Chapter 77
Taken
Trigger Warning: Graphic Violence, Vulgar Language, Kidnapping, Molestation/Unwanted Touching, Humiliation, Attempted Rape, Attempted Murder
(Background Music is Raise the Darkness by Valentin Wiest)
He was hiking up the hills with her, walking right by the farmhouse. Why did the plant stalks have to be so damn tall?! She shook her head and writhed against his shoulder and he just laughed, "Feisty one aren't you? I knew you would be. I love the ones that fight back, so much more fun when I break them."
They'd stuffed a dirty rag into her mouth before pulling the other filthy piece of cloth around her head to hold it there. It hurt her jaw, splitting it open like that. She couldn't even move her tongue around.
Her heart was racing so fast as they passed right by the house.
BISHOP! BISHOP! HELP! HELP ME! She was screaming inside her head. She wanted to say the words but couldn't. She wanted to breathe fire, shout YOL! Do anything!
She could summon them though. She thought of Eira and Jillian, she let those two wonderful, powerful Dragonborn women burn into her mind. SAVE ME!
Thorn stopped his procession up the hill and muttered, "The hell?" Then she bounced around on his shoulder as he moved lunging out of the way and she saw Eira slashing past him fiercely.
He moved again and she saw Jillian making an attack with her greatsword.
"FUCKING BITCHES!" Thorn roared as he bound back and forth, making Rona bounce hard and uncomfortably against his massive shoulder. He called back to the others, "KILL THEM!"
They were still close to the farm, maybe Bishop heard all his yelling. She prayed that he heard. And then she thought of Karnwyr, bleeding out at the edge of the lake. They had to get to him! Oh gods, why? Why hadn't she just stayed put? Why hadn't she listened?
Thorn bound back again and this time she heard the sound of swords clashing and scraping. She couldn't see but she figured he must have been fighting Jillian because Eira was down the hill fighting Bane. She recognized him from Bishop's dream, a filthy nord man in leather armor. She was too fast for him and she cut him good, getting him in the wrist, nearly taking his hand. He grunted in pain and snarled, slashing back, "What the fuck is this Thorn!?"
Then she heard Slash call out, "They're her little ghost friends! I've seen them show up when she's roaring fire and ice out here!"
Thorn grunted loudly and all of a sudden she went tumbling off his shoulder and hit the ground hard on her side. She rolled a bit down the hill and saw Thorn struggling against Jillian, their blades scratching and sparking against one another. Rona wondered why they didn't just shout at them all, then realized, it was because she was bound and gagged. So of course they wouldn't be able to shout.
Thorn threw Jillian off of him and got her right in the gut with his sword. Rona saw her wince in pain and fall to her knee. Eira had said that being brought back here was like dying all over again. But Jillian looked up at him, glaring fiercely at that horrible, sick man. She would continue to fight to save Rona, whether it felt like dying again or not.
He just laughed and said, "So we can hurt them it seems." He yanked his blade out of her body and kicked her hard in the face, sending her reeling backward.
Out of the corner of her eye, Rona saw Eira struggling against the five other men, but she was really holding her own. Eira was very quick footed, dancing about, swiping rapidly at them all as they circled her. One of the men, a mage, she guessed was Lars, started casting sparks at her. Rona was surprised to see Eira knew how to use a ward.
The woman blocked the attack, startling Lars and then leapt forward, swiping at him and getting him across the chest. He hissed with pain and then she got a quick thrust, right into the side of his neck. He looked utterly stunned and then she tore her sharp blade out of his flesh, spraying blood. YES! She hit an artery!
Lars clutched at his throat and slumped over. Rona was cheering inside until Thorn came stomping over to her and stooped down, looking right into her face with his own furious expression. He withdrew that nasty dagger of his and grabbed her tightly bound wrists and yanked her up, nearly tearing her arms from their sockets in the process.
She was so damn short and he was huge. He was much bigger than Bishop. His bulky muscles made him nearly the same size as Farkas and he had to be at least six feet tall, maybe a bit taller than Bishop. He held her up easily by her wrists, holding her out like he were showing off a freshly caught fish.
Rona thrashed in the air, making only the most meek, muffled noises through her gag. She saw Jillian to her right, healed again and coming straight for him while Eira continued to swipe at the others, dancing between them as they tried to surround her, but remaining wary, especially now that she'd just killed one of their own.
Jillian had a snarl on her face, holding her greatsword with both hands and was running. But Thorn just stared at her, like he did that day on the road when she and Bishop swept by him on horseback. He held the creepiest, most cruel smile she'd ever seen on someone. As Jillian drew closer, he aimed that disgusting dagger at Rona's left side, right under her rib cage.
He said menacingly, "Alright, let's see what happens when we do this!" He pulled the blade back and slammed it into the soft spot in her side sharply. Rona's eyes widened with the fierce licking pain that was buried inside her and she saw Jillian falter and her body flickered.
Thorn's lips curled into a triumphant grin. As Rona regained her bearings, trying her best to endure the searing pain, Jillian and Eira both turned solid again. Eira made to start her attacks once more and Slash shouted out, "Do it again!"
Thorn twisted the dagger in her side and the pain began anew, licking up and down her abdomen, waist and ribcage like a fire worse than a dragon's. It was agonizing and she felt sick from it. If she vomited now though, she'd choke on it, so she held back and just tried to ride with the pain, moaning under the gag and letting her tears spill over her cheeks.
Jillian and Eira faded again with each new sharp cut inside her as he continued to twist it around. Thorn was very pleased with himself and then he threw her on the ground, letting her bounce a bit with the dagger still in her side. Oh gods it hurt so much. It was even worse than when Potema got her with the sword in the shoulder.
Thorn climbed on top of her then, pressing his massive body against her much smaller one and looked into her face, biting and licking at his lips as his enormous hands groped her breasts. "You are beautiful, especially for a piss-skin. Never seen one like you before," he pressed his rigid manhood against her leg, making her feel it. She felt disgusted and violated, but even more so she was in pain.
"You make me so fucking hard. Gods, I wish I could hear you scream. I'd probably cream myself right then and there. I've been listening to your beautiful voice every time you come to visit here. I couldn't hold back sweet mouse, I touched myself every time, stroking it and just thinking of how I'd make you shriek with that beautiful voice of yours. But, being Dragonborn and all... well, that makes things difficult. Though I did consider taking your tongue in my mouth," he licked his lips again, "have a nice taste before I bit it right off."
Then he licked her cheek and she cringed and shook still. He moved his face down to her neck and started licking there too. It felt so disgusting. She didn't want it. No one was allowed to touch her there like that, no one but Bishop. And then he bit her hard enough to draw blood. It hurt a lot, like he was trying to tear a piece of her away. He let go though and pulled back, looking her over, "Bet he never gives you love bites like that."
Love bites? Oh my gods he was such a sick fuck. Jillian flickered over her, she was looking down at them, looking distressed, unable to do anything without being in her full physical form.
He glanced up at her, "You know, three really is a crowd. I have a feeling I know how to get rid of these cunts though." He grabbed the dagger in her side again and twisted it some more, making her nerve endings ignite and she involuntarily spasmed all over, to her dismay, because that just made the pain so much worse. Then he yanked that disgusting thing out of her and she felt her blood spilling so quickly, too quickly.
He gave her a wicked smile as he looked down at her, "Time to go pet. We still have a lot of fun to have and I didn't bring any potions with me, so we'll want to hurry before you bleed out entirely."
Jillian flickered and faded, and vanished as Rona felt her energy leaving her. Help... she thought. Please help. Bishop...
Bishop felt his back hurting again. That damned poufy couch was just the worst. He should have just laid down in their shared bed instead. He rolled over then and saw her hand next to his face. He yawned, closing his eyes over again, "Just let me get a few more winks in and I promise we'll go out, okay Sweetness?"
No reply. That was odd. He at least expected her to start whining and complaining again. He opened his eyes and jolted back, "The fuck!?" He took a breath and then uttered, "Eira?" He was incredibly confused now. Maybe Rona was practicing her shouts again? No... he'd have heard her and then he'd be the one grumbling and complaining.
Eira looked distraught though and was pointing out at the lake. He got up and she opened her mouth, trying to speak and kept pointing very forcefully out at the lake.
(Background Music is Legend of the Night by Valentin Wiest)
"What? What is it?" He looked outside the windows, at the garden and then realized Rona was not there. His heart started to pound in his chest and he called, "Rona? Rona! Hey! Where are you!?"
Something was wrong. Karnwyr was missing too. He was quick, grabbing all of his gear, quiver, bow, dagger and both swords, strapping everything to himself faster than ever.
He ran down the hill outside and saw a strange mound of fur laying by the lakeside. His eyes widened in horror, "KARNWYR!" His pace quickened and he practically slid into the lake, skidding in the mud and fell down to his knees. Blood. There was blood all over his side. Karnwyr feebly looked up at him and whimpered.
"Shit! Shit, shit, shit!" He rifled through his pockets and pulled out a potion, practically dropping it in the process because he was in such a hurry. He uncorked it and dumped it all over the wolf's side where he was bleeding heavily. "What happened!? Where is she!?"
Bishop looked around and saw her boots. Just her boots? Had she gone for a swim? Had she drowned!?
Eira appeared again, standing at the water's edge, flickering, fading almost. She pointed once more, back up the hill. He looked up that way, but there was no sign of Rona anywhere. Panic overwhelmed him then. He looked down regretfully at Karnwyr and cried, "I'm sorry Karnwyr. I'm so sorry," and he ran, leaving the wolf, praying that he wouldn't get picked off by a predator while he was wounded.
He watched as Eira kept flickering in and out of being ahead of him, guiding him. He chased after her, moving as fast as his feet would take him. He stopped on one of the low rolling hills where Eira was standing by and pointing at the ground. He looked and saw blood. So much fucking blood.
He started shaking uncontrollably. "RONA! RONA! WHERE ARE YOU!? WHERE THE FUCK ARE YOU!?" He roared for her, hopelessly so, because he already knew what happened, there was no other explanation and it made him sick just to think about it. Then he saw the body and it confirmed everything he thought. Lars lay in a crumpled heap, throat torn open nearby. She'd managed to kill one of them.
Eira pointed again, back up the hill right where the trail of blood was leading. He followed it, sprinting faster now, racing for her life.
The blood trail had grown thinner as he followed it all the way outside Falkreath and up into the hills and towards the mountains. She was losing too much blood, she was dying. He had to get to her, he had to save her.
He came over the hill and wove through the thick trees and found it. Some old bandit's den with a rickety wooden door and two of Thorn's men standing outside, keeping a lookout. He took cover behind a thick tree, drew his bow and nocked an arrow, he fired the first shot swiftly - headshot. The other was startled and looked over for just a second before having the sense to draw his sword, but Bishop was already on it. Another headshot. He was more focused now than ever, nothing could stop him.
Except for that hard blow to the back of the head that sent him tumbling face first into the leaf strewn ground. He felt dizzy and saw lights at the corners of his vision, then he felt them pulling his arms back hard and binding them tightly.
Slash came around and knelt down in front him, lifting his chin up with a claw, digging it into his skin, forcing him to look at the old khajiit bastard in the face. Slash sneered, "Been expecting you Bish. Thorn's been missing having you around. Gotta say, I've been looking forward to raking my claws over your flesh. I mean, your skin's not as soft as I like, but I'll enjoy it all the same, because it's you."
Bishop's head finally cleared and he snarled, "Where the fuck is she?"
"Thorn's getting her ready right now," Slash grinned.
"You fucking disgusting pieces of dog shit! I WILL FUCKING KILL ALL OF YOU IF YOU TOUCH ONE HAIR ON HER HEAD!"
Slash laughed, "Didn't you see the blood trail? That was all her. Don't worry though, Thorn managed to get a potion in her. She's still hanging in there... barely."
Bishop roared loudly to the skies as Sten and Vince hauled him off the ground and forced him down into the cave while Slash and Bane led the way.
(Background Music is In Flux by C21FX)
Thorn prowled around her. She watched his thick back muscles moving with each step as he stalked by her front again. He'd hung her up on a meat hook they'd bore into the ceiling and it seemed he was still trying to decide what horrible thing he wanted to do to her first as he looked her over like she really was a piece of meat hanging from that hook.
He'd positioned her so she was forced to see his wall of disgusting torture tools. An assortment of hooks, daggers, swords, hammers, saws, pliers, and so on. All oddly shaped, all covered in old blood and stained against that filthy wall. His new torture chamber was quite a bit like his old one, with tables that had iron cuffs and stirrups nailed into them, a dirty torture cage in the corner, and the number of times she saw a skeever crawl by, not even the same one, made it that much more disgusting. It smelled awful too, like blood and feces.
She felt very tired, exhausted, and weak. She'd lost a lot of blood, she knew it, because she'd passed out halfway there and only woke up again when he jammed the cork end of a potion into her gaping wound and smacked her hard across the face a few times. It had helped, but she really would have rather died. To endure this... she wasn't ready for it, she never would be. To think this is what Freya and Elska had to suffer while the others were forced to watch. She was trapped in a nightmare.
Rona's head fell against her chest and she stared at the floor, watching as a trail of ants marched mindlessly by and a few roaches scurried around the wooden legs of the tables. An infestation of vermin were just waiting for the table scraps that she would provide them. She shuddered to think of it.
Thorn was walking by again and noticed her little shiver. A vicious smile curled at his lips, "Your Thalmor friends are very unhappy with you. That piss-skinned bitch didn't just stop the gold flowing either... no, no. She wrote a scathing letter about everything she wanted me to do to you. I was almost surprised that she was even more vicious than me. Gave me all sorts of ideas..."
Elenwen would. The woman was a torturer herself and Rona suspected she was a sadist in her own right. How anyone could torture another person and just go on with life like that was okay... they had to be sick. Rona wanted to allow herself to feel the hatred boiling inside her for the woman, but she was just so tired, all she could do was concentrate on keeping slow and steady breaths coming through her nose.
"I just can't make up my mind," he said, "I've dreamed of it for so long now... but there were so many different possibilities. I thought of them all you know and came, so fucking hard. Every. Single. Time." Then he looked her up and down and said, "Let's start top down then. How's that sound little mouse?"
He approached her and she found just enough energy to turn her head away from him. He just grabbed her hard by the hair and turned her back to face him, "You look even more beautiful when you're nearly the shade of white. What lovely skin, so soft. He ran his grimy hands over her neck, grasping it and pressed his thumb on her windpipe, just feeling at first before he pressed harder, closing her throat over entirely, choking her. She still had the filthy gag in her mouth so it was already hard to breathe, but now...
"There, there, just a little more... Mmm," He groaned sexually. She wanted to breathe, her body was screaming for air. Was he trying to kill her now? Like this? "I just want to see your lips turn white too," he gave another low groan as he studied her closely. He held his thumb there for what seemed like forever while her body begged her to breathe and her vision went blurry. Finally, with a satisfied and sexual gasp, he let go and she sucked the air in through her nostrils, feeling lightheaded and dizzy. She needed gulps of air, not just what she could get through her nose.
It subsided though and he laughed dryly at her, "Dragonborn, pah!" He scoffed, "Who knew you'd be so weak? I suppose it's only natural though, considering you're just another cunt... That's right, you are just a hole for men to stick their cocks into. That's all you're good for, that's all you'll ever be good for."
He took a clean dagger this time and aimed it at her chest. She tried to weakly steel herself for what he was going to do. She expected him to bury it into her sternum, but instead he pulled it down, cutting her dress open so that her bra was exposed. He laughed, "White hm? Like you're some innocent virgin? Being with him I doubt it. How many times has he had you? Bishop always was the carnal one, following his dick wherever it took him. He never understood true pleasure. To dominate. To control. To own."
Then he took his knife again and slid it under her bra between her breasts and turned it on its side, the sharp edge cut her a little, making her bleed as he pulled it forward, snapping her bra and her breasts fell free. He took that blade and started running the flat edge across one of them and touched her other with his rough and dirty hand. A shudder crawled up her spine and she tried so hard to ignore it, shutting her eyes and turning her head away.
Then she felt him pulling hard on her nipples as he said, "Do you have any idea how easy it would be to slice these right off? I've done it before, it's quite the interesting look on a woman. Oh how they cry and beg me to kill them after, being mutilated like that. They think they're ugly, but I find them all the more beautiful, makes me incredibly hard at least."
He started laughing again, just laughing for no real reason at all. Maybe he amused himself, she had no idea. He was very sick in the head. Some kind of monster. What had happened to this awful man to make him like this? Was been born this way? She didn't care. She just wanted him to kill her and be done with it.
Then she heard it, Bishop's very loud and angry yelling. Thorn smiled widely and said, "Ah finally. I was waiting for him to find you. Seems you left just enough of a trail for him."
Rona didn't know how to feel. Happy he'd found her, horrified they'd caught him, distressed that he would see her like that and afraid. Just afraid they would force him to watch all the terrible things they were going to do to her. They were going to break him.
They dragged him in through the doorway behind her and she heard him gasp in horror at the sight of her hanging there. "Rona?" he choked out. Thorn peered around her, grinning cruelly at Bishop and spun her right around on the meat hook so she was facing him.
She weakly looked at him and his entire face cringed painfully to see her that way, disheveled, half naked, pale as a ghost, bleeding from her side, bound and gagged. Then his face turned to hateful fury as Thorn reached around and groped her breasts.
"Lucky man Bishop, these are very nice. Although I have to admit, she's quite nice all around. Soft and delicate, just how I like them." She felt his tongue on her neck again and Bishop roared every threat and profanity under the sun at the man.
Thorn just laughed into her neck. He was enjoying tormenting Bishop this way. Torturing the man who'd been the cause of his downfall. He was getting revenge and using her to do it. Then he bit her hard again and she winced in pain.
She couldn't look at Bishop while this other man touched her. It was so awful. She felt humiliated and disgusted. But mostly just ashamed because she was the reason they were both there. It was her own damn fault for leaving the safety of the farm in the first place, because she had no patience and now they were both going to suffer for it and probably die down in that filthy, dingy chamber.
"She is quite a sight," Thorn said, "I think it's high time I take what I really want from her though, what do you say Bishop? Ever wondered what it would look like to watch a cock tear her cunt apart?"
"DON'T YOU DARE TOUCH HER YOU SICK FUCK!"
Thorn pulled her dress up and slid his fingers across her panties. She shut her eyes tightly and tried to imagine she was somewhere else altogether, she loved Bishop dearly, but she absolutely could not be there right then, being violated and listening to him agonize over it. She tried to remember something better as her tears ran down her cheeks. Before she even had a chance to land on any good memory she felt the sharp pain in her side again. Her eyes snapped open and she saw him burying that dagger back into her, cutting her partly healed wound open once more.
"No, no little mouse. You don't get to pretend you're not here. I already know that game. You will be present, for all of it."
"Rona," she looked up at Bishop's tear strewn face, "Rona, you have to fight. I know you have it in you. You don't need your voice. You can beat them. You can still fight. Find that fire inside and let it out! FIGHT DAMN IT!" He roared, pleading with her and struggling violently against his captors.
Bane went right up to Bishop and punched him hard across the face. He shook his hand after and said, "Damn that felt fucking good. Anyone else want to get one in?"
"I'm ready to rip his bowels open," Slash said, unsheathing his sharp claws.
Thorn laughed and said, "Give it a minute. I still want him to see what we're going to do to her and he can't very well do that if his eyes are swollen shut and his guts are hanging out. Soon boys, very soon."
Fire... she needed her fire. But she'd always used her voice to summon it and she couldn't-! The sharp pain twisted inside again and Thorn directed the others to come over and pull her down. They did so, yanking her off the meat hook and dropping her to the floor, with that knife still buried in her side, forcing her to steadily bleed out.
"Time to play sweet mouse," Thorn said as he lowered the furs around his waist and pulled his erection out. She looked away while he yanked her dress up, grasping her hips and pulling her towards him. She felt dizzy again, her vision was going and she started seeing two of everything, from loss of blood to the brain probably.
She didn't want to die like this. She could see Bishop screaming at her but couldn't make out what he was saying. She fell into herself then, like when Potema tried to take her. She was in a space with whirling winds and a golden dragon loomed over her.
The beast stepped forward and lowered its head to her. She put a hand to its snout and whispered, "I need fire." The second the words came out she felt a great warmth billowing within.
Bishop screamed for her, "RONA! RONA!"
"Damn it," Thorn looked pissed and said, "Get me another fucking potion to wake the bitch up."
(The Music is Inferni by Thomas Bergersen)
The sounds of violent strings started to play throughout the tunnels. They all looked around, perplexed. But Bishop smiled through his tears, "That's it Ladyship. Fucking kill these motherfuckers. BURN THEM ALIVE!"
Golden flames licked at the cloth gag around her mouth and immediately burned it up. Thorn looked down at her, stunned and her eyes opened slightly and she took a deep breath. Thorn reached to cover her mouth when she shouted with all the power in her tiny body at him, "YOL TOOR SHUL!" He was engulfed in flames and roared in pain as his flesh seared from his body.
Then the fire within her licked at her own body, creating that wide and wild force it did, growing all around her. It washed over all of them, filling the room in golden light. The others screamed in pain and Bishop was free, his bindings burned off, yet the flames didn't harm him in the slightest. He had eyes only for Thorn now. He watched as the man writhed in agony as his flesh was slowly seared and melted from his body. He drew his brother's blade and ran forward, leaping over her and slammed his sword straight into Thorn's chest. The man was still burning and he looked at Bishop in stunned agony.
Bishop growled, "Go to Oblivion you fucking piece of trash." He withdrew the blade and slammed it back into the monster over and over again. Thorn gasped and crumpled to the ground, burning still and for good measure Bishop hacked at his head until it came clean off his body.
He heard the others still screaming and spun around, looking murderously at them all. There was so much rage inside of him and he fought with all of it, unleashing every ounce of hate he had into their guts, throats and chests. He utterly destroyed every single one of them and made sure they were all fucking dead.
But as his rage subsided he realized there was no more inferno burning wildly around him. He looked down at Rona and ran to her side, sheathing his sword. He knelt down and looked her over. He touched her chest where her heart lay and felt a slow faint, heartbeat. She was still alive, but still bleeding too. He pulled the last potion he had from his pouch and carefully withdrew the dagger from her side and poured the liquid onto the wound. It didn't do a whole lot to heal her. He cursed himself for not studying alchemy more closely and learning to make Qetesh's best potion.
(Background Music is Aura by Thomas Bergersen)
He scooped her limp body into his arms and looked around for an exit because he was not about to go back through that bandit infested rat hole. He saw a door at the other end and ran over, kicking it down. He went through and found himself outside in the forests of Falkreath. It was dark out. He had to hurry. He had to get her back to the farm, Serlas and Illia would definitely be back by now.
He ran with her in his arms, begging her to just hold on and to stay alive. He told her over and over again how much he loved her. He had no idea if she heard him, but if she did it would surely give her enough reason to cling to life.
He kept her head close to his chest as he wove through the tight forest searching for the road. He saw the city just down below. Maybe there was a carriage, or hell, even a horse, there had to be someone there that could help him get her back to the farm. He ran down and saw, the innkeeper Valga emptying a wash bucket out on the side of the inn. He started screaming, "VALGA! VALGA! HELP!"
She looked up, startled and as he approached her she dropped the bucket and clasped her hands over her mouth, "Bishop! What happened!?"
"Thorn, it was Thorn," he said quickly, "We need to get her back home, now. Her father is a healer! I need a horse, or anything!"
Valga looked over at two horses that were stabled outside for the night and said, "I've got a pair of nobles staying here - just hold on, I'll get them."
"There's no time!" Bishop roared at her. He lifted Rona up and carefully tossed her over his shoulder and quickly mounted one of the steeds with one hand while holding onto her with the other.
Valga looked apprehensive about what he was doing but didn't try to stop him. He pulled Rona back down from his shoulder, setting her face forward on the steed and held her around her waist, feeling her blood still trickling from her wound. He grasped the reins with his free hand and without another word he spurred the horse on towards the farm.
He thought for a moment that the horse seemed familiar, like he'd ridden it before. He was fast too, running much quicker than any horse he'd had before. He thought maybe it was just his own nervous energy though, maybe the stallion could sense his agitation and his desire to get to his destination swiftly and translated that into running speed. He appreciated it all the same.
He spurred the stallion on faster sending him cantering down the cobblestone path with purpose through the cloudy night. The rain started to come in a slow and steady trickle and before he knew it he was being pelted hard with cold water. He worried for her. Already pale, weak and losing blood still, she'd freeze out there. He pulled her close to him, hoping he was nord enough to keep her warm.
Finally he saw the farm ahead and guided the steed up the dirt path, beyond the first small house and saw light pouring out of the windows of the cottage Thank the gods they were home. He shouted, "SERLAS! SERLAS! ILLIA! HELP!" Bishop practically fell off the horse with her in his arms and Serlas and Illia came rushing out.
The elf turned quite pale and cried, "What has happened!?"
"Heal her! " Bishop pleaded a choked sob caught in his throat, "She's dying!"
Serlas looked over his daughter, dress cut open, bleeding, sallow skin, looking dead already. He quickly pressed his hands to the wound in her side, casting a powerful healing spell over her then he said, "Hurry, bring her inside!"
They ran in, getting out of the rain and Serlas said, "Lay her down on the bed, tear her dress open so I can clean the wound. Illia - I need you to get me two Elixirs of Regeneration and one Potion of Cure Disease from my stores in the atrium and the medical kit on the shelf above the books, quickly!"
Bishop took his dagger and tore her dress open more, laying bare her entire upper body. Serlas said, "Step aside." Bishop moved out of the way and watched as this man used all the power he had in his body to try and revive his daughter, casting spiraling white magic over her. He seemed incredibly focused, but Bishop knew how distraught he must have been inside and he felt guilty. It was all his fault. He knew how she could be, if he'd just fucking humored her then she wouldn't have gone off alone.
He stood there feeling useless and helpless. He felt faint and Serlas said, "Calm your breathing Bishop, you're hyperventilating," Bishop hadn't even realized it, "I need you to sit down, take a moment and tell me everything."
Bishop swallowed hard and said, "Thorn. It was Thorn."
Serlas looked up at him with a mingled look of anger and horror.
"He took her," Bishop choked out, "Because I... I wouldn't... and then she..." he fell into a chair and threw his hands to his face.
"Is he still alive?" Serlas asked him soberly.
Bishop furrowed his brows and clenched his teeth, "No. He's fucking dead. I cut his fucking head off to be sure."
Serlas nodded, still working his magic on her wound and said, "Good."
Illia came in carrying the potions and the medical kit. Serlas said, "Hold her head up and depress her tongue and ease some of that potion in."
Illia did as instructed, carefully pouring some potion down Rona's throat. After a minute of this she started to cough through it, she was coming to and Bishop's heart jumped up. Serlas did not look relieved though. He said, "Illia, I need you to take some of the Cure Disease potion and press it into a cloth and hold it to her wound to clean for infection."
Once again Illia was quick to do as instructed. Serlas moved out of the way allowing Illia to press the cloth to her. He approached Bishop, who stood from the chair.
Serlas put a hand to his shoulder and said severely, "Listen to me and listen closely. I need you to take a horse to Whiterun. I need you to ride as fast as you can. Go straight to the Temple of Kynareth. There is a priestess there named Danica Pure-Spring. You absolutely must bring her back here immediately."
Bishop shook his head, "You can't heal her?"
"No, I cannot. I am not a skilled healer, I never was and I curse myself for it every day. Danica is trained in restoring blood loss. Rona is teetering at the edge of death, she has lost far too much blood for her body to replenish itself. There are no potions or magic that I know of that can fix this. You will go there and you will throw that woman over your shoulder and drag her here if you must. You will cut down any and all in your path who might stand in your way or she will die. She cannot survive the night."
Bishop felt sick, but Serlas snapped him out of it, "FOCUS MY SON! You must fly like you've never flown before, take the shortcut through the river and ride like the wind. GO NOW!"
Bishop didn't need to hear another word. He took one last look at her weak and pale face and saw her chest slowly rising and falling. He steeled himself and ran out the door. He hurried through the garden thinking he would take Misty, but then he noticed that stallion from the inn. There was something very different about it though. It was... bigger, with black and red skin and it's eyes burned like hot red coals. There were two bottles of wine strapped to its saddle and there was a strange staff with a frightening face and an elongated jaw hilted to the saddle as well.
(Background Music Illusions by Thomas Bergersen)
He practically laughed at the sight of it and ran over, quickly mounting it and snapped its reins sending the Daedric stallion racing forward through the rain. It seemed that Sanguine and Sheogorath were paying a visit to Falkreath. They were always watching and this time they were helping. If he hadn't met them both he wouldn't have believed it.
He rode swiftly down the hill to the lake and then he remembered, "Karnwyr."
He stopped by the lake edge but there was no sign of the wolf anywhere. An aching pang of loss struck him. Had a predator gotten him? Maybe he'd healed enough to wander off somewhere safe. He had no time to worry about the wolf though. Rona was on the verge of death and as much as he loved his best friend, he loved her so much more. He couldn't lose her.
He spurred the steed ever onward, through the lake. It galloped heavily across the ground, trampling everything in its path and running unnaturally fast. He'd be in Whiterun in twenty minutes. He rode past Riverwood as the rain came down harder than ever. Were the gods crying for her? It always seemed to be raining when awful things happened to them.
He rounded the path near the brewery and past a few farms. He was there shortly, riding the stallion all the way up to the front gates. The Stormcloak guards standing there drew their weapons and stood back, afraid of the beastly mount. Bishop didn't care, he had a mission, quickly dismounted and ran to the gates.
"HALT!" the guard shouted at him.
He ignored the man and put his hands to the gates, intending to go in.
"I said stop! Who do you think you think you are!?"
"I need to get in here now!" Bishop roared at the idiot Stormcloak guard.
The guard pointed his sword at him, "I don't think so - whatever you are! Vampire or Daedra! You are not getting inside this city!"
Bishop's rage was boiling over again, he didn't have time for this, "THE DRAGONBORN IS ABOUT TO DIE! I NEED TO GET A PRIESTESS OF KYNARETH TO SAVE HER YOU MORON!"
The guard sneered, "Oh is that so? The Dragonborn? Well that's a shame now isn't it?"
"How can you say that!?" Risla threw her helmet off and looked at Bishop, "Hurry! Go on in!"
"I SAID NO!" The other guard roared, "That bitch killed half my friends! Besides, she's a damned piss-skin if I ever saw one!"
Their shouting and arguments were drawing the attention of the other guards stationed above in the turrets and on the walls.
Bishop had enough, he turned right around and snatched Sheogorath's insane staff from the steed. He thought of that stupid rabbit the Daedric Prince spawned once and jut the staff right at the man, in an instant he was changed into a rabbit. Risla stared astounded and Bishop burst in through the gates.
He started running up the stairs to the left and nearly slipped in the rain and heard guards all around him shout, "HALT!"
In seconds he was circled. He was furious. He didn't have time for this shit. "OUT OF MY WAY!" He jut the staff again, changing more of those fools into rabbits, foxes and birds. Then the other guards lunged at him and he leapt out of the way. Risla and two other Whiterun guards came up behind the Stormcloak soldiers that were trying to attack him and they started beating them all over their heads, pummeling them into unconsciousness.
The Whiterun Guards yanked their helmets off, it was Dagun and Sigrs. Risla said, "We want to help you!"
Bishop laughed and said, "You're crazy you know that?"
Risla grinned back and waved a hand, "Ah well, I've been thinking about deserting for a long time now. If I can do it while helping the Lady Dragonborn, I will gladly do so."
"What about you two?" Bishop nodded to them.
Sigrs snarled, "Been wanting to fuck up these Stormcloak bastards for a while now."
"Yeah," Dagun agreed, "They treat us like dirt and walk all over us. Now tell us how we can help! You said Lady Rona is injured?"
Bishop looked over them all and said, "Do me a favor and go get the Companions!" He pointed behind them, more Stormcloak guards had come along, armed to the teeth, ready to take down this new intruder and these traitors, "Tell the Harbinger that Rona is dying! Tell her I need help getting the fuck out of this city!"
He turned and sprinted down the path then and the others followed him, only diverting when he ran into the Temple of Kynareth. He walked in, soaking wet, his boots squishing across the tiled floor.
There were several priests hard at work on many wounded soldiers and other civilians who were just sick or dying. One of them, a woman, in temples robes looked up from a soldier she was healing and asked, "Can I help you?"
"Danica Pure-Spring?"
"Yes, that's me," she nodded. Bishop walked right over to her and lifted the woman right off her feet, throwing her over his shoulder. She started screaming, "What are you doing!? Put me down this instant!"
He didn't have time to try and convince her to go with him, this would be faster. He turned towards the doors, holding onto the struggling woman as her foot nearly kicked him in the face and she beat on his back with her fists.
But the doorway was wide open and several Stormcloak soldiers were blocking his path.
"Guards help!" Danica screamed.
In seconds though there were soldiers getting attacked from the side and they started shouting and screaming. Bishop grinned when he saw Farkas and Freya run by wildly, taking the soldiers out one by one. Bishop hadn't wanted to kill any of them, which was why he'd used Sheogorath's staff at the time, but he figured at that point, what the hell. He tossed the staff aside and drew his blade.
Aela came by looking in and said, "Heard you needed some help! Our little dragon's in trouble?"
"Follow me!" Bishop shouted at her. He ran out the door with Danica Pure-Spring still losing her shit and writhing against him. She noticed the Companions and cried, "Help me Harbinger! He's kidnapping me!"
Aela ran up to Bishop's side, jogging alongside him and asked, "Not going to tell the poor woman what's going on?"
"No time!" He roared, "She's lost too much blood!"
Danica stopped her kicking and shouted, "Is that what this is all about!?"
Bishop got irritated and roared, "YES! THE DRAGONBORN IS ON DEATH'S DOOR AND YOU'RE THE ONLY ONE THAT CAN SAVE HER!"
"Alright! I'll help you," she cried, "Just put me down already you brute!"
Bishop stopped and set the woman down. She scowled at him and fixed her robes and asked calmly, "Now where is she?"
"No time! Just follow me!" He grabbed her hand and drug her along with him.
They found Farkas and Freya fighting against more Stormcloaks at the front gates. The two of them finished picking them off, with Freya getting the last hit in, cutting a soldier's throat right open. Farkas said, "Nice one babe." She went right over to him and caressed the blood from his cheek and said, "Not as nice as you love," she kissed him right on the lips and Bishop just stared, dumbfounded.
Aela walked by him, laughing and patting him on the shoulder, "Yeah, things have been interesting, I'll tell you that much."
Bast walked by too, holding her bow in hand and looked at Bishop, sticking her finger in her mouth and making a gagging face.
Freya looked over and called to him, "Bish, what's happened? They said Rona's in trouble?"
She was being friendly? She actually cared? This was too much for one day. He approached them and said, "No time to explain, I have to get this woman to Falkreath right away."
Freya looked uneasy and he said, "Don't worry, Thorn's fucking dead. I ripped his head off." Her expression changed to one of relief but then back to concern and she said realizing, "Thorn... he?"
"He took her," Bishop confirmed. He went through the gates and mounted the enormous Daedric steed, finding Sheogorath's bizarre staff, stuck to it again.
He put a hand out for Danica to take and she and the others just gaped at him. He said, "Hurry up! I'll explain everything later! Just meet me at the farm!"
"Where's the farm?" Freya asked.
"I know where," Aela said, "We'll see you there Bishop! Eyes on the prey-"
"Not on the horizon," Bishop finished for her. Danica took his hand and he pulled her up onto the massive beast. He raced out of there, riding faster than ever back to the farm. The entire time he just hoped and he prayed that she would be alright, that she would live. And he still had to find Karnwyr...
Why couldn't she ever get a break? Was this her destiny as the Dragonborn? To forever be plagued by tragedy?
No. This was Thorn. This was the monster he'd brought into her life. Thorn might never have interacted with her if not for him. This was his fault. He felt aching guilt for it. She was dying because he never finished what he started. He never went back and killed that piece of trash like he should have. Instead he ran away, because he was always running. Only this time he was running towards her.
She had to live. If she died... he couldn't do it anymore. Not without her. There would be no reason to go on. She was everything to him. As the rain drenched him, it ran over his face, masking his tears. Sometimes he cried with her, but this time he cried for her.
(Background Music When Your World Ends (Reprise) by Exist Strategy)
The race back was swift and easy with Sanguine's beast of a mount. They arrived on the farm and Bishop ushered Danica right into Rona's room where her father was still hard at work, focusing his healing magic on her. She looked the same as he left her. Her eyes were partly open as she stared up at the ceiling and breathed slowly and steadily. One of them had put a folded blanket over her breasts to cover her, giving her some modesty back.
Serlas looked over at the two rain soaked people and Bishop saw his tear-strewn face. He'd never seen the old elf cry before. It was, unnerving to say the least.
"Danica Pure-Spring?" Serlas choked.
"Yes," she said, "Let me have a look at her."
The woman went right to work on Rona, asking Serlas for certain medical supplies and potions he might have available. Bishop just numbly watched them work on her, standing by the door as the rain continued to fall. He'd done his job but now he felt useless again.
He wanted to hold her in his arms and tell her how much he loved her. She knew... but he needed to say it. It pained him to see her like that. Finally he couldn't bear to look anymore and stepped outside in the rain. He was startled when he saw two men standing in the garden and looking on through the windows at the people working to heal her.
Well... to call them people wasn't entirely accurate, because one of them was definitely very Daedric looking with his black and red stained skin and his curling horns and sharp claws. And the other was a very human looking Mad Prince with bright yellow eyes and sharp-slit pupils.
"Told yah he'd make it in time," Sanguine said, nudging Sheogorath, "Now pay up."
"I don't think so my friend! You said he'd use the Wabbajack more, but he merely cast my beautiful, sweet staff aside after only eight shots from the thing! Seems we're at a draw."
"Oh come on! You always do this, backing out of bets and acting like you're some kind of, pft, mad man or something."
The two of them chortled like old friends and Bishop approached them, albeit warily.
"Well, well, here he is now, the hero of the day! Or night," Sheogorath looked up at the rainy sky, "Yup! Definitely night time. Just wanted to tell you lad, nice work with those soldiers. Really loved all the cute woodland creatures you turned them into. Could have had a bit more fun with it though, maybe tried a few dragons instead. Oh ho! Now that would have been entertaining!"
"You didn't even try the wine Bish," Sanguine sulked, pulling the two bottles of ambrosia from his horses saddle, "You trying to keep a clear head or something? Where's the fun in that?"
Bishop gave a slight laugh at the both of them and cleared his throat, "Uh... sorry I disappointed, but thanks for the horse and the uh, crazy staff."
"Disappointed?" Sanguine smirked, "Are you kidding? The way you tore those bastards apart. Damn, that was impressive. A little gruesome, honestly, but hey, all the more reason to forget the bad times with some fine wine," he held a bottle up, shaking it enticingly and grinned.
"You did mighty fine lad, mighty fine," Sheogorath pat him on the shoulder, "Can't be having ourselves a dead Dragonborn now, not with the state of the Skyrim! Not that I don't mind it. Seems rather mad having dragons flying around outside your house when you're just trying to enjoy some tea and crumpets or you go out to have a quiet whiz behind a tree and one comes flying by just to burn the damn thing down right in front of you! Hahaha!" Sheogorath chortled loudly again, "Anyhow, what was I saying? Oh right. You did well. Saved her too," he nudged Bishop and said, "Guess we'll see if this is what it took to make her lose her marbles though, eh?"
Bishop frowned at the Daedric Prince, he couldn't help it. He just felt awful. Something like that would definitely make someone go mad. He was pretty sure it made Freya go crazy at one time or another and she still had a few screws loose considering she just kissed Farkas earlier.
Sanguine climbed up onto his steed and said with yawn, "Well, looks like it's about that time. I still have a few more parties to make an appearance at, to, you know, get the wine flowing and all that."
"You always get invited to all the parties and you're not even that fun!" Sheogorath complained, "At least I know how to give them some entertainment!"
"I'd hardly call summoning a legion of dancing draugr entertaining," Sanguine said and waved a hand opening a portal in front of him.
"That's because they didn't give me a chance to finish! I was going to have them sing the Imperial Anthem while they juggled swords! Swords lit on fire!"
Sanguine chuckled, "Well you got me there, friend. Now that definitely would have been entertaining, messy definitely, but very entertaining."
They made to leave when Bishop couldn't stop himself from asking, "How come you didn't stop him yourselves?"
Sanguine looked down at him, "What? Thorn?"
"Yeah..."
Sanguine smiled, "You know how it is, Bish. Mortal affairs are left to the mortals. We can't always come running in and saving the day for you puny beings-"
"-It would be oh sooo, boring!" Sheogorath interjected.
"Not to mention Akatosh would have our heads," he pursed his lips, "Whoops. You didn't hear that from me."
"Akatosh doesn't want you to interfere?" Bishop gleaned.
"Well," Sanguine shrugged, "Not as much as we would definitely like to. He's Aedra, we're Daedra, don't exactly get along and he likes to keep things in your world... safe?" He laughed, "Of course he did birth the dragons right into your plane of existence, so who really knows what's going on in his head."
"But you're afraid of him?" Bishop was getting a lot bolder with his questions. Testing the waters. That was a mistake.
Sanguine glared at him, which was a lot more terrifying to see on a Daedric Prince than on a normal person, especially when his eyes lit up like fiery red, coals, "Don't test me mortal. I don't mind humoring you and your little questions now and again, but I am still a god and I could easily crush you. So watch your words."
Bishop pressed his lips together and nodded. Sanguine's eyes went back to normal and he regained his friendly tone of voice, "I left my wine for you on the table inside. You should celebrate when she's done recovering. Oh and be sure to give my gift to the lovely bride and groom at their wedding."
Bishop cocked a brow at him and he said, "What? It's just more wine. It's a party! Should loosen up, have a little fun!"
"Oh! Oh! Make sure they get my gift too! Open it right after they cut the cake!" Sheogorath chortled and stepped into the portal and disappeared.
Sanguine leaned over and whispered, "Whatever you do, don't open his gift, it'll unleash a swarm of flammable torch bugs. Might want to toss that one into the lake. Oh! And before I forget," he snapped his clawed fingers and a smaller portal next to the bigger one opened up, "Give a whistle."
Bishop looked at it and whistled sharply. In an instant Karnwyr leapt out of the thing and ran right over to Bishop, jumping on him, tail wagging madly and tongue lolling happily. He was completely healed and looking healthier than ever, in fact he looked even younger than he used to.
Bishop hugged his best friend and lifted the wolf right off the ground while he got his face licked all over. "Karnwyr! You're okay! I was so damn worried buddy!" He looked over at Sanguine and breathed, "Thank you."
Sanguine waved a hand at him, "Ah, it's the least I can do. He's a good wolf. Gave him back a few years on his life too. Should be like he's five years old now."
Bishop laughed, he couldn't believe it.
Sanguine said, "Now maybe this time he'll hear if anything gets too close to her. Take care of her, Bish. I'll always have my eye on you. And don't forget to try and have a little fun every now and again." He winked and snapped his steed's reins and rushed into the portal which swallowed him up entirely and the whole thing vanished on the spot along with the smaller one.
Bishop put Karnwyr down and stroked his ears, happy to have his friend back. But as he looked over into the windows again, seeing everyone still hard at work, healing Rona he felt a mixture of guilt and grief plaguing him. There was nothing else he could do now but be there for her.