Bishop inspected the small house to the best of his abilities with that distraction constantly on his mind.
It was a fairly regular safehouse. Two rooms – a bedroom with a small lavatory and an entry hall with some basic provisions. There were two guards playing cards in the entry hall idly, and nothing else to see.
Eager to leave already, he nodded at the guards and exited through the front door.
Only a day ago he had met up with Karliah to see if there was any other mission for him. He needed to take his mind off what happened with Aeyrin, if at least for a while. Much to his surprise, she had an actual mission for him – a jailbreak.
Sort of.
As it turned out, Thrynn managed to fuck up one of his missions so royally that Mercer found out about his secret cooperation with Karliah. So naturally, Mercer decided to retaliate. But since the Guild members aren't exactly thrilled with Mercer anymore and they wouldn't really enjoy seeing one of their comrades be dragged to the warrens, Mercer decided to kidnap Thrynn and keep him somewhere in the wilderness near Riften. Thrynn's time there was undoubtedly traumatic, but it was nothing that a man from Thorn's gang wasn't used to.
He just needed help breaking out. Easy.
Bishop was to get him out of wherever he was being held and to take him back to this safehouse near the Eastmarch border. Karliah picked this place specifically because Thrynn had already been familiar with it. She was worried that he may be suspicious and rattled after his ordeal and she wanted him in some place that would reassure him that he was safe.
It was… refreshing that she cared so much about Thrynn's well-being after he had fucked up on one of her jobs. Bishop hadn't really worked with anyone who would give a fuck about people's comforts before.
Bishop was merely supposed to check if everything was in order at the safehouse and then move on to wait in Shor's Stone – a small mining village near the cave where Thrynn was supposed to be held. They still didn't know where exactly the former bandit was, they only had vague inside information from the Guild. So Bishop was supposed to wait for a scout that was currently trying to find that place. The scout wasn't hired for the jailbreak – he wasn't nearly as good at actual infiltration as he was at scouting and tracking and if things went south, the man had no real combat skill to defend himself. But that was where Bishop came in.
He wondered why Karliah didn't send someone more battle-capable to scout the area outright. Not that he was volunteering, that sounded boring as fuck. But she said that the majority of her battle-ready men were preoccupied elsewhere. She didn't really specify where.
Well… no matter. He wasn't opposed to helping.
This jailbreak sounded kind of exciting. A perfect distraction.
But that was all before the courier caught up with Bishop this afternoon again with another letter.
Bishop fished it out of one of his belt pouches and looked at it once again. It seemed like he's done that a hundred times already.
.
Bishop,
I'm really sorry for how I treated you. I don't know if you are even interested in anything I have to say anymore, but, if you are, I'd like to see you and talk to you. I mean actually talk, not the other thing.
Please let me know if we can meet.
Aeyrin
.
He was probably never this relieved to receive a letter.
He knew that it was premature. She could have just wanted closure, to just end things for good calmly and without yelling. He noticed the distinct lack of the usual 'Love, Aeyrin' at the end and whenever he thought about that fact, it gave him an uncomfortable pit in his stomach.
But… she apologized and she wanted to talk. Was it really too naïve to think that things would turn out alright? That they would at least agree to stay in touch or something?
He didn't even entertain the thought of anything more. He wasn't sure if he could take the inevitable heartbreak if he got his hopes up so much. Although… it was hard to keep those hopes from seeping into his thoughts at times. He couldn't help it.
In any case, one thing was for certain – he could talk to her, and he could try to make things right between them again.
He was in no mood for some stupid mission now.
But it would take time before Aeyrin got his response anyway. At least he could find some convenient spot where they could meet at as soon as he dropped Thrynn off at the safehouse. Somewhere close, preferably. He couldn't wait longer, spending all that time on a journey to reach her. Who knew when the scout would actually be successful? And he was planning on sending the letter out as soon as he could. The less time all of this took him, the better.
Karnwyr suddenly interrupted his thoughts with a loud bark.
Bishop turned to where the wolf was looking – a rather nice clearing in the distance, secluded, with a small rocky hill perching above it and creating some shelter from the elements.
This place looked perfect.
"Good eyes," Bishop nodded at the wolf proudly and rubbed him behind his ear. He pulled out his map from the belt and traced his finger over it to locate the small dot with which he marked the safehouse. He traced the finger upward then and a little to the right – exactly where the clearing should be.
He pinpointed the coordinates and stashed the map away. He took out a piece of parchment instead and sat himself on the ground for a while, rummaging for a quill and the small inkwell he had stashed in his pack.
He could have done this in Shor's Stone, but for some reason, he felt like he couldn't wait anymore. He wanted to have that letter he would send to her ready. And he would be much calmer once he stuffed it in some mailbox.
He marked down the coordinates and pondered on what else to write.
He wasn't really sure what to say. He didn't want to presume anything.
So in the end, he only signed the letter with his name and undid the chest-piece of his leather armor. He stashed the letter in the inside pocket safely and gave Karnwyr a reassuring nod with a smile.
Now just to get to the village.
…
He was distracted the entire time he was there.
Shor's Stone was apparently completely taken over by Karliah for some reason – used for both mining and a small start-up smuggling operation in the Rift area. That was one place she had barely had any foothold in previously. It was impressive that she even managed to occupy a whole mining village somehow.
He spent more than a day there, waiting for that lazy scout. He couldn't stop himself from obsessing over his upcoming meeting with Aeyrin, constantly running various scenarios on how it would go in his head. If he was lucky, they even had a happy ending, but the more pessimistic ones invaded his mind all too often.
He even walked back to that clearing at one point to see if by any chance she was already there.
She wasn't, of course. And at any time when he was away from the village, the scout could have returned with the information. He just couldn't help himself. And he couldn't bring himself to care about the mission either. But… he should probably refrain from leaving too often.
Luckily, the scout arrived the next afternoon.
Well… not exactly 'luckily'. Bishop had expected him much sooner. At that point, he was even pretty sure that Aeyrin was already there, waiting for him. But fortunately, the cave that Thrynn was being held at was apparently rather close, and the safehouse was only an hour or so away from Shor's Stone.
If everything went well, he could be at the clearing by the evening.
He arrived at that cave soon enough.
There were two men sitting in front of it – bandits, of course. It looked like they were playing some game or something to pass the time. They must have been bored out of their skulls.
For a moment, Bishop imagined running into Mercer inside, just as he was indulging in punishing Thrynn properly. He could just kill him. He could just end all of this for good. He could just stick his sword into that motherfucker's guts and twist it until he choked on his own sputtered blood.
Alright… that was probably enough fantasizing.
He should make this quick so that he could get to Aeyrin already.
He pulled out his bow and aimed at one of the men's heads. He was alone in this – Karnwyr was just somewhere out in the woods when the scout came. But it wasn't as if Bishop needed the help with these lowlifes.
The arrow shot right into the man's skull, making him topple over limply. Bishop could barely ever enjoy the paralyzing enchantments on his bow – they all just dropped dead instantly and it didn't work on dragons. It almost felt like a waste of money with his aim.
"Get up ya drunk!" the other man laughed.
Fantastic. They were drunk. That dimwit didn't even notice the arrow protruding from his friend's head.
Was this seriously how Mercer guarded a traitor? But… since Karliah was assaulting his last remaining efficient enforcers, it was probably slim pickings for him. Well… except for the Guild members who could practically join the Dark Brotherhood with their skill.
Bishop quickly shot the other man without any effort before he had the entrance cleared.
Pathetic.
And he was so excited about a 'jailbreak' before. This was really disappointing.
He walked away from the thicket covering him and headed inside the cave stealthily.
He heard a voice first – a woman's voice. He couldn't make out the whispered words, but the tone was definitely taunting. He crept deeper into the cave until a small chamber finally came into his view. It had barely anything in it – a single bed, a single lavatory and a lot of chains set into the stone walls. There was even a display case full of whips and old rusted torture tools.
Lovely. Like straight out of Thorn's head.
Thrynn was predictably hanging from the chains with his back to the wall, his feet barely touching the ground. He was completely stripped and his body was covered in cuts, burns and bruises.
In front of him stood an Imperial woman with long blonde hair, dressed in the typical Guild armor, holding a bloodied dagger. Bishop had never seen her before. Must have been a new member or something. Maybe another ex-bandit after the Falkreath mission.
That damn hair of hers made him think of Aeyrin again. The woman cackled slightly and whispered something menacingly to Thrynn again, but Bishop barely even heard her. He needed to end this and drag Thrynn to the safehouse so that he could get to that clearing already.
He didn't wait anymore and readied his bow again. Guild member or not, bandit or not, what did it matter? She was obviously adamantly loyal to Mercer if she was readily torturing Thrynn in secret here. And she didn't exactly look like she was forced into this.
His arrow pierced her armor from behind – straight through the heart. He wasn't sure why he didn't aim for her head, but that hardly mattered.
Thrynn sputtered some blood weakly and blinked in shock.
Bishop finally came into his view when he retreated from his shadowy vantage point and moved towards Thrynn in quick strides. He didn't say a word as he reached out for the chains.
"B-Bishop… you… you came for me…" Thrynn coughed and gagged as he sputtered even more blood weakly.
"Karliah sends me. No man left behind and shit like that, you get the gist," Bishop smirked as he finally managed to unlock the cuffs of the chains on Thrynn's stretched out arms.
Thrynn started to fall down immediately, too weak to support himself on his legs. Lucky for him, Bishop anticipated this and while he undid the clasp of the cuffs, he held his free arm in front of Thrynn's chest, yanking him back to press his back to the wall again firmly.
Thrynn grunted in pain, but it definitely hurt him less than falling face-first onto the stone ground. Bishop held him firmly there as he rummaged in his pack for one of the potions he had saved for him. Karliah had equipped him with everything that he needed for the rescue. Fortunately, since he didn't have that much money anymore after he had spent that fortune on Ambarys.
Bishop forced the potion against Thrynn's lips and the man opened his mouth eagerly, drinking the liquid with greedy gulps. Finally some strength returned to his body when his pain was numbed and Bishop eased his arm from his chest.
"Fuck… fuck… I can't believe you came…" Thrynn muttered.
"Really? Did you think she would just leave you here?" The question surprised even Bishop just as it left his lips. He would have never been this optimistic about someone in Karliah's position. She had a good chance of actually taking over the largest underworld operations in Skyrim. And he expected her to be compassionate and caring?
That stupid naïve optimism was definitely Aeyrin's bad influence.
But… Karliah had definitely surprised him with her actions a few times already. She could have just let them die in Falkreath. She could have just had Aeyrin captured to track down Thorn's lair. She didn't even have to go out of her way so much to prevent Thorn and Mercer from finding out about Bishop and Aeyrin's involvement with her for so long.
She kind of earned some blind trust by now.
Funny, some time ago, there wasn't a person on Nirn that would earn blind trust from him. Unfortunately, not even Jules.
He let out a sigh at the thought. He wasn't sure if it was a good thing or a really bad one.
"Oh… right… fuck…" Thrynn sighed and hung his head low. "I… I know you probably have no say in what happens now but… Bishop, you gotta believe me, I didn't talk," he gave him a pleading and desperate look. He seemed so beaten and exhausted.
Right… he thought that Karliah was gonna punish him for talking.
Fuck, maybe she was. What did Bishop know? But… somehow he couldn't see that happening.
"Don't be fucking dramatic, Thrynn. I doubt you even know enough to tattle something important," Bishop scoffed at him with a light chuckle. It might ease Thrynn's mind a bit if the concern is so readily dismissed.
Bishop rummaged in his pack for a while until he found the simple clothes he had ready just for this occasion. He shoved the shirt and trousers into Thrynn's confused arms and dropped the leather boots onto the ground.
"Now chop, chop. I have somewhere to be and I still gotta drag you somewhere safe."
…
Bishop watched as Thrynn grunted and squirmed with every step.
Even with the pain numbed, he could hardly be comfortable after the abuse. He was lucky that he could even walk. Bishop was not eager to actually have to drag him, or Gods forbid carry him. That would take forever.
"One of the guys at the safehouse is a healer," he nodded at Thrynn reassuringly.
"Ah… good… good. Could you maybe… slow the pace?" Thrynn huffed in exertion.
Ugh… fuck. He really didn't want to do that.
Bishop reluctantly slowed his steps, eliciting a relieved sigh from Thrynn.
"Thanks… sorry… you said you had somewhere to be?" he threw Bishop a somewhat apologetic look. It was more of a question than anything though.
"Yeah, but you don't need to worry about that. You just need to get to the safehouse," Bishop brushed him off. He was not about to tell him where he was going. That might actually make him sound fucking wistful and hopeful or something. Then if she just wanted to meet to reject him, it would feel even shittier if Thrynn ever pried about that afterwards. Bishop wasn't sure why he would pry about something like that, but he'd had enough people butting into their relationship already. There was no need to add another even potential one.
"Right… right," Thrynn nodded.
There was silence as they walked on through the Rift's forests. Thrynn didn't say anything, only contemplating silently on whatever was going on in his head, and Bishop was hardly interested in conversation either. His mind was on Aeyrin constantly. A while later Karnwyr finally made his appearance and joined them in their silent march, but other than that, the journey seemed pleasantly uneventful.
And fortunately quick. The night hasn't even fallen yet.
Once they were finally nearing the safehouse, Thrynn started to talk again with strange trepidation in his voice: "You know, Bishop… I… didn't think it would be you who would come for me."
Bishop merely shrugged. What did it matter?
"We both know how stupid it is to trust someone," Thrynn sighed. "But… with you, me and Sapphire… I don't know, I kinda felt like we could trust each other. Like we all knew how bad shit could get and… wouldn't sell each other out into it again." He had his head hung low with a deep crease in his brows. It wasn't an unusual expression for someone reminiscing over days under Thorn's rule.
"Hm-hmm," Bishop nodded. He wasn't exactly sure why Thrynn was getting so mushy over it. It was what it was, not much to it. They all tried to escape the bandits, why would they wish that life on anyone else?
"You know… I always respected you, Bishop," Thrynn turned his eyes to him.
Bishop only let out an amused scoff. Thrynn's weakened state probably made him too loopy from the potion.
"I mean it. You were always a stubborn fucker, but… I admired that. You were stubborn enough to fight. To fight Thorn, to fight Mercer. To fight for yourself and Jules," Thrynn continued. He was like a drunk in that phase where he couldn't stop declaring his undying love for everyone.
"Not like I had a choice in that," Bishop scoffed again and rolled his eyes. The sun was already setting. He wondered if Aeyrin was there. She probably was. Unless she'd been on the western end of the province. He really hoped that wasn't the case. He needed to see her already.
"If anyone could understand… it's you," Thrynn hung his head low again, his words almost silent.
Was he… talking about the torture? What the fuck was he doing? They didn't talk about shit like that! It was like an unspoken rule in Thorn's gangs. Bishop was maybe willing to talk about the shit he went through with Aeyrin, but definitely not with Thrynn. They barely even knew each other. So they had a similarly shitty past, it didn't mean they needed to fucking cry on each other's shoulders or some shit like that.
"Thorn's dead, Thrynn. Not much else to do than to move on with your life," Bishop shrugged somewhat uncomfortably. He really didn't want to talk about this with him.
"That's not what I was saying. I mean… you understand what's really important in life. Freedom," Thrynn's eyes glittered a bit when he said the word.
"Ah… yeah, sure…" Bishop nodded with disinterest. He didn't get Thrynn's point at all, but he was hardly that invested in it. They were almost there. Only ten minutes or so. He considered sending Karnwyr ahead to the clearing, just in case Aeyrin was there and decided not to wait any longer, as uncharacteristic as that would have been of her.
But they were almost there.
Thrynn fortunately remained silent after that and they finally reached the house.
Bishop opened the door only to find the entry hall empty, but he heard the two male voices talking in the other room. Karliah's men must have moved there.
"I knew you would bring me here," Thrynn chuckled softly with a strange wistful tone in his voice.
"Of course I would. It's the closest and Karliah said some shit about reassuring you since you know the place," Bishop nodded and turned towards Thrynn. He wanted to go past him and leave already, but Thrynn was still talking.
"Oh… that's nice of her. I didn't even think of that. I just thought that it was so close and all… well… never mind," his lips were decorated by another smile, but this time, it seemed strangely disturbing.
"Yeah, well, you're here now, so…"
"'Safehouse'," Thrynn interrupted him. "It's kind of ironic."
"Huh?" Bishop raised his brow at him. What was he constantly blathering about? Was this about the fear of getting punished for spilling secrets again?
He didn't have time for this!
"Bishop, I just need you to know that I didn't want it to come to this. But there's no other way. You know how it is."
What the fuck?
Before Bishop could question Thrynn on anything at all, the door to the other room swung open and he heard four pairs of feet march inside the entry hall.
He could feel the weapons trained at him.
Karnwyr started to growl menacingly, but the sounds soon stopped with only a low submissive whine. It appeared that Bishop wasn't the only one held at the tip of a sword.
He briefly looked over his shoulder to spot the four people, all behind his back and all ready to attack him at any second.
When his eyes went back to Thrynn, he couldn't even see the man's face. His head was hung so low that it was entirely hidden by shadows from the nearby lit lanterns.
"What the fuck, Thrynn?!" Bishop snapped at him. What was going on? Who were these people? Was there a third party to all this?
"I'm really sorry, Bishop. Like I said, I never wanted this, but… well…you understand! I need to fight for my freedom," Thrynn gave him a regretful look.
"'Freedom'? You fucking have freedom! Get the fuck out of here for all I care! What is this?!" he threw his arms up in exasperated confusion. Did Thrynn think that he was a prisoner? If so, why not try to escape during their journey? And… how did he even manage to organize an ambush?
What the fuck was going on?
"No… real freedom. Mercer gave it to me, if… if I did this," Thrynn had a hopeful expression on his face, like he really believed his own words, like he actually wanted Bishop to understand. To approve.
"What?! You can't trust him! Why wouldn't he just hunt you down now? Don't be a fucking idiot, Thrynn! You know what he does with traitors!" Bishop spat at him as he tried to make sense of the situation.
So Thrynn's imprisonment, the torture, it was all for show? All a bait to lure him here for an ambush? Thrynn did say that he knew he would be brought here of all places.
But… Mercer couldn't have known who would come to Thrynn's rescue. Thrynn didn't know. That was why he kept saying all that! That he didn't expect Bishop to come for him, that he respected him. The guilt must have been gnawing at him then.
So whoever was going to rescue Thrynn was to be killed here? To send a message?
"Mercer gave me a way out, Bishop. A way to leave Skyrim. He arranged for a new life for me, a new identity, one that even he doesn't know about! I have to take the chance I'm given," Thrynn again explained desperately. He seemed like he really wanted to convince Bishop that he was doing the right thing for his own purposes. Or maybe he just wanted to convince himself of that.
"You can't be serious! He can find you anywhere, Thrynn! He doesn't let traitors go, you know this damn well! You want freedom? Help us fight him! Then you can have all the fucking freedom you want! From everyone!" Bishop scowled at him fiercely and his hand darted almost subconsciously to the hilt of his sword in the tense situation. The sharp poke of something into the back of his neck, however, stopped him instantly.
They could kill him within a second.
"Do you honestly believe that? After everything? You honestly think that she'll be different? Nobody's different in the end. And… what if she loses? This is my only chance, Bishop," Thrynn shook his head regretfully. "You know… Thorn taught me a long time ago that if you really want something worth fighting for, you better be prepared to pry it from someone's cold dead hands. It was a lesson I never wanted to learn, but… I'm kinda grateful for it now."
"So pry your damn freedom from Mercer's hands for fuck's sake!" Bishop yelled at him desperately. How could he believe even for a second that he would get away from Mercer on his fucking terms?
He was gonna have Bishop killed… and for what? Only to be slaughtered too the second the deed was done?!
"I'm really sorry. I just like my chances better now. We have to play the cards we're dealt," Thrynn lowered his head. "For what it's worth, I'm really sorry that it was you."
It wasn't worth shit!
"As entertaining as this is, I've had enough of the prattle. It's time," an unpleasantly raspy voice echoed from behind Bishop. He recognized it instantly – Ravyn. Of course Mercer would have sent that sick freak here. "I've wanted to do this for way too long." Bishop could almost feel the disturbing sneer on the Dunmer's face.
"Goodbye, Bishop. It… was an honor," Thrynn nodded somberly, avoiding Bishop's eyes.
"What?! You're not even gonna kill me yourself, you fucking coward?!" Bishop spat at him hatefully. His hand again darted to his sword, but he got poked sharply in the back of his neck again.
"He can't. He leaves now. Mercer didn't want this fetcher to get second thoughts and turn on us when he sees you plead for your life pathetically," Ravyn chuckled maliciously from behind him.
With one last look of regret, Thrynn turned on his heel and exited the safehouse, leaving Bishop and Karnwyr still at the mercy of the ambushers.
There were four of them. Bishop felt the tip of a blade still pressed at the nape of his neck and he caught a glimpse of the others before. Karnwyr was sadly beyond his line of sight, but he was sure that the wolf was held in a similarly hopeless position.
This was bad.
Fuck.
And no one still moved. Why? What were they waiting for?
Bishop felt his pack being yanked, but it wasn't by Ravyn who still had his blade on his neck. It must have been the other thug. It didn't matter, he didn't have an opening. Ravyn would just kill him if he began to thrash. Bishop didn't fight back when his pack was slid from his back and thrown somewhere he couldn't see – he just heard the loud noise it made.
But the silence was not over.
The blade was still pricking his skin and he knew that any movement had to be weighed carefully. Though maybe if he moved sharply enough…
"Scared?" Ravyn's raspy voice was suddenly much closer to Bishop's ear than he would have liked. Now he understood what they were waiting for. They were waiting for Ravyn to fucking get off on this!
"Get this fucking over with, creep," Bishop growled. He wasn't even sure why he said that – it was not like he was eager to get killed. He tried to turn his head but the blade poked him again firmly, eliciting another frustrated growl from him.
It was pretty scary when he wasn't able to even see them all behind his back and when he wasn't able to see Karnwyr.
Ravyn chuckled lightly after a while and it made the hair on Bishop's neck stand.
Enough of this!
He wasn't going to let this fucker play with him.
Bishop turned sharply and reached for his sword. The assailants had been prepared for that movement, of course, and the blade slashed into the back of his neck painfully just as another cleaved at his upper arm.
Bishop yelled out in pain, but he managed to turn around and grip his sword, even with his wounded bicep. It hurt so fucking much though.
When he finally looked at his attackers properly, he could see Ravyn and another rogue he remembered from the Guild, both clutching their long daggers, stained with his blood. The third attacker was kneeling by Karnwyr and holding him at bay with her shortsword pressed to his neck. The last man stood in the corner of the entry hall, right by the exit to the bedroom. He had a crossbow in his arms.
Fuck!
The crossbow discharged immediately and a bolt shot into Bishop's abdomen. The sharp pain hit him mercilessly in an instant. Just his fucking luck – it hit the very spot where the Dwemer plate ended, ripping through the leather and lodging itself inside his flesh. He was thrown back a bit with the impact and he let out a loud grunt, clutching the bolt in his gut with his free hand.
Karnwyr got panicked. He thrashed against his captor, letting the blade scratch into his neck, before he managed to move enough to bite firmly into her wrist.
Everything was happening so fast.
The Guild member with the dagger ran towards the woman to help her kill the wolf since her sword arm was wounded, but Karnwyr didn't let up. He lunged at her again and again now that he was free. He bit into her flank first, then he managed to get a foothold and actually rip the flesh off her neck.
The man with the crossbow stayed back and reloaded his weapon while Ravyn approached Bishop menacingly.
Bishop still clutched his sword with his wounded hand, despite the pain. He was pretty sure that the bolt pierced some organ… he didn't remember the last time he felt this physically sick.
He slashed at Ravyn the second he approached, but the elf only stepped back for a bit with a mocking chuckle. Bishop was too slow for him in his state.
He could only faintly hear the growls and feral barks from Karnwyr as the wolf fought for his life. Ravyn was soon back at it with his blood-stained dagger glistening menacingly. The Dunmer grabbed Bishop by the hair at the back of his head and forced his own head to his level. He glared at him with murderous red eyes and a pleased smirk spread on his lips. That creep really loved to watch his victims squirm.
Bishop tried to dislodge himself from his grip and stab him, but before he could, Ravyn thrusted his dagger into Bishop's stomach.
He tried to, at least.
A loud clank of metal echoed through the room as the dagger was completely stopped short by the hidden plate in Bishop's armor. That caught Ravyn completely off guard.
Thank you, love.
Bishop quickly retaliated and thrusted his sword into Ravyn's stomach in turn. His shocked state made it all too easy. Ravyn started to shake uncontrollably as the lightning from Bishop's sword affected him and when Bishop slid his weapon out of him, he fell to the ground, shaking and sputtering blood.
Time to finally kill this creep.
He had half a mind to prolong this just for how that fucker had treated Aeyrin back in the warrens, but the situation didn't allow this. He quickly bent down with a growl of pain and slashed his sword against Ravyn's neck.
The Dunmer was dead, but Bishop still had a bolt lodged inside him, causing him unbearable pain, and he was bleeding profusely. He was pretty sure the bleeding wasn't just external either.
He managed to take a scope of the situation.
Karnwyr was huffing in pain and exertion and his body was pressed to the ground. There was a large pool of blood under him, but Bishop wasn't sure if it was the wolf's or from the two corpses near him – they both had their throats torn out by Karnwyr's feral teeth.
The man with the crossbow, however, was still unharmed.
Another bolt shot at him, lodging itself into his thigh. Bishop screamed out in pain and fell down on his knees. Karnwyr still didn't move and he had no idea what to do. He couldn't walk anymore… he couldn't take the pain it would cause.
In a last desperate attempt, he grabbed the dagger lying next to Ravyn's limp body.
With no better idea, he straightened his back as best as he could and threw the dagger at the attacker.
Luckily it hit.
The dagger ended up in the man's throat and he clutched it desperately as the blood sprayed out in a strangely twisted display.
There was so much blood everywhere.
Bishop weakly slumped back and leaned against the wall behind him.
Everything hurt so fucking much. His pack was too far. And it wasn't as if it would help. He had two bolts lodged inside him and he was sure that removing them would only make him bleed out faster.
His entire body throbbed in a mind-numbing dull pain as his blood kept seeping from him, staining the floorboards below him.
He was gonna die here.
He tried to press around the wounds, to stop the blood from spilling out, but it was no use.
This was it.
Karnwyr whined desperately. Bishop wasn't sure what happened to him, how wounded he was, but he sorely hoped that the wolf could get up on his feet.
One of them should make it out alive.
The wolf managed to get up on his feet, but his stance was shaky and weak. He persevered though and slowly crawled towards Bishop with his ears low and a sad look in his eyes.
"Heh… you're a fucking… trooper," Bishop chuckled weakly. He could feel a small trickle of blood escape the corner of his lips as he did. His whole mouth tasted like copper. "You'll get out of this… I know you will."
The wolf whined again. He inclined his head, as if he wanted to nuzzle into Bishop, but was too afraid to rattle his injuries. He couldn't stand for much longer and, again, he lay on the ground, looking up at Bishop with deep sorrow in his yellow eyes.
"Yeah… this is it for me…" Bishop nodded at Karnwyr weakly before another grunt of pain interrupted his words. He clenched his right hand into a fist before another jolt of pain shot through him – he almost forgot that his bicep had a deep gash over it.
With a defeated sigh he slowly and carefully pulled his glove off that hand.
He just wanted to look at it one more time.
The silver ring with the carving of a dragon's head was stained with the blood that managed to get under the leather of his gauntlet. It was still a beautiful sight.
One of his last.
"I never got… got to see her again…" he lamented. His eyes were still fixed on the ring, now stinging uncomfortably.
"She's probably already there… waiting for me," he closed his eyes and took a deep pained breath before he looked at the ring again. "She'll think… she'll think I left her… that I didn't want to see her anymore."
Karnwyr let out another low whine as he watched Bishop. He looked like he tried to get up on his feet again, but he couldn't.
"I never wanted anything more."
Bishop's throat constricted uncomfortably as the blood pooled there and he was forced to cough some of it out. Fuck, that made everything hurt even more.
"You'll… you'll look after her, won't you? You'll get out of here. And you two… you'll be fine… together."
The wolf whined again and a second later he let out a loud mournful howl. It made Bishop's ears hurt, but he didn't mind anymore. He was glad that Karnwyr was here.
"You know… I always knew… I always knew I'd die alone," he scoffed at himself, sputtering some blood onto his chin in the process. "I'm… I'm glad I was wrong… I'm glad you're here."
Karnwyr howled again, again and again. Bishop wasn't sure if that was in mourning or a last hopeless attempt to call for help.
It didn't matter. No help was coming. It was too late.
"It's fitting… I guess. Just the two of us," he tried to force a weak smile onto his lips. "I hope… I hope you'll remember me."
Karnwyr growled and howled once more, this time with palpable effort. He again managed to get up on all fours. All of his limbs were shaking badly and he looked really unstable.
But he was still standing.
He had always been a survivor.
Bishop tried to smile at him. At least the wolf would be able to get out once Bishop was gone.
He tried to raise his arm to rub him behind his ear, but he was too weak.
Karnwyr gave him a determined bark and he slowly turned his tail to him. It was hard for him to walk, but he did. And he headed straight towards the exit.
Bishop watched him silently. He hoped that his friend had enough strength to get out of that place, but… he couldn't help but be a little heartbroken to see him go.
He kind of hoped that Karnwyr would stay with him until the bitter end.
With a weak trembling voice, Bishop managed to call out to the wolf who was now firmly pressing into the door to open it.
"Don't leave me."