Thanks to DeusExFreak for the review, and I think there's lots more of this story to be coming. My brother finally downloaded Shivering Isles, so I'm completely addicted to Oblivion... Again. And there's a re-vamp of the first part of the story being written, to be completed soon, dealing with removing the lyrics (which I put there just to take up space... ) and replacing them with an actual little story.
"Aedenrel... There's been a mishap." He smiled as best he could, and made himself more comfortable on the floor. It was going to be a long, long day. "I don't-- I'm not sure how to explain. This is all my fault." Against all of his will, against all of his better judgment, he felt fear of the people in front of him. But it didn't shame him, not this time. He would let them take care of them if they had to. "I'm blind." Start with the obvious, and go from there, he told himself. Start from the beginning. You can make it to the end, Aaron. You can make it.
"It happened a long time ago, I lost contact with Aedenrel. And I needed to find her. So I got some faulty information, went in search of her, and got myself cursed by a Very Angry Wizard that I barged in on. I tried to keep it from her, and she found out anyways. When she stormed out almost a week ago, it was my fault. I refused to tell her, she couldn't let it go." The fear was gone, now, replaced by a long silence, in which Aaron found he could indeed tell his tale.
"So she met with the Very Angry Wizard, apparently killed him, and came back here crazy. Somehow she got a necklace on the way here, a very powerful artifact that took over. I'm not sure, exactly how it happened. But she summoned me to her, in a fit, and sent me away. Twice, I think. And then she decided she was ready to tell me my own story. At the end of it, hours and hours ago, she wanted my promise, my undying loyalty. I managed to get the necklace away from her, and then she passed out. We've been waiting for her to come-to since then." Yes, that was all they needed to know, the whole story. He smiled weakly. And then he froze when he felt a pair of arms come around him, unthreatningly, but still he froze.
"It's all right, Aaron. Aedenrel is stronger than you know. But there's something more... I think you should come with us." Kym was the one to help him up, and then she led him towards the higher platform, the one that Aedenrel had told him she used to summon Daedra. He sat down in a chair, and waited patiently. There were many, many footsteps, and he could tell that he was surrounded. But he wasn't afraid. "Aaron, there is something bad coming. There is something terrible afoot here, and you need to know about it."
"What? What is it?" Aaron found that he was not feeling very patient. Aedenrel was upstairs, and she could need him at any moment. He needed to be there!
"Calm down, please, Aaron. Focus for a moment. Can you feel it? This danger... It's all around you. Focus, Aaron, what do you see?"
"I can't see--" Two hands came up to his temples, as if to silence him. And then he found that he could see, as if it was a dream. What he saw scared him more than anything ever had in his life.
Aedenrel finally woke up, shaking all over, and too weak to even sit up. Even speaking was beyond her. None of them knew what the problem was, none of them could understand why taking the necklace off of her hadn't cured her. None of them had the courage to touch her, either. None of them except Aaron.
"I can't stand this any longer," Aaron decided. He guessed that it had been at least twelve hours since the removal of the necklace. Something should have changed by now. Aaron stood, and let out a loud sigh. Without thinking, he took a step towards Aedenrel, and found his way blocked by four Dark Brotherhood guards and all twenty-something of Aedenrel's "children." "We have to do something. This isn't right. Nothing is right!"
"I understand that, Aaron, but you need to calm down--" It was the voice of Kym, who had assumed ring-leader over all of them. Not that anyone else seemed to care, because there hadn't been a big debate about it. They let Kym take charge, because she was the strongest of them all. And none of them could bear the thought of Aedenrel beside them, staring up at the ceiling blankly, clearly not all of her there.
"No, DO something. I can't bear to just sit here!! Did you even check? Did anyone look to see if she's wounded--" Aaron stopped at the silence in the room, and he had his answer right there. Of course no one had checked, because no one had thought to. All of them thought that Aedenrel was some sort of super-elf being, that she could never be injured, that she was somehow above the influence of enchanted necklaces that stole willpower and replaced it with madness. "So look, LOOK!"
"Calm DOWN, Aaron, or I'll have you removed from this room." Aaron was about to ask what army was going to do so, but he resisted, as he heard the shuffling of feet, apparently to make room for Kym, who was indeed going to look. Kym took a deep breath when she got to the edge of the bed, but Aedenrel made no move to stop her. She only blinked once and continued to stare at her ceiling.
Kym was gentle as she took Aedenrel's hand, and slipped the green colored gauntlet off. She passed the gauntlet to someone near her, and turned Aedenrel's wrist over, inspecting for wounds. Another gauntlet, Aedenrel's boots, the greaves she wore, and had breeches on underneath... Kym had to have a large Nord man help her get the cuirass off of the half-Wood Elf, but Aedenrel had a shirt on underneath that too. The shirt had a large rip in it though, above the bottom of her ribs, and that's when there was a gasp, and murmurs went through the room like wildfire.
"That's it then," Kym declared, but she couldn't hide the shaking in her voice. Whether it was anger or fear, Aaron didn't know, but she rounded on him. "Aaron, that Very Angry Wizard you encountered earlier, please tell me that it wasn't Fathis Aren..." There was a sort of hope in her voice, but he knew he was going to have to crush it. He had really screwed things over, not only for himself, but for everyone else around him, even though he hadn't meant to, at all.
"If I said that, it would be a lie." Silence. No one was breathing, no one could speak. All of them knew about Fathis Aren, all of them knew he was ruthless, evil, and more than a bit touched by Sheogorath.
"Oh, Wabbajack it all to Oblivion!" Kym took a deep breath to steady herself, and then she looked very, very stern. She was about to begin barking orders, they all knew, and all of them were more than happy to help her. "Where are the journals? I want them downstairs, now." She was frowning, and had her arms crossed. Aedenrel had fallen into a light sleep, which was good. "How many of them are there?"
"Six, Kym." Aaron thought that voice belonged to an Argonian, which was strange, because he hadn't seen any Argonians among Aedenrels' "children."
"Then I want those journals downstairs, on the tables. I want twelve of you to come with me." She left through the portal, and Aaron was sure that exactly twelve of them had followed her. How they had decided which twelve was beyond him, but he waited patiently for Kym to return. He was sure that a Journal Search had just begun.
"Now that that's taken care of," Kym entered the room again, looking sternly over the people who had fallen into her command. "I want two of you to go downstairs and attend to the kitchen. Make food, do dishes, clean the counters, make sure we have enough food." Kym didn't even need to stop speaking before two people had left. She continued as if nothing had happened, surveying the room before her with immense indifference. "You four Mages, I want downstairs." She withdrew the necklace from her pocket. "Find out what this is, where it came from, what it does, and how to neutralize it. Split into teams, two examine, two look in all of the books Aedenrel has downstairs. The Gods know she's got books on everything."
Four more left, with the necklace in their possession. Now Aaron was starting to get worried. What sort of task would he be given? "You there, Dark Brotherhood guys, take a hike. I want you to go to all of the major cities, and gather any sort of healing spells you can find, scrolls, potions, whatever. Find me some anti-poisons, and bring me back any and all alchemy ingredients you find. Go on then, there are portals on the balcony that will take you to any Mages Guild in Cyrodil. Split up. Come back swiftly."
Usually, the Dark Brotherhood didn't take orders from non-members, but they happened to be very fearful of Aedenrel and her legendary wrath. What would she do to them if she got better and found out that they had done nothing to help her? A Kajhiit, two Argonians and a Breton left for the balcony. Aaron had lost count now, but he was sure that the number of people in the room had swiftly fallen.
"Aaron..." Everyone in the room froze, and Aaron turned slowly towards the bed, where Aedenrel was staring directly at him. He couldn't see, but he could feel her eyes on him. So she was conscious again. That was good! Before anyone in the room could stop him he was sitting on the floor next to Aedenrel. It was painfully apparent to everyone in the room that there was something special between them. "Aaron..."
When he tried to speak, his throat was dry. He was content to sit right there on the floor, and offer her his support that way. She didn't try to speak again, but she knew he was there. That's what mattered the most to her. Kym was dishing out orders to the rest of the "children," but if she had ordered him around he didn't hear it. Time passed and he didn't know how much. The Kitchen Crew came through with food, but none of them could eat anything. And eventually, the Dark Brotherhood lackeys came back to Frostspire Crag, laden with potions, cures, and scrolls of all types. Apparently they weren't sure what exactly Kym had been looking for. Two of them had their bags stuffed full of random Alchemy ingredients, and Kym sent four of the remaining "children" downstairs to sort through them. One "child" had taken to looking through the cupboards in the room, in the hopes of discovering something useful.
"HEY!" The voice of an excited Imperial broke Aaron away from his own thoughts, and he found his head turning in the direction the voice had come from. "Kym, I found all of her Alchemy equipment, and all sorts of potions!" The sound of glass vials clicking together reached his ears, and then a loud groan. Kym had crossed the room and taken one of the potions, but when she looked on the label, Aedenrel's handwriting was unreadable, nothing more than a bunch of short-handed scribbles, readable to no one but the Wood Elf.
"Well, this is no help." Kym decided, and set them back on the shelf. She motioned to the rest of the "children" in the room, and they followed her downstairs. Aaron didn't care either way, he found, because Aedenrel hadn't said anything more at all. Silence, and darkness...
"...What did we find out? Where are those Dark Brotherhood idiots?" Kym's voice cut through the quiet chatter of the room. All heads turned, and four "children" stood up, as if to report to her.
"Kym, there have been a couple of suspect journal entries, we've bookmarked them if you want to review them." Three journals were put in Kym's hands, and she set them beside her on the only available desk-space. The next one stepped up, with a weak smile on her face.
"Kym, we've found out a lot about Fathis Aren's poisons, but, and I think my team would agree with me when I say this, in order to know how to counter the poison, we've got to be able to tell what sort of poison he used. And well... Frankly, the only way I see that happening is if someone goes and gets the weapon that Fathis used, so we can study it..." The young Breton's voice dwindled off, as if she knew what she was suggesting would be quickly brushed over. To her surprise though, Kym cracked a smile.
"Agreed. Consider your wish granted. You'll have the weapon delivered shortly." Kym motioned to the four Dark Brotherhood minions, and they came closer. She whispered something to them, and all four of them left out the front door. The next in line walked up to Kym, with a weak smile on his face. Apparently this Argonian hadn't found anything useful at all.
"Mistresss Kymm, the amulet is very difficult to decipher, but I think my team has discovered a clue as to how Aedenrel came into possession of it. On one of the tiniest facets are two initials, "F.A." Fathis Aren must have given it to her, or she took it from him. Other than that I have nothing to report, except that those Dark Brotherhood boys were talking about something... disturbing."
"..." Kym waited for the Argonian to go on, but it seemed that he needed to be prompted to do so. "What is it?" Her patience was wearing thin. Aedenrel's time was short, and no one had found anything that might be even a tiny bit useful.
"In her erm... rage shall I say, our Mistresss Aedenrel had the body of erm... well, the Very Angry Wizard, brought along. The Dark Brotherhood have kept him outside, but they are unsure what to do with it. If there are clues on his person someone ought to find them. And I'm sure that no one has looked, Mistresss." The Argonian bowed and went back to his table, where three heads joined together in quiet whispering. None of them wanted the job, Kym could see.
"Bless Azura, then, you..." Kym pointed to a young Kahjiit woman, and then a Wood Elf, "And you, go with her. Search the body. If you find nothing... Uh..." Kym found that even the thought made her stomach turn. He had been dead for almost a week... "Take care of it, I guess. If you can't, I'll have the Brotherhood deal with it."
"Excuse me for saying so, Kym, but I find it hard to believe that those are true Dark Brotherhood operatives. They're supposed to be a myth, you know. They aren't really real--"
"Oh, enough," Kym snapped, pressing a hand to her temple as she turned towards the outspoken idiot. "They are real enough. They're in the news, and many deaths happen that can't be explained by anything but murder. Do you doubt them? Would you like me to call them back for a private investigation? Perhaps you'd like to ask them yourself, if they're real. Now, enough of this. There's another group I need to speak to."
Kym brushed past the Imperial and made her way down to the vaults. She had a group of three in the vaults studying the potions and poisons, and one of them was a rather good Alchemist. The three of them had their heads together, and when Kym approached, they quickly looked up.
"Miss Kym, I think we may be onto something here. You see, most poisons react through the bloodstream, but there was a problem with the necklace, it somehow interfered and interrupted with the poison. I don't think it was intended at all, but the effects could get worse. And I don't think there's a way they'll get better on their own, but--"
"Get on with it, Graum. What did you find, how can I use it, and will it fix her?"
"A poison, put it on the wound, It'll buy us a few more days. The research we've done indicates that--"
"Thank you very much, but--"
"No, listen to me, Kym. This potion, it can buy us a few more days, and that's all. If we can't fix her before that, she won't make it. Honestly, if you don't get that to her soon, she won't make it even a few hours more. The poison is very potent, but we can fix it. How many do you have upstairs, that aren't working?"
"Just a few. Six, seven perhaps. I was saving them for the second shift--"
"Give me two of them, Kym, and we can get this done. We're going to need a lot of luck, though. But give me two, Kym. I have a plan."
"You can have two, but that's it. I need the rest of them. And please, Graum, don't be wrong about this. We can't afford to make any mistakes where Aedenrel is concerned." There was a sort of dread in her voice, and none of them wanted to consider what would happen to them if Aedenrel didn't manage to get better.
"I know..." There was a long silence, broken only by a fizzling from some of the Alchemy equipment. "I can handle this."
Kym didn't reply as she took the antidote from the young Alchemists' hands, and went back to Aedenrel. She crossed the main floor room without a word, and when she made it back to Aedenrel's room she let out a long, deep sigh. "Aaron, I have a request."
He was hesitant to reply, and he knew that everything was going to go downhill from there. The Imperial turned his head in her direction, and nodded. He was ready to do something, anything to help Aedenrel. "What do you need?"
"The Alchemists downstairs, they need two people to run errands for them. Do you think you could manage? It would do you some good to get out of this room, you've hardly left it at all."
"I hate to leave her like this," Aaron managed, but he stood up and took a deep breath. He wasn't much of an adventurer, and there was more to the situation than what he was being told, but he was willing to help. If they needed a blind and useless Aaron, he was more than happy to assist them. "I'll do what they need."
"Thank you," Kym managed, a frown on her face, put there by the immense grief in her heart. Inside though, she was thankful. "They're in the vaults. Just ask someone downstairs if you need help." Under Kym's arm were the journals she needed to review, and sat down against the wall, her mind full of things other than the books in her hands. She didn't say anything as Aaron used the portal to leave. Kym glanced over at Aedenrel, and then stood up. After administering the antidote she sat back down, and began to flip through the seemingly endless pages of stale parchment.
"Someone needed me," Aaron asked tentatively, as he stood before the people in the vaults. One of them snickered, and another one just stared at him. There was a long silence, and then one of them spoke.
"Well, I didn't send for you. But you'll do, I guess. I have an errand I need run, ran?" The speaker sounded like they were holding back a laugh, but it didn't seem to bother Aaron. He was used to that reaction, and it didn't hurt as much as it used to.
"Your wish is my command," Aaron found himself spouting and he listened intently to the information he was given.
"There's a book I need, Mister Glistel--"
"Aaron, please."
"Fine, Aaron, this book is very hard to get hold of. I need a copy, within the next day. I know it's short notice, but I need it, in order to complete the antidote Aedenrel needs. Are you up for it?"
"Yes." Perhaps the Alchemist in front of him was stupid, Aaron thought. How was he going to find a book, in a foreign city, while being blind? It was like trying to find ... It didn't really matter, he decided, because he'd already agreed to do whatever they needed. I need the break. I need to get out of this house, and get some fresh air. "I would die for her."
"And you probably will, someday." Graum muttered, before turning back towards the table. The Alchemist went to hand Aaron a piece of paper, but hesitated before the parchment met the Imperial's hands. "It would be rather useless to give you instructions on how to acquire the book I need, but I believe this may help." The parchment exchanged hands, and Aaron tucked it into his pockets, waiting for the other man to continue. "Show that to the Alchemist in Skingrad. You must ride quickly and effectively. Avoid all combat, and take a companion with you, to guide you in the correct direction."
There was a long silence, and as Aaron turned back towards the portal, the Alchemist spoke again, his tone full of warning, and hope at the same time. "I need this quickly, Aaron. Within a day."
"I understand," Aaron replied quietly, and he found there was a smile on his lips, one formed in good humor. "I can handle the job." In fact, he was well acquainted with the Alchemist in Skingrad, and he was glad at the chance to see her again. Or well, he corrected himself, not see her again.
The portal noise and tug put him back on the ground floor, and the smile still didn't fade. For once in his life, he didn't feel useless. He could do this, he could help Aedenrel. "Hey, I need a sidekick," Aaron declared, and to his surprise there was a spritey young High Elf next to him in less than a second.
"Oh Aaron, I'd be more than willing to help you out, sweetie!" A flicker of dislike marred his expression, but the smile quickly came back, before anyone else had noticed. Aaron knew there was only one girl for him. And he knew it wasn't this High Elf.
"You can ride a horse?" He arched an eyebrow for effect, which only made the young Elf giggle. And it served to make Aaron more than a tiny bit annoyed.
"I'm an expert rider, Aaron." He could imagine her batting her eyelashes at him, but he was less flattered and more flat-out annoyed. He shrugged in a non-meaningful way, and began to walk towards where he thought the door ought to be. Unfortunately, the little Elf took his hand and led him around, even stopping to hold the door for him. He walked through, with a frown on his face now.
Then the girl took his hand and led him down the stairs, he supposed she was taking him to the stables to get Shadowmere. Of course, she wanted to be chatty about it, which put him in a bad mood. "Aaron, my name is Ranona. We'll be taking my horse, sweety, because it's faster than that old Shadowmere Aedenrel keeps. And he's such a pretty horse, he doesn't get out much. Come on, I'll help you up!" Her over cheerful demeanor was grating on his nerves, but he allowed her to help him onto the stallions back, even biting back a sarcastic comment when it came to mind.
"Thank you for all of your help, Ranona." He figured his appreciation, though forged, was lost as the little High Elf stirred the horse into action. The wind was biting cold, and though he didn't really wish to, he found himself holding on rather tightly to the other rider.
"Where are we going, sweetie?" There was a giggle in her voice, which made him cringe. But she was his help, and likely to be the only help he would get. So he was going to have to work with her. Even if she was rather annoying.
"Skingrad. I need to speak to the Alchemist there, Falanu Hlaalu." Trouble was still in his mind, and he wondered if it was even possible to get to Skingrad, fetch the book from wherever the Hlaalu woman told them it was, and get back in under a day. He doubted his own abilities, but he had promised that he was going to get it back to Graum within the time limit. "And we need to get there fast. Faster than fast, preferably."
"Oh, this is one of Graum's quests, then? I wonder why Kym didn't suggest we use the portal then? Aedenrel has access to all of the Mages Guilds in all of the cities. Wait though, I'm not part of the Mages Guild... Are you?"
"No, not exactly." Aaron decided to take a page out of Aedenrel's book, and reply only with critical information, and only when he absolutely needed to. The miles passed quickly, and Aaron wondered if it really was possible to get the job done in time. "What time is it?"
"It's only been about an hour and a half, Aaron. I told you my pretty Leandon was speedy. We'll be there in no time, don't worry!" It was at that point that Aaron realized the High Elf was like all other High Elves, conceited, and high-strung. They believed that nothing could ever go wrong, and if it did go wrong, it was never their fault.
"If you say so." The silence returned. Silence and darkness. And something he couldn't quite understand, something that had inspired fear in his heart so deep he was afraid to sleep. There was a fire in the back of his mind, and a mix of black and red, a smell of sulfur and burning flesh. He knew what it was, but he didn't want to deal with it.
"Aaron, we've reached Skingrad. You're going to want to wake up now, sweeeeetheart!!!" The High Elf girl was tugging on his sleeve, in a most annoying fashion. He forced his eyes open, and groaned.
"I'm awake, I was just--"
"Aedenrel said you get lost in thought a lot. She was right! Come on, before the shop closes, Aaron. We've still got time, but not much. Especially if we want the information she's got. Come on sleepyhead, get moving."
"Yes, okay, I'm moving." He dropped to the ground in a less-than-graceful fashion. Then she was leading him off again, at a quicker pace than he was used to. And she was chattering incessantly.
"You know, Graum is always like this. He'll put off getting whatever it is that he needs until the very last minute, and then send someone very unlucky on a "go-and-fetch" quest, with a time limit, because he's just too lazy to go and get it. If it's for Aedenrel though, I'm willing to help out. You know she's one of my best friends..."
Her voice drifted around him, and he found that he wasn't paying attention at all. He heard a door open, and felt himself being pulled through it, but it didn't really register with his brain. Not until the harsh voice of the Dark Elf met his ears.
"Oh, now isn't this just a treat! Aaron Glistel, have you finally found a girl to put up with your undying obnoxiousness? What do you need, now? It's closing time, and I'm rather tired."
"I need information on a book." Aaron replied, taking a step forward, and placing his hands on the counter. He had a smile on his face, and he was trying to be friendly. He didn't really think it was working.
"I run an Alchemy shop, Aaron. I don't have any books." The Hlaalu woman's eyes darted quickly over the High Elf. There was a sort of jealousy in her eyes, one that wasn't lost on the golden-skinned girl next to Aaron.
"We're on a special mission, and time is of the essence. Here," the High Elf handed the Hlaalu woman a slip of paper, one that Aaron was sure had been in his pocket not long before hand. "I'm sure that will help jog your memory."
"Ohhhh." The woman began to rummage in the drawers of her counter, and after she had taken out a basket, she tipped it over, and began shifting through a stack of very old looking parchments. A minute passed, and then two. Aaron was about to snap at her when she finally spoke again. "Well, you're not going to like what's in store for you. But if you have a death wish, I have no wish to stop you. Here's the information you've requested, but..." She stopped, and a smile flickered across her face, then vanished. "It's going to cost you, you know. I can't just give out information for free."
"That's a lie, you s'wit. What do you want in return?" The High Elf was nearly growling, but the Dark Elf seemed unphased by her act. "I didn't bring a lot of gold, and Aaron doesn't own anything."
"Oh, it's nothing much, Aaron dear. Just promise me that when you die--" She didn't finish her sentence when the High Elf's dagger was at her throat, tempting her to make just one more noise so she could make the blood run.
"Enough. We will take this, and in return you receive your life! We will have no more dealings with you!" As the golden-skinned girl withdrew her dagger she took Aaron's arm and led him forcefully out into the street. "Blasted woman," Aaron heard her mutter under her breath. But it didn't stop there. "This is little more than a crudely sketched map, it will probably just lead us both to our deaths. For Aedenrel..."
"I don't mean to be rude, Ranona, but we should probably get a move on. Aedenrel is depending upon us both--"
"I UNDERSTAND that, Aaron," Ranona snapped at him, and for once in his life, Aaron flinched away from her. For some reason, there had been a dramatic change in the girl's attitude, but he wasn't about to ask about it, or comment on it. She took little notice, and dragged him down the street, nearly tripping him a few times. He couldn't tell if her fury was caused by him, or Aedenre'ls strange situation, or by a combination of both.
"Where are we going?" He asked after a long silence. She fixed him with a stare that would have made his blood run cold if he could have seen it.
"We're going after that stupid book Graum wanted! It's in some fort or mine nearby, and we'll probably end up dead while getting it. Necromancers, zombies, goblins, anything could be in that bloody cave. We're not even sure that the book we want is in there!" Her temper was steep, and she continued her quick gait ahead of him.
"I understand that, but we must get that book, no matter what the cost. Aedenrel needs it--"
"And you would give your life for hers, I understand that. But is she really worth dying for, Aaron, when she doesn't return your feelings?" There was an icy edge to her voice, a malice that she hadn't shown him earlier, but was letting loose now.
"What goes on between us--"
"Or rather, what doesn't go on between you--"
"It isn't any of your business!" Aaron snapped at her, shocked and irritated by her sudden change of mood and attitude. He wondered why they weren't on horseback, but he didn't dare to question her when his temper was so high, and threatened to break loose. Then Ranona stooped for a moment, picked something off of the ground, and handed it to him.
"If we get into trouble, I expect you to be able to defend yourself. Whether you die in this place or not, it is your own choice."
"Oh..." He was about to reply with something excessively sarcastic, but he thought better of it as she let go of his hands, and swung open the door. In his hands was a sword, of good, but not exceptional quality. Though he couldn't remember when they had gotten out of the city, he knew they were at their destination, a cave that held a book vital to Aedenrel's survival. And time was ticking, going by too quickly to be counted, too quickly to get back to her in time.
"Let's get this over with, then. Stick close, and try not to swing at me in battle. If we find the book, stay on my heels. If we don't find the book, we will find our deaths."
"Well, that's a pleasant thought." Aaron walked into the cave, clutching carefully to the back of Ranona's tunic.
"You're not being truthful with me," Kym accused, jabbing Graum in the chest with one of her long fingers, angrily. "Do you really need that book, or did you just want someone to run off and do your bidding? I grow tired of your games, Alchemist!"
"Calm now, Kym, you wouldn't want anyone to think you've lost your cool, calculating self, now would you? I might need the book, and I might not. Maybe I just sent them away so they wouldn't have to witness her death firsthand."
"Aedenrel is not going to die," Kym growled, with such a stony-edged conviction in her voice that she almost believed herself. "Not while I still draw breath in my lungs!"
"But what can you do about it, Kym? Doesn't her death seem immanent? And what of those Dark Brotherhood scoundrels? You're letting them just mill around. How can you be so sure they won't be the ones to stick a knife between her ribs, to end her suffering?"
"I know not which side you're on, Graum, but tread carefully." Kym hissed at him, very aware of the attention the others in the room were giving her. "She will make it through, and you will watch your tongue. You are here on her wish, and you are only alive because of her good-will. Never forget that."
There was a silence in the room as Kym exited, with a potion up her sleeve that no one had seen her take. Though she was not an accomplished Alchemist, she had a very rudimentary knowledge of potions, and she wasn't going to sit around idly while Aedenrel thrashed in pain, and her eyes were dazed with an emptiness that scared Kym more than the thought of traveling into Oblivion, unarmed.
"Aedenrel," Kym's voice was little more than a whisper, but there was a sort of recognition on Aedenrel's face, that disappeared as quickly as it had appeared. "I know you're stronger than this. You can make it past this illness. You can break free from the madness, Aedenrel, I know you can. Please, fight this a little longer. Aaron went--"
"Aaron..." The name was a whisper of hope from Aedenrel, and a secret smile didn't escape Kym's clever eyes. "Hmm."
"He went on an errand for Graum. He'll be back soon, but before he gets back, you must get better," as Kym spoke she made her way swiftly across the room, and then hesitated as Aedenrel refused to blink, or even to recognize that Kym had moved. With much difficulty, Kym uncorked the little pink bottle, and forced the liquid down Aedenrel's throat. Then she waited.
Her condition didn't change at all. There was no unclouding of her eyes, there was no rest for Aedenre'ls heavily breathing chest. Kym let out a breath she had been holding for too long, and then used her sheer force of will to hold back the tears that clouded her pristine blue eyes. There were no others in the room to see it, but Kym could not bring herself to cry in front of Aedenrel. Over the years, Aedenrel had taught her strength, and magic. She had loved Kym like no other friend, she had given her hope when the nights were long and dark, and full of nightmares. Aedenrel had stood up to fear more times than either of them cared to count. Aedenrel had always been a strong source of inspiration for Kym, and now she was lying on her deathbed, there was nothing Kym could do to console Aedenrel. There was nothing that could be done for the head-strong and lovable Wood Elf.
Kym wasn't even aware she was crying until she felt a strong pair of arms come around her shoulders. She stiffened instantly, but the arms did not release her. And she didn't know whom it was that held her, but she welcomed the embrace. A voice in her ear told her all she needed to know, lent her the strength to stop her tears, and yet didn't lessen her pain in any way at all.
"We are here for you, Sister. We feel your pain. We all fear for her life, and we all must be strong. You, most of all. Take heart, Sister, for Aaron is stronger than you would think. He will find the answer for all of us. We will have enough time. She will make it, this we know."
Kym didn't have to turn to know that the apparition was gone. Whether it was some sort of vision, sent to her by the other Children Of Aedenrel, or a strange dream, Kym didn't know. But she took strength from the courage of the others, and she took strength in the fact that they all believed in Aaron's abilities. Even from the start, the moment that Kym had met him, she had known he was something special, that he had a key part to play in whatever plot was weaving around them. Kym sat on a bench next to Aedenrel's bed and watched her carefully.
Even in his youth Aaron had hated goblins. He had always found them creepy, and just plain evil. They saw no difference between good and evil, they knew only killing and hatred. Once, on a wild adventure with Aedenrel, they had come across a clan of Silverfish goblins. The two of them had hardly made it out alive. He was under no illusions to believe that if that Imperial Legion Guard hadn't arrived when he did the two of them would be dead today. Now though, he was up to his elbows in the black, stinking blood of the goblins, and Ranona was getting irritated.
"I can find pages, but no books. If it was ever here, it isn't now." Ranona threw her hands up in frustration, glancing around the dark cave with only the light from a half-burned torch. She was sweating, she was tired, and she wasn't in a good mood. And having a blind companion didn't help at all. "Aaron, this is hopeless, the book isn't here. I don't know if that Hllalu woman led us astray on purpose or not, but the book isn't here."
"Wait." Aaron's tone was quiet, and she felt compelled to listen to him. "We need to think levelly, and we need to do a full search of the entire cave. They're bound to have a treasure room somewhere, full of junk."
"You're right, of course, but we don't have the TIME, Aaron. We need the book quickly or--"
She didn't elaborate, nor did she need to. Both of them knew the importance of their mission, and neither one of them wanted to fail. Aaron stooped and began gathering the papers from the floor, smoothing them out and stacking them neatly beside him. He heard her walk away, seemingly to explore the rest of the rooms in the dank, smelly cave. Aaron was quite content to just sit on the floor and sort pages. Still, he kept his ears open as he fumbled around on the ground, stacking paper. Somehow, the task made him more calm. And it kept his mind off of other things.
Other things like a vision of a half-Wood Elf, half Imperial woman lying on her bed, staring at the ceiling, blankly, not aware of her surroundings, and suffering some sort of cure-less affliction. He shook his head to clear the thought, and then stiffened as he heard approaching footsteps. They were Ranona's, but the weight and heavy tread told him that she had not found the book, and her temper had not been lessened any.
"Aaron, there's nothing here. We've been tricked, there is nothing of value here! Aedenrel is going to die, and there's nothing we can do!" Carefully, Aaron stood up, and with him came the stack of papers. Ranona was looking at him suspiciously, and then she swept the papers out of his arms, and into her pack. "This will have to do," Ranona muttered, and then there was a lengthy silence.
Aaron waited, thinking she was calculating their next move. Would they go back to the Hllalu woman and demand new information, or take the crumpled papers back to Graum and hope they had found the correct pages? His next thought went completely from his mind, though, as the High Elf took a step forward and kissed him. "Thanks for all of your help, sweetie!" Ranona stepped back from him, took his hand, and led him, flabbergasted back towards the entrance. Once again her mood had changed, and he was slightly afraid of the little High Elf. More afraid than he had ever been of any High Elf. Or minotaur. Or Nether Lich.
"I think old Graumy will have to just be happy with these pages. And if he's not, well, he can get someone else to go and fight goblins for him. Stupid, stinking things anyways, good for nothing, never keep any good treasure..." Ranona helped him back onto the horse, and then dug her heels into the beasts flanks. They would make it in time, but perhaps without the correct information.
"I- She--" Graum's words were cut off before he could even begin to explain, and the nightshade he had been adding to the "antidote" was swept out of his hands.
"No more." Kym's voice cut like a knife through Graum's protests. There was a flicker of smile on her face, before she waved her hands, and a large Nord man and woman "assisted" him out of the room. "Now then, anyone else who would like to add poison to Aedenrel's cure? No? Okay, then." Kym spun on her heels and went back to the main level, only to be stopped by two Dark Brotherhood guards.
"Eh, erm... Kym, we have the knife, ready for inspection." The Kajhiit handed her a glass knife, wrapped tightly in cloth. Another smile flickered on her face, and then died. She turned the weapon over in her hands, and then let out a deep sigh, before crossing the room, and handing it off to the "amulet inspectors." Then, she waited by the door, glancing out the window, hoping fleetingly that Aaron and Ranona would return soon, and quickly. Graum had given them two days, but one was almost over, and if there was a cure, they were going to have to apply it soon. A thought crossed her mind, and before she even knew what she was ordering, the words were coming out of her mouth.
"Someone go into town, and bring the priest. Maybe he can help her. I have... Business to attend to." As if she were a being possessed, she walked out the door, and made her way down the snow-covered road, towards a place she hoped could help.