Chapter 37

A Heartfelt Confession

They rode southward, slowly down the path, Karnwyr loping alongside the horses. Rona smiled as she looked down at the ring on her right hand. It was so sweet of Bishop to give it to her. She'd treasure it always, even knowing his painful past and how his brother betrayed him. She understood why though. The fear of having his family torn apart was enough to motivate him against his own brother. She felt a new disgust for Casavir, knowing his part in it all. Though he seemed to have accepted his fault in the matter, saying it was his biggest sin, his greatest regret. His actions caused the death of a beloved brother, husband and father. A little girl was growing up without him somewhere.

Rona looked over at Bishop. His face was etched with sadness as he was lost in his own melancholy. He hadn't said much since they hit the road again. She was afraid to ask more questions. She didn't want him to be sad anymore. He sighed suddenly and said, "I had a weird dream last night... More like a nightmare, actually."

She looked at him curiously and he met her eyes, "It was everything that happened the day...the day that my brother died. Only difference was, you were there. And so was that dragon."

Her face burned and her eyes widened. Had she somehow invaded his mind? Fallen into his dreams? Seen one of his most personal memories firsthand?

"You saw it too then?" He said, noticing her reaction.

"I... I guess I did," she turned her gaze from him.

He grasped her hand, making her turn to look at him and he said, "I want to visit Nilheim again. Can we stay the night there?"

She nodded, "Of course, whatever you need."

He smiled weakly at her then guided Misty onward towards the tower in the distance.

The place was still deserted from the last time they were there. They spent an hour unpacking their camping equipment and set it up around the campfire in the center of the rest area. When they'd finished Bishop got to work starting the campfire and throwing together a stew to leave to boil. Doing everything he could to keep himself busy. He clearly had a lot on his mind.

Around midday, while Rona fussed with her flute, playing a light tune Bishop finished all his busywork and approached her inviting her to join him while he hunted. Karnwyr followed close by, also ready for the hunt and being as quiet as possible, actually ignoring the rabbits and birds that skittered around for once.

Of course they were quiet too. Being noisy would scare their prey away, so Rona kept her mouth shut, despite how much she wanted to talk to Bishop. Several more hours of wandering through the forest she caught sight of some hoof prints and tugged on his arm, pointing. Bishop knelt down by the tracks and looked over the plants, he actually turned up and smiled at her, impressed by the fact she was paying attention. She smiled back and he stood and approached her, touching a hand to her cheek and tipping her chin up. A loving expression crossed his face before he let go and moved on, quietly through the brush.

In a short while they found their mark. A lone buck stood between some tightly woven trees, grazing on the grass. Karnwyr slowly loped around, some branches cracked under his paws and he stopped as the buck looked up, its ears turning, listening. They waited patiently for it to continue its meal. When it finally started grazing again Karnwyr continued his slow stalk through the trees. Bishop and Rona both drew their bows and nocked their arrows, waiting.

With Karnwyr in position, Bishop gave a sharp whistle and the buck immediately sprint away from them. Karnwyr lunged from the brush and buried his jaws into the buck's front leg. It squealed and leapt up and both Bishop and Rona set their arrows free hitting their mark. Both of them managed a head shot and the buck went limp and toppled over.

They stood and went over to the poor beast and Bishop chuckled, "Looks like we had the same idea, Lightfoot." Their arrows were entwined, crisscrossing in the deer's head.

"I just wanted to kill it quickly," she said sadly.

"Yeah, me too," he said sounding even more woeful than her, though she had a feeling he was alluding to something else.

They sat down by the buck and Bishop took his new dagger out, swiveling it in his hand, "Can't wait to see how this cuts," he slid it through the skin of the deer, cutting it with ease, "Damn, that is nice. Like cutting through butter. Shit – if I'd have known dragon bone was this good I would have saved a few pieces a long time ago."

She smiled, "I'm so glad you like it."

He nodded, "I do. Probably the nicest thing anyone's ever given me… one of the only things anyone's ever given me."

He sounded sad again. If she'd have known he would be so depressed she'd have never convinced him to talk about his past, his family or any of it. "I'm sorry," she said.

He raised his brows at her as he continued to flay the skin from the buck, "For what?"

"I just don't want you to feel… sad anymore. About your brother or, any of it."

He sighed, "I know. I'll uh, try not to be such a downer about it. Just been thinking about it a lot. And then that dream… you saw all that didn't you?"

She met his eyes, "I did - but I didn't mean to, I swear!"

He smirked, "I know you didn't. Still, I've got to ask you… you have that kind of dream a lot? The one with the black dragon… killing me?"

She swallowed hard, "Sometimes…"

He shook his head and smirked, "You are the worst liar, you know that?"

She stared at him, was he sharing her dreams too? Seeing the awful things she saw?

"I see you, almost every night trapped in those nightmares of yours. A few times you even started screaming and a lot of times you just cry," his brows knit together as he looked her over, "I can never wake you no matter how hard I try Ladyship."

Her shoulders slumped and she picked at the grass, "I keep dreaming about Alduin."

"Who?"

"That black dragon. Jillian fought him once a long time ago… he killed her lover, a nord named Ronin. Sometimes when I have that dream it's not Ronin… it's you."

"You think he's going to kill me?" He asked as he finished skinning the buck and started in on cutting the meat, dividing it up and gutting it.

Her gaze fell down to his deftly moving hands as he worked them into a bloodied mess. "Not if he doesn't know about you. Not if you stay away from him."

He scowled at her, "What are you saying? That I should let you go off and fight him alone?"

"If it comes to that, yes," she said solemnly.

"Not gonna happen Ladyship," he started cutting more swiftly, with anger.

She made no reply, she wanted to say why not, but she didn't want to fight with him and she could tell he was getting heated at just the idea of her running off to face this vicious beast of Oblivion all on her own.

He finished dressing the deer and they wrapped the meat in two separate swatches of its pelt and carried it back with them.

The sun was already starting to set for the day, they'd spent all day hunting. Bishop finished cooking and made sure to toss Karnwyr a thick cut of their kill. The full and content wolf curled up on one of the bedrolls and promptly fell asleep.

Bishop frowned at him, "Gonna have to kick him off later. He's getting too spoiled, living in luxury for a whole month and getting fat on rabbits."

Rona went over to him and wrapped her arms around his waist, looking up at him, "We could always share a bedroll."

He raised his brows at her, "Mmm, I like that idea. You really are a woman after my own heart."

"Am I?" she teased.

Though his face fell and he pressed a hand to her back guiding her to the overhang of a cliff. "Come here, I want to show you something." They stood there for a while looking out at the sunset, as it slowly fell on the horizon. As the sun finally set and the moon began to rise the sky lit up with stars. After a while the aurora borealis weaved its way across the night sky. She stared up at it. "The sky here... It's my favorite part of Skyrim," she said.

"Mine too," but he was not looking at the sky, he was looking at her.

She smiled at him, "You seem like you have something on your mind Bishop. Do you want to talk about it?"

He pressed his lips together, still looking forlorn and lost, "Let me ask you something, Rona. How do you feel about being the Dragonborn?"

She blinked at him. How did she feel about it? After what happened in Solitude she hated it. Being the Dragonborn meant she had a target on her back and dragons everywhere wanted to see her dead and they would not stop at killing thousands of innocent people just to get at her. But she was also the only one who could stop them, who could tear their souls from their bodies and keep them from resurrecting ever again. "There's no point feeling about it. I am what I am."

He smirked at her, "You might be able to shout ice and call forth a legion of dead Dragonborn with the power of your voice, but you're never going to be good at avoiding the question, Sweetness."

She averted her gaze and grasped her arm, "I hate how so many people depend on me."

"Then why didn't you leave with me when I asked you to? The offer still stands, it always will," he was serious. And she wanted to. She wanted to run from that place more than anything and go live a relatively quiet life back in Cyrodiil again... with him.

She knit her brows together and whispered, "I can't leave Bishop."

He started to get heated. "Why not? What's keeping you here?"

"My dreams are getting worse," she said exasperated, "My nightmares are... Something terrible is looming on the horizon, I can feel it. And I know, I'm the only one that can stop this."

He grit his teeth, getting frustrated and threw his hands out, "If you would just... look for once and see how this entire lifestyle of yours is affecting us... You, I mean you! For gods' sake." He put a hand to his head and chewed on his lower lip.

"Us, Bishop? What are you trying to say?"

He gave a frustrated growl and barked, pointing an irate finger at her, "You can be really blind sometimes, you know that!?"

Great, now he was angry with her. But she couldn't give him what he wanted. She could not leave. She knew what her destiny was and she would forge that path until it was over and done with. She just looked away from him and he exhaled with irritation starting to speak and then faltering, "I... no, I can't."

She looked at him again. "Can't what?"

"I can't... I can't do this. This isn't me," he balled his hands into fists and looked right at her, "For my whole life I've never cared about anyone but myself! And now... I care about you."

"Bishop -"

"No. Let me finish. I can't be sure when it happened. When a hunter's jealousy of someone more lucky to get his prey transformed into this. When the desire of bedding you changed into the joy of just being near you. When I started feeling content just holding you in my hands," he looked like he might actually cry again, but his words played on her heart, making her pulse quicken, "Every time you stand in front of another blasted dragon, I freeze inside, thinking that this one may be the last. Every time you sleep wounded I dread to close my eyes, fearing to see you dead when I open them."

She realized now that her heart was pounding in her chest. Bishop was telling her he loved her in every way possible without saying the words themselves.

He grasped her hands, wrapping his much larger ones around hers and holding them gently. "Leave with me," he begged, "Let me take you away from this godsforsaken place and go somewhere else, somewhere safe."

"I can't leave Bishop," her voice cracked as tears sprang forth, "I'm sorry. If you can't... if you can't keep following me, I'll understand, it'll be okay, I'll be okay. I don't want to do this without you, but I will if I have to."

He shook his head, "No. Don't say that to me. You can't say that to me. Not after everything I've done for you, after everything we've been through. I'll do it you know, throw you over my shoulder and take you from this place, because if you won't save yourself then I damn sure will!"

"I'm not leaving!" She shouted at him.

"I can't stay here and watch you die!" He roared.

She screamed at him, tears cascading faster now, "If you hate it so much then why are you still here!?"

He bellowed furiously, "BECAUSE I LOVE YOU! YOU STUPID WOMAN!"

(Recommended song A Heavy Heart by Anthony Greninger)

Her mouth dropped and he just stared at her, brows contorted, he crossed his arms, throwing up his defenses.

And then he dropped his arms, lowering them and took a step closer, grasping her shoulders, "I... love you. And I can't bear the thought of something happening to you because you won't stop throwing yourself in front of every damned dragon that crosses our path," he scoffed at himself, "Damn it, I have never felt for another woman what I feel for you. You know, at the start I tried fighting it but... I'm done trying. I love you Rona. I won't let you fall. I can't lose you, I won't."

"Bishop," she breathed. She was speechless. He'd finally said it, more than once.

He gave a feeble laugh and a half-hearted smile, "So fearless going against dragons, yet you freeze when I tell you I love you."

Her heart was soaring and she didn't know what else to do, so she embraced him, throwing her arms around his neck and kissed him, releasing all the love in her heart. He returned it, holding her tightly in his wonderful strong arms. And when they pulled away, faces inches apart and breathless, for just a moment she whispered, "I love you Bishop. I love you so much it makes my heart ache." Her lashes fluttered and his beautiful, amber eyes sparkled in the moonlight.

He pulled her closer and smothered her heartfelt words with another kiss and they touched one another, holding and caressing and whispering their words of tender love. His hands traced over her back, searching for the button at the top and hers fussed with the buckle on his trousers. Her dress dropped and he pulled away only to tear his clothes off. She practically ripped her underwear from her body, desperate for his warmth and closeness.

He touched her again, caressing her bare back with one hand and fondling her breast with the other, his forehead pressed to hers as he admired her beauty and enjoyed the pleasure on her face. She desired nothing more than to make him feel the same, so she wrapped her hands to his thickness, touching him gently, stroking him. He groaned and she moaned, both losing themselves in each other's eyes and the feelings they stirred with one another.

"I love you," he whispered gently, before meeting his lips to hers again. Their tongues entwining and bodies pressed so close. His masculinity and his affection were exhilarating to her, and her body, so soft and supple, excited him. He longed for her and she for him, so he drew her away from the beautiful view and over to their bedrolls.

She lay down and he hovered over her for just a moment, taking in the blushing, breath-taking, sexy woman lying beneath him, "Sorry it's not more romantic Sweetness, being a bedroll and all."

She laughed, reaching for him and smiled, "Lay next to me."

He laid down beside her, still looking her over, a smile tracing his own lips and she pointed to the sky, "Look at that." He looked up at the sky and watched as the aurora borealis shimmered under the stars. She touched his face, "This is incredibly romantic Bishop."

He smirked, "I didn't even plan it this time."

"You tried to tell me at the Ball, didn't you?"

He sighed, "That I did, Sweetness. It was going to be perfect. It was perfect... until..."

"This is perfect," she said quickly and leaned into him, grasping his shoulder. They kissed and touched. He explored her breasts, his hands gently caressing and pulling at her budding nipples. She gasped and moaned, leaning into him more, then she went exploring all her own, sucking and biting at his neck gently. Her hands reaching for his manhood, grasping and stroking him tenderly. "Mmm, I'll never get tired of how your hands feel," he groaned.

"And I'll never get tired of what you do to me," she whispered through a sweet kiss to his cheek.

He turned to look in her eyes as his hand traveled downward, over her stomach, until he reached his favorite play thing, sliding his fingers in and touching her swollen nub. He was being so gentle. Making love instead of having sex. But she wanted more and whimpered for it, "Touch me harder."

"Hmm," he smiled and then, "Uh," as she stroked him. He groaned at her touch and she moved faster until he said, "Whoa, whoa. Slow down Ladyship, don't want to make me lose it too fast now do you?"

She smiled and bit her lip, "Do I excite you that much?"

He gave a low growl, "You have no idea. Let me show you just what you do to me." He moved between her thighs and positioned himself to her, pressing his member against her, but not in just yet. He leaned over her, slowly moving his hips back and forth, merely teasing her entrance with his cock.

He smirked as she gave a needy cry. "See Princess? That's what you do to me. You make me want it," he slipped himself in, penetrating her deeply, pressing all the right spots at one time. He buried his face in her chest, nipping and biting tenderly, tracing her nipples with his tongue as he slowly started moving his hips, taking his time. She breathed heavily, moaning with each thrust as he buried himself within her.

His own groans of pleasure were quickening as he thrust harder and faster, stroking himself within her. He ran his arms up behind her back, lifting her into his lap upright so he could get even closer to her. Her tunnel tightened around him and quivered, it felt so good. Too good. He didn't want it to end, so he slowed his own pace as she bucked her hips, twisting in his lap. He looked into her sparkling green eyes and met her lips with his, sliding his tongue over hers sensually, making her shiver.

"Getting close?" he whispered. She gasped and he felt her tighten around him suddenly. He smirked, enjoying every second of teasing her, making her whimper and writhe with just his words alone. His own climax was growing, she excited him far too much so he said, "Where do you want it Sweetness?"

He felt her get even wetter around his throbbing cock and she moaned heavily.

"Mmm," he groaned, "Inside, you love it inside don't you? Feeling me release it?"

"Yes," she moaned, "Yes, inside. Come inside me Bishop, oh please, do it! Oh!"

This nearly set him off, so he quickly laid her back down and wrapped his arms around her perfectly smooth legs, bringing them up over his shoulder and he thrust swiftly and sloppily, losing himself in the high of his ecstasy. She released her beautiful scream of pleasure to the night, crying his name and his eyes rolled back as he emptied himself within her tightening tunnel.

They laid together, with only a blanket covering them. Watching the stars together.

"When did you know?" She asked him.

He met her eyes, "When I realized I loved you?"

"Yeah," she was curious.

"Took a while for me to realize it. To accept it. That night, outside of Whiterun? Before... well the dragon attack... Eira came to me. She sang this song and it made me realize that what I was feeling for you was more than just..."

She smirked, "Wanting to bed me?"

He nodded, "Exactly. Then when I went to you, you were singing that song, 'hold me unto you' or something. Two beautiful women singing me songs of love in the middle of the night? How could I not realize it? Then I fought it, because I've never opened myself up to anyone like that before. It scared me."

She ran her fingers through his hair and said, "Thank you for trusting me."

He looked mournful again and his lips parted slightly, lashes beating over his golden eyes and he whispered, "Thank you for showing me trust again. Thank you... for everything." He kissed her gently on the lips and she embraced him. They held each other, enjoying the peace and comfort of each other's arms.

Then he asked, "When did you realize you loved me?"

She blushed and smiled, "Always!"

He laughed, "Well then, the joke's on me for taking this long to notice."

"Okay, not always," she admitted, "But... it definitely didn't take me long before I fell for you. I realized it shortly after," her face burned, "our little swim in the pond."

"Ah, one of my most favorite memories of our time together. I do enjoying making you blush Ladyship!"

She buried her face in the crook of his neck and mumbled sleepily, "I love you Bishop."

He pressed his face to her sweet smelling hair and said, "Know this and never forget it. Whatever, whoever tries to come between us, they'll all fail. You're mine to protect, even if you can do it yourself. I love you and nothing will ever change that."

He would always keep her close to him. He would protect her and save her from the cruel world that had taken his childhood and his brother from him. He would save this new light in his life and keep it from ever going out.