Chapter 68
Dragons Are Watching
She was so hurt, so angry and so confused all at once. She tried to calm her sudden shaking and sat down on the bed.
She thought about it over and over again, that image of them both standing there, Freya holding him around his neck while they kissed. It was kind of dark, hard to see. Maybe it was a mistake. Maybe Freya was just provoking him... but why hadn't he pushed her off then? They stood there for so long like that. At least it seemed long. Like an eternity to Rona. The image wouldn't leave her mind.
After a few minutes of calming herself she stood up again. What if they were still out there, like that? Or even worse? More than like that? She looked at the open window and forced herself to walk to it.
She looked out again but there was no one standing on the archway anymore. No sign of Bishop or Freya anywhere. Where had they gone? Somewhere private? Alone?
She closed the window and sat back down on the bed. What was going on? Why was this happening?
She sat there thinking. She started feeling angry. He said all those things to her. All those touching, sweet and beautiful things. They made love. They promised to stay together. But now... where was he? She'd confront him and give him a piece of her mind.
But as the hour dragged on with no sign of Bishop she started to feel even worse. She laid down on the bed just trapped in a torture chamber of her own mind while her assumptions plagued her.
More hours gone by. It was very late now, past midnight. He didn't come back. She felt tears staining her cheeks and dampening her pillow. Her anger fading as pain and heartache set in. She closed her eyes and tried to sleep.
She tossed and turned all night. When she woke up in the morning it was to the quiet sound of someone fishing through a bag, looking for something. Rona opened her eyes, feeling absolutely exhausted from a fitful slumber.
Bishop was sitting in a chair by a table restringing a small bow and he looked like shit. Like he also hadn't slept all night... why wouldn't he sleep though? Because he and Freya... She quickly extinguished those thoughts, taking all her insistent assumptions from the night before and pushed them into the back of her mind.
She sat up, rubbing at her eye and Bishop glanced over at her. "Hey," he said miserably, "Morning."
She looked at him concerned. His behavior wasn't necessarily one of a man who just spent the night making love to his old flame.
"When did you get in?" She asked him.
"'Bout an hour ago," he said as he focused hard on fishing twine through the small bow, making sure it was taut properly as he plucked it a little.
She tread carefully, "You were out all night?"
"Mm hm," he said mindlessly. He didn't seem to be in a mood to talk. But she needed answers.
"Did you find Freya?"
"Sure did," he said tersely.
Rona paused again, speaking slowly, "Did you two talk?"
"Little bit," he was keeping his answers so short. The tell tale signs of someone with something to hide. He wouldn't even look at her. Just kept fussing with the bow.
She swallowed hard and went for it, "Bishop, what's wrong?"
He stopped tying the bowstring and looked right at her, his expression was incredibly sad looking. He set the bow down and cleared his throat, "I just uh... had a really bad night. Didn't sleep much... didn't sleep at all actually."
"Why didn't you sleep?"
"I um," he pressed his lips together and shook his head, "I can't talk about it right now."
She stared at him and let the words cross her lips, "Did something happen with Freya?"
He met her gaze and furrowed his brows, "What? You think I? That we?"
Her face said it all and he turned away looking somewhat angry now. She couldn't believe it. He had the nerve to act like she was in the wrong for thinking something happened when she did in fact see something happen! He was... lying.
Rona got up and left the room. Bishop neither protested nor chased after her. She hurried down the stairs into the tavern cellar to bathe alone.
After washing and spending some time to mull over her thoughts, Rona went upstairs to have breakfast and found the sisters four and her father seated at the large round table already digging into their own food. Serlas looked up and smiled brightly at Rona, "Good morrow and bright tidings to you velvyn. Please, come have a seat."
Rona sat down next to her father. He was extremely jovial for a man who'd nearly just died the other day. She smiled at him, "How are you feeling Ata?"
"Delightful my dear! Why I feel two hundred years younger! I don't know what it was you did, but whatever that magic is, it truly worked a miracle. Not only did it cure that gruesome bout of frostbite, but it worked wonders for these old joints of mine."
She grinned, "I'm so glad Ata," she leaned into him giving him a side hug.
He motioned to the other girls and said, "So, Qetesh here says that you have offered them some assistance."
"That's right," Rona said, "I was hoping you might be able to get into contact with your connections in Cyrodiil and get them asylum along with Malborn."
"I will certainly see what I can do for you ladies, after all you did help save this old elf's life!"
Qetesh smirked and said, "I'll be sure to get you that ingredients list for my signature brand healing and stamina potion too."
"I would greatly appreciate it Qetesh, I thank you kindly."
Rona glanced at Freya who was staring very hard at her snowberry crepe. She didn't look guilty of anything amorous. In fact, she looked just as miserable as Bishop.
He came down then and walked up to Bast and handed her the small bow and her quiver, "Here, had to restring it for you since I snapped it the other day. Only used one arrow, so I threw one of my own in there for yah."
Bast had a mouthful of sweetbread and took it mumbling, "Thanks," she plucked at the bow a few times and grumbled a little, then swallowed and said, "It's too tight!"
He scoffed at her, "Seriously kid? Fine, I'll loan you my twine if you're going to be picky about it, brat." He smirked at her then grabbed a sweet roll and looked at Rona and said, "I'm going to stop by the house and pack up some stuff, mind getting the room upstairs packed?"
"Sure," she said. He gave a quick wave and disappeared out the door. Rona stared after him. What the hell was that all about?
Serlas was also looking at the door and then looked back at Rona and asked, "Everything alright dear?"
She sat up straighter and quickly said, "Hm, yeah. No, everything's fine," then grabbed a sweet roll of her own to hide her face behind, as all the girls looked at her. Freya suddenly had a nasty smirk curling at her lips while she slowly munched on her crepe.
They finished up breakfast and Rona took care of packing up their bedroom and collected their travel pack and met everyone down at the stables. She spoke with the stable master about purchasing a new horse and bought a beautiful red colored stallion with white hair. She named him Ember, it seemed appropriate considering her new relationship with fire.
She got him saddled and got all their equipment strapped to him, including her lute, though she honestly didn't feel much like playing or singing.
Serlas went up to Rona when she was away from the other four women who were busy getting together their own few belongings and getting settled in the carriage they rented.
He spoke in Aldmeri to keep their conversation private, "(Daughter, I went over the documents that Bishop collected. The most interesting dossier was this one about a man named Esbern. He might just have the information we're looking for related to the Elder Scrolls, he seems to be an expert in dragon lore as well.)"
"(But there was no mention of the scrolls in the dossier's themselves?)" She asked.
"(No, unfortunately not. I also found it odd that the Thalmor seem to have plenty of information on myself, Bishop, Delphine and even Ulfric Stormcloak, but there was nothing for you, which surprises me. Perhaps Bishop failed to collect your dossier, or Elenwen had it stored somewhere else.)"
"(I wouldn't worry about it. We already know everything there is to know about me)," she said with a laugh.
He sighed, "(I suppose, but I would have liked to have known their intentions for you. They've given statuses to each of us. I've been marked as an 'uncooperative asset', which I'm rather proud of, if I am to be honest,)" he chuckled, "(Delphine is marked down for 'capture or kill'. Bishop's read as 'uncooperative asset' as well, so they consider him worth keeping alive, at least for now.)"
"(What about Ulfric?)"
"(That's what I wanted to speak with you about. He is also considered an 'uncooperative asset'. It seems that the Thalmor very much want to keep the Civil War going, which surprises me considering their insistence on involving you. I'd like to know more, but without your dossier…)"
Bishop came along then, carrying some supplies with him and looked over the group, frowning slightly. "Where are they headed?" He asked.
"I offered them our home in Whiterun," she said, "Ata is going to work on getting them asylum outside of Skyrim along with Malborn."
"Really?" Bishop looked to Serlas, brows knit together, "You can do that for them?"
"I will certainly try my best," Serlas said clasping his hands together and smiling.
Then Bishop looked at Rona, "And you offered the house in Whiterun too?"
"Of course," she said, "I talked with Qetesh and Venus last night and well… I just want to help them as much as I can."
He nodded slowly and said, "Yeah. Me too."
Rona grabbed one of the bags from him and strapped it to their new steed and said, "We'll pick up Misty once we get to Whiterun."
"You mind riding front saddle?" He asked, "I'm overdue for a nap."
It was so hard to stay mad at a sleepy Bishop. He was too cute when he was tired. She smiled and said, "Sure."
She climbed up and he pulled himself up behind her. Serlas mounted Whiskey and they started their journey to Whiterun. It wasn't very long before Bishop leaned heavily onto her back, his grasp around her waist loosening slightly and his head drooped onto her shoulder. She listened to his light snoring as they rode along and felt... happy and sad. Happy that he was holding her so close, but sad because she had no idea what had happened the night before.
She completely doubted that anything amorous happened between him and Freya based on how they'd both behaved that morning. Maybe it was just the kiss. But why had they kissed? Would he tell her? She tried to be patient. She knew he'd explain himself eventually. He always did.
Rona and Serlas both led the way ahead of the carriage. Serlas looked over at Bishop and said, "(He's very tired. Did he not sleep well?)"
"(He didn't sleep at all)," she said, "(He never came to bed last night.)"
Serlas looked concerned, "(Is everything alright between you two, daughter? He seemed quite short with you this morning.)"
Rona sighed and motioned back to the carriage, "(Freya and Bishop used to be… romantically involved.)"
Serlas' expression changed to one of dawning realization, "(I see… How are you taking that?)" She twist her mouth up and Serlas gave a slight smile. "(Not well I presume?)" He gleaned from her face.
Rona looked over at her father and decided to confide in him everything about these four women and their involvement with Thorn. She told him everything, in Aldmeri. Normally Serlas would have objected to speaking about others in their presence in a language they couldn't understand, but in this case he made an exception.
He listened intently to her tale, taking it all in. She held back on some of the more horrific details, but Serlas was disgusted all the same. Rona did not mention her seeing the kiss between Bishop and Freya. She wasn't ready to discuss that with anyone but Bishop yet.
When she finished Serlas was looking away, face etched with lines of revulsion, while he was deep in thought about the four sisters predicament and he uttered, "I would kill this vile creature that poses as a man myself, if only we could find him."
He looked back at the four sisters, then. Venus and Qetesh were happily chattering away about what they wanted to do in Whiterun while Bast leaned against the side of the carriage, nodding off and Freya stared fervently off in the distance, arms crossed. She looked unsure of the new path they were taking, but said nothing considering how thrilled her sisters were about leaving and getting to live in a real house.
"(Those poor women... to have been made to experience such an atrocity... and the girl, Bastet you said her name was? Only nine years old when she saw it? That is very traumatizing for someone so young.)"
"(It's why I want to help them Father, you understand)."
"(I will do everything I can for them Rona dear. Of that you have my word.)"
They arrived and passed through Dragon's Bridge while it was still light out and continued their travel through the rest of the day. They made it to Rorikstead where they would spend the night.
Bishop had slept most of the way there, getting a full night's sleep in one day. She really hoped he'd get some rest that night though otherwise he'd throw off his sleeping patterns altogether.
They dismounted their steeds and the carriage driver pulled up by the inn. The girls got out of the carriage, stretching and yawning after a long journey.
Serlas said, "I shall see about getting us rooms."
"Don't bother," Bishop said, "There's only four beds in this place and they're usually booked up. Just let Mralki know we'll be camping out behind the inn instead. See if he's got anymore bedrolls he'd be willing to rent us too."
Bishop started to unpack their camping gear while Serlas went inside to speak to the innkeeper about their sleeping arrangements.
Qetesh walked up to the inn doors and called back to Bishop, "Hope you don't mind but I'm going to get something to drink."
"Go easy this time!" Bishop smirked at her, "My coin purse is getting a lot thinner with the four of you around."
Qetesh grinned back and said, "I'll keep that in mind. You want anything?"
"Might as well eat while we're here," Bishop said, "See if he's got any potatoes and venison for the seven of us. I'll cook something over the fire. Oh and get me a couple mugs of mead, whatever's on tap is fine. Oh and a bottle of wine for the lady," he motioned back to Rona.
"You got it," Qetesh said and left them.
Bishop started giving orders to the other girls then, "Hey, can you three go gather some firewood for me?"
Venus crossed her arms and scowled at him, "Why don't you go do it?"
"Fine, if you'd rather set up the tents and cook dinner for seven then by all means, I'll go get the firewood."
Venus pursed her lips and said, "Alright fine. We'll go get firewood."
"Do the three of us really need to go?" Freya asked suspiciously.
"Yes, the three of you need to go and stick together," he insisted, "Watch out for predators."
Freya rolled her eyes as she followed Venus who was already on the move. Bast just shrugged her shoulders and walked off after them.
Rona figured Bishop was trying to get the two of them alone together, which became even more obvious when he said, while still unpacking their gear, "So you think I screwed around with Freya last night?"
Rona took a breath and sighed, "I... no. Not anymore."
He looked back at her, brows furrowed and said, "But you thought I did?"
She said exasperated, "Bishop, what was I supposed to think? You went off to go look for her and then I waited around for hours while you were out and didn't come back. You didn't come back all night!"
He studied her, frown on his face then turned back to the tents he was unfurling. "You're supposed to trust me, remember?"
"I do," she said, "But you have to do the same with me. So what happened last night?"
He was quiet for a minute, before he took a deep breath and said, "I went hunting."
She rolled her eyes, getting annoyed and crossed her arms. "You know what I mean. Stop deflecting."
He turned and looked back at her, face etched with anguish, "Ladyship... I... I learned some really... awful facts about the girls and... I couldn't cope with it. So I stayed out all night hunting or walking or whatever you want to call it. I didn't catch anything, that's for damn sure."
She stepped closer to him and searched his face, "What awful things Bishop? Tell me. Talk to me."
He pressed his lips together looking so much like he was searching for another way, any other to say it without saying it. Then it dawned on Rona. He learned about what happened with the sisters, their mother and Thorn and she looked at him questioningly, "You didn't know?"
He knit his brows together, now just as confused as her, "Know what?"
"I thought you already knew. Qetesh told me what happened to them," she brought her voice down an octave and said, "To Freya."
He looked sick, his tan skin suddenly going a shade lighter. He swallowed hard and said, "No. I didn't know. She told me last night. Ladyship," he sighed, "It's all my fault. I promised them that I'd... and then... with Jules and everything I just..."
He was struggling to formulate these thoughts into sentences. When the topic of discussion was something like this, it was always difficult for him. It was so much easier for him to bury it and lock it inside his heart where he could keep it away from the world.
She hugged him and said, "It's okay. You don't have to talk about it Bishop."
He wrapped his arms tightly around her, giving her a grateful and relieved sigh. He still hadn't said anything about the kiss though. Would he ever tell her about it?
They went around to the back of the inn and started putting their campsite together. After a short while the three sisters returned with plenty of firewood and both Serlas and Qetesh joined them, arms full of food supplies from the inn.
Bishop remained withdrawn for the most part, focusing on putting together food for everyone while Serlas told stories to the girls about the Oblivion Crisis.
"Terrible things those gates were," he said describing in vivid detail to them, but especially to Bast who was listening with great interest, "You knew one was opening the moment the skies clouded over and turned a deep red color and a strange electrical storm would spark through the clouds. Then the stone arches would burst through the earth, rising up forcefully. Between them the red gate would open, like a fiery eye, a portal to a truly horrific realm that would release waves upon waves of Dremora, Daedroths and vicious Daedric Spiders," he skittered his fingers through the air, like little feet.
Bast was seated next to Venus, crossed legged with her elbows on her knees, her head in her hands and her mouth agape. She asked, "How did you stop them?"
Serlas stroked at his beard, "Well, that was the most frightening part of it all. In order to destroy an Oblivion Gate one would have to enter it, and tear down it from the inside."
Qetesh sputtered, spilling mead over herself, "You've been inside an Oblivion Gate!?"
"Indeed, I have, many times in fact. Before I attained my position as Arch Mage of the Mage's Guild in Cyrodiil, I was heavily relied on by Legions all around Tamriel in destroying those gates. I was called to High Rock, Valenwood, Elsweyr, Hammerfell, and Black Marsh. Skyrim had the worst of it though. I spent a good year here leading teams of soldiers in to destroy them," he sighed, "We lost so many good men and women back then. They were inexperienced so it couldn't be helped. But those I did train began setting out to take the gates out with teams of their own."
"How long did it take to destroy all the gates?" Bast asked him.
"Well we did not destroy them all. We did not have to. You see, it was on the twentieth of Sun's Dusk, the year four hundred and forty two, nine years after the Crisis of Kvatch. Mehrune's Dagon was summoned within the Imperial City itself. This giant Daedric Prince of death and destruction wreaking havoc on our city. I remember exactly where I was when it happened. I was sitting in my office at the Mage's Guild, perusing some materials given to me about the Mythic Dawn when I saw that monster terrorizing the city through my window. He crushed the roofing of the Imperial Palace in the heart of the city and that's when it happened. Emperor Martin Septim, the last surviving member of the Septim dynasty gave his life by breaking the Amulet of Kings, thus binding his blood with those of the kings and gods held within. He then became an avatar of Akatosh, an enormous golden dragon."
Rona perked up listening to his tale. She'd heard this story a million times before, but hadn't ever really paid close attention until now. Her father went on, "As this new divine dragon god, Martin towered over the Daedric Lord and they battled, tearing the city apart. Martin ultimately defeated the Daedric Prince, sending him back to the wastes of Oblivion and sealed all of the gates for eternity."
Rona cocked her head, "But Ata, the Guild and I destroyed a gate in Anvil years ago."
He went wide-eyed, "That actually happened!?" She nodded and he looked stunned, then started to stroke at his beard again thoughtfully, "My colleague Nostradamus would not stop talking of it. I honestly believed he was pulling my leg... Well I suppose that it would be possible for a conjurer to open one still..."
"It was an amateur conjurer," Rona said, half lidded eyes, "With a fascination with the Mythic Dawn. He had some old book that he managed to summon it from."
"What did you do with the book?"
"We burned it," she said.
He looked slightly distressed by this fact. Burning a book with lots of important knowledge was definitely something Serlas would object to, but he conceded, "Ah... probably for the best. But wait my dear, however did you close the gate?" He went wide-eyed again, "Don't tell me you?"
Rona grinned, "Well, you did tell me all those stories my whole life, I figured I could handle it."
Serlas looked mortified at the fact that his only daughter had gone inside and managed to close an Oblivion Gate.
She waved a hand, "It was fine! With everyone in the Guild there, it really was no problem Ata." That was a lie. It was one of the most terrifying adventures of their lives and they all almost died more than once. She wasn't about to tell him that though.
Bishop was finishing putting together plates of food for everyone when he shook his head, chuckling, "Even when you weren't the Dragonborn you were still doing insane things. Bet you just shaved a hundred years off his life telling him that."
She smirked at him as he passed her a plate, "It's fine since I recently gave him back two hundred of them."
Serlas chuckled and accepted his plate of food from Bishop. He finished passing out everyone's dinner and they all tucked in. Qetesh and Venus chatted quietly while Bast and Serlas sang Bishop's praises on his cooking, which he looked rather smug about.
Freya didn't eat much, just stared into the fire while chancing the occasional glance at Bishop who was purposely avoiding her gaze. Rona couldn't wait to get to Whiterun. She'd keep her promise, get them set up in her homestead there and with the Companions and then they could leave and she and Bishop could hopefully move on from this obstacle in the road of their relationship.
After everyone finished their food, things died down and Bast continued asking Serlas plenty of history questions. She really seemed to have a penchant for learning. Rona suspected that the girl never received much of an education considering the kind of environment she was raised in. Finally Serlas said, "I have plenty of books on the subject my dear, if you would like I shall bring them to you next time I'm in Whiterun."
Bast beamed at him and said, "That would be great!"
(The music is Quen a Omagen by Erutan)
Rona grabbed her lute and started to play a sleepy tune on it. She was feeling a lot better after her brief talk with Bishop. She still wanted to know about that damn kiss, but she also knew it wasn't an appropriate topic of discussion in their current company.
Everyone was drawn to Rona's gentle playing, making her blush a little, but she ignored it and continued.
Bishop laid down on his side on his bedroll and said, "Not going to share your lovely voice with us this evening, eh Ladyship?"
She smiled, "Not tonight." She had no desire to sing around Freya. The woman already hated her, the last thing she needed was to shove her vocal talent in her face on top of it all.
Qetesh said, "You're quite talented. Singing, playing lute, dragon slaying. What else can you do?"
Rona blushed fiercely, "That's... mostly it."
"Definitely can't cook," Bishop yawned.
She kicked at him and he grinned at her. Their playful flirtations returning really eased her heart.
"I'm sure you could teach her a thing or two about alchemy, Qetesh," Serlas added.
"Hey!" Rona pouted, "Quit picking on me."
Bishop smirked at her, "We only tease because we know the dragon has such a thick hide."
She chuckled and sighed. Skjor had said that once to her. They'd be going to see the Companions tomorrow. She wondered how they were all doing and was really looking forward to seeing her brother again.
Freya stood up suddenly and said, "I'll be right back... need to use the little girl's room."
She disappeared over the hill and Bishop looked over at her sisters and said, "Maybe one of you can go with her? There's a giant's camp nearby and it'd just be safer."
Venus frowned at him, "She'll be fine. Besides it just makes her mad whenever she's trying to do her business with us around."
Bishop just rolled his eyes and made to roll over when Serlas said, "Bishop, before you nod off, could I have a word?"
He looked back at Serlas and said, "Sure," he got up and they went around the front side of the inn. Rona continued to quietly play while the other three sisters all laid down on their bedrolls getting ready to fall asleep.
It wasn't long before Bishop came storming back around to their camp and looked around, "Freya's not back yet?"
Rona shook her head and Qetesh sat up a bit, "Something wrong?"
"I need to speak to her, now," he said, anger in his voice. He started walking over the hill to go look for her.
Venus scoffed and called out to him, "Pervert!"
Qetesh shouted, "Better not bother her while she's doing her business Bish! She's still got her sword you know!"
Serlas came around too as Rona set aside her lute and he asked, "Is everything alright?"
Rona looked right at him and asked in Aldmeri, "(Why is Bishop mad at Freya?)"
Serlas said quickly, "(I asked him about what may have happened to your dossier. He said he had one for you, that he already read it. He suspects Freya may have taken it.)"
Rona groaned and said, "Just stay here. I'm going to make sure he doesn't do anything stupid."
They all watched her go. Rona walked a ways down the sloping hills until she heard Bishop's angry snarling, "Give it back now."
Freya taunted him, "Give what back?"
"You fucking know what you sneaky thief. The paperwork on the Dragonborn. Give it to me."
Her voice was lilted with a teasing chime to each word, "I have no idea what you're talking about Bishop."
Rona came up close to the ledge where she heard them speaking. She stopped to listen.
"Why are you doing this?"
She heard the angry quaver in Freya's voice then, "Because you belong to me Bishop. You are mine and I'll be damned if I'm about to let that ugly little piss-skin take you from me!"
"Don't!" He shouted and she glanced around the ledge. He'd grabbed Freya's outstretched hand and he growled low, "Don't do it again, wench."
She yanked her arm back, rubbing her wrist and glared at him, "Oh, so I'm a wench now am I? Is that how you think of me?"
"Anyone who tries to slap me is a damned wench," he said, "I took enough beatings from you back then. I won't take them anymore."
She got close to him then and danced her fingers across his chest saying, "We could have something again Bishop. I know you loved me. You never said it, but you always came back."
"You manipulated me Freya, just like you're trying to do now. It won't work anymore."
She looked incredibly sad then. It amazed Rona how quickly this woman shifted through her emotions. Like she was trying them on to see which one would work to get her way.
He was firm and remained angry when he said, "Don't give me that look. Hand over the papers, now."
Then she got mad again, her face immediately shifting to one of fury and she shouted, "I don't have to give you anything! I don't owe you anything! If anything you owe me!"
"I'm done playing this game," he said warningly, "I'm going to give you the count of three to hand them over."
She scoffed, "Oh treat me like a child why don't you!"
"One."
"Is it because she's the Dragonborn? Is that why you love her? Can't be because of her looks," she stuck her tongue out, gagging.
"Two."
"I know. You're with her for the money aren't you? Well that's fine, darling, just drink her dry and then you and I can run away together, just like you always promised."
"Three."
He reached for her and she backed up, scowling at him. He took another step and she made to turn when he grabbed her arm and started grabbing at the pouches on her belt and fished through her pockets. She writhed and screamed furiously at him, scratching sharply at his arms, "NO! NO! LET ME GO! LET ME GO! DON'T TOUCH ME! DON'T TOUCH ME!"
Finally he let her go and stepped back, taking a breath. Freya clutched herself protectively and looked at him fearfully, shaking all over. Her lip trembled and she whispered, "No one touches me without my permission. No one!"
Bishop held his hands out apologetically, then ran one through his hair and said, "Freya..."
Freya broke into tears then and shouted, "Is it because of what Thorn did to me!? Is that why you won't love me!? Because I'm just used goods now? Covered in scars from his dirty knife!?"
Rona couldn't tell if the tears were real or not. Freya's outburst certainly sounded real and she seemed truly upset, but with this woman, who could change her emotional state on a whim, she couldn't be sure at all.
"Don't think of yourself like that," he said, "Don't ever think of yourself that way."
Freya shot back, "Then why Bishop!? Why won't you come back to me!?"
"Why do you want to be together Freya?" He argued, "All we ever did was fight. It was... toxic. We were poison to each other."
She actually looked perplexed, as though she were asking herself the same thing for the first time and then she said, "I... I love you Bishop."
"No, you don't," he said, "You're just feeling jealous. You see me as something to own, not someone to love. And now that I'm with someone else... fuck. You're like a child that just wants their toy back because some other kid's playing with it."
Rona smiled. Bishop really had grown a lot. He too once had a similar sense of possessiveness over her. Now though, he saw it for what it was. Not something out of love, just toxicity.
"No," Freya shook her head, "I know I love you. For so long I wondered where you were. I thought maybe the Paladins got you, maybe you were in prison or dead... I thought about you Bishop. But then I heard you were working out in Riverwood. I wanted to come find you... but... it was too close to Falkreath. I couldn't."
Bishop put his head in his hand and gave an audible and irritated sigh.
Rona decided to make her presence known because obviously they weren't going anywhere with that conversation. She came around the ledge and touched Bishop's shoulder. He looked down at her with a face that just looked exhausted. She gave him a reassuring smile and looked over at Freya who was glaring hatefully at her.
"Freya," Rona said, "Your sisters were wondering if you're alright."
She scoffed, "So you came to look for me? Daddy's little girl?"
Rona frowned at her, but Freya lit into her with a nasty smirk on her face, "Yeah, that's right. I know all about you. Lucky you, to have had a father that cares. I never met mine. He was just another notch on my mother's bedpost... speaking of mothers though, you certainly had a sick one didn't you? Almost killed you as a baby and when she drug you off on her little adventures? Shame she never succeeded."
"I fucking knew you had them," Bishop growled.
Freya gave him a snide look then turned back to Rona and said, "How many times has he almost died because of you? Because according to this," she pulled the folded dossier out of a hidden pocket in the back of her tunic, "You've almost been the death of him, at least a dozen times now," a nasty smirk played at her lips, "How's it feel knowing you're the reason everyone around you always dies?"
Rona tried very hard not to let this awful woman get under her skin. The things she was saying, Rona had to remind herself, she already knew. She sighed, "Freya, I don't have anything against you. I just want to see you and your sisters get out of this pit you've fallen into. I just want to help you."
"What a hero!" Freya said throwing her hand up, "You've really got him convinced that you're this decent, upstanding woman. Does he know about your relationship with the Paladin too? The same Paladin that orchestrated his brother's death?"
Bishop groaned, giving a heavy eye roll that his entire head went with, "Just give it up, already Freya. Yes, I know."
Freya looked frustrated by this fact. She was running out of moves to make.
Rona maintained a friendly tone, trying to kill with kindness, "Freya, I know why you're lashing out at me. It's okay. You don't have to hold onto that pain anymore. You can let it go."
Freya stared at her with a look of disgust. "What are you talking about?"
Rona shifted her shoulders uncomfortably and took a deep breath, "I know what happened to your mother... and to you. Your sisters told me everything."
Freya looked livid, her face scrunching furiously and she shook her head, "They had no right. No damn right to tell you that!"
"I asked them," she admitted, "I wanted to know why you're... why you carry so much anger and pain."
Freya threw a hand to her chest and shouted, "You know why I carry so much anger!? So much pain!? It's because of him! Because he promised to save us from that sick fuck! And he lied! Just like he's lying to you! I hate you! I hate you both so much!"
Rona wasn't looking at Freya anymore, but beyond her when she took a deep breath and exhaled, "Well, you're going to hate me a whole lot more now."
"Oh and why's that!?" Freya snapped at her.
Rona said, "Because I'm about to save your life."
The low roar of a dragon echoed over the plains.
"God damn it," Bishop grumbled as he drew his bow and Rona used her whirlwind sprint to throw herself against Freya, forcing them to roll a ways over the plains just as the dragon swept in, grabbing at the grass and ground where Freya was just standing.
Rona got up off of Freya who was absolutely stunned as she watched the dragon fly high overhead, looking to redirect it's attack at them.
Bishop ran up to their side and said, "Usual plan, Lightfoot?"
She smirked and said, "You know it."
(The Song is In The Middle of the Night by Within Temptation)
She summoned a song of power from within, creating the sound of music out of nothingness and vocalized loudly, leaping in front of Freya and firing a blast of ice at the dragon's breath of fire as it roared down on them again. The beast flew through the resulting blast and moved back up high into the sky. She drew her swords and started running across the plains while Bishop stayed by Freya, lobbing arrows at it.
"I've been walking this road of desire,
I've been begging for blood on the wall.
I don't care if I'm playing with fire,
I'm aware that I'm frozen inside.
I have known all along.
So much more going on, no denying,
But I know I'm not standing alone
You've been playing my mind through my wishes.
You can feel that we're haunting the truth.
Don't know, I can't hold on, always losing control."
Rona ran along watching the creature, singing her song at it. But it stayed at a distance. It was being careful when none other had. Alduin was teaching them, training them. She was sure of it. She stowed her blades away and drew her bow then. If it was going to stay up high then she needed to get at it from there. She kept up the sprint while it circled and then went in to shout at her, it blast another fiery breath at her and she cried, "FEIM ZII GRON!" With her transparent body the flames merely blast through her and crashed onto the ground.
It was just testing the waters though and circled back overhead again. She started firing her own arrows, breaking her shout, making her visible again. With each word from her song her arrows became imbued with golden flames. She missed each time though, as the dragon dove up and down through the sky in a wave-like fashion. It was too wary and continued to study her movements.
Then she saw a lightning bolt crackle through the sky, missing the dragon as it dodged the attack. She turned back and saw her father, Bishop and the sisters four standing by. She noticed some of the townsfolk had even come looking, though they stayed at a further distance than the rest. Bishop and Bast were both taking aim at the dragon which was suddenly very interested in them.
Rona ran for it, chasing after the creature. She couldn't allow it to harm them and if Alduin was training them as she suspected, then it knew to go for the people nearest to her first. She used her Whirlwind Sprint to shunt herself across the ground, keeping pace with the speed of the beast and looked right at it and cried, "FUS RO DAH!" Just as the dragon shouted fire. It must have thought she would use ice breath and she finally caught it by surprise when her Unrelenting Force broke through the fire and hit it, throwing it down from the sky.
The dragon went spiraling through the air and crashed heavily onto the ground on its back. Rona used another Whirlwind Sprint, aiming her bow and preparing a shot. She felt the power of the song burning in her throat and a choir of voices echoed over the plains, as her arrow started to burn and glow brightly. The dragon flopped around on the ground, hissing as it tried to regain its footing to take off again.
"In the middle of the night
In the middle of the night
In the middle of the night,
I don't understand what's going on
It's a world gone astray.
In the middle of the night,
I can't let it out.
Someone keeps searching
And shatters your life
It will never be afraid
In the middle of the night"
The dragon managed to get to its feet and took to the skies as she raced beneath it. She aimed for its heart and released her now golden, flaming arrow. It spun swiftly through the air and pierced sharply into its chest, bursting its chest cavity open. The beast roared, "[DROGAAVLOK! NOSVAAT! YOU WOULD FORSAKE ME!?]" as it plummeted to the ground.
Rona stopped her running and stared, confused by its outburst. Then she heard more roars off in the distance and saw two dragons flying away, the moonlight illuminating their forms far off in the distance.
She felt the soul of the dragon wash over her, snapping her from her reverie. Bishop came up to her side and said, "You alright Ladyship?"
"Did you see them?"
"Who?"
"Those two dragons that just flew away."
He looked up at the sky and shook his head, "No, but I was pretty far away. You must have scared them off by killing their friend here."
"No," she said, "Those were Alduin's Generals. They were watching me... studying me."
Forbidden kiss or not, she needed Bishop by her side more than ever now.