Chapter Eighteen

The sound of the waves gently lapping at the sides of the boat were rhythmic, soft and constant, eventually reaching the point to where most people would have just found a way to tune them out after some time, but for Mjoll they were the loudest thing she'd ever heard. The group was entirely silent save for the creaking of boards as the small sailboat bobbed with the waves, Iona and Lydia working the oars that pushed them along for extra speed. Vex and Mjoll had just switched over with the housecarls, their arms aching a bit from the long time of hard work. To even get the boat they'd had to travel south to Windhelm and go to the docks, Vex managing to convince someone to sell her their boat for a fair price, hardly large enough to even equip a sail on it really, while the others got some fresh supplies. When they'd first left Riften, they'd not stopped to get much for a long trip like this, and now with the prospect of three more weeks hunting for their friend, they'd not have time to stop in towns and get rations.

Wind filled the sails, nature helping them along for a change and lessening the burden of the housecarls as they rowed, the slap of oars hitting icy water was as constant as the waves. Mjoll had her head propped with one hand, leaning against the railing of wood riddled with barnacles on the bottom of the hull. The silence was finally reaching a boiling point, a spray of sea mist acting like a scolding to the retired adventurer so much so that she pushed off the edge and looked at the two who rowed with little more than the occasional grunt and cringe. "Ten septims you run into trouble," said Mjoll.

They blinked up at her, Lydia confused while a small grin was spreading across Iona's face. "Only ten? We're talking about adventure here Mjoll, I'd say closer to a hundred. Minimum."

"Betting now are we?" Vex spoke up from where she'd been reading some book, Mjoll glancing over at the text only to see its penmanship was familiar but she couldn't quite place it. Vex suddenly slapped it closed and cocked a brow at the nords. "Isn't that bad luck or something?"

"I'd figured you'd have nothing but good luck," said Lydia, giving Vex a look that made her frown with disapproval. "What?"

Shaking her head, the imperial addressed Mjoll. "Why would we bet against easy going?"

"I don't know," Mjoll shrugged, "I've just got a feeling. If there is one thing my days as an adventurer taught me, it's that things are never easy."

"So, we're going off the gut feelings that once upon a time about got you killed?"

Mjoll scowled, glaring at her with balled fists. Iona rolled her eyes with exasperation, leaning into the next row a bit too much. "Will you two please stop that?" She practically begged of them.

"Stop what?" They spoke in unison.

"Nearly clawing out the other's eyes every few minutes," explained Lydia.

They scowled, looking between themselves and then to the housecarls. "We do not-"

"Don't even pretend," Iona cut Mjoll short, earning a fresh glare. "If this is some clever plot to convince Lydia and I to change our minds and agree to accompanying the other, then it's not going to work."

"We would never!" Vex haughtily said, crossing her arms to extra emphasis.

"Oh, I'm sure you two could never come up with something as complex as that," said Iona, "that would require for you two to work together and obviously that isn't happening anytime soon." Silence feel, the thief and Lioness stewing with obvious frustration. "I thought not."

After a bit, Mjoll spoke again. "So a hundred septims that one of us teams runs into trouble," Mjoll said, clarifying the bet. "If you two do, we win, if we do, you win. Fair?"

"Is this a hundred each or fifty split?" Iona asked.

"Hundred each," Vex suddenly said, deciding she'd take the wager. "And no lying when we meet back in Solitude."

"Fair deal," said Lydia, the others agreeing. Suddenly the wind shifted and the two housecarls focused back on rowing, bringing the sailboat in closer to the shore as they drew near the Morthal swamp. "We could probably get off here," said Lydia with a bit of effort.

"Sounds good," replied Iona, lessening a bit with how much she gave into it before they accidentally beached the ship. "My arms feel like they're about to fall off."

Vex and Mjoll looked at the oars, a bit hesitant to think about having to row the rest of the way around the coast to the western portion of Skyrim. "Now listen," Lydia said as they came to a stop, the ship rocking back and forth a bit as she hopped over the edge of the sailboat and held onto the railing, water up to her hips. "You two have to do this, and you have to not kill each other either, so maybe you should just start by playing word games or talking about nothing you'll argue about. I know that's not a very big list, but it's still a list. I don't know, maybe talk about the weather or something, just anything. You cannot sulk here in silence the entire trip to the other coast."

Iona had gathered up the pair of satchel bags loaded with supplies for the pair, and handed the brunet hers before pulling her own on and hopping the railing into the shallow water as well. "So you know, basically don't talk about morality, occupation, politics, religion, current events, Riften, or Yosa unless it's planning to find her," she added.

"I think we can handle it," Vex replied, switching positions to take one pair of oars in hand again, Mjoll moving as well. "We're adults, not children." The long look shared between the housecarls made her grit her teeth a bit. "I said we can handle it. It won't be enjoyable but we'll do our part. Remember, Solitude, be there in five days." The pair nodded their heads, gave a wave, and started through the shallow cold water to the shoreline. Mjoll and Vex grunted as they started to row away, a long still trip ahead of them to get to their destination. Slowly they pushed their way further from the marshy beaches, the housecarls becoming blobs until eventually they were indistinguishable from anything else on the land.

Vex grunted, unused to the constant physical effort, her arms moving in circles that despite her strength burned with exhaustion not long after they'd set off. She glanced to Mjoll who seemed a bit better off than she, but there was no hiding the grunts of effort. A biting thought worked up her mind that she didn't care much for, but sooner rather than later she realized it might be more bearable if they weren't so silent. The rush of waves and wind was growing maddening to the city woman.

Refusing to listen to the thought however, she tried to focus her mind on what was to come. It didn't take long for her to settle on that name Yosa'Min had said, Serana, and the monster they'd fought with. Just what were they about to get themselves into? She felt a dark shadow fall over her as she played the fight over in her head, how they'd been practically thrown aside by the vampire until Yosa'Min had come to their rescue and talked it down in a way that could only be done with familiarity. The creature wouldn't have cared if they were family to Yosa'Min otherwise, and certainly not friends.

It burned through her thoughts, the fact that they'd been called that, each of them. Anger almost surged as she pictured Yosa'Min saying that, only this time she hadn't been there, but instead only the nords. Even with Mjoll and what had happened, she could see the Lioness was probably more welcome than she was to the housecarls. The branding of thief making her have to try all the harder to earn their trust and friendship, something that before she wouldn't have cared for but now... surprisingly to herself she did. Perhaps if she'd never managed to make amends with Yosa'Min, she'd still be as cold and spiteful as she was before. She shook it aside, deciding that it was all the redguard's fault that she cared about people's opinions again, and bit her cheek in deep contemplation. Worry and fear struck her from within. What if we're too late when we find her? If we find her? Vex shuddered at the thought, forcing it back in the mental chest to be kept under lock and key where it belonged. Steeling resolve, Vex refused to allow the negative emotions bother her, bringing up instead plans and courses of action to rescue her friend to mind, running them over again and again.

"Is something wrong?" She blinked, looking at Mjoll who was frowning with near concern as she spoke. "You stopped rowing."

Vex glanced at the oars she'd stopped pushing, hands still resting on them. "It seems I have." She looked up at Mjoll, expecting some snide rebuke. Nothing came, a slightly more comfortable silence replacing what would have instead turned into a poisonous mixture. She took in a deep breath, inhaling salty air, and looked out to the ice that floated atop the Sea of Ghosts further from the shore as she started to row once more, the pair of them with some strong favorable winds pushing them swiftly along the coast.

Glancing up at the sail, Vex mused to herself for a moment that it was the breath of Nocturnal filling the single sail, until she realized that if Nocturnal truly was looking out for her and the Guild, than the daedra never would have allowed them to have failed the heist job in the first place. At the very least, Lady Luck could have lived up to her name and Isran wouldn't have wandered into the hall when they'd been at the door as guilty as sinners. A stray thought that this was Nocturnal's plan to be rid of the thief that was no longer doing the Guild a service, much less one who knows the secrets of the Nightingales, crossed her mind and it terrified Vex for a few moments. She had to remind herself over again that if there was any god or master Yosa'Min believed in, it would be Nocturnal. After all, she'd seen her for herself.

A hissing sound filled the air and Vex was drawn out of her thoughts, glancing up at the cloudy sky as the first bits of freezing rain came barreling down. "Shadows, now it's raining?" She grumbled, narrowing her eyes as she looked about then. They were just about to curve around Solitude, the sea spire city shrouded in rain and shadow growing distant as they passed it. Not much further and they could safely say they were in the area Siulon had pointed out for their search.

Mjoll cocked a brow, confused. "Who swears by the shadows?" She seemed unaffected as the rain picked up to a constant, heavy fall, coming down so fast that the droplets hissed past one's ears and struck the surface of the waves like stones.

Vex straightened up at her. "I do."

"Why? Because you're a thief or something?" Mjoll seemed only partially mocking, as if she as trying to restrain herself. "I don't think I've ever heard a thief swear by the shadows."

The imperial shook her head with growing annoyance. "Well, I do, okay. What do you care anyways Kitten?"

The nord's expression dropped some, and she looked at the bottom boards of the ship. "Don't call me that."

"What?" Vex called louder, "I can't really hear you over the rain!"

"I said don't call my that!" The Lioness looked up with a scowl anew.

"Call you what? Kitten?"

"Yes, that!"

Vex shrugged, "You didn't mind Yosa calling you that, so I assumed you didn't mind the name."

The nord suddenly looked so furious she might have jumped straight from the wooden bench she sat rowing from. "Yosa used that as a term of endearment! She was expressing her feelings for me with it! You just twist it and poison its meaning with your spite."

Vex couldn't stop herself before she seized upon it, gritting spite right back. "So I can't call you Kitten while you can call me Snake? I don't like that either!" The rain swept across with the wind, churning up the waves but neither of them had exactly noticed. "How do you think it feels to be branded an untrustworthy monster?"

"You burned down my house! You attacked me! You almost killed Aerin!"

"And I'm sorry!"

Mjoll stopped short of her response, looking at Vex with wide golden eyes. The nord struggled to find a way to respond in the rain that pounded down, shaking the sides of the small sailboat back and forth, rolling with the tumultuous high waves. "You said you didn't feel a scrap of guilt over that!" She accused, suddenly angry anew as it seemed the imperial was trying to play some mind game with her. Mjoll refused to be a part of that once more.

There was a sudden crack of thunder, lightning webbing its way across the sky far away, but neither of them seemed really to care. "I don't regret trying to regain Yosa's affections," Vex clarified over the roar of rain and sea, "I only regret how I went about it." Another roar of thunder as white light shot across the sky, this time much closer. She straightened up, looking at the storm erupting about them. "We should get to land, this boat is hardly able to stand something as fierce as that."

With a grunt of effort, Mjoll put in as much effort as she could and they began to steer the sailboat towards the shore, having made it around the mountain half of Solitude resided again completely and were on the coast they'd aimed for in the first place, only perhaps too east still. Nonetheless, they worked the best they could to keep the rocking sailboat under control and eventually made it to the shore. Mjoll hopped out first, ragged and drenched, and took hold of one of the ropes. Vex was quick to follow, grabbing another and they dragged it until it was entirely beached. A few trees were spotted along the shore, though for the most part it was a brown mud that sucked at their boots or white washed sand. They quickly pulled the ropes taut and made their way to the closest, wrapping the braids around the grey trunk before tying them together for safe keeping. Swiftly, the pair ran back to the boat and pulled their now drenched satchels and slipped them on, and looked around the shoreline.

"We need some shelter," said Mjoll, having to shout over the downpour.

"You think?" Vex's hair was clinging to her face like long tendrils of white, making it hard for her to see unless she pulled them back.

The nord ignored her, narrowed golden eyes searching the coast until she spotted an outcropping of stones that had a curtain of water falling off the edge. "In here!" She shouted, pointing and starting towards it.

Vex followed after her with a small scowl, "How do you know that's not some horker den?" She asked as they drew near.

Mjoll rolled her eyes, "Because horkers don't have dens, they lay on the beach or are in the shallows. Finding one in a tunnel is rare, and those are always ones that have water in them." They'd jogged up to it, the cave shallow with white sand spread across ash stones, quickly backing up Mjoll's words. Vex grumbled a bit before she entered the small cave, the mouth of it curving with smooth contours. There was enough space for the pair of them to sit down and stretch a bit out if they'd so like, the ceiling curving upwards enough that Mjoll needn't fear hitting her head on it. If only they'd had some dry tinder, they'd have been able to set up a decent little camp to wait out the storm that rumbled outside with a fury.

Vex opened the leather satchel up, and began to poke about it until she pulled out a small roll and spread it out on the sandy floor. Mjoll did the same, the pair of them silently reclining as they watched the rain and wind, the sailboat just within eyesight rocking a bit back and forth with the powerful gusts. The imperial had one leg down straight while the other was up with her arm resting on her knee, the other hand holding her up as well. She had a rather plain expression on her face, and she didn't even glance to the face painted nord as she spoke. "I'm starting to think you're bad luck."

"What?" Mjoll's brow furrowed and she turned to her.

"Every time I travel with you, bad weather," Vex said,"every, single time."

Mjoll shook her head in disagreement, sending droplets of water flying. "There wasn't any bad weather on our way to Dimhallow Crypt."

"We got lost, still bad luck."

"What about to Winterhold, eh?"

"Two snow storms!"

"Small ones! We easily walked through them."

"Except you nords are able to handle that. Me? I about thought all my toes had frozen off by the time we got to the College."

With a disgruntled huff, Mjoll crossed her arms. "Whatever, think what you will, I don't care."

"Good, because I don't care what you think either Kitten."

"Snake."

Vex glared at her, stabbing daggers of amber at the adventurer who returned the malice in whole. "All right, let's make a deal."

"I don't make deals with liars, they always break them." Mjoll was staring her down, frowning.

"Then make a deal with a woman who's been in the same boat."

With a shrug, Mjoll replied, "Are we talking metaphorically, or in truth?"

"Metaphorically."

"Ah, so, the cheated upon boat." She nodded her head. "Yes, I think we're both familiar with that one. What is it?"

Vex faced her completely, no longer partially reclined. "I won't call you Kitten if you won't call me Snake. Deal?" She held out a hand.

The nord's face scrunched a bit with thought, flicking her gaze between the offered palm and the pale face of the imperial. After a long while, she took it, and gave one firm shake. "Deal. You break it and all bets are off though."

"I was about to say the same thing." With the bit of an understanding made, the two moved back apart and waited for the storm to pass in uncomfortable silence, watching the flashes of lightning through the curtain of rain.

"Remember, Solitude, be there in five days," Vex said to the two housecarls. Lydia nodded her head, Iona mimicking the movement, and then with a wave they started towards the shore. As they walked closer, the pair walking side by side, Lydia felt a smile draw across her face. She hadn't been on an adventure with Iona alone in some time, and the thought of it all, despite the reason behind it, was making her tingle with excitement. Maybe, away from everyone else they knew, Iona would be more open to talking about things.

She shook herself, stopping the track of thoughts before they could consume her mind. I'm here for Yosa, and a cure for my thane. Not my personal wants and desires. Lydia walked a bit stiffer from there on through the marsh, mud and water sucking at every footfall. Iona had the same excited look upon her face however, and as Lydia caught a glance of it, the bubbling stirrings returned. "So, how long do you think it'll be before they get into a fight?" She asked the redhead, trying to distract herself.

A laugh was earned, and Iona shrugged playfully. "They'll probably not even make it past Solitude." Lydia grinned a bit, shaking her head with mischief. "Were we right in pairing them up? I mean, they'll probably have told each other how much they hate the other before nightfall. Twice."

"Oh I bet," Lydia snickered, and then nodded her head. "If Vex says they're adults and can behave, then I trust they will. For the most part."

"Ah, there it is."

"Besides, I wasn't kidding about how we're all going to need to work together later. If we lose Yosa..." Lydia trailed off, slowing her steps for a minute before shaking herself back firm and resuming the same swift pace they'd been going at. "When we find Yosa, we may need everyone working as one to be able to bring her home." Iona frowned a bit, a shadow falling across her face. Lydia felt a pang, and shook her head. "Sorry, I didn't mean to worry you or anything it's just..."

"We've got to stay realistic," Iona said as Lydia trailed off, "I know. I wish we didn't though."

The brunet gave her a gentle smile, trying to brighten her spirits. "Hey, maybe we can just focus on this part of our quest, not the potential end game huh?"

Iona nodded her head, "Sure, sounds good. We need that man Falion to tell us if there is a cure and if so, how to get Yosa to it. Got it." She looked at the brunet that seemingly was smiling for a bit too long. A blush started to creep across her face, and Iona swiftly picked up the pace once more. "You know, if I'm going to be completely honest about why I wanted to partner up with you," she said, not looking at her and talking fast, moving around marsh underbrush with skill. Lydia had to nearly sprint to catch up, Iona's confession of sorts nearly lost as a howling wind swept across the marsh, drowning out the words. "I was also hoping that I'd be able to spend time with you. And, I don't really know a thing about Mjoll beyond what you've told me and Vex truth be told scares me a bit."

Lydia laughed, though she quickly regretted it as Iona frowned as if a bit hurt. "Sorry, just, why does Vex scare you?"

"She's a woman that lives in the sewers and can melt into shadows, and likes knives and getting revenge," Iona said bluntly. "That's the kind of villain that was in the stories my father would tell me to sleep."

A brow rose on the Whiterun housecarl with a passing thought. "Does she live up to the stories?" She mused.

With a laughing shake of her head, Iona let herself relax again. "Oh, no, she outlives them. The villains were always foolish and simply mad. She's all sorts of deadly cunning." Crossing a shallow neck of the river, they were starting to see the makings of buildings as they moved further south, fog curling around the wooden structures.

"You know, you've never really talked about your family till recently," said Lydia as they drew nearer to Morthal. A sprinkle of rain began to fall onto them, the pair pausing for a moment to look at the murky clouds that rained upon them. They loomed with fury, dark and menacing clouds soon to follow the first wave of lighter precipitation, a fast front of wind carrying them swiftly towards the pair. "We never have good traveling weather," Lydia complained the two breaking into a fast sprint, careful of where their feet fell but moving with all haste. There was a rumble of thunder and then lightning rippled across like a web, close enough to bring worry of the foul weather.

"It seems the Gods have an odd sense of humor!" Half laughed Iona, holding one hand up to shield her eyes so she could see clearly through the torrent, jumping over a fallen stump. Lydia's gaze followed her instead of where she was running, and the brunet stumbled, unable to catch herself as her heavy satchel threw off her balance and she landed on her side in the mud. Iona slid to a stop, turning back around with a wide eyed expression, and started towards Lydia who was stumbling to her feet. "You okay?" Iona asked once she was besides Lydia.

Cringing a bit, the nord warrior nodded her head. "Yeah, mostly just my pride." A half smile was earned, the relief on Iona's face a welcome encouragement, and they started once more towards the small city. By the time they'd reached the outskirts of it, a small lumber mill connected to the rest of the marshy city by a cobble bridge, the storm was fully upon them, letting loose all Oblivion on those foolish enough to remain outside. "There's the inn!" The muddied nord said, pointing at the sign of the Moorside Inn that swung wildly in the wind. They rushed to it, struggling against the storm slightly, and when they'd pushed open the door they both sighed with relief.

There was only a pair of souls already in the inn, a redguard woman behind the counter, and an orc strumming on a lute and stopping mid-note of some song. "That's quite the storm ya just got out of," the innkeeper remarked, waving them over. "Like a room? Gods know I could use the coin." The second half was muttered but they'd just managed to catch it as they approached.

"Please," Iona said as they came up to the counter, the redguard woman looking a bit like Yosa'Min, about the same hue of skin and similar blue eyes, making them both feel an internal blow against the housecarls. "And a bit of information, if you have some to share."

"Name's Jonna," she introduced herself, "And this here is the Moorside Inn. Morthal is about as backwater as ya can get, not much of a surprise when ya live in a swamp though."

"Iona and Lydia," said the brunet. "Do you know anything about a mage named Falion?" Instantly Jonna gave a frown, scowling some and pushing away from them on the counter.

"Yeah..." She trailed off suspiciously, eyes darting between the two. "What about 'em?" A rumble of thunder from outside shook the wooden frame of the inn.

Iona spoke up, "We're looking for a bit of magical advise, we'd hoped he could be of assistance to us. We heard he lived here in Morthal, and was a bit of an expert on supernaturals."

The redguard sighed, shaking her head. "Shor's bones, even outsiders have heard o' my brother?" She put her hand firmly on the counter. "Look, if ya wanna talk to 'em you're gonna have to swear to me that yer honest folk and yer not searching for trouble. I want no harm to come to my brother ya hear?"

"You have our word, upon the honor of our thane Yosa'Min." They swore together.

Jonna stammered a bit, eyes widening. "Ya mean yer housecarls o' the Dragonborn?" She nodded her head firmly. "Well then, I'll trust ya. My brother has a small place on the other side o' town, faces this way. He don't like visitors much so pick a good time to go, which certainly wouldn' be now." There was a howl of wind outside and another crack of thunder. "Ya still want the rooms?" Jonna pulled two keys out from under the counter, sliding towards the women in offer.

"Just the one," Iona said, taking Lydia by surprise. She glanced at the brunet, "we're not exactly loaded with coin after all." Lydia nodded her head in silent agreement, eyes lingering on the redhead's for a few long moments. Jonna nodded her head and gestured to the room to their left. Taking the key, Iona led the way over and unlocked the door. Lydia followed close behind, a sudden rush coming up her body. There was a singular bed in the room, a dresser across from it and washbasin with a filled jug resting on the floor besides it. A rug covered the cobble floor, making it a hint warmer in the cold.

The redhead set her satchel down on the floor besides the wall, and reached over for Lydia's. The brunet complied wordlessly, and then started to remove portions of her muddied armor. She could hear Iona begin to remove her own, the soft clank of steel plate pieces bumping coming from across the room. She averted her gaze, turning her back to the woman in the routine they'd practiced in Honeyside, and eventually managed to dress down to a fitting thin tunic and a short pants of sorts. She turned around, Iona standing now changed in a soft blouse and pants besides the satchels, placing her armor back inside her own. The brunet looked down at hers, soiled vastly from their attempt at getting to Morthal before the storm. Iona turned back to her, and gave a soft smile as she looked at the mud crusting onto it. Her own boots were besides the satchels drying.

Walking back over, she took hold of the chest piece Lydia held, hands brushing over each other just briefly. "How about we get that and you all washed up." She crossed to the washbasin, and dripped nearby rag in the jug and already starting on scrubbing it clean.

"You don't have to do that," Lydia said as she walked over with her greaves in hand. "I can do that."

Iona gave a shrug, "Well, I like to help sometimes. Besides, last time we handled laundry in Honeyside it was you who did it. So it's my turn anyways."

Lingering for a few moments, Lydia grabbed a second wash cloth and began to scrub her face clean, the pair of them working in silence and content. Iona began to hum some tune, familiar but yet Lydia could not name it. She glanced at the woman besides her, admiring the way Iona worked. A few stray strands of hair fell in her face, Iona's pale green eyes focused intently on her task, slowly working the mud away in the washbasin. Lydia's gaze ran up Iona's form, and she sighed faintly before giving a curious smile to her companion. "You hum that often, what is it?"

The redhead was silent for a few long moments, her scrubbing pausing. "It's something my mother used to sing. I've forgotten the name of it, but she would sing all the time to my brother and I." Lydia stepped a bit closer to her. "I can't remember all the words most often either, so I just hum the tune, that way I can't get it wrong."

"Well I like the way it sounds," Lydia said with a soft smile, "maybe you could teach me?"

Iona blinked at her, surprised, and then grinned widely in return. After a moment she started to hum it again, starting over this time louder for Lydia to hear. Lydia waited for a few moments, until the tune repeated and she joined in, the pair of them cleaning up before bed. By the time they were done, and the song had repeated countless times over, they were both exhausted. Iona crawled onto the bed first, scooting over and leaving around half of it open but Lydia simply took a hay filled pillow and began to get comfortable on the rug. Iona frowned, sitting up some and looking at the other housecarl.

"Come on Lydia, get in bed. There's enough space for two," she urged.

"No, it's fine... I'll just take it next time," Lydia called back.

Still not dissuaded, the redhead goaded, "It's not like it'll be a first time we'd share a bed." Lydia stiffened, eyes wide and she was thankful she'd been facing the other way. Slowly, she got to her feet and gave Iona a curious look. "At least this time we're dressed right?" With a slightly forced, awkward laugh, the brunet nodded her head and climbed into he bed, slipping under the rough hide blankets and putting the pillow underneath her head. Iona turned, her back facing Lydia in a way she couldn't help but wonder was an invitation. Uncertain if she should press her luck, the brunet remained a stiff board until she had mustered enough courage and reached one arm to drape over the other's side. Iona tensed, but shortly after relaxed and Lydia's heart began to soar. She wasn't certain if perhaps she'd already fallen asleep on the floor and this was all that she wished would happen, or if it was real. Either way, she refused to ruin it, and began to drift off, humming and content.

AN: A dash of mortal rivalry here, a dash of mortal romance there... I hope you enjoyed the chapter, I'd love to hear what you think in a review. Thanks for reading!