat her for me!" She turned away again and said, "I really do have to go though, sorry! Thanks again!"
He smiled at her back and said, "Like mother like daughter."
Rona stowed the dagger away in a pocket. She'd give it to Bishop that evening as a surprise. When she returned to the stables she found the two of them milling about, not speaking. It seemed that Delphine was still being cautious and felt she couldn't even trust the man she'd known for many years.
Bishop perked up at the sight of Rona and he said, "Hey, let's have a look at those swords."
She withdrew one and handed it to him. He held it out, flat on the tips of his fingers, "Wow. Skyforge really is the best. These are really light, perfectly balanced too."
"I know, nice huh?" She beamed.
"How much did you pay for them?"
Her face burned red, "Uh... almost everything we had."
"WHAT!?" he barked, "We had like five thousand gold! Ladyship!"
"I had to tip him - just look at this leatherwork!"
Bishop smacked a hand to his face, "Sweetness, that was all of our money and we don't have time to go back to the farm."
"Well that's what you're here for right?" She smirked and pat his shoulder, "To track our dinner."
Delphine chuckled and they mounted their steeds again and headed off down the path leading to Kynesgrove, bickering lightly all the way.
It was a day and a half trip to Kynesgrove if they stayed at a steady pace. They made it all the way to the falls where Bishop and Rona first made love. She looked at the place fondly, but was glad when they moved on. That place was special for her and she didn't want to share it with anyone else.
They stopped near the badlands and hot springs as the sun slowly set and made camp just off the road. Bishop went off to catch them some dinner with Karnwyr while Rona decided to take a look at the books her father had given her. She pulled out Annals of the Dragonguard first and started to peruse through it by the firelight. Delphine was sitting by, studying her. Rona tried her best to ignore the woman as she looked over the book.
It appeared to be a record of some people known as the Dragonguard. Most of it didn't make much sense to her because it completely lacked context, but one thing did stand out which was the mention of Alduin's Wall. She wondered what it could be. It was located in some place called Sky Haven Temple.
The book was ultimately useless otherwise, so she stowed it away and pulled out the other, Atlas of Dragons. This one was a far more interesting. It read:
Atlas of Dragons
Author: Brother Mathnan
Herein is recorded the list of known dragons, both living and dead, including those slain by the Dragonguard since the time of its founding, as well as those slain in earlier ages, where they can be identified. Unfortunately, only a few of the dragons slain by our Akaviri predecessors during the Crusade were recorded and thus this list is sadly incomplete.
It was a list of names of dragons categorized by Deceased by Report, Slain by Dragonguard and Known to Live. Under the deceased report the name Vuljotnaak caught her eye. She had already destroyed him, he was the one Alduin resurrected at the burial mound near Granite Hill. Her eyes caught another one. Sahloknir, he was at the burial mound they were headed to in Kynesgrove.
She glossed over the Slain by Dragonguard section and looked at the names of dragons under Known to Live. There was a dragon recorded to be somewhere in Morrowind, another sighted in the Reach in the 2nd Era, a third whose whereabouts were unknown and then the fourth which made her lips part.
Paarthurnax - The legendary lieutenant of Alduin in the Dragon War. He is now known to lair on the Throat of the World under the protection of the Greybeards of High Hrothgar. Master Araidh continues the established policy of avoiding direct confrontation with the Greybeards while waiting for an opportunity to exact justice upon him.
She traced her finger over the lines and then looked up into the fire. So the Greybeards knew about that old dragon. It never occurred to her to ask when they'd said she had nothing to fear from him. He had been Alduin's lieutenant though, so why were the Greybeards protecting him?
"Good book?" Delphine's voice made her jump. She completely forgot the woman was sitting there. Delphine chuckled at her, "Sorry."
"Ah, no, it's fine," Rona shrugged it off and closed the book, "Just studying up on some old Dragonborn history."
"Trying to learn all you can about them, aren't you?"
"Yeah," Rona said, meeting her eyes.
"That's smart," Delphine said, "You can never have too much knowledge about your enemies."
Rona had a million questions for her but knew it would be useless to ask until she absolutely proved that she was Dragonborn. Fortunately for her she wouldn't have to try and make small talk with Delphine because Bishop had returned. He had a rabbit and a pheasant on his arrows, "Dinner is served," he dropped the dead animals in front of Rona.
She looked up at him and he stared back down at her and said, "I catch the food, you cook the food."
She made a pouting face, "But I'm not as good at it as you."
He glowered at her, "I do all the cooking, it's about time you started helping."
"I do help. I kill all the dragons," she teased.
"Yeah, and I help you with that plenty," he sat down beside her, "So now you can help me cook."
She stuck her tongue out at him and he smirked at her. She grabbed the pheasant, plucking its feathers while he skinned the rabbit. Delphine just sat by and watched the both of them, with an amused grin on her face.
Rona looked over at Bishop's old hunting knife. It had been sharpened so much over the years that it was becoming quite worn. She really hoped that he would like her gift. Now if they could just find a moment alone and away from the mysterious innkeeper.
"Hey Bishop," she said.
He grunted mindlessly, "Hm?"
"Your hunting knife is getting pretty worn down, ever thought about getting a new one?"
He stopped skinning the rabbit and looked over at her, "You kidding? This thing's saved my life more times than I can count. I'll use the damn thing 'til it breaks on me."
She bit her lip, crestfallen. He was really attached to the damn thing. Still, she had to at least try giving him the new one and if he didn't accept it she could just use it herself.
"Why do you ask?" he glanced over at her.
She blushed, "No reason."
He smirked and shook his head. He knew something was up.
After their dinner, Delphine laid down on her bedroll to go right to sleep and she suggested they do the same because she wanted to get to Kynesgrove as soon as possible the next morning, where they would check on the burial mound and then wait for whatever was resurrecting them.
Bishop took this time to draw Rona to her feet and lead her away from their camp, leaving a sleepy Karnwyr behind. She smiled at him as he pulled her along, finding it funny how she'd had the same idea and was about to do the same.
"Where are we going?" she asked.
"Far away from prying eyes, Ladyship," he said sensually.
He lead her over to one of the hot springs and pulled his shirt off, casting it aside, then sat down and started pulling his boots off. He looked back up at her as he did so and said, "What're you waiting for? I like you better without all those clothes."
She smirked at him and started undressing. He was first to hop into the spring, completely nude and he leaned up against the muddy wall, stretching his arms up and out of the water, flexing his hardened back muscles.
She pulled the dagger from the pocket of her dress and laid it down close, behind him, for easy reach. Then she stood, completely naked off to the side of him. He glanced up at her with desire burning in his eyes, "I said I was going to collect in full, Sweetness. So bring that tight ass over here."
Rona slowly dipped a toe in and sat down at the edge, putting both feet in. Bishop grumbled and said, "Am I going to have to drag you in here woman?"
She enjoyed teasing him. She giggled at his grumbling and he said, "That's it." He stood up in the water and wrapped his firm hands over her slender legs, grasping her at the knees and pulling them apart. She lay, back on her hands as he leaned forward, over her. His throbbing erection poised directly at her slit. She bit her lip and looked into his very sexually frustrated face. He growled, "You gonna make me fight for it, huh?"
"I just like teasing you," she flit her lashes at him.
"Naughty, naughty temptress," he muttered before burying his face in her neck, to begin nipping at her soft spots and tracing his tongue over the red marks he left behind. He stopped suddenly though and reached for something. She realized it was the dagger she'd left off to the side and she dropped back, grabbing it and tugging it behind her.
He looked back at her, his brow perked up, "What's that? What're you hiding?"
"Nothing," she said, biting her lip.
"You're a terrible liar, Ladyship," then he reached around her, trying to grab it and she held it out of his reach, giggling, as his chest pressed against her own.
"No, no, no! You can't have it yet!" she said laughing.
He smiled, "Why not? What is it?" he kept reaching and then grasped her arms with his strong hands and pulled on them, not too hard, but enough to bring them back around her front, revealing the sheathed dagger. She clutched it against her chest and he looked over it.
"What's that?" he mumbled.
She blushed and her lips parted gently, "It... it's for you. I had it made for you Bishop."
He looked at the dagger and ran a finger over the stitching a small smile traced his lips and he said, "May I?"
She let him take it and she sat back upright. He looked it over and smirked at the howling wolves needled into the leather then drew the blade, spinning it in his palm, "Wow," he said admiring it, "It's dragon bone."
"Do you like it?" her eyes sparkled as she looked hopefully at him.
He met her gaze and said sincerely, "It's perfect. Why'd you have this made for me?"
Her face fell as she turned her eyes away, "You know why..."
He sheathed the blade and set it aside, pausing a moment to look over her. Then he sighed and pulled his ring off his finger. It was an old ring, molded into the shape of a wolf. She'd never seen him take it off before and when he did, a very obvious tan line could be seen where it had rested on his finger for quite possibly years. He took her right hand into his and slid it onto her ring finger, where it fit best. He met her eyes with his own and said, "My brother," he pressed hip lips together and cleared his throat, "Jules made this for me years ago. It's one of my most treasured possessions. I want you to have it, Rona."
She held the ring up to her face and traced the wolf carving with a finger, she smiled and said, "It's perfect."
He breathed, a mixture of sorrow and joy played on his face and then he pulled away from her and sat back in the water, all sexual tension vanished between them. She leaned forward, looking at him curiously, "Bishop?" she asked, "Are you alright?"
He sat back and looked up at the waning moon and said, "Hey... mind sitting in the water with me? There's something I want to tell you and it might take a while."