Sapphire Night Eye ver2

by Risemonger

She is the shadow on the wall, but a beacon of hope. A mistress of the night and a hero of the day. Join Ty'ani as she is transformed from Riften's most feared thief to Skyrim's greatest hero. Khajiit protagonist. Rated M.

8. Out of Balance

4E 201
9th of Evening Star

She's here again, floating in the void. This time however, she felt cold. She hated the cold, wishing that she could feel the warm sun against her face and sand under her toes. But at this point it was all wishful thinking, it's likely that she'll never return to Elsweyr ever again.

The last thing she remembered before falling unconscious was an intense pain, unlike anything she had ever felt in her life. Ty'ani gasped as she curled into a ball, knowing that it would be futile to find anything in this darkness. The last time she was here, it was comforting, but this time...

"I don't want to be here. I don't want to be here. Please, I cannot be dead, don't let me be dead." she chanted over and over again, squeezing her eyes closed and wishing that it was true. But after being hurt by that troll, there couldn't really be any way that she'd survived. "Please let me go. Please let me go, please."

All of a sudden, Ty'ani had the feeling that she was no longer alone. There was something here with her, the air becoming even more chilled, almost becoming unbearable. She whimpered, curling into a tighter ball to ward off the foreboding air to no avail. Her lungs had began to feel compressed, finding it more difficult to inhale air. Panic raised in her being, feeling increasingly claustrophobic despite there being nothing surrounding her.

A voice suddenly came into being, reverberating through her bones and alighting her senses with fear.

"Zu'u koraav hi, Dovahkiin." it bellowed, the tone dark and deep. "Zu'u mindok hin sahlon, Zu'u mindok rinik su hi sum. Hi fen ni iliis fah pogaas lingrahiik."

Ty'ani buried her head deeper into her arms, even though it was obviously in vain. She was so scared, her whole body shaking in terror as she slammed her hands over her ears. That didn't help at all, as the evil voice could still be heard, as if it was echoing within her mind.

It was then that her body was forced to unfurl, completely without her consent, as if her limbs had a mind of their own. She was spread eagled in an instant, her consciousness a slave to her own body. She tried to scream, but it was as if her breath had been stolen from her, her lungs feeling tighter. It was like she was drowning. Her terror increased. She can't swim... she can't swim... she's going to die.

"Hin sil fent kos dii, Dovahkiin." the voice roared out again, still having not shown what it really is. Frankly, Ty'ani didn't want to find out."Pah hi mindok fent kos du."

Tears cascaded down her cheeks, eyes rolling into the back of their sockets as she gasped for air. She couldn't move, she couldn't speak, she couldn't even breathe.

But then, all of a sudden, something was forming before her. The darkness became alight with red, as two flaming orbs materialized, locking onto her. Her already paralysed body became even colder under the gaze, truly fearing for her life as they glared at her with malice and hunger.

"Zu'u fen kos hin tumah, Dovahkiin." the voice bellowed again, but now that Ty'ani had a visual of what it was, her fear increased ten-fold."Zu'u fen kos hin oblaan. Hin sil ahrk kopraan los dii."

'No! No! NO!'

At last, it appeared Ty'ani finally had some air in her lungs, and had control over her body. She let out a shrill scream, fighting against her bonds until she was free. "NOOOO!" she cried, air rushing through her ears as she fell forward.

All of a sudden, her shoulder and side exploded in pain, her skull flaring instantly with an intense headache. She let out another cry as she fell backward, her back thumping against a soft and furry surface. Whimpering, the Khajiit moved her hand to her collar, surprised when the limb obeyed her command.

Following that, her senses began to return one by one. She could smell the familiar scent of a smoking fireplace, followed by the sound of the crackling flames. As well as a familiar voice.

"Ty'ani!" it yelled, followed by heavy footsteps thumping closer to her in fast succession.

As her eyes were still closed, she didn't quite know who it was, but it was definitely one of her companions when they placed gentle hands on her uninjured shoulder and the side of her head. Following that was the voice of someone she didn't recognise, causing her fear to flare up again.

"By Gods, is she okay? What happened?"

"Crap," replied her companion, the slurring dialect quickly revealing it to be Altwen. "She must've aggravated her bones."

"I'll go get your friend." the man said hurriedly, followed by a door opening and closing.

As the pain began to die down, Ty'ani tallied the situation. Altwen was here with her and no one else, as well as an unfamiliar man but he clearly meant no ill toward them. She could still move so she wasn't tied down. Therefore, she was completely safe. But that all aside, she felt so weak and was in so much pain. She struggled to regain her breath as Altwen brushed her hair from her face.

"It's alright Kitten," she assured in a soft voice. "It'll pass. Just breathe."

Following the instruction, Ty'ani inhaled and exhaled steadily and before long, the pain died down to a light throbbing. Shadows danced behind her eye lids and she tried to open her eyes, but her lids would not obey. So she willed herself to move, only for Altwen to gently push her back down.

"Take it easy." she ordered, followed by sloshing water before something wet was dabbed on her brow. "You've only just fought off a fever, we don't want you gettin' another one."

Since sitting up was clearly not a choice, both from Altwen keeping her down and from the pain still in her system, Ty'ani instead settled for trying to force her eyes to open. At last, she managed to squint but all that she saw were blurred shapes and colours. She blinked several times to clear her vision, coming face to face with Altwen's beautiful bronze face. The huntress' full lips smiled softly, looking down on her with relief in her forest green eyes. She was dressed in her brown bodice and breeches with its gold buckles, her sleeves rolled up her arms and her head completely bare, showing her tied red hair and elven ears to the world. A bucket of water sat beside her on the floor with a wet rag in her hand, which she soon folded onto the rim of the bucket.

"There we are." she said tentatively. "How you feelin' Kitten?"

Ty'ani tried replying, but her throat was so dry and scratchy it made speaking near impossible. Seeing this, Altwen grabbed a pewter mug from the bedside table. Tilting her head up, she helped the Khajiit drink the cool and refreshing water. Throat now wet, she tried again.

"Really sore." she gasped hoarsely.

Altwen nodded as she placed the mug back down. "Yeah, no surprise there, you were messed up real bad. It's a really good thing that Alasse was here, otherwise you would've never made it."

That caused Ty'ani to frown in confusion. "Alasse?" she questioned.

As if on cue, that was when the door opened, permitting a stocky Nord man in a dirty tunic and breeches and shoulder length auburn hair. Following him was the familiar tall and blue robed form of Alasse. Acid green eyes locking onto her, the high-elf approached swiftly, dropping her tiny tan satchel down as she knelt at the other side of the bed.

"Ty'ani, thank the Divines your awake." she breathed in a soft voice, bringing her hands up as they glowed with green auras. "Bassianus tells me you may have aggravated your bones. You must refrain from moving so sharply as they have not yet fully healed."

As her hands glowed brighter, Ty'ani felt her collarbone and ribs tighten, the Altmer obviously conjured a stasis spell of some sort to keep them in place.

On her part however, Ty'ani just continued to stare in surprise. Alasse was still here? She thought that she was leaving. Seeing the questions in her eyes, Alasse sighed as the green aura died down and replaced it with a warm golden glow. "I know of what you will ask, Ty'ani." she explained as she channelled a small surge of healing magic to her bones, easing the pain slightly. "I will have much explaining to do, I am sure. For now however, save your questions for when you are healed. Merely know that I have reconsidered leaving."

Still very much wanting to blurt out all the questions raging in her mind, Ty'ani instead just nodded, leaving the issue be for now. The healing magic dissipating from her hands, Alasse stood back up, collecting her satchel as she did so. "I will inform Haema and Lydia that she is awake." she told Altwen. "Be sure that she has some sustenance as soon as possible."

"Yeah, no problem." Altwen promised with a nod. At that, the Altmer turned and exited the house. As she did so, Ty'ani took the time to study where she was. It was a spacious area, a nearby fireplace and wax candles dotted around brought light to the otherwise dim interior. There was very little décor, apart from goat skin rugs, wooden furniture and a mounted stag head over the mantelpiece. There were no windows though, which didn't help to clue Ty'ani in on where she was. Turning to Altwen, she croaked out. "Where are we?"

"Ivarstead." the half-elf simply replied.

The Khajiit frowned at that. "The last thing I remember, we were still on the mountain. How long was I unconscious?"

Altwen pursed her lips at that. "A little over a week." she replied. "The whole time you were fightin' a fever, we were beginnin' to fear that you'd never shake it off."

"Aye," exclaimed Bassianus, bringing Ty'ani's gaze to him as he stepped closer. "You're made of strong stuff lass, to have survived a troll attack. Not many can brag about that."

Ty'ani didn't really hear what was being said exactly, as she was still in shock. A week? She'd been unconscious for a week? By Gods, that troll really did leave her out of sorts, didn't it.

After a moment of pondering, that was when the Khajiit girl was broken out of her revere by Altwen gently beginning to pull her up into a seating position. As the blankets folded off her and came to rest in her lap, only then did she realise that she was scantly clothed, covered only by her breast covering and small clothes. She blushed and bunched the blankets back over her chest once up, the material covering her once more. Bassianus walked over and offered her a bowl, keeping his eyes averted. Blinking, it took her a second to realise that it was a bowl of chicken stew, her nasal senses coming alive with the comforting scent, making her mouth water. It was only then that she realized how hungry she was when her stomach growled.

The Nord man smiled. "Figured as much. Here, you best eat up and regain your strength."

She took the bowl gratefully, feeling the warmth seeping through the wood and to her palms. Plucking out the spoon buried within, Ty'ani took the first mouthful greedily, moaning happily at the warmth, feeling as though she hadn't eaten in years. Bassianus and Altwen smiled at that. "There we are." he said with a nod. Before long, he began to turn and leave. "Now I'd best be getting back out in the fields. Klimmek and I will be back to check on you later." with that, he exited through the entrance door.

As she continued to dig in to the food, Altwen leant back in the chair she was sitting in. "I'm glad your awake Kitten, you gave us quite the scare."

Looking up, Ty'ani swallowed what was in her mouth before replying. "I think I scared myself." she admitted. "I really thought I was going to die there. But Altwen, has it really been a week? What have you lot been doing that whole time?"

Altwen shrugged. "Oh you know, this and that. Haema and Lydia's kept busy helpin' out at the mill and taking care of any bandits that stray too close. Alasse does... whatever. I never really see a lot of her, but I'm assumin' it's somethin' to do with that big book of hers. On top of takin' care of you as well." Crossing her arms, she smiled. "As for me, I've been keepin' busy by keepin' the village stores stocked. Oh and I also helped out the mill owner with some bear problem."

"Bears?" Ty'ani inquired.

"Yeah." the half-elf nodded. "Apparently somethin' about how the local bears tear up the trees and ruinin' her business. Eh, she paid me well though, so I really can't complain."

Silence fell between the two of them after that, Ty'ani looking as though she was trying to search for the words to say in between bites of her stew. It didn't take her long to finish it though, setting the wooden bowl aside on the end table. Now with something warm in her belly, her eyes had begun to droop again.

Seeing this, Altwen rose from the chair. "You'd best get some more sleep Kitten, you still got some recoverin' to do."

The Khajiit nodded warily in agreement. "I think I will." she carefully settled herself back down on the mattress, covering herself with the blanket, wincing when a tiny hint of pain flared in her shoulder, sighing once settled.

Altwen went toward the entrance, retrieving her unique bow, quiver and cloak as she did so. Before leaving, she turned back to the slowly drifting girl. "Hey Kitten?" Ty'ani clearly had her eyes closed, but still hummed in acknowledgement. "Hows about the next time we come across a troll, you run the other direction, yeah?"

"I'll try..." Ty'ani moaned sleepily. It wasn't long after that when she fell back asleep, her head lolling to the side. Altwen merely smiled, draping her cloak over her shoulders, followed by the hood and her quiver before stepping out into the cold. Best make sure to reassure the others that Ty'ani's alright, then maybe go for a quick hunt.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoO

It took another four days, and many healing sessions with Alasse, before Ty'ani was deemed fit for travel. In gratitude of allowing her to stay in their home, Ty'ani offered Klimmek and Bassianus a bag of gold for their kindness, which they graciously declined. Klimmek had told her that it was the least he could do after she had helped him.

Bidding the two farewell, the group of women entered the Vilemyr Inn to stock up on provisions and have a hearty meal before leaving. Seating themselves down, they immediately dug in. As they did so, Haema spoke to Ty'ani.

"I'm glad to see you up and about Ty'ani."

"As am I." the girl replied. "To be honest, I was going a little stir crazy just sitting there doing nothing."

Altwen laughed. "Aye, I get that. Being bed ridden's not any fun at all." she patted Ty'ani's shoulder. "But hey, least you not got any more scars marrin' your sexy body."

Ty'ani shook her head and rolled her eyes at that comment, not at all surprised by Altwen's antics. She continued smiling until she glanced over toward her Housecarl, seeing that she had her head lowered. Hearing the brunette sighing regretfully, Ty'ani decided to speak with her. "Lydia, are you alright? I haven't seen you since I woke up and you haven't said a word all day."

Frowning, Lydia let out a growl. "No, no I'm not alright. I feel like a failure."

This confused the Khajiit. Why ever would she think that? Is this why she had been avoiding her the past few days? "What are you talking about?"

Sighing, the Nord woman replied. "Let me put it to you plainly, Ty'ani. I will admit that I don't entirely like you, but you are my Thane and it is my duty to protect you. I have failed in that regard."

"The bloody hell do you mean by that?" Altwen quipped, a deep frown on her face. "She's fine. As far as I see, you failed at nothin'."

"That's not the point." the warrior snarled. "If I had been a better Housecarl, then none of this would have happened in the first place. In retrospect, my honour is now forfeit."

Shaking her own head, Haema then threw in her two Septims. "Lydia, none of us could have predicted what happened. There was nothing any of us could do to make it better, especially not now. The only thing that matters is that Ty'ani survived. Take comfort in that."

Lowering her head again, Lydia sighed. She still felt bad, but Haema was right, there wasn't anything she could do to change the past, no matter how much she wanted to. As of now, Ty'ani has completely recovered and that's all she could really ask for.

The Khajiit in particular gazed at her bodyguard with a kind smile. "Lydia, if it's any consolation, I still think you're a great Housecarl."

The woman stared at the Khajiit with a blank look for a moment. Looking into those large sapphire eyes alighted a warm feeling in her chest. With a sigh she finally relented. She still questioned what the thief's motives are, but for now she was just happy that the girl was alive. "Thank you." she breathed at last.

Giving her one last smile, Ty'ani turned her attention back to her meal. But she felt a nudge on her arm, bringing her attention to the half-elf at her side. Altwen leaned in closer to her, beginning to whisper. "Told ya, you have a good heart Kitten." after that, she too returned to her meal.

Ty'ani just huffed with another smile. As she took a few more bites of her meal, that was when she decided to glance around to the others. She spotted that Alasse had hardly touched her food, her hooded head down and her lips tight. A little concerned, she addressed her. "Alasse? You've been really quiet as well, is everything okay?"

"I do not wish to alarm anyone," she began, her voice low. "But those men over there have been staring at us since we entered." now on edge, the rest of them went to see what she was talking about only for her to hiss at them. "Do not look."

They followed her instruction, forcing their gazes back between each other. Unsure of whether they were just curious of them or if they meant them harm, Ty'ani shivered as she inquired quietly. "What do we do?"

On her part, Altwen didn't seem worried at all. She looked between each of them with a smirk, before she winked. All of a sudden, she jumped up out of her seat, stretching her arms over her head before collecting her equipment. "Well," she said at volume. "It's been real fun, but I think it's time we all parted ways. I'm gonna get a drink. A little pick me up before hittin' the road, you know? Be seeing you lot 'round, and good luck on your journey." and with that, she sashayed off toward the bar without another word. Thoroughly confused, the rest of them just followed her movements.

The huntress leant forward on the bar after depositing her kit, purposely arching her back to accentuate her waist and hips. Glad that she hadn't yet completely armoured up, she used her tight leggings to her advantage to show off her backside. Ordering a bottle of ale, she uncorked and took a long drink from it. She then turned around, leaning back against the counter, being sure to curve her waist around the lip of the surface. She took another sip, gazing around the break room with an intent look.

She spotted the two men that Alasse had mentioned. One was a well muscled and gristly middle aged man, most definitely a Nord, his brown hair and full beard sporting a wide selection of grey. The other was younger, and very obviously a Breton. He sported dark mahogany hair which came down to his shoulders, and had a goatee and moustache. It was a little difficult to tell, but it appeared that they both were clad in similar looking armour, consisting of a hefty curiuss over a thick overcoat, heavy metal shoulder guards and leather vambraces and boots. The only difference between them was that the Nord's was a white colour, while the Breton's was a dark grey. They were both seated at the same table, the older idly smoking a long pipe, the occasional puff of smoke escaping his lips. Also, laying in between them under the table was a very handsome dog. It was a white husky with dark grey spanning it's back, covered in some sort of armour as well. It appeared to be dozing at the moment but alert, as it rested it's head on it's paws with it's eyes closed but the pointed ears were twitching at every noise. Altwen wasn't worried though.

Seeing that she had the attention of the Breton, she looked away purposely though kept them in her peripheral vision. She took another sip from the bottle, slowly and sensually, totally on purpose. She lowered the bottle, seeing a small drop of ale drip down the rim. Sensing the Breton's eyes ogling her, she slithered her tongue out and licked the drop with the tip before sliding it back into her mouth.

Sliding her gaze back toward the man, she saw that his eyes were bugging out and had a smirk plastered on his face. Smirking back, she stood up straight and sauntered over toward their table, being sure to put extra swing in her hips. Standing before the Breton man, she cocked a shapely hip and leaned forward to showcase her full bosom as she regarded him. "What some company, handsome?" she purred.

"Oh definitely." he immediately answered, excitement igniting in his eyes.

His companion glanced at them, frowning when Altwen draped herself over the Breton. Lowering his pipe, he cleared his throat. "We do not have the time for this." he said in a low gravelly voice.

The Breton glanced over to his partner, shrugging his shoulders. "Oh come now, there's always time for a little fun." he placed his hands on the huntress' hips as she ran a hand over his armoured chest.

"Of course there is." she agreed, leaning toward him and licking his exposed neck. "There's always time to have a little pleasure, even in these troubled times."

The man squeezed her ass at that. "Now now darling, let's not think of that."

"Yes, of course." she nodded, leaning over to their table as she massaged one shoulder, causing him to close his eyes in pleasure. "How about a little drink, Sugar?" unbeknownst to them, as the Nord was looking away in disgust at this time luckily, she had slipped out a little vial from a belt-pouch filled with clear liquid. Uncorking it with her thumb, she quickly and carefully poured the substance into both of their drinks, being sure to keep the Breton distracted and watching from the corner of her eyes that the Nord doesn't turn. Seeing that she was in the clear, she hid the empty vial up her sleeve and grabbed one of the tankards.

Handing it to the Breton, she gave him a sultry smile as he took it. "I like how you think, sexy woman." he purred as he took a big swig.

"I know." she replied before leaning back. As she stroked his goatee, she lowered her other hand to behind her back, knowing that at least one of her companions would be staring at her. She discreetly gestured to the door, a subtle hint for them to leave. Sensing that they understood her, she kept an ear open as they began packing up and filing out. As they did so, the half-elf then leaned over the table, cupping the Nord's face and leant toward him. "And you..." she purred, running her fingers through his full beard. "What a glorious beard you have. You must be the envy of men everywhere with this bad boy."

To his credit, Altwen had to commend this man for resisting her charms. In fact, he just furrowed his brow, as though he was fighting against shouting at her. Lightly gripping her arm, he pushed it away with a tight smile. "While I am flattered, m'lady," he told her with an air of impatience. "I'm afraid I must decline, as must my partner." he glared at the Breton when he said that, picking up his tankard and taking a sip before speaking again. "As we have important business to attend to."

"Aw." she moaned playfully as she leant back, pleased that her scheme was working. "Then whatever can a poor repressed woman like myself do should you leave?" Her mood then changed, not waiting for an answer as she slithered off the Breton's lap- hearing him groan in despair at the loss- and knelt down on the floor in front of the husky. "Oh, what a gorgeous dog you have." she gushed, letting the animal perk it's head up at her before she started stroking it.

Altwen knew that this wasn't just a common pet. This was a dog trained as a warrior and a blood hound, bred to sniff out targets and prey for their masters. So she knew that she was leaving her scent behind for the dog to follow later, but that was precisely what she wanted. She wanted these two to follow them, if only to find out what they wanted from them without any witnesses.

The Nord slammed his tankard down on the table, leaning forward to push her away. "Please refrain from doing that, he is not the most friendly of dogs."

Sighing dramatically, she stood back up. "Oh, all right then. I can take a hint, I know when I'm not wanted."

Seeing her stepping back, the Nord grunted, finishing his drink before standing. "Thank you. Now if you will excuse-"

He was then unexpectedly cut off when his partner suddenly went limp, dropping out of his chair like a ragdoll bringing the cutlery on the table with him. The dog scrambled up from under the table when the pots clattered on the wooden floor, barking in alarm. Surprised, the Nord turned his gaze to the half-elf, suddenly seeing his vision double and blur. Staggering as he gripped his head, he growled. "What- what have you done?" he demanded.

"Sorry Old-Timer, nothin' personal." Altwen whispered, stepping back with a smirk as he too collapsed. Brushing her hands together in victory, she turned away from the scene and returned to the bar. Holding back a laugh as people turned to the disturbance, the half-elf looked at the tavern owner. "Well, those two certainly had too much to drink." she commented slyly.

"Aye," the owner sighed, lowering the rag he was using to clean the counter. "Not the first time something like this has happened. I'll sort it out."

As he went to handle the situation, Altwen pushed away from the bar and collected her equipment, shrugging her doublet on. Before long, everything was in place and she swiftly exited the Inn. Walking around back once outside, she immediately caught sight of the others saddling the horses. Spotting her in turn, they glanced at her questioningly. Haema stepped toward her, a frown on her face

"What in the world was that about, Altwen?" she demanded.

Smirk widening, Altwen shrugged. "Just a little sneakiness." she answered off handedly. "Let's just say that them two will not be followin' any time soon."

Shaking her hooded head, Alasse sighed as she mounted her horse. "We shall need to discuss your unorthodox methods some time in the future." she grumbled.

"Yeah, I'll be sure to remind ya."

It didn't take long before they were all mounted on their horses, and not long after that they were leaving Ivarstead behind. Crossing the bridge, they soon made it to the main road, on their way back toward Whiterun Hold.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoO

As the day rolled into the evening, the party going at a steady trot down the road, they rode through the forests of the Rift toward the cliff path to Eastmarch. The surrounding birch trees were very much bare though, their browning leaves littering the ground, covered in frost and snow. Despite winter obviously being here, the sun still shone overhead, providing a little warmth so that they didn't have to wrap up as much. Though that too was slowly diminishing as the sun disappeared behind the horizon.

Sitting atop of Altwen's chestnut brown mustang mare- which was affectionately called Acorn- in front of the half-elf herself, Ty'ani sighed. As the Rift was the base of the Thieves Guild, there wasn't much for her to look at that she hadn't already seen. But still, it was beautiful, even if she was slightly bored.

Looking next to her, Alasse was riding on her white mare, which she had finally named Aelsin. At this angle, she couldn't see her face due to the hood, but it was obvious that the Altmer was focused on the road ahead. Frankly, she didn't blame her, as they began to approach the steep path down the cliff.

She bit her lip. "Erm, Alasse?" she called out, breaking the silence between them.

The high elf inclined her head in her direction, pulling lightly on her horses reigns so she was now parallel to Acorn. Giving the Khajiit a sideways look, she replied simply. "Yes?"

Taking a deep breath, she began. "I was just wondering, now that you're staying with us, would you mind if I asked you a few questions?"

"You may." the Altmer nodded with no hesitance.

Having the go ahead, Ty'ani eagerly asked. "What exactly is it that you do for a living? I mean, I know that you're from the college in Winterhold, but not much else."

Alasse briefly turned her gaze to her lap, as the others had their attention on them as well, before answering. "If you must know, I am a teacher; a scholar. I teach the younger generations of mages of history, as well as the properties of magic. That aside, I am the second adviser of Archmage Tolfdir."

"How long have you been at the college?" the Khajiit continued to ask.

"Fifty years." she replied tersely.

That caught the Khajiit's attention in an instant, her head whipping around to stare at the high-elf in astonishment. She wasn't the only one. "Fifty?" Lydia questioned, clearly surprised. "How old are you exactly?"

Eyes rolling, Alasse replied. "Two-hundred and thirty-four."

Altwen whistled at that. "That's pretty impressive." she commented, before a smirk crossed her face. "Heh, I'm still older."

Looking round to glance at the half-elf, Ty'ani's brow quirked. "Why? How old are you?"

Altwen smiled. "Just turned three-hundred and twenty-three six days ago. I'm an old lady."

"A throw-back from your Bosmer heritage no doubt." Alasse bluntly pointed out.

"Yeah yeah." the huntress dismissed, waving a hand before gripping the reigns again. "But enough about ages. You do anythin' else then, Ice Queen?"

Letting out an irritated groan, Alasse rolled her eyes. "I do wish you would cease calling me that." she growled. "But to satisfy your curiosity, I also tend to travel to Nordic burial sites all across the land, documenting the history within the walls. All for my own perusal as well as the students. My main focus, however, is the Dragon War. It is a point in history that fascinates me the most, as there has not been very much on the matter within the history books, only speculation. With my research, I hope to remedy that."

Haema glanced back at that, a curious look on her face. "Is that why you wished to join Ty'ani in the first place?"

"In part." the Altmer admitted. "I had hoped that if I travelled with Ty'ani, then it would give me more insight on the dragons themselves. Admittedly, I do not relish the thought of facing one in battle, but the chance of seeing one would be tremendously valuable to my research."

Ty'ani hummed at this, placing a finger under her chin. "You know Alasse," she began. "Maybe you and Jarl Balgruuf's court wizard should work together. He researches dragons as well. In fact, he's the one that sent me to retrieve the Dragon Stone in the first place."

Alasse hummed at this, quite clearly thinking the idea through. "I shall keep that in mind." she finally said.

Listening to all this with a keen ear, Haema then briefly turned to once again look Alasse in the eye. "All that aside, may I ask how you became the second advisor of the Archmage?"

Alasse lowered her hands to her lap at that, the reigns held loosely in her grip. "That is quite the tale."

"We've got time." Altwen shrugged, keenly interested in this topic as well.

Sighing, the high-elf mage began. "It was less than a year ago. Back then, Tolfdir was the advisor to the then Archmage, Savos Aren, and I a mere lecturer. We were given the task of taking a class of students to the nearby ruins of Saarthal, for academic reasons." it was here she paused for a moment, unlacing her water-skin and taking a small sip before continuing. "One of the students had found an artefact that caused him to become trapped. Tolfdir and I soon found a means of releasing him, but as a result, we had found an access route deeper into the tomb. There we found an artefact known as the Eye of Magnus. We brought it back to the college, which was our first mistake. After that, events became dire when a Thalmor Justicar had attempted to take the Eye's power for himself."

"I quested to Labyrinthian and retrieved the Staff of Magnus and used it to control the Eye. I was forced to kill the Justicar, as he had become mad with power." she lowered her head at that. "I imagine some time in the future that will reveal some consequences."

"So what happened to the Eye?" Haema asked.

"It was taken away by the monks of the Psijc Order, I know not where it is now." she explained. "But it is for the best. The world is not yet ready to handle that much power. The artefact was far too strong, it is truly a miracle that Winterhold had not been completely destroyed."

"That must've been awful." Ty'ani said. "But, if you saved the college, then why didn't they make you Archmage?"

Alasse let loose a small smile at that. "They tried to. I declined. I may be a teacher, but I am also an explorer. Becoming Archmage would limit my abilities, and my research."

Leaving it at that, they continued to ride in silence. However, it wasn't long before they finally caught sight of a Nordic tower, a landmark that told them that they were entering Eastmarch.

"There is Nilheim." Lydia informed them. "I suggest that we stop here for the night."

"I agree." Haema nodded.

Upon riding closer to the tower, they soon caught sight of the bridge that lead to it. However, that wasn't the only thing they noticed. At the foot of the bridge was a small cart, looking as if it had been ransacked, with all sorts of items spilling out and spread around the area. In the centre of the mess was a man. He was sat upon the ground, hunched over as though he was injured. He wore a wine coloured tunic, white breeches and tanned boots. They originally seemed to be of fine tailoring, but now the clothes were tattered and filthy. Also, there was a battered hunting bow at his side, showcasing he obviously had just survived a dangerous encounter. Concerned, the group cantered over to him.

Hearing the numerous horse tracks, the man glanced up, his eyes widening upon seeing them. "Oh, thank Gods." he exclaimed in relief. "I thought you to be those bandits."

"What bandits, ser?" Haema asked him as they dismounted their horses. Kneeling at his side, the blonde Nord assessed him. "What happened here?"

"Bandits attacked and ransacked my cart." he told them. "I have nothing left. What bad luck to be beset upon by those vermin when my camp is just up there." he pointed toward the old tower. "I suppose I should count myself lucky that they didn't cut me to ribbons. But I fear that they will return. I'd hate to be a bother to you ladies, but would you be so kind as to keep a look out as I collect what I have left. I wish to be away from here as soon as possible."

Ty'ani stepped forward at that, a kind smile on her face. "Of course, we'll be happy to help."

All of a sudden, Altwen gripped the girl's shoulder, bringing her attention to the half-elf. "Now hold on a moment, Kitten." she said, her voice full of suspicion. "I'm gonna have to stop you there. I got a bad feelin' in my gut right now."

"What are you talking about?" Lydia questioned, her brows furrowing in irritation.

Exchanging looks with all the women, Altwen explained. "I'm tellin' you, somthin' about this just don't sit right."

At that moment, the man stood up, an impressed smirk on his face. "Oh, you are a clever one." he praised, the hunting bow in his grasp. Suddenly, he turned and sprinted over the bridge. "ATTACK, KILL HER NOW!" he yelled out. In the next second, several people in hide and leather armour appeared out of nowhere, weapons poised as they charged the group.

Taken by surprise, the women immediately scrambled, wrenching out their respective weapons and prepared themselves. Added with the clothed man, they counted at least ten men and women, four of which wielded bows. They ran to cover as the bowmen fired, their arrows clanging against the rocks they hid behind. In retaliation, Ty'ani, Altwen and Alasse returned fire. The bandits also retreated into cover, causing all of them to miss.

The horses whinnied as the bandits charged, galloping away for a few feet. Altwen smirked. "I knew it, you lot owe me a drink after this!" she yelled, emerging briefly out of cover to fire at one of the charging bandits.

Mind racing, Haema began shouting out orders. "Ty'ani, Altwen, fire upon the bowmen, give us cover! Lydia, watch my flank! Alasse, see if you can slow them down!"

"With pleasure." the high-elf growled, summoning flame spells in both her hands. With Ty'ani and Altwen keeping the pressure upon the bowmen, it gave her the window she needed. Snarling, she charged the spells for a moment before thrusting her hands forward. Flame shot instantly from her palms, igniting on the ground, spanning the width of the bridge and stopping the bandits in their stride. Alasse then brought her hands up with a grunt, controlling the flame with her will, making it grow in size. The whole surrounding area was soon brought to light by the fire, the orange glow dancing upon the rock faces.

The high-elf then turned to Haema and Lydia, seeing the blonde Nord nod. Understanding, she created a space in the fire wall for the two to traverse through. The moment the opening was large enough, both Nord women immediately jumped through, engaging the six people still upon the bridge.

With the Nords past the wall, Alasse resealed it and turned her attention back to the archers up on the rocks on the other side. She threw a fire bolt toward one as she retreated back, making way for the Khajiit and half-elf. It wouldn't be long before the Wall of Flame spell would wear off, therefore they had to make the most of what time they had and dispatch as many of the bandits as they could.

Upon getting on the bridge, Haema and Lydia had taken advantage of the element of surprise and managed to kill only two of their members, leaving four. However, the bandits quickly recovered, taking advantage of their greater numbers and surrounded the women instantly. The two before Lydia attacked as one, forcing her to block one strike with her shield and parry the other, straining her uncomfortably. The other two also attacked Haema at the same time, to which she blocked only one, while the other's sword glanced off her armour as she attempted to move away from it.

Haema's thoughts raced. These were no ordinary bandits, as most bandit clans were not this coordinated. No, this company was very well trained, more akin to mercenaries. She swung her battle axe to keep them at bay, trying to see if she could find a way for them all to make it out of here alive.

Meanwhile, Alasse, Ty'ani and Altwen wasn't having as much luck as their Nord counterparts. Thus far, they had only managed to kill one of the archers, the rest either stuck to cover or was continuously on the move making it difficult to take them down.

Ducking back behind cover as another salvo of arrows pinged off the rocks, Altwen growled. This was getting them nowhere. Looking over, she spotted Ty'ani and Alasse stuck in the same predicament that she was in. Mostly the Khajiit, as she had hardly a chance to return fire since the mercenaries focused the majority of their attention on her. It was clear in an instant that these people were hired to kill Ty'ani, though whatever for was currently not important. Getting them out of this mess was.

It was then that she got an idea.

"Hey, Ice Queen!" she yelled, getting both Ty'ani's and Alasse's attention. "You got anythin' more powerful up your sleeve?"

The Altmer nodded. "Yes, I posses a few expert level spells."

"You got Chain Lightning?" Understanding instantly what the woman was getting at, Alasse immediately switch one of the auras to lightning. Altwen smirked at this. "Perfect, here's what we're gonna do. Me and Ty'ani will draw their fire, get their attention off you. When I give you the signal, let 'em have it!"

"Understood." she acknowledged.

Nodding herself, Altwen pulled out three arrows, nocking all of them. "You ready Kitten?"

Inhaling a deep breath, Ty'ani nodded as she too nocked a couple of arrows. "Ready!" she exclaimed.

"GO!"

As one, the two archers bounded out of cover, firing their arrows toward the opposition. All of whom immediately dove for cover at the salvo. The Khajiit and half-elf jumped up onto rocks on opposite sides of the bridge, keeping spread apart to make themselves harder targets to hit. They both used their agility to their advantage, free-running over the rocks to make it all the more difficult for the mercenaries.

The plan was working, the three archers had their full attention on the two of them. Altwen decided to up the ante by somersaulting over a gap on the cliff side, firing at the same time to make her the bigger target. Rolling upon hitting solid ground again, she ducked under cover just as the enemy fired at her and yelled at the top of her lungs. "DO IT NOW!"

Instantly, Alasse darted out of cover, casting the most powerful mage armour spell she had on herself. Once the green aura surrounded her, she charged the lightning spell. Upon spotting the clothed man that had deceived them out of cover, she cast it. A loud crack exploded out, as a large bolt of lightning zig-zagged toward its intended target, striking true. It hit the bowman directly in the chest, causing him to cry out and become rigid as the bolt of pure electricity circled his system. As he went limp, the lightning then bolted to the next target, resulting in the same before hitting the final one. Within a few seconds, all of the archers were dead.

Back on the bridge, Lydia and Haema was forced back to back. The limited movement, added with the mercenaries coordination made scouring a hit difficult for them. They had begun to believe that they were not going to get out of this unscathed unless the others could provide them with assistance.

However, just as that thought crossed their minds, that was when the crack of lightning sounded out. They all jumped in surprise and before they knew it, the enemy archers were all dead.

Seeing this, the two Nords went to take advantage of the distraction, both letting out a war cry each that would have made their ancestors proud. Barely having time to react, the two on Lydia's side only just managed to defend themselves against the charging brunette, one raising his shield to block her sword while the other got Lydia's shield in the chest, pushing him back and winding him. The two on Haema's side were not as lucky, as the blonde had brought her axe down hard on one of them, breaking through his feeble defence and burying the blade into his shoulder. The weapon had cleaved a sizeable slash all the way down to the top of his chest, spurting blood in all directions. The mercenary was dead before he even hit the floor.

The other one however, seeing his partner crumple under the behemoth of a woman, immediately retreated back toward the tower. Just as Haema was about to pursue him, that's when they all heard it. A noise that caused all of them to tense. As one, they all turned their gazes to the sky, quickly spotting a shape that cut it's way through the darkness, travelling toward them at speed. It released a distinctive roar as it spotted them.

A dragon.

Seeing the legendary beast, the mercenaries attempted to flee. Only the two that Lydia was engaging made it off the bridge- since the fire spell had worn off- only to be cut down by Alasse and Ty'ani before the two retreated to cover. The last however, had attempted to run for the tower, hoping that he would be safe inside. He never made it. The dragon immediately dove for him, lashing out with it's teeth and snatching the man up in it's jaws. As it climbed back up, the adventurers heard his screams for only a few seconds, until the dragon chomped down, ceasing all noise and movement in a second.

As the beast flew overhead, something thumped down in front of Ty'ani and Alasse with a sickening noise. It took them only a moment to realise that it was the man's legs, the muscles twitching as blood and gore gushed out the ragged flesh. The Khajiit cried out in alarm while the high-elf let out a noise of disgust.

"Hurry, to the forest!" Haema screamed, all instantly following her orders. They all sprinted back up the hill toward the tree line, managing to make it into cover before the dragon banked back around. As they ran deeper in, the dragon soared overhead, causing the trees to violently tremble in it's wake.

"Bloody Oblivion!" Altwen cursed as she shielded herself from the powerful gust of wind. "Where on Nirn did that thing come from?!"

"That doesn't matter!" Haema answered, just as alarmed. "We must force it to land if we are to stand any chance against it!"

"How are we suppose to do that?" Altwen questioned. Before long though, she looked to Ty'ani. The Khajiit immediately shook her head.

"Don't look at me, I have no idea!" she shrugged, her voice hysterical. At that point, the dragon let out a bellow, banking round and diving again, an orange glow emanating from it's open maw. Knowing what this meant, the Khajiit yelled out. "GET IN COVER!"

As the women scrambled, the dragon roared, letting loose a jet of flame in their wake. It missed them luckily, but now the surrounding trees and shrubs were on fire, belching smoke up toward the heavens. The beast banked round again, roaring in fury before setting more of the forest alight as it flew over. The trees were instantly eaten away by the flames, the smell of burning wood filling the air as black billowing smoke swirled around the forest.

This effectively forced the adventurers, as well as their terrified horses, out of cover, running out of the forest coughing. Now out in the open, they were dangerously exposed to the dragon's fury. Hearing the creature roar yet again, they all parted ways, diving on their bellies to avoid the swiping claws that grazed the ground where they were last stood.

As the dragon climbed back into the air again, the group scrambled back up. "We need to lure it out into the open!" Lydia yelled.

"On the horses!" Haema ordered and they all instantly followed. Each running for their respective horses and mounting them, Ty'ani having to jump on Altwen's by leaping on a nearby rock, they immediately clapped the reigns and kicked their flanks to get them moving. The horses were clearly in a panic, whinnying and stomping the cobblestone path before they began to gallop down the path.

As they fled down a straight and flat stretch of road, a fireball suddenly exploded in front of them, wisps of flame flying in all directions. The horses panicked, bucking up and shrieking, the whites of their eyes completely clear. They fought to keep them calm, but a fairly sharp buck suddenly forced Ty'ani to fall off Acorn with a startled yell. She landed hard on her shoulder, manoeuvring herself into roll to cushion the stumble.

The beating of wings then caught her attention, panic rising in her chest as she scrambled to her feet. The white Khajiit glanced up, just in time to see the dragon land directly in front of her. As it's yellow eyes bore into hers, a low growl resounded from it's throat, scaly lips curling to showcase razor sharp fangs. Then without warning, it snapped it's jaws toward her.

Ty'ani let out a shriek, throwing herself to the side to avoid the strike, landing hard on her belly. Thankfully, she was saved from another attack by an arrow burying into the dragon's cheek. The beast recoiled at the sudden pain, allowing another arrow to penetrate it.

"COME ON YOU OVERGROWN SALAMANDER!" challenged Altwen as she fired yet again. While it was distracted, Haema and Lydia took the opportunity to get in close.

As it recovered, a series of ice spikes penetrated it's hide, courtesy of Alasse. Right afterwards, a battle axe slashed across it's snout, stunning it yet again. Letting out a roar of rage, it snapped it's jaws for Haema, but she managed to jump back to avoid it. As she regained her footing, Lydia rushed forward, slashing it's cheek as she went. The dragon went for her, but was again stopped in it's tracks from the powerful Nord lunging at it. Alasse and Altwen continued to lend support from the rear.

Infuriated, the dragon arched it's neck up before releasing a wild column of flame in their direction, forcing them to keep their distance to avoid it. Stunned, the adventurers were unprepared when the dragon burst through the smoke and flame, it's jaws baring down on Haema. Surprised, she barely had enough time to back away, batting her axe at it's face as she tumbled onto her back. Following that was more ice spikes and arrows in it's hide. That only succeeded in making it angry. However, just as it went for another attack, that's when a Shout echoed through the air.

"Fus Ro!"

A blue shock wave slammed into the dragon's side, causing it to stumble off it's front claws momentarily. Before it could recover, several arrows bounced or sunk into it's flank. Surprised, the wyrm turned to the source, seeing Ty'ani continuously firing upon it from upon a ledge, an expression of grim determination on her face. Growling, it sent a jet of flame for the Khajiit, whom just flipped acrobatically off the rock she was standing on, landing nimbly on her feet behind it, sheltering her from the fire.

Taking the chance to attack, Alasse and Altwen sent more volleys of their respective projectiles while keeping their distance, allowing Lydia and Haema to get closer once more. Lydia slashed at it's wing, tearing through the thin membrane with ease, while Haema once again slashed at it's face.

But before the dragon could retaliate, that was when something suddenly jumped upon it's neck. Roaring in surprise, it snapped it's jaws at nothing as something covered it's eyes. It was Ty'ani, and she had draped her cloak over the dragon's head, blinding it. As she let out a roar of her own, she stabbed her ebony dagger down through the furry material.

Her attack bore fruit, as a gush of blood squirted out, staining her cloak as it did so. She held on for dear life as the dragon screamed, bucking up and tried to shake her off.

Seeing that this was her chance, Haema went in for the kill. Like she did with the last dragon, she swung her battle axe hard, burying the blade into it's throat. Sanguine cascaded out of the fatal wound, flooding it's under-scales and the front of Haema's armour. Last vestiges of muscle movement travelled it's form for only a few seconds before finally going limp. The adventurers darted out of the way as the dragon's body crashed down, Ty'ani still crouched on it's head. Particles of dirt and dust billowed out from under the large mass, before all went still.

As the Khajiit stood carefully atop the dragon's cranium, that was when it's flesh began to melt away, turning to particles of flame. It flew in the air before turning to strands of light, circling the now skeleton before shooting into Ty'ani.

In response, Ty'ani's muscles locked, her arms spreading and her face turning to the heavens as her conscience accepted the dragon's soul, gasping at the intensity. At this moment she truly looked like a hero of legend, standing atop a slain dragon and devouring it's soul.

On her part, Ty'ani swore she could feel the soul fighting her from within. Intense fear and anguish filled her inner eye as the soul interlaced itself with her own. Before long, she felt her body being released. Letting out a gasp, she collapsed from the skeleton's head, tumbling to the ground as her heart pounded behind her ribcage. She rubbed her head and took long laboured breaths to recover from the experience.

Putting away their weapons, her companions quickly rushed to her side. "Ty'ani! Are you alright?" Haema inquired cautiously.

Groaning, she sat up slowly. Between Lydia and Altwen, she was assisted shakily to her feet. "Gods." she gasped, leaning her hands on her thighs once she was up right. "I'm fine, just a little shaken up."

Stepping back from her, Altwen glanced between the bones behind her and the Khajiit before her, her expression one of awe. "Damn." she commented. "That is one neat trick."

"Maybe for you." Ty'ani grumbled, straightening her posture. "It's not fun for me. I'm absorbing a dragon's soul, Altwen, and I have no choice of rejecting it. I'm powerless to stop it. Do you understand how violating that is?"

"Oh I dunno." the half elf laughed, shrugging. "You're not the only one that's had foreign things put into their body."

"Oh good Gods!" Alasse gagged, her tone full of disgust. "We do not wish to know of your past conquests, whore!" Altwen only laughed boisterously in response.

Trying to shake off the mental image that gave her, Ty'ani shook her head. Glancing toward the large skull, she grimaced at the sight of her cloak. It was completely tattered and covered in blood. There was no way she was going to recover that.

Seeing her expression, Altwen stepped toward the Khajiit, taking off her shawl and draping it over the girl's shoulders. Smiling in thanks, Ty'ani hugged it close to ward off the cold that had begun to worm its way into her body, speaking quietly to the rest of them. "Look, let's just get out of here and find somewhere else to camp."

After that statement, it didn't take long for the five of them to find their horses. Mounting up, they travelled a little ways down the road before Altwen spoke up again. "Hey, I dunno if you lot noticed, but those people back there were too well trained to be bandits."

"Yes, I know." Haema responded. "They were mercenaries."

Altwen nodded at that. "Exactly," she glanced down to Ty'ani. "And they were after killin' you, Kitten."

Ty'ani felt her fur stand up on end at that. "Me? Why me?"

"I dunno." the half-elf answered honestly. "If it wasn't for that dragon, maybe we could of found out. But either way, I have a feelin' we're gonna find out soon."

"Worry not, my Thane." Lydia reassured. "No harm will come to you so long as I draw breath."

Although Ty'ani was grateful for her reassurance, she still felt a bout of annoyance and hopelessness. This was just brilliant, not only is there dragons for her to worry about, but mercenaries are being hired to kill her as well. Whatever did she do to deserve this fate?

It didn't take too long before the group finally found a suitable camp location. They tied their horses to nearby trees, caring for the animal's needs before their own. As they erected their tents and got a fire going, they settled down in a circle around the pit, Lydia cooking up a simple stew for them.

While they waited, Ty'ani couldn't help but think back to the battle with the mercenaries and the dragon. She did her part, yes, but she couldn't help but think that maybe she's more of a hindrance than a liability. She sighed regretfully at that thought.

Seeing her despondent look, Lydia quirked a brow. "Are you well, my Thane?"

Surprised, Ty'ani jerked her head up, clearing her throat to recover from the sudden question. "Erm..." she began with. Glancing around at each of her companion's faces, she decided then and there to come clean. "Well actually, the truth is that I feel slightly useless."

"What you talkin' about Kitten?" Altwen asked with a frown. "You were a great help distractin' the dragon back there."

"Yeah, 'distracting'." she echoed bitterly. "I couldn't help you all properly. All I did was stab it in the eye and I lost my cloak as a reward of that."

"What are you suggesting then?" her Housecarl asked. Sighing, Ty'ani replied.

"With mercenaries and dragons now after my hide, I want to be fully prepared to face them all. I want to be able to run into the heat of battle and come out victorious. To do that, I need to learn to fight." she turned her sapphire gaze to Haema then. "As such, before I go to Ustengrav, would you let me come to your guild and learn to fight Haema?"

Blinking in surprise, Haema stared at the girl with a look that revealed her shock. Before long though, she smile softly, though it seemed forced. "I would be glad to help." she told her. "But, just simply entering Jorrvaskr to learn the art of swordplay is not advisable. If you want to do that, then your only choice is to join with the Companions, to become a permanent member."

Ty'ani couldn't help but feel apprehensive about that. "Well, it's not that I want to question your judgement Haema but, won't the rest of your organisation object to that?"

"Not if I have the last say about it." the blonde Nord reassured. "I will admit that not all whom apply are permitted to join, but I have fought beside you for a good while now Ty'ani. You have that fire within your heart that we seek. So long as you pass the first trial, you will be accepted, I can be sure of that."

Altwen piped up then. "And hey, don't worry too much Kitten. We'll all still be around, we're not about to go anywhere any time soon."

"But what of the Greybeards and their task to you?" Alasse asked. "It takes time to learn to use a sword. I am sure the Greybeards will begin to grow concerned if you take so long."

"But if I don't learn how to use a sword," Ty'ani argued. "Then I'll never return. I don't want to learn everything, just enough for me to get by. I won't abandon the quest, I swear."

Smiling at the girl's determination, Haema finally relented. "Very well. As soon as we return to Whiterun, I will initiate you into our ranks. But be warned, when you join there will be no hold backs. You will rise early, you will train daily and there will be no excuses. You shall not be given cutbacks just because your the Thane and Dragonborn. Do you understand?"

"Yes." Ty'ani replied with no hesitation.

Lydia couldn't help but sigh at this. "Let's hope so." she muttered lowly.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoO

All right, just a quick note. This is going to be the last post until the new year, as I'm spending the Christmas period with my parents. Rest assured, I am not abandoning this story, I'm just going on hiatus for a little while. In the meantime, you all have a Merry Christmas and a happy New Year.