Aaron woke up snuggled next to Aedenrel, and blushing. She was still sound asleep, and didn't seem to mind him being so close to her, but he felt very ashamed. He scrambled up, throwing the blankets back onto the bed. The floor was cold against his bare feet, but he said nothing as he tiptoed slowly towards the portal. He knew Aedenrel had told him not to go into the kitchen, not to touch anything, but he was starving, and he wanted food. He could see nothing, but that didn't stop him. Aedenrel would most likely have a cupboard full of delicious, warm, fresh baked bread, and crispy sliced apples. His mouth watered at the thought of it. It was funny, he thought, that he'd hardly been in her house for a few hours, and already it felt like home.

He opened a cupboard, nearly hitting himself in the forehead with the door of it. He groped blindly in the corners of the cupboard but could find nothing edible at all. The sound of silverware and plates clinking around, but no food at all. He grumbled aloud to himself, and heard someone moving behind him. A soft hand brushed his arm, and he turned. Before she said anything, he knew who it was.

"Aedenrel?"

"Good morning, Aaron," she said softly, just below his ear. She closed the cupboard door, and edged closer to him. He backed up, and landed on a chair. She didn't step any closer, though, and he heard her start to rummage through things. "What would you like for breakfast, darling?"

"...darling...?" He repeated, confused, and very, very sure he had imagined her saying it. He coughed once, and blinked, but things got no clearer. Then again, they were never clear, because he was blind. He'd been blind ever since...

...That day. A murky, rainy day, and he'd been following a lead. He'd wanted to find her, Aedenrel, and-

Aaron stirred in his sleep and Aedenrel was instantly at his side. A washcloth in her hand, she dabbed cool water on his forehead, praying to Azura that Aaron would wake. He rolled over again, and she took in a deep breath, tears forming in her eyes. For four days Aaron had tossed and turned, dreaming but never waking. She had been worried the first day, but now on the fourth, she was ready to start crying. She had fussed and fretted and tried to keep his temperature down, and she'd even forced some water down his throat. If he didn't wake up soon, she was going to call in all the Mages she could muster.

And then, she thought his eyes twitched a little. "...darling...?"

She watched, carefully, as he opened his eyes. He couldn't see anything, but hopefully he would feel she was there, and she would somehow comfort him. "Aaron...?"

"What..." She threw herself at him, embracing him in as tight a hug as she could muster. A smile flickered on his face, and he hugged her back. An alarm sounded in his head, though, and he felt her shake against him, and then the tears came. "Aedenrel, what's wrong?!" He couldn't even try to hide the alarm in his voice.

"Aaron," she sobbed, clutching the dirty, sleep-wrinkled shirt he wore, "you've been out for four days, and I thought... I thought I'd killed you. I completely forgot you were allergic to honey, and I put some in with the antidote, and you've... I thought I'd killed you." She suddenly let go of him, as if she'd realized what had happened. "Oh Gods, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to... I really overreacted..."

"It's no problem," Aaron managed, glad that the water-works had stopped. Of course, if she'd held on to him for just a few moments longer, they would have had a very different sort of problem. As he sat up, he felt shaky and cold all over. Four days, he reminded himself, he'd been out for four days, and it was perfectly normal for him not to feel in tip-top peaky physical condition. "I don't," Aaron started, feeling himself shaking, "feel very well."

"I'm so sorry, I really, really am!" She scrambled to her feet, and then a smile flickered briefly on his own face. If he knew her at all, he knew that she was running over a list of everything she had in her possession, everything that could possibly make him feel better. And then, without another word, she disappeared down the portal. He only knew that, though, because of the faint "whoosh," that the portal made. He was alone in the room, and he forced himself to take a deep breath.

Out for four days. Similar things have happened, he reasoned, a lack of food had once caused him to pass out for a few minutes. That was the one time he had ever really considered begging, or stealing. Another smile graced his face, and quickly faded when he heard the portals noise again.

"I've got some food, but I really do need to get some supplies. 'Didn't realize that I was running low, or you know, I would have picked some up. And er... Anyways, here." He could tell she was smiling, and also that she was babbling. And also, that she was hinting at something.

"You're going to leave, then?" He didn't even try to hide his frown, or his displeasure at her leaving him all alone in her strange house. When he was feeling ill, even! Oh yes, they were great friends.

"Aaron, it'll only be for a few hours. I'll just sweep into Bruma, pick up what I need, and I'll be back. It won't be that bad, I promise. Besides, you do need your rest." Oh, she sounded so convincing, like she'd been working on that excuse for four days, and he knew there was no room for him to argue. Because she had been working on that excuse for days, and he had no room to argue.

"Fine, go. Whatever." He crossed his arms in a sort of childlike protest, and she sighed heavily, as if she disapproved.

"I'm going whether you pout or not, Aaron Glistel. I brought you some food, and I'll be back in a few hours. Just try to fall asleep or something. And don't you dare go downstairs and mess things up. Stay in bed, eat your food, and be a good boy. I'll be back before you know it." He imagined she had a stern look on her face, her arms crossed, and a no-nonsense attitude would be clear from her posture. It was clear to him that she expected him to comply without complain.

"Yes, mother," Aaron replied, and he accepted a tray of food even though he was angry with her. Hunger and fatigue, along with a general weakness had won out, and he found that he hadn't even noticed she was gone after he'd eaten a cup of granola and apple mix, and drunk all the water that was in the glass. And he found that he was tired, after all. He couldn't keep his eyes open, so Aaron fell asleep not long after finishing his meal.

Aedenrel arrived home a few hours later, like she'd promised, and she found Aaron sound asleep. His fever had gone down, and he had at least woken up once, which she had decided where good signs. In another couple of hours she would wake him up again, and get him to eat a little more. She hoped that he would be better by the next morning, but she was not a skilled Healer. She went downstairs to put away all of her newly-acquired food, and she was whistling to herself.

Usually, Aedenrel had the whole house to herself, and she got lonely, being so far isolated from everyone else. Sometimes she talked to herself to pass the time, and to avoid the silence that the house insisted upon. Not even the wind dared to sing off off the rocks around her home. But now that Aaron was here, she promised herself that things would be different.

After she had put away the fresh food, she checked her clock, and then she smiled. She would have at least a few hours to herself, where she could study her magic, or practice her swordsmanship. Or she could re-read her favorite new novel, "The Lusty Argonian Maid." Actually, she hated the book, but it was one of the few that she hadn't read a few hundred times.

"Aaron, wake up." She shook his shoulder gently at first, and then harder as she noticed him coming to. She smiled as she sat up, and grumbled. "Fooooood tiiiiime!" Aedenrel grinned widely as she handed him the silver tray of food. He smiled as he smelled it, and Aedenrel found that she was in a good mood. Aaron didn't even scowl as she sat on the bed beside him. "Look, I'm sorry about ditching you earlier," she managed. He didn't seem to be listening. He seemed to be lost inside his sandwich, and vegetable juice.

" 'S'okay," Aaron finally said, after all of his food had been eaten. He felt better, he thought, than he had a few hours ago. But he knew that he needed a bath. Living in Bravil, he had the opportunity to bathe about once a week. And his opportunity had been five days ago, now. He knew that he stank, and Aedenrel would probably never mention it to him. At least, he hoped she didn't.

"Well, uh..." Aedenrel was suddenly at a loss for words. She made a face he couldn't see, and stood up, taking the empty tray from his hands. "If there's anything you need..." The Wood Elf walked towards the portal, and had nearly activated it, when he spoke again.

"Bathroom." He exclaimed, almost in a state of panic. She set the tray down hastily, and took him by the wrist, into a room that branched off of her bedroom.

"This way, please. Welcome to the bathroom. We have running wanter in shower, bath and sink form. There are fluffy towels in this cupboard, and delicious smelling stuff on this shelf. This tap is hot water, and this is the cold." She made sure that she had him touch everything, so he would know where it was. "This shelf has shampoo and things on it. I'll go do the dishes, and I've got some things in the oven. I'll check up on you when I'm done." She exited, and closed the door behind her.
Aedenrel tossed some ham and eggs into a pan, then set it over the fire. Keeping a careful eye on it, she mixed dough for bread, and added some orange slices into it for an extra treat. She'd eaten little the past few days, and she figured Aaron was going to be just as hungry as she was, even though he had just eaten. Crossing to the ice box, she opened the cover and withdrew a partially chilled cheese. She grated it carefully, making sure she didn't cut herself. The eggs and ham were starting to sizzle, so she sprinkled the cheese over the top of it.

The bread wouldn't be done for a few hours, but if she started it now, she could enjoy it for lunch. She had other bread to put the ham, eggs and cheese onto, she thought happily. She would always have food. Aedenrel checked the clock on the wall, and smiled. It had been nearly twenty minutes. She scooped the eggs onto a patch of bread, then transferred them onto silver platters.

Aedenrel finished her cooking and set a place at her table, and then she went upstairs to check on Aaron. As she knocked on the door to the bathroom, she sensed something was wrong. She opened the door, hoping against all hope that he was decent. As she stepped in, though, she noticed the trail of blood going from the shower across the floor and top the sink. Aaron had managed to wrap and secure a towel around himself, and when she rushed across the room, he turned.

"Aede- I..." His voice was shaking, she fought back her own panic. Quickly she grabbed a washcloth from a drawer, and began to tend to his hand. After she had cleaned up some of the blood, she wrapped a larger dishtowel around his palm, and cast a quick but weak Heal spell on it. There was an awkward silence between them.

"I forgot to tell you that the shelf the shampoo was on was made from a sword! I'm so stupid, the edges are sharp and I never even thought to mention it!" Aedenrel began to clean up the mess, and Aaron leaned on the counter behind himself.

"It's really no problem," he assured her. She just sighed, and stopped herself. "But why would you make a shelf out of a sword?"

He's not wearing a shirt. Shut up, SHUT UP, she told herself, and told herself to take a deep breath. "It was the only thing I had lying around that I could make a shelf out of, when I wanted one. I've been meaning to get a new one, but I completely forgot to mention it, I"m so used to it..." After she had cleaned up everything, she handed him some clean clothes, and exited the bathroom. When he came out, about ten minutes later, she helped him downstairs, and the two of them sat at the table, Aedenrel eating, and Aaron saying nothing. He was, however, happy beyond all measure.

Not only had he managed to get her close to him, he'd also managed to make her lose and stumble over a few words. Now, he was sitting across from her, and trying not to keep smiling in a strange way. She'd wonder what was wrong with him. Sure, he thought with another smile, I missed four days, but today was totally worth it.

Unless, a niggling voice in the back of his head reminded him, you counted the strange dreams you've been having.

After a long silence between them, Aedenrel stood up and took her empty plate. She suddenly seemed to be in a bad mood, but he couldn't have said why. He heard the dishes clink in the sink, and then the crackle of a being summoned from Oblivion, the sound of a Daedra coming to life. Then, Aedenrel approached him, her footsteps quick and hard-hitting. Oh, she was definitely angry. Was it with him? What had he done to upset her?

"How are you feeling?" She asked, anger apparent in her voice. Oh, Aedenrel had always been one with mood swings. Violent ones that either ended them in trouble, or out of it, depending upon the situation.

"About human again, I think. I haven't fallen over or passed out yet, so I'm feeling-"

"I have to go to Anvil," she snapped at him. He imagined her with her hands on her hips, and a frown on her face. Again, she was demanding and she had on her no-nonsense attitude. The one she had used earlier on him, the "Mother" tone.

"Okay, and...?" His head was tilted towards her, his chin up. And he had an arrogant little grin on his face. Just the sort of grin that she loved. The same grin she had loved, ever since they were children. But he didn't know that, and he would never know that...

"Well don't expect me to cook you food and take care of you. I'm going to Anvil, and you're on your own. You did say you were feeling better. I'll show you where you can find the food, and-"

"I'll go too," he smiled at her, a wide grin he was sure would win her over. She exhaled loudly, and began to tap her foot irritably at him. But after a few seconds it was obvious what her answer was going to be.

"Fine."

"Fine." He repeated. His smile didn't fade at all as she spun on her heel, heading for her room.

"Fine!" Aaron smiled as she stormed upstairs and began packing. They were going to Anvil! He'd never been to Anvil before.

Aedenrel suddenly regretted only having one horse. Actually, she thought, she'd had more than one horse, once, but things had ended badly between them. She'd purchased a horse from the stables outside of Chorrol, and ridden it South on the Road. She'd made it no more than a couple of miles before she'd been attacked by a bunch of bandits. Thinking she could outrun them, or lose them in the river, she'd made her way to it. Riding horseback on a river had slowed them down, though, and the bandits had picked off her horse first, and then come after her. She'd barely made it out alive.

Now, she strapped two bags to Shadowmere's sides, and handed Aaron a pack. "There's lunch and dinner in there. Don't squish it," she ordered. Then, she walked back up to the doors. Aaron heard a snippet of conversation. She was indeed speaking to some sort of guard, he concluded, by the way she was talking.

"..stay here...not anyone else...exactly right here..." He heard her footsteps approaching, and he tried to look inconspicuous. "Get on," she ordered him. He wasn't in the mood to argue, but he didn't like her tone. He did as he was told, and climbed onto Shadowmere's back. Aedenrel got on in front of him, and hardly gave him time to hold on before she kicked up the reigns again and they sped off.

"Aede, what's gotten into you?!" He asked her, but she didn't reply. Instead, she leaned more forward and ignored him, speeding much faster than what was necessary. "What's so urgent that we have to leave right now?!"

"Business," she snapped at him. He realized then that she wasn't in the mood to play, and that if he asked her something he was going to get her usual short answer. Confused about what he'd done to set her off, Aaron remained silent. He was instead left to his thoughts, and memories loved to replay themselves for him. Especially ones he didn't want to think about.

A wizards tower, made from an old Imperial Legion Fort. It had taken Aaron a long time to follow the leads he had. Beggars, nobles, mages, Necromancers, common people, fighters, thieves, bandits, all of them had provided him with snippets of information, all of them had given him small clues. Now, well traveled, and a battle-hardened warrior, he was about to face his last enemy, a pansy-assed Wizard who locked himself away in a tower to practice his dark arts. Somehow, this stupid Wizard was connected to Aedenrel.

He opened the door, hearing the creak of the wooden hinges, and closed it behind him. He was fearless, as he hacked and slashed at Daedra and Undead alike. He made his way to the top, to pick the measly treasure from the chests and barrels. He pocketed the booze, and strode confidently down the steps again. Nothing was going to stop him. He shoved the doors to the Ruin open, and waltzed in. If Aedenrel was here, he was going to find her.

He picked off two Skeletons, and threw open door after door. Xivilai and Daedroth were brutally beaten, sent back to the places they spawned from. He searched barrels and treasure chests, and finally came to a watery passageway. He felt fear rise in his throat, and in his heart. If there was one thing he was afraid of, it was water. Slaughterfish lived in water, and so did mudcrabs. Of course, Slaughterfish scared him more, but he still didn't like mudcrabs. He took a deep breath, and glanced around himself once more. Once he got into the water, his torch would go out, and he would be pitched into darkness. Aaron was no mage, and he had no spells save for the Heal and Fireball spells he'd been taught as a child. Dousing his torch, Aaron waded into the water, praying frantically that he wouldn't end up dead.

Then again, he told himself, it was all for Aedenrel. And if he had to die to find her, he would do it.