"It's been almost two weeks," Fjori muttered under her breath as she stared at the wardrobe crammed with pelts, ingots and gems. She'd just finished unpacking and organizing the items they'd gathered on their latest jaunt across Skyrim, finally less encumbered. Clearly, buying this small house in centrally-located Whiterun had been a good idea if for no other reason than storage. The orphan Lucia and her adopted rabbit certainly approved of the purchase as well, having full reign of the bottom floor while Fjori and Lydia were away.
Lydia paused to do the math over in her own room of Breezehome, where she too had been unpacking the goods Fjori had gifted her. Once she had it figured, a slow grin spread across her face. "Since our last visit to Windhelm, I presume?"
"Yeah." Fjori apparently wasn't even going to try and fight it any longer, and it almost made the housecarl feel a bit disappointed. "We should head back now that Delphine and Esbern have set up shop at Skyhaven. Besides, then we can swing south-west and get back to High Hrothgar. I still have that horn to deliver…"
"I must say, you have been quite focused on your missions as of late. I haven't even heard you mention any alchemists in that time." Lydia set down her pack on her bed and walked out to the landing to join her Thane.
"I didn't have much of a choice. That Thalmor party just had to be scheduled within days of Delphine coming up with her little plot to spy, and all the way up in Solitude nonetheless! And once we knew about Esbern, there sure wasn't time to delay in case the Thalmor got there first." Fjori threw up her hands in helplessness. "My crush kind of takes the backseat to saving the world."
"Oh, so we're acknowledging this relationship now, are we? When did that change? I mean, last I heard, you paid him that late night visit and talked about you being a Dragonborn, not your feelings."
"Well, I mean, I did kind of kiss him, so…"
Lydia's jaw dropped. "Wait. What?! Why am I just hearing about this now after two whole weeks?"
"Oh, didn't I mention it?" Fjori retorted airily, an almost smug look on her face. "My bad. I guess all that business with the Butcher was at the forefront of my mind at the time…" When she let the sentence trail off, she could almost see Lydia leaning in closer, as if expecting more details. Oh, this was fun punishment for all of her guardian's merciless teasing!
When she refused to say any more and turned to her bedroom, Lydia finally blurted "Well, how did he react? What was the situation? How exactly did you kiss him?"
"Interested, aren't you?" She attempted the kind of knowing smirk Lydia was so good at but only succeeded in beaming. Admittedly, the memory still made her a bit giddy. "Ah, fine, I'll tell you. You have risked life and limb for me, after all. I went back to see him after I checked in with you at the Palace of Kings, right?"
"Yes, I am aware of that. You told me not to come with you so I could answer questions for the guards." She stopped abruptly, a realization slowly dawning on her. "You told me not to come so you could get romantic with Quintus!"
"Leaving you behind was not coincidental, I will admit. Though, honestly I thought he would want nothing to do with me after seeing me use my Dragonborn powers. I didn't want you to watch me get humiliated. I was about to walk out on him when I kid you not, he grabbed my arm and begged me not to go!"
"I knew it! And then I bet he blushed!" she predicted eagerly.
"Of course! It was adorable! And, well, it turns out he was being so distant that morning because of a fight between him and Nurelion, not because of me. I told him I had to go, but I'd find a reason to come back, and then I somehow got the guts to lean over and kiss him on the cheek, just a quick little thing really."
"And his response?"
At that question Fjori finally frowned. "I have no idea. I was so nervous I kissed him and then pretty much ran out the door. But he did run outside after me and yell at me to be safe, so that's a good sign, right?"
"He did seem to worry about you even though you are clearly a capable woman," Lydia observed, remembering the entire Butcher incident.
"So I just have to get back there! I want to make sure I didn't imagine things, and I don't want him to lose his potential interest by being gone too long. Honestly, I haven't mentioned it, but those long carriage rides to and from Solitude and Riften gave me a lot of time to think about it rather than focusing entirely on Thalmor and Esbern…"
Lydia finally leaned against the wall, curiosity for the most part sated. "What's your excuse going to be this time?"
"Enchanting," she declared immediately, clearly having planned the whole thing out. "He mentioned that in addition to alchemy, he likes to work with magical objects. I'm getting the hang of alchemy now, but I have still have zero skill with enchantments, and it would come in handy. I know there's an enchanting station at a stall in the market where we could go…"
Lydia had to chuckle at her Thane's eagerness. "Well, you have a plan and everything, so what are we waiting for?"
"A good night's sleep, that's all. Make sure you're up before the crack of dawn so we can get on that carriage. I'll go start packing my soul gems!"
VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV
For the second time, Fjori felt a twinge of nervousness as she and Lydia approached the White Phial. The entire way to Windhelm, she had been too excited to be nervous about the impending reunion. She imagined him smiling again to see her even if his eyes were still tired, wondered whether training in enchanting would involve his hands guiding hers… Would he kiss her back if given the chance? Now that they stood outside the door, these pleasant thoughts were replaced with dismal scenarios where she wouldn't have anything interesting to say or he had too much to do to be bothered with her company. What if his interest HAD wavered in two weeks? Would he have thought about it some more and realized how absurd it was to have a crush on a freak of nature? Would it be awkward after her little stunt last time? Doubts then led to panic. Would she even know how to act in front of him? Would she make a fool of herself?
Lydia seemed to read the tension in her companion, stopping right outside the door. "You know, you were gone for two weeks last time and that all turned out just fine. Trust me, the guy's into you enough where a few odd powers won't dissuade him. He certainly won't have forgotten you either."
"You think?"
How her Thane could sound so unsure about that Lydia had no clue. "I know." She sighed. "Should I be the one to break the ice again?"
"No, I should do it. I'm the one that kissed him after all." With this decided, she grabbed the handle of the door with a powerful grip, took a deep breath, and threw it open. "Quintus, I'm back!" The end result was rather dramatic, Lydia noted in amusement, and probably not the impression Fjori had been hoping to give.
Unfortunately, not a second after she'd boldly announced her arrival, she realized that there was an elderly woman standing at the counter in front of Quintus. A customer! And when the woman turned to stare at the commotion behind her, Fjori was horrified to realize it was none other than Viola Giordano, the infamous gossip of Windhelm. Behind her, Quintus's eyebrows shot up in shock. "Fjori?"
"Ooooh, say, you're that mercenary that solved the Butcher case, aren't you? Quintus, are you seeing this young lady? She seems awfully familiar with you…" Viola cackled in mirth, causing both parties to turn away uncomfortably.
"We've done business before. Mercenaries bring a lot of unique ingredients for our stocks and buy up a lot of potions," Quintus attempted lamely, scratching his head.
But Viola was no fool, not buying his line for a moment given his weak acting skills. "Yes, I'm sure there's been plenty of…exchange…between the two of you. Don't let me intrude, dearies, I'll just take my troll fat and be on my way. Here's your fifteen septims." She laid down the money and took the small canister in hand. "Now I guess we know why you've been visiting Windhelm so often lately, don't we?" With a sly wink, the woman slipped past Fjori and out the door, clearly well satisfied with this new piece of gossip.
Once the door latched, Fjori buried her head in her hands. "What the hell does that woman want with troll fat anyway?"
Quintus gave a stiff chuckle. "Troll fat makes for a good skin cream. It moisturizes and protects against the cold." He trailed off into uncomfortable silence. Neither could bear to look at the other. Her mind raced, desperately attempting to figure out what to say about that entire scene she'd caused. If only she knew his mind was racing at a similar pace trying to explain his defensiveness. Both had ruled out blatantly asking whether they were actually a thing despite wishing to know very much.
Finally, after watching the pair of them do absolutely nothing and say absolutely nothing to further things, Lydia gave a loud snort. "By the Nine, you two are hopeless! This is getting too painful to watch! I think I'll just head over to the inn and see about getting our room for the night. Have fun studying the walls." She turned to go, but stopped midstride. "Oh, and before I forget, take your enchanted dagger from my pouch. That was the whole point of coming here, was it not?" Her final three words were about as pointed as the dagger she handed over, and Fjori could read the meaning clearly.
"Ah, thanks Lydia. I'll meet you there later then," her master replied weakly. With a salute to Quintus, Lydia dismissed herself while shaking her head. Well, at the very least she'd given Fjori a parting gift: something to talk about besides feelings of affection and the rumor mill spinning with the stories being told about the two of them (which Viola had no doubt spread to the first person she met on the street).
Fjori cleared her throat and held out the dagger, a cheap iron trinket whose only real value lay in the frost damage runes it carried. Why someone had even wasted the money enchanting such a piece of junk was beyond her. "You said you knew something about enchanting, and I was hoping you would teach me." She quickly turned her gaze. "That is, if you have the time, of course. And, only if you want to."
"Oh, I just dabble in it. I'm not nearly as skilled in enchanting as I am with alchemy, and there are many superior tutors in this field that would serve you better," he dismissed modestly. Still, he leaned closer over the counter. "I mean, I could certainly help with the most basic of principals if that didn't bother you."
"Hey, being a novice still makes you better than me. I don't even know where to start, not even with your potion of snowberries and blue butterfly wings."
She still remembered the time he'd shown her the fortify enchanting recipe! This gave him a bit more courage. "Well, I can't leave the shop unattended, but as soon as we close, I can take you over to Niranye's stall. She keeps an enchanting table back there. I take it you brought some things to disenchant besides the dagger to get started?"
Fjori nodded eagerly. "A couple things we picked up when we raided that Forsworn camp a few days ago."
She said it so casually. Did she not even realize how crazy such a feat sounded to a Windhelm shopkeeper? Those fierce rebels were renowned even on the opposite side of Skyrim for their tenacity and blood-lust. He couldn't help but take the bait. "You were out in the Reach fighting those Forsworn?"
Something about the way Quintus wanted to know more, as if he enjoyed listening to her ramble on about her exploits, unlocked her normal confidence. He could see it in the way her shoulders relaxed. "Had to. We needed to get to an old Akaviri ruin, and the Forsworn were quite inconveniently in the way. Wouldn't you know it, they built a huge camp around the one cave in the entire Reach we needed to explore! It's really a shame they refuse to negotiate."
The Reach… Quintus blinked, suddenly drawing a connection. There was one thing he just had to ask, seeing as she had just been in that particular region, something that could help with his research. Besides feeling more at ease after seeing her more at ease, the scholar within him prompted him to shed his shyness as well and risk the request. "I don't suppose you killed a Briarheart warrior in your raid?"
"A Briarheart?" Fjori nodded again. "I am both amazed and disgusted by those things. But Es…I mean, one of my colleagues told me the briarhearts they transplant into their bodies make them stronger, that I should take them right from where they are sewn into their chests to use in alchemy. One of the nastiest things I have ever done in my life! I think it may have still been beating when I did it… I imagine something as crazy as that would fetch a high price, huh?"
"Well, you see, ever since…" He nearly said something like 'ever since you kissed me' but quickly opted for something else with a slight shake of his head. "…since you left last time, I got to working on a way to repair the Phial. I haven't pinned down everything yet, but it was clearly made with a very ancient form of magic that has long since been lost. The only other known type of magic that old is the kind used by hagravens, specifically in the ritual to create a Briarheart." When he paused his explanation, it occurred to him that he might be going over his audience's head. Fjori had never proved to be much of an intellectual after all. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to bore you…"
"So, you think by using a similar type of magic you could recreate the process that they used to make the Phial?" she wondered seriously, ignoring his apology. By the Eight, she had followed where he was going with this!"
"Y-yes, that's exactly right!" he beamed. "It will act more as a means of trapping the magical properties than actually repairing the physical Phial, but what good is sealing the crack if it's lost its famous capabilities?"
Fjori felt a swell of pride that Quintus was so pleased with her observation. She'd never had much confidence in her academic abilities. She could read and do sums like the majority of Nord children, and her alchemist mother had shown her a few things about the workings of the natural world, but in the end she was still far more familiar with an axe and shield than quills and books. Just as quickly, she worried he'd ask her a question that would sound like foreign language to her ears since she'd proven adept at following thus far.
Luckily, instead of furthering the topic, he stopped. "But what am I saying? I'm sure you've already run an experiment with the briarheart. I shouldn't presume things." The Imperial shrugged shyly. "I just get so excited about my research, I don't even think."
"But I DO have it still," she insisted, feeling strangely enamored with his innocent mannerisms. A nagging voice in the back of her mind, the survival instinct she'd developed as a mercenary, warned her that it might be a ploy to get something out of her. She quickly dismissed the thought for the selfish reason that she didn't want to believe such a thing. "It's one thing to experiment with a bunch of flowers that grow all across Skyrim, and quite another to experiment with something I've only seen one of. I thought that with such a rare ingredient I'd ask you about it the next time I saw you and get your advice."
His eyes widened eagerly. "I…wow, that would be fantastic! I mean, if you were willing to sell, of course. I haven't seen any come through the traveling merchants' wares in a long time, and I'd pay double the usual price if…"
But Fjori wasn't listening. She was too busy rummaging in her bag until she had the briarheart in hand, then placed it on the counter in front of him. "It's yours. You'll use it far better than I will."
"I can't just accept this, Fjori! You have to make a living somehow, and…" Despite his words, he couldn't help but sneak a glance at the item in question, betraying his deep interest.
She held up a hand. "You'll show me about enchanting, then we're even." There was a pause. "Unless that just makes it sound like I'm bribing you to go out with me…"
Quintus stared for a moment, then finally gave a deep laugh. She'd have worried her comment had been out of line if he didn't flash a smile that went right to his eyes. Holy Mara, genuinely laughing Quintus was a sight and a sound that she wanted to take with her everywhere she travelled! "Not sure which is funnier about that statement, the thought that YOU would need to bribe ME, or the idea that slaving over the enchanting station sounds like a date."
Fjori huffed in annoyance. "Well, we could get dinner if you don't mind the entirety of Windhelm knowing about it." He wouldn't want that, she was certain. Good thing she didn't want that either. Did she?
Indeed, the alchemist shook his head, still smiling. "Tell you what. Meet you in the marketplace when the sun starts to set; I'll close a bit early and tend to Nurelion so I can meet you there. When we're done, you can come inside for a bite to eat. I haven't got much, haven't really had much time to cook lately, but you're welcome to some bread and cheese, maybe a few apples…"
A bright ringing of the bell on the door interrupted him as Tova Shatter-Shield entered. He adapted quickly. "And if you come across any more briarhearts, I'd be glad to buy them from you again. Thank you for your business."
Fjori knew enough about improvisation in battle to react accordingly. "Of course, we'll see what I come up with on my next trek out west. Until next time." With more poise than she expected herself capable of, she spun around and left the counter, giving a courteous nod to the customer. Even as she felt the eyes on her back, she refused to look over her shoulder. It was too soon for anyone to be getting ideas.
VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV
Lydia was nearly asleep when Fjori barged into their shared room, not even caring that the hour was late and her housecarl might be trying to get some shut-eye. "Hmm, that was a productive evening if I do say so myself!" she warbled in a sing-song voice, shutting the door with a loud slam. Lydia could make out the sound of muffled grumbling on the other side of the wall, no doubt from unhappy patrons in the next room over.
Lydia's instinct was to roll her eyes dramatically and complain about the inconsiderate entrance, but to be honest she was far too interested in knowing what had transpired after she left. "What are you, drunk, my Thane?"
"No," Fjori scoffed, plopping on the bed. Then, she reconsidered. "Okay, there was a little wine. Nothing fancy, not even Elven Alto, but it surprised me he had anything of that sort at all. He always so uptight…" She began counting on her fingers. "Maybe that's why he only had one glass and I had like four. Finished the bottle for him." She then frowned. "Shit, I drank the rest of the bottle! I'd better buy him a new one or he's never inviting me again. I'll take a good gig and buy him something fancier. Wonder if he's ever tried that spiced stuff from up in Solitude…"
"Oh boy, you sure cut loose."
"Hey, it wasn't enough to get drunk off of, just…enough to loosen up a bit, you know?" Sighing happily, she began to unlace her boots.
"Wait, so you had dinner together then?"
"Yeah, just a bit to eat in the back storage room."
The only thing that sounded less romantic in her mind was if they had eaten dinner out in the alley. "Wow, what ambiance."
Fjori shrugged, then kicked off a boot. "We couldn't disturb Nurelion upstairs, and the table downstairs was by a window where someone could see us."
Now Lydia sat up, hugging her knees. "Would that be such a bad thing?"
Fjori stilled as her second boot went flying. "It's still too soon. Things could go wrong. We could be over before we begin. People might ruin things with their gossip. It's just…better to keep it low-key to spare us from the judgement later." Groaning at the thought, she pulled back the covers and laid down. She may trust Lydia with her life, but that didn't make her any more inclined to explain why she truly feared going public with her love life. Let the pain of the past stay in the past.
Thankfully the woman changed topics. "So…any more kisses occur, or are you going to hide it from me again?"
Fjori covered her face in her hands. "I was too scared to do it again."
"Even with the wine?"
That earned a scowl. "Even with the wine. I didn't want to come across as too pushy, you know? But…" She pulled her hands away, and in the dying candlelight Lydia could see a flush to her cheeks. While it could have been the flush of alcohol, she suspected it was another matter altogether. "When I was saying goodbye, he told me he enjoyed the evening, hoped to see me soon, and gave me a quick kiss on the cheek!"
"And you didn't even kiss him back?!"
"I was too distracted to think of that!"
"You were too distracted to kiss him back?"
"I don't know, okay? It was a blur! I just promised him I'd find a reason to come back after my next mission."
"Well, heaven forbid you lose as much ground with your confidence as you did this time," Lydia commented dryly. "Or perhaps it is a curse I bring upon the room whenever I want to stay and watch what happens between the two of you." When her companion rolled over to face the wall with a low growl, she wondered if perhaps she had gone a bit too far. "Do I get one more question?"
"What?" she responded tersely.
"Did you learn any enchanting, or were you too busy flirting?"
An exasperated sigh came from across the room. "For your information, I've learned five different enchantments and now know how to learn more on my own as we find new items. Also, Quintus got the briarheart he needed for an experiment with the Phial, so everybody had a good day!"
"Okay, that satisfies me. I'll shut up now and let you sleep. It'll be a long trek to Ivarstead." Lydia leaned over one last time to blow out the candle, enveloping the room in darkness.
"Yeah…" And for the first time in her life, Fjori was not so keen on leaving town.
