Disclaimer: I don't own Skyrim.

A/N: Okay. So. Here's another one. Thanks to all of my wonderful reviewers. You guys are awesome. Also, there is a quote from a movie in this chapter. Virtual cake to anyone who can tell me what the quote is and what movie it's from. ;) Enjoy.

Chapter 10

We stopped for a break at noon. I was sweating, and regretted choosing to wear heavy armor. Stray hairs that had fallen loose from my braid were plastered to my face by the sweat pouring out of my body.

I plopped down under the shade of a large tree and shimmied out of my armor. There was a slight, cooling breeze stirring the leaves. I watched dartwings flit around over the river, the smooth surface broken occasionally by a fish trying to catch its lunch. Silas shrugged out of his armor, and then to my great surprise, pulled his shirt off over his head.

"W-what are you doing?" I stammered. He fixed one green eye on me, the corner of his mouth lifting in a small smile.

"You asked me to teach you how to swim. What better time is there than now?" I barely heard what he said. Halfway through his statement, he had turned to face me, and my eyes were glued to his torso. His muscles flexed, the scar a bright pink against his pale skin. I swallowed before I could drool all over myself.

"Uhhhh… mmm.. sure," I mumbled a reply. He offered a hand, and I grabbed it. He pulled me to my feet, and then stepped towards the river. Still holding my hand.

I was full of conflicting emotions. He was holding my hand, but leading me to certain death. He wouldn't let me drown, but I was going into water. Willingly. I tried to convince myself it was going to be okay, but my instincts told me to flee.

I heard my name being called. I snapped from my thoughts; looked up at Silas; saw him standing calf-deep in the water. I looked down at my feet. The tips of my boots were just beyond the water's reach. I took a deep breath and stepped forward.

The water engulfed my foot. I exhaled a shaky breath, and took another step forward. Silas stepped backward, staying in front of me, still holding my hand. I stepped forward again, and again. The water was up to my knees, and something was on my face.

"Freya." I jerked my gaze from the water to Silas' face, forcing myself to keep my eyes locked on his. His thumb glided across my cheekbone. I realized the thing on my face was his hand. "It's okay," he said softly. I nodded.

He stepped backward again, pulling me forward with his hands. The water reached mid-thigh now, and my skin prickled with goose bumps at its chilliness. I was just starting to calm down when something bumped my leg. I screamed, throwing myself into Silas' arms and scrambling to get out of the water.

"Freya, calm down. It was just a fish." I was clinging to Silas' back, my arms around his neck and my legs clamped around his narrow hips. "You can get down now."

"I…I c-can't," I stammered. I felt his shoulder move up in a shrug, and then he stepped backwards again. I whimpered and gripped him tighter. He kept moving backwards until the water was just above his nipples. My eyes were clamped shut, nails digging into his plaint flesh.

Silas pulled gently at my arms, and they slowly loosened from around his neck. I felt his chest expand with in-flowing oxygen, and realized that I had probably been choking him.

"Let go," he commanded. I relaxed my legs, and I slowly slid down until I was standing. The water reached up to my throat, making me feel claustrophobic. And yet, at the same time, I felt relaxed. Weightless. I looked up at Silas, and he grinned down at me, a triumphant look in his eyes.

"That was easier than I thought," he said, barely controlling his laughter. My eyes narrowed.

"Can you just teach me to swim already?" I snarled.

"Not yet. You're still a little panicky. I want you to be used to the water before you try to swim."

"Okay, so what now?" I asked.

"Now," he replied, "we relax." With that, his head slipped beneath the water's surface. I stood there, chest deep in the thing that scared me most in life, and waited for him to surface again. When he came up several feet away, I tentatively took a step in his direction.

He stood patiently, waiting for me to reach him. Water beaded on his smooth skin, glistening in the sunlight. His dark hair was slicked back out of his face, dripping down his back. When I finally got there, he smiled and patted my head.

"That'll do, pig." I followed him out of the water, feeling safer each step I took towards the riverbank. When I was finally on dry, firm ground, I threw myself to the grass. I lay there on my back, watching the clouds drift by above, Silas sitting next to me. Eventually, he adopted my position, and we waited for the sun to dry us.

"Freya?" Silas' soft voice broke the silence.

"Yeah?"

"What does love feel like?" The question was so unexpected that I gasped, which caused me to choke on some saliva I had previously been trying to swallow. I coughed for a few seconds before responding.

"I don't know, Silas," I thought for a moment. "I suppose it would feel good. Why do you ask?"

I turned my head to look at him. His brows were furrowed slightly, a look of confusion splayed across his face. I couldn't help but wonder if he was thinking about me. Don't kid yourself, a voice inside my head whispered. No one will ever love you.

"Lately I've been feeling strange," Silas said. "I think I may be sick."

"What's do you mean?" I asked, my voice tinged with concern.

"My stomach feels like it's twisting itself into knots, and my heart… it hurts."

I propped myself up on one elbow, angling myself towards him. He glanced over at me, a sad look in his eyes. "Your heart hurts?" He nodded. "That doesn't sound good. Should we go to a healer?" I asked.

"No," he shook his head. "I'm sure it's nothing. We should probably get going."

He stood and put his shirt and leather armor back on. I followed suit, a little baffled at his behavior. I pulled some dried meat from the pack on Jala's back and munched on it as we walked.

Normally, I could make the trek from Markarth to Dragon Bridge in about two and a half days. I expected that with our swimming breaks, we would make it in five or six days. I was surprised that a courier hadn't found me and told me that the trap at Dragonsreach was ready.

I wasn't prepared to call a dragon. All of my encounters with dragons had been random; I encountered a dragon at a Word Wall, or stumbled upon one in the wilderness. Occasionally they attacked towns and cities, and the guards would help in slaying it. This time, I would have to call the dragon to me and lure it into a trap, keep it from snapping me up for a snack when my back was turned, and dodge whatever flames it sent my way.

In all honesty, I was scared shitless. But I knew that I had someone to stand by me, and help when it was needed. Silas would be my rock in that hard time, and I knew I could count on him. Even though I had only known him for a few days, I felt like I'd known him all my life. He had quickly become a trusted friend. And even though I wished we could be more than friends, I knew it couldn't happen.